Doctor Who: The Blood Cell (14 page)

‘I’m not sure I can take another one,’ I said. Then I sat down.

The Doctor stood behind me.

‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Take all the time you need.’

I nodded to him gratefully. The stars were still spinning. My world had collapsed. I remembered what had happened the last time I’d spoken to my wife. Had that been when it had all started?

Something clicked. Something in the long-ago faraway distance.

‘You know I said take all the time you need?’ came the Doctor’s voice.

I nodded.

‘Well,’ the Doctor coughed, ‘I lied. Get up. They’ve come for us.’

From the walls all around us, Custodians emerged.

‘The good news …’ began the Doctor.

There’s good news?

‘Theoretically, yes.’ We were drawing together warily as the line of Custodians swept towards us.
‘It’s another line in my theory. Unless I’m very much mistaken, the Custodians have now been reactivated. The bad news is that they are now programmed to attack every living thing. If you’d – ah—’ Each Custodian emitted a threatening buzzing sound. ‘If you’d care to test my notion by walking up to them, then …’

‘No, thank you. I’ll believe you.’

‘Capital!’ The Doctor nodded, and ran a hand through his hair. ‘See the bond of trust we’ve built up between us. Any ideas?’

‘Can you use your spoon on them?’

The Doctor laughed shortly. ‘It’s just a spoon. It’s only got two settings. Three if you’re eating soup.’

‘Well, there’s nowhere to run.’

‘No.’

The Custodians drew closer.

‘Surrender?’

Sharp spokes sprang from each Custodian.

‘I think not.’

Neither of us said anything for a moment.

‘I’ve more good news for you,’ I said. ‘When Bentley finds our bodies, she’ll know you were right.’

‘Yes. That is indeed good news.’

The Custodians were two metres from us. The knives had been joined by pincers.

‘At least …’ I said, my mouth dry, ‘it’ll be quick.’

‘Really?’

‘No.’

‘Thought not.’ The Doctor shrugged, and in doing so, drew a jar of metal filings from his pocket. He threw them up into the air, where they hung like glitter. And then, from his other pocket, he brought out the blowtorch. It squirted a brief jet of flame. Not really enough to do anything other than ignite the fluttering glitter. Which burned, burned with a fierce light and heat.

The Doctor grabbed me, snatching me out of the way.

‘Magnesium filings,’ he said.

The burning cloud settled on the Custodians. And carried on burning. Their arms flew up, swatting them as they burned at their casings.

‘I grabbed them from the workshop,’ he explained.

‘Is there anything you haven’t stolen?’

‘Hmm. Depends. What’s not nailed down?’

The Custodians buzzed and banged against each other. The Doctor threw up more filings and ignited them. This time as they fell, a force shield flared up around the Custodians.

‘They’re protecting themselves. Which is good, because …’

The force shield flared, and the Custodians shut down.

The Doctor folded his arms. ‘Thought so. They’ve not had a chance to properly recharge. Never launch
a killing spree on an empty battery. Come on.’

We had to edge through them. Even powered down, there was something sinister about them. They still hummed with residual energy. I had to brush past a set of claws and spikes, feeling my uniform snag against them. I moved on, and then couldn’t. A Custodian’s claw had fastened around my uniform, seizing my arm.

‘Doctor …’ I hissed.

The claw was spasming, never quite releasing, never quite clamping down fully. I knew that if it did, it would cut clean through the bone.

The Doctor turned and looked. ‘That one’s got more charge than the others. A little. Not much.’

‘Not helping.’

‘Fine,’ The Doctor was giving off the air of having bigger problems to deal with than me losing an arm. ‘I’ll do a thing. When I do the thing, I want you to run to the door and not stop. Not for anything.’

‘Right.’

‘Oh, and shut your eyes.’

‘Why?’

‘Cos if this goes wrong, you won’t want to see.’

‘Won’t want to see what?’

The Doctor produced his spoon. He coughed, ‘The electromagnet has two poles,’ he said, tapping the battery taped to the base. ‘Which gives me a fifty-fifty chance. If I get it right, that claw springs wide apart. If
I get it wrong …’

‘Oh.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Are you sure about this?’

‘Fifty-fifty isn’t bad odds. I’d go so far as to offer you sixty-forty.’

‘On what basis?’

‘None whatsoever. You see, it’s based on my purely reductive belief that things will work out for the best.’ With a smile, the Doctor pounced on the claw. Before I could even scream.

Instinctively, I cried out and shut my eyes.

‘You’re done,’ the Doctor whispered in my ear.

‘Done how?’

‘Done as in run.’

‘My arms?’

‘Still plural. Run.’

I opened my eyes. All I could see was the floor, without an arm lying flapping spare on it. So I ran for the door. As I did so, the Custodian behind me spun round into life and advanced on the Doctor.

‘Down, boy,’ he roared and aimed a strident kick at it.

The Custodian gave a loud clang and stopped. The Doctor cried out, hopping back from it, agonised.

‘Did you hear that?’ he wailed.

‘The clang?’

‘The crunch, man, the crunchy snapping sound.’

‘No.’

The Doctor was windmilling his arms while swinging a foot back and forth.

‘That was my toe.’ He pulled an agonised face. ‘That … that really hurt. I think I’ve broken my toe.’

‘The Custodians are very solidly built. That was in the contract.’

‘Dandy. Just dandy. The one thing here that is. Never mind. Let’s get out of here.’

The Doctor hobbled off slowly, grimacing.

I followed him. Not quite sure where we were going.

It was silent on the launch pad. The Doctor eased himself into the chair I used to greet visitors.

‘That’s, actually, er, my chair …’ I began, but the Doctor shot me a look. ‘To which, of course, you’re more than welcome.’

The Doctor slipped his boot off and examined his injured foot carefully. His sock was decorated with some surprisingly unexpected cartoon animals.

‘This little piggy went to market … This little piggy stayed at home … This little piggy had roast beef … This little piggy had none … And this big piggy … arg.’ He waggled his toes and then smiled.

‘What is it? Is your toe all right?

‘No,’ the Doctor’s smile vanished. ‘This piggy is quite definitely broken. But, see, when I move my toes it makes it look like the piggies are dancing. Ha.’ He
frowned. ‘Where is she?’

‘Clara?’

He nodded.

‘I thought you said she was out here, protesting.’ The Doctor narrowed his eyes.

‘Frequently.’

‘But the one time when I need her, she’s away kissing, or teaching her children the rudimentary basics of transdimensional engineering. Typical. That girl … has no sense of priorities.’ He sighed. ‘That’s the problem with companions. I had a dog once. Ah yes. That one worked out rather well.’ He leaned back in the chair and shut his eyes. All of a sudden, he once more looked so old and so very tired.

There was a cough.

Clara was standing on the other side of the fence. The Doctor sprang to his feet, wincing only slightly.

‘Clara Ostrich!’ The Doctor beamed.

‘The surname is Oswald,’ said Clara.

‘Well, I’ve been thinking. About the surname. You never really liked it, I’ve never really liked it. And Ostrich is much better. Because of the neck.’

Clara considered him coolly. ‘I’ve missed you,’ she said.

‘And I’ve missed you too.’

They stood there for a moment, grinning at each other like idiots.

‘Ooh, nice socks,’ said Clara.

‘Socks don’t matter,’ said the Doctor, slipping the boot gingerly back on. ‘So, it’s you and me back together again. The Doctor and Clara. Separated only by an electrical fence.’

‘Plus seventy-three other security systems,’ I put in.

‘And I’ll get to those in a minute,’ the Doctor dismissed me. Now that Clara was here, I got the feeling I was no longer important. Curious. He was studying her intently. ‘Now then, Ostrich, you’re late. You’re never late. There’s a reason, isn’t there?’ He smiled at her.

Clara nodded. ‘The TARDIS and I have been on a side trip.’

‘Nice to see the two of you getting along.’ The Doctor beamed. ‘The TARDIS is my spaceship,’ he explained to me. He dropped his voice to a stage whisper. ‘She and Clara never used to be friendly. But they’ve managed to forget and forgive.’

‘I’ve not forgotten!’ protested Clara.

‘And I’m sure the TARDIS hasn’t forgiven,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now where have you been, you old sly-boots?’

‘Weelll …’ Clara twisted on her feet, clearly pleased with herself but also a little worried about the impact her news would have. ‘Do be pleased—’

‘I rarely am these days.’

‘OK.’ She took a deep breath. ‘We rescued the people on Level 7.’

‘You did what?’ I cried, and nearly threw myself on the electric fence in an attempt to embrace her.

‘You did what?’ The Doctor’s tone was less joyous. ‘Tell me you didn’t travel back in time and save them?’

Clara shook her head. ‘As it flew past, we detected the Defence Array powering up, so we hopped over, loaded them in, and then dropped them off on a colony. Hence the delay.’ For some reason I wasn’t quite sure of, she was holding her hand behind her back. ‘Nice little world called Birling.’

I reacted to that. I’d hoped never to hear the name again.

‘I see,’ the Doctor looked at her, and then at me. ‘Well, one less massacre. And I’m sure the Oracle will be pleased.’

‘Is that …’ Clara wrinkled her nose distastefully. ‘Is that the weird fat bloke doing the invisible knitting? Before the people on the colony locked him up, he told me I’d meet a tall, dark stranger and go on a long journey.’

The Doctor beamed. ‘Well, that’s pretty right, isn’t it? For once?’

‘When do I get tall and dark again?’

The Doctor scowled. ‘I have rather missed you,’ he said.

‘We’ve done that bit.’

‘Right then, what’s next on the list? Oh yes, the fun, impressive moment.’

‘I always like that bit.’

They kept on like this for a bit, and I was rather glad I wasn’t sat behind them on a long shuttle journey. I almost wanted to be a part of their world, while worried at how they could behave like it in the middle of chaos.

At the same time, I was swamped with relief. Level 7 was fine. Everyone was fine. They’d lived. For the first time that day, I knew that things were going to be all right. Because the Doctor and Clara were here.

Which was when half of the landing pad exploded.

Clara was thrown screaming to the ground. She scrambled up, debris and flame swirling around her.

‘What?’ she cried.

‘The Defence Array …’ I stammered. ‘But why?’

The weapon fired again. The ground between us and Clara burned.

‘It’s now turned in on The Prison,’ said the Doctor. ‘It’s detected the arrival of Clara. And it’s quite determined to wipe her out. And most especially our spaceship.’

There was another blast. Closer to Clara.

‘It’s still calibrating,’ mused the Doctor. ‘Seventy-three systems keeping her out?’

‘And the fence. Yes.’

‘Turn them off. Let her in. Now.’

‘I can’t,’ I protested.

The Defence Array fired again. Clara was now
sheltering behind the small rock she’d sat on earlier. Chips of it were flying into the air.

‘You have to.’ The Doctor was fierce with urgency. ‘Look at her!’

Clara shrank as more shots fell near her. The thin atmosphere was full of sparks.

‘I just can’t,’ I protested. ‘The system is designed to be impregnable. I can’t let an innocent person in. I just can’t.’

Another bolt split the stone in two. And then another shattered it.

With nowhere left to hide, Clara stood up, alone and exposed, covered in small cuts from the splinters of rock.

‘Shall I run for the TARDIS?’ she suggested.

‘I’m afraid you won’t make it,’ said the Doctor. ‘You don’t stand a chance out there.’

‘Goodbye?’ she offered.

‘Never,’ the Doctor was firm. He turned to me. ‘The innocent can’t come in, you say?’

‘Yes,’ I confirmed.

‘How innocent?’

‘Good point.’ I laughed suddenly. ‘Clara, could you hit that sign there, please?’

‘This one?’ The notice said ‘DO NOT TOUCH THE FENCE.’

‘Yes. Very hard.’

Clara threw a lump of rock at it. The sign dented.

‘Clara Ostrich,’ I intoned over the blasts of the Defence Array, ‘in my capacity as Governor –’ the Doctor was making ‘hurry up’ motions – ‘I arrest you for damaging prison property. Come inside.’

The fence sprang open and Clara hurried in. As it shut, the Defence Array scoured the landing pad where she’d been standing. The firestorm behind us was blinding.

We stood there, catching our breath. Despite her previous aloofness, Clara was shaking. The Doctor held her to him.

‘That is kind of a hug,’ he said. ‘You know I don’t do hugging.’

‘The old one did,’ she told him.

‘Ah well.’ He let her go. ‘Curious custom. Though I suppose it’s a good way of smelling hair. You’ve changed shampoo.’

‘Shampoo?’ She stepped back.

‘Could be important later,’ he considered, then discarded, the thought. ‘No, probably not.’

‘I don’t think,’ I said to the Doctor, ‘that you take things seriously enough.’

‘On the contrary,’ the Doctor retorted, ‘I think the universe takes itself far too seriously.’ He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at us both. ‘So, we have to find out what’s going on, make this prison safe and then save an entire system.’

‘We do?’ I asked.

Clara nodded. ‘It’s epic. And it’s what we do. I’m very good at it. He’s … fine.’

‘I’ve very good. Look,’ said the Doctor proudly, producing an object from his pocket. ‘I’ve got a sonic spoon.’

Clara gave him a look. It wasn’t exactly impressed.