Doctor Who_ Theatre Of War Part 15

'All right then, try this one. You're the sort of race that enjoys going to the theatre lives for it, in fact.'

Ace nodded.

'Such fanaticism seems quite common in this part of the universe.'

'There could be lots of reasons for that.'

'So you build a theatre a huge amphitheatre, the theatre to end all theatres.'

'Yes Doctor.'

He leaned back in his chair, tipped his hat over his face, and said quietly, 'But would it ever occur to you, Ace, on a planet where half the time it's raining cats and fifty*foot dogs, to make it an open air theatre?'

The debriefing proved to be of little help or interest to anyone except Lefkhani, and he found it difficult to believe most of what he heard. So he concentrated instead on keeping the ship on course and monitoring the com*net. He also kept a watchful eye on the detectors. Behind him Fortalexa, Lannic and Klasvik continued to argue over what to report and what to keep to themselves.

When Lefkhani interrupted they all seemed relieved. Until they heard what he had to say.

'Sir, there's a ship coming up on us from behind on an intercept course.'

Fortalexa was with him in an instant, punching up verification. 'Do we have the ident signal yet?'

'No, sir. Any moment now.'

'Is it one of ours an escort?' Klasvik was optimistic. They all knew an escort would not be spared.

'Could be in retreat from one of the recent actions,' suggested Lannic.

'Got it Gamma five zero nine slash four.'

Fortalexa was already checking the listings. A match flashed at him from towards the end of the list. 'The Hordes of Bastura. It's a battle cruiser, Cl.u.s.ter cla.s.s. And it's Rippearean.'

They'll be in range in about thirty seconds.' Lefkhani checked the perceptor readings. 'They're locking weapons now.'

'Try to lose them maximum drive.' Fortalexa turned to Klasvik, 'Find the specs on the Cl.u.s.ter cla.s.s. See if we can outrun them.' He opened an intercom channel and his voice reverberated round the command deck as it was relayed through speakers on every deck and in every cabin. Doctor, Ace to the command deck please. If you hurry, you'll be here before the torpedoes.'

There was a good selection of cakes and two pots of tea but Benny was more concerned with finding out what was going on. She had described the problems she found with the theatre and with the doc.u.ments, and Braxiatel had just smiled, 'What conclusions do you reach?' he inquired reasonably.

So she told him what she thought.

'And how is that possible, do you suppose?' he asked when she had finished.

'Well I don't really know. I suppose time travel must have something to do with it.'

He laughed. It was a quiet laugh, good*natured and genuine, 'Oh no,' he said, 'for once time travel has nothing to do with it.'

'Do you have another explanation?'

'First things first.' He leaned forward and surveyed the cakes. 'Help yourself, won't you? They really are as good as they look. I'll pour you some tea: there's a traditional Terran brew, and also one I had blended myself. Do you have a preference?'

Benny decided she preferred to try the traditional Earth blend. Braxiatel seemed not at all put out, excusing himself to answer a polite knock at the door.

It was Elliniko. While the two men exchanged a few quiet words, Benny sipped her tea, trying to think what Braxiatel's explanation might be. She was no wiser by the time he returned.

'Good news?' she asked.

'Perhaps. A Rippearean cruiser has encountered a Heletian orbiter en route en route between Menaxus and Heletia. We're linked directly into the net, but even so the original report will have taken a while to get posted.' between Menaxus and Heletia. We're linked directly into the net, but even so the original report will have taken a while to get posted.'

'That must be Lannic's expedition.'

Braxiatel nodded. 'They're just approaching the edge of the Schlaer Belt. My guess is they will run for it and try to hide in amongst the asteroids.'

Benny all but dropped her cup and saucer onto the table and leapt to her feet. 'But an old orbiter's no match for a cruiser.'

Braxiatel seemed mildly concerned. 'Careful you'll spill your tea jumping about like that.' He dabbed at the table with a napkin.

'Oh forget the tea, we have to do something.'

Braxiatel smiled and gestured for her to sit down again. 'I'm afraid there's really nothing much we can do.'

Benny sat down. He was right, but she felt no better for knowing that. 'I suppose they'll be okay,' she said distantly and Braxiatel nodded sympathetically. 'After all, the Doctor's with them.'

The tea splashed into the saucer as Braxiatel turned sharply towards her. 'What?'

Compared with the rest*room, the control deck was tiny. It seemed even smaller to Ace since it was crammed to capacity with consoles and equipment. What wall s.p.a.ce was left was dominated by the main screen, and what floor s.p.a.ce there was had several additional flight chairs bolted to it.

Fortalexa was on the detector console, Lefkhani was piloting with Ace as his back*up. The Doctor had appointed himself navigator, staring at the charts on the main screen and doing the calculations in his head since that was quicker than using the computer. Lannic and Klasvik were strapped into crew seats, although they were close enough to see and hear what was going on.

'Why don't you show us what we're heading for?' Klasvik was annoyed that the main screen was dedicated to navigation charts he could not understand.

'If we can see it,' Fortalexa told him without looking around, 'then we've already hit it. At this speed we're wholly dependent on the detectors, so I suggest you don't interrupt the Doctor's calculations. If he's slightly off we'll get sc.r.a.ped against an asteroid.'

Ace checked over the readings again. Lefkhani was linked in, but she was double*checking against the physical controls. 'Looking good.'

'Check.' Lefkhani had his eyes shut, his hand tight on the control stick.

Ace looked round at the others. Fortalexa had one earpiece of the headset pressed to his left ear, the other hanging free. The Doctor was holding his pocket watch*like a stopwatch, counting off the seconds and tracing a line with his index finger across the chart projected on to the main screen.

'They're still with us.' Fortalexa had got a faint ping. Ace had heard it through the free earpiece of his headset. 'Their detectors are active.'

'Is that good or bad?' asked Lannic.

'Both. It's good that we know where they are. We can't afford to go from pa.s.sive detect, they'd find us at once. But it does suggest they know we're no threat to them.

The Doctor tapped a point on the chart and glanced at his watch. 'We're within the Schlaer Belt now. Can we decrease speed?'

'I'd, rather not, Doctor. They're gaining on us if anything, There was a louder ping from the headset they all heard it. 'Right, that's it, they got us that time. They'll be locking weapons and preparing a salvo.'

The Doctor nodded, silently counting off the seconds. 'Come left thirteen degrees in five four three two one mark.'

Lefkhani moved the control stick slightly and Ace followed the directional readings as the forward indicators shifted thirteen degrees.

'And down seventy six in three two one mark.'

The chart shifted position as their perspective changed with the ship s bearing. There was a sudden flare of static from Fortalexa's console.

'Good work, Doctor that was the detonation.'

'And right two degrees in three two one mark. We should be in the channel now.'

The chart shifted again and a black line appeared across it, stretching forward from their current position. The Doctor looked at his watch again. Then he pulled a length of string from his jacket pocket and measured along the line with it.

There was another loud ping.

'Doctor they've got us again.'

'And they know where we're going,' Ace pointed out. 'We have to follow the channel, The asteroids were packed close along either side, a slight deviation would crush them to pieces.'

'They may not follow us in their charts aren't as detailed as ours.'

'But they will launch.'

'Yes. Doctor, we need to outrun them.'

The Doctor had his abacus out and was flicking beads furiously. 'Lefkhani, increase speed by twenty*five percent in three two one mark.'

The thrust pushed them all back in their seats. The Doctor staggered slightly, dropping his string. A moment later there as a ping from the headset higher pitched this time. It was followed a second later by another. And another.

'They've launched.' Fortalexa was timing the gaps between the pings. 'The missile has acquired us and is locking on. Gaining.'

The Doctor's face was set, his eyes focused on the chart as his finger moved slowly up the black line. It was about a third of the way along it. 'Increase speed by ten percent in two one mark.'

Ace checked the readings as the thrusters surged again. She was not sure she had ever been so fast in normal s.p.a.ce. But if they tried to jump without calculating the shot they could end up anywhere. And this close, their pursuers could follow the trace themselves, or task a missile to do it.

The Doctor's finger was moving more quickly along the line now. And the pings from Fortalexa's headset were coming faster and faster.

'Impact in eleven.'

Lefkhani's hand stiffened on the control stick sweat breaking out on his forehead and his eyes still tight shut.

'Impact in eight.' Each ping was starting almost as the previous one finished. The gap between them shortened further, and they started to overlap, becoming a continuous sound with peaks and troughs rather than discrete pings.

The Doctor's finger traced its way painfully slowly along the line. It was almost at the top now. He checked his watch. 'Be ready to come right seventy degrees and up thirty on my mark.'

'Impact in five.' The sound was almost a single tone. Ace wondered how Fortalexa could tell how close they were now. Perhaps he was guessing.

'Right seventy and up thirty in three two '

'Impact in two.'

' one mark.'

Lefkhani's hand jerked across and up, almost in spasm. The ship trembled after it, throwing the Doctor off balance. And then the blast wave hit them, sending the control deck spinning and knocking the Doctor to the floor as it dropped away from him. The screen went blank.

'Impact within one hundred meters.'

The Doctor was on his feet as soon as the ship stopped rolling. 'Ace where are we?' he shouted across.

She called up the flight log. 'We rolled thirty*one degrees right and fourteen down.'

'Then come left twenty*eight and up seventeen now.'

Lefkhani responded immediately. After a moment the screen came back on, re*oriented to their current perspective.

'Decrease speed by eighty per cent two one mark.' The Doctor pulled out a paisley handkerchief and rubb his hands and face with it.

'Are we through?' asked Lannic.

'We're still in the belt, but the asteroids aren't so densely packed here. And we've slowed right down.'

'But are we safe now?' Klasvik looked more shaken than anyone else.

'Probably,' Fortalexa said. 'You never can tell, but with luck they'll think they caught us in the blast. I doubt if they'll follow us through the channel. Even if they have a decent set of charts we're not worth the effort.'

In the silence that followed, they all heard the ping, clear and distinct.

'I wouldn't put money on it,' the Doctor said.

The sun was setting over the Mansionhouse behind them as they came down the shallow steps into the water avenue. Braxiatel was holding Benny's right hand in his left. He held it high, at about the level of her shoulder, his fingers around hers. She delicately made her way down to the path, the scarlet dress dragging slightly at the steps behind. As they reached the base of the steps, Braxiatel let go of her hand and gestured for her to continue. She realized with a silent smile that he had been holding her hand to support her if she slipped on the steps. He probably a.s.sumed she was wearing high heels under the dress. She wondered what he would make of the genuine antique Nike trainers she actually had on.

'Have you known the Doctor long?' he asked after a few steps.

'A while. Difficult to tell really.'

There had seemed no doubt in Braxiatel's mind that they both knew the same Doctor. 'I realized you must know him when you used his research ticket. But it never occurred to me that he might actually be on Menaxus.'

'Have you you known him long?' known him long?'

Braxiatel turned to her and smiled. The light from the setting sun lit his face, casting shadows across it which exposed an age and experience Benny had not noticed before. 'For ever,' he said.

'Yet you won't help him I don't understand why.'