‘Is Ireel on her way?’ asked Apok. ‘She needs to deal with the fool before he blows everything.’
‘He knows,’ said the scientist sat at the station. ‘He knows about it all.’
‘How can he?’
‘Um,’ came a voice from a doorway. It was Rix.
‘You stupid idiot!’ scolded Apok.
‘It wasn’t my fault. They captured me and took me to my office.’
‘And you just told them everything?’
‘No, don’t be so stupid. I managed to escape, but they must have hacked the computer.’
‘That’s what you get for leaving important information lying around where anyone can read it.’
‘All of our computers are encrypted. It’d take a genius to unlock them.’
‘I gather you’ve met the genius!?’ said Apok, indicating the Doctor on the screen.
Rix looked to an archway set in the far wall. I wasn’t certain, but I had the feeling that that was the doorway that would lead to the staircase.
‘Do you understand any of this?’ said Danny.
‘Not a word, but I’ve got a hunch that we can get out that way.’
Danny followed my gaze to the door. ‘You’re insane. They’ll catch us before we reach it. And we have no idea that it leads down to the staircase.’
‘Let’s find out,’ I said.
‘No, Caroline.’
‘Look, Danny,’ I said, staring at him, ‘I’ve just started to get my sense of adventure back. Don’t let me let it slip away now.’
‘You’re a nutcase.’
‘That’s why I’m your best mate,’ I said. And I grabbed his hand and we both sprinted from the cover of the entrance door towards the archway.
Apok noticed us and yelled for the guards to stop us. But it was too late. We were already pushing through the doors and then…a flash…
…we were surrounded by clouds. And we were standing a blue, stone staircase. The night sky seemed to envelope us and the city seemed so far away. I almost felt like I was going to fall. I wobbled slightly, but Danny grabbed my waist and stopped me from going over.
‘Cheers,’ I said, smiling at him.
‘Fancy a dance?’ he said, a little nervously, his hands still around my waist.
‘Maybe when we get downstairs. Come on!’
The steps were huge, like the stones of a pyramid, but we managed to make our way halfway down when we saw the familiar figures of the Doctor, Matthew and Aleena appear.
‘Caroline! Danny!’ exclaimed the Doctor. ‘I left one of you with Jettel and the other in a hospital ward!’
‘We both got transported. To the cavern,’ I said.
‘A cavern in the clouds?’ said Aleena.
‘It’s just a fake, transport thing,’ said the Doctor. ‘Remember?’
‘So you know what’s going on?’ asked Danny.
‘Yes,’ said the Doctor. ‘To cut a long story short, it’s all fake. Ireel and Deela have been working with the government to keep everybody in line. Now they’re showing fractures, they’ve appeared to try and unite them again.’
‘Isn’t that a good thing?’ asked Danny.
‘No, it’s wrong. Completely wrong. They’ve taken a religion and perverted it. It’ll take the Xanji years to get over this.’
‘So which way are we going? Up or down?’ asked Matthew, the furthest down the staircase.
‘Up,’ said the Doctor. ‘And you’re all coming with me.’
I frowned. ‘I was expecting you to tell us all to go and wait in the TARDIS out of harms way.’
‘I don’t want any of you going down there into Deela and Ireel’s pantomime chaos. I want you all safe where I can see you. Let’s go!’
We made our way back up the staircase. At the top was a swirling, upright cauldron of light. The Doctor insisted he go first and stepped forward. He disappeared in a flash of light. The rest of us looked at each other, a little unsure of what was going to happen, and then followed him through.
When we emerged on the other side we were surrounded by guards. The Doctor had his hands up and Rix was sneering at him.
‘I suggest you put down your weapons,’ said the Doctor calmly. ‘Your little secret has been discovered.’
‘By who? You?’ said Rix.
Apok shuffled uncomfortably beside him.
‘Yes, by me.’
‘So all we have to do is kill you lot and the problem goes away.’
The Doctor shook his head. ‘It doesn’t work like that, Rix.’
The Doctor went to his pocket and the guards raised their guns a little higher.
‘It’s alright, it’s alright,’ said the Doctor, ‘I just want to show you something.’
‘Go ahead,’ said Rix, indicating for the guards to relax a little.
The Doctor pulled a small, silver, oval shape from his pocket. It had a white disc on one side.
‘What’s that?’ asked Rix, eyeing it up suspiciously.
‘This is…well, I suppose you could call it my alarm clock.’
‘Explain.’
‘Loaded into this device is all of the information collected about Deela and Ireel. The truth. It’s tuned into my life signs. Handy little devices actually,’ he said, turning it over in his hand and smiling down at it. ‘I bought it from a Grel in the Garazone System.’
‘Doctor…’ hissed Aleena.
‘Ah, yes. The truth. If I happen to die then this device will transmit all of the information about your disgusting little lie to every data pad, every computer, every piece of information-capable technology across Xanji-For. The people will know the truth. The people will respond, and you can bet your bottom Shannix that they won’t be too happy about it.’
‘Then why haven’t you done it already?’ asked Apok, trying to get a look at the intriguing piece of technology.
‘Because I came here to offer you the opportunity to fix this yourselves. To talk down Deela and Ireel, or whatever their real names are, and end this peacefully. Explain to the people. Apologise. Make things right.’
‘Not a chance, Doctor,’ laughed Rix.
‘But why not? Why would you let this continue?’
‘Because this is how it’s been for centuries,’ snapped Rix. ‘You can’t just step in here and change things.’
‘If things are changed for the better than I’m afraid that I very much can change things.’
Rix continued to chuckle.
‘Listen to him you idiot,’ growled Aleena. ‘You do not want to get on the wrong side of the Doctor. He was the one that ended the Time War, you know?’
Rix glanced up at Aleena and then at the Doctor. ‘We helped the Time Lords.’
‘I know,’ said the Doctor. ‘That’s where you got the Regenersis machine from, wasn’t it? The Time Lords used them for a time to rebuild their damaged bodies. They have the power to rebuild regeneration cells.’
And all of a sudden it clicked for me. This was why the Doctor was so interested in coming here. Out of all the planets he could have travelled to get help with his and Matthew’s situation.
‘I came here hoping you could help me.’
‘Surely, Doctor, you didn’t know about the Regenersis machine?’ asked Aleena.
‘No,’ he continued, ‘but I thought I may have some look in tracking one down. The Time War was so long ago now, that there was always a chance I wouldn’t find one, but obviously I was wrong.’
‘So,’ said Rix, ‘not only do you want to shut down our afterlife programme, but you also want us to let you have access to the Regenersis machine so you can fix yourself?’
I considered this. Rix had a point. Why should they give in to the Doctor.
‘Your machine is barbaric. I didn’t agree with them when the Time Lords used them during the War, but I had no choice really. Not when I was out there on the front lines and isolated from everyone else.’
‘So…?’
‘I can find a way to make them operate without extracting the life force from other individuals. I can find a better way.’
There was a flash and standing behind us in the archway was the white-robbed Aleena. There came another flash and Deela appeared next to her, frowning at the Doctor.
‘Thank goodness you’re here,’ said Apok. ‘They’ve discovered the truth.’
Deela’s creatures - the Denta’s - appeared beside her.
‘And those things,’ said the Doctor, skipping past the guards to a computer bank, ‘they are fascinating.’ He pulled a few switches, took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at a panel which promptly flashed and then exploded with a pathetic bang.
The Denta’s flicked and blurred and then vanished.
‘No!’ yelled Deela.
‘What did you do?’ asked Matthew.
‘They’re holographic images,’ said the Doctor.
‘But they killed someone,’ I said, remembering the carnage back in the forest.
‘Hard-light holograms. They’re not real, but they can still hurt and do damage.’
‘And those two?’ said Danny, nodding towards Ireel and Deela.
‘Now, let’s see,’ said the Doctor, looking down at another computer panel.
‘That’s enough!’ yelled Rix. ‘Guards! Shoot him!’
‘Ah-ah-ah!’ said the Doctor. ‘Remember the information in my device.’
‘Stop!’ said Rix, before the guards could pull the trigger.
‘I see,’ said the Doctor, smiling. He flicked a few more switches and Deela and Ireel flickered until standing there were two, beautiful, but very ordinary, blue-skinned Xanji women. The real faces of the God and Non-God.
Around each of their necks were a golden ring and both of them had a special, metal glove on each hand.
‘The rings sustain the holographic image around the two ladies, and the gloves allow for them to instantaneously teleport their victims - like Caroline and Danny.’
Everything was starting to fall into place and the I found myself smiling at the Doctor’s powers of deduction.
‘This isn’t the end,’ said Ireel. ‘Nobody else has seen us yet.’
The Doctor smiled. ‘Actually. I kind of lied a little bit.’
‘What do you mean?’
The Doctor pretended to look a little concerned over what he had done. ‘Before Aleena, Matthew and I came the staircase, we got the information out to Jettel, one of the outsiders. He’s already on his way to contact the Justice Department. They’re going to break the news to the rest of the planet about what you’ve been doing.’
‘You’ll cause chaos!’ screamed Ireel.
‘I doubt it. The Justice Department are the only ones high up who weren’t “in” on the lie. They’ll organize everything. Things will be fine.’
‘Then why did you lie about that device?’ asked Apok.
‘I needed a little bit of leverage. I needed some security while I fiddled with your machines and took down your little empire.’
‘Guards!’ shouted Rix. ‘This time kill him!’
The guards raised their weapons, but a beeping came from a central console. The image of a white-bearded man, Jettel and a very sorry looking President Uthal flashed up. The white-bearded man spoke.
‘Members of the science group looking after Ireel and Deela. This is the Justice Department speaking. Your cavern has been located. It’s all over. Your guards are now under my command. Lay down your arms and surrender peacefully.’
The Doctor turned to Rix, Apok, Deela and Ireel and smiled. ‘All in a days work, I’m afraid.’
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