Doctor Who_ The Tomorrow Windows Part 21

It's freezing cold and the beach is in darkness. The tide lashes at the sh.o.r.e in anger, was.h.i.+ng away the sand to reveal the concrete beneath. Thunder booms.

Worst of all, it's raining. My shoulders sag under the weight of the downpour of sharp pebbles.

'Oh b.u.g.g.e.r,' says Welwyn. 'Weather must be on the blink again.'

The Doctor stood at Nimbit's door, enjoying the attention. Fitz slouched against the wall, his hands in his jeans. Outside, the storm drummed on the windows, water slos.h.i.+ng against the panes.

Vors.h.a.gg grunted as it heaved itself up the remaining stairs and joined Question Intonation, Poozle, Dittero and the two baby-oiled legionaries holding the Fabulous Micron's cus.h.i.+on.

'What do you think's happened?' asked Charlton.

The Doctor examined the locked door. He rapped it from top to bottom then dug out his sonic screwdriver. He held it over the lock and the lock clicked like an alarm clock being wound up.

The door swung open with a squeak.

As one, the delegates s.h.i.+fted to get a better look.

There was something on the bed.

Upon the sheets lay a black, lumpy puddle dressed in tweed. Parts of it had seeped on to the floor. It glistened like jelly.

Vors.h.a.gg attempted to enter the room, but the Doctor shouted, 'Stop! n.o.body move!'

'What is it?' said Fitz.

'Everyone move away from the door.' The Doctor waved the a.s.sembled aliens back, then retrieved a tennis ball from his coat pocket. He bounced it on the floor. Then, taking a step back, he under-armed it into Nimbit's room.

As soon as the ball pa.s.sed over the threshold, it slammed into the ground with a clump. Then the ball flattened itself to the carpet, leaving a round, yellow circle.

'As I thought,' said the Doctor grimly. 'The gravity has been increased. Nimbit, it seems, has been squashed to death.' He crouched down to speak to the attendant Zwee. 'Can you turn off the power supply to this suite?'

The Zwee nodded, too mortified to speak, and trundled away.

'Oh my dear,' muttered Question Intonation, its voice a fl.u.s.tered squawk.

'Oh dear. What a dreadful accident. How appalling, how awful. Squished!'

114.

Despite everything, Fitz couldn't help wis.h.i.+ng Question Intonation would just shut up.

The Doctor shook his head. 'No accident. Somebody tampered with the gravity settings.'

115.

Micron's Story 'We shall not be intimidated.'

'We refuse to be intimidated.'

'We shall never submit to intimidation.'

'We will not give an inch!'

'We are the Micron!'

'The Great, the Huge, the Mighty Micron!'

The four great leaders of the Micron Domination Council had gathered in their council chamber. The stark, severe room contained a circular table with a chair at council chamber. The stark, severe room contained a circular table with a chair at each point of the compa.s.s. The occupant of each chair was caught in a spotlight, each point of the compa.s.s. The occupant of each chair was caught in a spotlight, its smooth chitinous insect limbs glistening like armour. Beyond the spotlights, its smooth chitinous insect limbs glistening like armour. Beyond the spotlights, all was darkness. all was darkness.

The Fabulous Micron watched his three superiors. Opposite, at North, was the Extraordinary Micron. Extraordinary was elderly, his exo-skeleton tarnished. Extraordinary Micron. Extraordinary was elderly, his exo-skeleton tarnished.

Resentment and bitterness was all that kept him alive.

To the Fabulous Micron's left sat the Influential Micron. The only female member of the council, she was laden with over a hundred pulsating Micron eggs.

Fabulous found that rather attractive and had some difficulty avoiding her gaze.

Members of the Domination Council did not fertilise each other. It was frowned upon. upon.

And at East was the leader of the Micron, the Unbelievably Fantastic Micron.

They were the same age Fabulous and Unbelievably Fantastic had first met at college, when Unbelievably Fantastic was the president of the debating society college, when Unbelievably Fantastic was the president of the debating society and was known as Rather Promising. and was known as Rather Promising.

It was a Thursday. The day the Micron convened to discuss their imminent conquest of the known universe. conquest of the known universe.

'All other species are inferior!' yelled Unbelievably Fantastic, slamming a fist into the table. 'They must yield to the might of the Micron!' into the table. 'They must yield to the might of the Micron!'

'They must be made to suffer,' hissed Influential. As she leaned forward, her eggs caught the light. The Fabulous Micron's stomach twisted with arousal. 'They eggs caught the light. The Fabulous Micron's stomach twisted with arousal. 'They must beg for mercy. They shall be our slaves!' must beg for mercy. They shall be our slaves!'

'One day,' said Extraordinary, his voice embittered with age, 'they will see our power! They will bow down before us!' power! They will bow down before us!'

'It is our destiny,' said Unbelievably Fantastic. 'Our destiny, to rule the cosmos!'

116.

The Fabulous Micron cleared his throat. Six hemispherical eyes turned towards him. 'Yes?' him. 'Yes?'

'I was just wondering,' said Fabulous, 'how we intend to. . . er. . . do this?'

'What?' roared Extraordinary 'I've never heard such. . . insubordination.'

Fabulous swallowed his nerves. 'It's just that we meet here, every Thursday, and discuss what we're going to do when we've taken over the universe. Which is and discuss what we're going to do when we've taken over the universe. Which is good, I'm not knocking it or anything, it's just that I thought maybe we should good, I'm not knocking it or anything, it's just that I thought maybe we should first decide how we're going to go about achieving it.' first decide how we're going to go about achieving it.'

If Unbelievably Fantastic had had the capacity to narrow his eyes, he would have narrowed them. 'You mean,' he said, 'how we're going to take over the have narrowed them. 'You mean,' he said, 'how we're going to take over the universe and subjugate all inferior races to our will?' universe and subjugate all inferior races to our will?'

Fabulous nodded. 'Thought we could put together a working party. A plan of action.' He was tempted to add, 'rather than sitting around shouting.' action.' He was tempted to add, 'rather than sitting around shouting.'

The problem was that the entire Micron race was in denial.

They did not have an inferiority complex, and the fact that they were only one millimetre tall had nothing to do with their low self-esteem. The reason they gave millimetre tall had nothing to do with their low self-esteem. The reason they gave themselves such hyperbolic t.i.tles was because they were the most powerful race themselves such hyperbolic t.i.tles was because they were the most powerful race in the universe, and not because they had anything to prove. in the universe, and not because they had anything to prove.

The truth was, they did feel intimidated. Oh, they had material wealth, and technology, and a sophisticated culture. In many ways, they were superior to technology, and a sophisticated culture. In many ways, they were superior to other species while the lifespan of a Micron was brief lasting only two or three other species while the lifespan of a Micron was brief lasting only two or three years, they experienced time proportionately quicker, meaning that other races years, they experienced time proportionately quicker, meaning that other races seemed sluggish and dull-witted. seemed sluggish and dull-witted.

The truth was, they just wanted to be bigger.

'The thing is,' purred Influential oh G.o.d, thought Fabulous, she's purring now 'the thing is, in terms of military influence, we are somewhat. . . ' now 'the thing is, in terms of military influence, we are somewhat. . . '

n.o.body wanted to say the words. But nevertheless 'diminutive', 'insignificant'

and 'puny' made themselves known.

'I have a plan,' said Fabulous. 'That does not involve us going to war.'

Six hemispherical eyes regarded him doubtfully. He continued, 'What we may lack in terms of physical size ' he had said the unthinkable 'we more than make lack in terms of physical size ' he had said the unthinkable 'we more than make up for in terms of economic muscle. I suggest, rather than trying to conquer the up for in terms of economic muscle. I suggest, rather than trying to conquer the known universe. . . we buy it!' known universe. . . we buy it!'

'Are you sure we should?'

Dittero placed himself in the beam of the slide projector. Valuensis rippled over his features. 'We have an awful lot of planets to get through. The,' he wetted his lips, ' demise demise of delegate Nimbit is, naturally regrettable, but that should not throw out our schedule.' He p.r.o.nounced 'demise' to rhyme with of delegate Nimbit is, naturally regrettable, but that should not throw out our schedule.' He p.r.o.nounced 'demise' to rhyme with 'chemise'.

117.

'And the fact that one of us is a homicidal, walrus-flattening maniac,' said Fitz, 'doesn't bother you?'

'On the contrary,' said Dittero, tight-lipped. 'It very much concerns me.

However, we should not allow ourselves to succ.u.mb to intimidation intimidation. . . '

Both of Micron's attendants glanced fearfully at his cus.h.i.+on.

'Well, it's all right with me, darling dears,' trilled Question Intonation. 'I wasn't too bothered about Valuensis, anyway. Not really the circ.u.mference I was after.'

Vors.h.a.gg scowled, and growled, 'We should continue. In honour of Nimbit.

He died the death of a quisling. He should have died in an act of wanton carnage.' It was the longest speech anyone had heard Vors.h.a.gg make. Fitz thought it was intended as some sort of tribute.

'Poozle?'

'We should ploceed!' said Poozle.

'Right.' Dittero tapped his fingers on his clipboard. 'Now, with no more interruptions '

The door creaked open and two dishevelled figures staggered in.

Trix and a tall handsome man in a buccaneer's outfit were creating two puddles. The handsome man had a perm like a drowned poodle.

'Welwyn Borr!' announced Dittero. 'You've elected to join us. So munificent munificent.'

He smiled at the delegates. 'Our resplendent resplendent designer.' And Miss MacMillan, of course, of coursington. If you would care to join your colleagues ' designer.' And Miss MacMillan, of course, of coursington. If you would care to join your colleagues '

Trix caught the towel that Dittero tossed at her. Rubbing herself down, she walked over to the radiator beside Fitz and leaned against it. Fitz checked to see whether her clothes were see-through then turned back to the table.

Dittero waited for Welwyn to take his chair. 'Now, when we left the bidding, it stood at twenty-one million. Do I hear any advance?'

Poozle flashed as it spoke. 'Twenty-two mirrion!'

Thunder rumbled and hail pelted the windows. Fitz s.h.i.+vered.

One of Micron's legionaries pounded the table. 'Forty million.'

The room took a gasp of breath. Dittero open and closed his mouth like a surprised guppy. 'Forty?'

The attendant nodded.

'Forty million Arcturan ultra-pods. . . Do I hear any advance?'

Fitz glanced about the room. Everyone else was glancing about the room.

'Going once, going twice.' The gavel tapped the table. 'Gone, to the Fabulous Micron, for forty million Arcturan ultra-pods.'

The Doctor gave a slow hand-clap. He seemed surprised when no one else joined in.

Micron's attendant handed Dittero a credit card. Dittero wiped it on his sleeve and slid it through a hand-held reader. The reader chirped. ' Magnifi-118 Magnifi-118 cent. This is wonderful. Do you know whether the Fabulous Micron wants the property as seen, or intends to make some adjustments?'

The legionary beside the cus.h.i.+on listened to his earphone, placing one finger on his earlobe. 'He requests that the atmosphere be changed to methane.

The Glorious Micron race prefer it. They say it's less smelly.'

'Delightful make yourselves at home!'

Dittero glanced to Welwyn.

'Shouldn't be too hard to achieve, should it?'

Welwyn Borr examined his cuticles. 'No. Fine.'

'Anything else?'

'The Fabulous Micron requests that Valuensis be moved closer to its sun, and that its...o...b..tal period be extended by six months.'

'I think we can do that.'

'He also requests that the continents be made a bit more symmetrical.'

'All very much within Welwyn's scope, I'm sure.'

'Can I make a suggestion?' said the Doctor. 'Have some fjords. They give a lovely baroque feel to a continent. Or so I've been told.'

Glowering at the Doctor, Dittero returned the credit card to Micron's attendant with a receipt. 'Valuensis, one proud owner. An undiluted pleasure doing business with you.'