Doctor Who_ Divided Loyalties Part 11

All thoughts of piloting the TARDIS back into E-s.p.a.ce and home forgotten, Adric rushed from the mess and off to find Paladopous.

He had to get a message to the Doctor. Urgently!

Tegan felt strangely calm as she stood outside the chamber.

The Observer had taken them down, way under the pyramid, through a labyrinth of twists and turns guaranteed to confuse them. Tegan had heard the Doctor mutter something about wis.h.i.+ng he had brought Theseus, but he was always making cla.s.sical allusions, and her head was too fuzzy to try and work this one out.

It had to be something to do with the depth - they seemed to have been walking for ages and had to be quite some way beneath the surface.

She noticed Desorgher was suffering as well, periodically shaking his head or squas.h.i.+ng his palms against his ears, trying to get them to pop.

Nyssa, Oakwood, Townsend and Dieter were also showing signs of fatigue, but she noticed that neither the Doctor nor Braun seemed to be affected. She guessed the Doctor's Time Lord physiology was responsible for his state, while she doubted that Braune would flinch even if he had an arm amputated.

To call him a stoic was an understatement.

After a few more moments, the Observer had brought them up to a vast arched stone doorway that reminded Tegan of a cathedral entrance. Indeed, she could almost smell incense and feel an atmosphere of reverence.

We are here. Please prepare to enter.'

It was a holy place.

Tegan wasn't particularly religious but when her mother had told her that her father had cancer and had to retire from running the farm and let Richard Fraser, her uncle, take over, she had cast a small prayer upwards.

h.e.l.l, if anything had happened to her dad now, she wouldn't know!

The Observer looked at her.

Your pain will pa.s.s, child'

My... my pain?'

Your father has pa.s.sed on, child. It was a painless and very dignified departure.'

How do you... know this...?'

The Observer reached out a hand and touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers, letting his middle finger rest on her temple. I am the Observer,' he said. You are the Chosen. It is easy.'

And Tegan was somewhere else.

It was warm, humid in fact, the gra.s.s a rich green and the sky a beautiful blue broken by white clouds.

Oh my G.o.d - I'm home. It's the farm...' And suddenly a chill went up her spine and she gasped. No...' she was filled with a horrible dread. G.o.d no...'

She was running, her feet making no mark on the gra.s.s, past the paddock, around the tractor and up to the main house.

The doors were open and the family were gathered.

Mum was seated, being comforted by Mrs Michaels from the town and Uncle Richard.

Mum's sister-in-law, Tegan's Aunt Felicity, was there too along with her cousins Colin and Michael.

Her Serbian grandparents were there - Gramps and Grammie Jovanka had flown in from Yugoslavia. No Grandad Verney - oh G.o.d, he would still be mourning his niece... Aunt Vanessa, who had died at the hands of the Master.

Mum had lost her husband so soon after losing her sister...

no, this wasn't fair!

Tegan was trying not to cry, not to scream out how unfair this all was, that no family should have to suffer so much!

Mum was speaking. Crying. First Vanessa, then Tegan and now Bill...'

But I'm not dead, Mum!! I'm here!' Tegan wanted to shake her mum, hug her, tell her that she was all right.

But of course they must have thought she had died with Aunt Vanessa on that Sat.u.r.day in Barnet. How could she tell them otherwise?

But it didn't matter. All that mattered was that her father was gone and she hadn't been there. Hadn't been able to say goodbye. Hadn't been able to tell him how much she loved him.

To recall her childhood, to talk about cars and s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps, to remember watching television and listening to music. And to remember how Dad had encouraged her drawing, enthusiastic about her free spirit - he always understood that farm life wasn't for her. Dad had encouraged her to spread her wings, to see the world.

She remembered one sunny day, years ago, when they had lain in a pasture looking up at the sky as a jet plane flew over, heading up to Cairns. Daddy, I want to go in one of those. I want to fly.' And her dad had smiled, hugged her and said, My special girl - one day you will.'

Tegan realised the image had changed - they were at the cemetery, beside the grave, as the rabbi spoke, recalling William Jovanka's life. Mum was being comforted by Uncle Richard and Aunt Felicity. Mjovic and Sneshna Jovanka were on either side of the rabbi, heads bowed, saying farewell to their beloved son.

Suddenly the rabbi looked up, straight at Tegan, and saw her - although that was impossible.

Until she realised that the rabbi had the Observer's face.

Then, one by one, the other mourners seemed to see her.

Where were you?' snarled her mother.

Useless daughter, couldn't be bothered to be here.' That was Uncle Richard.

Too busy with her new friends to even let us know she was alive,' said her grandmother.

Whose fault is it?' asked Aunt Felicity. Who has kept you away from your family? Your duty?'

Who has stopped you being a comfort to a lonely mother?' asked her mum, tears cascading down her face. No...

please...' Tegan dropped to her knees. Please. It wasn't my fault. I've tried to get back to Earth, but the Doctor couldn't do it. He couldn't get me here'

Oh, so it is is someone else's fault, is it?' someone else's fault, is it?'

And standing behind the rabbi/Observer, mouthing pointless apologies, was the Doctor.

Yes,' she breathed. Yes, if he hadn't taken me away, if he had lived up to his promises, I could have been here, Mum.

It's all his fault...'

And the vision was gone.

Tegan was back outside the stone doorway. The Observer was beside her, his hand at his side.

Had she imagined it all?

We are here. Please prepare to enter.'

Had the previous few moments actually occurred?

Tegan saw the Doctor out of the corner of her eye and for the first time ever, she felt furious. Livid with him and his empty promises and his useless TARDIS and...

It was all his fault. Her father was dead. Her mother was coping alone. And it was all his fault.

So when the Observer eased open the stone doors, Tegan stormed into the room thinking of nothing but revenge.

Unseen by her, or indeed anyone else, the Observer was smiling as he watched her.

As everyone filed into the room, there was an audible gasp.

It was larger than the cathedral Tegan had been expecting. It seemed to have no end - the long, cavernous room stretched back and back, and was quite wide, although she could see its sides. It was quite dark and smelt a bit musty, as she'd expect a cathedral to smell. But the remarkable thing about it was that it was occupied.

Row upon row, until they faded into the distance, there were people, dressed in the same garb as the Observer, lying on slabs. Men, women and children.

Are they dead?' Tegan was standing by the nearest slab. On it lay a youngish man - she guessed he was young, simply because his face was smooth although he was as bald as the Observer. He didn't appear to be breathing and his skin was ice-cold.

The Observer did not answer. Instead he dropped on to one knee, bowing his head before her.

It is my place in the world to remain on guard. Preparing for this day, when the Chosen would walk amongst us.'

The Doctor stepped forward, before Oakwood could speak.

h.e.l.lo, I'm the Doctor. I wonder, could you possibly explain what you mean by the Chosen? You see, you've mentioned that a few times and I rather think you mean my friend here.

Tegan.'

The Observer nodded, smiling. Of course, that is why you have brought her here, Doctor. Your path is not hers. Her destiny lies here.'

Ah. Thank you. That clears that up.' The Doctor turned away, and winked at Nyssa.

Look,' Oakwood began. Did you destroy our shuttle? We have no way of returning to our s.p.a.ce station now.'

The Observer turned away. The Chosen one is here - the rest of you are irrelevant. There is food and water for four days in that alcove.' He waved a hand dismissively to the left. By then, Paladopous or the boy, Adric, will have arranged a rescue mission.'

The Doctor was not surprised by the Observer's knowledge of those they had left on the s.p.a.ce station. And if they don't?'

Then you will starve to death. Dymok is only for the Chosen.'

The Doctor crossed over to the alcove. Well, I suppose we'd better get rations sorted out, Commander. We may be here for some time.'

Doctor!' Nyssa's cry made him turn around sharply - and it was easy to see why she was alarmed.

Of the Observer and Tegan there was no sign. It was as if they had never been there.

Tegan!' he called out desperately. Tegan, can you hear me?'

There was no reply. The Doctor caught Nyssa's look of anxiety and smiled at her. Well,' he reasoned, if Tegan is this Chosen, then I very much doubt that the Observer intends her harm. I think we should settle down for the night and worry about our predicament after some sleep. Hmmm?' If Oakwood was about to argue, he was stopped by Sarah Townsend.

I think that's a fair idea, Doctor. But in the morning we need some real answers from the Observer.'

The Doctor nodded and he and Dieter began sorting through the rations, while Desorgher and Braune cleared some s.p.a.ce near the doorway - which required gently casing the nearby slabs and their occupants into a corner. Oakwood and Nyssa pushed the doors shut, to retain what little warmth existed in the cathedral.

After a while, the Doctor and Dieter shared out the food and everyone ate and drank in silence.

I feel very tired,' Nyssa announced.

I imagine so,' said the Doctor. The food and drink were drugged after all.'

Oakwood tried to comprehend this, but was clearly feeling the effects of whatever the Observer had given them.

You knew?' asked Dieter.

I suspected.'

But why didn't you say something?'

The Doctor leant back against the wall. Because we all need some rest and relaxation and this ensures we get it. If the Observer meant us harm he could have killed us in the shuttle, or trapped us in the freezing outside once he'd got Tegan inside the pyramid.'

He smiled at Dieter but she, like nearly everyone else, was already comatose. Besides which, we'd all eaten enough for the drugs to have an effect before I began to susp... sus...' He tried to swallow, to clear his throat. With a slight cough, he did so.

Only Braune was awake, arms crossed, by the doorway.

You didn't have anything, did you, Mr Braune. I'm glad... I feel better having someone reliable to watch over us while we sleep.'