Part 26 (2/2)

Tammuz. Tammuz had - I turned. The soldiers were firing. Tammuz was going down. He squeezed the trigger. The automatic fired. About a hundred rounds sprayed the nearest soldiers and members of the crowd. They fell, slow motion. I felt something punch me repeatedly in the chest and arms. Bullets. I'd been, shot. I went numb. I couldn't breathe. I fell.

I rolled. I skidded to a halt, groaned, fought for breath. I struggled to my feet. Staggered up to where Tammuz was being held down by a number of villagers. More villagers and some soldiers were holding back Dilaver's uncle. I stood over Tammuz and caught my breath.

'You should know better than to try to shoot someone protected by a force field,' I gasped. I picked up his fallen automatic and pressed it slowly against his stomach. My own force field extended to cover the gun, meshed with Tammuz's field and, in the same way that Jason had been able to steal my ring, I poked Tammuz hard in the gut with his own gun. 'I'm making a point,' I said. 'Are we learning anything here today?'

Tammuz scowled. He stopped struggling.

I handed the gun to a soldier and turned to help Jason back to his feet. I started to say something, then just gave it up. I was too tired and I hurt too much. Dilaver's uncle caught my eye. I turned to him. I held out my hand for his gun. He gave it up without a word and turned away to be comforted by his wife and the rest of the villagers.

I sat down against the side of the TARDIS. Something inside was telling me to just sit there until whatever infection Jason had given me by touching me took effect and I melted into a steaming puddle. I tried to ignore the voice.

But it would be so easy just to sit there and do nothing. Think nothing. I was tired, bruised, my chest and arm were killing me. I was in bad shape all round.

Jason mooched over and sat down beside me. 'Great. Just what I need.'

'Hi, yourself?'

'What?'

'Nothing.'

'Fine.'

'I just thought ... you know ... that I'd tell you about the antivirus the Doctor has just made.'

I sat up. 'Antivirus?

'Yeah, parrot. Antivirus.' By now Jason's grin was irritating. Did the man know no humility? 'The antivirus he made from Cthalctose biomatter bonded to the force field around my shoe.'

'He made an antivirus from something he sc.r.a.ped off your shoe?'

'Yep. Great, huh?'

I sighed. 'Jason, I'm this close to a total breakdown. I've been shot at, knocked out, depressurized, and otherwise nearly lost my life on any number of occasions. I do not - read my lips - do not need cheering up.'

Jason didn't have time to look hurt before the Doctor poked his head around the side of the TARDIS and said, 'It's mopping up Agent Yellow in the TARDIS like a sponge. I think we're ready to try it out on the Earth now.

Do you want to help?'

Jason bounced to his feet. 'You bet!' He helped me to my feet. I was so knackered I let him. The Doctor handed Jason a huge plastic bucket shaped like a castle turret with the words BRIGHTON BEACH embossed on the side. Instead of sand the bucket was filled to the brim with a reddish-brown dust. 'Think you can find the transmission chamber?'

Jason grinned. 'If Benny can find it, I can.' It was a stupid joke. I didn't smile.

The Doctor said, 'Just put the bucket in the chamber, get out and seal the door. I'll do the rest from here.'

Jason took the bucket and walked away. The Doctor now beckoned to Chris and handed him a medical kit?

'Inoculations?'

The Doctor nodded. 'Administer this to everyone. Including yourself, Jason and Bernice?'

Chris nodded. I took my injection in the only limb that was currently pain free, then followed as the Doctor led me towards the operations centre.

I said, rubbing my arm, 'Tell me about this antivirus, Doctor.'

He grinned. 'Couldn't be simpler. As soon as I realized there was biological matter bonded to Jason's force field I realized I might be able to synthesize an agent which would inhibit the function of Agent Yellow. Perhaps even kill it altogether.'

'And you think you've found that?'

'Oh yes. No question of it. I've tested Agent Scarlet inside the TARDIS and so far it has performed admirably.'

'A veritable Domestos of alien viruses?'

'Indeed.'

'In laboratory conditions..'

'Well. Ye-es, but I'm sure it will work in the field.'

I remembered Chris offering me the injection. 'So sure you've had Chris inoculate everyone here.'

'You have to start somewhere?'

'And how do you hope to deliver this Captain scarlet to the sites of infection?'

The Doctor winked. 'We'll use the same delivery system that put Agent Yellow there.'

'Oh. Fine. Well, in that case do you mind if I have a little sit down? I'm feeling a bit tired.'

The Doctor looked disappointed, for all the world like a little boy who has offered to show you his beetle collection and then been told the sight of insects makes you sick. 'Don't you want to watch?'

'I suppose so.'

'Excellent!' The pleasure in the Doctor's voice was doubled when he saw that Jason had returned from the transmission chamber. Chris and the villagers crowded round, some rubbing their arms. A dog barked. Chickens strutted. The sheep made that unnerving sheep noise.

We reached the hexagonal console that reminded me so much of the one in the TARDIS. Well, now I knew why. Jason; the force-field emitters he'd given the Astronomer Royal on Cthalctose, over six billion years ago.

The Doctor wandered around the console. He seemed deep in thought. He paced and muttered. He frowned. He counted on his fingers, carried a few numbers on to his elbows, got confused, then sighed and started again.

Finally, he operated some controls, looked up at the machine hovering overhead and grinned.

A familiar voice said, 'Attention. This is the personality matrix of the Astronomer Royal. You are now about to see something really clever.'

The Doctor mouthed the words in time with the sonorous voice.

I had to chuckle.

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