Part 27 (2/2)

'So, no chain reaction, then,' she said to the Doctor. 'Teller was wrong.'

'Unfortunately, yes,' said the Doctor. Ace stared at him, appalled, and the Doctor chuckled. 'Honestly, the expression on your face,' he said. 'You should see yourself. Obviously I didn't mean that it was unfortunate that this world wasn't destroyed by the bomb. What I did did mean was that it was unfortunate that Teller clung tenaciously to his wrongheaded view, right up until the very end.' mean was that it was unfortunate that Teller clung tenaciously to his wrongheaded view, right up until the very end.'

'You never managed to get him to change his mind, then?'

'No,' said the Doctor. 'Not for all my arguing and reasoning. I made no impression at all.'

Ace shrugged. 'But what difference does it make? He was wrong, and the Earth survived, and that's all that matters.'

'Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. Because being wrong will have a profound effect on Teller. He will feel humiliated that he was wrong, that he argued against detonating the bomb. And, as a result, he will undergo a one hundred and eighty degree turn in his ideology. Effectively, Trinity was his experience on the road to Damascus.'

'Road to where?'

'It means a complete change of heart. From being anti-bomb to pro-bomb.

He will become America's most influential advocate for nuclear weapons. He will stifle and discredit Oppenheimer. Teller will become the ”father of the hydrogen bomb”, building ever bigger and more terrible weapons and setting America and the world walking along the tightrope of proliferating nuclear arms.' The Doctor sighed. 'And I hoped all that could be avoided.'

'If you could have changed his mind?'

'Yes, if I only could have convinced him his chain reaction was impossible, then he would have abandoned his argument and he would have been spared the bitter humiliation of being proved wrong. Which in turn might well have stopped him over-compensating and becoming the apostle of nuclear annihi-lation.' The Doctor shrugged again. 'That was my real mission here. . . And I failed in it.'

180.'Your real mission? What about stopping Imperial Lee from blowing up this entire universe?'

The Doctor smiled a melancholy smile. 'I was never entirely convinced that such a thing could have been achieved.'

Ace stared at him, more appalled than before. 'What do you mean? We saw how they used Ray's equations.'

'To travel between dimensions, yes. But I am far from certain that they could have used their peculiar blend of physics and magic to enact such a grandiose doomsday scenario.'

'Well if you didn't think they could pull it off, why did we try so hard to stop them?'

The Doctor's smile was warmer now. 'Because, unlike Oppy, I decided we couldn't afford to take the chance. After all, there was an entire universe at stake.'

'A universe that we saved,' said Ace. 'Quite possibly.'

'Yes, quite possibly. Luckily, we will never know.' The Doctor wandered to the far end of the control chamber where a familiar tall blue shape stood waiting for them. 'It really was very good of Zorg to look after the TARDIS for us.'

'Are you changing the subject?' said Ace.

'Yes, I suppose I am. I'm also broaching the new subject of our leaving.

Because it's time we did just that.' Zorg overheard this and came scuttling over on his big fat transparent claws.

'Truly, Zoctor. Must you go?'

'I fear so.'

'But perhaps you could linger just a few moments longer to hear a little of my poetry?'

The Doctor looked at Ace. There was a glint of mischief in his eyes. 'What do you think?'

Ace shook her head. 'Sorry Zorg. We have to breeze.'

Ray hurried over to join them. 'Did I hear you cats say you're going now?

And am I right in remembering that you're offering me a lift back to my own dimension?'

'Yes, Ray,' said Ace wearily.

Cosmic Ray Morita hesitated, holding his yellow shoulder bag tightly to his chest. 'And can I bring my records with me?'

'Yes, Ray,' said Ace, even more wearily.

The big man loped towards the TARDIS, tears of grat.i.tude in his eyes.

181.

About the Author.

Andrew Cartmel was the influential script editor of Doctor Who Doctor Who during the Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor) era. He has also worked as script editor and lead writer on the cult sword and sorcery TV series during the Sylvester McCoy (Seventh Doctor) era. He has also worked as script editor and lead writer on the cult sword and sorcery TV series Dark Knight Dark Knight for Channel Five. He wrote the for Channel Five. He wrote the War War trilogy ( trilogy ( Warhead, Warlock, Warchild Warhead, Warlock, Warchild) in the Virgin Doctor Who Doctor Who New Adventures series, and New Adventures series, and Foreign Devils Foreign Devils, a Who Who novella (which featured a guest appearance from William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost Finder). His other books include novella (which featured a guest appearance from William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost Finder). His other books include Script Doctor Script Doctor, a memoir about his days on Doctor Who Doctor Who at the BBC and at the BBC and The Wise The Wise, an original novel. His stage thriller End of the Night End of the Night had a successful run in London in 2003. He has recently had a screenplay optioned and is currently working on film scripts and more novels. had a successful run in London in 2003. He has recently had a screenplay optioned and is currently working on film scripts and more novels.

183.Doc.u.ment Outline Front Cover Contents Prologue: The Girl on the Sofa 1: Three Days Earlier 2: At the Party 3: Cactus Needles 4: Lady Silk 5: By the Pond 6: A Warm Night 7: Into the Desert 8: On Board the Craft 9: Breakfast with the Duke 10: Chapel of the Red Apocalypse 11: California Death Cult 12: The Well of Transition 13: The Devil Epilogue: Trinity About the Author

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