Part 42 (1/2)
'On Earth?' she whispers.
We nod, almost fondly. 'Where everything began.'
Potty sounds surprised we should sound so tender. 'I thought you were running from the Earth?'
'Maybe you'll prove that to me, one day' we remember Denni saying that last day at the Academy. we remember Denni saying that last day at the Academy.
'I guess it'll always be my home,' we answer.
It's not just a line. We're not Elite, not the best, we've always known that. We've just survived. Maybe we've survived so much, for so long, that we've outgrown the questions we were trying to answer in the first place .We look out on that window of timeless, endless s.p.a.ce like we're understanding distance for the first time.
'I'd give anything to see the Earth right now,' Polly murmurs.
'I'd give anything to take you there,' we say, without even thinking.
Then we place both hands on her shoulders. Not afraid.
She tenses under our touch.
'I always wanted to reach out and touch the stars,' she says, like it's something she wouldn't want broadcast. But the real intimacy is gone from her voice, and she's self-conscious as she reaches out her hand to the gla.s.s.
She freezes for a moment.
When she pulls it back she's holding three bright, round gemstones in her palm.
'The navigational crystals,' we realise. 'They have to be.
Hidden where a bunch of soldiers would never think of looking.' We spin her around, feel a smile stretching back our cheeks further than we've ever known. 'Polly, you've done it!
You've done done it!' it!'
We both start to laugh as we stare down at the crystals cupped in her palms.
'Doctor,' she says, and she shuts her eyes. 'Doctor, can you hear me?'
We wait for his ponderous old voice to start up. There's only silence.
'Hidden in the stars,' Polly whispers, eyes still closed, smiling to herself.
We watch her as she nods and c.o.c.ks her head to one side...
The Doctor's talking to her, he must be. Her eyes open at last and she seems surprised we've not been included in the conversation. When she tells us what was said - about keeping the news off the network, about how we shouldn't trust Tovel, and Roba and Frog... it sounds like the Doctor has taken charge of us all.
'It doesn't feel right, keeping this some sort of secret,' we say. 'You heard Haunt. We're supposed to work together. A team. If we don't trust each other...'
We tail off. Trust. Trust. How can we even say this? We've lied to everyone from the moment we joined the Academy. How can we even say this? We've lied to everyone from the moment we joined the Academy.
'The Doctor wouldn't have told us to keep it secret if he didn't think it important,' Polly insists. 'We should go straight to the control room like he asks.'
We nod uncertainly. But her faith in him is absolute. Could she ever feel that much faith in us? We feel sick.
To witness these events from Polly's viewpoint, select section 12 on page 217 page 217 To switch to Ben's viewpoint, select section 10 on page 214 To switch to Creben's viewpoint, select section 15 on page 223 To switch to Tovel's viewpoint, select section 23 on page 235
25.
Ben
We can't hear the footsteps of the others anymore. Polly and Shade have been swallowed up by the tunnel opposite. Hope they find the holy grail quick. Something tells me Tovel don't have too long.
Hold up, he's looking at his paws again. They look like they'd fit round our neck a treat. Nice one.
We have a quick butchers at the world according to Tovel.
It's getting a bit misty. You can't be optimistic with a misty optic, our old mum used to say. And she never even wore gla.s.ses, daft cow.
What we wouldn't give to see her now.
'You all right, mate?' we say, keeping the noise down. Tovel keeps looking at us like he don't really see us. 'Tovel?'
'I'm a good pilot,' he says suddenly. His voice, which used to sound quite posh compared to the others, is getting rougher. Like he's not working his tongue so well. He's like an old man suddenly, going downhill fast. We hope he isn't noticing all this kind of stuff as he goes. 'Did you hear Haunt say that?'