Part 4 (1/2)

'I don't believe you,' Susan continued. 'You lied to me.'

'Lied to you? What are you talking about, Susan?'

'I overheard you and Mr Chesterton. You said there was something in the s.h.i.+p, something you didn't want me to know about...'

Realisation suddenly dawned for Barbara. 'I see-you just overheard a few words and you-'

'No,' interrupted Susan. 'You lied to me. You cannot be trusted.'

'We wouldn't do a thing to hurt you, Susan,' insisted Barbara. 'Surely you know that by now?'

'No. You're frightened of us, Grandfather and me. You're different from us. How can we know what you're thinking, what you think of us?'

'Susan, don't you see it's the same for all of us? You and your grandfather are as alien to us as we are to you. Maybe there are times when we don't know where we stand with you; yes, maybe there are times when we are frightened of you, uneasy and uncertain. I know we're all unwilling fellow travellers, and the only thing Ian and I really want to do is go home. But, Susan, we're all in this together whether we like it or not and we have to learn to trust each other. Besides, why should we hurt you and your grandfather? Without the Doctor how can we ever hope to return to Earth in our own time? We might not understand you all the time, but we need you. Can't you see that? Why should we ever try and hurt you?'

Susan lowered the scissors slightly as she considered Barbara's words. Taking advantage of her hesitation, Barbara darted forward, and wrenched the scissors from Susan's hand.

For a few brief moments Susan struggled, hitting at Barbara with her fists in frustration. Then she burst into tears, falling into Barbara's welcoming arms.

Sitting on the edge of the bed Barbara comforted Susan, holding her in her arms and rocking her back and forth like a little child. After a few minutes Susan's weeping subsided and she raised her tear-stained face to look at Barbara. There was no need for words; Barbara recognised the contrition in Susan's eyes; but she also saw the terror.

'Barbara, what's happening to us?' Susan sobbed. Susan's use of her first name no longer upset Barbara.

'I really don't know, Susan. We're... we're all just a little upset, that's all. But don't worry. Your grandfather will find out what's wrong with the TARDIS soon, and then we'll be on our way.'

Susan nodded, and then looked around her room. On the bedside table the oil lamp was flickering low. 'I've never noticed the shadows before,' Susan said. 'It's usually so bright... But in these shadows there could be anything... there are parts of the TARDIS which even I haven't explored properly yet...'

'Don't be silly, Susan,' Barbara chastised gently. 'You're tired and you're letting your imagination run away with you. There's nothing to be afraid of in the dark.'

'It's so silent in the s.h.i.+p,' continued Susan. 'Apart from the breathing.'

'The breathing?'

'Listen-the life support system. Its just like someone breathing, isn't it?' she said darkly.

Barbara hushed her. 'We're imagining things, we must be.' Susan looked at her oddly, almost challenging her to provide an explanation. 'Let's be logical about it, Susan,' continued Barbara. 'I mean, how could anything get into the s.h.i.+p anyway?'

'The doors were open,' Susan reminded her. 'In spite of what Grandfather says, they were open.'

'But where could it hide?'

'In one of us.'

Barbara s.h.i.+vered as Susan expressed her unvoiced fear. They had all been behaving oddly; could it be that some unknown alien intelligence had penetrated the TARDIS's defences and possessed one of them?

Once again she remembered Ian's words: like is person possessed like is person possessed.

'Don't be silly, Susan,' she said weakly. 'We must stop talking like this. Can you imagine what the Doctor and Ian would say if they heard us talking like this? They'd laugh at us. There must be a rational explanation.'

'But supposing there isn't a fault...' wondered Susan.

'You must be clairvoyant!'

Barbara and Susan turned nervously round to see the figure in the open doorway who had come upon them silently. Each of them breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that it was Ian.

'What do you mean?' asked Susan.

'We've just checked everything and according to the Fault Locator the TARDIS is functioning perfectly,' he explained and then looked at Susan. 'How are you feeling now?'

'I'm all right... What's my grandfather doing?'

'That's what I came to tell you both. As there's nothing wrong with the TARDIS he's decided that the only fault must lie outside the s.h.i.+p. He's going to turn on the scanner.'

Susan's face blanched in terror and she leapt out of bed. 'No! He mustn't! He mustn't!' she screamed and ran out of the room.

6

The End of Time

Susan burst into the control room where the Doctor was about to move to the central control console to operate the scanner.

'Don't touch it!' she cried.

The Doctor stopped and looked at his granddaughter curiously. 'Are you all right, child?' he asked.

'Yes, Grandfather,' she replied and indicated the control console. 'I tried to touch it before and it was like being hit...'

'Hit? Hit where?'

'The back of my neck hurts,' she explained.

The Doctor nodded sagely. 'Rather like mine, in fact...'

Ian and Barbara had entered the control room to hear the final part of this conversation. 'Funny it didn't affect me and Barbara like that,' said Ian.

The Doctor looked at him strangely.

'No, it didn't, did it?' His voice was full of suspicion. He considered the two schoolteachers warily and then beckoned Susan over to his side.

Susan considered her grandfather's words and then regarded Ian and Barbara through narrowed, suspicious eyes. 'Yes... Grandfather's right. Nothing did happen to you, did it..?'

'What are you implying, Susan?' asked Barbara sternly. 'Surely we've just gone through all this?'

The girl didn't reply. Sensing Barbara's unease, Ian put a rea.s.suring arm around her shoulders.

'I must discover what is outside the s.h.i.+p,' the Doctor determined and, ignoring Susan's warning, he approached that part of the console which contained the scanner controls. Gingerly he operated a small lever, and jumped back, as though expecting a shock of some kind. Nothing happened.