Part 36 (1/2)

'Suggest the Femdroid known as Galatea contains, like myself, secondary memory wafers and independent motive units,' said K9. 'The correct stimulus would revive her.'

The Doctor shook his head firmly. 'Nice try, K9, and no doubt you're right. If I was putting together a system like that I'd build a failsafe into the wiring of the leading android, just like I did with you.'

'It's standard practice,' said Romana. 'Make a copy of your software. The trouble is we don't know the correct stimulus, so we can't revive her.'

'Suggest it is based on my stimulus,' said K9. 'The amulets worn by all Femdroids used high-frequency radio waves to cross-refer coded information.'

The Doctor and Romana looked at each other. 'I suppose it's worth a shot,'

said the Doctor. 'But we'd need to input directly into her amulet.'

'My linkage is directly compatible,' said K9.

The Doctor rapped him on the head. 'You know what your problem is?' .

'Please tell me, Master.'

'You're becoming too useful.'

K9 clicked slowly and angrily. 'Query this tautology Master.'

'He means,' said Romana, 'you're a threat to his sense of self-importance.'

The Doctor looked her right in the eye and said evenly 'I meant he's a threat to the validity of organic life. If they can run rings around us, organize our lives like they do on Metralubit, and keep us happy into the bargain, there seems not much point in our carrying on. Existence is meant to be a struggle.' He looked up at the sky again then over at the hapless, cowed band of survivors. 'Perhaps this is how the universe ends. Everything filed away neatly, balanced, in its place.'

Romana disagreed. 'The reverse is probably the case. Heat death would lead to levels of chaos and decay imperceptible to the lived experience of any creature, however long-lived.' She looked out over the bleak landscape. 'Pretty soon all matter will go the way of this place.'

'Eternal Eastbourne,' mused the Doctor. 'A universe in retirement.' He leant close to her and whispered, 'I think you're learning.'

She blinked. 'Learning what? I'm already fully qualified.'

'Learning that nothing worth learning can be taught.'

He turned his attention back to K9. 'Enough waffle. Get whistling.'

Stokes had collapsed against the door of the TARDIS, letting his body slide to the ground. It hummed against the back of his head like an old refrigerator, soothing his exhausted frame. He was delirious from running all this way - some five or six miles, he reckoned - across hard ground littered with corpses, and there was a terrible insistent pain in the centre of his chest and another throbbing away in the small of his back. His legs and arms felt stretched and stringy, and his tongue was dry and coated with dust.

'Open the door,' he breathed, too exhausted to pull the crystal from his pocket. 'I know you can do it. Open the door.'

He heard a creak behind him. With enormous effort he started to crawl out of the cold, wet air of Barclow and into the warm white interior of the TARDIS.

In a pocket of existence unvisitable by organic life, two intelligences opened up a place and convered in a strange piping language. They found that in many ways they possessed the same intelligence.

Galatea, you must reactivate your motive systems to save Metralubit, said K9.

Her response struck his as odd and illogical. She said, K9, you would have K9, you would have been a fine Premier, the simulation would have confirmed you leader been a fine Premier, the simulation would have confirmed you leader following the destruction of the Hive. following the destruction of the Hive.

This is not relevant information, said K9, although he surprised himself at the excitation this information caused his circuits. said K9, although he surprised himself at the excitation this information caused his circuits. Please reactivate motive Please reactivate motive power power.

Galatea continued, K9, with you at my side I would never be lonely again. K9, with you at my side I would never be lonely again.

That was my plan. That was what I asked for, and I was given it.

K9 was losing his patience. Your personality matrix is encoded with Your personality matrix is encoded with unsuitable and unproductive organic-type responses. You must carry out unsuitable and unproductive organic-type responses. You must carry out your program. your program.

There was the equivalent of a pause before Galatea replied, I cannot. Only I cannot. Only the Creators knew my reactivation stimulus, and they are long dead. It the Creators knew my reactivation stimulus, and they are long dead. It might take you thousands of years to find the right combination. might take you thousands of years to find the right combination.

K9 redoubled his efforts. It is within your power to locate the failsafe It is within your power to locate the failsafe stimulus within yourself and relay it to me. Remember your programme. stimulus within yourself and relay it to me. Remember your programme.

The maximum happiness for the maximum number of organics. If you do not wake now, millions of them will die. not wake now, millions of them will die.

Galatea said n.o.bly, You are correct. I must save the organics. I will release You are correct. I must save the organics. I will release the code to you. the code to you.

K9 was the centre of attention in the valley. Romana had attempted to explain to Fritchoff (who had an unpleasant habit of standing too close to her) and the others what was going on, and they had gathered around to watch.

'How are you doing?' asked Harmock. The dog was inert, his eyescreen unlit, his concentration turned inward.

'Don't press him,' said Fritchoff. 'It's vital that you don't overburden him as you overburdened the workers in the dome.'

Jafrid groaned and reached out to touch each of them on the back of the leg. 'Please, please,' he said, 'let us forget our differences for the moment.'

K9 raised his head. 'I have conferred with the intelligence known as Galatea.'