Doctor Who BBC872 - To the Slaughter

‘Until we hit something?’
‘More probably, until Falsh’s security forces pick us up,’ said the Doctor,
sitting up straight. ‘And that would be a pity. Because I want to meet this guy,
Halcyon. Does he honestly think he’s enhancing human heritage, making over
the solar system like this? Or is it just a publicity stunt he’s doing for cash?’
‘Duh?’ Trix stared at him, appalled. ‘You mean you seriously have to ask?’
‘They’ve stolen the Polar Lights, Mr Falsh.’
Falsh stared at the cringing security chief on the bubblescreen. He drummed
his fingers on the desk. ‘You let them get away.’
‘You’d left the ship primed and ready, sir,’ protested the chief.
‘Oh, so it’s my fault?’
‘The agitators broke through the immobilisers and had it away before the
sentinels could –’
‘All right, all right.’ Falsh waved aside the explanation, his mind racing.
These people were making a mockery of him. How could they be so well
organised? ‘I want a second battalion of sentinels on patrol here. You are
sending ships after them, I take it?’
The chief stiffened. ‘The agitators performed a fuel burn. The G-jump might
have placed them anywhere within a two-hundred-million-mile radius. But
the sentinels are sensor sweeping and Empirewide alerts.’
‘I want those agitators dead,’ said Falsh curtly. ‘The Polar Lights isn’t important.
It must be destroyed on sight. In the meantime, get me another ship.
Primed. Ready to go at once.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And, Chief? Report to the Personnelbots at the end of your shift.’
He stiffened. ‘Yes, sir.’
Falsh pricked the bubble and spun around in his chair. He looked out over
his corner of the System, at Saturn and her little worlds keeping pace.
But not for long. He couldn’t think straight with all those bald, accusing
eyes looking in at him. And while the stars were cold and clear and static,
Falsh kept thinking he glimpsed movement out there. Sentinels maybe, or
sudships. Or maybe something else.
Something that could wave security aside with the codes Falsh had given it.
Something coming to call from out of the endless night. Coming for him.
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