TEN
"Oh look, it's locked," Bronnin whispered, tapping the large padlock on the door a few times and pouting.
"Not a problem," the Doctor said, patting his jacket pockets before sliding his hand inside and pulling out his screwdriver. She eyed it as he brought it up to the padlock, snapping it on. The blue light shone and the sound buzzed, and her eyes went wide as the loop on the padlock fell open suddenly.
"That's amazing," she whispered, putting her hand up and taking it from the door handle.
"Relatively," he shrugged, opening the door a crack and looking in. "All clear," he added redundantly, opening the door for her.
She crept in, turning and looking at the light switch before dismissing it as a bad move. She looked around the room, counted the doors on the opposite side, and walked over quietly, her evening dress swishing around her ankles.
The Doctor closed the door silently and followed her as she opened the third door, poking her head in.
"Here it is," she whispered over her shoulder, then opened the door properly.
The Doctor squeezed past her and into the room, turning and snapping on the light. She stepped in and closed the door quickly, to stop the light flooding out.
They looked around the small room, finding no windows or cameras. He looked back at the table in the middle of the room, looking for all the world like a pathology table.
He walked closer, lifting the sheet off a microwave-sized box. He pulled it right off, balling it up and chucking it on the workbench that ran around the room.
He let his hands slide into his dimensionally-challenged pockets as he bent over, scrutinising it.
"What is it?" she asked quietly, watching his wide eyes take in the shape, size, and many many buttons all over it.
"Well," he said slowly, sliding a hand in his inside pocket again, this time pulling out his glasses, "it's no a Time machine."
"Who said it was a Time machine?" she asked, confused.
"Professor Marm," he said mildly, sliding his glasses on and sniffing to himself. He put his hand out and to the casing, undoing two small latches.
"Should you be –"
He pulled the casing open and whistled to himself.
"Well, well, well," he said suddenly, impressed. "Ah think someone hir knoes more about energy than thir letting on," he muttered appreciatively.
"What is it?" she dared.
"Well unless Ah'm very much mistaken, this," he said grandly, straightening and pulling his screwdriver from his pocket, "is a Dark Matter machine."
He sniffed, adjusting something on the head of the screwdriver before pointing it at the insides, stuffed with boards and cables, and flicking it on.
"So what are you doing?" she asked.
"Finding out why it's no working," he said. "It should be fine. There's nothing in hir tae interfere with thi power or circuits." He brought the screwdriver back and looked at the blue light. "Except… it's no thi power that's thi problem. It has power," he concluded, then pointed the screwdriver back at the insides of the machine.
"Dark Matter," she said to herself. "That makes up kind of… er… most of the universe, doesn't it? But it can't be seen?"
"That's right," he said, turning his head to grin at her. "It's also immensely power-rich and dangerous. Which is why ma people left it well enough alone, save–."
He stopped himself suddenly, thinking. He brought the screwdriver up and looked at it again, then snapped it off.
"Save what?" she asked. He turned to look at her, an awful look of horror on his face. "What is it? What's the matter?" she demanded fearfully.
"Ah must be wrong," he said slowly, thinking. "Ah must be. There's only one machine."
"Right," she said confidently. "Professor Marm said that they had one, but couldn't make it work."
"Good," he said, then stopped short. "Hold on! If they only huv thi one, then what did those two Laikans steal from hir earlier tonight?"
"The Laikans broke in here?" she gasped, watching him turn back to stare at the machine.
"Aye – maself and Fergus saw thi whole thing," he said, folding his arms suddenly and pouting in thought. "So… The Premiere of Krimmanhell hired those two tae pinch this, because the Premiere and her monkeys huvnae been able tae make it work, but she couldnae simply tell the worlds that… Because… she needs this fae something. So she's asking – paying – the Laikans tae fix it. Oohh! Cos once they've done that, she'll stamp their application and she'll get her machine back, working properly!"
It was silent for a few moments, then Bronnin walked up quietly, staring at the machine.
"But if they didn't steal this, what did they take?" she asked. "They couldn't have taken it tonight, fixed it before the dinner, then brought it back – especially as it's still not working."
"Yir right," he said quietly, looking at her sharply before looking at the machine again. "Are ye sure there's just thi one?" he asked, biting his lip gingerly.
"Positive," she said, nodding. "Well, Professor Marm says there's only one. He was grumbling to his assistant that if he'd just had another to look at, he might have figured out what was wrong with this one."
"Hmm," the Doctor said slowly, his eyes slightly glazed. She waited, then she cleared her throat quietly.
"Um, Doctor Campbell," she said slowly, and he looked at her suddenly. He blinked, sucking in a breath through his nose and shaking his head briskly.
"Yes," he said smartly.
"Well… you said you came here from some place on Bullosarrus Nine," she said.
"Yes."
"So… Look, I don't want to sound forward, or anything, but… I'm assuming you came here in your own long-distance ship," she said gingerly.
"Yes."
"Is there…. Er… Is there any way it'd be possible to take this to your ship? And would it be able to tell us something about it? I'm assuming your ship is stocked to the portholes with scientific equipment," she said teasingly.
"It is, and it would," he said gingerly. "But Ah don't think we should touch this."
"Why?" she asked, confused.
"It's… not right," he said, letting his arms drop and then putting his right hand out on the top slowly. "It's just… It doesnae feel right. Tae me."
She watched him, then let a tiny shiver pass up her spine.
"You know… sometimes… Don't get me wrong, Doctor Campbell, but… You don't seem entirely all here."
"Oh, Ah've been called worse things in ma time," he allowed with a generous smile, turning and finding the sheet. She leaned over and closed up the machine slowly, snapping the latches closed and patting the casing closed with satisfaction.
He brought the sheet over and draped it on top, and she turned and walked to the light, turning it out.
They crept out of the room and across to the main doors, finding the padlock just inside and sneaking out, locking it back up.
She turned and looked at him.
"Well then, Doctor Campbell, I think you should walk me home," she said, taking his elbow. "And explain what you know about Dark Matter machines."
"Ah could do that," he said with an attempt at a smile.
"And why it worries you so much," she said, more seriously. He looked at her.
"Aye, come on then," he allowed grimly, turning and walking them down the corridor quietly.
-------------------------------------------------
"This is yur place?" he asked, looking up at the large house in the tidy garden.
"It is indeed," she said, squeezing her hand over his arm warmly. "Father left us quite a bit of money. And we sold the family home on Romm – just wasn't the same place after he was gone," she said sadly. "Anyway, we're only renting this place while we get our stamps for the new world," she grinned. "Would you like to come inside? It's very bad manners to just expect you to walk home yourself. Oh. Where is your ship berthed?"
"Oh. Actually, it's a long shuttle ride off thi surface–"
"Then you must accept my hospitality," she beamed. "Not every weary traveller finds himself in such a situation."
"Who said Ah was weary?" he grinned, letting her guide him up the path to the front door.
"No-one had to tell me. You just seem… as if you've seen this all before. Somewhere, sometime," she said quietly.
He looked at his feet as they stopped at her door.
"Look, I don't want to pry, but… well, your Fergus does really like my sister, and she's all I've got," she said seriously, pulling out her keys.
"Aye, Ah knoe," he allowed, and she pushed the keys in the door before looking at him. He let his smile fade slowly, turning to find her looking at him. "Sometimes Ah think… he's all Ah've got, really."
"Oh Doctor Campbell," she said sadly, putting a hand out on his elbow. "But he's such a nice young man. You've done really well to bring him up."
"Yi huv no idea," he grinned, and she smiled, pulling on his arm.
"Come on then, come in and get warm," she said kindly, pulling him in the front door after her. "And then when my sister deigns to return tonight, we can all relax."
They walked in and she went straight to the kitchen. He strolled into what appeared to be a front room, with comfy chairs and a sofa arrangement.
"It doesn't matter how far you get from Earth, every girl's front room looks the same," he muttered under his breath, wandering around idly, his eyes sweeping over the small knick-knacks and personal effects. He picked up a small snowglobe, grinning and shaking it as he heard her tinkering in the kitchen.
"Tea?" she called.
He looked over in the direction of her voice, grinning.
"Thir's no finer question," he said, wandering toward the voice. "So long as yi've proper milk."
He helped her make the tea, and they argued over quantum packets and refractions. Then she helped him finish off the small packet of chocolate biscuits she had been meaning to save for a rainy day. As they discussed planetary movements and compared ideas on star fields and gravitational loops, that day seemed very, very far off.