Not of This World chapter twenty-five: 'Best Laid Plans'.

"So, providing we don't burn up on re-entry and aren't suffocated on the way down, we'll probably be smashed to a pulp when we land."
"Exactly. Sarah, you've put your finger on the one tiny flaw in our plan."
"Our plan? It's your plan!"
(Sarah & the Doctor - 'The Android Invasion')

Disclaimer - I do not own Doctor Who

Chapter 25 - Best Laid Plans

"Radiation poisoning." The Doctor repeated, sceptically, cocking an eyebrow at her, "Radiation poisoning."

"Yeah." She replied, evenly, eyes locked on his, "Radiation poisoning."

There was a long silence.

"Radiation poisoning." He said again. Then he shook his head, his eyes moving down to the ground. "Of course." He whispered, shaking his head, "Of course, how could I have not figured that out?"

"Something elemental and basic." She reminded, softly, "St Elmo's Fire from power. Plasma created by power, and what power are they using here?"

"Radiation. They must have been." He glanced at her, quickly, "But there's no way they could have harnessed that on their own."

"Exactly. There's more." Myra turned to Katriel, seriously. "You."

The warrior girl frowned, confused, "What?"

"Listen carefully and answer in sentences of no more than four words." She gave her a second to understand how serious she was, and then continued: "You were trading with the Spiridons. How long for."

She shook her head, thinking about it, "About fifteen Donjon cycles. Why -"

"Donjon cycles. That'd be months, right?"

The Doctor nodded, "Right."

"Fifteen months. Quite some time. What did you trade?"

She hesitated. "Computers. Technology."

"And?" the woman didn't reply. Myra shook her head, "You said the Spiridons ate Sendimin. And, to eat them, they must have had a way to kill them." She kept the alien's eyes, firmly, "You traded your weapons, didn't you. Your emission guns. The Spiridons have radiation guns, don't they."

"I told you, the guns are perfectly safe."

"That's more than four words, answer the question."

There was a long pause. "Yes. They have."

Jack drew in a long hiss of breath.

Myra ignored him, shaking her head, "But, to trade weapons like that, you've gotta have some sort of sanctioning, right? Your law wouldn't just let you trade dangerous weapons." She glanced at the Doctor, "There's gotta be some sort of legislation against it, right?"

"Mm. Anglatian law." The Doctor offered, his eyes fixed on the aliens, "The intergalactic rules for trading of weaponry. Article one, for no reason should weapons be used as barter with a neutral, unaffiliated vector for their assistance in war. Article two, both parties must be properly and thoroughly trained on the use of the selected weapon."

"Did you follow that article, Katriel?"

The Banarye shook her head, impatiently, "Look, you can't possibly -"

"Yes or no, did you follow that article."

This pause lasted even longer than the first. Then Narla took half a step forwards, "No. No we didn't."

Katriel snapped her head round to her comrade, "Garont, don't -"

"Langton, I am not speaking to you." Myra interrupted, somewhat harshly. She looked back at the other, the one with even the slightest amount of guilt, the one with a heart, and shook her head, slowly, "You made these tunnels, didn't you, Narla. You made them."

The girl shook her head, "I don't -"

"You came straight towards this place. You knew it was here."

"We had scanners that -"

"No. You came straight here because you knew this was here. Because the Daleks never made these tunnels and neither did the Spiridons. You did. Didn't you."

The girl hesitated. Then she sighed, wearily, "Yes. Yes, we made them."

"What?" the Captain said, incredulously, "Why the hell didn't you tell us?"

"Shut up, Jack. You gave them guns, yes? You gave them the radiation guns. And how do you charge these guns. How do you reload them."

"They... they run off radiation." She began, her voice shaking slightly, "There are small charge-up points all over their little underground city, we placed them in there. And... they're all supplied by one main hub."

"Here." Myra completed, softly, "This is the main hub. The main chamber. Somewhere in here is enough radiation to last a sun six lifetimes."

"We made it as safe as we could." Katriel cut in, coldly, "We kept the hub away from them, we made sure none of them knew where it was."

"But someone did find it, didn't they." She looked at the Doctor, who was still staring silently at her, the burden of this realisation chilling him to the bone. "One Spiridon. The first Spiridon. The first Spiridon to come down with this so-called 'virus'."

"Your plans were flawed," he said, quietly, "The pipes send radiation flowing through the building, but the pressure wasn't measured right. The design was rushed. It wasn't all accounted for."

"Dead snakes?" Myra asked, hoping she wasn't going to be right. But he nodded, gravelly.

"What... what do you mean?" Narla whispered, her violet skin paling slightly.

"The first Spiridon that came here shot at a Dalek and missed." She explained, slowly, "He hit a pipe, and it ruptured. He didn't notice, he probably... he probably just ran. It's not as if he had a Geiger counter on him. But from that second the radiation was burning him from the inside out."

"No." Katriel interrupted, immediately, "That's not possible. The computer would have sealed it off, we made sure -"

"It did. It must have, or we would be poisoned too. But it sealed it off a second too late. And, with a pipe missing, I'm guessing the pressure in your main hub went too high. It's been pressing out radiation through those charge-up points of yours for weeks now. That's why the warriors went down first." She shook her head, moving her eyes to the floor, unable to hold Narla's gaze, "They were using the charge-up points the most."

"Oh Karsa." The girl whispered, shaking her head, "It was us. All along, it was us."

Myra didn't have the heart to reply. Jack's face was cold, his eyes locked on the girl. Even the Doctor stayed silent.

But the moment couldn't last for long.

The computer beeped from behind them, and the Doctor snapped his head round to it, swinging back to action in that way that he did, "They're through the second door. It's only a matter of time before they get into the main block."

Jack shook his head, "If they're in there when that bomb goes off they're all dead."

"Then we better make sure they're not." Myra said, firmly. She looked at the Doctor, meeting his eyes, "We've gotta lure them away."

"We need a plan." The Captain replied, automatically looking towards the resident Time Lord, "Doctor?"

The Doctor paused for a moment. Then he sprung back to life, "Nah, why don't we just improvise! After all, you know what they say about plans!"

"The best-laid plans of mice and men..." Myra quoted, dutifully.

"Go oft awry."

She nodded, "Robert Burns."

He nodded, fervently, "Hell of a man. Bit of a drinker. And a bit of a... well, y'know, but, hell, find me a Scot that isn't. But - back to the point. Now we know what this disease is, we can cure it." He leaned forwards, addressing them both, "If we get to the main hold we can seal off the generator and then bring this whole tunnel system down on top of it. Stop the leak."

"I can help with that."

The three looked at the speaker. Katriel kept their eyes, daring them to disagree, "I made this system. I know it off by heart. I can help."

Myra looked at the Doctor. He looked at the Banarye. "You want to help?"

"You sound surprised." She replied, coolly.

"Well, yeah, I guess I am." he said, sarcastically, "You kept this from us all this time, why."

She sighed, testily, "We'd be caught. We broke Anglatian law. We'd be executed."

"I needed to know this." He said, coldly, "And I needed to know it twenty minutes ago when we first met. You've had plenty of opportunity." He held her there for a moment, and then glanced back at the computer, "Now we'll be lucky if I can stop this before the radiation kills everyone in this sector."

"Then let me help," she repeated, shaking her head, "You need my help, Doctor. I can shut this thing down before it kills again. Let me."

The Doctor looked at her for a long time. Then he shook his head, turning back to the computer, "Don't get in my way."

Katriel nodded, slowly, "Fine."

"Doctor, we need to get Vari safe," Myra said, shaking her head, "And the best way to do that would be to approach the Spiridons and tell them everything."

"Everything?" Jack repeated, shooting a small glance at the aliens next to him.

Myra paused for a moment. "We have to," she replied, softly, "It's the only way."

"I agree," Narla said, firmly, "It has to be done. I handled the face-to-face dealings with the Spiridons; I could help negotiate a compromise."

"Then we need to split up."

The Doctor nodded, finally leaving the monitor and spinning round to face them, "Agreed, right, so, Katriel, Myra, you come with me to the main hold, Jack -"

"No, Doctor." Myra interrupted, firmly, "You and Katriel go figure out this radiation leak, me, Jack and Narla will go sort out a deal with the Spiridons."

He shook his head, immediately, "No."

She sighed, testily, "Doctor, we don't have time for this."

"No, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Doctor. I'm with Jack, and I'm with Narla. I'll be safe."

"You're going straight back to the people who tried to kill you, no, I won't let you."

At this she raised an eyebrow, "You won't let me? Doctor, get your butt over here." She grabbed him by the shoulder, dragging him away from the others despite his protests.

She moved far enough away to be out of earshot, and then gave him a somewhat sharp shove on the shoulder, "What is your problem?"

He shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, you know perfectly well, don't do that. Why are you being so weird?"

He gave a small attempt at a smile, "Well, c'mon, Myra, give me some slack - I am me, aren't I?"

She shoved him again, "Don't play this off as a joke or I will hurt you." She gave him a moment to settle down, start taking this conversation seriously. She watched as he trained his hazel eyes on hers, sincerely. Then she shook her head, looking him over, "Why are you being so... protective over me?"

He shook his head again, "I... I'm not."

"Yes, yes you are." She looked at him, "Why can't you just tell me? Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do." He replied, immediately.

"Then what is it?"

He paused for a long time, just looking at her. Then he moved his eyes away, turning away from her a little, shaking his head, "I said I'd protect you. That I'd look after you."

So that's what this was about. She shook her head, "And you have." She reassured.

"You almost died."

"But I didn't." she replied, softly, "Because of you. You saved me."

"I left you."

"Doctor -"

He cut her off: "No. Myra, I made a promise that I would look after you." He looked away again, running his teeth over his bottom lip, an unusual gesture for him that immediately caught her attention, "I've..." he broke off again. He shook his head, his eyes now firmly planted on the floor, "I've only broken a promise like that once before."

Myra frowned, "With who?"

He didn't reply. His eyes were dark, cut-off. There was nothing in those eyes except grief.

"Doctor." She said, quietly. "Why me?"

His eyes snapped up to hers, quickly, "Why not you?"

"Doctor." She said again, locking eyes with him. He just looked at her. She sighed, "Doctor, you have a thousand different companions you could pick from. And you chose me. You remember that question I asked you? Back on Earth?" she gave a small, wry smile, "Back in my kitchen?"

"But what about you. How are you coping."
"Do you know what happened."
"Yes."
"How do you think I'm coping."
"Not very well, seeing as you're here. Why are you here, Doctor."
"Truthfully? I don't know."
"I do. And I think you do, too."

"I've been thinking about it. And I don't. I don't know why you're here. I thought I did, but..." she looked at him for a moment. Then she sighed again, "Jack... told me. He told me what you talked about."

He nodded, hesitantly, "Yeah. I figured. But not all of it, though."

"No. Just enough to perk my attention." She glanced down at the floor, "Doctor. About Mbea."

"You saved my life. You died to save me."

"That... that wasn't me."

"Yes it was." He said, gently, "Yes it was, Myra."

She shook her head, desperately, "But it couldn't have been me." She paused for a moment, then shook her head again, slowly, "I'm still here."

"And you were there too." He looked at her. "Myra... why don't you believe it was you?"

She looked at him for a moment, licking her lips, unconsciously, "You know as well as I do that I'm not proud of what I did on Mbea."

"What you did on Mbea?" he repeated, sceptically, "You saved the galaxy, Myra!"

"By killing. I started it, and then things just... escalated." She paused for a long time. Then she turned her back, "It was my fault."

There was a second's silence. Then a hand fell on her shoulder, "Myra."

She paused. Then turned to him.

The Doctor was incredibly close, having closed the gap in a second. His charcoaled hazel eyes locked onto hers, unmoving, completely seriously.

"Myra." He said again.

She just stared at him. His eyes were so intense. She couldn't look away, even if she wanted to. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she couldn't breathe.

He leaned even further towards her, until his forehead brushed against hers. He closed his eyes for a second, and then opened them again. "Trust me."

She looked at him. Then she shook her head. "Trust me."

He didn't reply.

She gave a low sigh. Suddenly, she was very, very tired. "Doctor. We don't have time for this. I'm no use to you with the main hold, I know nothing about that thing. You need Katriel, because she does. I know my way around the Spiridon's place, as does Jack, and Narla has experience with them. We're needed there." She looked at him, then shook her head, "Use our strengths, Doctor."

He looked at her for a long time, intently. Then he pulled back, abruptly, and her skin felt cold. He turned his back for a second, giving a small, frustrated sigh. She saw him run a hand through his hair, thinking intently. Then he gave a low growl and spun back, "Alright. Alright! I trust you."

"Thank you." She took his hand, quickly, and started leading them back, "Now let's get a move on."

Jack cocked an eyebrow as the two came back in, "Drama over?"

Myra shot him a look, "More or less." She moved further into the room, leaning down on the desk, eyes moving over the three, "Here's what's gunna happen. Katriel, you go with the Doctor to the Main Hold. Shut down the reactor, close off all those access points. Jack, Narla, you two are coming with me to the Spiridons."

"And that's..." the Captain's eyes lingered momentarily on the Doctor, and then moved back to hers, "agreed, is it?"

"Yes." She replied, immediately, not breaking his gaze.

The Doctor moved towards them, quickly, "Right, now, we haven't got long 'til the Spiridon's break through that door - Narla, Katriel, what we got, another exit?"

"There's a corridor north that'll bring us right underneath the Spiridon enclave," Narla replied, quickly, "We could take that, at least it'll give us the element of surprise."

"Good, and we've all got motion sensors and trackers, yes?"

"Yep."

"Affirmative."

"Okay, so that's the Spiridons dealt with," Myra said, nodding, quickly grabbing her bag and slinging it onto the table, rifling inside for a moment, "Doctor, you got a mobile?

The Doctor gave a half-shrug, reaching into his inside pocket, "Funnily enough..."

He passed her a small black phone, and she glanced at it before shooting him a sceptical look, "Samsung? Really?"

"Just shut it and type the number in."

"Alright, alright..." she started tapping in her number, going moderately slowly as she had minor doubts about two of the digits, "Y'know, you don't have a mobile for series five... I wonder what happens to it?"

"Oh, don't, I get through these things quicker than LEDs for the sonic."

She glanced up at him, "Sorry, what?"

"Seriously, fires, explosions, water, lost it down the back of the sofa, radiation, ice, acid, animals, humans - once I got pickpocketed in Madrid."

Jack shrugged, "Hasn't everyone?"

Myra shook her head, handing him the phone back, "There. All in. I'm under 'Myra'. Why do you have Buckingham Palace on your speed- never mind. D'ya mind giving mine a bit of a vamp?" she tapped the mobile against her hand, giving it a distasteful glance, "Damn thing's stuck on Télécom."

"Télécom?"

"My signal provider seems to run by 'if at first you don't succeed, give up trying and tell the owner you're in France'. Does that a lot. Would ya mind?"

"Sure. Pass 'im here." Barely-useable sonic at the ready, the Doctor immediately popped out the battery, "Ooh, like you can talk, LG..."

"What's wrong with LGs? Oh, whatever, shut up." She pushed a headset into his hand, firmly, "Here. Hand's free set."

"Because we're not gunna be facing enough radiation as it is, you've gotta give me take-away cancer..."

She rolled her eyes, "If you could die because of radiation that weak, Doctor, I'm sure you would have died many many years ago. Now quit your complaining. It's bluetooth. Should work." She let her eyes trace the ceiling again, "Unless your Samsung's too crappy to have that installed, that is..."

"When you guys are finished talking 'Phone and Consumer', could we get back to saving a planet?" Jack said, pointedly.

Myra grinned, "Right. Of course." She shot the Doctor a wry smile, "Saving the planet, as always."

He winked, "Just like old times."

The Captain rolled his eyes, "'Old times' coupled with new dangers... you guys are like walking time bombs, I tell ya..."

"Captain?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut it."