+++
Mirror Theory
Part One
+++
"I never did like mysteries."
"That's not what you said when we found Tarvan pyramid."
"That's different . . .I could solve that."
The woman put her ear against the blue box and listened intently. She frowned slightly as she stepped away and circled it again, her boots clicking on the concrete floor. Apart from the two of them the warehouse was quite empty, of people and stores. It was supposed to be abandoned, and secure, but the presence of the incongruous blue box was arguing quite convincingly with that assumption. Finally she stepped away from it and folded her arms. "It is a very odd object," she commented quietly.
"You look like you recognise it," he commented.
"No," she said firmly, and glanced at him. "Glaring at it isn't going to help either. It's obvious what happened: someone has overrode the security system and has put that thing in here."
"But why?" he asked, turning to her. "What is the point? If it's a joke, it's a rather dangerous one to pull. The colony worlds have started getting very nasty about security; breaking in here could give you five years in the mines."
"Like I said, it's a mystery and, frankly, one we don't have time to worry about."
A frown crossed his sharp features.
"Call security. Not the governor's troops, make sure they're working for us and have the thing taken to storage."
"I assume this has to be done before Michael Star arrives?" she asked.
"And don't mention this to him either. None of Tenvi's talent, and he's far too jumpy."
"What about the mirrors?"
"They're on their way."
With a final glance at the box, the woman tapped her wrist-control and the massive warehouse doors slid open. Sunlight spilled in. "Right," she said. "Back to work."
+++
"Doctor, how much further have we got to go?" Tegan was tired, and she was going to make sure that the Doctor knew it. The Doctor, on the other hand, had not even broken a sweat and it seemed like he could keep up this almost jogging pace forever. The ground crunched beneath Tegan's feet - she had seen nothing but dry and gritty terrain since they had left the TARDIS. A mere handful of twisted black plants clung pathetically to the earth. Despite the seemingly endless desert, the Doctor seemed to know precisely where they were going.
"I'd say another four or five miles and we should be on the main road," replied the Doctor without pausing in his stride. "Don't worry, we'll be at the town by nightfall."
"Couldn't we slow down a little?" she asked.
"Temperatures drop rather rapidly when the sun goes down here, Tegan. I don't think you'd want to be outside."
"All right, all right," she grumbled, continuing to keep up the exhausting pace, and wishing he'd mentioned that detail before they had left the TARDIS: she could have worn warmer clothing. "I hope seeing this professor guy is worth it."
"Of course it is. Professor Tenvi is an old friend, and not only that he's about to make one of his more important discoveries in the next few days. It'll be fascinating to watch."
"Right," muttered Tegan, wishing, and not for the first time, that Nyssa was still travelling with them, although she would probably have found this science thing equally interesting. Still, she would have been sympathetic, at least. "So how did he end up in this dump?"
"Not a dump, Tegan. It's just a barren world, not enough nutrients in the soil to support complex plant life. Although earlier this century there was a large mining operation here, valuable enough to put up orbital platforms for planetary defence. Of course, they didn't bother to take them down, eventually their decaying orbit will . . ."
Tegan could tell he was warming to his subject, and stopped listening. It was getting colder, she realised, and she could really do with something to eat. She wasn't really sure how long had passed when the Doctor noticed she wasn't really listening.
"You could have stayed in the TARDIS if you really didn't want to come," he said, reminding Tegan of something else that had been bothering her.
"Not with him," she muttered. It took her a moment to realise that the Doctor had finally stopped moving. He turned around to face her, his blue eyes fixing on hers and she suddenly felt nervous. She looked away, at the ground. Nothing but dust. She could see the Doctor was still looking at her.
"This has to stop," he said, very quietly.
"I don't trust him, Doctor."
"Turlough is travelling with us now. It wouldn't hurt you to be polite." He turned away, thrusting his hands into his pockets and began to walk.
+++
"That won't work."
The deep voice rumbled around the console room of the TARDIS. Instinctively, Turlough jerked away from away form the console, and looked for its source. His hand reached into his blazer pocket and his fingers closed around the crystal. It was warm. He took it out, holding it in both hands, the light hurt his eyes, but he didn't look away.
"He's gone," said Turlough. "I can escape, go home. Just tell me how to operate the controls." He paused, knowing that wasn't what this creature wanted. "The Doctor will be trapped on this world, you can destroy him whenever you like."
"Foolish boy." Now the voice came from straight in front of him, and Turlough found himself staring at this entity that called itself the Black Guardian, and chose to appear as a human, but the deathly white skin, and pitiless black eyes betrayed it as something else. "The Doctor is no fool. He has taken a piece of the circuitry with him. Without it, this craft is useless."
Turlough stepped away from the console, partly because he knew his efforts were now futile, but mostly just to take another step away from his so- called ally. He could feel fear and dread creeping through his mind, twisting themselves into his thoughts. "Can't you replace it?" he asked, clinging to the hope that it could be that simple.
"No!" The word went through Turlough like a shard of ice. "I cannot be seen to interfere directly. You must kill the Doctor. Then you may take his ship," the voice softened, no longer stabbing at him. But those black pits that were his eyes were watching him. Dread. Hopelessness. It turned away and the eyes were gone. "Look!" it demanded, raising a black-clothed arm towards the scanner.
The screen dissolved into a picture showing the warehouse outside. Massive doors at the far end were open now, but the warehouse was empty save for two figures, talking. No, decided Turlough, it looked more like they were arguing. So, this wasn't the safe, deserted place that the Doctor thought it was, but he couldn't see how this was going to help him. He kept looking at the screen, not really caring what was going on.
"The woman is called Charis; she controls the research team of which Professor Tenvi is a part of. The other is Francis Denville, here to represent the companies interested in their research. You must gain their trust."
"But how will that harm the . . ."
"Quiet!" It turned back to him again, fury suffusing its features. It seemed to grow even as he watched, towering over him, its darkness draining the light from around it. The console room dimmed, as Turlough shrank into the wall. He held his hands in front of him; they were still wrapped round the crystal. The light glowed brighter, he felt it burning his hands but found he couldn't let go. "Do not interrupt me again, boy."
Turlough nodded, his eyes wide, and it stepped back. The darkness ebbed away, and Turlough felt that he could breath again. It turned back to him, a ghost of a smile on its face.
"Now, listen carefully. If you make a mistake, it will be you that they kill."
+++
"Here we are," said the Doctor with a smile, pushing the door open. Tegan dived in first, her arms hugged around herself, and almost collapsed in relief at the warm air. Her skin tingled in the heat, and she knew it was going to start hurting soon, but for the moment she was just relieved that she no longer felt like she was breathing icicles. She felt the Doctor guiding her forward, his arm supporting her as she walked, as there were, in fact, two more sets of doors before they were properly inside the building. Her legs gave way beneath her, but she didn't care, it was all going black anyway.
Tegan felt warm hands on her face, and managed to force her eyes open to see the Doctor's concerned face looking down at her. She realised that she was lying down, tucked securely under several blankets. When had that happened? Well, this definitely wasn't her fault.
"Thought I was going to die," she managed to say. "Probably got frostbite."
"Nonsense," said the Doctor, seemingly unaffected by the cold. "I'll be right back." She heard a door click shut.
"Hey," she tried to shout, indignant that he was leaving her alone with barely a sentence said to her. Her throat refused to co-operate. But she wasn't feeling ill. Carefully, Tegan stood up. She was still dressed, but she pulled one of the blankets round her anyway. Looking around, she saw that she was in a small room containing only a bed and a short, squat chest of drawers. An empty bookshelf was attached to one wall, and opposite there was a window with no curtain. It was dark outside, though she could see they were still in the town. Streetlights lit up the empty road below. She could see stronger lights in the distance, around taller, more imposing buildings. The spaceport, she guessed.
"Ah, you're up." Tegan hadn't heard the door open, but now the Doctor stood in the doorway. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," managed Tegan, though she could hear that her voice wasn't quite right.
"Your throat should be feeling better in an hour or so. The doctor here's quite good at treating that sort of thing." He took a step into the room hesitantly. "You should probably have something to eat," he said.
Tegan nodded, and pulled the blanket tighter; she didn't care how stupid it looked, she was still cold.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Delvan III Science Institute."
"You've seen Professor Tenvi, then?" she asked, following him out of the room and down to the canteen. The corridors were deserted, and the canteen was just as empty.
"Ah." The Doctor glanced down at the display of fruit: bright yellows and greens and reds. "Oh, look, an apple." He held it up at eye level. "A Bramley," he declared. "Superb specimen." He took a bite.
"Doctor, what about Professor Tenvi?" repeated Tegan, who would have folded her arms if she hadn't had a blanket wrapped around them. "We are in the right place?" she asked suspiciously.
"Of course we are. But he appears to have, um, disappeared."
Tegan rolled her eyes. "Great, Doc," she muttered. "We come all this way and he's gone and done a runner."
"I doubt that. But it is rather important that we find him. The Charis Demonstration takes place tomorrow, and he is there."
"Maybe he'll just turn up."
"There's no record of him ever having disappeared."
"Maybe it wasn't important enough."
"Tegan . . ." The Doctor paused, unwilling to start an argument. "I'm going to start looking for him. The people here are friendly enough, you should be fine."
+++
Professor Tenvi's office was a small square room stuffed with large cabinets and overflowing with paper. A small desk sat by the window, covered with more paper and pens and data chips, but the computer was missing. The walls were a dull white, and unadorned with pictures. Most unexpectedly of all, there was someone in the room: a young man with curly brown hair, crouched over the desk and searching through the papers.
"Hello," said the Doctor. The man jerked up, surprise on his pale features. There were dark circles under his eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm the Doctor," said the Doctor, offering his hand. The man looked down at it for a second before he took it.
"Michael Star," he said. "Professor Tenvi's assistant. I'm sorry, I've been working pretty much none stop these last three days. Got the demo tomorrow," he grinned faintly and turned back to the desk.
"Professor Tenvi . . . ?" began the Doctor.
"Not here," said Michael. "Sorry."
"I can see that," said the Doctor. "But I need to find him. I'm an old friend," he added helpfully.
"Look, the boss, is going to go nuts if I can't pull off this demo in front of the investors. The professor has disappeared. I really have a lot to do." He moved a pile of papers to one side, then ducked down and opened the top desk drawer.
"Don't you want to find him?"
"Who?"
"Professor Tenvi."
"I wouldn't know where to start." He straightened up, holding another sheaf of papers, and fixed his tired eyes on the Doctor. "One morning I arrive here, and he wasn't in his office, which was pretty odd. I mean he practically lives in here. Security couldn't find him anywhere in the complex, or the city. There's no way he could have taken a shuttle out of the system, he's just too well known. And now it's my neck on the line." Michael sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "And to be perfectly honest I just don't understand what he was doing anyway. I can't get the mirrors to work myself. His notes must be here. And I know there were translation papers around here, somewhere." He was talking almost to himself now, eyes scanning sheet after sheet of paper. "If you want to help, you could check those data chips for Tarvan translations, if you can find a free computer."
"Well, thank you for your help," said the Doctor as he scooped the chips off the desk and put them in a pocket. Michael didn't even look up. With a shrug the Doctor left the room, and walked straight into the barrel of a gun.
"Doctor, there you are." The Doctor looked up to see a neatly dressed woman standing next to the man holding the gun. She wore a lab coat and a friendly smile. "Nice of you to make yourself so easy to find. Please take him somewhere secure," she said, speaking to the guard. "I'll be with you shortly."
+++
Turlough sat on an uncomfortable desk chair, alone in a pale blue room on the top floor of the science institute. He had been waiting here for less than twenty minutes, but he was already bored and restless, not to mention afraid of what was going to happen to him. Not for the first time, he felt like he was playing the part of a mere pawn in the Black Guardian's game.
When he had stepped out of the TARDIS, he had hesitated for a moment before closing the door behind him. The Guardian had been quite clear on that point though: on no account must either Charis or Francis Denville be allowed into the ship, but as he pulled the door shut, he also locked himself out of his only place of safety. He straightened his tie and took a deep breath, preparing once again to talk for his life.
It had worked though. In fact, it had been far easier to persuade them of his intentions that he had imagined. It was almost as though he were simply reading a part.
There was a knock on the door, and he stood up. Charis and Denville entered the room, followed by an armed guard. Charis immediately moved behind the desk and sat in the chair there, leaning forward and steepling her fingers. Denville stayed by the door.
"That's fine, Hendley," said Charis nodding to the guard, and with a quick salute, he left the room.
Turlough glanced from one to the other, trying not to appear nervous. He was on his own now; the Guardian had not given him any instructions on what to do after he arrived at the Institute. Charis was definitely more suspicious of him, less trusting, but it seemed that it was Denville who had the final say. He spoke for the company, Nugent Power Corps, that paid for the Institute's research, and Charis seemed unwilling to do anything that would risk her Institute's finances.
"Well, we have the Doctor in custody," she said, and Turlough nodded.
"What did I tell you?" he said, spreading his hands. "A saboteur, sent here to prevent tomorrow's demonstration."
"A very inept saboteur, and you still haven't told us how you knew about his presence."
"I've told you everything I can," said Turlough, looking at Charis. He shrugged. "There's nothing else I can say to you."
"Maybe you should speak to our prisoner then," suggested Denville to Charis. She scowled, and stood up.
"This is my project. I have a right to know what's going on. A disappearance, theft of components and now sabotage! I want an answer."
"And you'll get one, if it's in the projects interests," replied Denville smoothly.
Charis seemed about to speak again, but then thought better off it. She shot a glare at Turlough as she left the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.
"So how did Nugent find out about the saboteur?" asked Denville.
"I'm sorry?"
"There are secure comm stations here, you know. It would have been simpler to send a message."
Turlough's mind raced. There was something here he was missing. Who did Denville think he was? He went over the Guardian's warning, the precise words he had been told to use: the warning to repeat them exactly. He looked at Denville, the first sign of suspicion forming on his face as Turlough remained silent.
"This project's too important," he said with as much confidence as he could muster. The answer seemed to satisfy Denville. He nodded.
"It would have been nice to have a little warning. Still, I suppose this means we have another test subject."
+++
"I want to see the prisoner."
Charis was furious. She hated being told what to do at her own Institute, hated the necessity that made her dependent on the goodwill of one of the corporations, and she hated this guard's hesitation at obeying her order. Had Denville started bribing them? The balance of power here was definitely starting to tilt in his favour, and with her top scientist missing, it was only going to get worse.
"Now!"
The guard relented, finally, and let her into the cell.
The prisoner was sitting on the thin hard bench at the other side of the room. He looked up as she entered, his expression mildly curious. Turlough's description of him, his appearance and manner of dress had made him impossible to mistake, but she found his countenance, his mannerisms, in conflict with his supposed purpose here - perhaps that was the point.
"Ah. Hello again," he said standing up and giving her a smile that seemed genuine. "Would you mind telling me what I'm doing in here?"
"You've been arrested for attempted sabotage," she stated bluntly.
"Oh." He paused before he spoke again, saying, "I don't suppose you know where Professor Tenvi is. I came here to visit him, and according to everyone I've met, he's disappeared."
"Eliminating our top scientist would be quite an effective way to sabotage our project here," said Charis, folding her arms.
"I'm not a saboteur. I came here to visit an old friend. Tegan and I have only been here a matter of hours, and I . . ."
"Tegan?" interrupted Charis. "There's someone with you?"
The Doctor hesitated before he replied, he had assumed that something would have happened to Tegan as well, but apparently not. The last thing he wanted to do was out her in any danger, but no doubt they would search for her now that he had mentioned her.
"My companion. We got caught outside at night, she's been treated by your doctor."
Charis shook her head in disbelief. This was ridiculous: a conspicuous saboteur who was stupid enough to get caught in the sub-zero temperatures, and let slip that he had an accomplice.
"Tenvi's a friend of yours?" she asked, knowing that that was what he had told Micheal Star. The Doctor nodded. "Do you know anything about his work, about the mirrors?" she asked, holding her breath.
"A little," replied the Doctor.
That was enough, as far as she was concerned; this was the one she was supposed to be helping.
"Maybe you could be of assistance," she said.
+++
Turlough was alone again.
It had become apparent that Denville believed him to be working for the intelligence department of Nugent Corps, and the Guardian had given him the code phrases that would identify his as such when he had spoke to Denville and Charis outside the TARDIS.
He stifled the feeling of guilt at what he had done. He wasn't sure what Denville had meant about another test subject, and he really didn't want to speculate. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. No one had told him to stay here, but he didn't know where to go.
He stretched out on the chair, and closed his eyes. At least when he was asleep, he didn't have to think.
"Waking or sleeping," said a dark voice. Turlough's eyes jerked open, looking for the voice's owner, but the little room was still empty. "You still have work to do." Turlough turned around slowly, the voice was coming from all around him, but it seemed that the Guardian had decided not to appear in a physical form this time. "The woman, she could still ruin my plans. Find her."
"But Tegan has nothing to do with this," said Turlough.
"She is a threat to my plans. Find her and keep her away from the Doctor!" the voice growled.
Somehow, the presence of only a voice made Turlough feel less threatened.
"She can't do anything tonight," he said wearily. "I'm tired."
Pain shot through his head. Burning hot splinters pushing their way behind his eyes. He collapsed to the floor, screaming. The pain lessened, slightly. "All right. All right," he said. "I'll find her."
The pain was gone, and so was the voice.
+++
"Exactly what would you like me to help you with?" asked the Doctor, hands in his pockets, frowning slightly. Charis realised that what she was about to do could be monumentally stupid, especially if she was wrong. But at the very least, she needed the demonstration to work tomorrow, and if this man knew anything at all about Tenvi's research he might be able to help.
The door burst open.
Charis whirled around as two guards stormed into the room, weapons drawn. Beyond them she saw Denville leaning easily against the side of the corridor.
"What's the meaning of this?" demanded Charis, as the guards seized the Doctor and pulled him out of the room. She stepped forward to follow, but Denville blocked the doorway. "Where are you taking him?" she asked, looking up at Denville, hating the smug expression that had appeared on his face.
"The Doctor is being taken to join is Professor Tenvi," he said. "And don't worry about the demo, I have everything organised quite nicely." He stepped back with a smile and slammed the door of the cell shut, locking Charis inside.
+++
After searching through much of the Institute, Turlough spotted Tegan outside the canteen, standing with a steaming mug between his hands. She seemed to be trying to decide which way to go. It took her a moment to spot Turlough approaching her.
"Turlough! What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "Just came to see what I was missing." He looked around pointedly. "Can't say it was worth coming all this way for."
"Have you seen the Doctor?"
"Yes," he said. "Actually, he sent me to come and find you." For a moment he thought he had misjudged, and she wasn't going to believe him. Fear was making him nervous, and as her eyes narrowed slightly he knew that she had realised that he was lying, that she was going to accuse him and demand to know the truth.
But the moment passed.
"Lead the way," she said, and he smiled.
+++
The main laboratory was clinically white and filled with bright light. Normally a dozen or more scientists would be working in here, but right now only three people were present. In the middle of the room, the Doctor was strapped down onto a table, flanked by humming machinery. A network of electrodes attached to his skull was connected to the machines.
"I would like to know what all this is in aid of," he said, perfectly calmly, his eyes looking at the two men standing by a massive control console on the other side of the room. The younger, Michael Star, was speaking in a low voice, the worry of nerves playing across his features. He was wringing his hands, and glancing between the Doctor and the second man whom the Doctor recognised as the one who had rather unceremoniously dragged him from his cell. "If its not too much trouble?"
The second man turned away from Michael, and moved to stand over the Doctor.
"I would, but it really wouldn't change anything," he said.
"Mr Denville, I don't think . . ." began Michael.
"Good. That's not what you're being paid for," he paused. "At least, not while you're talking to me."
Denville pulled a small black box from his inner jacket pocket and opened it carefully. He took something out of it and held it up to the light. The Doctor caught sight of a small, no bigger than palm-sized, piece of red glass. It was square, with sharp edges and glowed brightly with an internal light.
"I don't believe it!" said Michael.
"Much more impressive than the other mirrors, isn't it?" Denville turned to the young researcher. "Would you like to know how it was done?"
Michael nodded without even thinking about it, his sense of curiosity overriding his good sense.
"Good." Denville smiled in a very uncomforting way, and he tapped a button on his wrist-control. The doors to the laboratory slid open and two guards entered, weapons pointing at Michael. "Because after the Doctor, you'll be next, and I think we'll give you a mirror all to yourself."
"You can't . . ."
"Take him outside," snapped Denville as he slid the red glass into one of the machines by the Doctor. The hum from the machine reached a higher pitched, and the Doctor was about to enquire what was happening when his surroundings suddenly changed.
He was lying on the floor, and looking at a white ceiling. He found that his arms and legs were now free and he stood up to find himself in a square, white room.
And he wasn't alone.
Sitting down, his back leaning against the wall and apparently asleep was a short man with a massive, slightly greying beard. His plump face was heavily lined, and beneath bushy eyebrows, his eyes were closed.
The eyes opened and met the Doctor's.
It was the Doctor who spoke first.
"Professor Tenvi, what are you doing here?"
+++
Mirror Theory
Part One
+++
"I never did like mysteries."
"That's not what you said when we found Tarvan pyramid."
"That's different . . .I could solve that."
The woman put her ear against the blue box and listened intently. She frowned slightly as she stepped away and circled it again, her boots clicking on the concrete floor. Apart from the two of them the warehouse was quite empty, of people and stores. It was supposed to be abandoned, and secure, but the presence of the incongruous blue box was arguing quite convincingly with that assumption. Finally she stepped away from it and folded her arms. "It is a very odd object," she commented quietly.
"You look like you recognise it," he commented.
"No," she said firmly, and glanced at him. "Glaring at it isn't going to help either. It's obvious what happened: someone has overrode the security system and has put that thing in here."
"But why?" he asked, turning to her. "What is the point? If it's a joke, it's a rather dangerous one to pull. The colony worlds have started getting very nasty about security; breaking in here could give you five years in the mines."
"Like I said, it's a mystery and, frankly, one we don't have time to worry about."
A frown crossed his sharp features.
"Call security. Not the governor's troops, make sure they're working for us and have the thing taken to storage."
"I assume this has to be done before Michael Star arrives?" she asked.
"And don't mention this to him either. None of Tenvi's talent, and he's far too jumpy."
"What about the mirrors?"
"They're on their way."
With a final glance at the box, the woman tapped her wrist-control and the massive warehouse doors slid open. Sunlight spilled in. "Right," she said. "Back to work."
+++
"Doctor, how much further have we got to go?" Tegan was tired, and she was going to make sure that the Doctor knew it. The Doctor, on the other hand, had not even broken a sweat and it seemed like he could keep up this almost jogging pace forever. The ground crunched beneath Tegan's feet - she had seen nothing but dry and gritty terrain since they had left the TARDIS. A mere handful of twisted black plants clung pathetically to the earth. Despite the seemingly endless desert, the Doctor seemed to know precisely where they were going.
"I'd say another four or five miles and we should be on the main road," replied the Doctor without pausing in his stride. "Don't worry, we'll be at the town by nightfall."
"Couldn't we slow down a little?" she asked.
"Temperatures drop rather rapidly when the sun goes down here, Tegan. I don't think you'd want to be outside."
"All right, all right," she grumbled, continuing to keep up the exhausting pace, and wishing he'd mentioned that detail before they had left the TARDIS: she could have worn warmer clothing. "I hope seeing this professor guy is worth it."
"Of course it is. Professor Tenvi is an old friend, and not only that he's about to make one of his more important discoveries in the next few days. It'll be fascinating to watch."
"Right," muttered Tegan, wishing, and not for the first time, that Nyssa was still travelling with them, although she would probably have found this science thing equally interesting. Still, she would have been sympathetic, at least. "So how did he end up in this dump?"
"Not a dump, Tegan. It's just a barren world, not enough nutrients in the soil to support complex plant life. Although earlier this century there was a large mining operation here, valuable enough to put up orbital platforms for planetary defence. Of course, they didn't bother to take them down, eventually their decaying orbit will . . ."
Tegan could tell he was warming to his subject, and stopped listening. It was getting colder, she realised, and she could really do with something to eat. She wasn't really sure how long had passed when the Doctor noticed she wasn't really listening.
"You could have stayed in the TARDIS if you really didn't want to come," he said, reminding Tegan of something else that had been bothering her.
"Not with him," she muttered. It took her a moment to realise that the Doctor had finally stopped moving. He turned around to face her, his blue eyes fixing on hers and she suddenly felt nervous. She looked away, at the ground. Nothing but dust. She could see the Doctor was still looking at her.
"This has to stop," he said, very quietly.
"I don't trust him, Doctor."
"Turlough is travelling with us now. It wouldn't hurt you to be polite." He turned away, thrusting his hands into his pockets and began to walk.
+++
"That won't work."
The deep voice rumbled around the console room of the TARDIS. Instinctively, Turlough jerked away from away form the console, and looked for its source. His hand reached into his blazer pocket and his fingers closed around the crystal. It was warm. He took it out, holding it in both hands, the light hurt his eyes, but he didn't look away.
"He's gone," said Turlough. "I can escape, go home. Just tell me how to operate the controls." He paused, knowing that wasn't what this creature wanted. "The Doctor will be trapped on this world, you can destroy him whenever you like."
"Foolish boy." Now the voice came from straight in front of him, and Turlough found himself staring at this entity that called itself the Black Guardian, and chose to appear as a human, but the deathly white skin, and pitiless black eyes betrayed it as something else. "The Doctor is no fool. He has taken a piece of the circuitry with him. Without it, this craft is useless."
Turlough stepped away from the console, partly because he knew his efforts were now futile, but mostly just to take another step away from his so- called ally. He could feel fear and dread creeping through his mind, twisting themselves into his thoughts. "Can't you replace it?" he asked, clinging to the hope that it could be that simple.
"No!" The word went through Turlough like a shard of ice. "I cannot be seen to interfere directly. You must kill the Doctor. Then you may take his ship," the voice softened, no longer stabbing at him. But those black pits that were his eyes were watching him. Dread. Hopelessness. It turned away and the eyes were gone. "Look!" it demanded, raising a black-clothed arm towards the scanner.
The screen dissolved into a picture showing the warehouse outside. Massive doors at the far end were open now, but the warehouse was empty save for two figures, talking. No, decided Turlough, it looked more like they were arguing. So, this wasn't the safe, deserted place that the Doctor thought it was, but he couldn't see how this was going to help him. He kept looking at the screen, not really caring what was going on.
"The woman is called Charis; she controls the research team of which Professor Tenvi is a part of. The other is Francis Denville, here to represent the companies interested in their research. You must gain their trust."
"But how will that harm the . . ."
"Quiet!" It turned back to him again, fury suffusing its features. It seemed to grow even as he watched, towering over him, its darkness draining the light from around it. The console room dimmed, as Turlough shrank into the wall. He held his hands in front of him; they were still wrapped round the crystal. The light glowed brighter, he felt it burning his hands but found he couldn't let go. "Do not interrupt me again, boy."
Turlough nodded, his eyes wide, and it stepped back. The darkness ebbed away, and Turlough felt that he could breath again. It turned back to him, a ghost of a smile on its face.
"Now, listen carefully. If you make a mistake, it will be you that they kill."
+++
"Here we are," said the Doctor with a smile, pushing the door open. Tegan dived in first, her arms hugged around herself, and almost collapsed in relief at the warm air. Her skin tingled in the heat, and she knew it was going to start hurting soon, but for the moment she was just relieved that she no longer felt like she was breathing icicles. She felt the Doctor guiding her forward, his arm supporting her as she walked, as there were, in fact, two more sets of doors before they were properly inside the building. Her legs gave way beneath her, but she didn't care, it was all going black anyway.
Tegan felt warm hands on her face, and managed to force her eyes open to see the Doctor's concerned face looking down at her. She realised that she was lying down, tucked securely under several blankets. When had that happened? Well, this definitely wasn't her fault.
"Thought I was going to die," she managed to say. "Probably got frostbite."
"Nonsense," said the Doctor, seemingly unaffected by the cold. "I'll be right back." She heard a door click shut.
"Hey," she tried to shout, indignant that he was leaving her alone with barely a sentence said to her. Her throat refused to co-operate. But she wasn't feeling ill. Carefully, Tegan stood up. She was still dressed, but she pulled one of the blankets round her anyway. Looking around, she saw that she was in a small room containing only a bed and a short, squat chest of drawers. An empty bookshelf was attached to one wall, and opposite there was a window with no curtain. It was dark outside, though she could see they were still in the town. Streetlights lit up the empty road below. She could see stronger lights in the distance, around taller, more imposing buildings. The spaceport, she guessed.
"Ah, you're up." Tegan hadn't heard the door open, but now the Doctor stood in the doorway. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," managed Tegan, though she could hear that her voice wasn't quite right.
"Your throat should be feeling better in an hour or so. The doctor here's quite good at treating that sort of thing." He took a step into the room hesitantly. "You should probably have something to eat," he said.
Tegan nodded, and pulled the blanket tighter; she didn't care how stupid it looked, she was still cold.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Delvan III Science Institute."
"You've seen Professor Tenvi, then?" she asked, following him out of the room and down to the canteen. The corridors were deserted, and the canteen was just as empty.
"Ah." The Doctor glanced down at the display of fruit: bright yellows and greens and reds. "Oh, look, an apple." He held it up at eye level. "A Bramley," he declared. "Superb specimen." He took a bite.
"Doctor, what about Professor Tenvi?" repeated Tegan, who would have folded her arms if she hadn't had a blanket wrapped around them. "We are in the right place?" she asked suspiciously.
"Of course we are. But he appears to have, um, disappeared."
Tegan rolled her eyes. "Great, Doc," she muttered. "We come all this way and he's gone and done a runner."
"I doubt that. But it is rather important that we find him. The Charis Demonstration takes place tomorrow, and he is there."
"Maybe he'll just turn up."
"There's no record of him ever having disappeared."
"Maybe it wasn't important enough."
"Tegan . . ." The Doctor paused, unwilling to start an argument. "I'm going to start looking for him. The people here are friendly enough, you should be fine."
+++
Professor Tenvi's office was a small square room stuffed with large cabinets and overflowing with paper. A small desk sat by the window, covered with more paper and pens and data chips, but the computer was missing. The walls were a dull white, and unadorned with pictures. Most unexpectedly of all, there was someone in the room: a young man with curly brown hair, crouched over the desk and searching through the papers.
"Hello," said the Doctor. The man jerked up, surprise on his pale features. There were dark circles under his eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm the Doctor," said the Doctor, offering his hand. The man looked down at it for a second before he took it.
"Michael Star," he said. "Professor Tenvi's assistant. I'm sorry, I've been working pretty much none stop these last three days. Got the demo tomorrow," he grinned faintly and turned back to the desk.
"Professor Tenvi . . . ?" began the Doctor.
"Not here," said Michael. "Sorry."
"I can see that," said the Doctor. "But I need to find him. I'm an old friend," he added helpfully.
"Look, the boss, is going to go nuts if I can't pull off this demo in front of the investors. The professor has disappeared. I really have a lot to do." He moved a pile of papers to one side, then ducked down and opened the top desk drawer.
"Don't you want to find him?"
"Who?"
"Professor Tenvi."
"I wouldn't know where to start." He straightened up, holding another sheaf of papers, and fixed his tired eyes on the Doctor. "One morning I arrive here, and he wasn't in his office, which was pretty odd. I mean he practically lives in here. Security couldn't find him anywhere in the complex, or the city. There's no way he could have taken a shuttle out of the system, he's just too well known. And now it's my neck on the line." Michael sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "And to be perfectly honest I just don't understand what he was doing anyway. I can't get the mirrors to work myself. His notes must be here. And I know there were translation papers around here, somewhere." He was talking almost to himself now, eyes scanning sheet after sheet of paper. "If you want to help, you could check those data chips for Tarvan translations, if you can find a free computer."
"Well, thank you for your help," said the Doctor as he scooped the chips off the desk and put them in a pocket. Michael didn't even look up. With a shrug the Doctor left the room, and walked straight into the barrel of a gun.
"Doctor, there you are." The Doctor looked up to see a neatly dressed woman standing next to the man holding the gun. She wore a lab coat and a friendly smile. "Nice of you to make yourself so easy to find. Please take him somewhere secure," she said, speaking to the guard. "I'll be with you shortly."
+++
Turlough sat on an uncomfortable desk chair, alone in a pale blue room on the top floor of the science institute. He had been waiting here for less than twenty minutes, but he was already bored and restless, not to mention afraid of what was going to happen to him. Not for the first time, he felt like he was playing the part of a mere pawn in the Black Guardian's game.
When he had stepped out of the TARDIS, he had hesitated for a moment before closing the door behind him. The Guardian had been quite clear on that point though: on no account must either Charis or Francis Denville be allowed into the ship, but as he pulled the door shut, he also locked himself out of his only place of safety. He straightened his tie and took a deep breath, preparing once again to talk for his life.
It had worked though. In fact, it had been far easier to persuade them of his intentions that he had imagined. It was almost as though he were simply reading a part.
There was a knock on the door, and he stood up. Charis and Denville entered the room, followed by an armed guard. Charis immediately moved behind the desk and sat in the chair there, leaning forward and steepling her fingers. Denville stayed by the door.
"That's fine, Hendley," said Charis nodding to the guard, and with a quick salute, he left the room.
Turlough glanced from one to the other, trying not to appear nervous. He was on his own now; the Guardian had not given him any instructions on what to do after he arrived at the Institute. Charis was definitely more suspicious of him, less trusting, but it seemed that it was Denville who had the final say. He spoke for the company, Nugent Power Corps, that paid for the Institute's research, and Charis seemed unwilling to do anything that would risk her Institute's finances.
"Well, we have the Doctor in custody," she said, and Turlough nodded.
"What did I tell you?" he said, spreading his hands. "A saboteur, sent here to prevent tomorrow's demonstration."
"A very inept saboteur, and you still haven't told us how you knew about his presence."
"I've told you everything I can," said Turlough, looking at Charis. He shrugged. "There's nothing else I can say to you."
"Maybe you should speak to our prisoner then," suggested Denville to Charis. She scowled, and stood up.
"This is my project. I have a right to know what's going on. A disappearance, theft of components and now sabotage! I want an answer."
"And you'll get one, if it's in the projects interests," replied Denville smoothly.
Charis seemed about to speak again, but then thought better off it. She shot a glare at Turlough as she left the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.
"So how did Nugent find out about the saboteur?" asked Denville.
"I'm sorry?"
"There are secure comm stations here, you know. It would have been simpler to send a message."
Turlough's mind raced. There was something here he was missing. Who did Denville think he was? He went over the Guardian's warning, the precise words he had been told to use: the warning to repeat them exactly. He looked at Denville, the first sign of suspicion forming on his face as Turlough remained silent.
"This project's too important," he said with as much confidence as he could muster. The answer seemed to satisfy Denville. He nodded.
"It would have been nice to have a little warning. Still, I suppose this means we have another test subject."
+++
"I want to see the prisoner."
Charis was furious. She hated being told what to do at her own Institute, hated the necessity that made her dependent on the goodwill of one of the corporations, and she hated this guard's hesitation at obeying her order. Had Denville started bribing them? The balance of power here was definitely starting to tilt in his favour, and with her top scientist missing, it was only going to get worse.
"Now!"
The guard relented, finally, and let her into the cell.
The prisoner was sitting on the thin hard bench at the other side of the room. He looked up as she entered, his expression mildly curious. Turlough's description of him, his appearance and manner of dress had made him impossible to mistake, but she found his countenance, his mannerisms, in conflict with his supposed purpose here - perhaps that was the point.
"Ah. Hello again," he said standing up and giving her a smile that seemed genuine. "Would you mind telling me what I'm doing in here?"
"You've been arrested for attempted sabotage," she stated bluntly.
"Oh." He paused before he spoke again, saying, "I don't suppose you know where Professor Tenvi is. I came here to visit him, and according to everyone I've met, he's disappeared."
"Eliminating our top scientist would be quite an effective way to sabotage our project here," said Charis, folding her arms.
"I'm not a saboteur. I came here to visit an old friend. Tegan and I have only been here a matter of hours, and I . . ."
"Tegan?" interrupted Charis. "There's someone with you?"
The Doctor hesitated before he replied, he had assumed that something would have happened to Tegan as well, but apparently not. The last thing he wanted to do was out her in any danger, but no doubt they would search for her now that he had mentioned her.
"My companion. We got caught outside at night, she's been treated by your doctor."
Charis shook her head in disbelief. This was ridiculous: a conspicuous saboteur who was stupid enough to get caught in the sub-zero temperatures, and let slip that he had an accomplice.
"Tenvi's a friend of yours?" she asked, knowing that that was what he had told Micheal Star. The Doctor nodded. "Do you know anything about his work, about the mirrors?" she asked, holding her breath.
"A little," replied the Doctor.
That was enough, as far as she was concerned; this was the one she was supposed to be helping.
"Maybe you could be of assistance," she said.
+++
Turlough was alone again.
It had become apparent that Denville believed him to be working for the intelligence department of Nugent Corps, and the Guardian had given him the code phrases that would identify his as such when he had spoke to Denville and Charis outside the TARDIS.
He stifled the feeling of guilt at what he had done. He wasn't sure what Denville had meant about another test subject, and he really didn't want to speculate. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. No one had told him to stay here, but he didn't know where to go.
He stretched out on the chair, and closed his eyes. At least when he was asleep, he didn't have to think.
"Waking or sleeping," said a dark voice. Turlough's eyes jerked open, looking for the voice's owner, but the little room was still empty. "You still have work to do." Turlough turned around slowly, the voice was coming from all around him, but it seemed that the Guardian had decided not to appear in a physical form this time. "The woman, she could still ruin my plans. Find her."
"But Tegan has nothing to do with this," said Turlough.
"She is a threat to my plans. Find her and keep her away from the Doctor!" the voice growled.
Somehow, the presence of only a voice made Turlough feel less threatened.
"She can't do anything tonight," he said wearily. "I'm tired."
Pain shot through his head. Burning hot splinters pushing their way behind his eyes. He collapsed to the floor, screaming. The pain lessened, slightly. "All right. All right," he said. "I'll find her."
The pain was gone, and so was the voice.
+++
"Exactly what would you like me to help you with?" asked the Doctor, hands in his pockets, frowning slightly. Charis realised that what she was about to do could be monumentally stupid, especially if she was wrong. But at the very least, she needed the demonstration to work tomorrow, and if this man knew anything at all about Tenvi's research he might be able to help.
The door burst open.
Charis whirled around as two guards stormed into the room, weapons drawn. Beyond them she saw Denville leaning easily against the side of the corridor.
"What's the meaning of this?" demanded Charis, as the guards seized the Doctor and pulled him out of the room. She stepped forward to follow, but Denville blocked the doorway. "Where are you taking him?" she asked, looking up at Denville, hating the smug expression that had appeared on his face.
"The Doctor is being taken to join is Professor Tenvi," he said. "And don't worry about the demo, I have everything organised quite nicely." He stepped back with a smile and slammed the door of the cell shut, locking Charis inside.
+++
After searching through much of the Institute, Turlough spotted Tegan outside the canteen, standing with a steaming mug between his hands. She seemed to be trying to decide which way to go. It took her a moment to spot Turlough approaching her.
"Turlough! What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "Just came to see what I was missing." He looked around pointedly. "Can't say it was worth coming all this way for."
"Have you seen the Doctor?"
"Yes," he said. "Actually, he sent me to come and find you." For a moment he thought he had misjudged, and she wasn't going to believe him. Fear was making him nervous, and as her eyes narrowed slightly he knew that she had realised that he was lying, that she was going to accuse him and demand to know the truth.
But the moment passed.
"Lead the way," she said, and he smiled.
+++
The main laboratory was clinically white and filled with bright light. Normally a dozen or more scientists would be working in here, but right now only three people were present. In the middle of the room, the Doctor was strapped down onto a table, flanked by humming machinery. A network of electrodes attached to his skull was connected to the machines.
"I would like to know what all this is in aid of," he said, perfectly calmly, his eyes looking at the two men standing by a massive control console on the other side of the room. The younger, Michael Star, was speaking in a low voice, the worry of nerves playing across his features. He was wringing his hands, and glancing between the Doctor and the second man whom the Doctor recognised as the one who had rather unceremoniously dragged him from his cell. "If its not too much trouble?"
The second man turned away from Michael, and moved to stand over the Doctor.
"I would, but it really wouldn't change anything," he said.
"Mr Denville, I don't think . . ." began Michael.
"Good. That's not what you're being paid for," he paused. "At least, not while you're talking to me."
Denville pulled a small black box from his inner jacket pocket and opened it carefully. He took something out of it and held it up to the light. The Doctor caught sight of a small, no bigger than palm-sized, piece of red glass. It was square, with sharp edges and glowed brightly with an internal light.
"I don't believe it!" said Michael.
"Much more impressive than the other mirrors, isn't it?" Denville turned to the young researcher. "Would you like to know how it was done?"
Michael nodded without even thinking about it, his sense of curiosity overriding his good sense.
"Good." Denville smiled in a very uncomforting way, and he tapped a button on his wrist-control. The doors to the laboratory slid open and two guards entered, weapons pointing at Michael. "Because after the Doctor, you'll be next, and I think we'll give you a mirror all to yourself."
"You can't . . ."
"Take him outside," snapped Denville as he slid the red glass into one of the machines by the Doctor. The hum from the machine reached a higher pitched, and the Doctor was about to enquire what was happening when his surroundings suddenly changed.
He was lying on the floor, and looking at a white ceiling. He found that his arms and legs were now free and he stood up to find himself in a square, white room.
And he wasn't alone.
Sitting down, his back leaning against the wall and apparently asleep was a short man with a massive, slightly greying beard. His plump face was heavily lined, and beneath bushy eyebrows, his eyes were closed.
The eyes opened and met the Doctor's.
It was the Doctor who spoke first.
"Professor Tenvi, what are you doing here?"
+++