CHAPTER 12

"I'M GOING TO SEE A MAN ABOUT A CARGO SHIP."

The Doctor was glad his suite was nowhere near the main lobby and led the way to the storeroom where the TARDIS stood seemingly forgotten. Jason found a second box of gold chains and put it with the first on the housekeeping cart. "What will you be doing while I'm freeing the slaves?" he wanted to know.

The Doctor smiled broadly. "I'm going to see a man about a cargo ship."

Jason was appalled. "Not Talbot!"

"No. Bryce Miller. CEO of The Gathering Dome, Ltd."

"Doctor, I can't be in two places at once."

"I'm not asking—"

"If Talbot finds you, he'll kill you!" Jason pointed out forcefully.

The Time Lord was unfazed by this outburst. "Talbot and his men never come up to the Dome. That's why they need Miller."

The Alterran rolled his eyes. He could not believe how the Doctor could put so much faith in some of his conclusions sometimes. "At least take K-9 with you." Jason strode to the TARDIS, holding up a hand for the key as he did so. The Doctor tossed it to him and he caught it neatly, vanishing in­side the police box.

A few minutes later, the Doctor entered the console room, finding his companion at the inner door calling for K-9. "Jason, I want you to transmute in here," he instructed. "But only your skin coloring. I have Azure looking for a uniform for you."

"Why? I can do that myself?" came the puzzled reply.

"I know. I just don't want anyone else knowing," the Doctor said seriously, his grave tone making Jason's hair stand on end. "One of the things I do know about Eldarians is they don't work collectively, although they seem to be now. That jolt I received outside was someone's way of preventing my learning the truth. And I'm not entirely convinced I know the whole truth now."

Jason threw a horrified look at the exterior doors. "You don't think Azure is a part of this, do you?"

"I don't know. We're dealing with a power we don't entirely understand. Until we do, don't turn your back on her."

The Doctor grinned at the appalled expression this statement produced. He pulled out his dog whistle, giving his companion a warning look before giving it a long blast.

Jason winced. "I hate that thing," he grumbled, transmuting at the same time.

A minute later K-9 trundled into the console room. "Master."

It was Jason who responded. "K-9, protect the Doctor. There are a few people here who want to kill him."

"Young Master," K-9 acknowledged.

The Doctor gave the Alterran a reproving look before turning towards the door. "Just you remember what I said."


As soon as they left the storeroom, Jason and Azure set to work removing the collars from the staff in the section of the building Azure had been working in. Once this was done, they enlisted the help of the freed workers, hiding additional fake collars on their housekeeping carts and sending them on their way.

As he made his way through the building, Jason could not help but wonder what progress the Doctor was making. If any.


The Doctor was beginning to wonder about his progress as well. He was also wondering if there was any clerical staff in the Administrative Section of the Dome at all. He had looked in one empty office after another. Even the CEO was conspicuous by his absence. "You'd think a place this large would need an equally large administrative staff," he remarked to K-9.

The only person the Doctor found in the entire section was George Hargrove and he stood in the man's office door sizing him up. Just how much of all this was he involved in?

Looking up, George mistook the Doctor for someone else and waved him in. "You're early," he said as he shuffled the papers in front of him. "I've been trying to get these numbers to come out, but it looks like we may have to endure an audit after all."

The Doctor smile, taking the proffered seat. "Can't get your sums right, Mr. Hargrove? Now that is careless."

George scowled. "You're not the messenger."

"No, actually, I'm—"

The man across the desk blanched visibly. "I…I wasn't expecting…" he stammered out. "I'm sure it's just a minor oversight…er, Mister…?"

"Doctor," the Doctor grinned.

George gulped. "It's not that serious, surely?" He fumbled with the papers again. "All the proper forms were filed."

It was becoming glaringly obvious that this man did not have the nerve required to carry out the villainy on such a grand scale as was going on in the Dome. The Doctor decided to drop the act and became serious. "I'm sure they were. And were I a representative of whatever agency they were filed with, I'm sure I'd be very impressed."

The Chief Financial Officer gaped at him. "Yo…you're not…from the Audit Bureau?" he said at last.

"Hardly. I came to see your CEO, but he doesn't seem to be about."

"What do you want to see Bryce about?"

"Oh, this Dome, its enslaved work force, and the remnants of the mercenary crew who are controlling them," the Doctor replied breezily

George stared at the Time Lord, trying to decide if he were a harmless lunatic or a violent one.

"And before you ask me if I'm mad," the Doctor said quickly, "answer me one question. You're staff. Where did they come from?"

The man behind the desk blinked, momentarily thrown by the sudden non sequitur. "What? I don't know. A factory somewhere. They're androids. Any fool can see that."

With difficulty the Doctor resisted commenting on this. "If they were androids, you'd've paid for them, wouldn't you? But I'll wager you don't have a bill, do you?" he challenged. "That's one of the errors you mentioned, isn't it?"

"That's beside the point."

"No, Mr. Hargrove, that is the point," the Doctor shot back. "Your staff wasn't purchased be­cause they were already here when the renovations started."

"No, they came by…they must've been brought by…" George looked at the Doctor in alarm. "How did they get here?"

"Exactly. They were already onboard this ship you call The Gathering Dome."

By this time Hargrove was sweating profusely and he pulled out a handkerchief to mop his brow. Before he had the chance to say more, K-9 came backing into his office.

"Alien lifeform approaching, Master."

The Doctor jumped to his feet, peering out the door. At the end of the hall he saw an Eldarian maintenance worker sweeping the floor. Glancing back, he grinned at the overwhelmed man at the desk. "Now's your chance to see the reality of the situation," he remarked. Turning back, he called, "You there! Come get this office cleaned up before the meeting starts."

The man looked up dully. "Yes, sir," he replied, pushing his cleaning cart up the hall. The Doctor stood aside allowing the man to pass. Suddenly his hand flashed up, removing the con­trol collar. As with Azure, the Eldarian weakened, his knees giving way. The Doctor caught him as he fell, guiding him to a seat in the office. In less than a minute, he had recovered enough to be totally terrified.

The Doctor got down before him and smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. I'm the Doctor," he said soothingly. "Just check with the others. They'll tell you I'm on your side."

He received a frightened and confused look in reply. The man lowered his eyes a moment and then looked up in surprised.

"Good chap," the Time Lord said approvingly, rising to his feet.

"That doesn't prove anything!" George objected, finding his voice at last.

"What do you want? A sworn statement!" the Doctor thundered. He was prevented from say­ing more when the Eldarian touched his arm. "Danger," he said firmly.

The Doctor looked down in alarm. "What?"

"Danger," the Eldarian repeated. "The other. Growing stronger."

The Doctor did not like the sound of this at all and threw a quick glance in the direction of the main Dome. He suddenly found himself questioning the wisdom of his plan. "K-9, where's Jason?"

The automation's sensors buzzed a moment. "Unable to locate the Young Master due to shield­ing in this section, Master."

The Doctor cursed under his breath. It was becoming all too clear that what he knew was only the tip of the iceberg and he prayed he was not just steering himself and his companion straight into it.