Chapter 3
The Sontaran Battlecruiser came up behind the TARDIS.
"Sontaran Battlecruiser closing," said Nita. "They're arming main disruptors, Doctor."
The cloister bell started ringing.
"I thought you said the TARDIS was faster than this Sontaran…" Nita said to the Doctor.
"Of course, we are, Nita. However…"
Timothy is staring intently upon the viewer.
"Evasive, Nita. Ace, open hailing frequencies…"
"I guarantee that they don't want to talk to you, Doctor."
The team was shaken… main lighting failed as the torpedoes exploded against the TARDIS shields. The Sontarans fired another spread of photon torpedoes at the TARDIS. It then flew over the TARDIS, away from them and towards The Ship, recloaking as it went.
"The Sontaran has passed us, Doctor, and recloaked."
"Damage report."
"No casualties reported. Seventy percent loss to the main shields, Doctor."
Timothy appoached the Doctor again.
"Doctor, their attack on us was incidental."
"Incidental?"
"Yes. To delay us."
"Professor, it would appear that the Sontaran's intent is to contact The Ship first, at any cost. According to my sensor readings, the battlecruiser exceeded maximum engine output by nearly thirty percent… They appear to have suffered irreparable damage to their warp coils."
"So… they kept up with us by sacrificing their ability to return to Sontaran space."
"A one-way trip."
Timothy paced nervously between the Main Viewer and the Doctor. "There is one more trailing us, Doctor… a day or two behind. Ace is right… this one's job is to beat us to The Ship at any cost."
The Doctor eyed Timothy skeptically. "You read all this, telepathically…"
"…In the mind of the Sontaran commander, during the attack."
The Doctor exchanged looks with Nita… could Timothy be that good? Evidently so.
"Very well, then. Ace."
"Yes?" Ace was already under the console, locating a burnout.
"Ace… how long to restore shields?"
"Working on it. TARDIS, reconfigure structural integrity power to feed inner deflector grid."
"Unable to comply," came the answer in her head. "Requested reroute would compromise operational safety limits."
"To hell with the limits. Override. Authorization Ace theta two-nine-nice-seven."
"Rerouting structural integrity power supply."
"Nita! Watch the lateral grid balance." She looked at a panel. "Nope, too much. We gotta do it manually. Doctor, I'm trying to feed the inner grid by stealing some power from the structural integrity field. You should have partial shielding in thirty minutes."
"You have ten. The Sontarans wish the honor of the first contact, let them have it."
The others reacted in various startled ways. Timothy was almost in a panic. "You're out of your mind, Doctor! What if the Sontarans find a way to persuade The Ship…"
"I think the chances of that are remote. And, Mister Elder, if you'll be still you may learn…"
"What?"
"That being first, at any cost, is not always the point. Ace, while you and Nita look after repairs, I want to continue collecting information on the alien. I'm going to query the Mars Nine probe, and the long-range sensors."
"Ok, Professor."
The Doctor and Timothy entered the Doctor's quarters together. The Doctor sat at his large computer workstation and activated it. Timothy wandered around the room curiously. "You do a lot of your work here?"
The Doctor absorbed information as it flashed on screen before him. "Yes. I concentrate better in here."
"Nice. A little Spartan."
"Spartan?"
"Lots of work space, not much room to live. Do you sleep?"
"I sleep from time to time," replied the Doctor, still working. "But I don't require much rest."
Timothy walked over to an easel with a covered painting on it, and lifted one corner of the cloth appraisingly. "But you paint."
The Doctor had an uncomfortable sense of being evaluated. He changed the subject. "The creature's anatomy appears most peculiar."
"In what way?"
"It is indeed laid out as a vessel, with what appear to be corridors and chambers. A hodge-podge of equipment salvaged from vehicles that had been trapped in the pocket dimension called the System, from where it came. It's powered by orgone energy. It's also capable of faster-than-light-travel and has artificial gravity, although this feature doesn't appear to be in use. The Ship is a semi-sentient ship, yet it was bred or adapted itself to serve a purpose. I find that very interesting."
Timothy leaned across the work station, to regard the Doctor intently. "Why? Must living beings have a purpose? Or do we exist for no reason but to exist?"
"I don't know."
"Ah Doctor… I'm surprised you don't know. You think a great deal about humanity… and you're an honest researcher. You don't treat anything as trivial, or irrelevant. You want to try it all."
The Doctor shut off his computer and rose, intrigued by Timothy. "You said that you couldn't read my mind."
"True enough. But I think I understand you pretty well."
"Does it worry you… that you can't read my mind? As a telepath myself, I have barriers in place."
"You're just different. Not a sin, you know… though you may have heard otherwise."
The Doctor was back around the console with Nita and Ace. Timothy Elder was standing near Ace.
"The Sontaran ship is hailing the alien using their equivalent of a universal translator."
"Any response?"
"None so far, Nita."
"Why should it answer? What can it have in common with them?"
"But you're so sure it'll 'talk' to you."
"Well, I…" began Timothy, smugly.
Nita interrupted him. "Doctor, the Sontarans are arming all disruptors."
The cloister bell started ringing.
"Prepare for evasive action at the first change in the Sontarans' course."
"With our shields in their present condition, we can't risk…"
"No!" Eyes wide, Timothy stepped toward the Main Viewer, frantic. "We're not the target. It's The Ship…"
"What do you mean? They intend to destroy it?"
"Those are their orders if they can't secure the alien," Timothy acknowledged.
"Intercept the Sontarans," the Doctor said to Nita.
Nita consulted the instruments on the console, then looked to the Doctor with a shake of her head. "Their lead is too great."
"Well, hail them. I cannot allow…"
Timothy interrupted, panicking, "They won't listen to you!" Timothy looked from the Doctor to the Main Viewer, like a trapped animal looking for a place to flee… or to make a stand. With sudden resolution he stepped past the console and stood directly before the Main Viewer. Eyes closed; a look of pained concentration on his face. "Danger…" he said lowly. "Gom-tuu… Do not allow!"
The energy traces on The Ship's surface flared brilliant white, the first sign of response from the creature since its discovery. A narrow ring of white energy, like a shock wave, radiated away from its surface in all directions.
The white energy of the shock wave weapon passed over the Sontaran, which exploded instantly into a million shards of metal and dust.
The energy began to waver, fade, and only the ghost of it is left to pass over the TARDIS. Lights fell and the team were shaken about. The cloister bell rang again… this was a major systems failure, brought about by The Ship's defensive use of its weapon.
"Nita! Damage report!"
"Not yet available, Doctor. We have partial failure of the main computer."
The Doctor advanced on Timothy Elder, who still stood swaying with weakness by the Main Viewer. The Doctor was livid, and he was scared. The Doctor was inches from Timothy's face. "You did this. You woke The Ship."
Timothy's eyes opened slowly, but he was a million miles away.