Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. This story is based on the Doctor Who characters and universe.
Science Assassin: Chapter eighteen
Wanda stared at the newspaper clipping before shoving it into the filing cabinet. She scolded herself on being so unthoughtful. She should have checked before sending Donna away. She had only decided on the nursing home because someone had left the nursing home's business card on the reception desk, and it was the easiest position to get. I have to get her away, she thought. And where is the Doctor?
Making sure the motroid was still cleaning the windows, Wanda picked up the phone on the reception desk. She was glad that the lines had been mended that morning. With a shaking finger, she dialled the number of the nursing home, listening to the melodic beeps as she pushed down each soft rubber button. Tentatively, she waited as the phone rang, her heart pounding as the shrill Bbrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiinggggggggggggg Bbrrrrrrrrrrrriiingggggggggggggg went on and on. At last, the phone on the other end was picked up, and a sharp voice answered.
"London aged care nursing home, administration."
"Oh, er, good afternoon. May I please speak to Miss Katrina Blend? She is one of the nurses."
"According to our roster Miss Katrina Blend left a little while ago. We are not sure where. She still had to finish her shift, and the time will have to be taken out of her pay."
Wanda barely listened to the nurse's babble about salaries and uncaring nurses. Her heart sank. Where had Donna gone? Why had she left, especially without any word?
"Um, did she leave with anyone?"
"Well, another nurse saw her with two other nurses and a doctor. They were motroids."
Motroids! Was it a trap? Had Donna been kidnapped? But the Doctor was dressed as a motroid. Wanda breathed a sigh of relief. It must have been the Doctor. He must have told Donna he was dressed up and gone to get her for something. But who were the nurses? Friends?
Wanda decided that the Doctor had discovered some information and had gone to collect Donna. Careless of him, really. What if the scientists recognised her? Where were the scientists?! Wanda suddenly remembered. She hoped they were OK. She had to go look for them! But she couldn't leave the motroid. Who could she trust?
"Hello? Are you still there?" The voice on the phone was sounding impatient.
"Oh, yes, sorry." A sudden thought struck Wanda. "There's someone else I'd like to speak to. May I talk to Miss Donna Noble?"
The voice became sad. "I'm sorry, but I have some sad news. Miss Donna Noble died earlier today. Doctors have found the cause of death mysterious. Her brain practically exploded inside her head. It wasn't a stroke. I'm sorry."
Wanda was silent. Donna? Dead? What had happened? "Well, thank you." She put down the phone and thought for a while. Too many things were happening in one day. She was starting to get a headache. She had to go and find the scientists, but she had to have the motroid watched.
Suddenly, a door opened and Mr John Anderson walked by. His grey hair was thinning and his face was wrinkled. He walked with a hunch and his cheeks were droopy. Wanda called to him. "Mr Anderson!"
"Oh, hello Wanda. I see you've been managing the hotel quite well. You know what? I've finally decided to retire. I shall have to find someone to pass the ownership of the hotel into, but you won't lose your job. I've never seen a better hotel manager."
"Thank you Mr Anderson." A few days ago Wanda would have been thrilled with the comments, but today she merely brushed them away. "I have something important to tell you."
Slowly, without missing any details, Wanda filled Mr Anderson in on all the events of the past few days.
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As the taxi drew up outside a modern Italian restaurant, Arthur Dales literally flung open the door and jumped out. He thrust some notes at the surprised taxi driver and hurried inside. He looked around, and finally spotted the science committee. They were sitting at a table, eating from heaped plates containing piles of spaghetti, slabs of veal and mountains of risotto, and drinking red wine. One of the motroid body guards was talking to Mr Hew. The other was nowhere to be seen.
Arthur Dales walked up to the group. After a quick head count he discovered no one was missing, except the body guard.
"Dales! Have something to eat!" Colle pushed forward a plate and poured a glass of wine. Arthur sat down.
"Colle! The committee is in danger from the motroids!"
"Don't tell me you believe that silly doctor. He was nuts." Colle stuffed a spoonful of pasta into his mouth, chewing vigorously.
"If he is in jail, then how come Long was pushed into the road?"
"I don't know, but it could always have been a freak accident."
"A freak accident?! So, someone is shoved into the path of a moving car accidentally?" Dales was stunned. "I'm sure you have more sense than that. I don't think it was the Doctor. It's them." He pointed to the body guard. "They're the culprits. We have to get rid of them."
"Rid of them? They're harmless."
"No they are not!" Arthur was getting frustrated.
"Look, we don't have proof against them. We can't accuse them. And we will get rid of them. That's the whole point of the committee."
The body guard was examining a piece of Hue Hew's new element, which was named Hew. The motroid turned the big, clay-like lump around in its hands. The element was a metallic grey colour, and quite soft and sticky. Mr Hew was explaining its properties.
"So you see, hew is very useful in hot, dry desert conditions because although it is grey in colour it reflects heat instead of absorbing it. Of course, being highly explosive safety measures must be taken. The smallest flame brought near a cm cube of hew can set off quite a large explosion."
Arthur pricked up his ears at this last sentence. Explosive? The motroid seemed quite interested. It examined the lump closely. Arthur watched as it turned it around, shaking it, even smelling it. The motroid looked towards the back door, and then back down at the lump. It put it down on the table.
"I think I will go and find Mark, the other body guard." The motroid stalked off, glancing back at the element.
"Hew, get rid of that right now!" Arthur shoved the lump across the table to Hew.
"Whatever for?" Hew left the hew alone and concentrated on spooning risotto into his mouth. "I like to leave it out for people to examine."
"What if it comes near a flame? What if that motroid sets it on fire? You told him too much!"
"I did not!" exclaimed Hew indignantly. "It was only interested. It won't-"
At that moment a lit match flew through the air at top speed, landing on the table cloth right next to the lump of hew.
"NO!" Arthur desperately tried to flick it away, but he was to late.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
More to come...
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