Chapter 4
In the kitchen, Michelle was playing the game. Standing near the table, she half-turned to Ashleigh, absorbed in the game. "Have you tried this?"
Ashleigh eyed the game, wary. "I've tried it, thanks. It's great."
Michelle wandered away. Ashleigh watched as she sat down and continued to play…
"Ashleigh."
Ashleigh jumped, mildly startled. Ace sat down. "Sorry."
"Where have you been? Everyone's after me to try it."
"I know. I got stopped in the corridor twice. I talked to Nita. She's going to look into it."
They glanced up at Michelle.
"I hope she makes a shipwide announcement or something, because this thing is really starting to give me the creeps."
Michelle came over to the table. "Did you forget your games?"
"We left them in our quarters."
Michelle looked dubious. "Well then, use mine." Michelle offered the game.
"No, thanks."
Michelle sat down.
"He said no thanks."
Michelle backed off, eyebrows raised, and walked away. Ace and Ashleigh exchanged a look – this was getting more bizarre by the second.
"You know what else is really weird? If this game is so addictive to humans, there's only one person onboard we can be sure wouldn't be affected by it."
"The Doctor."
"Right. And he managed to get injured right when the game was brought on board."
They considered the implications.
"We'd better take a look at him."
Ashleigh was peering out from around a corner in Sickbay, trying to look inconspicuous. He was checking to see what Carolyn was up to.
Carolyn was standing in another part of sickbay – she was wearing the game on her head, completely absorbed in playing it, oblivious to anything else.
Ashleigh watched a beat, then ducked around the corner to where the Doctor was laid out on a bed, a drip in his arm, and a diagnostic viewscreen nearby. Ace was in the middle of examining the Timelord with his sonic screwdriver.
"Carolyn is still playing the game.
Ace was confounded by the Doctor's condition. "I don't know what to make of this. There's brain activity all his systems seem to be working."
"How can that be? He's unconscious."
"Maybe there's a signal breach between his brain and his body. Let's map his nervous system and see if we can isolate a weak link." Ace pressed a command into the Sonic… then began to move the wand carefully over the Doctor's body. Up his legs… down his arms…
Ashleigh watched with fascination, but was nervous about being discovered. He listened for sounds and glanced anxiously over his shoulder.
Ace waved the wand over the Doctor's neck. Then she found something. "Here." She stopped the wand at a spot on the Doctor's neck. "The signal stops here. Below his Cerebellum." She read the Sonic display. "There's some kind of damage. It's almost undetectable. Let's look at it on the viewer."
Ashleigh went to the viewscreen and worked the console. Ace made a modification to the Sonic, then held the wand steady over the Doctor's head.
Ashleigh looked at the viewscreen. "Ace, look at that."
The viewscreen showed a microscopic view of a complex network of Ala Lobuls – some of which had collapsed.
"It looks like some of his nodules are damaged."
"This looks deliberate. This wouldn't have happened naturally. Computer, increase magnification, factor four."
The image enlarged – the nodules were obsured by an artificial substance.
"Only two people on board know enough about the Doctor to do something like this. Carolyn and Nita."
"Why would one of them do this to him?"
"Maybe there's more going on here than we thought. What if someone's trying to use the game for some purpose other than pleasure?"
"Then the Doctor would be a threat to that plan. And only with the Doctor out of the way would everybody become addicted."
They eyed each other, worried as they realized the possible scope of the situation.
"And everyone has. Except us."
The TARDIS exited the vortex near the Phoenix Cluster.
Nita, Carolyn and Michelle were at the console in the Control Room.
"We've reached the designated coordinates, Nita. There is a ship bearing three two seven mark one five two on an intercept course."
"Advise them of our status, Michelle."
Nita turned to Carolyn. "Go. Replicate what you need, and see that the devices are properly distributed."
Michelle nodded in acknowledgment.
Nita continued, as an afterthought. "And don't forget Ace."
A nod from Carolyn. She and Michelle headed for the corridor. Nita turned toward the viewscreen with a neutral expression…
The door opened to Ace's quarters. Carolyn and Michelle entered, each carrying a game. "Ace?" They ventured further into the room. "Ace?"
Ace called out, her voice distant. "In here, Carolyn."
They looked toward the bedroom, then headed for the door, quickly, with intent. Carolyn and Michelle entered, and stopped at what they saw. Ace and Ashleigh were sitting on the bed, both wearing the game on their heads. They looked engrossed in the game.
Carolyn and Michelle watched for a moment, then exchanged a satisfied look. They turned and left.
A few beats went by. Ace and Ashleigh gradually came out of the charade – they removed the game headsets, looking alert as ever.
"It worked."
"We should keep these mock-ups with us. We can't trust anyone anymore. Not even Nita."
"I'm supposed to be in the Cloister Room. I've got to get back before Carolyn suspects something."
"Okay. When you get there, start accessing the codes for the security tracking system. There's something I want to try." Ace moved to a nearby desktop computer and started to work.
Ashleigh stood, mock-up game in hand. "Ace, don't forget Law Ninety One."
Ace looked at him.
"Always watch your back."
Ace nodded, appreciative. "You too."
Ashleigh left. Ace turned back to the computer – and began to quickly work with a look of determination.
A small alien ship pulled up to the TARDIS.
In the Control Room, Nita, Michelle and Carolyn were at the console.
"The vessel is approaching, Nita."
"On screen."
An alien man appeared on the viewscreen – it was Jol, the same man from Nestra. He studied the TARDIS crew. "Report."
"The TARDIS has been secured. We await your further instructions."
Jol looked pleased. Nita's expression was unreadable…