Doctor Who - Nuclear Time by Doctor Who Page B
Authors: Doctor Who
Tags: Doctor Who, NSA41
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walks all... funny.'
Geoff sighed. 'He sounds like the worst spy I've ever heard of.'
'But he's not a spy, sir.'
'No?'
'He has an American Health and Safety Pass —
Access All Areas.'
'Sergeant, such a thing doesn't even exist. Who 140
NUCLEAR TIME
ever heard of a Health and Safety officer with complete military clearance? You know what? Don't answer that. Just bring him up.' Geoff released his thumb from the call button angrily and dropped the walkie-talkie into a nearby paper bin. It rattled satisfyingly in the tin container. 'I am surrounded by idiots,' he said, almost sadly.
Albert was silent, and Geoff turned to look at him with such sadness in his eyes that the scientist thought he was going to cry.
'What have we done?' said Geoff.
'I don't know.'
'You know this means war, once the Russians spot the nuke.'
'I know.'
Geoff welled up then stifled it quickly, sleeve across his face before emitting an exhausted laugh. 'Not much use for infiltration androids anyway, I guess, in that case.'
Albert laughed in sympathy. 'No, I guess not. But at least our part will be over when this is done.'
'Do you think it'll stay with us?'
'What?'
'The fact that we were here at the start. Do you think we'll be able to forgive ourselves?'
Albert turned away, moving to look out of the window. 'I never had a choice.'
141
DOCTOR WHO
Geoff didn't respond and after a few seconds he dropped to his haunches with an exasperated groan and began gathering the papers that had spilled out of his blue folder. From the middle of the file a particular sheet slipped out and zigzagged away across the floor. He reached out to grab it and, as he turned the sheet over, he noticed that something had been written on it. Scrawled roughly in chunky red felt-tip, the message read I am living backwards through time. There is no point asking me any more questions. There was a gap then of a few lines before one final phrase.
I'm sorry.
'Strange,' Geoff muttered.
'What is?' Albert looked around. The colonel flipped the sheet over in his hand but the rear was covered merely in the same inscrutable typeface that the other small-print sections of his folder contained. The scientist peered over his shoulder.
'A joke?'
'Maybe, but this folder came straight to my hands
from
the
Pentagon.
There
were
no
intermediaries.'
'Maybe it's a test to see if you actually read the whole thing. If it is, I don't think you've passed.'
Geoff placed the sheet carefully on the foldout table.
'Ridiculous.'
Albert began shifting restlessly. 'OK, well, if that's everything, Geoff, I think I'd better get 142
NUCLEAR TIME
downstairs to do some overseeing.' He moved towards the door.
'No, wait,' Geoff called after him. 'There is one more thing.'
He moved over to a stark grey filing cabinet and pulled out a bunch of keys, Albert watching him intently as he fiddled, painfully slowly, through the collection for the correct one. The drawer finally open, Geoff reached inside and pulled out a parcel wrapped in browning Christmas wrapping paper. 'Sorry,' he said apologetically. 'It was the only paper left in the house.'
He hefted it in his grip and Albert extended a hand to take it, but Geoff didn't move. 'It's sort of a...
goodbye gift, y'see,' he began. 'Probably shouldn't give it to you now, but it seemed appropriate given the circum—'
A loud bang cut him off, and the door to the observation deck slammed open, nearly striking the scientist in the back as he hopped out of the way.
Geoff hurriedly pushed the package back into the drawer and slid it closed. 'What... what is the meaning of this?' he stammered guiltily. 'You can't just barge into a confidential meeting!'
'Sorry, sir.'
It was the nervous sergeant. Geoff didn't know his name, nor had he any wish to. He knew the men on the base weren't really working for him; 143
DOCTOR WHO
there was a greater agenda from a higher authority driving their actions. 'We've brought you the, ah, Health and
Geoff sighed. 'He sounds like the worst spy I've ever heard of.'
'But he's not a spy, sir.'
'No?'
'He has an American Health and Safety Pass —
Access All Areas.'
'Sergeant, such a thing doesn't even exist. Who 140
NUCLEAR TIME
ever heard of a Health and Safety officer with complete military clearance? You know what? Don't answer that. Just bring him up.' Geoff released his thumb from the call button angrily and dropped the walkie-talkie into a nearby paper bin. It rattled satisfyingly in the tin container. 'I am surrounded by idiots,' he said, almost sadly.
Albert was silent, and Geoff turned to look at him with such sadness in his eyes that the scientist thought he was going to cry.
'What have we done?' said Geoff.
'I don't know.'
'You know this means war, once the Russians spot the nuke.'
'I know.'
Geoff welled up then stifled it quickly, sleeve across his face before emitting an exhausted laugh. 'Not much use for infiltration androids anyway, I guess, in that case.'
Albert laughed in sympathy. 'No, I guess not. But at least our part will be over when this is done.'
'Do you think it'll stay with us?'
'What?'
'The fact that we were here at the start. Do you think we'll be able to forgive ourselves?'
Albert turned away, moving to look out of the window. 'I never had a choice.'
141
DOCTOR WHO
Geoff didn't respond and after a few seconds he dropped to his haunches with an exasperated groan and began gathering the papers that had spilled out of his blue folder. From the middle of the file a particular sheet slipped out and zigzagged away across the floor. He reached out to grab it and, as he turned the sheet over, he noticed that something had been written on it. Scrawled roughly in chunky red felt-tip, the message read I am living backwards through time. There is no point asking me any more questions. There was a gap then of a few lines before one final phrase.
I'm sorry.
'Strange,' Geoff muttered.
'What is?' Albert looked around. The colonel flipped the sheet over in his hand but the rear was covered merely in the same inscrutable typeface that the other small-print sections of his folder contained. The scientist peered over his shoulder.
'A joke?'
'Maybe, but this folder came straight to my hands
from
the
Pentagon.
There
were
no
intermediaries.'
'Maybe it's a test to see if you actually read the whole thing. If it is, I don't think you've passed.'
Geoff placed the sheet carefully on the foldout table.
'Ridiculous.'
Albert began shifting restlessly. 'OK, well, if that's everything, Geoff, I think I'd better get 142
NUCLEAR TIME
downstairs to do some overseeing.' He moved towards the door.
'No, wait,' Geoff called after him. 'There is one more thing.'
He moved over to a stark grey filing cabinet and pulled out a bunch of keys, Albert watching him intently as he fiddled, painfully slowly, through the collection for the correct one. The drawer finally open, Geoff reached inside and pulled out a parcel wrapped in browning Christmas wrapping paper. 'Sorry,' he said apologetically. 'It was the only paper left in the house.'
He hefted it in his grip and Albert extended a hand to take it, but Geoff didn't move. 'It's sort of a...
goodbye gift, y'see,' he began. 'Probably shouldn't give it to you now, but it seemed appropriate given the circum—'
A loud bang cut him off, and the door to the observation deck slammed open, nearly striking the scientist in the back as he hopped out of the way.
Geoff hurriedly pushed the package back into the drawer and slid it closed. 'What... what is the meaning of this?' he stammered guiltily. 'You can't just barge into a confidential meeting!'
'Sorry, sir.'
It was the nervous sergeant. Geoff didn't know his name, nor had he any wish to. He knew the men on the base weren't really working for him; 143
DOCTOR WHO
there was a greater agenda from a higher authority driving their actions. 'We've brought you the, ah, Health and
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