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incidentally, to Xais. And she noted that the property is rich in
helicon. One point three per cent of planetary mass, in fact.
And she can use helicon to reincarnate herself, mused
Romana. But how is that possible?
The Doctor shrugged. It has to be something to do with
that energy from her eyes. It reacts to molten helicon, allowing
her to record psychokinetic information along telepathic
wavelengths. However it works, it copied her personality, her
memories, even her physical attributes.
Romana tutted. That s an irritatingly vague theory.
Well, it s the best I can do at the moment, the Doctor
snapped. You ll just have to accept it. So Xais and Pyerpoint
hatched a plot to mine the helicon for themselves. She needed
him to keep prying eyes well away.
But the helicon is worthless to Pyerpoint. He can t
duplicate himself, surely? asked Stokes.
It s possible that she could do it for him, said the Doctor.
She promised him half the spoils from Planet Eleven. That s
always been the deal. But then, the police struck lucky for
once and captured Xais. It looked as if the game was up. He
leaned forward. Until you presented yourself, Mr Stokes.
The artist drew back. Oh really? I suppose the blame for
all of this affair is now to be laid at my door?
The Doctor nodded. Yes, You gave them a legitimate
reason to bring Xais into contact, very briefly, with just
enough liquid helicon to cross herself over. Her original self
was executed and her new half slowly took control of poor
Margo through the mask. And that s when things started going
wrong for old Pyerpoint.
With help from his whisky glass, Stokes had put his
immediate discomfort aside for a moment and had become
engrossed in all of this double dealing and intrigue, which
appealed to his macabre sensibilities. I see. Because he didn t
know that Xais was chummy with the Nisbett brothers?
Quite, said the Doctor. She d planned to call them in
from the beginning. She needed strong allies with mining
equipment and they fitted the bill. She d thrown them some
wild story about belzite reserves and arranged to send a
homing signal when she was ready. As Margo lost control,
Xais got her to steal a transmitter from stores, ready to send
the beam.
And what about the raid on the survey base? asked
Romana.
The Doctor nodded grimly. That came about because Xais
was dormant in Margo s thoughts. When Margo read that the
McConnochie Mining team were coming to the end of their
survey, Xais panicked. Although the place is technically
worthless, there s a recession on and there was a slim chance
the company might have gone in before she could organize
herself. She summoned up all of her power and took control
for just one night. Margo transmatted herself to Eleven and
killed the survey team. And that put the mockers on any plans
McConnochie might have had for a while. Then Xais came
back up here and fiddled with the computers to cover her
tracks, as we know.
I see, said Romana. Although Pyerpoint knew nothing
about any of that. He was waiting here patiently for Xais, as
agreed.
Hence his concern when Zy was killed, the Doctor
remarked. He must have known full well who was
responsible, but he framed poor Mr Stokes. Even then he
didn t realize quite how advanced his partner s plans had
become. And the sudden Ogron attack was as much of a
surprise to him as to all of us. Of course, he took the first
chance he got to dispose of you two. That gas would have
destroyed your bodies completely, he doesn t want any
evidence around to implicate him. And...
He raised a finger and lowered it again. And well, I
suppose that s all, really. Got that? I can always go over it
again for you.
Stokes shook his head. They re a devious bunch, aren t
they? I always preferred the hotheads. All this premeditation.
Takes the passion out of the whole thing, really.
Well done, Doctor, said Romana. That was an awfully
clever piece of deduction.
He smiled. Was it? Well, the time for deduction s over,
Romana. This is the time for... He scratched his head. Er,
what is it the time for?
Tea? said Stokes hopefully.
Action? Romana suggested.
Yes, action! He made for the door of the office. Now,
keep close behind me and do exactly as I say and don t do
anything stupid. Unless I tell you to.
Stokes got up from his chair. Where are we going?
The Doctor grinned. Where do you think?
Oh no, Stokes pleaded. Not the Nisbett brothers, please.
The Doctor stopped in the doorway. This asteroid is
heading straight for that planet and I m the only person aboard
who can stop it.
Romana coughed.
Well, perhaps not quite the only person. Anyway, let s be
off We ve wasted enough time talking. He strode away with
Romana at his heels.
Stokes considered his options. He could drink himself into
oblivion, he supposed. Then again, he hated being alone. He
picked up the bottle of whisky and followed them.
The asteroid roared just above the upper atmospheric belt of
Planet Eleven. Heat insulation material on the buildings of the
justice block flaked away as the friction caused by the
decaying orbit increased and the pull of the small planet s
gravity strengthened. Balls of orange fire shot from the rocket
ports as the asteroid tumbled towards what seemed certain
destruction.
The Doctor pressed his ear to the door of computer control.
There s no alternative, he heard Xais say. We must return to
your ship and evacuate.
One of the brothers replied, Our ship d never reach escape
velocity from this far down. We re finished.
Not necessarily!
The Doctor threw the doors open and bounded in, followed
by Romana and Stokes, whose normally sallow complexion
had begun to turn a disquieting shade of green from a
combination of drink, fear, exhaustion and spacesickness.
The Doctor rattled on before anybody had the chance to
shoot him, a tactic that usually worked. Hello, everybody. It s
nice to see you again, Xais, and you Mr Pyerpoint, and you
charming Ogron gentlemen, and, ah, you must be the Nisbett
brothers. You don t know me, I m the Doctor, this is my
friend Romana, and that s Mr Stokes, and do you know unless
you listen to me I think we re all going to die.
Xais sprang from her position at the navigation console,
resentment boiling in her eyes. Your robot was responsible
for this, Doctor!
What, K9? The Doctor tutted. I sometimes wonder why I
ever let him off his lead. Now, then, he indicated the
navigation console, that looks important, I think I d like to
take a little look, if I may?
Romana followed him. It looks like their control linkage
has blown. Were they using a reverse thrust reaction?
Constant blast excitation/suppression, more like.
What, in a static charged field with torpor balance?
Looks like it. The Doctor entered a series of commands
into the computer. This is going to take some working out.
These engines weren t built for this sort of thing at all.
Neither was I, called Stokes. He had found himself next
to Pyerpoint and the Ogrons. Your scheme looks ended at any
rate.
Pyerpoint regarded him with contempt. You are supposed
to be dead.
Stokes shrugged and pointed a finger. And you are
supposed to be a trusted bastion of the establishment. Oh, I
wish I d never come aboard this dismal chunk of rubble!
The Nisbett brothers had been sufficiently taken aback by
the Doctor s spectacular entrance not to react with their usual
threats of violence. He heard Charlie ask Xais, What s going
on here? I thought he was an investigator. What s he doing
helping us out?
I don t like this, said Eddie. There s something wrong.
He s trying to save his own life, said Xais. But there is
nothing you can do, Doctor.
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