Doctor Who Forgotten Suns Chapter Four

Much to Zoe’s relief, scaling the massive chair had proven much easier than she had expected.

The support plinth, that held the seat-rest itself, had regular ridges that made for perfect hand-holds. This had simplified matters enormously! Under the Doctor’s ‘supervision’, Zoe had leant against the plinth and held onto the first ridge. Squatting down behind her, Jamie had then gripped her ankles and - after confirming that she was ready - effortlessly stood upright. Zoe had begun scrabbling for hand-holds as the brawny Scot continued to propel her rapidly upwards, until she had suddenly found herself standing on his broad shoulders.

“Tis a good thing ye’ weigh nae more than a plucked Grouse, Zoe!” Jamie had remarked cheerfully at this point, confusing her momentarily. (Zoe had grown up believing that a grouse was a person that complained a lot. She had no idea how one went about ‘plucking’ one!) As Jamie maintained a steadying hold on her calves, Zoe had studied the remainder of her ascent. It really didn’t look that far, but…

“Can you get me up any higher, Jamie?’ She had called down to him, ‘I just need to go a little further before I can get a good grip.” The Doctor had hovered nervously, advising caution, as Zoe had followed Jamie’s instructions. As she had lifted first one foot, then the other, Jamie had placed a hand under each in turn. When she felt comfortably balanced, he had then straightened his arms up overhead, and Zoe had ‘walked’ her hands up the ridged surface. On finding herself at mid-torso level with the seat’s cushioning, Zoe had easily managed to swing a leg up and haul herself into place.

The Doctor had jumped up and down, clapping with enthusiasm. “Oh, well done, Zoe! Splendid job, Jamie! You see what can be achieved with a little teamwork? Now then, Zoe, why don’t you see what you can find up there, and shout down what you see?”

Zoe, who was currently having a little difficulty standing up on the springy surface, considered this last suggestion totally unnecessary; why else had she climbed up here? She didn’t bother to reply. Instead, she crawled on hands and knees to one of the arms of the chair, using it to help her stand. Spotting a handy looking protrusion on its top, Zoe got a good grip on it and pulled, intending to use it to pull herself up. Instead, she let out a yelp of surprise as it bent towards her, causing her to fall down once more as the entire seat moved beneath her.

This was even more surprising for the Doctor and Jamie, who now found the huge wall of the seat plinth advancing towards them. “Oh my Goodness!” exclaimed the Doctor, as he and Jamie grabbed onto each other, backing hurriedly away. They looked at each other in horror, then back at the approaching structure… Then breathed out huge sighs of relief when it just as abruptly ceased moving.

Forgetting the Doctor immediately - only remembering Zoe’s cry of alarm - Jamie ran back, shouting in panic. “Zoe! Can ye’ hear me, lass? Are you alright up there?” He had just started to scramble up the plinth himself, when Zoe’s head poked over the edge of the seat. She looked slightly disheveled, and more than a little embarrassed.

“It’s alright, Jamie, I’m perfectly safe! I think I must have pulled a switch that adjusts the position of the seat.” She looked past him to see the Doctor coming back to join them, looking somewhat chagrined himself.

“Ah, yes, I really should have thought of that myself, Zoe. We were in no danger, Jamie, the pilot would hardly want to crush himself, would he now?’ Then he gazed up at Zoe. ‘Controls in the armrests, eh? Well, it’s a good job that you adjusted it forwards, my dear. You could have taken a nasty tumble otherwise!’ Suddenly looking concerned at that possibility, he continued in a gentler tone. ‘Are you sure you feel up to carrying on, Zoe?”

Zoe laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh do stop worrying, both of you! I’m perfectly alright - I was just taken by surprise, that’s all! Now, why don’t you find something useful to do while I look around up here? I’ll shout if I find anything interesting - and I promise to be more careful this time!” Still grinning and shaking her head, Zoe disappeared from view once more.

Still feeling slightly concerned for his newest friend’s safety, Jamie distracted himself by addressing another niggling worry. “You said that the pilot wouldnae want to crush himself, did ye’ no’, Doctor?”

“Well, yes, of course, Jamie!’ replied the Doctor, looking rather surprised, ‘I should have thought the statement self-explanatory!”

Jamie gestured for the Doctor to follow him, then led the way out from under the control desk, wanting to get out in the open again. “Aye, Doctor, but we’ve no’ seen hide nor hair of a pilot, or anyone else for that matter. Where is the crew?”

“You know, Jamie, I have been mulling over that very question myself! I think we can safely conclude that this is a spaceship after all, and this is the control room.’ Jamie just looked at the Doctor and waited for him to say more. ‘Yes, well… That being the case, it follows that there is more to this vessel than just this one room. However, I have been unable to determine any means of egress so that we may explore further…’ He noticed Jamie’s blank look and hurriedly added, ‘there are no doors, Jamie!

‘So, and this is all just speculation, you understand… but I can think of several possible explanations for the absence of a crew.’ The Doctor began to list his ideas, counting them off on his fingers as he did so.

‘One. This ship has been abandoned recently - for reasons unknown. I say recently, and I also discount the possibility that she is a derelict, simply because we have life-support - air, heating, lighting etcetera.

‘Two. This is a sleeper ship… Er, that’s a spaceship where all the crew travel in suspended animation, Jamie. However, even on such a vessel, there is usually some form of procedure whereby the crew take it in turns to supervise the ship. Or there would be some form of automated system, at the very least.

‘Three. It is possible that there are just such systems and alarms, be we are so small - comparatively speaking - that, well… we just haven’t set them off. Perhaps the ship is flying on automatic pilot, and the crew are all on a lunch break!

‘Four…’ The Doctor paused, studying his right-hand forefinger as it rested atop the little finger of his left hand, and frowned. ‘Well, actually, I can’t really think of a fourth reason. Not with the information we currently have available.”

Totally oblivious to this conversation, Zoe was finding herself enjoying the experience of examining the controls - now that she had mastered the knack of staying upright!

First, she studied the new configuration that she had accidentally triggered. If she had been the correct size for this chair, Zoe realized, she would now be snugly contained within the curved control panel, with easy access to a vast array of systems. As it was, she found it helpful to lean against, while she moved towards the armrest that had caused her so much embarrassment earlier! Zoe had never done very much climbing when on the Wheel, so clambering up onto the armrest itself was a novel, yet interesting, experience.

From here she could see any number of buttons, sliders, and switches built into it. She also had a better view of the control desk, sweeping around the chair. It was also covered in a sophisticated - but recognisable - array of technology, this time including lots of dials and displays. The latter were (mostly) currently blank, but as she scanned the labelled controls within her range of vision, a small frown slowly creased Zoe’s forehead.

Why would giant aliens - no matter how humanoid their appearance - speak and write in Earth Standard? She hadn’t even realized it at first, but she could read everything quite clearly. The Doctor couldn’t possibly have been correct, could he? Had they all shrunk somehow? No… surely not!

However, as she stepped onto the control desk itself, Zoe realized that she now had some information that was worth passing on. “Doctor!” she called out, hoping that he hadn’t taken her at her word and wandered off.

Moments later she heard Jamie shout, “What is it, Zoe? Are you alright?” Zoe sighed as she jumped back to the seat - what was it about that boy? Didn’t he think she could look after herself for five minutes? She resumed her position lying on the cushioned surface, so that she could lean over the edge and talk to him. “I’m fine, Jamie,’ she called down, ‘I just need to talk to the… Ah, there you are, Doctor! I’ve noticed something very strange. Whoever the aliens are that built this ship, they appear to communicate in Earth Standard - how can that be?”

The Doctor looked up at her with a puzzled frown, then slapped himself on the wrist. “Naughty Doctor!’ he scolded, then looked back up at Zoe with an apologetic smile. “I’m terribly sorry, Zoe, I should have found the time to explain this earlier. It is very unlikely that these people communicate in English - it’s just one more of the advantages of travelling by Tardis - the clever old thing translates everything for us!”

“Well, I wish you had told me that earlier!’ Zoe replied, more relieved than annoyed. ‘I’ve been worrying myself silly up here! Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is this. I think that this is a Master Control Board, all the other units on this bridge can be run from here - it looks as if they are all slaved in.”

“Now that is interesting,’ replied the Doctor, raising his eyebrow and glancing towards Jamie, ‘that could go some way towards explaining the apparent absence of a crew on board. Tell me, Zoe, can you find any indication of a means of leaving this room up there? We can’t seem to see anything down here.”

“I’ll have to get back on the control panel to look, Doctor. I’ll be back in a moment.” She replied, then put her words into action. This was actually easier said than done, as the surface of the MCB sloped upwards quite steeply. Still, Zoe was confident that - once she had clambered back up onto it - she would manage just fine. (She was getting just a little bit fed up of being treated like a porcelain doll!) Using various switches and levers for support, Zoe edged higher up the board, all the while studying any labels or active displays carefully.

Eventually she found an abbreviated nine-stud keypad, with one key marked ‘Main Vehicle Access’. She leaned across and applied all her weight to the large button indicated. Unfortunately this meant that she had to let go of the lever that she had been holding onto for safety. Even as she heard what sounded like triumphant cries from below, Zoe was sliding down the steep surface! Refusing to cry out, she managed to halt her descent quite quickly - simply by wedging her feet against the edge of a display screen a little further down.

Zoe was feeling very pleased with herself, until she suddenly realized that she couldn’t move!

Glancing down, she could see that she had ended up sitting on square of dark glass built into the surface of the MCB. There was a bright blue bar of light just underneath the glass, rapidly traversing it. Before she could even think about being concerned, however, it was all over. The bar of light winked out, and Zoe could move again.

She decided to get down before she inadvertently set anything else off!

Elsewhere.

In a gloomy corridor, of a kind with the bridge of the ship where the time-travelers have arrived…

Something changes.

Darkness begins to lift, gradually evolving into a dull light where-in shadows lurk. Any witness would be immediately struck by the massive, vault-like doors that are dimly visible at the end of this corridor, then a movement would draw their attention to one side. On this side of the corridor, a rectangular hatch cover slides down with a mechanical hum. A brilliant silvery light erupts forth into the silence. Any witness not blinded by this sudden luminosity, would see something most curious.

Most curious indeed.

Behind the hatch there lies a mirror-like wall, yet this mirror does not reflect anything. It looks more like a tank of liquid mercury held immobile by an invisible screen, but there is no screen, invisible or not.

Slowly, as if an unseen plug has been pulled from this imaginary tank, the level of luminous ‘liquid’ begins to fall.

Getting back down proved even easier, due in no small part to Zoe’s increasing confidence in her own abilities.

Calling out for Jamie, she began lowering herself down the plinth, keeping a firm grip on the seat’s fabric as she felt for foot-holds. The young Highlander arrived like an obedient puppy - albeit a big burly puppy, with the strength to chatter away enthusiastically while lowering her the rest of the way to the deck. “I knew you were a canny lass, Zoe! We have a way oot of here now, come and see!”

Zoe wasn’t sure what ‘canny’ meant, but chose to take it as a complement as Jamie took her hand: practically dragging her around the plinth, and over to the Doctor. He was standing by a large opening in the floor some way behind the pilot’s seat, which led to the rear bulkhead, and continued some considerable way up it. The Doctor was peering down the ramped passageway now revealed. As his young companions approached he turned to congratulate Zoe.

“Oh, well done, Zoe! As you can see, whatever you did to the controls was successful!’ He stepped aside, as if Zoe may somehow have missed the huge opening, gesturing towards it grandly. ‘It was quite a sight to see, I can tell you! The material of the floor and rear wall just seemed to crack down the middle, sliding into hidden recesses either side - and ‘Voila’! Gave Jamie quite a turn!”

“Only because I was standing on top of it when it started to open, Doctor!’ Jamie defended himself, ‘and I noticed you jumping away from it just as fast as I did!”

“Just be thankful that it stopped before reaching the Tardis!” The Doctor retorted.

Ignoring this byplay, Zoe looked down the ramp. It was very dark. The low illumination from the bridge did not provide enough light to reach the far end, so she was unable to judge the distance. “It’s a very large exit, Doctor.’ She commented nervously, ‘and not very well lit!”

“Of course it’s large, Zoe - at least, to us it is! I should imagine that the fellow that chair was made for would find it rather, er… snug, though. Rather odd, actually… but no matter! Now - do you see that circular indentation in the wall over there?” The Doctor indicated the dinner-plate sized depression that he had noticed. Both Zoe and Jamie nodded. It was about waist height, and emitted a faint glow. “Now remember, this vessel appears to be in some kind of stand-by mode, so it would only need lighting where occupants were detected.”

The Doctor paused to gesture Jamie nearer, then placed a hand on his shoulder. “Now then, Jamie. I want you to start walking down this ramp, making sure that you pass that indentation - I’m sure it’s quite safe.” Zoe started to nod in understanding as Jamie, trusting the Doctor without question, began to stride confidently down the sloping passageway.

“It’s some kind of sensor, isn’t it, Doctor?’ Zoe asked - just before that section of the corridor lit up, triggered by the Scotsman’s presence. ‘But why is it so high up the wall? They’re usually about ankle height!”

“Precisely, Zoe!’ confirmed the Doctor - rather smugly, Zoe thought. ‘Wait for us, Jamie!’ he called out, when he noticed that the fearless Highlander was still stomping along, gazing up and around himself in amazement. ‘Let’s catch up with him before he gets too far, shall we?” the Doctor asked, offering Zoe his arm in an old-fashioned gesture of gallantry.

Jamie, having stopped at the Doctor’s shout, was waiting for them quite some way along. “Don’t worry, Zoe,’ he offered on noticing Zoe’s frown as they caught up with him. ‘The Doctor reckons that this is a ‘sleepy ship’, which sounds safe enough, eh? What harm could there be in having a little look round?