FIVE

 Adam Tallis and Anna Bailey had caught up with the rest of the group who were in the process of climbing down from the tunnel. The Doctor surrounded by his new friends had made himself at home.

 “Ah Anna, Adam, what kept you? Luke was going to send out a search party.”

 The Doctor raised an arch eyebrow and glanced up knowingly at Anna, the Doctor’s companion glared back, sometimes the Doctor behaved over protectively like her mother, at the moment he was behaving like her girly best friend, which was somewhat disconcerting.

 “We weren’t that far behind, you could have waited you know.” Anna answered back as she signalled for the Doctor to help her down. Adam dived to the ground after her, landing softly on the balls of his feet.

 “So where to now?” The Doctor glanced down the gloomy looking corridor. Luke pointed to the ground and began to undo the grating on the mesh floor. “You know I’ve been on plenty of Starships and if my sense of direction is correct, I should say we’re somewhere near the “bow” of the ship and if you listen very carefully, you can detect the faint humming of engines. You could have brought us a quicker way Mr. Tallis.” The Doctor turned accusingly towards Adam and then tutted with mock criticism.

 “My job was to get you here safely and without detection Doctor.” Adam replied unapologetically. “Most of us know this ship inside out, we know at least a dozen or so different routes, since we’ve been in hiding I’ve never gone the same way twice, though I daresay even though you have spent less than an hour on board this ship you would be able to work out all the routes Doctor.” Adam added smiling at the Doctor, thinking he had got the measure of the man, though as Anna observed the exchange, she knew Adam had merely seen a fraction of the greatness the Doctor was capable of.

 “So Adam, what you’re actually saying is we didn’t need to climb through all those tunnels.” Anna suddenly said, looking far from pleased as she stared down at the scuffed knees on her jeans. Adam bit his lip to stop himself from smiling, Anna simply scowled back. In front of their audience normal, antagonistic relations had resumed.

 “Right here we go again.” The Doctor leapt down after the others and obligingly waited for Anna this time as she perched on the edge of the manhole size entrance and jumped into his arms, Adam followed on last and sealed the entrance after him. 

 “Blimey it’s like an oven down here!” The Doctor observed loudly, throwing off his coat as they began to move through the cramped passageway.

 “Yes it is a tad hot.” Anna replied, removing her jacket that had started to stick to her top, wilting under the oppressive heat, she understood now why the group was so scantily dressed.

 “It’s because we’re so close to the engines, it’s not far now, our base has air conditioning.” Adam pointedly smiled at Anna as he said this.

 It was single file only as disappeared to the front of the group and led the rest of the way. Everyone had gone quiet and tense again. The Doctor and Anna kept to the rear and talked amongst themselves.

 “So what do you think Doctor? Things must be pretty bad on the decks above if these people are resorting to hiding away down here.” Anna uttered to her friend, her gut instinct was to be immediately suspicious of the authority on board the ship.

 “Hmm, something’s definitely not right on board the SS Odyssey. But let’s not jump to conclusions.” The Doctor responded thoughtfully. “As you know I’m not a fan of authoritarian societies though this particular time in Earth’s history is a turbulent one and for the human race to survive they had to work together and if that meant that humans had to accept their leaders with unquestioning loyalty, well that’s the way it is.” The Doctor plunged his hands deep into his pockets and strode along.

 “Yes Doctor but throughout time and space we’ve seen first-hand how power corrupts authorities.” Anna answered back, surprised by the Doctor’s offhand response.

 The Doctor turned and grinned at Anna.

 “Anna Bailey, I might have said that’s the way it is but I didn’t say anything about liking it, did I?”

 “So all the stories are true…” Sally Tallis interrupted, the Doctor and Anna stared with surprise at the awestruck teenager who had been lingering at the back and listening to their conversation. “That the Doctor and Anna Bailey are both time travellers, that you travel through time and space in that blue box.”

 The reverence in Sally’s voice made Anna smile, the Doctor was about to fashion a reply but was interrupted by Adam knocking three times on a makeshift steel door. The door instantly sprung open and a tiny, cropped haired woman, stepped boldly out, she glanced down at her wrist, it looked like she had been waiting a long time as she blurted out.

 “Adam Tallis where have you been? Your grandfather has been pacing around like an old tiger in here. It was all the rest of us could do to stop him going after you.” The formidable woman glanced impatiently into the distance. “So are they here?” The group all parted, Sally took the Doctor’s and Anna’s hands and lead them to the front. “Hello I’m Alba Tallis, Adam’s mum and you must be the Doctor and Anna Bailey.” Alba momentary looked surprised and then the moment was gone as she gave a cursory glance at the pair of them and shook her head with mild incredulity and then invited them in, though as Anna observed it was in her own unique and forthright style. “Well my dears, don’t stand there all day, do come in, you’ve been expected. We’ve all been waiting for this momentous day.” The Doctor and Anna walked through the door together, the dry laughter of Alba Tallis echoed down the corridor as she proclaimed. “And it’s been a long time coming, I can tell you!”

 Selina Johnson sighed with boredom as she sat idly at her desk, rearranging her files, checking through old reports. James Caruthers was nowhere to be seen, this past week he had been actively avoiding her company or sending her away. He was interested in her companionship when they first boarded the SS Odyssey and Selina willingly obliged, on the happy understanding that she would one day progress through the ranks of head office but these past few months their so called “relationship” had cooled down. Selina supposed it was for the best, now they were nearing the end of the voyage but it was Selina who usually ended her relationships. The young P.A might have been a touch over egotistical and in a slightly bored and destructive moment.

 “Right…That’s what I’ll do. Finish our relationship officially.” She suddenly thought as she began to compose a letter to Mr. James Caruthers. It only took moments to write and when she had finished, she signed her name with a flourish. “Just like lovers used to do on Earth in the olden times…”

 Then Selina made her way into the elegant office, her hand stroking the smooth, mahogany table and then punching in the code for Caruthers living quarters. The door closed after her as she made her way further into the inscrutable man’s luxury, inner sanctum, she threw down the letter on his sumptuous four poster bed, merely glancing back regretfully for a few moments. But then Selina Johnson shuddered with revulsion when she recalled the times she had spent with that vile, emotionless man, when she could have been dating officers. She had witnessed at first hand the ruthless streak in Caruthers as he made then broke others career’s and because of her close association with the head of human resources, all her colleagues had regarded her with distrust as though Selina was Caruthers’ personal spy and had avoided her like the plague. The young P.A was just about to retreat back into her office when she glanced up at the living quarters monitor screen and spotted James Caruthers in his office.

 “Damn, I don’t want to be caught in here…”

 Selina pouted as she watched her boss, sit down at his desk, he looked somewhat preoccupied as he began talking into his headset. Now the Personal Assistant had often heard Caruthers talk in a fake subservient manner to everyone on board the SS Odyssey but she recognized genuine obedience in his voice, she moved closer to the screen and saw that the communication was an outside source. Selina was intrigued, this was something she knew nothing of as she pressed her head closer to the speaker, so she could listen in on the conversation, frustratingly Caruthers didn’t have the conversation on loud speaker.

 “Yes… And your estimated time of arrival will be within two hours…” Caruthers nervously drummed the desk. “Of course, no one will impede your progress. You have a hundred percent clearance and every human resource at your disposal. You have my word and that of the heads’ of the colony committee, sorry I mean Earth’s authorities.” Caruthers wiped away a bead of sweat from his brow.

 Selina Johnson took a deep breath, to still her beating heart, this was the most exciting thing to happen since she hadentered the SS Odyssey. The P.A’s thoughts continued in a similar excited vein, the authorities must be sending a special envoy to handle the colonization; surely this could only mean promotions for elite personnel such as herself.  

 “The ultimate career upgrade…” Selina drawled to herself. But yet Selina looked again and found Caruthers strangely anxious, a darker thought had taken root as she began to panic. “Though what if all our jobs are on the line. But why? We haven’t done anything wrong. Well I haven’t…” Then Selina frowned with bewilderment as she continued to listen, the conversation had taken on a very surreal turn.

 “The cryogenic chambers are ready to be activated upon your signal. Very good.” Caruthers threw his headset on the desk and buried his face in his hands, Selina watched with alarm as he then got up and made his way to his living quarters.

 The young woman who was used to thinking on her feet, quickly deactivated the monitor screen and made her way onto the bed, screwing the letter up into her pocket. Caruthers walked into his living quarters to be confronted by his P.A lying fast asleep on his bed. Selina opened her eyes and fluttering her long lashes she spoke in a sleepy voice.

 “Oh, I’m sorry James, I must have nodded off…”

 “Yes I can see that Miss Johnson.” Caruthers replied tersely. “But what are you doing in my private quarters?” The Head of HR, stood blocking the doorway, awaiting an explanation.

 For a moment Selina was actually hurt by Caruthers icy tone and wondered whether he suspected that she had been spying on him. In that moment the young woman had no idea how close she was to sharing the same fate as Katrina Haverstock. But then Selina smiled sweetly, oblivious to her manager’s murderous deeds as she strived to stay in Caruthers’ good books and replied.

 “I was waiting for you of course…We haven’t seen much of each other recently and I just thought….”

 Caruthers smiled to himself as he thought of his P.A and all the times they had spent alone together, but he knew how much Selina loathed him, he’d seen it in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking. Though never the less, if the head of HR could have saved his P.A, he would have done so… Caruthers crossed over to the bed, his hand stroked her youthfully smooth face.  

 “That’s very touching my dear…” Caruthers abruptly pulled his hand away and smiled regretfully. “But I want to be on my own now. I hope you understand?”

 Selina Johnson nodded quickly, smarting a little from her boss’ rejection but somewhat relieved as she slinked back to her own office where she would mull over the strange conversation she had just heard. Of course, it would have been a different story if Cassie Mulligan had overhead that conversation. The door closed and Caruthers turned deathly pale and collapsed onto the bed. There was no turning back now.