72 - To The Slaughter

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2024-12-08 0 0 772.66KB 258 页 5.9玖币
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The solar system is being spring-cleaned, to improve its feng shui and
attract big business back to the long-abandoned seat of Earth’s empire.
Celebrity decoratiste Aristotle Halcyon is heading the campaign of
controlled demolition. Having swept away the Asteroid Belt and the Oort
Cloud, he now plans to make Jupiter more aesthetically pleasing by
removing scores of ‘unnecessary’ moons.
But the ancient satellites hold deadly secrets, as the Doctor, Fitz and Trix
soon discover. With eco-terrorists plotting sabotage, corrupt officials lining
their own pockets and sinister forces acting on their own agendas, only
the Doctor sees that millions of innocents have been set on the fast track
to bloody, unbridled destruction. . .
This is another in the series of continuing adventures for the Eighth Doctor
To the Slaughter
Stephen Cole
Contents
Chapter One 4
Chapter Two 11
Chapter Three 22
Chapter Four 31
Chapter Five 41
Chapter Six 49
Chapter Seven 59
Chapter Eight 67
Chapter Nine 75
Chapter Ten 82
Chapter Eleven 90
Chapter Twelve 99
Chapter Thirteen 106
Chapter Fourteen 117
Chapter Fifteen 124
Chapter Sixteen 132
Chapter Seventeen 140
1
CONTENTS 2
Chapter Eighteen 147
Chapter Nineteen 156
Chapter Twenty 166
Chapter Twenty-one 172
Chapter Twenty-two 178
Chapter Twenty-three 183
Chapter Twenty-four 191
Chapter Twenty-five 201
Chapter Twenty-six 208
Chapter Twenty-seven 215
Chapter Twenty-eight 223
Chapter Twenty-nine 231
Chapter Thirty 238
Chapter Thirty-one 243
Chapter Thirty-two 248
Author’s Note 253
About the Author 255
Credits 256
For my Grandad, Dave Russell
1924-2004
Chapter One
Tinya froze. Something had brushed against her left leg beneath the board-
room table.
She tried to keep her face carefully neutral as she glanced across at the
director. Falsh was clearing his throat, ready to address his executives. Had
he meant to touch her leg with his own, or. . .
There it was again. Tinya feared for a second she might actually break
her habitual cold composure and blush. Up till now, Falsh had never out-
wardly shown the slightest interest in her – beyond her abilities as his per-
sonal PR liaison executive – and that had suited her fine. His face – well
shaped and lined attractively with experience, not age – was impassive as
ever, and yet. . . Yes! There it came again: a deliberate brush Just below her
knee!
She frowned. She’d both dreaded and daydreamed about this moment.
Falsh’s power alone made him attractive, and for such a devious man he
had a straightforward reputation – what he wanted, he took.
Tinya looked out of the window, hoping the familiar splendour of Saturn
and its rings would soak up her messy thoughts. Not a chance.
Falsh leaned back in his chair. In his impeccable black suit, only a
shade darker than his unblemished skin, he drew all eyes without even
trying. Now he studied briefly the dozen expectant faces gathered before
him (avoiding her own gaze, she noted) – before letting his honey-coloured
eyes rest on the holo-minuter.
‘Minuter off,’ he instructed, and the text bubble obligingly popped.
‘Emergency symposium of Falsh Industries Select Executive continued at
16:47. I’m aware that our celebrated decoratiste will be arriving shortly.
But before he arrives, I felt it prudent we discuss the accidental demolition
of Carme. Just to set the record straight among ourselves.’
A few knowing smiles and smug expressions blossomed around the ta-
ble.
‘A lamentable incident,’ lisped Piers to her right, Falsh’s operations an-
alyst, oily as ever in his pinstripes. ‘Our contract with Blazar Demolition
4
CHAPTER ONE 5
Services has been terminated.’
‘I should hope so,’ said Hoon, sat opposite. He was something high up
and dull in Accounts. ‘Inevitably, Falsh Industries has been made to appear
incompetent by association with Blazar.’ He tilted back his head and peered
at Piers over the handlebars of his prodigious moustache. ‘Damage to Falsh
share value is higher than you predicted, Piers.’
‘Marginally higher, I’ll agree.’ Piers gave an exaggerated shrug. ‘It will
recover once all this has blown over.’
‘Tinya has issued a full statement to NewsCorps,’ said Falsh. He looked
at her coolly but there was no mistaking the warmth of his leg against hers.
Her senses were tingling. Should she reciprocate? The idea of this vain,
power-crazed man wanting one of his execs was quite intoxicating. But
could she risk endangering her position now, after sacrificing so much to
get here?
With a jolt she realised the others were looking at her expectantly, and
raffled. ‘Copies of the statement were distributed,’ she said. ‘It includes
a statement from Blazar’s CEO accepting full liability for destroying the
wrong Jovian moon and exonerating Falsh Industries from all blame.’
Hoon raised a weighty eyebrow. ‘Faked?’
‘Oh, it’s genuine all right. After a little persuasion.’ Tinya cast a sly
glance at Falsh, but he wasn’t looking. ‘The activities of Blazar’s JoveSpace
outpost have been suspended pending a full inquiry.’
‘Which will never come to pass,’ said Falsh flatly.
‘And if the truth about Carme gets out, what then?’ This was Kameez,
the little woman with the big mouth from Subsidiaries Acquisition, piping
up from the other end of the table. ‘Blowing up an uninhabited lump of
rock is one thing, but –’
Tinya gave her coldest smile, the one that stretched her face tight over
her enhanced cheekbones. ‘The truth will never get out,’ she said, discreetly
kicking off her shoe. ‘Steps are being taken.’
As she spoke, she reached out her leg and caressed her foot against
Falsh’s calf. She would risk it. Why not? She would never have got this far
so quickly if she hadn’t taken chances.
The brief contact sent a thrill through her. He glanced at her, his eyes
unfathomable. But was it her imagination or was that the ghost of a smile
on his full lips?
‘We’ve leaked some faked documents to a PressSat,’ she went on, ‘al-
legedly from Blazar’s operations base on Thebe. They prove conclusively
that we requested demolition of Callirrhoe, a useless speck of rock not
among the Ancient Twelve.’
‘Excellent,’ murmured Falsh with a smile.
CHAPTER ONE 6
She reached out again and squeezed the raw silk of his trouser leg with
her toes. He frowned and she pulled away quickly.
Bastard. What was he doing, just playing around?
Falsh only ever played for keeps, as he never tired of telling you.
‘I’ve prepared a new demolition contract,’ Piers announced. ‘Awarded
this morning to one of our hidden subsidiaries, NewSystem Deconstruc-
tion.’
‘About time,’ Kendor said from further down the table. ‘I’ve been direct-
ing them on this job for weeks already.’
‘Share value will rise considerably as a result.’
‘Have to make up for the shortfall in those figures somehow, eh, Piers?’
smirked Hoon, his moustaches twitching.
Piers glowered at him. ‘Simply ensuring that the proposed demolition
of Jupiter’s unnecessary satellites will continue on schedule.’
Falsh gave him an irritated look. ‘Of course it will.’ He moved his leg
out of Tinya’s reach. ‘While our tame decoratiste is lending his name to the
programme, we will always have the President’s endorsement.’
‘Not so tame right now, is he?’ Hoon snorted. ‘Losing Carme has ruined
his “grand orchestration”. He’ll have a thing or two to say when he arrives.’
‘And he’ll swallow them back down when he sees the gifts I’ve had trans-
ported here,’ said Falsh. ‘A most generous gesture from myself and my
board. Should have Halcyon purring again.’
Tinya’s wristpad chimed. She looked down and checked the message.
‘He’s arrived now. His ship’s docking –’
She broke off as she felt a furtive pressure on her right leg. Someone
was caressing her thigh! But Falsh was sat to her left, how could he. . .
With horror, she realised Piers had a sweaty smile all over his face. ‘You
were saying, Tinya?’ he purred.
With an involuntary yelp she turned in her seat to escape his grip. As
she did so she brushed against Falsh’s leg once more with her bare foot.
He rounded on her. ‘Tinya, what is the matter with you?’
The words were like a smack and she flinched, flushing. But a second
later the entire table burst out in a confused babble of accusations. Hoon
was staring incredulously at the woman beside him, who had just smacked
his face. Three seats down, two men from Takeovers were waving their
hands in the air, hotly disputing something with Subsidiaries.
Falsh was staring round at his executives with a face like a time bomb,
ready to blow.
‘There’s something under the table!’ shouted Hoon.
It was a man. He scrambled out from his hiding place and stood awk-
wardly before them.
CHAPTER ONE 7
For a split second, all argument ceased and hush descended on the
boardroom.
Then the screaming and yelling started.
‘Look, I’m sorry, OK?’ shouted the newcomer. ‘Everyone just stay calm!’
He was tall and bony with a long, angular face and scruffy dark hair, and
he was dressed in bizarre clothes. Had to be an agitator. Something was
clutched in his hand and he was waving it about.
‘He’s got a gun!’ shrieked Piers.
‘That’s not a gun,’ Tinya realised. ‘It’s my shoe!’
‘Security,’ Falsh snapped into his wristpad. ‘Boardroom, now.’ A few
seconds later an alarm started up, buzzing and insistent.
‘Look, I’m sorry if I’ve messed up your meeting,’ the intruder shouted
over the fuss and noise. ‘I didn’t mean to touch your legs. I was hoping to
stay hidden till you’d gone but it’s quite cramped under there. . . ’
‘Restrain him, somebody,’ Falsh ordered.
‘No need for that!’ the man protested, white faced and staring round
anxiously. Falsh’s executives seemed to agree, and remained dithering in
their seats.
‘How did you get in here?’ Falsh demanded.
‘Through the door,’ said the agitator meekly. ‘It was open, and the view
through the window. . . well, it’s pretty damn cool isn’t it? Kind of grabs
the attention.’
Tinya rose from her seat in the hope of further intimidating the intruder.
‘Who are you?’
‘Fitz.’
‘Fitz? What do you want here?’
‘Nothing!’
She shook her head. ‘You’re an agitator, aren’t you, Fitz? An Old Pre-
server!’
‘I’m a Londoner!’ he protested. ‘Look, love, we came here by accident,
landed in a loading bay or something and we were just –’
‘ “We”!’ gasped Hoon.
‘I!’ said Fitz, looking awkward. ‘Iwas just having a –’
‘He said, “We”!’ Hoon insisted. ‘There’s more than one of him!’
‘Oh no,’ came another voice from under the table, prompting fresh ex-
ecutive horror. ‘There’s only one Fitz, I assure you.’
And suddenly, little loudmouthed Kameez was rising up into the air.
Another outlandish figure was balancing both her and her chair on his
shoulders – clearly he was stronger than he looked. In his long dark coat,
wing-collared shirt and waistcoat he looked like he’d leapt from a historical
reconstruction.
CHAPTER ONE 8
‘Everyone remain calm and still, please.’ This second intruder sounded
altogether more cultured than Fitz. He glanced upwards. ‘Especially you,
Mrs Executive. I’d hate to drop you.’
Drop her, Tinya willed him.
Piers found his voice. ‘Another agitator!’
‘You’re jumping to conclusions,’ said the man. His features were strik-
ingly classical: proud and clear, yet determinedly melancholy. ‘You might
be agitated, but that doesn’t make me the agitator. I’m the Doctor, as it
happens. If you weren’t such a fidgety bunch we’d have stayed happily
hidden until you’d all pushed off back to your no doubt charming offices.
Do they all enjoy so lovely a view as this one?’ He looked round at them,
apparently genuinely interested, and Kameez squeaked as she nearly fell
out of her chair, clinging on for dear life. ‘I’ll bet your office does, Mr Falsh.
Would you call your security guards, please, and tell them it was a false
alarm?’
Falsh raised his eyebrows. ‘Or you’ll do what – bang Kameez’s head on
the ceiling?’
Do it, thought Tinya. Do it, do it!
‘You think we’d come in here defenceless?’ He took a few wobbly steps
towards Falsh, Kameez still teetering alarmingly above him. ‘We have far
more than a chair, a woman and a shoe in our arsenal,’ he said gravely.
‘Now, call off your guards.’
‘Security – code six,’ Falsh reluctantly told his wristpad. ‘Stand down.’
‘Thank you,’ said the Doctor. As the buzz of sirens died away, he gently
set down the stunned and dishevelled Kameez in her chair and scooted her
back to her place at the table. ‘I must apologise for disturbing your secret
meeting.’ He patted her on the head and smiled over at Tinya. ‘Give the
lady her shoe back, Fitz.’
Fitz tossed the shoe on to the table, and mouthed ‘sorry’ to Tinya.
Falsh slowly got to his feet. ‘You’ve made the big show.’ He put his fists
together. ‘Now, no more bull. What is it that you freaks want?’
‘Actually, some mercury would be very useful right now,’ said the Doctor.
‘Does anyone have a little they could spare? It’s for the fluid links, you
see. . . ’
The table remained stunned and silent.
He sighed. ‘Well in that case, we want to leave you in peace, so you can
get back to your secret schemes and subterfuges and decoratistes. It’s none
of our business, is it? My views on wanton vandalism are neither here nor
there.’ A distant, distracted look came to his face. ‘Although I remember
Carme being discovered you know. . . Late 1930s, wasn’t it? And Lysithea
摘要：

Thesolarsystemisbeingspring-cleaned,toimproveitsfengshuiandattractbigbusinessbacktothelong-abandonedseatofEarth'sempire.CelebritydecoratisteAristotleHalcyonisheadingthecampaignofcontrolleddemolition.HavingsweptawaytheAsteroidBeltandtheOortCloud,henowplanstomakeJupitermoreaestheticallypleasingbyremov...

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