THE GRINDING ENGINE noise made by a TARDIS was now almost familiar and reassuring to Chris. He stared out of the forward screen as the swirling patterns of what the Doctor had described as the space-time vortex dissolved back into a vision of the endless stars.
The ship was slowing to a halt alongside a huge, dark multi-decked structure, roughly circular in shape. The detail of the hull of the space station, if that was what it was, was picked out as it revolved slowly in the light of a nearby red sun. It looked shabby and deserted.
‘Commencing docking procedure,’ said the Ship. ‘Though I don’t know quite why, as we’re all dead anyway. Though I suppose I was technically never alive. Hey-ho.’
Chris felt the ship turn around, presumably to align itself with a docking port on the side of the space station.
‘Well, wherever it is, we’re here,’ said the Doctor.
‘While Skagra is presumably going in the opposite direction,’ said Chris.
‘Worrying, isn’t it?’ said the Doctor. ‘But it’s the only thing we can do.’
‘Haven’t you any idea what he’s after?’
‘Shada,’ said the Doctor, looking out at the stars as the ship continued its manoeuvres. ‘It would definitely help if we knew who Shada was.’
‘Who, or what,’ said Chris.
The Doctor ruffled his fingers through his mop of curly hair. ‘Shada… Shada… there’s something at the back of my mind…’ He held up a finger. ‘Wait a moment. Shada! Isn’t she a singer?’
K-9 burbled. ‘Suggest the master is confusing Shada with Sade.’
The Doctor’s face fell. ‘Oh yes,’ he said. ‘Never mind.’
‘I’ve never heard of her,’ said Chris. ‘Not that that counts for much.’
‘She is an Earth singer from your future, young master,’ said K-9 helpfully.
‘Well, that’s all right then,’ said Chris. ‘That means everything’s all right.’
The Doctor glared at him. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Well,’ said Chris, ‘if there’s a future, we know, don’t we?’
‘We know what?’
‘That everything’s going to be all right.’ Chris rubbed his hands excitedly. ‘Whatever happens to us, at least the Earth and the universe are safe. If there’s a future, where people can sing and be famous.’
The Doctor looked sadly across at him. ‘I wish it worked like that.’
‘Oh,’ said Chris. ‘You mean it doesn’t?’
‘No,’ said the Doctor. ‘Anyway, never mind about the future. Whatever Skagra’s up to we have to stop him. Mind control is the most terrible thing. Any physical threat you can fight, but once someone has control of your mind you’ve lost everything.’
He stopped, as if surprised by his own words. ‘That’s very odd.’
‘What is?’ asked Chris.
‘Why did I say that? It’s as if my subconscious mind was trying to push something up to the surface.’ He blinked. ‘Now it’s gone.’
‘Don’t think about it,’ Chris advised him. ‘Then maybe it’ll come back to you.’
‘I should know the answer!’ said the Doctor loudly in one of his sudden explosions. He tapped his head. ‘Perhaps, somewhere in the back of my mind, I do know the answer…’
The ship rumbled along the side of the hull.
A hidden doorway in the long corridor outside the command deck swung smoothly open.
The Kraag emerged.
It heard voices from the command deck.
‘It’s about time I worked out the answer!’ one of the voices was saying.
It turned and trod slowly and heavily towards the source of the voices.