Doctor Who: The Invasion Read Online Free Page A
he reluctantly handed over the two small panels he had removed from the TARDIS earlier. Vaughn seized them eagerly and examined them, his left eye narrowing to match the right. The Doctor noted the momentary shadow of astonishment that passed over his face.
But Vaughn swiftly recovered his composure. 'As you say, a trifle complex. But I am convinced we can help. I'll have them sent to our Diagnostic Unit at once,' he proposed generously.
The Doctor smiled weakly. 'You're extremely kind,' he muttered.
'Not at all. Any friend of Professor Watkins...' Vaughn paused, as though he were disturbed by the two silicon panels in front of him.
Quickly he opened a drawer, took out a tiny miniaturised radio and offered it to Jamie. 'Do you have one of these, young man?' he asked.
Jamie looked blank. 'Och no, sir. What is it?'
Vaughn looked surprised. 'Disposable transistor radios. A market leader. Surely you've seen them? We've sold ten million in the UK alone. Modest compensation for Packer's excesses, I trust?'
'Most generous,' said the Doctor, prompting Jamie to accept.
Jamie took the radio and fiddled with it. Suddenly a raucous pop tune blared forth. 'So that's how it goes!' he grinned.
Wincing at the din, the Doctor leaned across and switched it off. 'And that's how it stops, Jamie,' he advised firmly.
Vaughn rose regretfully. 'If you'll excuse me I have an urgent meeting,' he declared. 'Mr Packer will show you out.'
The Doctor jabbed his elbow in Jamie's ribs and they stood up.
'Thank you so much, Mr Vaughn,' he burbled.
'Telephone in a day or two. We should have some news then,'
Vaughn proposed as they shook hands cordially at the door. 'And may I ask whom I have had the pleasure...?'
'Not Whom... Who...' the Doctor quipped slyly.
Packer took them down in the express lift and showed them out through a side entrance off a quiet cul de sac. 'Next time read the instructions at Reception,' he snarled.
'Och, so ye can read, can ye?' Jamie exclaimed in mock surprise. 'And what other tricks can ye do?'
The Doctor firmly steered his rash young friend into the narrow street as Packer slammed the steel emergency door behind them.
'Friendly sort of chap, Mr Vaughn,' Jamie remarked, flourishing the miniature radio.
'Not what he seems,' the Doctor snapped unhappily. 'The normal human blinks naturally about once every fifteen seconds.
Vaughn averaged less than one a minute.'
'Aye, and he's got horns and a forked tail too.'
'No, I'm serious, Jamie,' the Doctor warned as they walked towards the main street. 'Vaughn didn't even ask me what was wrong with those circuits or what they do. Beneath all that charm there's something... something not quite human.'
The next moment a large Jaguar saloon raced down the side street behind them and skidded up onto the pavement, trapping them against the wall of the IE Building. While Tracey remained at the wheel gunning the engine, Benton and another man leaped out and manhandled them into the back before they could even protest. Then Tracey accelerated away with spinning wheels and smoking tyres.
Jammed between the two bulky figures, the shocked and bewildered captives exchanged frightened glances.
Eventually the Doctor turned to Benton. 'And I suppose this is Mr Vaughn's courtesy car service?' he commented, with an acid smile.
As soon as his unexpected visitors had departed, Vaughn picked up the two silicon panels the Doctor had left on his desk and studied them carefully, a deep furrow forming between his eyebrows as he tried to unravel the curious structure of the circuitry. Eventually he looked up at the blank wall facing the panoramic window and a strange smile spread gradually across his lopsided features. He put down the panels and took an elaborate fountain pen from his breast pocket. Slowly he rose to his feet. He twisted the gold-plated cap of the pen and with a series of soft clicks and a subdued whirring sound the blank wall parted and slid aside.
Vaughn
But Vaughn swiftly recovered his composure. 'As you say, a trifle complex. But I am convinced we can help. I'll have them sent to our Diagnostic Unit at once,' he proposed generously.
The Doctor smiled weakly. 'You're extremely kind,' he muttered.
'Not at all. Any friend of Professor Watkins...' Vaughn paused, as though he were disturbed by the two silicon panels in front of him.
Quickly he opened a drawer, took out a tiny miniaturised radio and offered it to Jamie. 'Do you have one of these, young man?' he asked.
Jamie looked blank. 'Och no, sir. What is it?'
Vaughn looked surprised. 'Disposable transistor radios. A market leader. Surely you've seen them? We've sold ten million in the UK alone. Modest compensation for Packer's excesses, I trust?'
'Most generous,' said the Doctor, prompting Jamie to accept.
Jamie took the radio and fiddled with it. Suddenly a raucous pop tune blared forth. 'So that's how it goes!' he grinned.
Wincing at the din, the Doctor leaned across and switched it off. 'And that's how it stops, Jamie,' he advised firmly.
Vaughn rose regretfully. 'If you'll excuse me I have an urgent meeting,' he declared. 'Mr Packer will show you out.'
The Doctor jabbed his elbow in Jamie's ribs and they stood up.
'Thank you so much, Mr Vaughn,' he burbled.
'Telephone in a day or two. We should have some news then,'
Vaughn proposed as they shook hands cordially at the door. 'And may I ask whom I have had the pleasure...?'
'Not Whom... Who...' the Doctor quipped slyly.
Packer took them down in the express lift and showed them out through a side entrance off a quiet cul de sac. 'Next time read the instructions at Reception,' he snarled.
'Och, so ye can read, can ye?' Jamie exclaimed in mock surprise. 'And what other tricks can ye do?'
The Doctor firmly steered his rash young friend into the narrow street as Packer slammed the steel emergency door behind them.
'Friendly sort of chap, Mr Vaughn,' Jamie remarked, flourishing the miniature radio.
'Not what he seems,' the Doctor snapped unhappily. 'The normal human blinks naturally about once every fifteen seconds.
Vaughn averaged less than one a minute.'
'Aye, and he's got horns and a forked tail too.'
'No, I'm serious, Jamie,' the Doctor warned as they walked towards the main street. 'Vaughn didn't even ask me what was wrong with those circuits or what they do. Beneath all that charm there's something... something not quite human.'
The next moment a large Jaguar saloon raced down the side street behind them and skidded up onto the pavement, trapping them against the wall of the IE Building. While Tracey remained at the wheel gunning the engine, Benton and another man leaped out and manhandled them into the back before they could even protest. Then Tracey accelerated away with spinning wheels and smoking tyres.
Jammed between the two bulky figures, the shocked and bewildered captives exchanged frightened glances.
Eventually the Doctor turned to Benton. 'And I suppose this is Mr Vaughn's courtesy car service?' he commented, with an acid smile.
As soon as his unexpected visitors had departed, Vaughn picked up the two silicon panels the Doctor had left on his desk and studied them carefully, a deep furrow forming between his eyebrows as he tried to unravel the curious structure of the circuitry. Eventually he looked up at the blank wall facing the panoramic window and a strange smile spread gradually across his lopsided features. He put down the panels and took an elaborate fountain pen from his breast pocket. Slowly he rose to his feet. He twisted the gold-plated cap of the pen and with a series of soft clicks and a subdued whirring sound the blank wall parted and slid aside.
Vaughn
Readers choose
Lindsay Paige, Mary Smith
Cordova Skye
Laura J Underwood
Laurie LeClair
Steven Erikson
Leora Tanenbaum
John Lister-Kaye
Guillem Balagué
K.M. Grant