"Sincro: wyxchari" "You know, don't you." "But your usefulness is not yet over." "You have another role to play." "Dratted man." "I say." "I mean, we may not see eye to eye." "Try and see it my way!" "I'm trying not to be personal." "I mean, after all, a bat may look at a Time Lord." "Doctor!" "Hurry!" "She's looking for us." "Maybe, but I can think of a more likely explanation." "The Doctor's on the loose." "Whatever the reason, Faroon, you mustn't be caught with me." "I can't leave you." "I promised." "I'll be alright." "Now go." "Please?" "Mistress Rani?" "You, Lakertyan." "Have you seen the Mistress?" "Well quickly, answer!" "She went into the grounds." "Oh, out of my way." "The Mistress has profound insight but I think she is mistaken to rely on any of your worthless race." "I can't say I share the Rani's taste in pets." "The Tetraps are nobody's pets and you'd be wise not to forget it." "This is what I'll never forget." "Unique talents every one of them." "The Rani's roamed the universe plucking these geniuses out of time, at the height of their powers and reduced them to the status of laboratory specimens." "Doctor, please hurry." "Time, the concept of time." "That's at the heart of what she's up to." "Otherwise why reserve a place for me." "A Time Lord in this abysmal parade." "If you're still here when she gets back, you'll find out from inside the cabinet." "Which you will help her put me in." "If she catches you, yes." "You know, Beyus, your collaboration with the Rani's difficult to understand." "My people are under threat." "If you do manage to escape, go to the centre of Leisure." "You will find the reason there." "Now hurry Doctor." "Be careful, Doctor." "The grounds outside are a minefield of traps." "Nothing outside compared to this." "A harmless asteroid?" "It's composed of strange matter, Beyus." "A devastating force." "With the right trigger, that harmless asteroid, as you call it, could incinerate your planet." "And anything else in this corner of the galaxy." "And what does the Rani keep behind there?" "Oh, all good things come to a bend." "Micro-thermister, I doubt if she'll have a spare." "She won't need one; you're going to put it back." "Give it to me." "I had no intention of hurting you." "Beyus!" "Who sabotaged this?" "What happened?" "Ah, I hit my head." "Was it the Doctor?" "I don't know." "He tried to steal something from the cabinet." "I tried to stop him." "The Mistress will be overjoyed to see you." "You know where to take her." "Stop!" "Don't take another step." "Here's a turn up for the cook." "A rock that talks." "You must be the Doctor." "I've met your companion, Mel." "Don't hold that against me." "I see where she gets her sense of humour." "And you're going to need it." "That bad?" "Look down." "Now step back very slowly." "Hello." "Haven't I seen you hanging around somewhere?" "Take her away." "Faroon?" "You can tell the Doctor he can have the girl in return for the Micro-thermister he stole." "And where will I find this Doctor?" "He'll make contact with the other Lakertyans and try to stir up trouble." "So don't be taken in by his glib tongue." "Do as she says, Faroon." "You know the penalty our people will have to pay if you disobey." "Well shouldn't we try to escape as Sarn did?" "Faroon, I have obeyed all of the Rani's commands, carried out the most menial of tasks." "Now that she has almost completed the experiment why should I take the risk?" "And when our work is finished, what happens then?" "She will leave Lakertya." "Will she, Beyus?" "That was her promise." "And when she does...?" "Our lives will return to normal." "Normal, Beyus, without Sarn?" "The Centre of Leisure." "The Centre of Indolence." "Not a favourite haunt of yours, I take it, Ikona." "No." "I can't imagine why Beyus told you to come to this place." "He said I'd find the answer to his subservience here." "From these spineless pleasure seekers?" "Why not?" "It would require effort, that's why, Doctor." "They've become spoon-fed drones." "There's no reason for them to strive." "An indulgent system provides all." "Well, didn't Beyus give you any clue as to what to look for?" "He was too anxious for explanations." "But whatever the threat, it must be considerable." "D'you see anything that's different?" "New?" "Only that." "Another pointless embellishment." "I wonder." "Couldn't we ask someone?" "We'll be interrupting their pleasure." "Could you tell me what that globe's for?" "I did warn you." "There's none so deaf as those that clutch at straws." "If you say so." "Lanisha!" "Ikona." "Lanisha." "Can you tell me what that globe's for?" "We've been forbidden to have anything to do with you, Ikona." "You'd ignore your own brother." "I obey the orders of Beyus." "Do you recognise these?" "Answer the Mistress Rani!" "They're from the fireworks that we used to have at our carnival." "These were fired at no carnival." "These were used to enable the Doctor to escape." "Causing the death of a Tetrap." "None of my followers would be responsible." "You're careful not deny it's the work of a Lakertyan." "You will be punishing the innocent." "Guilt by association." "I warned you of the consequences of subversion." "Look out, they kill!" "Killer insects!" "Come on, Doctor." "Do you still insist that Beyus should not count the cost of resistance, Ikona." "If every cell in the globe were opened, there wouldn't be a Lakertyan left alive." "Erm, killer insects." "Doctor, I have a message for you." "Let Mel come towards me." "I've kept my side of the bargain." "You've got what you want." "So stupid." "You are not a worthy opponent for the Rani." "What's he crowing on about, Mel?" "A hologram!" "As substantial as the Rani's scruples." "As soon as the machine is operational, increase the brain stimulation." "But that would take it above the danger level." "I'm in danger of missing the solstice, which is far more important." "The computer control needs constant monitoring." "I can't manage alone." "So I've anticipated and I've got just the expert for you." "Beyus." "She's your responsibility." "Mine?" "But I can't govern her." "She's not a Lakertyan." "Just make certain she understands the penalty for non-cooperation." "Doctor, in my opinion, returning to the laboratory is a pointless exercise." "I've a feeling Mel's beyond all help." "Oh the Rani would never go to those extremes." "She never does anything without reason." "Then why the hologram?" "Why didn't she just release Mel?" "A bird in the hand keeps the Doctor away." "You're probably right." "On this occasion it'll have the opposite affect." "The increase in brain activity is not enough." "I'm going to miss the Solstice." "Perhaps the stimulation of a greater genius." "A brilliance that surpasses all others, Mistress." "Do I gather you're suggesting that I climb into one of those cabinets?" "Your capable presence is wasted in here and I could operate the machine." "Yes, I'm sure you could." "Urak!" "Come with me." "Prepare the Doctor's cabinet for occupation." "Well that'll be a waste of effort." "You've got to find him first and then catch him." "I need neither find nor catch him." "The bumbling fool's readymade as a sacrificial lamb." "He's shrewder than you think." "Underestimating the Doctor is a common fault." "Really." "He's got qualities you'll never have." "Such as?" "Something I'd call humanity." "You're as sentimental as he is." "Get on with your work." "Don't antagonise her." "She has only to press a button for every Lakertyan to be exterminated." "I could nominate a few candidates for extermination myself." "A space rocket launcher sure enough." "But have you noticed it's got a fixed trajectory." "No doubt it'll still play havoc with our planet." "Maybe it's a side effect, Ikona, but not the intention." "I'd say the target is the asteroid of strange matter, which means the launcher is locked into a precise time." "Could it be the Solstice that's due." "Assuming it is, the Rani's overriding priority will be to meet that countdown." "No more setbacks or delays." "I've got to get back to the laboratory." "That sealed chamber." "I've got to get in there." "Out of the frying pan into the mire." "Right, Ikona, start the diversionary tactics." "Have a care, Doctor." "This bluff worked once." "The Tetraps might not fall for it again." "We have been expecting you, Doctor." "We must be able to do something?" "Can't we make it blow a fuse?" "What good would that do?" "At least he'll be kept alive in here." "Don't try to reason me into compliance, Beyus." "You're wasting your breath." "Doctor!" "You, Lakertyan." "Connect this specimen to the main input." "No, leave him alone." "I won't let you do..." "You have no choice." "Now listen to me." "They are completely without conscience." "They will not hesitate to kill." "All went as you planned, Mistress." "Good." "Set the temperature gage, Mel." "I'm setting nothing." "Stubbornness will not help the Doctor." "And putting him in here will?" "!" "That's some twisted philosophy if you like." "How far have you got?" "I need to realign the final calibrations before he can be connected to main input." "Make certain that the levels are kept stable." "If you're hoping for any positive results, you're going to be disappointed." "The Doctor won't collaborate." "I'm sure, were he able, he'd express his appreciation of such unstinting confidence." "As soon as the activity indicator reaches 8.15, increase the stimulation." "To reproduce the Leptonic Era temperature of 10 to the power of 12K, it will be essential to create a cataclysmic explosion, the equivalent of a supernova." "Is this what you're looking for?" "Our time dilation is not in question." "Our understanding of time is still at a primitive stage." "It won't be once the Doctor has added his contribution." "Beyus?" "Yes?" "Is the Doctor connected to the main input." "Everything is ready." "Then switch on!" "No, Beyus!" "For once don't do as she says." "The Doctor's wellbeing is in your hands now." "Remember that." "The barrier to understanding time is empirical thinking." "I suggest a lateral approach."