The Worldship p.4
When the Doctor opened his eyes he found himself floating upright in an energy corridor. Five beams of focused energy poured out from one end of the corridor, swirled around him outlining the force bubble that protected him, and streamed off unobstructed into the distance.
He wasn't alone.
A virtually invisible man was standing across the narrow corridor in front of him. The only visible parts of the man were the golden highlights of his features reflecting the energy beams and a faintly luminous rainbow-hued shadow behind him.
"You aren’t one of the crew," the wraith accused. "Your energy patterns are different."
"No. I'm the Doctor," the Doctor agreed. "Who are you?"
"I am Ashtroth. An engineer of this ship. Why are you here?"
"I came in answer to a distress call."
"Are you here to save my child?" he asked.
"Your child?"
"Yes. His mother is keeping him hidden. She believes I will take him from her."
"Would you?"
The shadowy form nodded. "Yes. But only to save his life." The Doctor could hear the distress in the man's voice. "I have no wish to separate the child from his mother. With her help we may be able to stop the Madness. But if the child is not found soon he will starve!"
The Doctor waved to how the invisible man was now standing in the path of the energy beams, they were passing through him and he didn't even seem to notice.
"The baby feeds on energy like you do," the Doctor guessed.
"Yes," Ashtroth answered. "We engineers can generate and focused energy through our bodies. That is how we navigate and propel the ship. The child's mother cannot provide him with the energy he needs."
The Doctor nodded. "I know where they are. If we’re going to save them we have to get to Laris' Restaurant. Do you know where that is?"
"Yes." Ashtroth took off at a run down the corridor. The Doctor's bubble raced along behind him as if towed.
*
Shadia and Jor stood before the doors to Klayisha’s prison. "Would you deny me the right to see my own sister before her execution?" Shadia demanded in outrage.
The guard stood at rigid attention, eyes forward. "I have my orders, ma'am."
"Orders my uncle gave you, soldier. I am the captain's firstborn. After my sister and her son are executed it will be my child you answer to. Do you realize what that means?"
The guard began to sweat. "Yes, ma'am."
"Come on, Kur," Jor wheeled. "She just wants to see her sister one last time. What harm is there in that? It's not like there's anything she can do. Guards inside, you out here, the only way out a 30 foot plunge into the forum...
"If one of you will loan me your gun I’ll even stand guard myself. What could it hurt?"
Kur looked down at the glowering woman beside him and gnawed on his lip. "Nate, give him your gun." The guard nodded his subordinate over then opened the door when Jor was armed. "I'm sorry about all this, ma'am," he whispered to Shadia as he held the door open.
"I know," Shadia whispered back. "I am too."
Kur closed the door behind them and Jor and Shadia immediately turned to take down the two guards inside. But the men were already down, lying in the corner, blue-faced, with their hands wrapped around each other's throats.
"Klayisha!" Shadia cried happily and went to embrace her sister. But she stopped. Klayisha was sitting, tears rolling down her face, rocking an empty cradle.
*
"This is as far as we can go in the tunnels." Ashtroth stopped and stared at the clay wall as if listening. "The way is clear." He reached forward an invisible hand and began pushing himself into the wall. The clay parted to admit him, like water parting before a human shaped bubble. The Doctor's bubble followed behind him.
"Oh no, not again." The Doctor raised his hands and braced himself.
Outside in the corridor, once more standing on his own two feet, the Doctor turned to look at the smooth clay wall he’d just passed through. He ran a hand down the surface. "How do you manage that?" he asked curiously.
"We can polarize the particles in the wall making them repel or attract each other. It gives us free access to any part of the ship."
"So that's why you keep the walls damp," the Doctor commented, delighted.
"Yes. The water acts as a medium. This way, Doctor."
The Doctor turned toward the voice and suddenly realized that he was alone. At least, he thought he was alone, until he saw the faint, luminescent humanoid shadow skimming along the wall, leading him down the corridor.
The shadow halted abruptly at the end of the corridor. The Doctor didn't stop fast enough and crash right into an invisible, but very solid, back.
"Sorry."
"No need."
"I assume you're absorbing the light that should be reflecting off your skin. And that's why I can't see you," the Doctor commented.
"Yes. I apologize for the inconvenience. But the crew doesn't react well to our presence. Especially at times like these."
"What about your shadow?" the Doctor asked, glancing pointedly at the opalescent swirl on the wall behind him.
The shadow shrugged. "My body naturally refracts light. There's nothing I can do about it. I can no more control my shadow then you can yours, Doctor." The voice said wryly. "We'll just have to hope no one notices." The voice became serious again. "Laris's restaurant is directly across the square." The shadow pointed. "What now?"
Just then they heard muffled rifle fire from inside the restaurant. A couple of passersby looked up in worry at the sound but hurried away. With the wave of madness sweeping the ship no one was going to investigate if they didn't have to.
"That's our cue." The Doctor sprinted across the plaza. He tried to shove open the glass restaurant doors. They were locked. "Great." Impatiently he jammed his fingers into the clay beside the door and tripped them open. "Come on."
Inside they followed the sound of scrambling and the smell of smoke. In the freezer they found a man-sized hole charred into the floor.
"Doctor?" Jor's voice called up urgently from below.
The Doctor peered down into the hole. "I'm here."
"We've got to hurry. They're trying to break down the door."
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