Doctor Who: The Girl Who Said No

Chapter 18 - The Suit

OLIVIA – U.N.IT. HQ, LONDON

Nearly eight months now and still no sign of the Doctor or his TARDIS. Clearly the ship was keeping him out of my way but it wouldn't last. Working for UNIT was easier than I thought it would be, giving my many indiscretions. But after a while I got settled in and the staff started to accept me as a member of the team. I'd even made some friends amongst the soldiers.

Trevor and Phil were standing guard in the corner of the room I worked in, possibly to protect me from whatever might be inhabiting the ship I was supposed to crack open or to guard me because UNIT might not trust me as much as I'd like to believe.

"Anything decent at the canteen today?" I asked conversationally whilst working away to crack the Deadlock on one of the many entry points.

"Nothing exciting." Answered Trevor.

"Macaroni or chicken burgers." Said Phil.

I groaned as I cut myself on one of my many tools as it split, straining against the cursed Deadlock.

"No offence, love, but you've been at that machine for the best part of a year now and it's still not open."

"I know!"

"I thought you were supposed to be some sort of expert."

"I'm good, really good, trust me. But Deadlocks are tricky bastards. Even the Doctor has struggled to crack them in the past."

"Well, if he can't do it then why the hell do they think you can?" asked Phil.

"A question I've been asking myself for months, Phil." I sighed, "It's bloody impossible."

"Nothing's impossible." Kate laughed.

She entered the room with a tray of coffee and doughnuts and sat them down on a table near my desk.

"Would you come down for a break? You'll exhaust yourself."

"I thought you hired me to do a job?"

"Come and have a doughnut, Ol." She bribed me, waggling one in my direction, "Chocolate frosting."

Leaving my tools by the section I was working on, I slid down my ladders and joined Kate at the table. Taking a seat I was glad to be off my feet for a while at least.

"Any joy?" she asked, chomping on a custard doughnut.

"I have a theory."

"That's better than nothing." She nodded. "What is it?"

"The Deadlock is impossible to crack because of the amount of power which has been produced to keep it in place. We need to drain the generator of that power."

"Can you do that?"

"Yes, technically I can."

"But?"

"But the generator also has a Deadlock on it."

Kate groaned.

"It's not as powerful as the one it's powering but it will be difficult."

"But you have a theory."

"Yes. I believe it can be broken with a controlled explosion."

"And there in lies the catch." Kate sighed.

"Exactly we can't exactly do it here in the Tower of London in case the explosion can't be controlled. Also..."

"Also moving it could be dangerous to the populace."