seemed completely unfazed by the out of breath pair as they stood panting on the threshold, bits of bush still tangled in their hair.
'Oh, hello,' he said. 'Come in.' He stepped aside and beckoned them into the hall.
In his right hand he was holding a severed arm.
Amy and Rory found themselves ushered into a darkened
lounge,
the
curtains
swiftly
pulled
together so the Doctor could work without fear of anyone on the outside looking in. Small cracks of sunlight highlighted the dust that swam in the heavy atmosphere of the room. Amy felt for the light switch.
'Don't bother,' the Doctor told her. 'None of the electrics have been wired up.'
He disappeared into the darkness at the centre of the lounge, and after a few seconds Amy heard the familiar whirr of the sonic screwdriver. A moment later and its soft green glow filled the room. Amy started as she saw who, or rather what, was sitting on the couch.
45
DOCTOR WHO
Mr and Mrs Sanderson had both been almost completely dismantled by the Doctor, their various appendages and the circuit boards beneath carefully laid out on the worn carpet like a life-size Meccano set. Even though he was missing his right arm and most of his lower body, Amy still recognised the now obviously plastic face of Mr Sanderson.
'But, that's the man from the Coffeehouse!' she exclaimed.
'A copy,' the Doctor told her. 'By my count, there are about fifty different models in the village - not counting the duplicates.' He tossed the arm he'd been holding over to Rory who caught it clumsily in the crooks of his elbows. His skin crawled at the grotesque accuracy of the plastic flesh that contrasted so completely with the steel ball of the shoulder joint. He squinted closer at a small, inch-square stamp on the chrome finish.
'This says "Property of the United States Government". Hang on,' he said, looking up. 'By your count? You mean you knew all along they were fakes?'
'Never underestimate a firm handshake. It can tell you all you need to know about a person, Rory. Also I used these.' The Doctor pointed at his eyes. 'Sometimes the people in the background are the most interesting.'
46
NUCLEAR TIME
Amy crouched beside the deactivated head of Mrs Sanderson and prodded at the open hatch behind her temple. It sparked savagely and she jerked her finger back. 'Why didn't you warn us, Doctor?' she said quietly.
'Because these things are programmed to react with deadly force to anyone who finds them suspicious.
If I'd told you, you'd both have started running around making a fuss before I'd had the chance to sort anything out.' He
fixed them both with an
admonishing glare. 'Much like your entrance just now.'
Amy turned on him so abruptly that the Doctor took a step back. 'Someone's died, Doctor! We could have died!' she shouted.
The Doctor was aghast. 'What? Who died?'
'The guy who made them. Isley killed him, we distracted him so he didn't notice she'd been triggered.
But it's not our fault! We didn't know - you could have warned us, and you didn't because you thought we were too stupid to be told!' She was shaking with emotion. 'How dare you!'
The Doctor's face went ashen and he ran over to Amy, but he was brushed aside as Rory stepped between the two and wrapped his arms around Amy. He held her tightly, and she buried her head in his shoulder.
'He was called Albert,' Rory said quietly.
47
DOCTOR WHO
The Doctor paused, then nodded slowly. He reached out a hand to touch Amy's heaving shoulders but seemed to think better of it and withdrew. 'I'm sorry,' he said simply. 'I should have had more faith in you.'
'Yes, you should,' Rory agreed. 'Just give us a moment.'
The Doctor turned and walked slowly out into the hallway. Amy could see him leaning against the wall, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. He looked tired, but then he screwed up his face in concentration. In the silence, Amy thought she could hear the noise of a plane in the distance.
A second later, the Doctor burst into the
'Oh, hello,' he said. 'Come in.' He stepped aside and beckoned them into the hall.
In his right hand he was holding a severed arm.
Amy and Rory found themselves ushered into a darkened
lounge,
the
curtains
swiftly
pulled
together so the Doctor could work without fear of anyone on the outside looking in. Small cracks of sunlight highlighted the dust that swam in the heavy atmosphere of the room. Amy felt for the light switch.
'Don't bother,' the Doctor told her. 'None of the electrics have been wired up.'
He disappeared into the darkness at the centre of the lounge, and after a few seconds Amy heard the familiar whirr of the sonic screwdriver. A moment later and its soft green glow filled the room. Amy started as she saw who, or rather what, was sitting on the couch.
45
DOCTOR WHO
Mr and Mrs Sanderson had both been almost completely dismantled by the Doctor, their various appendages and the circuit boards beneath carefully laid out on the worn carpet like a life-size Meccano set. Even though he was missing his right arm and most of his lower body, Amy still recognised the now obviously plastic face of Mr Sanderson.
'But, that's the man from the Coffeehouse!' she exclaimed.
'A copy,' the Doctor told her. 'By my count, there are about fifty different models in the village - not counting the duplicates.' He tossed the arm he'd been holding over to Rory who caught it clumsily in the crooks of his elbows. His skin crawled at the grotesque accuracy of the plastic flesh that contrasted so completely with the steel ball of the shoulder joint. He squinted closer at a small, inch-square stamp on the chrome finish.
'This says "Property of the United States Government". Hang on,' he said, looking up. 'By your count? You mean you knew all along they were fakes?'
'Never underestimate a firm handshake. It can tell you all you need to know about a person, Rory. Also I used these.' The Doctor pointed at his eyes. 'Sometimes the people in the background are the most interesting.'
46
NUCLEAR TIME
Amy crouched beside the deactivated head of Mrs Sanderson and prodded at the open hatch behind her temple. It sparked savagely and she jerked her finger back. 'Why didn't you warn us, Doctor?' she said quietly.
'Because these things are programmed to react with deadly force to anyone who finds them suspicious.
If I'd told you, you'd both have started running around making a fuss before I'd had the chance to sort anything out.' He
fixed them both with an
admonishing glare. 'Much like your entrance just now.'
Amy turned on him so abruptly that the Doctor took a step back. 'Someone's died, Doctor! We could have died!' she shouted.
The Doctor was aghast. 'What? Who died?'
'The guy who made them. Isley killed him, we distracted him so he didn't notice she'd been triggered.
But it's not our fault! We didn't know - you could have warned us, and you didn't because you thought we were too stupid to be told!' She was shaking with emotion. 'How dare you!'
The Doctor's face went ashen and he ran over to Amy, but he was brushed aside as Rory stepped between the two and wrapped his arms around Amy. He held her tightly, and she buried her head in his shoulder.
'He was called Albert,' Rory said quietly.
47
DOCTOR WHO
The Doctor paused, then nodded slowly. He reached out a hand to touch Amy's heaving shoulders but seemed to think better of it and withdrew. 'I'm sorry,' he said simply. 'I should have had more faith in you.'
'Yes, you should,' Rory agreed. 'Just give us a moment.'
The Doctor turned and walked slowly out into the hallway. Amy could see him leaning against the wall, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. He looked tired, but then he screwed up his face in concentration. In the silence, Amy thought she could hear the noise of a plane in the distance.
A second later, the Doctor burst into the
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