by Doctor Who
‘No!’ She shook her head. ‘I – we saw – that is. . . I think we just. . . ’
Keisha was quite calm, her eyes shining as she stared into space.
‘Jay came back.’
The Doctor blinked. ‘What?’
Rose nodded. ‘He did. We saw him.’
‘This could be serious,’ said the Doctor gravely, dropping the plastic bag. ‘I only got enough chips for three.’
10
Rose went a step or two ahead of the Doctor through the concrete walkways of the estate. Keisha had asked them both to leave, said she was tired out, and Rose could hardly insist they stayed. But she wasn’t sure Keisha should be left alone, especially after what they’d witnessed.
‘I’ll come back later on, yeah?’ She’d lingered in the doorway, uneasy. ‘You hope he’s gonna come back, don’t you?’
‘He’s my brother,’ said Keisha simply.
Out here in the pale sunlight Rose found it hard to believe how scared she had been; hard to believe it had happened at all. Now she and the Doctor were on their way back to her mum’s. She could sense how eager he was to get going, to escape this world and the remnants of her old life, to remind her of how fantastic her new life with him could be.
But Rose wasn’t ready to move on again just yet. When they reached the garages, she stopped walking. ‘What do you think we saw?’
The Doctor carried on for several paces before he realised she was no longer beside him. ‘I don’t know.’
‘A ghost?’
11
‘I’ve never seen a real one. Things that look like ghosts, yeah – loads and loads of them. But as a general rule people never come back from the dead.’ Suddenly he sounded almost bitter, like a frustrated kid.
‘There’s always been another explanation.’
Rose sighed. ‘I s’pose the navy did say Jay was only missing in action. But what sort of action could turn him into a. . . a whooshy hologram thing? And why wait three months before coming to haunt his sister?’
‘Maybe he followed his ship home. Keisha said it had been towed up the Thames, didn’t she?’ He pulled a face. ‘Why bother, though?
Why bring it into the middle of London?’ Then he spun round and tried to set off again.
‘Oi!’ Rose pulled on his arm, stopped him. ‘I know you’re dying to get off. . . But can we try to find out first?’
‘Course we can. First stop, Mickey’s place. We need to find out more about the Ascendant – where it sank, what’s happened to it since then, see if anything fishy’s been going on. Quick dolphin-friendly trawl through the Internet should do it. Then we’ll take it from there.’
‘Wow,’ said Rose, batting her eyelids at him. ‘I never knew – my wish really is your command.’
The Doctor grinned. ‘One bag of chips and I’m anyone’s.’
‘Ten-foot green aliens, I can handle. Warrior monsters in dirty great spaceships, I’m your man. But ghosts?’ Mickey Smith grinned, shook his head. ‘You’re winding me up.’
Rose scowled. Usually she loved Mickey’s smile. It was one of the first things that had attracted her to him – that and his smooth dark skin, his playful eyes, his easygoing outlook on life. But right now he was bugging her big-time.
‘I said he looked like a ghost. Don’t you believe me?’
‘I’m your ex, not your exorcist.’
He said it lightly but there was an edge to his words. They’d been going out before she’d gone off with the Doctor. Now they were still close, but in a different way. More like friends. Kind of.
Sometimes it did Rose’s head in.
12
She looked past Mickey at the Doctor, who was on the computer in the untidy bedroom. He was staring intently at the screen, hammering the keys and slamming down on the mouse, tutting and cursing under his breath. ‘This is so slow!’
‘Oi, don’t break it,’ Mickey told him. ‘What are you looking up, anyway?’
‘Anything on that ship, the HMS Ascendant.’
‘Oh, that. You should’ve said.’ Mickey stroked his chin, playing the great thinker. ‘Type twenty-three, 430 feet long and weighing almost 5,000 tons. Stealth design. They can operate anywhere in the world.’
‘They can sink anywhere in the world too, by the looks of it.’
Rose looked at Mickey suspiciously. ‘How come you know so much about it?’
‘I’m a boy. It’s genetic.’ He picked up some printouts from beneath a bundle of clothes on the floor and tossed them over to the Doctor.
‘And ’cause I did some research on that boat when it got tugged up the Thames. Thought it sounded a bit sus.’ He looked pointedly at Rose.
‘It’s what I do now. Dig around and find stuff you might want to know about next time you drop in.’
‘Nice one, Mickey.’ The Doctor slapped him on the back. ‘Who says you’re a total waste of space with no life?’
‘You do.’
‘And I’m right too, aren’t I? You really need to get out more.’ He riffled through the papers. ‘Hmm, sank just over three months ago. . . all hands lost, big tragedy. . . Full government inquiry, blah blah blah. . . ’
‘Ninety million quid, that ship cost. Now it’s just scrap.’ Mickey shook his head. ‘They’re bound to want to find out what happened.’
Rose shrugged. ‘Won’t bring back the sailors, will it?’
‘Maybe it already has,’ said Mickey. ‘If this Jay bloke really did show up.’
‘Keisha saw him too!’ said Rose hotly.
Mickey folded his arms. ‘Yeah? Doesn’t say much, does it?’
‘Oh, right, now I get it. This is about Keisha, right? Any other time you’d say you believed me even if you didn’t, just to shut me up. But because it’s her we’re talking about, you don’t want to know.’
13
‘That’s not true!’
The Doctor nipped in between them, waved a printout under Rose’s nose. ‘Hooray! Look. Stanchion House. Government-owned marine engineering plant on the bank of the Thames, near Southwark. Now we know where the ship’s been taken. That’s good. Bunting alert!
Isn’t that good?’
‘Great.’ Rose crossly snatched the paper and glanced at it. ‘I know you never liked Keisha, Mickey. “Oooh, ditch her, babe, she’s a bad influence –”’
‘She is!’ He shook his head. ‘The state of you after a night out with her!’
‘Oh, and I was so much worse than you coming back from your stupid lads’ get-togethers. . . ’ Rose tailed off. ‘Pieces.’
‘What?’
‘Why did they bring Jay’s ship back in pieces?’
‘I dunno. . . .’ Mickey shrugged, suddenly wrong-footed. ‘It’s been three months. Maybe they dismantled it, ready to send different bits to different departments at this Stanchion House place.’
‘Good theory.’ The Doctor shoved the papers back into Mickey’s hands. ‘Why?’
‘So they can study all the different bits quicker, maybe?’
The Doctor picked up a newspaper from the desk. ‘No, I mean, why was Keisha a bad influence?’
‘She wasn’t,’ said Rose flatly.
‘Oh yeah, right,’ said Mickey. ‘I’ve heard about some of those dives she dragged you to. And about the blokes who go there.’
‘That’s not fair.’
‘Was it fair when she got her mates to push things through my letter box?’ he said more quietly. ‘Or when she tried to have them beat a confession out of me?’
‘What are you on about?’
Mickey nodded across to the Doctor. ‘When you went off in the TARDIS with him for a year. And your mum told everyone I’d done away with you.’
14
‘So I was a bit out with the timing!’ The Doctor mimed a pantomime yawn and slumped in a chair. ‘I’ve said I was sorry.’
‘Yeah. Which is more than Keisha ever did.’
‘I didn’t know she’d done those things,’ Rose conceded.
&nbs
p; Mickey shrugged. ‘Well, you ain’t had too much time for your old life lately, have you?’
‘Old life, new life, they’re all the same!’ The Doctor jumped back up, threw an arm round each of them, then froze. He moved his jaw awkwardly. ‘Except the teeth. It can be weird getting used to the teeth.
Now, kiss and make up, because this is very interesting.’ The Doctor tapped the newspaper. ‘It says here that as many as twenty people have gone missing near that part of the Thames since the Ascendant turned up.’
‘I know,’ said Mickey. ‘“Curse of the Ghost Ship”, they call it. . .
Probably made it up to cash in and sell more copies.’ He paused.
‘Didn’t they?’
‘I reckon it’s time we had a look at what’s left of this ship for ourselves,’ the Doctor declared, grinning away. ‘Who’s coming? We can take the TARDIS. Have you back here, oooh, thirty seconds after we left. Deal? Who’s in? Come on, who’s in?’
Rose and Mickey looked at each other. She spoke for them both.
‘All right, we’re coming. But we’re all taking the bus.’
15
‘Well, where can that ship have got to?’ said Rose dryly, staring out over the Thames in the evening sunlight. Uniformed men stood stiffly on the deck of a squat, powerful tug. A huge, blocky shape was moored behind it, shrouded in tarpaulins. Both stood close to a white-stone three-storey building: Stanchion House, as grand and anonymous as any other old building lurking along this stretch of river. Only the tell-tale signs of the marines flanking the great glass doorway gave away its significance.
‘How are we supposed to see what’s left of the ship with that lot around?’ Mickey wondered.
‘First we’ve got to get across,’ said Rose. ‘And the nearest bridges have all been closed off to the public.’
‘Hasn’t stopped her.’ The Doctor pointed to a nearby suspension bridge, spoiled by scaffolding and graffiti. An old woman, smartly dressed in green, stood close to the side, staring out at the ship.
Suddenly, she started to climb up over the iron mesh of the safety rail.
Mickey stared, appalled. ‘What’s she doing?’
17
‘What’s it look like?’ Rose muttered, already haring off towards the steps leading up to the bridge, a couple of paces behind the Doctor.
He vaulted the barrier blocking the way and took the steps three at a time, his suit jacket flapping as if in its own private panic. Rose felt her heart pounding as she raced after him.
‘Omigod,’ she breathed as they rounded the top of the steps. The old woman had very nearly hauled herself up on to the side of the bridge.
She’d have been over the edge by now if not for her long, tweedy skirt slowing her down. No one else was in sight. ‘She’s gonna do it! Chuck herself in!’
The Doctor skidded to a stop. ‘Excuse me!’ he called cheerily. ‘Um, I’m looking for Piccadilly Circus. Am I lost?’
‘He needs me,’ said the woman without turning.
‘Who, me? I do! I certainly do, you’re right there.’ The Doctor slowly crept towards her. ‘I could be wandering around bridges and stuff all night if you don’t come down and give me a hand.’
‘Why don’t we help you down,’ said Rose, ‘so you can show him the way?’
‘He needs me to get to him,’ the old woman went on, ‘before the feast.’
Rose’s blood ran cold. ‘That’s what Jay said.’
The Doctor nodded. ‘This person who needs you, love. . . was he on board the Ascendant when she went down?’
‘I must help him,’ the woman declared, straightening her skirt de-murely as she balanced on the edge of the bridge. ‘I thought he was lost, but now –’
‘He’s back. Yeah, you’ve seen him, haven’t you?’ the Doctor asked casually. ‘Tell us about it. Tell us your name.’
‘Anne.’ She shook her head, the gentle breeze ruffling her white wavy hair. ‘I can’t help you. I’m not from round here.’
‘Where are you from?’
‘Edinburgh. I only came here because. . . ’ A sad smile. ‘I don’t much want to talk. No one would believe me anyway.’
‘Try us!’ Rose insisted, looking up at her. ‘Because we’ve seen some-18
one too. Someone else who served on the ship, Jay Selby. He was a. . .
What was it?’
‘A Jack Dusty,’ said the Doctor, edging closer. ‘Or was Jack Dusty a Jay Selby?’ He looked at her intently. ‘Which way round is it, Anne, can you tell me?’
The old woman smiled, turned back to face him. ‘I was a Wren Dusty in the sixties. My husband was a surgeon lieutenant. We always wanted Peter to go into the navy. And he did so well for himself.’
‘Peter, right!’ The Doctor nodded encouragingly. ‘I think Jay knew him. Yeah, course he did! Come down for a few minutes and tell us what Peter said.’ The Doctor offered his hand to her. ‘We won’t keep you long. Thirty seconds. A minute, tops. Come on, that’s it. . . ’
Rose held her breath as slowly, painfully slowly, Anne reached out her own hand to take his.
‘Look out!’ shouted Mickey, who’d made it to the top of the bridge.
Anne looked up sharply, wavering for a second as if she was about to overbalance. The Doctor lunged for her hand, pulled her forwards.
Rose tried to break the woman’s fall by getting underneath her. All three went down in a heap. ‘Mickey, have you gone nuts?’ Rose cried.
‘Maybe.’ He was looking past them. ‘But I reckon this lot are gonna do their nuts.’
Rose turned to see a wall of khaki sprinting towards them from the other end of the bridge. The asphalt floor rumbled with the boom of their boots. ‘Soldiers. Great. Now we’re for it.’ Anne was on her hands and knees, her tweed skirt stained with oil. There was this weird look on her face. . .
The soldiers clattered to a halt. ‘You saw the blockade. This bridge is closed to the public,’ snapped a lean, hard-faced girl, leader of the troop. ‘It’s open to Stanchion House personnel only. You’ve got no business to be here.’
‘Don’t give me that. We had to help this woman,’ said the Doctor.
‘You can see for yourself she’s not right. Had a bit of a shock. You lot storming up here –’
‘We’ll arrange medical care. You must clear this. . . ’ The girl soldier frowned, put a hand to her head as if she was in pain. ‘Clear this area.’
19
‘Hey, are you all right?’ said Rose. ‘You don’t look too. . . ’
The soldier girl sank to her knees.
Anne’s grazed, dirty hand flew to her mouth. ‘Oh, my love. . . ’
The soldiers started dropping to the ground, one by one.
‘What’s happening to them?’ asked Rose, her voice rising in fear.
‘Dunno. No idea. Some sort of seizure?’ The Doctor quickly ex-amined the girl soldier. ‘Low blood pressure. Heart’s beating like crazy. . . ’ He grabbed her flailing wrist and pinched the skin.
Rose stared at him. ‘And that helps her how exactly?’
‘Peter!’ Anne shouted.
Mickey staggered backwards. ‘God, I feel sick.’
‘Get out of here, Mickey, back down the steps,’ the Doctor ordered.
‘Call an ambulance for this lot, double quick.’
He nodded, backed away. ‘Got it.’
‘Chop-chop,’ the Doctor added, looking worriedly into Anne’s eyes.
‘Pronto. Prontissimo.’
‘Are the soldiers bad?’ asked Rose.
‘Yes.’ The Doctor turned to one of the other soldiers, pinched a fold of skin on his neck. ‘Rose, get Anne out of here. Take her somewhere comfy she can rest. Look after her.’
‘What about you?’
‘These soldiers were guarding Stanchion House. Now they’re sleeping on the job it’ll be easier to get in, won’t it? ‘Specially with one of their pass cards.’ He straightened up, showed her what looked like a white credit card, and gave her a wild g
rin. ‘Golden opportunity! Got to grab it while I can.’
‘But there’ll be loads more guards inside!’ Rose protested.
Anne shouted out, suddenly desperate. ‘Peter, come back!’
The Doctor placed his hands on Rose’s shoulders. ‘Stay with her.
Don’t let her out of your sight.’ Without another word, he legged it off down the deserted bridge.
‘Mickey, hurry up with that ambulance!’ Rose shouted, trying to gently pull Anne up into a standing position. ‘Come on. Come with me. Peter will be back.’ A shiver ran through her; she’d meant it to sound soothing but it came out more like a threat.
20
As she moved the old woman away, the soldiers stopped twitching.
Something like water pooled up from the asphalt and trickled over to the side of the bridge. Then, as if it had drained into the iron and paintwork, it was gone.
21
The Doctor soon reached the dark glass doors of the imposing stone building. He checked his reflection, made a vague swipe at straightening his tie, then pushed inside.
He found himself in a posh foyer, all brightness and marble.
A large, disgruntled-looking security guard eyed him from the back of the hall. The Doctor ignored him as he slotted his stolen pass card into a turnstile, which beeped politely and let him through.
Two girls manned the high-tech reception, a blonde and a redhead looking smart as paint in dark navy blue. ‘May we help you?’ asked the blonde.
The Doctor ambled over. Be bold, he decided. ‘Sir John Smith, Scientific Adviser to the Admiralty, at your service.’ He pulled out a battered leather wallet and waved it in front of them. ‘I know I have an honest face, but here’s my ID. Just so you’re sure.’
Both girls nodded and smiled; the paper was low-level psychic, and showed them exactly what they expected to see. ‘Who are you visiting, sir?’
‘What’s going on with those soldier boys?’ he said quickly. ‘And the girls, for that matter. Nearly flattened me on my way in here.’
23
‘Just extra security, sir,’ said the redhead. ‘We’ve closed off the pedestrian bridges in the area. Press keep trying to sneak past.’
