Chapter 7 - The Sontaran Stratagem

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The Sonataran Stratagem, part 2 -

The jeep stopped in the middle of a junction near Donna's home. She got out.

"I'll walk the rest of the way. I'll see you back at the factory, yeah?"

"Bye!", the Doctor said.

"Be careful", the Oracle added.

"And you", then Donna walked off and they drove along.

They drove onto the grounds of Rattigan Academy and saw several people in red hoodies running across the grounds while a young man in t-shirt and jeans just watched.

"UNIT's been watching Rattigan Academy for ages. It's all a bit Hitler Youth. Exercise at dawn and classes and special diets", Jenkins explained.

"Turn left", the ATMOS in the jeep instructed.

"Ross, one question", the Doctor asked, "If UNIT thinks that ATMOS is dodgy-"

"Go straight on", the ATMOS interrupted him.

"How come we've got it in the jeeps?", Jenkins finished the question for him, "Yeah, tell me about it. They're fitted as standard on all government vehicles. We can't get rid of them till we can prove there's something wrong."

"Innocent until proven guilty", the Oracle nodded.

"Turn right", the ATMOS announced.

"Drives me around the bend", Jenkins explained.

He turned a bend and the Time Lords chuckled, "Oh, nice one."

"Timed that perfectly", Jenkins smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, you did", the Doctor agreed.

"This is your final destination", the ATMOS announced when Jenkins parked.

They got out of the car and the jogging students in red hoodies passed by them. They walked up to the young man in jeans and shirt, looking over the grounds, presumably Luke Rattigan.

"Is it PE?", the Doctor asked, "I wouldn't mind a kick around, I've got my daps on."

"I suppose you're the Doctor?", Luke asked.

"Hello", he waved.

"Your commanding officer phoned ahead", Luke told him.

"I didn't call anyone", the Oracle said from behind the Doctor.

He turned around to her with narrowed eyes and she gave a smirk back. Then the Doctor turned back to Rattigan.

"I haven't got a commanding officer. Just the Oracle here", he gestured to her and she waved then he turned to Jenkins, "And this is Ross, by the way. Say hello, Ross."

"Good afternoon, sir", he obliged.

"Let's have a look, then. I can smell genius! In a good way", he added with a glance to his wife who had scrunched her nose.

Rattigan led them inside to a laboratory and the Doctor immediately went into full geek-mode looking at all the different things with his glasses on.

"Oh, now, that's clever. Look. Single molecule fabric, how thin is that?! You could pack a tent in a thimble. Ooo! Gravity simulators. Terraforming, biospheres, nano-tech steel construction. This is brilliant. Do you know, with equipment like this you could, ooo, I don't know, move to another planet or something?

"If only that was possible", Rattigan said.

"If only that were possible"; the Oracle corrected, gaining his attention, "Conditional clause."

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