Genesis Of The Doctor - A Doctor Who Story

23 - Fakes

Later the two men sat in the kitchen of Clive's small flat, sat around the dinner table, both nursing mugs of hot tea.  Smith had retained his dark glasses; his last line of defence against the Myriad.  He still did not know what to make of Clive and remained cautious.

Smith and Clive chatted for a while like friends who had known each other for years.  Despite his apparently innocuous questions Smith could tell that Clive was suspicious of him and he also wondered what Clive's motivations were to hide, masquerading as a blind person. Where they the same as his?

Clive was saying, "So, if you love Liverpool so much why did you decide to leave?"

"Well much as I love it you can't stay in the same place all of your life can you?  Plus I wanted to check out the Big Smoke."

"No I guess you can't.  And after your accident, why turn up somewhere you don't know with no plan of where to stay and with nothing but a small bag?  It seems a bit crazy!"

"Quick web search, closed my eyes and stabbed a finger randomly at the screen," said Smith truthfully.

Clive leapt to his feet and grabbed Smith by his lapels.  "Rubbish!" he growled, "There's nothing wrong with your eyes. What the hell are you doing here?"

Smith span Clive around and away from him with a force that surprised them both. "You're no more blind than I am!" he countered.

Clive staggered back as if slapped but then squared up to Smith again and tore the dark glasses from his face, looking him in the eye fiercely. "No!" he exclaimed and then he just as suddenly embraced him in a bear hug before slumping into a chair. "I can't believe it," he said.  "I thought I was the only one."

"Only what?" asked Smith, taken aback.

"The only one without the flashing eyes.  It's everybody, everybody's doing it but not you.  You're not doing it, why not?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," lied Smith.

"Come on, you do, you must have seen it.  It's everywhere, it's everyone."

"Okay, let's just say I know what you're talking about, why aren't you doing it?"

Clive looked relieved, "I don't know. I don't know why.  I've watched - it happens to one person, they look at someone else and it happens to them.  But not to me and not to you."

"Hey, I recognise you," said Smith, avoiding the issue as he came to a sudden realisation.  "You're 'Clive Ammo' aren't you?   You're that singer from Star Songs, The Fallen Angel!"

Clive sighed, "Yes.  Guilty as charged.  Clive Ammo's my stage name."

"Yes, I'd worked that out.  You're not the best singer are you Clive?  If you don't mind me saying."

"I guess not.  Tone deaf my agent says.  I've knocked it all on the head now anyway; that's where I started seeing the flashing eyes; people in the audience doing it at me.  It freaked me out so much I looked for somewhere where I could be sure nobody would be doing it.  That why you're faking it too?"

Smith decided it was worth the risk to come clean, "Yes, but I'm not immune like you.  Just very careful."

"I knew it! What a pair!" Clive exclaimed.  "What do you think's gonna happen?" he asked.  "About the flashing-eyed freak shows I mean."

"Nothing good, nothing good at all." Smith made a decision; what he needed most right now was somebody to share his plans with.  "I'm not going to sit around here while things get worse and worse.  I need to find out more and I've got some things I could try.  It seems about four percent of the population are like you Clive; immune, and most of them seem to be quietly disappearing as these... things... take over.  I want to stop that happening for starters and to find out what makes people like you special.  Do you think you can help me Clive?"

Clive shot Smith a wide grin and nodded his assent.