*DISCONTINUED* Between Dimensions (A Doctor Who Fanfiction)

Chapter 31: Sixty Seconds

The police car parked crookedly on the driveway of Sarah Jane's house. Susan slid out, feeling slightly carsick from the rough ride.

"There's no car," Luke stated. "Mum isn't here."

"Yeah, but she could have been," Susan pointed out. "Captain Tybo, scan for the energy trace."

"There is a trace," he said after scanning. "Trans-body fusion energy. Androvax was here." Another kind of loud beeping came from the scanner.

"What's that?" Clyde asked.

"Judoon recovery mission entered solar space," Tybo replied.

"That doesn't sound good," Rani commented. Luke and Clyde nodded, and the four humans exchanged a meaningful glance. They needed to find Androvax before the Judoon arrived.

"We have to hurry. Come on." Luke ran into the house, followed by Clyde, Rani, Susan, and the Judoon.

"Mr. Smith, we need you!" Luke yelled when they reached the attic. The fanfare that usually accompanied the unfolding of the computer was replaced by blaring alarms. Everyone else took a step back, as Susan casually pulled up a chair. She sat back and popped into her mouth a piece of gum she found in her pocket. It was cinnamon flavored. She always loved cinnamon.

"Luke, Clyde, Rani, Susan, run. Get out of the house, now," the computer ordered.

"I don't understand," Luke stammered, moving closer to the fireplace.

"Sarah Jane has instructed my self-detonation protocols to initiate on activation. I will explode in sixty seconds. The explosion will destroy all of Bannerman Road. You must run. Now!"

"Detonation in fifty five seconds," Mr. Smith said. "You must run. Now."

"Mr. Smith, stop it!" Rani pleaded, stepping toward the computer.

"I cannot cancel Sarah Jane's order."

"But it wasn't Sarah Jane that ordered you to explode," Clyde protested. "It was some freaky alien inside her."

Rani frantically turned toward Susan, who was blowing a cinnamon-flavored bubble. "Why can't you help us?"

"Detonation in forty seconds. Only she can command me to disarm."

Captain Tybo drew his weapon and aimed it at Mr. Smith. "I stop."

"No!" Luke yelled. "We need Mr. Smith to find Mum."

"Then do something now."

"Susan!" Rani pleaded.

She sighed dramatically. "Consider the purpose of a Xylok," she said. After a moment, Luke's eyes lit up.

"Thirty one seconds," Mister Smith said.

"Mr. Smith, you're a Xylok, and what is most important to a Xylok?" Luke asked.

"Purpose," the computer responded.

"And what is your purpose? What did mum tell you was your purpose?"

"To defend and protect Earth."

"And that purpose overrides all other protocols."

"Yes. You have nineteen seconds." His voice was more distorted this time, and random images flashed on the screen.

"Mum's orders endanger Earth," Luke concluded. "Your purpose overrides her command. You have to stop the detonation."

"Your point seems logical. I must consider it."

There were thirteen seconds left on the clock, and they slowly ticked by as the computer calculated Luke's reasoning. There were eight seconds left when Mr. Smith finally said, "Detonation suspended."

A collective sigh of relief was released, and Susan smiled slightly.

"Who else could talk a bomb out of going off?" Clyde said, patting Luke on the back.

Luke grinned at him, and then turned to the computer. "Mr. Smith, where is Mum?"

"In 1947, a spaceship crash-landed in New Mexico," Mr. Smith began.

"You're talking about Roswell," Rani said.

Clyde looked at her. "You mean that really happened?"

"Come on. Try to keep up."

"The US military re-engineered a craft from the wreckage," Mr. Smith continued. "Androvax had me acquire the schematics from their Dreamland in Arizona."

"She's taken them to Genetec," Luke said. "Of course, nanoform technology could build it from raw atoms."

"Androvax wants to build a spaceship," Susan clarified in an attempt to move the plot along more quickly.

"He wants to build a spaceship before the Judoon get here in thirty minutes?" Clyde asked, slightly dubious.

"Nanoforms are extremely fast," she added. "Like, really fast."

"Must hurry," Captain Tybo growled. "Stop Androvax escaping."

"Okay, so we should probably leave now." Susan hurried down the stairs to the police car, followed by Luke, Rani, Clyde, and Captain Tybo.