Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

The Sontaran Stratagem (Part 2)

Donna, evidently, had grown bored of the Doctor poking over the ATMOS device, and wandered off to do some investigating of her own. Meanwhile, Mace and Mallory were watching the Time Lord puzzle over the device. "Ionizing nano membrane carbon dioxide converter, which means that ATMOS works. Filters the CO2 at a molecular level."

"We know all that, but what's its origin?" Mace said. "Is it alien?"

"No... decades ahead of its time." He paused, glancing over as Mace bent down beside him. "Look, d'you mind, could you stand back a bit?"

"Sorry, have I done something wrong?" Mace snapped.

"You're carrying a gun. I don't like people with guns hanging around me, all right?"

"If you insist," Mace said stiffly, before marching off.

"Touchy, much?" Mallory muttered.

"Well, it's true," the Doctor said.

"He's not a bad man! Bit... stiff, but..."

"People with guns are usually the enemy in my books," the Doctor answered.

"Matt carried a gun in the Year, are you going to crucify him for that?" she found herself snapping. He looked up at her for a moment. "It's all good for you, coming and going with your... your razzle-dazzle and your charm, but at the end of the day you waltz off and leave. And for the rest of us that's not always an option." She paused for a minute, before finally saying, "And it's a bit rich of you to be complaining about the company I keep at a job you got me."

He didn't answer her, but she could tell his hackles had lowered a little.

"Oi, you lot," came Donna's voice. "All your storm troopers and your sonics... you're rubbish! Should've come with me."

"Why, where have you been?"

"Personnel," she answered, as Mace poked his head back in. "That's where the weird stuff's happening, in the paperwork. 'Cause I spent years working as a temp, I can find my way 'round an office blindfolded, and the first thing I noticed," she held up a bright blue folder, "is an empty file."

"Why, what's inside it?" the Doctor asked. "Or, what's not inside it?"

She held the end up, so they could read the words Staff Sick Leave scribbled on it. "Sick days. There aren't any. Hundreds of people working here and no one's sick. Not one hangover, man flu, sneaky little shopping trip, nothing. Not ever! They don't get ill."

"That's can't be right," Mace said.

"You've been checking out the building, should've been checking out the workforce," Donna said.

Mallory smiled. "I see why he likes you."

"Mmhmm."

"You're good."

"Super temp," Donna said.

"Everton, have Dr. Carey set up a medical post, start examining the workers. I'll get them sent through," Mace ordered, before departing again.

"Come on, Donna, give me a hand?" Mallory offered.

"So, so, this ATMOS thing, where did it come from?" the Doctor asked, jogging after Mace.

"Luke Rattigan himself," Mace said.

"And 'himself' would be...?"

Mace gestured over to a computer, tapping away at the keys for a moment before a profile on Rattigan came up. "Child genius. Invented the Fountain 6 search engine when he was twelve years old. Millionaire overnight. Now runs the Rattigan Academy. A private school, educating students, handpicked from all over the world.