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

The Poison Sky (Part 2)

"Remove the box from the war room, beyond the transmission field," Staal ordered, and several Sontarans jumped to do his bidding.

"That achieved nothing," Mace snapped to the Doctor on the planet below.

"Oh, you'd be surprised," the Time Lord said mildly.

Not far away, on a hill in front of Rattigan Academy, the students of that school stood watching smog rise over London. "Leave it," Rattigan said. "Turn away. Civilization is falling!"

"But it's all over the news, sir, it's everywhere. Paris and New York," one of the boys said.

"It's time I told you," Rattigan said instead of answering. "It's time I reveal what our work has been for." He lead them into the lab, ignoring their hushed, upset murmurs. "All the stuff we've been building. All this invention. Where's it been heading? Gravity intensifiers, hydroponics, atmospheric conversion ecoshell. More than enough to build a brand new world!"

"Luke, we haven't got time for this," the boy from earlier snapped. "I've got to find my parents."

"Oh, but this isn't just theory," Rattigan continued. "I'm talking Planetfall. For all of us. A brand new start for a brand new human race. Look." He reached for a remote, pulling up a holographic projection of a planet. "A new world. Far out. Beyond Alpha Geminorium, just waiting for us. Its official designation is Castor 36. I think of it as Earth Point Two. I did wonder about Rattigan's World, but... we can take a vote on that."

"What the hell are you on about?"

"This is where we're going," Rattigan said. "I have partners willing to take us there."

"Oh, he's lost it," a girl said. "I haven't got time for this."

"Excuse me, I haven't finished," Rattigan said, switching off the projector. "Where are you going?"

"To find my brother," the girl snapped.

"I didn't say you could leave!"

"I told him to put ATMOS in his car," she said desperately. "I've got to go and help him."

"Stay where you are!" Rattigan ordered, pulling a gun from his belt and pointing it at her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Luke," a boy said, holding his hands up. "Put that down."

"But... I did this for you," Rattigan said. "Don't you see? We've spent all our lives excluded. The clever ones. They... they've laughed at us. And pulled us down. Those ordinary people out there. Those cattle. This is our chance to leave them behind!"

"You mean you want them dead?"

"And I chose you to survive! With Planetfall we can start again. We can build, and breed. We can prosper, we can do anything?"

"We're going to breed?" the girl said, tone dripping disgust.

"I've designed a mating program," Rattigan said. "I've planned the whole thing!"

"Well then!" she said. "Shoot me!"

"Stay where you are!" Rattigan snapped, but she shoved past the crowd, headed for the door. "Stay where you are, I said!" Others began following her, shaking their heads at him. "Stay where you are, that's an order!"

"Castor 36?" the last boy to leave said. "You're just sick." He, too, strode through the door.

"Guess that just proves it, then!" Rattigan shouted to the empty room. "I'm cleverer than you! I'm cleverer than everyone! D'you hear me? I'm clever!"