The Mind of The Daleks

Chapter 26: Memory

Neither spoke for a minute. As they turned onto the nearest major street, which was strewn with light late-night traffic, Isabel broke the silence with a question, low and intense: "What did you do?"

"Well," the Doctor answered in an infuriatingly cheerful tone, "I think, and in fact I am almost sure, that I effectively put an end to the Daleks' set-up in these parts. That was your suggestion of course."

"Oh, and I'm sure you got your precious information too, you wouldn't forget about that," Isabel said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. She turned in her seat so that she could look at him directly. "I'm sure that you did everything that we came to do. But that's not what I meant, and you know it. What the hell did you do to me?"

The Doctor hesitated a moment and then sighed. "I am very sorry, Isabel. If there had been another way, I would have taken it. But when the controller died, well..."

"To buy us some time," Isabel filled in, "you connected me up to the computer in his place."

"Well," he admitted, "yes, I'm afraid so."

"The very least you could have done was tell me first!" she hissed, her fury mounting. "Was I just the handiest piece of brain tissue or something? Why didn't you hook yourself up? You could have told me what to do if you had!"

"Oh, dear me, no!" the Doctor blinked a little in surprise at the suggestion as he turned onto a ramp leading to the freeway. "That wouldn't have done at all! They could very easily have gotten more information from me than I could have gotten from them. No, no, that was quite impossible."

"Oh, great!" snapped Isabel. "So you just decided to plug the nearest lump of untrained, undereducated gray matter into that-" she swallowed, "-that thing?"

The Doctor gave her a brief glance and she was glad to read at least a little regret in his eyes. "Your very lack of education protected you," he pointed out. "In fact, it was because of the intelligence that you have shown that I knew you could bear it. I wondered from the very first, you see, why the Daleks didn't choose you in their scan," he continued, hurriedly. "They like to have intelligence in their Robomen, and I thought that your untrained mind would do very well for them. Of course, we have since discovered that it was for the very simple reason that they only chose men, which would exclude even such a strong and resourceful young lady as you are, my dear. And they didn't need a controller."

Isabel stomach twisted inside her. "Doctor...?"

"When I have encountered computers that connect directly to a living mind, I've noticed that the effects are never adverse if the contact is brief," the Doctor continued, taking no notice of her. "Anything unpleasant should wear off very quickly. In fact, you seem to be almost completely recovered already!"

"Doctor...!" Isabel said again, staring straight ahead at the illuminated billboards and glowing business buildings that blurred past.

"I'm very sorry to have to put you through that, however. It really was the only way to do what we came to do – and probably the best way. And I did manage to find out everything that I needed – and more!"

"Doctor..."

"My dear Isabel," the Doctor said testily, "I don't believe that you are properly listening to me!"

"Oh," Isabel retorted giddily. "I've heard every word that you've said."

"On the contrary, you've been completely distracted! Heard every word I've said, indeed!"

"Every word," she said quietly, and then repeated clearly, faintly imitating his tone and accent; "You said, that the Daleks like to have intelligence in their Robomen, and 'I thought that your untrained mind would do very well for them. Of course, we have since discovered that it was for the very simple reason that they only chose men, which would exclude even such a strong and resourceful young lady as you are, and they didn't need a controller. When I have encountered computers that connect directly to a living mind before, I've noticed that the effects are never adverse if the contact is brief. Anything unpleasant should wear off very quickly. In fact, you seem to be almost completely recovered already...'"