Part 13 (1/2)

The Doctor walked the short distance to the Master's TARDIS. The Master was waiting for him.

'The temporal limiter,' demanded the Master.

'The quantum accelerator,' insisted the Doctor.

Neither trusted the other a millimetre. The Master guardedly revealed the Doctor's accelerator. The Doctor allowed a glimpse of the Master's limiter. There was a fumbling, mutual s.n.a.t.c.h and grab. The deal was done.

'Shall I say au revoir, Doctor?' The Master oozed venomous charm.

The Doctor turned his back dismissively on his arch enemy and returned to the plane. Hardly had the Master, with a dark chuckle, entered his TARDIS than the column dematerialised.

By now none of the crew batted an eyelid. 'I suppose he could end up anywhere in the universe,' said Captain Stapley.

'Heathrow, actually.'

The Doctor's casual announcement caused consternation.

'He's virtually running in a new TARDIS,' he went on to explain. 'To check out the temporal dimensions he'll need to track back the line of the time contour.'

Andrew Bilton was appalled at what the Doctor had just allowed to happen.

'He'll land up in London with the nucleus on board?'

'Yes.'

'It's a disaster!'

'Quite right.' The Doctor couldn't agree more. 'Shall we go on board?'

All around them dazed pa.s.sengers were returning, once again, to their senses.

'The punters are your responsibility, Tegan,' shouted Stapley, making a quick escape to the main door. 'When you get them on board, stand by on those tyres.'

Just my luck, thought Tegan. My first job as a stewardess. She tried to forget how dirty and sweaty she was and approached the pa.s.sengers with a radiant smile on her face. 'Ladies and gentlemen, we do apologise for the delay ...' The words flowed like syrup. 'Your flight to Heathrow is now ready for boarding. Would you proceed to the aircraft immediately.'

The Doctor soon had the quantum accelerator back in circuit. He stood up from the console looking very pleased with himself. Nyssa couldn't understand why. 'The Master will get to Earth before us,' she fretted.

'Not with my temporal limiter in circuit,' the Doctor rea.s.sured her.

'It won't work?'

'Of course it will. You don't think I could fool the Master do you?' He started to make his way out of the TARDIS and towards the flight deck.

Nyssa recognised the glint in his eye. She smiled. 'Mind you,' said the Doctor, 'there is an inhibition factor inherent in the programming.'

'What does that mean?'

The Doctor grinned. 'We get to Heathrow first.'

Tegan felt very lonely out in the cold beside the two wheels, with everyone else strapped in their seats waiting for takeoff. She looked up at the flight deck window, hoping for the sign to release the compressed air.

But with such a hazardous launch before them, the pre-flight checks were more vital than at any well-equipped international airport.

The moment came.

'Air on number three engine.' Captain Stapley gave the order in a calm, clipped voice.

Tegan released the valve. There was a hiss like a soda syphon. She prayed that not too much air was escaping from the makes.h.i.+ft connection.

'Start number three engine.'

From the right hand side of the airfcraft came a dull whine.

'Start number two engine.'

Another deep snarl from the left of the plane.

'Air off. Get Tegan in.'

The air jets were screaming now, and Tegan had her hands over her ears as Bilton waved to her. She pulled the feed clear and ran for the door.

'I want reverse thrust on three and four so I can turn the aircraft.'

The engines roared as the plane rotated anticlockwise.

The Captain was giving his final briefing to his First Officer and Engineer when the Doctor arrived on the flight deck. 'I will abandon takeoff, prior to V1, only on the loss of two engines ...'

'Ready to go?' asked the Doctor.

'Strap yourself in for takeoff will you please, Doctor,' ordered Captain Stapley. He turned back to Bilton and Scobie.

'At V2 we will maintain our climb-out at theta two under full power.'

Captain Stapley looked ahead at the frozen mudflat. No one at Toulouse or Bristol ever dreamed she would have to come unstuck from that. He glanced over his shoulder at the Doctor. 'Cross your fingers.' He beamed the merest smile in the direction of Bilton and Scobie. 'This is it, gentlemen.'

The Captain's right hand rested on the four throttles. 'Three, two, one ...' He counted the seconds. 'Now.' He pushed the throttles hard against the end stop.

The idling turbines surged to a full-throated roar. The great silver creature struggled forward.

There were rolling. Faster, faster. A bit of feedback already shaking the stick.

'Airspeed building.'

Four green lights on the instrument panel; afterburners coming in.

Flame from the four Olympus engines; full power.