The Doctor Of War ³

Sleep No More pt.3

"In the absence of any further  communication with Chief Nagata and the others, I must regrettably assume them to be deceased. Under the circumstances, I'm now returning to the ship and will begin preparations to destroy Le Verrier station" Chopra says as the bulkhead doors open, a Sandman roars. Chopra readies his rifle and walks forward "who's there? Chief?!" there is a closed Morpheus pod in the compartment. He goes forward to the next, where the one that Deep-Ando had been using is still open. The doors close behind him. There is a roar and he screams.

---

"Rescue ship? Why are we going to the rescue ship?" Nagata asks.

"Because that's where he'll," the Doctor says.

"Gagan Rassmussen. I'm Gagan Rassmussen. This is Le Verrier lab in orbit around Neptune. I've put things together into some kind of order."

"You had that prepared well in advance, didn't you? Your statement. Your alibi. There would inevitably be questions when you got to Triton. So, you needed to get your story straight" I say.

"This is what happened" a portion of hull slides back by the closed pod.

"You can't fight them, Doctor, Seer. There's no point. They're the future. A new life form. A better life form. That's very clear to me now. They've made me understand. And we're to be their food, and that's only correct. I just needed to find a way to get them off this station, and back to Triton. And then, they'll spread. Spread everywhere" Rassmussen says.

"And that's what you want? You're helping them wipe out humanity!" Clara says.

"Things have been made very clear to me!"

"But we saw you die. The Sandmen swallowed you" Nagata says.

"I think the Professor has been playing a long game. Am I right?" the Doctor asks.

"They speak to me in my mind. Trust me, I think. But they're like children. Babies. So new. Evolving. Hungry. Always so hungry. I made them understand. We had to find a way out. And then there'd be new food sources. Unlimited. So, they spared me. And we waited" Rassmussen says.

"You and your cargo."

"I got it in here while you were all distracted" he opens another bulkhead door to reveal a closed Morpheus pod.

"What's in there? Dust?" Clara asks.

"It's like smuggling a jam jar full of germs through customs" I say.

"No. No, more than that" Rassmussen says.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been working on Morpheus for a very long time, Seer. I had to start somewhere. Morpheus's first client. Patient Zero. The ultimate Wide-Awake. Inside there is a man who hasn't slept in five years."

"Or what's left of him."

"He's the well-spring. Once we get to Triton, he will spread his spores."

"But you said it was an encoded signal. Something electronic in the Morpheus process that changed the chemical reaction in the brain" Clara says.

"That's how it started, yes, but it's changing all the time. Evolving new ways to infect, to flourish. Whole moons, whole planets, whole civilisations. They'll spread everywhere" Rassmussen says.

"You know we can't allow that," the Doctor says.

"You can't stop them. None of us can" Nagata aims her weapon at Rassmussen.

"I wouldn't bet on that, pet" Rassmussen raises his hands, then grabs a lapel. The pod starts to open. A Sandman sits up and roars. Nagata shoots at it.