Doctor Who_ Underworld Part 13

Leela heard the sound of a nearby alarm and the rush of pounding feet. 'Listen, Doctor, the Guards are coming!'

The Doctor ignored her. Once, twice, three times he twisted the sword.

'Leave it, Doctor,' shouted Leela urgently. 'You must come now, or the Guards will kill us.'

'Just one more turn,' gasped the Doctor. 'It's a bit stiff!'

'Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!' boomed the Oracle.

Chapter Thirteen.

Doomsday The Doctor gave one final twist, there was a click-and a crystal casket bearing two golden cylinders rose from the console. The Doctor opened it, s.n.a.t.c.hed them up and thrust them into his pockets. 'No hard feelings, old chap,'

he said, and ran for the grille. Leela and Idas pulled him through, and they disappeared into the shaft.

They wriggled through the narrow opening like rats with a cat after them, and emerged at last into the tunnel.

'Which way?' gasped Leela.

They could hear the shouts of Guards from somewhere close by.

'We've got to get away from the s.h.i.+p,' said the Doctor.

'They know this area better than we do.'

Idas said, 'The tunnels, Doctor. Let's go deeper into the tunnels. I know a place where they'll never find us. This way!'

Confidently, Idas led them into the maze of tunnels.

In the security section Ankh stood by the surveillance monitors, watching as Tarn punched up shot after shot of empty tunnels. Suddenly Tarn caught a glimpse of three figures disappearing round a corner. 'They have just entered Seven, Master.'

'Good. Close it down and collapse it!'

Tarn moved to a separate control console. All the tunnels had explosive charges set into the roof. It was another method of controlling the Trogs-causing the Skyfalls, the tunnel subsidences that kept down their numbers.

Tarn reached for a control.

Idas led them into a dead-end tunnel. Blocked by a fall of rock, it formed a kind of cave. 'This tunnel is disused-it was blocked by a Skyfall. We should be safe here.'

There was a rumbling crash, and the tunnel entrance collapsed.

Leela jumped back, looking angrily at Idas. 'Safe, you said? Doctor, we're sealed in!'

The Doctor seemed scarcely aware of the catastrophe.

He had taken the cylinders from his pockets and was studying them absorbedly.

'Doctor, what's the matter with you?'

The Doctor looked up. 'If these are the Race Bank cylinders-I was just wondering what they've given Jackson!'

Reverently, Jackson placed the two golden cylinders in the casket. 'The Quest is over! Orfe, set course for Minyos II.

K9, how do we stand for launch?'

K9 whirred and buzzed. 'Energy absorption still not at optimum level.'

Tala checked the readings. 'There's enough power to get away, Captain-but only just.'

'I say we go now,' said Herrick explosively. 'We've got what we came for.'

'Negative,' said K9 firmly. 'Personnel incomplete.

Doctor and the Mistress not on board.'

Jackson hesitated. The urge to get the Race Bank to Minyos was almost overpowering. But he owed the Doctor a good deal. 'All right, K9, go and find them. Tell them we've got the cylinders and we're leaving now!'

'Affirmative!'

The Doctor sat studying the cylinders. Leela felt like shaking him. 'Don't you understand, Doctor? We're trapped! We could be here forever!'

'What? No, no. They'll come and dig us out.'

'Why should they bother?'

'Because we've got something they want,' said the Doctor simply. He hefted the cylinders. 'The Oracle wants these back-remember?'

Tarn was receiving final orders from Lakh. 'At all costs the cylinders must be recovered and replaced. The Oracle commands it. Order a party of slaves to Seven to clear the Skyfall.'

'What of the intruders?'

'When the cylinders are recovered, feed their bodies into the Crusher.'

'It shall be done, Master!'

In the control room of the Minyan patrol vessel, everything was ready. Tala, Orfe, and Herrick were already at their posts. Jackson paced to and fro, his eyes on the corridor to the airlock.

'Secondary checks complete,' reported Tala.

'Third and final check commencing,' said Orfe.

Jackson stared at the gleaming cylinders and again at the door. 'Come on, Doctor. Come on! Come on! ' '

Leela pointed to the rockfall that had trapped them. 'Look, Doctor! Something's happening.'

They all looked. The rock surface was stirring, smoking.

As they stepped back the rocks exploded into a kind of tunnel-through it appeared K9.

The Doctor chuckled. 'There you are, K9! What kept you?'

'Grat.i.tude unnecessary,' said K9 imperturbably. 'Speed vital. Please hurry, Master!'

Jackson made his decision. 'We'll have to leave them.

Commence final countdown.'

Orfe began counting. 'Ten... nine... eight...'

'Run up drive.'

'Seven... six... five...'

'Drive running,' reported Tala.

'Four... three... two...'

'Pressurise and prepare for blast off.'

'One...'

The Doctor shot through the control room door, Leela and Idas close behind him. 'Stop! Jackson, here here are your Race Banks. The real ones!' He held up the cylinders. are your Race Banks. The real ones!' He held up the cylinders.

Jackson stared at them, then at the two identical cylinders in the casket. 'Then what are those?'

The Doctor gave him the real cylinders and took the others from the casket. 'That's what I intend to find out.

K9, see what you can make of these.' He knelt and held them under the little automaton's nose.

It didn't take K9's scanners long to find the answer.

'a.n.a.lysis indicates fission grenades, Master.'

The Doctor tried to unscrew one of the cylinders.

'Negative! Do not proceed! Impossible to defuse.

Grenades programmed to self-detonate shortly. Explosive content in excess of two thousand megatons. Attempt to defuse will detonate immediately.'

'How long have we got-if I leave them alone?'

'Accurate estimate impossible. Timing mechanism s.h.i.+elded.'

Almost automatically Jackson put the genuine cylinders in their casket. 'What are we going to do, Doctor?'

The Doctor looked at the two camouflaged atom-bombs in his hands. 'I think I'd better get rid of these, don't you?'

he said mildly.

'Affirmative,' said K9.

But the Doctor had already left the control room.

'Wait, Doctor,' shouted Leela, and ran after him. Idas hesitated a moment and then followed.

They came out of the s.h.i.+p in time to see the tail of the Doctor's scarf disappearing round the tunnel bend. 'Come on,' said Leela. 'He may need us. After him!'

' Why Why have they not been found?' whispered the Oracle angrily. have they not been found?' whispered the Oracle angrily.

Ankh bowed low. 'When the slaves cleared the Skyfall the intruders had already gone.'

'Shall they not be found?' demanded the Oracle almost petulantly. 'Is that not my purpose?'

It had ruled for so long that it was unable to understand that its will could be crossed, let alone that it could fail.

'They shall be found,' promised Ankh. 'It shall be done as you command. Your servant Rask searches for them now...'

The Doctor shot round a bend and ran straight into Rask and his squad who were herding along a mob of slaves. For a moment they all stared at each other in mutual surprise.

The Doctor said politely, 'Excuse me, could you direct me to the Oracle? I'm a stranger here.'

'I'll take those cylinders, Doctor,' snarled Rask.

'I wouldn't if I were you. They won't do you any-'

'Give them here! ' Rask s.n.a.t.c.hed the cylinders from the Doctor's hands. 'Guards, take care of him. Make sure you finish him off-throw him into the Crusher. I shall take the cylinders back to the Citadel.' Rask was eager to grab the credit of success.