Doctor Who_ Mission To The Unknown Part 7

Trantis looked annoyed. 'If it has taken so long for the Solar System to produce it, why was not one of the outer Galaxies asked to provide it?'

What an imbecile! Chen smiled politely, though. 'As the Daleks know, Taranium can only be found on one of the dead planets of the Solar System.' The Doctor knew that there was much truth in this. The Daleks had spent almost a century gathering enough Taranium from their empire to power a time machine that they had sent after him a short while back. With the aid of his companions, Ian, Barbara and Vicki, the Doctor had managed to capture and destroy that time machine, crippling the Dalek time researches. Now, however, it was apparent that they were using Chen to gain access to further supplies of Taranium.

'Without this,' Chen continued, 'the Time Destructor is useless! All the plans made here could not succeed. I, Mavic Chen, give you the core of the Time Destructor!' With these words, he opened the box, and slid from the casing the core itself a mechanism of s.h.i.+ning metal, lattices of crystal and a faint glow from the restrained power of the raw Taranium.

The Doctor felt a chill clear down to his soul as all of the Daleks turned their gaze towards the core. What evil plans did they have for that small device?

The pilot swung about in his chair at the controls of the Spar Spar.

This was a dream of a s.h.i.+p! He loved being here, in the heart of the craft. The computers augmented his own skills perfectly, making the craft a joy to fly. He hated having to stay even a short while on planets, and longed to be back in s.p.a.ce again, dancing between the stars! Well, with the reprovisioning now complete, they could take off soon as Mavic Chen returned from his mysterious meeting.

The engineer who had been checking the circuitry waved cheerfully as he left the room. A moment later, he backed in again, to the pilot's surprise. Then the reason for this odd move became quite apparent as Bret Vyon entered, and waved his pistol across the room. The pilot recognized the SSS uniform and stayed very still. He knew that agents were trained to shoot first and forget the niceties of life.

'Very sensible,' Bret approved. 'Now, come over here and join your friend.' The pilot did as he was told, moving slowly and carefully, with his hands raised. Two more people a young man and a pretty, bewildered-looking girl entered the control room.

Steven whistled in appreciation. 'Hey, this is a bit of all right!

Quite a lot different from the scouts I used to fly!'

'Really?' Bret asked, with interest. 'What sort of craft were they?'

Steven abruptly realized that this was the year AD 4000 considerably after the period of time that he came from. 'Oh, it was before your time,' he said, quickly. To cover his mistake, he picked up a bale of wire and a pair of clippers. 'Right,' he ordered the two captives, 'turn round and hold your hands together.'

With a groan, Zephon finally woke again. His head hurt from the blow he had been struck, and he discovered that his arms and feet had been firmly tied. Obviously, there were still some of the intruders alive, and he had been attacked by them.

Astonishment that they had dared to harm him was replaced by annoyance. He had to sound the alarm, and quickly!

The Daleks had instructed all the delegates where the various alarm points about the city were located. They believed in being cautious. Zephon knew that the nearest was just around the corner. He managed to struggle to a sitting position, and then pressed his back against the wall. Carefully, using his arms as best he could, he managed to push himself up against the wall, and eventually was standing.

Panting, he managed to jump a few inches forward. It would take a while, but he would be able to reach the alarm b.u.t.ton, at least. Another jump, then another.

The tension in the conference room was electric now. Chen had placed the core down on the table, and it gleamed under the lights, drawing all eyes irresistibly towards it. Chen was enjoying the attention. 'I have one final question,' he purred, 'and I am certain that we will all be grateful if the Supreme Dalek will answer it.' He paused for effect, and then asked: 'The date of the Earth's destruction?'

The Black Dalek looked directly at him. 'In Earth time,' it stated, 'one month from today.'

A broad smile of pleasure crossed Chen's features at this news. Soon, soon now...

Suddenly, the whole building was racked with an alarm klaxon sounding. Everyone jumped, and the Daleks began to spin about, seeking out what was wrong.

'Emergency! Emergency!' the Black Dalek called out.

'Intruder alert! All perimeter patrols report in!'

The Doctor knew that there could only be seconds now before his imposture was exposed. The delegates and the Daleks were heading towards the door leading to the s.p.a.ce-port.

Glancing around, the Doctor saw a second door on the far side of the room. With a swiftness that surprised even himself, he lunged for the Taranium core, and gripped it firmly. Then he ran for the second door.

The delegates were caught by surprise at this, and even the Daleks had not been expecting the move. Two of them spun about, but before they could her. the Doctor was through the door, and jammed it shut behind him.

The alarms were still blaring, but at least this room was empty. If only there was a way through from here to the s.p.a.ce-port! Otherwise he had simply delayed his execution.

As Steven and Katarina dumped the two bound and gagged captives out of the airlock, Bret settled down into the pilot's couch, and started to power up the Spar Spar. He was vaguely familiar with the design, as all SSS agents were, but had never actually handled one of these beauties before. The controls responded to his slightest touch, and the engines caught and started their build-up in a second or two. He powered up the screens, the instruments, and began to get the feel of the controls. The s.h.i.+p hummed below him as the power built up steadily.

'Ready to lift when you are, Doctor,' he muttered to himself, priming the main thrusters.

Steven and Katarina returned, Steven rubbing his hands together in satisfaction. 'They're out of the way of the blast,' he reported, 'and the rest of the s.h.i.+p is empty. You should see what they've got on this thing. I always did want to travel in style!'

'This craft is a s.h.i.+p?' Katarina asked, in awe. 'It is most beautiful, but I see neither sails nor oars. How then will it move?'

'Like a dream, believe me,' Bret informed her. It was a shame she was so stupid, because she was really rather a pretty thing. He couldn't understand why she seemed to be so out of things.

At that second, the alarms went off outside. The instruments picked them up perfectly within the s.h.i.+p, and the trio looked in horror at the screen.

'Something's gone wrong,' Bret snapped. 'We can't give him any longer.' On the scanners, he could see Daleks starting to emerge from the city complex. He reached for the main switches, only to be stopped by Steven.

'What are you doing?' Steven asked, shocked. 'We can't just leave the Doctor here!'

'He knew the risks he was taking,' Bret answered, pus.h.i.+ng Steven aside. Steven jumped back.

'I won't let you!'

The time for rational discussion had pa.s.sed. Steven knew many forms of fighting, but Bret was a trained agent. A single blow to Steven's stomach left the young man sprawled on the foor, gasping for breath.

Bret turned back to the controls, only to have Katarina hurl herself on to his arm. 'You cannot desert the Doctor! We must wait for him!'

Strangely reluctant to hit this innocent girl, Bret instead slammed his fist down on the thruster controls. 'The matter is academic, girl,' he snapped. 'We lift for s.p.a.ce in fifteen seconds.'

Below them, they could feel the power of the Spar Spar's main engines building towards the peak required to take them into the sky.

8.

Devil's Planet

A flas.h.i.+ng light caught Bret's eye. 'The outer door!' he cried.

Steven and Katarina had left it open when they had dumped out their captives. 'It must be shut! Quick, or we'll all be sucked out into s.p.a.ce when we take off!'

Katarina wasn't certain what he meant by the words, but his sense of urgency needed no translation. The young Trojan ran after him back to the airlock door. Bret moved to hit a large, red b.u.t.ton there, and then paused, a smile creasing his tired face.

'Doctor!'

The old man, puffing and panting, had arrived at the airlock at almost the some second. He held out a hand to be helped in. Bret took it, dragged him unceremoniously inside, and hit the b.u.t.ton to close the door.

As he did, the engines built up to a terrific whine, and the floor beneath Katarina began to shake. She was thrown to the floor, and held in place by the terrific acceleration of the take-off. Not understanding, she was terrified.

'What is happening?' she called, looking frantically around, then staring in terror at the Doctor.

'It's all right, child,' he called, from his own position on the floor. 'Just a rather rough take-off. It seems to be this young man's usual manner of doing things. It will ease in a moment.'

'Sorry, Doc,' Bret apologized. 'We didn't have much time to waste, and when I heard the klaxons going...'

The pressure stopped, abruptly, and all three of them could sir up again. 'That's quite all right,' the Doctor replied. 'You acted correctly.' Bret stood, and helped the Doctor to his feet.

The old man stabbed his chest with his finger. 'But I shan't tell you again not to call me Doc!'

Steven appeared in the doorway to the control room, relief written all over his face. 'I thought I heard an argument, Doctor.

It's good to see you made it.'

'Argument? Me?' The Doctor sniffed. 'I suppose I'd better check that the controls are set properly.' He strode past his companions, into the control room.

The Black Dalek entered the central control room on Kembal, and studied the floor below. The monitor supervisor raised its eye-stick.

'Att.i.tude seven,' it reported. 'Speed three thousand. Rising.'

's.h.i.+p has attained gravitational escape velocity,' a second reported.

'Cut in automatic trackers,' the Black Dalek ordered.

The supervisor did so. 'Trackers operational.'

'Charge neutronic randomizer.'

From a further console, another Dalek reported. 's.h.i.+p is entering the range of the orbital stations. Weapons are ready.'

'Do not destroy!' the Black Dalek ordered, almost in panic.

'The core must not be destroyed!'

The Dalek acknowledged, and began shutting down the weapons systems of the satellite defences of Kembal. The fleeing aliens would have to be allowed through this barrier.

'Stand by randomizer,' the Black Dalek commanded. 'The intruders most be taken alive.'

Bret sat back from the controls, a smile of deep satisfaction on his face. 'That's it,' he reported. 'We're now locked in on a direct path back to Earth.'

'How can we return to Earth?' Katarina asked, puzzled. She pointed to one of the screens in front of him. It showed the hazy outline of Kembel. 'We have just left it.'

'That's not the Earth,' the Doctor explained, gently.

Bret had had quite enough of all of this. 'What's wrong with this girl?' he demanded of the Doctor. 'She doesn't seem to know anything!'

Steven smiled. 'She's from Troy.'

'Troy!' Bret echoed. 'But Troy was destroyed thousands of years ago.'

'Quite right,' the Doctor agreed, not wanting to get into complicated explanations. 'That's why her knowledge is a trifle out of date. Yours, however, seems admirable on the matter of piloting this s.h.i.+p.' He had cast off Zephon's robes, and now took a comfortable chair. 'Now, I think it's time we took stock of our situation.'

Steven and Katarina followed his lead. Bret swung the pilot's chair around to face him. He looked at Katarina with wonder, but tore his attention back to the Doctor.

'What exactly do we know?' Steven asked.

'Only that the Daleks have allied themselves with the governments of the outer galaxies,' the Doctor began.

'And that they are planning an invasion of the Earth and the other planets in the Solar System,' Bret added.

'Well, at least we've not got a chance to warn Earth,' Steven observed. 'How long will it take as to get there?'

'Three days,' said Bret.

The Doctor rubbed his hands together, and chuckled with satisfaction. 'Excellent, excellent! I think it unlikely that the Daleks will be able to act before that time particularly as I've got this!' Dramatically, he withdrew the core of the Time Destructor from the folds of his cloak.

Bret looked at the glowing instrument with puzzlement.

'What is it?'

'A small device that feeds from the energies of Taranium.'

'Taranium!'

Raising an eyebrow, the Doctor asked: 'You've heard of it?'

'That can only be found on the planet Ura.n.u.s,' Bret exclaimed, taking a closer look at the device. 'It would take years to mine that amount.'

'Fifty years, to be precise.' Seeing the baffled expressions on the faces of Steven and Katarina, the Doctor deigned to explain.

'Taranium is probably the rarest mineral in the Universe. You have to process billions of tons of ore simply to get a milligram of it. It has the quality of being able to absorb enormous amounts of energy.'

'And if that energy is released,' Bret added, 'and harnessed... well, then you've got a pretty potent force at your command.'

Steven eyed the small core with respect. 'So what are the Daleks going to do with it?'

The Doctor shook his head, thoughtfully. 'I'm not certain.

They have developed a weapon that they call a Time Destructor.'

'What's that?'

'I wasn't able to stay around and find out, my boy.' He stared at the Taranium core as if seeking inspiration. 'The Daleks have been studying time for almost a century, and they use the power of Taranium to effect their control of it. If you recall, when I first met you, the Daleks were hunting me down a time machine and that was powered by a small amount of Taranium even less than is present in this core.' He looked seriously at his three companions., 'Whatever the Daleks wanted this for, it most be terribly dangerous and terribly evil! But it is unable to function without this.'

'And we've got it,' Bret said, happily, and sat back in his chair. 'Then I don't think we have to worry too greatly about the Dalek threat any more.'