Doctor Who_ The Power of the Daleks Part 7

The lab was as deserted as the corridors, but there were lights still focused on the capsule. They were on stands, like the ones photographers used for wedding pictures. It was as if Lesterson were afraid the capsule might scarper if he didn't keep it constantly monitored. Well, for all Ben knew it just might.

As he approached the open hatchway, the Doctor pulled something from one of his stuffed pockets. Ben could just make out that it was Lesterson's triangular piece of metal.

Now what was going on? He and Polly tiptoed quietly into the lab and over to the entrance to the capsule. The Doctor was bent over the far wall. As they watched, puzzled, he took the metal token and slid it into the right-hand edge of the thin slot Ben had seen him stand in front of earlier.

Holding one point of the triangle, he pressed the flat edge as deeply into the groove as it would go. Then he slid it to the left.

With the very faintest of hums, the inner wall slid back.

'Ben, Polly,' the Doctor called over his shoulder without looking around, 'come and meet the Daleks.'

Ben sighed and walked over to join the little man. Polly followed, a little more reluctantly.

Beyond the now-open doorway was a second compartment. It was considerably larger than the hatchway, but its walls were almost as bare. There was also a layer of dust over the room. Not much light filtered in from the arc lamps outside the capsule, but Ben could clearly see what the Doctor had to be referring to.

Two machines stood in the room. Both were slightly smaller than he was. They tapered up from the floor to a domed top. There was a series of raised half-spheres arranged about the lower half of each machine. Above this was a band. Two appendages jutted out from what had to be the front of the thing, lifelessly pointing at the floor.

Above this section was a grilled area, then the dome. Two dead bulbs and a third appendage were fitted into the dome. Both machines were identical in every respect, a dull grey colour, like the rocks of Vulcan.

'You knew they were here,' Ben said accusingly.

'You could have opened the capsule at any time,' Polly added, eyeing the metal token as the Doctor slipped it back into his pocket.

'I guessed guessed they were here,' the Doctor replied to Ben's question, nodding at the Daleks. To Polly, he added: they were here,' the Doctor replied to Ben's question, nodding at the Daleks. To Polly, he added:

'Didn't that piece of metal look at all familiar to you?

Think back the TARDIS's wardrobe..'

'You had one just like it!' Polly said, remembering. 'You said something about your granddaughter, didn't you?'

'Yes. Susan took that that piece from Skaro' He tapped the closest of the Daleks. 'That is their home world.' piece from Skaro' He tapped the closest of the Daleks. 'That is their home world.'

Polly was puzzled. 'Then why did you keep it a secret?'

The Doctor was studying the Daleks carefully. 'I didn't know whether they were alive or... not alive.'

Ben gave a cheery grin and slapped the metal sh.e.l.l. It rang quite loudly in the compartment. 'They don't seem to be too lively to me.'

'Never underestimate the power of the Daleks, Ben,' the Doctor told him. He turned back to peer down at the floor of the room next to the entrance.

Ben snorted in disbelief. Polly frowned. 'What did you expect?' she asked the Doctor. 'Two hundred years at least in the swamp, Lesterson said. Nothing could live through that'

'Nothing human, no.' The Doctor seemed to be absorbed in studying the dust on the floor. 'Ah...'

'What's the matter?' Ben asked. He still wasn't certain what this odd person was up to, or if he was really the Doctor or not. But he clearly knew something ahout this place that he wasn't telling.

The Doctor rubbed his finger in the dust. It left a tiny trail. 'There were three three Daleks in here,' he said quietly. He pointed to an area closer to the door than the two inert figures. Peering down, Ben could make out the outline of a third Dalek in the dust. The Doctor looked up and met his gaze. 'So, where's the other one?' Daleks in here,' he said quietly. He pointed to an area closer to the door than the two inert figures. Peering down, Ben could make out the outline of a third Dalek in the dust. The Doctor looked up and met his gaze. 'So, where's the other one?'

Ben's skin was crawling. The Doctor's tone made him s.h.i.+ver. But there was nothing to be afraid of in here, surely? The whole thing was a couple of centuries dead.

In the darkness of the shadows, it paused. There were life forms in the capsule. Three of them, ahead of it, studying the travel machines. But this was the night-period, when the humans rested.

It had rested for long enough. The first, faint glimmers of light had awakened it from its sleep. It had been waiting for the slightest touch of power to awaken. The photoelectric panel in the hatchway had been programmed to divert the energy of light to awaken it in its cradle. All that was needed were a few faint rays of sunlight. The capsule could have landed in forty-feet of water and still the panel would have found enough light to trigger the awakening. But that hadn't happened. The Dalek had no idea why, as yet. Instead, a short while ago, a brilliant pulse of laser light had triggered the device. had rested for long enough. The first, faint glimmers of light had awakened it from its sleep. It had been waiting for the slightest touch of power to awaken. The photoelectric panel in the hatchway had been programmed to divert the energy of light to awaken it in its cradle. All that was needed were a few faint rays of sunlight. The capsule could have landed in forty-feet of water and still the panel would have found enough light to trigger the awakening. But that hadn't happened. The Dalek had no idea why, as yet. Instead, a short while ago, a brilliant pulse of laser light had triggered the device.

It had been wakened, but the light had died again. Still, now that the Dalek was awake, it had one clear duty: protect the capsule.

The three intruders were humanoid, and they were dangerously close to uncovering the secrets of the Daleks.

It knew its duty: exterminate them.

Polly stared at the machines in front of her. 'You called them Daleks,' she said.

'Yes,' the Doctor agreed. He seemed to be very distracted.

'These machines?' she asked.

He shook his head. 'The machines are only a part of the Daleks,' he told her. 'I've encountered them before. On their home world of Skaro they were humanoid once. But a deadly neutronic war left them as stunted protoplasmic creatures, unable to survive unaided.' He tapped the machine closest to him. 'This is, if you like, their own tiny environment. Inside these machines a Dalek creature is maintained on life-support systems. It can interface with a sophisticated computer to augment its natural ferocity and skills. The Daleks are the most deadly life form that I have ever come across. They are utterly single-minded and have an implacable hatred for all other creatures.'

Ben was by now thoroughly alarmed. His eyes flickered around the interior of the compartment nervously. It was stupid, really a grown man like him being scared stiff just because someone was telling ghost stories in the dark.

Then he heard the faint sound. It was like fingernails sc.r.a.ping on a board. Faint, but definitely real. Not a phantom manufactured by his fears. He glanced at the Doctor. From the way he was standing tense, ready to move at any second he must have heard the noise as well.

There was something with them in the capsule.

Something in the darkness, coming closer...

9.

You Don't Half Make Mountains 'What's the matter?' Polly asked in a scared whisper. She didn't seem to have heard the noise, but she was n.o.body's fool. She had picked up the tension in the air.

'I felt something,' the Doctor said softly. 'Watching me...'

'Hang on,' Ben said firmly. All this talk was enough to give anyone the w.i.l.l.i.e.s; it was time for a bit of action. 'I'll get us a light of some sort.'

He went back out of the capsule, into Lesterson's laboratory. Had he not been so intent on his task, he might have seen a stranger duck out of sight behind the far side of the capsule. Ben's attention was fixed firmly on the lab bench, however. A scan of the unfamiliar equipment there led Ben's eyes to the familar shape of a bulb on a long wire, the kind of thing an electrician uses. Plugging the end of the wire into the power outlet on the bench, Ben returned to the capsule, unwinding the lead as he went. Once inside the inner compartment, he switched on the bulb. All three of them s.h.i.+elded their eyes from the harsh glare.

The Doctor s.n.a.t.c.hed the bulb from his hands and poked it like a weapon into the shadows. Light bounced off the walls and the two Dalek casings. Nothing out of place seemed to be there, however. 'Nothing,' the Doctor announced.

Ben had been s.h.i.+elding Polly just in case. Now she sighed. 'You scared me half to death,' she told them accusingly. Ben could only hope that it had been a false alarm.

In the bright glow from the bulb, the circle in the dust was even more apparent. 'You're right,' Ben told the Doctor. 'There were three of them.'

'Then where's the other one?' the Doctor asked.

Polly frowned. 'I suppose Lesterson moved it.'

The Doctor wagged a finger under her nose. 'Ah, but we were supposed to have been present at the first opening of the capsule, remember?'

Her face fell. 'Yes, that's right.'

With an impish smile, the Doctor patted her arm.

'Nevertheless, I think you're perfectly correct, Polly. I think Lesterson did open the capsule before we arrived. I just hope he wasn't foolish enough to move one of the Daleks away to experiment upon.' He spun about, clicking off the light, and rushed outside.

Ben was in the dark for a moment before his eyes adjusted. He and Polly followed the Doctor back into Lesterson's laboratory. The tramp-like figure was examining all of the equipment on the main bench with great interest.

Polly moved to stand behind him. 'But they're dead,'

she said. 'They must be.'

'There's a difference between being dead and being dormant,' the Doctor replied. He held up the bulb in his hand. 'This light is dead right now,' he pointed out. Then he switched it on, oblivious to the fact that it blinded Polly. 'The Daleks simply need power, that's all. And then they're as dangerous as ever.'

Rubbing her eyes, Polly suggested: 'Well, warn everybody then.'

The Doctor chewed at his thumb-nail. 'But will they listen?' he argued. 'Lesterson's a fanatic of sorts. He's already lied to cover up his experiments. And the Governor's only interested in maintaining his own power.

Then he mentioned "rebels".' Turning to Ben, he asked, 'What does that suggest to you?'

'I don't know,' Ben replied.

'All isn't well in this colony,' the Doctor amplified. He looked very worried indeed. 'No, I don't at all care for the idea of a Dalek on the loose here.'

'Blimey!' Ben scoffed. 'You don't half make mountains, don't you? One Dalek!'

'Yes!' the Doctor cried. 'One! And I a.s.sure you that one Dalek is quite enough to wipe out this entire colony.'

Quinn slipped into the room that Thane had a.s.signed to the Examiner. It was pitch-black inside. 'Examiner!' he hissed. 'Examiner!' When there was no reply, he moved to where the bed was and reached out to shake the man awake.

The bed was empty.

With a m.u.f.fled curse, Quinn switched on the bedside lamp. The bed was still made, and had obviously not been slept in. This was going to set his plans back. But where was the man?

The door opened. Quinn looked up, expectantly, but his face fell when he saw who it was in the doorway. 'Bragen!

Dont you ever knock before you enter a room?'

The Head of Security gave a sanctimonious smile. 'I'm sorry if I... startled you,' he said, clearly lying. 'I expected to find the Examiner in his room not you, Quinn.'

'Well, he's not here,' Quinn snapped back. He didn't care for Bragen's smugness at all. 'You'll no doubt want to snoop under the bed and in the closets looking for him, so I'll leave you to it.' As he tried to push his way past, Bragen grabbed his arm.

'Just a minute,' Bragen said coldly.

Angrily, Quinn jerked his arm free. 'Don't try your luck with me, Bragen,' he warned.

'On the contrary,' the security man said, 'I'm attempting to avoid avoid trouble. The Governor gave you explicit instructions that you were not to talk with the Examiner alone. Yet here you are, alone in his room.' He gave a mocking smile to Quinn. 'I'm sure you can offer a suitable explanation.' trouble. The Governor gave you explicit instructions that you were not to talk with the Examiner alone. Yet here you are, alone in his room.' He gave a mocking smile to Quinn. 'I'm sure you can offer a suitable explanation.'

'I can,' Quinn agreed. 'But I don't have to answer to you for anything, Bragen.' He jerked open the door. One of the silent security guards was waiting there. 'And don't try and block my way again,' he called over his shoulder before walking off down the corridor.

Bragen slammed his fist angrily against the door frame.

He winced with pain, then managed to gather the tattered edges of his temper together. Glaring at the guard, he snapped: 'The Examiner is missing! We must search for him. He must be found immediately.'

Ben sat on one of the lab stools, watching the strange little man examining the equipment. From time to time he would jot down a reading or two with the nub of a pencil on his s.h.i.+rt sleeve. 'Of course,' Ben said carefully, 'the real Doctor was always going on about the Daleks.' He gave the little tramp a thoughtful stare. 'You wouldn't be trying to convince us of something, would you?'

The maybe-Doctor gave a loud sigh. 'I had hoped you'd got over those suspicions of yours by now.'

'I'll bet you had,' Ben agreed. 'Well, you're wrong then.

It's just a bit of a truce at the moment, isn't it? That's all.'

He nodded across at Polly, who was nervously playing with a spatula, turning it over and over in her hand. 'I mean, we're stuck with these people here thinking you're this Examiner from Earth, aren't we?'

'I see.' The little man glanced at him from under his s.h.a.ggy fringe. 'But the glue isn't very permanent, is that it?'

Polly gave him an almost apologetic glance. 'It was very convenient that you happened to fmd the real Examiner's papers, wasn't it?'

'I did find them,' he insisted. 'He was murdered.

Someone must have moved the body after they hit me on the head. It was there.' A sudden realization dawned on him. 'You think I faked this ID?'

'It does make sense, mate,' Ben replied. 'Didn't Hensell say that they weren't expecting an Examiner for two years yet? What's wrong?' he asked. 'Couldn't get the TARDIS here in the right year?' Then he looked at the open capsule.

'Or is this the right year after all, eh?'

'I am am the Doctor!' the Doctor!'