‘We’ve got to get out of here!’ Emma called, running towards the door. She flung it open, but was met by Karl, coming the other way.
‘Sontarans!’ he yelled. ‘They’re nearly here!’
The five looked around in dismay. There was only one other exit, a tunnel leading to the changing rooms. They dashed towards it.
Halfway across the floor, Holly slipped on the wet tiles and landed on her back. Unable to stop in time, Sid fell over the prone gymnast. Karl held out a hand, but Sid yelled in pain as he tried to get up. He fell back, clutching his ankle. Emma tried to help Holly, but she just lay there, muttering about being dizzy.
Heavy footsteps were getting nearer and nearer. A Sontaran shadow fell across the doorway. There was no time now to get to the tunnel, even if Sid and Holly could walk.
Quick as a flash, Emma jumped into the pool, her dive barely creating a single ripple. The Doctor hardly had a second to reflect on her skill, before two helmeted Sontarans entered. He recognised Captain Skeed by the military symbols on his collar, and assumed the other Sontaran must be the one they’d met by the TARDIS. Both held weapons.
‘Ah!’ cried Skeed. ‘Here they are. Did you think you could escape the Sontarans for long?’
‘Not really,’ said the Doctor, joining them. ‘Oh well. We’d better get going, then.’ He began to walk out of the door.
‘Not so fast, human!’ Skeed put up a hand to stop him. ‘Our great leader Stenx has said you must be punished for your conduct. You are to take part in the first ever Sontaran Games!’
‘Really?’ said the Doctor. ‘Lucky old me! Well, I don’t want to miss that.’ He started walking again.
Skeed raised his weapon, pointing it at the three students. ‘These others will also take part in the Games.’
The Doctor waved a hand. ‘What, them? They wouldn’t be much good. One’s got a busted ankle and one’s just whacked her head on the floor.’ He waggled a finger round his ear. ‘Can’t think straight. No use at all.’
‘We will find a use for them,’ said the second Sontaran, starting towards the little group.
‘No, no, all right, they’re coming,’ said the Doctor hurriedly, as Holly and Sid limped towards the door, helped by Karl. He didn’t want the Sontarans getting any closer to the pool. If Emma could remain free, they might still have a chance. But how much longer could she stay under the water? If they didn’t get out of here soon, she would have to come up for air and all would be lost.
The Doctor gave a sigh of relief as the three students finally made it across the floor, and he started hustling them out through the door. ‘Come on, come on, we don’t want to keep the Sontarans waiting. It’s the first ever Sontaran Games, you know.’
He risked a quick glance back. Was that a dark shape at the bottom of the pool? With a sigh, the Doctor turned away as Skeed slammed the door. Emma had been under the water for almost three minutes – could she possibly have held her breath for that long?
The Doctor, Karl, Sid and Holly were led back to the gym hall. Holly seemed dazed still, and was holding on to the Doctor’s arm. Sid leant on Karl, and was wincing in pain with every step.
Skeed seemed interested in the students, and asked the Doctor about them. ‘The damaged one, what is his sport?’ the Sontaran said.
The Doctor glanced back at Sid, unsure if telling the truth would get the lad into trouble. ‘Oh, throwing things mainly,’ he said lightly.
Skeed nodded. ‘Ah. Then he is of little use to us. All missiles have been removed. Is that not right, Lieutenant Slorr?’
The other Sontaran stood up straight. ‘Following my disgrace, I offered Major Stenx my weapon!’ he said hotly. ‘He refused to accept it, as all are needed to find—’
‘Silence!’ Captain Skeed’s eyes burned through the slots in his helmet as he shouted. ‘Do not add to your folly by speaking of Sontaran concerns in front of these humans!’
The Doctor smiled to himself. Dissent in the ranks was always good. Besides, he now knew something he hadn’t known before. The Sontarans were searching for something. The question was – what?
* * *
Chapter Eight
THE GYM HAD changed since the Doctor had last been in it. For a start, all the students had gone. Only the sad, huddled body of Jimmy, the Sontarans’ victim, was left.
A number of pieces of sporting equipment had been dragged onto the floor. Stenx was walking around the room, inspecting them.
The Sontaran major turned as the Doctor and his friends were brought in. He strode over and looked the four up and down.
Holly flinched as he reached out and touched her throat. ‘A female,’ Stenx said. ‘Females possess less speed and strength than the males. They are inferior.’
Holly let go of the Doctor’s arm and faced Stenx. ‘Oh no we aren’t,’ she said, as she walked forward and fell over.
Stenx sneered. ‘Point proved.’
‘She’s one of the best gymnasts in the country!’ Karl put in. ‘Maybe the best. She’s not inferior to anyone.’
The Doctor smiled at Karl as he helped Holly to her feet. He hadn’t imagined it – the students were starting to be nicer to each other.
‘She’s hurt,’ the Doctor told Stenx. ‘She may be concussed. She needs help.’
‘To help a damaged human would be a waste of Sontaran resources,’ said the major.
‘Two of them are damaged,’ put in Captain Skeed. He pointed at Karl and the Doctor. ‘Only these two are fit for our purpose.’
Stenx moved over to Karl and lifted his chin with one stubby finger. ‘What skill do you possess, human?’
‘I’m a runner,’ gasped Karl. ‘A sprinter.’
The Sontaran gave a nod. Without a neck, the whole of his upper body moved forward as he did so. ‘Speed is good, but not vital,’ he said. ‘Yes, we will use this one first. It will not matter if he dies.’
Lieutenant Slorr grabbed Karl’s arm and began to drag him forward. The scared youth gave the Doctor a pleading look.
The Doctor coughed. ‘You haven’t asked me what skill I possess,’ he said quietly.
Stenx turned towards him. ‘Well, human?’
‘Quite well, thank you. But not human.’
Four guns pointed at him instantly. ‘This is the one!’ shouted Skeed. ‘The one we have been searching for! Cover him, Lieutenant Skezz!’ The fourth Sontaran pointed his gun at the Doctor.
The Doctor frowned. He had wanted to distract them. He hadn’t dreamed he would turn out to be the prey they were hunting.
But no. If they had been looking for him, surely they would have recognised the TARDIS.
‘Do you deny you are the shape-shifter?’ yelled Skezz.
‘Yes, I deny it!’ said the Doctor. Then he thought for a second. ‘Well, maybe a shape-shifter. I don’t do it on a daily basis, though, just, oooh, maybe once a century. Does that count?’ He grinned. ‘But I know who you’re looking for, now, Major Stinks.’
‘The name is Stenx!’ yelled Captain Skeed. ‘Stenx the Strong-hearted!’
‘That’s what I said,’ agreed the Doctor. ‘Stinks the Strong-f—’ He broke off, as Skeed’s gun swung round to point at Karl.
‘You will show respect to the major,’ Skeed growled. ‘If you do not, I will kill this human as an example to you.’
Every trace of a smile vanished from the Doctor’s face. ‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that,’ he said, and his stare made even the Sontarans flinch. He lowered his voice. ‘You never did ask me what my skill was. Bit rude to assume I’ve just got the one, by the way. I’ve got lots.’
Stenx waved his gun, but the Doctor would not be cowed and kept on. ‘But the main one, the big one, is the skill to know about everything. Well, almost everything. More or less everything. Perhaps a bit more less than more. Still, I know lots and lots about you. The Sontarans. In fact, one of my other skills is defeating you. Want to hang around while I do it again, or will you leave this planet now?’
‘How dare yo
u speak to Major Stenx like that!’ shouted Captain Skeed. ‘Who do you think you are, creature who is not human?’
The Doctor smiled. ‘I’m a Time Lord,’ he said. ‘I hope that answers all your questions.’
For a moment, none of the Sontarans spoke. Then Stenx smiled. ‘The ancient enemy,’ he said. ‘What a prize to bring Sontaran High Command!’ He turned to his fellow Sontarans. ‘Comrades! When we arrived on this planet, we thought merely of gaining a single kill. Then the trail led here, and we gained the chance to collect data on humans. Now we can also assess the weak points of a Time Lord! For the glory of Sontar!’
The others echoed his cry. ‘For the glory of Sontar!’
The Doctor was tempted to remind them that he was the last of the Time Lords. Anything they learned from him wouldn’t be of much use to them in the future. But then they might decide to just kill him straight away, so he kept quiet.
The Doctor was locked up in a cupboard. Empty racks were labelled ‘javelins’, ‘bows’ and so on. The Sontarans had removed anything that might be used as a weapon against them. He tried to open the door with his sonic screwdriver, but failed.
There was one glimmer of hope, though.
The Doctor had been led under the edge of the viewing gallery. For a moment he’d thought it was raining indoors, as a spot of water hit his head. It wasn’t rain, of course. He’d lifted his hand, wiped the wet spot and held his fingers to his nose. Was that the faintest whiff of chlorine? Could it be a drip of water from a soaking wet swimmer, hiding somewhere above him?
He’d raised his head, slowly, hoping the Sontarans wouldn’t spot what he was doing. He’d looked up at the gallery.
A hand had crept over the edge, and given him a thumbs-up.
The Doctor had smiled. If Emma was there, he still had a chance.
* * *
Chapter Nine
NOW THE DOCTOR could hear comings and goings from the gym hall. Sontarans stamped past. There were sounds of heavy equipment being dragged across the floor. Lighter footsteps followed, and cries that told him students were being led through the hall.
Then after what seemed like a very long wait, there came the sound he was hoping for. A faint knock on the cupboard door.
‘Hello?’ he whispered.
‘Doctor?’ a voice whispered back. It was Emma!
‘Can you let me out of here?’ the Doctor asked.
‘No, it’s been deadlocked,’ she told him.
He sighed. ‘Well, what’s going on?’
‘Not sure. The Sontarans are taking all the students into the arena.’
‘The arena?’ The Doctor imagined the sort of place where the Romans threw people to the lions.
He told Emma that, and she laughed. ‘More the sort of place where they hold sports events and sometimes pop concerts,’ she said.
‘Do you know if Karl’s OK?’ the Doctor asked. The last he’d seen of the sprinter was Lieutenant Slorr leading him towards a door. Where the door went, he didn’t know.
‘They took him to the arena too.’ To the Doctor’s surprise, Emma’s voice sounded more cross than upset.
‘What’s up?’ he asked. ‘Don’t be angry with Karl. I thought you lot were getting past all that blaming and snapping at each other. It wasn’t his fault we were captured.’
For a few seconds she was quiet, and the Doctor wondered if she’d left. Then she spoke. ‘I’m not cross with Karl. I’m cross with you!’
The Doctor blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that.
‘Why?’
‘You had to go and tell them you were a Time Lord, didn’t you?’
‘I had to distract them!’ the Doctor said. ‘Karl was in danger.’
‘So what? You had a chance of helping us all if you’d just kept a low profile.’
The Doctor remembered Emma’s hand holding him back in the gallery. He’d wanted to jump down then, and she’d stopped him.
‘I can’t do that,’ he said. ‘Let one person die, in case someone more important comes along that I have to save? How could you ever make that choice? I wouldn’t be me if I did that.’
‘But it’s selfish,’ Emma told him. ‘Whole worlds might be destroyed, because you had to save one person.’
The Doctor laughed. ‘One day Karl might save the world,’ he said. ‘Then we’d be in a pretty pickle, if I’d let the Sontarans kill him.’
‘You haven’t stopped them, though,’ Emma told him. ‘You’ve just risked both your necks.’
The Doctor hated every word that she’d said. He disagreed with every comment she’d made. But he was forced to admit she might have a point there.
He took a deep breath. ‘All I can do is my best,’ he said.
Suddenly, there came the thump-thump-thump of heavy Sontaran boots.
The Doctor held his breath. He didn’t like Emma’s point of view, but he didn’t want her captured. She was his sole trump card, the only thing the Sontarans didn’t know about.
He heard a couple of Sontarans call out to each other. They seemed to be checking that the Doctor was still locked up.
There were no hiding places in the hall. The Doctor couldn’t see how Emma could possibly get away in time.
If she was caught – they were all doomed.
* * *
Chapter Ten
THE DOCTOR LISTENED hard. There was no scream from Emma, no Sontaran cry of triumph as she was spotted.
The Doctor let out his breath again.
Then came the sound of the bolts being drawn back, and the cupboard door was opened. Lieutenant Slorr stood in the doorway. He beckoned to the Doctor.
‘Who, me?’ the Doctor said, checking over his shoulder. There was no one else there, so he walked forward to join the lieutenant. He took a quick look around, but there was no sign of Emma. How she’d escaped he didn’t know.
Slorr stared at the Doctor through the slits in his helmet. ‘Our fearless leader Stenx has bestowed a great honour on you.’
The Doctor stared back. ‘I wouldn’t call being locked in a cupboard that much of an honour. Tell you what, if you think it’s so great, why don’t you try it? I’d be happy to turn the key.’
‘That is not the honour! You are to be the first to take part in the first ever Sontaran Games! You will die gloriously for the Sontaran cause.’
‘Don’t count on it,’ said the Doctor under his breath.
Slorr led the Doctor to a door on the far side of the gym. It was the same one Karl had been heading towards earlier.
Through the door was a covered walkway. The Doctor tried to see where they were going, but it was pitch black ahead.
He felt a breeze on his face, and realised they were now outside. Even though it was the middle of the night, the summer air was warm.
Slorr stopped prodding him forward. The Doctor was tempted to make a break for it, but Stenx’s earlier words came back to him. ‘Look before you leap.’ If he ran, he might be playing into the Sontarans’ hands. If only he could see where he was!
His wish was granted. Suddenly, the whole area was lit up.
The Doctor was standing in the centre of a sports arena. There were tiers of seats all around. Scared-looking students huddled on plastic chairs, but they barely filled up a couple of rows. The Doctor felt a bit cross. He was about to die gloriously for the Sontaran cause. They could at least have got in a good crowd.
He looked closely. Karl was there, right at the front. He looked unhurt. Sid was further back. Holly was at the end of a row. The Doctor was relieved to see them all. He was also pleased that there was no sign of Emma. She must still be free, and hiding.
Floodlights stood at the back of the seating, throwing harsh white light into the field. The Doctor squinted upwards. High above him, the air was shimmering. The Sontarans had put a force dome over the entire arena. That would make escape a lot harder.
There was something else above him, too. The Doctor stared. It looked like a giant hedgehog, rolled into a ball with all its p
rickles sticking out. Then he worked out what it was. It was all the sports gear that the Sontarans had taken away. All the javelins, poles, bows and arrows, shots and medicine balls, discuses and hammers. Anything that could be thrown at the Sontarans now floated up high in a force-sphere.
The Doctor thought his sonic screwdriver would be able to break through the force field. The trouble was, he wouldn’t be able to reach it without flying. The Doctor was good at many, many things, but flying was not one of them.
He realised that he was now alone. Slorr had left him and was walking back to the edge of the arena. The three other Sontarans were spaced out around the edge of the field. What was he supposed to do now?
He didn’t have to wait long to find out.
Stenx’s voice echoed around the arena. ‘Time Lord, you are honoured. You are the first to compete in the Sontaran Games. Survive, and you will be given a greater honour. You will face the mighty Sontarans in combat.’
‘I’d prefer a medal,’ called the Doctor. ‘Or even a bunch of flowers.’
Stenx ignored him. ‘The first game is the one hundred metres sprint,’ he said. ‘The one who loses will be put to death. The track will become lethal after fifteen Earth seconds. Let the Games begin!’
The Doctor was puzzled. There was the track before him. Even with heavy boots on, he could easily run it in less than fifteen seconds. But how could he win or lose?
The answer soon arrived, and he didn’t like it. Captain Skeed was herding five students towards him at gunpoint. Karl was one of them.
The Doctor wasn’t a trained athlete, but he wasn’t human either. He knew he could probably outrun the others if he had to. Except if he did that, one of them would die.
The students were lining up at the start.
He couldn’t let any of them die, which meant he had to lose. But if the Sontarans killed him, then the students didn’t have much hope anyway. He thought back to what Emma had said to him, while he was locked in the cupboard. Let one person die, so you have the chance to save a lot more.
Doctor Who: The Sontaran Games Page 3