Doctor Who - [061] - The Curse of Peladon

by Brian Hayles

  "It's an alarm of some sort!" he exclaimed, already moving towards the door. "And it's coming from the delegates conference room! Quickly!"

  As soon as the Doctor entered the delegates" room, he could see what was wrong. Apart from the shrill audio signal that Arcturus was giving out so desperately, various telemetric warnings lights were flashing on and off about the globe that contained the Arcturian neuroform. Crouching by the complex traction and support unit, the Doctor soon found the cause. A whole series of plugs and wiring had been exposed and torn out. As he studied the tangle that was destroying Arcturus, Jo came to his shoulder, and looked down. She gasped in horror at the sight of the disembowelled life-support unit.

  "Doctor, what can you do?" she whispered, not needing to ask how great the danger was. It showed in the violent discoloration of the neuroplasm, and the almost complete misting over of the interior of the containing globe. Unless something was done quickly, Arcturus would die.

  The Doctor was searching desperately amongst the tangle of electronic circuitry. He mumbled to himself as he identified the various strands. Then he suddenly sat back and looked about the floor, sharp-eyed.

  "Someone's taken the servo-function unit, Jo -" he snapped. "There's no time to waste looking for it. I'll have to bypass the junction and relink the circuits manually!"

  Jo realised she could do nothing to help. The insistent ping of the Arcturian alarm system was giving her a headache. She left the Doctor to his own devices while she tried to locate the missing electronic gadget.

  "Doctor, what does this servo thing look like?"

  "Sort of ... transparent ... cube," muttered the Doctor, engrossed in his work, "lots of ... fine circuitry inside."

  Jo was puzzled. "It couldn't just've fallen out of Arcturus," she said. "And I can't see it anywhere."

  "Quite right, Jo," mumbled the Doctor. "This wasn't an accident. You see -"

  Jo's eyes widened. "Someone tried to kill him?"

  "Tried", nodded the Doctor, then frowned and continued working, frantically, "and they may yet succeed - unless I'm successful first!"

  The shrill alarm signal was now only intermittent, and the transparent globe clouded completely. The life process would surely reach critical soon.

  "If his metabolism subsides into a catatonic state, there'll be no hope at all.. " gritted the Doctor. His fingers were working with incredible speed, and the intensity on his face was almost frightening.

  "So whoever removed that servo-junction cube tried to kill Arcturus - and may have been responsible for all the other so-called accidents as well!" Jo thought aloud.

  "Quite the Sherlock Holmes, aren't you, Jo?" mumbled the Doctor.

  "So if we could find the cube.."

  "No, Jo. That could prove far too dangerous. Just leave things to me, there's a good girl."

  Jo didn't give up easily. "I could search the delegates" rooms. I might just find something," she insisted. "Then we'd have some real evidence. It'd make all the difference."

  The Doctor didn't answer. He was far too involved in beating the clock. It was Jo who saw Izlyr stride into the room and stand over Arcturus. The alarm was now so feeble as to be non-existent.

  "What are you doing to Arcturus?" demanded the warlord.

  The Doctor looked up at the Martian looming over him, but didn't stop what he was doing.

  "Someone has disconnected and removed a vital part of his life-support system. I'm trying to save him. Go away there's a good chap!"

  For a moment, Izlyr seemed uncertain what to do, and his deep hissing breathing was the only easily heard sound in the room. Suddenly, the Doctor, extricated himself from the debris on the floor, beamed at Izlyr and Jo, and started tucking odds and ends of equipment back inside Arcturus.

  "There, old chap", said the Doctor, patting the globe gently. "That should do the trick."

  "Have you succeeded?" demanded Izlyr harshly.

  "He'll be alright in a little while, I think," responded the Doctor. "A bit of a near thing, though."

  As the Doctor clambered to his feet, Alpha Centauri and Hepesh appeared in the doorway. They moved forward to see what had caused the alarm. With the doorway clear, Jo took her chance. If the Doctor's earlier suspicions were right, she knew exactly where she would find the missing electronic cube.

  "Another attack on Federation personnel?" trilled Alpha Centauri in alarm. "This is dreadful!"

  "This was the work of Aggedor." said Hepesh in a voice of doom.

  "Absolute nonsense, "cheerfully observed the Doctor. "This was the work of a skilled technician, and your medieval monster, Hepesh, is hardly that. He'd simply try to smash Arcturus protective globe."

  "You are not surely suggesting," squeaked the hexapod, turning a rich shade of purple, "that we of the Federation are to blame?"

  "If that is an accusation," hissed Izlyr fiercely, "I deny it!"

  The Doctor ignored Hepesh and Alpha Centauri, and confronted Izlyr boldly. "Of course you'd deny it, Izlyr, But you do have the necessary technical know-how. Do you deny that?"

  "The technology of Alpha Centauri is also competent enough!" exclaimed the warlord. "So is that of Earth. And it was you, Doctor, that we found tampering with our colleague's life-support system!"

  "Then its thanks to me that he'll be able to identify his attacker", retorted the Doctor. "And that should be very shortly."

  The room that Jo entered was, like all those allocated to the alien delegates, a stark, stone chamber made elegant by rich furniture and wall hangings - but basically primitive for all that. The door had been closed, but unlocked. No one had answered Jo's discreet knock, and when eventually she plucked up enough nerve to enter, the room was deserted. Closing the door quietly behind her, she stood against it and surveyed the room. The mere presence of the Ice Warriors seemed to have turned the place into a barrack room. Items of military equipment were laid out neatly everywhere, as though ready for inspection. An important feature was what looked like a communications set, but there was no sign of life from it.

  Jo moved about the room quickly and silently, looking for the telltale electronic cube that would confirm the Doctor's suspicions. She could find nothing remotely like it. Finally, she came to a compact box that seemed to be made of the same material as the electronic key she had found earlier on the balcony. It had no lock, and opened easily. But Jo, being human, couldn't hear the sonic frequency the box emitted as its security system. She only had eyes for the contents inside: several elaborate tools - and the servolink cube! The Doctor had been right! Jo picked up the transparent cube with trembling fingers and held it up to the light. Inside was an intricate maze of embedded filaments, the circuitry that, once removed, could destroy Arcturus. She frowned. Why should the Ice Warriors try to kill anyone in such a complicated way? She had seen the wrist-gun on Ssorg's arm, and its deadly efficiency had been fully described by the Doctor.

  Suddenly, a sound from outside the door startled her. As the handle started to turn, she concealed herself behind one of the ornate tapestries. The material was so dusty that it was all she could do not to sneeze or cough. Hidden behind the thick folds, she could see nothing, and her imagination magnified the least sound. The heavy shuffling movements were unmistakable: Ssorg, the Ice Warrior, had entered the room. Jo held her breath. Although she had replaced everything else precisely as she had found it, she had made one mistake: the box in which she had found the cube was still open! The sound of his feet stopped. All she could hear was the serpent-like hiss of his breathing. Then, he was moving again. But where? Jo quickly found out. A mighty hand tore the tapestry aside and she found herself face to face with the grim warrior. She couldn't even scream.

  "Earth Princess," Ssorg whispered accusingly, "why are you here?"

  Jo gripped the transparent cube defiantly. "I was looking for something-and I found it!" The huge Martian made no attempt to snatch her discovery from her. Instead, he inspected it very carefully - almost as though seeing it for the first time
.

  "This object," he hissed, slowly pondering, "it does not belong here. It is not ours."

  "I know it isn"t!" exclaimed Jo. "It belongs to Arcturus! You tried to kill him!"

  The Martian stared at Jo, but still made no threatening move. Out of the corner of her eye, Jo saw that the door was open. Could she make a dash for it?

  "You are the intruder here," breathed Ssorg harshly. "You have opened equipment that is not yours to touch. I heard the sonic warning, and I came."

  "That's where I found this servo-link." snapped Jo angrily. "Only you didn't hide it very cleverly, did you?"

  It was the Ice Warriors turn to be angry. "You say you found this. I say you were putting it where it would later be found to incriminate my master, Izlyr!"

  "That's a lie!" cried Jo in desperate protest, and tried to escape - but too late. Ssorg's mighty fist gripped her by the wrist. With his other huge hand, he took the transparent cube from her with surprising care. Jo was completely helpless in his grasp. Ssorg pushed her roughly into a nearby chair. She stared up at him, in terror.

  "You will stay here," declared the Martian. "I must inform Lord Izlyr of what has happened."

  Then, taking the cube, he strode out, closing the heavy wooden door after him. Jo ran to the door, but trying to open it was hopeless. As she reached it, she could hear the sound of heavy bolts being rammed home. She leaned her face against the wood in despair. She was trapped.

  It was clear from the upward peaking of his Metabolism Pulse Modulator that Arcturus was rapidly recovering; but until he was in a fit state to speak, the delegates clustered about him, tense with anticipation. In the background, Hepesh glowered grimly, but his comments largely went unheeded. What Arcturus had to say was far more important.

  "Why do you not believe me?" demanded the High Priest. "Aggedor has shown that he can use your own technology to defeat and even destroy you! Leave our world while you still can!"

  "Not before we've found what's behind all this, Hepesh," murmured the Doctor, watching the globe that contained the Arcturian neuroform. It was virtually clear now. "Its rather important to us all, I'd say."

  "Let us hope there is no permanent neural damage," hissed Izlyr. Arcturus, asked the Martian, as the tendrils of the neuroform began to move gently, "can you hear me? Do you know what has happened?"

  Hepesh moved closer, keen-faced, as everyone waited for Arcturus answer. It came only with great hesitation.

  "I ... have been ... attacked ..." rasped the slurred metallic voice. "Attacked... "

  "Who was it?" shrilled Alpha Centauri excitedly. "Did you see who?"

  "Speak, Arcturus!" commanded Izlyr. "We must know!"

  "Was the face of Aggedor revealed to you, alien?" cried Hepesh.

  "Give him a chance," muttered the Doctor. "He's still suffering from shock, poor chap."

  Arcturus voicebox cleared its throat electronically. "Memory circuits ... out of phase ... something violent ... happened to me ... but ... I do not ... remember ..."

  The halting voice finally broke down. It was obviously not going to be easy.

  "A dreadful experience," piped Alpha Centauri in sympathy.

  "Looks as if well have to ask him later," mused the Doctor, frowning. He moved away. "Pity, that."

  "We cannot wait!" insisted Izlyr. "The matter is too important! We must know now!"

  "Cannot ... remember ... " repeated Arcturus pitiably. "Cannot remember..."

  The computerised tones faded to an electronic hum, as Arcturus endeavoured to pull himself together. Izlyr turned. The Doctor was strolling thoughtfully towards the door. Izlyr called out to him sharply.

  "Doctor, where are you going?"

  "Don't worry, Izlyr, I'm not fleeing the country," replied the Doctor. "Just studying the lie of the land, that's all." His last words came from the corridor outside.

  Izlyr made no attempt to stop him, but was not satisfied. He turned back to the passive neuroplasm, determined that it should speak - and name its attacker.

  No point in trying to pick the lock with a hairpin, Jo thought. That crafty Martian has bolted it. It looked as though she'd be forced to sit and wait until Ssorg returned with his boss, Izlyr - and then the fun would start. If it came to her word against Ssorg, it was obvious which would count most. And then not only Jo but the Doctor himself would be in dead trouble. She sighed, despondently. All because that blessed box had been connected to some sort of warning system! The Doctor was right - they knew what they were up to, these Martians! The more Jo thought about that, the more she wanted to wake up and find that everything so far was just a bad dream. She pinched herself. It hurt. She sat down wearily, ready to resign herself to what was to follow. It was like being in the condemned cell. She looked about her, morosely - then looked again. High up on the far wall, there was a window, open and unbarred. She still had a chance.

  Beneath the window opening, there were sockets in the wall. Timbers had been there once, and Jo guessed it had probably been an archer's window. The platform they had once stood upon to fire their arrows at the enemy was gone now. If Jo could get up there she was sure shed be slim enough to slip through! Anyway, it was better than nothing. The question was: how to reach the window ledge. The table she pushed to the wall beneath the window was nowhere near high enough. A sturdy chair on top of the table was better, but still not right. Then her eye fell on the box where shed found the servo-unit. It was closed now, and it would give her that extra bit of height. But dared she use it? Would it give her away again? She looked around quickly and saw that nothing else would do. Placing the box on top of the chair, Jo began to climb.

  It wasn't easy, and more than once she nearly toppled and fell. Finally, she managed to scramble on to the window ledge. She found it surprisingly broad-from below it had seemed much smaller. And the window itself was wide enough for her to squeeze through. It wasn't until she saw just how high up she was, and that her escape, would entail edging along a foot-wide band of stone on the wall outside, that Jo began to have second thoughts. The wind had subsided, but the distance to the courtyard far below seemed immense. Her plan was to creep along until she came to a window opening into another room, and then find her way back to the Doctor. Taking a deep breath, she wriggled outside. The cold night air made her gasp. Then, flattened hard back against the wall of the citadel, poised high above the stone courtyard, Jo began to inch along to her left. Her eyes closed tight to prevent even the briefest glance below, and her hands spread wide feeling for the opening she needed, she had a sudden flicker of memory: the Doctor, telling her to let him do things his way. Well, he wasn't around to help her now!

  Deep in thought, the Doctor was hardly aware of his surroundings as he paced along the castle corridor. His total concentration on the problem of who was where when the incident that nearly killed Arcturus happened, had made him forget the possible dangers of the shadowy passage. But when a huge fist gripped him by the shoulder and turned him from his path, he was instantly alert, hand raised to defend himself with the famous Venusian 'loxka--the straight-fingered jab at the carotid throat artery that could, if necessary, prove fatal. The face before him showed surprise at his speed of movement. Recognising the muscular figure of the King's Champion, the Doctor checked the blow, inches from its target.

  "You really shouldn't creep up on a chap like that, Grun", the Doctor reproved mildly. "What d"you want?"

  The mute warrior could only grunt. But his mimed gesture was clear enough for the Doctor to understand.

  "You want me to go with you, is that it?" translated the Doctor as Grun beckoned him, nodding to indicate that the Doctor had interpreted correctly. "But why?"

  With deft movements of hands and fingers, Grun indicated Jo's long hair and height. For a moment, the Doctor looked mystified. Then realising, he frowned.

  "You mean Jo - the princess? Is something wrong?" Grun nodded vigorously, but his face was serious. He beckoned again, more urgently, and started to move away.

&nbs
p; "Then she's in trouble?" Grun's hand pulled at the Doctor's arm, and now the Doctor didn't resist, but urged the burly warrior to lead on.

  "Alright, old chap, I get the message. But where are we going?"

  Grun paused to indicate a shadowy passage leading from the main corridor. Convinced by his emphatic gesture, the Doctor nodded and followed the King's Champion into the darkness beyond. He did not see the figure in the shadows that watched him go. It was Hepesh the High Priest. And he was smiling...

  The Temple of Aggedor

  Arcturus, although recovered and fully functional, could still not remember clearly what had happened to him. Izlyr, however, was growing increasingly suspicious of the Doctor.

  "I saw no one, delegate Izlyr", clipped Arcturus. "The attack was too sudden."

  "The Doctor claimed to be saving your life," insisted the warlord, "but he could just as easily have been destroying your life-support system."

  Alpha Centauri was less convinced. "But what motive could he possibly have?"

  "Ask his masters on Earth!" retorted Izlyr. "They are devious men!"

  "And why has he brought this princess?" rapped out Arcturus. "She has no official standing!"

  "A diplomatic courtesy, surely," suggested Alpha Centauri. "After all, Peladon's mother was an Earthling."

  "And if Peladon was to marry this Earth princess?" Izlyr's words produced a thoughtful silence. "The interblood alliance would be strengthened to Earth's advantage within the Federation. It would be their thinking that would guide Peladon's rulers."

  "That must not be allowed to happen!" rasped Arcturus.

  Just as Alpha Centauri was about to intercede, all eyes looked to the door. Ssorg had entered.

  "Lord Izlyr," he whispered urgently, "I must speak with you."

  Izlyr excused himself and moved to Ssorg. Arcturus confided in Alpha Centauri, who was rapidly becoming anxious once again.

  "What is happening?" the hexapod asked.