by John Peel
The Leader grated: ‘Prepare to activate.’
Closing a switch, the scientist began the process. The coffin-like structure housing the duplicate Doctor started to rise to the vertical. As it did so, the instrumentation scanned the apparently sleeping form for any flaws or malfunctions. Nothing showed adversely on the screens. The front panel then slid soundlessly downwards, exposing the robot.
‘Activate!’ the Leader ordered.
The scientist moved the final controls. The three Dalek eyes and Vicki’s two human ones stared at the robot, waiting. Its eyes abruptly opened, and it looked back at them.
The time rotor stopped its rise and fall, as with its usual wheezing and complaining the TARDIS finished its journey. The Doctor activated the scanner, and they looked out at the battlefield that fate had selected for them. Here they would face the Daleks.
After a moment, Ian observed: ‘It looks a bit swampy.’
It did indeed. Mists wreathed the ground and, in the dim half-light of evening, this limited visibility considerably. Tall growths were covered in what appeared to be vines. Pools of water were visible, indicating the nature of the area. There was no sign of animal life.
‘All to the good,’ the Doctor answered. ‘This sort of terrain should make it difficult for the Daleks, mm?’
‘Well, we don’t have much time,’ Ian said, practically.
‘We’d better start exploring before the Daleks do arrive.’
‘One moment!’ the Doctor cautioned, as he completed his environmental checks. ‘Mmm... Well, however it may look, it seems to be perfectly safe for us to venture outside.’ He activated the door switch, and the double doors hummed open. As they did, a rancid smell filled the room.
‘Phew!’ Ian exclaimed. ‘Well, it smells like a swamp, too.’ They ventured out of the TARDIS and looked around as the Doctor carefully closed and locked the doors.
As they watched, they could see that some of the overhanging tendrils were twitching, and then these began moving slowly towards the three new arrivals.
‘Look at that!’ Barbara exclaimed, pointing. One frond was creeping quite visibly down the bole of some huge, multi-rooted tree.
‘You realize what that must mean, don’t you?’ the Doctor asked coldly. ‘No plants have to move that fast if they feed by photosynthesis. They have to be carnivores—and I suspect that it’s our flesh they want to sample!’
The Dalek Leader moved forward to examine the robot, comparing it to the read-out panel of the computer. As it did so, all of its movements were followed by the piercing eyes of the duplicate Doctor. Finally, the Leader swivelled back to the scientist. ‘It is impossible to distinguish from the original.’
At the panel, the third Dalek lifted its eyestick. ‘We have landed on the planet Mechanus,’ it reported.
Spinning its head around, the Leader ordered: ‘Assassination squad to prepare to disembark.’ Refocusing on the scientist, it added: ‘Activate the mobility unit for the robot.’
The scientist did so, and moved away from the robot. The replicated Doctor then came smoothly from the glass case, and stood, looking over its creators.
The Leader faced it. ‘Your orders are understood? You will infiltrate and kill... Infiltrate and kill.’
‘Understand?’ The voice was perfectly like that of the Doctor. ‘My dear fellow, of course I understand. Don’t fuss so!’ It waved its hand in a gesture only too familiar to the hidden observer. ‘I shall infiltrate and kill. Quite so, quite so.’
Vicki was horrified. The robot was all too perfect... It was behaving exactly as the real Doctor would...
Chapter 10
Who’s Who?
As they looked about the jungle they had landed in, Ian, Barbara and the Doctor all felt extremely uneasy. Whenever they stood still for a moment to catch their breath, the vines would begin moving towards them, their tips quivering as if they could scent their prey. When the travellers moved on, there were all kinds of shuffling noises paralleling their path—noises that ceased when they did, and resumed when they started out again.
One particularly nauseating plant looked like an eight-foot tall mushroom with creepers stuck to the edges of its cap. It appeared to be firmly rooted in place, but the creepers were in constant motion. One of them had caught what looked like a tiny rat with six legs. The squealing creature was borne aloft, struggling, to vanish within the large cap. Then the creeper reappeared, empty.
‘What is it, Doctor?’ Barbara asked, shuddering.
‘I don’t know,’ he answered. ‘Some sort of fungoid growth, I expect. On Earth, many fungi feed on decaying remains, you know.’
‘Yes,’ Ian observed grimly. ‘And on this world, these fungoids seem to have taken that a step further—they feed on the remains while they’re still alive. I expect if we got too close to one of those things, it’d be having us for supper.’
‘I don’t like to ask,’ Barbara said, nervously backing into Ian, ‘but isn’t the jungle closer to us now than when we first landed?’
Ian had no chance to reply. The darkness was getting deeper, but suddenly twin rows of lights sprang to glaring brilliance. The travellers blinked, shielding their eyes from the sudden intensity. The two rows were straight and parallel, set about six feet apart. They were standing in the middle of the twin lines, which led in one direction back towards the TARDIS. In the other...?
As the lights flashed on, there was a squeaking sound from the plants. The incoming wall of vegetation stopped, and then began a slow, reluctant retreat.
‘Our friends don’t like the light, obviously,’ the Doctor chuckled.
‘Yes.’ Ian tried to follow the dazzling pathway, but could see little for the glare from the path and the impenetrable blackness of the jungle. ‘What I want to know is who switched them on—and why they were placed here.’
‘Does it matter?’ Barbara asked, anxiously. ‘Just so long as they stay on. We can get back to the TARDIS now.’
‘No, no, no,’ the Doctor interrupted. ‘It is important. It suggests that there is intelligence of some kind on this planet.’
‘There’s a definite pathway through the swamp,’ Ian pointed out. ‘A corridor of light.’
‘Yes, quite—a definite pattern. As you say, Chesterton, a corridor.’ The Doctor looked at them both, and the gleam in his eye wasn’t purely from the lights; the Doctor loved nothing as much as a mystery to be solved. ‘I suggest that we follow it.’
‘ Follow it? ’ Barbara echoed, incredulously.
‘Yes, of course.’ Seeing that Barbara was less than enthusiastic, the Doctor donned a conciliatory air. ‘Our plan was to capture the Dalek time machine and then return for Vicki, remember? Nothing’s changed and it may be that at the end of this... this handiwork of civilization, we may find friends or allies to help us to defeat the Daleks. After all, they have already stopped us from becoming the first course for a mushroom! Now come along—and remember, it’s highly probable that the Daleks have already landed here...’
Without looking back, he set off down the path. Barbara glanced helplessly at Ian, shrugged, and followed after. Ian, looking over his shoulder from time to time, brought up the rear. Despite the Doctor’s optimism, he couldn’t help but wonder if the lights were switched on to save them—or simply because it was night-time. Perhaps the native intelligences of this world would not be as benevolent as the Doctor seemed to think.
The Daleks had indeed landed, not too far from the TARDIS. In their metal shells, they were not as tempting titbits for the local flora as the humans had been. As a result, the jungle was less thick about the Dalek time machine. From the entrance to the machine, the Dalek Leader surveyed the area. Its infra-red vision helped it to see perfectly in the night. All looked relatively peaceful. The Leader turned to the scientist.
‘Is the replica Doctor ready?’
‘Yes. It awaits your commands.’
On cue, the robot Doctor came from within the craft, and looked about. It sniffed, o
bviously finding the surroundings unappealing.
‘Our enemies are moving through the jungle,’ the Leader reported. With its infra-red vision, it would be able to see their prints clearly on the muddy jungle floor, once their time machine was discovered. ‘You are to join them.’
‘Yes, yes, yes,’ the robot said, impatiently. ‘Infiltrate and kill, infiltrate and kill. I understand perfectly. Well, the sooner I get started, the sooner I shall accomplish my mission, mmm?’ Waving his cane cheerily, it set off down the pathway after the three travellers.
Turning to two other Daleks, the Leader ordered: ‘Follow it as escorts, but remain out of sight until it has made contact. The rest of the patrol will seek out the enemy time machine in case the humans elude the robot.’
Under the Leader’s instructions, the Daleks began to deploy throughout the jungle. For a moment, the space about the Dalek ship was still. Then Vicki peered cautiously around the doorway of the time machine. Seeing that the path was clear, she set off after the robot Doctor. She had to find and warn her friends!
The Doctor, Ian and Barbara were progressing down the light pathway. Fired on by his enthusiasm, the Doctor was making good time. Barbara was doing less well, and she stumbled again over something in her way. Before she could fall, Ian grabbed and held her firmly. Aware that he was ahead, the Doctor turned impatiently.
‘Come along, come along!’ he snapped. ‘Don’t dawdle.’ Laughing, Ian gestured for him to start on again. He and Barbara then followed.
A moment later, the robot Doctor stepped out of the jungle. It had been untouched by the predatory vegetation, and had made good time. Watching carefully, it then set off along the pathway after its prey. It was intent on the chase, and unaware that it was being followed in its turn. Vicki was moving cautiously after it, unaware of the lethal nature of the plant life. As she saw one of the Dalek patrol, she backed into hiding. Unfortunately, she had chosen badly.
The fungoid was waiting, almost eagerly, as a large piece of food moved into its fringes. It was perhaps a trifle too eager. As Vicki moved backwards, its tentacles lashed out. Two caught the young girl. With a squeal, Vicki tore free, stumbling to her knees. If a fungoid could be said to have emotions, this one showed every sign of frustration. Like snakes, its tentacles whipped back and forth. On her hands and knees, Vicki scrambled back on to the path before straightening and then continuing after the robot, shaking with fear.
The lights led into a cave, and then stopped. The final few lights were set into the cave walls. The opening was large, and the cave was about twenty feet deep, and ten tall. There were rocks scattered about, and a raised section to one side, roughly three feet above the general floor. As Ian and Barbara arrived, the Doctor was already poking about. He looked up at them.
‘Our corridor of lights has ended,’ he announced dramatically, as if he were responsible for this miracle. Ian picked up a small rock and started to tap the walls.
They all sounded alike. ‘Seems solid enough,’ he commented. ‘But why would anyone arrange such an elaborate system of lighting, just to lead into a cave?’
Barbara was looking about behind the rocks, and straightened with a cry of triumph. ‘Over here!’ As the Doctor and Ian came across to join her, she showed them what she had discovered. It was a rod about three feet in length. The end she was holding was thicker, obviously a handle. On it was a small box and a button. She pressed this, and a bright light shone from the end of the rod. Grinning, she showed it to her friends. ‘There’s more back there,’ she informed them. She handed hers to the Doctor and took up another for herself, passing a third to Ian.
He examined it for a moment, puzzled. ‘What do you make of it, Doctor?’
‘A weapon, Chesterton, a weapon!’ Chuckling, the Doctor triggered his rod, and the brilliant light issued from its end. ‘Don’t you see what its purpose is?’
‘To be honest, no.’
The Doctor shook his head, sadly. ‘My dear boy, your lack of perception distresses me greatly on occasions. Never mind, never mind.’
Barbara’s face lit up. ‘They’re designed to scare off those fungoid things we saw in the swamp!’
Patting her arm condescendingly, the Doctor smiled. ‘Very good, my dear—excellent! Of course that’s what they are. Really, Chesterton, you should have guessed. High-intensity light, to scare off those plant creatures.’
Ian looked up at the roof, with a feigned expression of long-suffering. ‘When you’ve both finished revelling in my ignorance, perhaps you can tell me what we’re to do next?’
Airily, the Doctor dismissed the problem. ‘Well, if we’re to capture the Dalek time machine, our first task is obviously to locate it.’
Shuddering, Barbara added, ‘And that means going back into the swamp again.’
‘Yes.’ The Doctor held up his rod. ‘But now we’ve got some sort of defence.’ He started to wave the stick like a sword.
‘They might keep the fungoids at bay,’ Ian commented, ‘but they do have a disadvantage.’
Pausing, the Doctor asked: ‘And what might that be?’
Seizing his chance, Ian grinned. ‘Really, Doctor, on occasions your lack of perception distresses me greatly.’
For all his faults, the Doctor could accept being the brunt of a joke. ‘Mmm—I do believe that the word is touché . ‘
Barbara wasn’t as patient. ‘When you’ve quite finished acting like a pair of politicians at the polls, will you tell me what the problem is?’
‘If we flash these things about to scare off the fungoids,’ Ian observed, ‘then we’ll give our position away to the Daleks.’
‘A good point,’ the Doctor conceded.
‘But what about the light path?’ Barbara said. She gestured to the mouth of the cave. ‘It’s a dead giveaway, leading right to this cave as it does.’
‘Quite right, quite right.’ The Doctor put down his rod. ‘We dare not advertise our position. I think the best thing we can do is to wait here till the morning.’
‘And the outside lights?’ Ian asked.
‘We had best look around and see if we can find the cable that supplies their power. If we can break it, we should be fairly safe.’ He started to search, and Ian and Barbara joined him in his exploration. After a few minutes, Barbara called them over. She had found the wiring, buried under the thin layer of sand in the cave.
Ian gripped the wire, and tested it. ‘It’s tough.. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pocket knife. Using this, he sawed through the strand.
Outside, the lights died abruptly, and the whole area went black.
Vicki stood still, as the darkness closed in about her. While the lights had been on, she had felt fairly confident. Now, in the darkness, she froze in fear. She could see nothing, but she could hear too much... Rustlings, creakings, rattling sounds... All about, it seemed that the jungle was on the move again.
She was perhaps braver than most people would be, but this was simply too much for her. The scream began deep within her, breaking out loudly. She lost her nerve completely, and fell to the jungle floor, covering her head and wishing against all hope that everything would just go away and leave her in peace.
The vegetation started to creep towards her..
In the cave, the three travellers stiffened. They had heard the scream perfectly.
‘There’s someone out there!’ Ian exclaimed. Grabbing two of the light sticks, he thrust one at the Doctor. ‘Come on—quickly!’
‘Yes, yes, of course,’ the Doctor agreed, looking none too happy at the thought of venturing into the jungle, even with his light weapon.
‘Barbara,’ Ian called over his shoulder. ‘Stay here!’ He and the Doctor vanished into the blackness, their sticks’ tips glowing for a moment before they were swallowed into the dark. Barbara took up her stick again, and lit it. It seemed a very feeble defence against the horrors without the cave.
The Daleks had been thrown into some confusion as the lights died. Then they switche
d back to infra-red. The jungle was perfectly clear to them again.
‘Patrols will continue to advance,’ the Leader ordered. ‘Perceptors show movement in the area ahead.’
A second Dalek moved past to follow the path. As it did so, it ventured too close to a fungoid. The vegetable brain the thing possessed was too feeble to realize that the animal life it sensed was housed within metal. Its fronds slapped down, gripping the Dalek and dragging it backwards. It could not lift the creature—it was too heavy so it simply lowered its cap.
The Dalek was not immediately concerned until the first of the digestive juices secreted by the fungoid spattered on to its casing. They were of concentrated acid, and with hissing sounds began to eat through the metal.
‘Assist! Assist!’ the Dalek called, in near panic. It was being held too firmly in the tentacles to bring its gun to bear.
The Patrol Leader spun and fired. The fungoid caught fire, and instantly released its prey. It withered, collapsed and died.
‘Continue the patrol,’ the Leader ordered. The Dalek, its casing scarred with the acid burns, moved off.
Ian broke through the already overgrown pathway, seeing a figure stretched unconscious in the darkness. He waved his stick at the vegetation closing in. Reluctantly, the fronds and tentacles backed off, and Ian could see who it was he had saved.
‘Vicki!’ he cried. ‘Vicki!’
The Doctor had caught up with him. ‘She must have stowed away aboard the Dalek time machine, Chesterton!’ he exclaimed. ‘Which means that they can’t be far away!’
Barbara had tired of waiting, and set to work being useful. Picking up the end of the wire that Ian had cut through, she followed it back, hoping to discover another way from the cave. Instead, the wiring vanished into a small hole in the roof. Using the stick, she could just reach the rock there, and started to tap at it. Was there a hollow section?
Suddenly, she was aware that there was someone else present. Looking around, she saw with relief that it was the Doctor. ‘That was quick,’ she commented.