by John Peel
‘Keep absolutely still and make no noise,’ a voice hissed.
‘What do you want?’ the Doctor demanded. It was most uncomfortable, not seeing the person he was speaking to.
‘You’ll answer questions, not ask them,’ the voice answered. ‘Quickly – that machine you arrived in – what is it?’
‘That is my TARDIS. It can travel through time and space...’
‘Space?’ the voice questioned, eagerly. ‘That’s good enough for me. I’m taking it over, right now.’
That was too much for the Doctor to accept. Ignoring the gun in his back, he spun about to face his captor. For an old man, he managed this swiftly, swiftly enough to catch Bret by surprise. The Doctor was not over impressed by what he saw: a tall man, tired-looking, unshaven and unwashed for several days. The only thing preventing him from expressing his opinion was the obviously functional blaster clasped in the man’s hand. ‘You’re taking over nothing, young man,’ he snapped, angrily.
Bret was not interested. He waved the gun significantly.
‘You don’t understand,’ the Doctor added. ‘That is no ordinary ship.’
‘That doesn’t bother me,’ Bret replied. ‘I can handle most ships I’ve ever come across.’
‘But I assure you...’
‘Save your breath.’ Bret reached out to pull down a section of a vine in a nearby tree. ‘I’m taking it anyway. Sorry, but that’s the way it is. Just be thankful that I didn’t kill you.’ Without warning, he suddenly pushed the Doctor hard. Caught off balance, the old man toppled. Bret was on him in an instant, and used the vine to truss him up. Despite his struggles, the Doctor was soon tightly tied and left against a tree. Almost as an afterthought, Bret reached into the Doctor’s pocket and withdrew the TARDIS key. With a cheery wave, he set off, leaving the Doctor to try to free himself.
Katarina used a wet cloth to wipe Steven’s head. His fever was increasing, as the poisons spread throughout his body. She had seen this happen many times, having grown up during the ten years of war with the Greeks. Soon enough, this young, handsome priest would die.
Steven’s eyes flicked open, and he struggled to focus on the girl bending over him. ‘Vicki?’ he croaked.
‘Rest,’ Katarina told him, pushing gently to keep him supine. ‘The Doctor will return very soon. He has gone to get help.’
‘Help?’ Steven was having trouble concentrating. ‘Where are we?’
‘Travelling through the Underworld.’
That made no sense at all to Steven, even in his fevered state. ‘I don’t understand,’ he muttered, struggling to remember. ‘Vicki... we left Vicki in Troy... you...’ He managed to see her now. ‘You helped me. Smoke... that Trojan, and his sword... did the Doctor bring you on board?’ He struggled to sit up. ‘Who are you?’
Again, she gently pushed him back, trying to soothe him. ‘My name is Katarina. I was the handmaiden of the high priestess Cassandra. But you must rest now. The Doctor will bring help.’ Steven opened his mouth again, but she pressed her hand over it. ‘Don’t ask any more questions.’
Steven sank back, too weak to argue and, in moments, he was dozing fitfully again.
There was the sound of the doors opening, and Katarina leapt to her feet. The Doctor, back already! She rushed into the control room, only to halt in the doorway as she saw the dishevelled figure that entered.
Bret was astounded as he entered the TARDIS. Instead of the small, one-man ship he had expected, he had stepped into a huge room. Computer panels lined the walls, alternating with inset discs in a regular and eye-pleasing pattern. There was some kind of mushroom-shaped control panel in the centre of the room, and a door leading – where? It was impossible to fit all of this into a small blue box in a forest on Kembal! What had he stumbled into?
As he stared about, a young girl appeared in the far doorway. She was pretty, and looked frightened. Her dress was low-cut, with a short skirt, showing a good deal of very appealing flesh. Was he hallucinating this?
‘Did the Doctor send you?’ she asked, timidly.
Dragging his attention from her legs, Bret nodded. ‘That’s right. The... old man sent me.’
‘You must help Steven.’
How many more of them were there in this thing? No time to worry about that, now. If the old man got free, there could be trouble; the best thing to do was to seal off the doors. He crossed to the control panel, but could make nothing of it. None of the levers, dials, switches, buttons or gauges was labelled. ‘Umm?’ he asked. ‘Of course I shall help... Steven. What’s your name?’
‘Katarina.’
‘Right.’ He had no idea what was going on, but he had to take a few chances. ‘But first we must shut the doors. There are some dangerous life-forms on this world. The... old man said you know the switch.’
Eager to please, Katarina nodded. With great care, she pushed home the magic stick. Even though there was no connection between the stick and the doors, the two doors hummed closed. She felt very proud of her mastery of this minor spell.
Bret walked slowly about the console, shaking his head amazement. ‘I’ve never anything like this,’ he muttered to himself. For the first time, he felt a twinge of anxiety over his plan. ‘I’m not sure I can do it.’ He glanced sharply up at Katarina. ‘How do you work this thing?’
‘Only the Doctor knows his temple,’ Katarina answered.
‘What?’
She gripped his arm, urgently. Her mind was still focused on one thing. ‘You must help Steven!’
Impatiently, Bret shook her off, and returned to the controls, hesitating. Which one? ‘Of course I’ll help him,’ he called over his shoulder. ‘But it’s imperative that we get back to Earth.’
Ketarine frowned. Did this fool not know that the journey through the Underworld was only possible in one direction? ‘We can’t get back to Earth,’ she said. ‘We’ve left it.’
‘Can’t?’ Bret was beginning to suspect that this girl was not as foolish as she seemed. Maybe she suspected something? ‘Katarina, are you sure you don’t know how to work this?’
‘How could I know?’ she replied, simply. ‘It belongs to the Doctor.’
Bret returned to his study of the controls. None of them made any sense to him. ‘The old man said this was no ordinary ship.’ He shook his head in despair. ‘He was right.’
At that moment, everything went black for him, and he pitched forward, unconscious.
Steven gripped the console to prevent himself from following. He let the Doctor’s spare cane fall to the floor. Katarina gasped and hurried over to support him. ‘Fake,’ Steven managed to gasp. ‘Doctor would never have given stranger TARDIS key. Would have returned with him.’ The effort proved too much for him, and his knees buckled. Katarina didn’t have the strength to support him, and he crashed to the TARDIS floor also.
Looking from one unconscious form to the other, Katarina didn’t know what to do. Was this some strange form of test laid on her by the gods? What should she do? What could she do?
The Doctor had finally recalled a few of those tricks taught to him by that young escape artist... Harry Hoodoo, or something. The vine fell away from his arms, and he rubbed the circulation back into them. Then he stopped to recover his walking stick. As fast as he was able, he rushed back to the TARDIS. With a sigh of relief, he saw that it was still there. He had been afraid that the young man who had attacked him would do something stupid and make it dematerialize. ‘Physical violence, eh?’ he said to himself. ‘You don’t know what you’ve let yourself in for!’ He hefted his stick, practising for the blow he’d give that vandal.
He chuckled as he saw the reason that the TARDIS was still there. ‘And you’ve left the key in the door!’ he crowed. The ship could not take off like that; the safety functions would never allow it. ‘Well, well, well, that’s the first of his mistakes. Very foolish, very foolish indeed.’ He chuckled. ‘If it’s a matter of brain versus brawn, I have him out-matched from the start!’ He had convenie
ntly forgotten the fact that Bret had won their first encounter. He opened the door slightly before withdrawing his key and pocketing it – just in case the foolish youth had managed to engage the dematerialization programme.
The Doctor stepped into the control room, and Katarina breathed a sigh of relief. Now things would be straightened out!
When Bret came round, he had a splitting headache. He also found himself firmly gripped from the neck down in something. He carefully opened his eyes, and saw the old man, standing by the control panel, with the girl. A younger man was on the floor, with a pillow under his head, under a blanket that had been hastily thrown over him.
‘I wonder if our captive has any connection with the city below?’ the Doctor was musing. ‘There are one or two questions I most have answered.’ He glanced around, and saw that Bret was awake. The young man was struggling to free himself from what looked like an ordinary chair. Chuckling happily to himself, the Doctor walked over to gloat.
‘It’s a little invention of mine,’ he explained, haughtily. ‘I call it a magnetic chair. There are no locks or ropes, but it possesses a force-field strong enough to restrain a herd of elephants, so I wouldn’t waste your energy trying to escape. You’ll still be there until I direct otherwise.’ Then, ignoring the captive agent, he turned back to Katarina, who was once again mopping Steven’s brow. ‘How is he, my dear?’
‘He’s feverish,’ she answered, in worried tones.
‘Yes,’ the Doctor agreed, abstractedly. ‘By the way, my dear, I’ve found a city.’ When Katarina showed no evidence of applause, he added: ‘Just as I was about to ascertain a way down, that young ruffian set upon me.’
Katarina was not to be side-tracked. ‘Can you get help for Steven?’
‘Yes, I think so.’ He gestured towards the captive Bret. ‘I shall have to cross-examine him when I get back. But don’t worry – you’re safe. Just don’t have anything to do with him until I return. He’s unable to move until I press that little switch on the back of the chair. He’s quite harmless.’ To illustrate his point, the Doctor went over and patted Bret on the shoulder. ‘Quite comfortable, I hope, young man?’ Bret glowered at him, and the Doctor chuckled happily to himself.
‘I shall be back shortly,’ he promised Katarina. ‘As soon as I get help from the city.’ Once again, he left the TARDIS and set out through the jungle this time being a little more careful, and stopping to listen from time to time. He heard a sound in the sky, and looked up. A large ball of light was passing overhead and decelerating fast, obviously heading for the city he had seen earlier. Clearly, then, it was a busy place – just the sort of place to have a medic on call! Excellent!
The Black Dalek slid into the reception area of the space-port. This was a large room, one wall of which was glass and looked out across the level landing site to the jungle beyond. The other walls showed certain concessions to the weaker humanoid forms, with several couches placed carefully out of the Daleks’ paths. Several other Daleks were in the room already, obviously to provide a welcome for the approaching ship. As the Black Dalek entered, one of the others crossed the room.
‘Control reports rocket one eleven in landing circuit,’ it stated. ‘Touchdown will take place in three minutes.’
‘Is all prepared?’ the Black Dalek grated.
‘Everything is in readiness.’
‘Pass permission for rocket one eleven to land.’
‘I obey.’ The Dalek glided away to pass the order on to Control.
The Black Dalek was pleased; plans were advancing as they should. The report to be made to the Dalek Prime would be an acceptable one. In a few short days, the masterplan would be complete, and none of the other creatures of the Galaxy would be able to stand against the Daleks. The final few pieces of the plan were coming together. The approaching ship was one of the most crucial portions of the plan left...
Moments later, the field lit up as the ship came down. It was a sleek, dark ship, with much ornamentation the affectations of wealth. It touched down, and the landing lights died, leaving only the inside lights for the sole passenger to disembark by.
The Doctor emerged from the jungle by the buildings of the space-port. Remembering only too well his run-in with the last person he had met on this planet, he had decided to play his hand very cautiously, and watch the inhabitants of the city for a moment or two before revealing himself. Keeping to the shadows, he managed to approach the huge glass-fronted building that was obviously the terminal. Inside, he could make out movement, so he edged towards the window, and peered cautiously within. Instantly, he stiffened and withdrew.
‘Daleks!’ he spat. Here – his greatest foes!
* * *
Bret had watched Katarina ministering to Steven for a while silence, and finally could stand no more. ‘What’s the matter with him?’ he asked, brusquely. Katarina looked up, but didn’t reply. ‘I said, what’s the matter with him?’
‘He’s sick,’ she finally answered, realizing that talking to him could not be breaking faith with the Doctor’s instructions. ‘The Doctor says that he has poisons in the blood.’
Bret nodded – the maximum movement he could manage under this invisible restraint. Infection of the blood, from that gash in the young man’s side. Well, if it was a simple infection, he could help there. It never occurred to him not to want to aid the young man. He had nothing personally against these people, and he had appreciated that perhaps he had approached this whole matter rather unwisely. It was becoming painfully apparent that this strange trio of travellers were not agents of the Daleks. He should have tried to gain the Doctor’s confidence, not steal his ship. Well, perhaps the error could be rectified if he helped out here. ‘There are some tablets in the pouch of my belt,’ he informed Katarina. ‘Give him two of them.’
‘I cannot do that,’ Katarina replied. ‘The Doctor has gone to get help.’
‘He won’t find any on this planet, believe me. So why not try the tablets?’ Bret tried to give her his most winning smile, but he suspected that his looks were marred somewhat by three days’ stubble and grime. ‘I hate to see anyone die through stupidity,’ he added.
The girl didn’t seem to follow him. ‘I do not understand you.’
‘For heavens sake, girl!’ he exploded, annoyed at her obtuseness. ‘Take the tablets and give them to him!’
Katarina could not see any evil in the man, despite the Doctor’s own caution. He seemed to be perfectly genuine. What harm could there be in doing as he asked? Even if his medicines were poison, they could hardly be worse for Steven than allowing him to die of the wound he had suffered. ‘All right,’ she finally agreed.
‘Now you’re showing some sense!’ Bret exclaimed. He watched her, smiling, as she moved slowly over to him. She reached hesitantly for his belt, and found the small compartment at the front of it with his supplies.
‘Is this it?’ she asked, nervously.
‘Yes.’ Seeing how frightened she was, he said softly, ‘It’s all right: I won’t harm you. This chair of the Doctor’s is everything he claimed. The tablets are in that tube.’
Katarina took a small metal vial from the belt, and held it out. There was some form of fastener on the top, which she managed to prise off. Two small white stone-like items slid into her palm. ‘Are these... tablets?’ she asked, in wonder.
‘What do they look like?’ Bret snapped. ‘Take two and put them in his mouth. They dissolve quickly and take effect almost immediately.’ Katarina nodded, and moved off towards Steven. Under his breath, Bret muttered. ‘I’m glad she’s not nursing me!’ She seemed to be a trifle lacking in brain power, to say the least! Louder, he encouraged her as she gave Steven the two pills: ‘He’ll be all right now. You can leave him alone.’
As she stood back, Katarina felt very nervous. Had she done the right thing? ‘I have no doubt that the Doctor will be angry,’ she said. ‘I have disobeyed him.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Bret admonished. ‘When Steven recovers,
the Doctor will be pleased at what you did. I just hope the Doctor gets back here soon.’ He didn’t relish the idea of staying tied up with Katarina to look after him. She’d probably kill him by accident! And only the Doctor could get this strange ship moving again. He must get back to Earth and warn them!
The Doctor pressed himself further into the shadows, watching keenly as the Daleks moved to meet the new arrival. Whatever was happening here, it was clearly something of vital importance. If it was this urgent to the Daleks, then it was imperative that he should discover what they were doing – and thwart their megalomaniac little schemes!
Footsteps sounded over the floor as the final member of the Dalek alliance walked to meet the waiting Daleks. The Black Dalek moved forward to speak to the new arrival.
‘We welcome you as we welcome all allies of the Daleks.’
The ally bowed formally, then straightened with the hint of a smile on his lips. ‘I am honoured to be here – and to be part of your plan to conquer the Earth and all of the planets of the Solar System!’ Mavic Chen stepped forward and followed the Daleks into the main conference room.
Chapter 6
The Day of Armageddon
The Doctor had no idea who the human ally of the Daleks was, but he had heard enough to understand that it was time for him to make a hasty retreat from the area. He glanced around the corner, and then froze.
A small Dalek patrol force was gliding over the landing area, in the full glare of the lights, towards the new arrival’s ship. The leader paused, and ordered: ‘A full guard is to be mounted over the human ship. Maximum security is to be observed for the duration of the conference. All sections to security alert.’
That was definitely his cue to leave! Quietly, the Doctor moved back into the jungle. He moved slowly away from the environs of the city, seeking to evade the Dalek motion detectors. Once he felt that he had passed from their sight, he hurried his pace.