Doctor Who: War Machine (14 page)

‘Other machines?’ suggested Sir Charles. ‘Other people?’

‘Of course! Other people! There are other people there! People for whom I have not calculated in my programme!... Good gracious!’ He began to scramble from the car.

‘What is it?’

‘That girl! And Ben, of course... I should have guessed! If Valk has to fire... !’

‘Then stop him!’

‘There’s no way... once he registers Wotan.’

The Doctor disappeared into the entrance of the Tower.

‘Doctor!’

There was no stopping him.

Sir Charles signalled to a watching group of officials further down the road and hurried into the building. He turned to see the Doctor disappearing into the lift.

It seemed an eternity as Ben waited for Valk to appear. Perhaps the machine had changed its mind again, and gone limping off elsewhere.

But he knew that was a false hope. More likely Valk was planning the attack, for without doubt that was why it was here. The Doctor had obviously set this up, using one machine against the other, having so manipulated Valk that it was now about to turn its formidable powers on the very machine that had created it.

And Ben was caught in the middle, with this stubborn girl who didn’t want to be rescued.

She even tried to push him aside as he stood in front to protect her.

‘It’s for your own good,’ he told her.

‘Attack Valk!’ Wotan was calling. ‘Attack!’

But neither Brett nor Krimpton seemed to know what to do.

Valk appeared in the doorway of the outer office. Polly raised a clenched fist and ran towards him. She, at least, intended to defend Wotan.

But Ben caught her, and dragged her to the floor, as Wotan let fly with a battery of lights. They acted as a screen across the doorway to the other office. Valk would have to pass through that screen if he were to get in. And once in those deadly rays, what might happen? The problem didn’t occur to Valk as the War Machine lurched on.

The Doctor came down the corridor as quickly as he could. He didn’t actually break into a run, but he came close to it. What did disturb him was the sound of Sir Charles and some other people racing up the stairs.

‘Keep back!’ he shouted. ‘You can do nothing here.’ He saw Valk disappear into the outer office, and he fumbled with a piece of equipment he had put together; but time had been too short. He could have devised a direction-controller, but this was not it, and Valk ploughed on regardless of the deadly screen of light.

The impact was electrical in every sense. There was a blinding flash as if lightning had struck, and Valk buckled under the shock. Smoke oozed from his body, but there was still the strength and resolve to continue the programme. And Valk sprayed Wotan with a burst of light and fire.

Wotan was still issuing orders, but now the voice was badly distorted. It wasn’t easy to understand what was being demanded, ‘Valk, you will retire! You are to obey Wotan! You are forbidden to fire!’

There was another burst from Valk.

‘This is an order!’ The voice was now a screech. ‘You will no longer fire!’

The next burst ripped away part of Wotan’s protective panel.

Wotan reacted with a blaze of lights that tore the weapon from Valk and left the attacker defenceless. ‘Go! You are to go!’ screamed Wotan.

But it was impossible for Valk to be diverted. The great Machine, leaning heavily to one side, limping forward, smoke now wafting from all parts, a smell of burning, wildly unsteady, barged its way across the room towards Wotan.

‘I am Wotan! You must obey!’

That was a forlorn hope. There was no holding Valk. As a battery of burning rays played over its casing and the whole figure wilted, the metallic hands reached out to clutch Wotan’s shattered structure.

‘Keep away! Keep back!’

Wotan poured out a current of power. The shape of Valk began to blur – the outline was melting.

But the hands had closed round the computer’s panels, ripping them and tossing them aside. Inner circuits were exposed, a battery of instruments were shattered – Wotan’s body was dismembered and the entrails spilled over the floor.

There was a faint cry from somewhere within. You will both be destroyed,’ shouted Brett.

‘Wotan must be saved,’ said Krimpton. He pushed himself forward between the Machines. Neither appeared to be aware of him. Flesh was no protection in such a clash, and Krimpton slipped to the ground.

As the Doctor entered the room he was in time to see Valk take the full force of the dynamic power Wotan had left. The impact sent Valk staggering. The Machine stayed on what was left of its shattered limbs for a few seconds, then raised both arms high above its head–much as Ben had seen it do in the Covent Garden warehouse – and brought them down with a sickening crash on what was left of Wotan.

When the blaze of lights faded and the smoke thinned, there was little left that was recognisable, and from what there was it was impossible to tell where one machine ended and the other began.

Ben helped Polly from the ground. She was like someone who had awakened from a heavy sleep. ‘What’s happened?’ she asked.

‘You’re alive,’ said Ben simply.

The doorway behind the Doctor filled with a crowd of men, Sir Charles at their head.

‘Good heavens! Are you all right, Doctor?’

‘Perfectly all right, but I fear there is nothing left of our two machines.’

‘And Krimpton?’

The Doctor gently cleated the debris from around the fallen man.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid there is little we can do for him.’

Like Polly, Brett stood looking around the office in a daze. ‘Where am I?’ he asked.

‘He will need help,’ said the Doctor. ‘You must get him to hospital.’

Sir Charles took the Doctor aside anxiously. ‘The other War Machines?’ he said. ‘What about them, Doctor? It is now midday.’

‘You will find them all immobilised. They can do nothing without Wotan’s order... and that will never come.’

‘Thank heavens for that.’ Sir Charles gave a sigh of relief.

An attendant helped Brett, stepping across the wreckage of the room. As he went Brett began to recognise those round him.

‘Sir Charles?’ he said tentatively. ‘And Polly?’

‘I understand you will be all right,’ said Sir Charles. ‘But what has been happening here?’ Brett gestured to his office.

‘I think that at a later date the Doctor here will be able to explain many things.’ Sir Charles turned to indicate the Doctor... but he wasn’t by his side. Indeed, he wasn’t in the room. ‘Good gracious! Where is he? I didn’t see him go!’

There was a hurried search for the Doctor. He wasn’t to be found anywhere in the Tower.

‘That’s very strange... very puzzling... ’

13. We Can’t Stay Long

The Doctor guessed that Sir Charles and his friends would have many other questions, and some of them he would not be prepared to answer. It was best to take evasive action; besides, his task was now over and there were only a few loose ends to be tidied up. The authorities would be very capable of handling them. In addition, the Doctor knew at that very moment there would be a number of men and women who had taken pan in the workforces dotted round London, contributing to the construction of the War Machines, who would now be coming out of a strange dream, perhaps experiencing something of a shock as they found themselves where they were.

But they would soon get over that. They would have very little memory of what had happened these last few days, but enough of the mystery would be solved for mankind to understand that it had escaped a dire future under the rule of efficient but totally heartless and purely logical machines. The Doctor wondered whether mankind would take that lesson to heart. Well, that was not his business. He had done what he could in the situation. He couldn’t force the inhabitants of any planet to act for their own ultimate good.

‘Where is that wretched girl?’

The Doctor had been pacing up and down in a quiet London square, keeping an eye on the TARDIS in one corner, while watching for the arrival of his companion. Now he came to a stop and looked with a frown along the street. A number of busy pedestrians hurried by, but no sign of Dodo.

‘I distinctly said in my message... I made it quite clear... Of course she may have been held up in traffic.. London is becoming... ’ But he couldn’t really find an excuse for her.

The message he had sent emphasised the importance of keeping to a schedule. She hadn’t ever been so late before. But he had to admit to himself that ever since they had left Steven to help run the planet with Jano and the Savages, Dodo had never been quite herself.

‘A pity,’ mused the Doctor. But then..

He took the key of the TARDIS from his pocket. It was going to be a sad business travelling alone in Space after the company of his many young friends. Nevertheless he had a duty...

‘Doctor!’

He turned back. Someone was running down the street towards him.

‘Doctor!’

Not just one person... two.

Polly and Ben hurried up, out of breath.

‘Well, well, my child.’ The Doctor hid the key behind his back. ‘I’m glad to see you have recovered so completely. That dreadful business at the Tower... Enough to upset anyone.’

‘I never felt better in my life,’ said Polly cheerfully. ‘And you, Ben. Have you got over that very odd experience?’

‘Enjoyed every minute of it, Doc,’ grinned Ben. ‘Are we glad we found you!’ said Polly. ‘Sir Charles has been looking everywhere these last two days.’

‘Ah yes... I had one or two things to do,’ said the Doctor. Then he frowned. ‘How did you know I would be here?’

‘Dodo told us.’

‘Dodo?’

‘Yes. I’ve got a message from her. She says she’s feeling much better, but she would like to stay in London.’

‘She wants to stay here?’

‘After all, it is her home. She hopes you don’t mind.. And she sends her love.’

‘Her love! Ha! She’s staying in London, and she sends her love! The ingratitude of it... I take her across Time and Space, and now she..’

‘Come again, Doc?’ Ben was puzzled. ‘What’s that about Time and Space?’

‘Nothing. Nothing, my boy... A figure of speech.. It means, all over the place.’

Both Ben and Polly were looking at him with interest. What could the Doctor mean exactly?

The Doctor was suddenly brisk. ‘Well, you two young people. You’ll want to be on your way.. Things to do, and all that... If you see Dodo, give her my very best wishes. A splendid girl.’ He shook hands abruptly with both of them. They had the distinct impression that he was hurrying them away. ‘Goodbye, Polly... Goodbye, Ben. You were a great help. My thanks to you both.’

He waved to them and walked briskly away. "Bye, Doc.’

Ben was about to go, but Polly signalled to him to stop just round the corner.

‘Couldn’t get rid of us fast enough, could he,’ said Ben. ‘The old so-and-so.’

‘Sssh!’ Polly signalled for silence.

She turned to peer back down the road.

‘There’s something very odd about this,’ she whispered.

‘Like what?’

‘See what he’s doing?’

The Doctor was hurrying to the corner of the square. ‘Where’s he going?’

‘There’s a Police Box there.’

‘What’s the Doc got to do with a Police Box?’ asked Ben.

‘He’s stopped.’

The Doctor stood outside the TARDIS. There must be no further delay.

‘He’s got a key or something... He’s opening the door!... He’s going in!’

They couldn’t believe it as the Doctor disappeared into the Box!

‘What on earth can he be going to do in there?’ Ben was baffled.

‘Let’s find out,’ said Polly.

‘How?’

‘One way, isn’t there?’ she said. She started off down the square.

‘Hold on... Look Polly... What can we... ?’ Ben was doubtful.

‘He’s not going to get rid of us that easily,’ said Polly. She was smiling as she headed for the Police Box. Ben hung back. ‘I suppose the old Doc’s entitled –’ Polly interrupted. ‘Well, are you coming... or not?’ She had her hand on the door; it opened a little. Ben shrugged. ‘Right... Might as well... But don’t forget, we can’t stay long, only a couple of minutes... See what’s going on.’ He followed Polly into the TARDIS.

The door closed.

It was a matter of three or four seconds before the sound of some mechanism started up within the Box. A whirling noise... Something was spinning... Something was...

The corner of the square was both silent and empty.

The Police Box was no longer there.

Revision Notes:

Initial Scan by samscud
Ver 1.0: Converted to html and proofread by ST