Doctor Who - [093] - The Invasion Of Time Page 11

  The only thing to do he decided, was to carry on with this deadly game of hide and seek. The TARDIS was vast, and Stor had only a few troopers at his disposal. He should be able to keep them busy long enough for Rodan to finish her task.

  Still considering the problem, the Doctor strolled around the conservatory. Except for a central path it was densely overgrown, a potted jungle, crammed with exotic plants from many different planets.

  There were some very interesting species here, and some very dangerous ones too. The Doctor stopped before a huge, dense bush which carried not leaves but long trailing vine-like tentacles. As the Doctor approached, the vine-tentacles began to stir and wave, and seemed to reach out hungrily for him.

  The Doctor smiled. 'You know, I think you might come in useful, old chap.'

  He stopped, as he heard heavy footsteps. Someone had come into the conservatory. Keeping well clear of the vine-plant, the Doctor ducked into the jungle.

  The Sontaran trooper came cautiously down the path, domed head turning from side to side, blaster at the ready.

  Suddenly, he halted. There was a rustling sound from somewhere in the bushes. He heard the sound of whistling...

  The Sontaran fired and the blaster bolt seared through the bushes. After a moment, the whistling started up again, from a slightly different direction. The Sontaran forced his way into the bushes determined to catch sight of his quarry. A dense clump of vines barred his way, and he thrust his way through them. Or rather, he tried to...

  Suddenly the vines came to furious life, winding hundreds of tentacles around him in a crushing grip. Arms pinioned, unable to reach his blaster, the Sontaran struggled desperately creating a tremendous racket as his heavy limbs flailed at the greenery.

  The Doctor popped out from behind a nearby bush and observed the struggle with benign interest. 'I can see you two are getting on very well,' he said, and hurried on his way.

  The Sontaran was still struggling, though more feebly, when Stor and Kelner came into the conservatory. Stor raised his communicator, made an adjustment, and switched it on. There was a high-pitched electronic hum. Paralysed by the high-frequency sound wave, the vine-plant's tentacles went limp. The Sontaran trooper staggered out.

  Stor looked at the trooper dispassionately. 'You will follow this Time Lord and destroy the power unit he will show you. Report to me in the Panopticon when you have succeeded.' Stor produced a grenade from his belt, and checked its timer.

  The trooper saluted, and followed Kelner from the conservatory. Stor stood motionless for a moment. He took off his helmet, and stood breathing hard, as if the strain of the long chase was beginning to tell even on him.

  So many delays, so many frustrations, victory always so close, yet always snatched away at the last moment. His ship, and the whole Sontaran battle fleet trapped outside the barrier. He had conquered a planet, and now he had to hold it with only a handful of men.

  Stor's lipless mouth tightened, and his little red eyes blazed with anger. Dok-tor! Always Dok-tor! He would kill the Dok-tor and then all would be well. If necessary, he would destroy all Gallifrey to ensure the Doctor's death. Stor hurried away.

  Kelner led the Sontaran trooper into a small but elegant gallery. Masterpieces from many planets lined the walls, statues and busts were scattered here and there about the room.

  Kelner looked around admiringly. 'Beautiful, isn't it?'

  The Sontaran said nothing. Beauty is of no interest to Sontarans, since it has no function in war. Indeed, to a Sontaran war is beauty. 'What is this place?'

  'An ancilliary power station. How like the Doctor to conceal its function with beauty!'

  Kelner went over to the largest statue, a robed female figure in the style of ancient Greece. He opened a small hatch in the side of the statue's plinth, and pressed an off-switch. 'Now, try your tracer.'

  The trooper took the device from his belt, switched on and studied the readings. 'The humanoids are three levels below!' he announced triumphantly. 'We shall go and destroy them!'

  In the workshop, the Doctor, Borusa and Andred stood watching Rodan as she put the final touches to a complex, rifle-like weapon. K9 stood smugly by, like an instructor watching a prize pupil at work.

  'Finished?' said the Doctor.

  'Yes. It is finished.'

  The Doctor snapped his fingers. 'Wake up, Rodan. Give me the Great Key.'

  Rodan blinked, produced the Key from her belt-pouch and handed it to the Doctor.

  The Doctor picked up the gun and stood for a moment, Great Key in one hand, gun in the other.

  Suddenly Borusa understood what was happening and an expression of horror came over his face. 'No!' he whispered. 'No!'

  The Doctor's face was stern. 'You know how helpless we are against the Sontarans, Chancellor.'

  'I forbid you to use that weapon, Doctor. It should never have been created.'

  'What is it?' asked Leela, curiously.

  'The ultimate weapon,' said the Doctor simply. 'The De-mat gun.'

  Rodan was as horrified as Borusa. 'But that's impossible. All knowledge of that weapon is forbidden, by Rassilon's decree.'

  'But the information was still there, stored in the Matrix. K9 passed it on to you, and you built the gun under hypnosis.'

  The Doctor looked down at the weapon. 'Now I have only to arm it. This is why the Great Key remained hidden for so long.'

  The Doctor slipped the key into a slot in the butt of the weapon and snapped it home. The gun seemed to throb with energy in his hands. For a moment he felt the exhilaration of total power-and realised why Rassilon had ordered that the weapon should be forbidden. 'With this weapon, I could rule the Universe, eh, Chancellor?'

  'Is that what you want? Destroy it, Doctor! Destroy all knowledge of it, or it will throw us back to the darkest age!'

  'No!' whispered a harsh voice from the doorway. 'It will take us forward, to a new age of Sontaran conquest.'

  The Doctor turned. A Sontaran trooper was in the doorway, Kelner close behind him.

  As the Sontaran raised his blaster the Doctor fired the De-mat gun. The Sontaran vanished, abolished from existence.

  The Doctor swung the weapon to cover Kelner. 'Where is Commander Stor.'

  Kelner didn't reply.

  'Kill him, Leela,' said the Doctor casually. Leela drew her knife and moved forward.

  'The Panopticon,' screamed Kelner. 'He's in the Panopticon. I think he's got some kind of bomb.'

  Horrified, the Doctor dashed for the door.

  Stor had almost finished his task. The fusion grenade was primed and ready, placed squarely in the centre of the dais. He straightened up to see the Doctor standing over him, a strange weapon in his hand.

  'Wait, Stor.'

  'This final action will provide me with great pleasure, Dok-tor.'

  'You'll destroy yourself and your men, as well as us...'

  'It is an honour to die for the glorious Sontaran Empire."

  'The power of a black hole is trapped beneath us. Explode that grenade and you'll destroy the entire planet.'

  'And all the Time Lords on it!'

  'You'll set off a chain reaction that will blow up your own battle fleet."

  'We have many battle fleets. If we cannot conquer you, Time Lord, we shall destroy you! Goodbye-Dok-tor!"

  Stor triggered the grenade.

  The Wisdom of Rassilon

  In the same moment, the Doctor raised the De-mat gun and fired.

  Stor vanished and the exploding grenade vanished, too. Somehow the energies released by atomic grenade and De-mat gun blended, merged, and cancelled each other out.

  The force of the energy-collision flung the Doctor back across the dais and dropped him unconscious on the ground.

  In the vast, shadowy Panopticon, everything was quiet. Stor was gone. The fusion-grenade was gone. Even the De-mat gun had disappeared.

  All that remained of it was the triggering device, the Great Key of Rassilon. It lay on the floor, close to the ou
tstretched hand of the Doctor, who lay still as death.

  The shock of the explosion was felt even in the TARDIS workshop. For a time, Borusa, Andred, Rodan, Leela and K9 waited, wondering what had happened, and what they should do. They heard slow, heavy footsteps, coming towards the workshop door.

  Borusa lifted the staser, Leela drew her knife.

  The door opened and the Doctor stood swaying in the doorway, exhausted, yet somehow relieved, as if some great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

  Leela ran to help him. 'Doctor, are you all right?'

  The Doctor beamed at her. 'Hello, Leela.' He looked at Borusa. 'What on Earth are you doing here, Borusa?'

  'Your Excellency?'

  'My Excellency? Is this some kind of a joke, Borusa? You never used to make jokes! And why am I wearing this thing?" He unfastened the Sash of Rassilion, and stared at it in amazement.

  'But Your Excellency,' said Borusa, 'don't you remember your induction as President?'

  'My induction? Me, President?' Clearly, the Doctor remembered no such thing.

  'And the Vardans?'

  'What Vardans?'

  'The Sontarans?'

  'What Sontarans?'

  Borusa put his hands on the Doctor's shoulders. 'Doctor, you have just saved Gallifrey.'

  'Have I really?' said the Doctor delightedly.

  'What do you say to that Leela?'

  Leela looked at Borusa. 'His mind has gone,' she whispered.

  Borusa smiled. 'No,' he said gently, 'only his memory. It is better so. It is the wisdom of Rassilon.'

  Some time later a small group of Time Lords and Outsiders led by Nesbin and Borusa assembled around the TARDIS. As usual the Doctor had firmly rejected any thought of official thanks or a farewell reception, and had insisted on a quiet departure.

  He paused embarrassed in the TARDIS doorway. The Doctor had always hated farewells. 'Well, goodbye everybody. Come on, Leela.'

  Leela didn't move. 'I am staying Doctor.'

  'Staying here? Why?'

  Andred was standing beside Leela, and she reached out and took his hand. In Leela's tribe, females as well as males could choose their mates, and Leela had chosen. Andred looked pleased, but a little startled.

  'Oh I see,' said the Doctor thoughtfully.

  'Doctor, I hope--' began Andred.

  'I'm sure you hope,' said the Doctor solemnly. 'Don't worry, she'll look after you. She's very good with a knife. Come on K9.'

  'Negative, Master.'

  'You're staying too?'

  'Affirmative.'

  'Why?'

  'To look after the Mistress - Master.'

  The Doctor nodded. Clearly an automaton could have feelings after all.

  A little sadly the Doctor opened the TARDIS door.

  Leela called. 'Doctor!'

  'Yes, Leela?'

  'I'll miss you, Doctor.'

  'I'll miss you too - savage!'

  Raising his hand in a farewell salute to Borusa, the Doctor went inside the TARDIS and closed the door.

  A minute or two later there was a wheezing, groaning sound and the blue police box dematerialised.

  Leela turned to K9. 'Will he be lonely?'

  'Insufficient data, Mistress.' But K9's tail antenna dropped sadly.

  Andred took Leela's hand, and they walked away.

  K9 glided after them.

  In the TARDIS control room, the Doctor wandered around the console, adjusting the controls here and there, and telling himself he quite liked it on his own.

  He didn't believe himself. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He opened a storage locker and pulled out an enormous cardboard box. On it was stencilled 'K9, Mark II'. The Doctor smiled.

  Anything any other scientist could do, he could do better. He'd designed and assembled the parts for a new improved K9 some time ago, though he'd kept the box hidden for fear of hurting the feelings of the original.

  Happily, the Doctor opened the box and set to work.