Doctor Who And The Dalek Invasion of Earth Page 4

  Another Dalek replied. "That is so, Commander. He defied us, spoke of resistance. His words betrayed superior intelligence and determination."

  The Dalek Supreme turned away. "We shall await the results of the experiment."

  Unaware that he was the subject of a Dalek experiment, the Doctor was chatting to his fellow-prisoners, discussing the only subject of real interest - escape. "I had a good look in that corridor outside. Plenty of scanners about."

  Craddock glanced round the cell. "Can't see any in here. They may be hidden. What do you make of this thing, Doctor?" He pointed to a semi-transparent crystal box, packed with complex machinery, which was mounted on the wall near the cell door.

  "I've a theory about that. I'll investigate it in a moment. Let's continue to survey the general situation."

  "I noticed what looked like a loading bay, Doctor," Ian contributed. "It should lead to the ground. There might be a guard outside, though."

  "There will be," said Craddock gloomily.

  "Our task is to escape," said the Doctor sharply. "You'll do no good sitting here moping."

  "And you'll do no good fooling yourself," growled Craddock. "Once the Daleks have got you, that's it! "

  The Doctor shook his head reprovingly, and moved across to the crystal box. He began studying it closely. Ian said, "How did all this start - the invasion of Earth, I mean?"

  Craddock stared at him. "Where've you been, on one of the moon stations?"

  "Something like that," replied Ian vaguely. "I never got the full story."

  Craddock was silent for a moment, then he began to speak in a low, bitter voice. "The meteorites came first. They bombarded Earth about ten years ago. A freak cosmic storm, the scientists said... Then people started dying - some new kind of plague."

  "Germ warfare?" suggested Ian.

  Craddock nodded. "The Daleks were waiting, up there in space, waiting for Earth to get weaker. Whole continents were wiped out. Asia, Africa, America. Everywhere you went, the air smelled of death. The doctors tried all kinds of new drugs, but none of them worked. By now the world was split up into tiny struggling communities, too far apart to help each other. About six months after the plague had begun, the first of the flying saucers landed..."

  Ian listened in fascinated horror as Craddock went on with his story. The Daleks had flattened whole cities, striking ruthlessly at any sign of resistance. They had captured untold numbers of human beings, turning them into Robomen, discarding them when they died and creating new ones. Other human beings had simply been enslaved, made to toil in the Dalek mines under the whips of the Robomen.

  The catalogue of horrors went on, until Ian could bear it no longer. " Why? " he interrupted. "That's the one thing you haven't told us. Why are they doing all this? What has Earth got that they want so much?"

  Craddock looked dully at him. "I don't know, no one knows. But it's something under the ground. They've turned most of Bedfordshire into one gigantic mining area..."

  The Doctor, who had been only half-listening, turned round impatiently. "Never mind all this blab about Bedfordshire. I think I've discovered how this thing works."

  Ian went over to him. "All right, Doctor. What is it?"

  The Doctor pointed to a small metal rod clamped into a holder beside the box. Fixed next to it was a lens with a handle, looking like a pocket magnifying glass. "Just hand me that, will you, my boy?"

  "I wouldn't touch it," warned. Craddock.

  Ian looked at the Doctor, who beamed infuriatingly at him. Carefully Ian took out the rod and handed it to the Doctor. "There you are. Now what?"

  "First, an experiment." The Doctor moved the rod close to the transparent box. As if in sympathy, a similar but much larger metal rod inside the box began to move. "You see, it's magnetic."

  "Marvellous," said Craddock sarcastically. "How does it help us?"

  "And why's the box here at all?" asked Ian. "What do the Daleks use it for?"

  The Doctor nodded approvingly. "An excellent question, my dear chap. Now, suppose you were a Dalek shut in here, how would you get out?"

  Craddock frowned. "Push up the door?"

  The Doctor shook his head reproachfully. "A Dalek has no hands, only a sucker. They rely on brain, not brawn."

  Ian looked at the crystal box, the lens and the metal rod. "Are you telling me this set-up is some kind of key?"

  "Precisely. All we have to do is open the box and use the key. Now then, pass me that lens, will you?"

  Ian handed it over, examining the handle. "You know I think you're right, Doctor. This thing is obviously made for a Dalek to hold."

  The Doctor gave him an encouraging smile. "You're a good lad, Chesterton, you really do try hard. Now we must find the correct refractive index, or the box will probably explode."

  The Doctor began moving the lens about near the top of the box. Craddock watched him sceptically. "Refractive rubbish," he muttered. "You don't think the Daleks would leave the key in here for us to find."

  "They have only contempt for human intellect," said the Doctor sharply. "And if all their prisoners are like you, I'm not so sure they're wrong..." The Doctor started muttering abstruse calculations to himself. "Did you ever do applied three dimensional graph geometry at your school, Chesterton?"

  Ian shook his head. "Only Boyle's Law."

  "Let's boil down this problem then, shall we?" Chuckling at his own excruciating pun, the Doctor added, "Cover your eyes, gentlemen, this may be nasty."

  Craddock shook his head scornfully. "I suppose it'll turn into a great big pumpkin or - " He broke off in astonishment. The lid of the crystal box had sprung silently open. "Hey, it's a flaming miracle."

  Ian slapped the Doctor on the back. "Doctor, sometimes you amaze me!"

  "Only sometimes?" The Doctor chuckled. "Now, all we've got to do is find the way to use this bar... it'll be something to do with static electricity, I imagine. Now, if I push the bar in the box back with this one..."

  Craddock looked at the two bars. The one in the Doctor's hand was tiny, the one in the box large and heavy. "You're going to push that - with that ?"

  "Exactly. And since similar poles repel, and both bars are magnetic..."

  The Doctor moved the small bar close to the large one. Immediately the large bar slid back - and the cell door moved smoothly upwards.

  Craddock looked admiringly at the Doctor. "You're a genius!"

  The Doctor waved a deprecating hand. "Oh it was nothing, nothing at all... Now let's get out of this infernal flying machine and find Susan and Barbara."

  They ran out into the corridor and straight into a waiting group of Daleks and Robomen. The Black Dalek dominated the group. "He has passed the escape test. Take him." Robomen grabbed the Doctor and dragged him away. Others held back Ian as he tried to follow. He turned angrily to the Black Dalek. "What are you going to do with him?"

  The toneless Dalek voice replied, "He will be robotised."

  5: Attack the Daleks!

  The voice of the Dalek Supreme seemed to shake the little radio set. "Rebels of London. This is your final warning. Leave your hiding places. Show yourself in the open streets. You will be fed and watered. Work is needed, but in return the Daleks offer you life. Continue to resist and we will destroy London. You will all die, the males, the females, the young of the species. Rebels of London, come out from your hiding places."

  The radio went silent. Dortmun gestured exultantly at the pile of shining glass grenades. "We'll come out all right - with these. We don't need to hide any more, we can make them run."

  Barbara looked round the operations room, which was packed with grim-faced freedom fighters. Dortmun had called a meeting to listen first to the Dalek speech, and then to make one of his own. "We'll answer their ultimatum for them - tonight. We're going to make a frontal attack on their flying saucer. Now we have the superior weaponry. One success and people will hope again. One victory will set this country alight. Then Europe, then the world. That's all we need - on
e victory!"

  There was a roar of enthusiasm. Jenny's sceptical voice cut through it. "How do we get within throwing range at the Heliport? The Daleks guard the perimeter - and they can fire long before we're near enough to use the bombs."

  Tyler didn't care for opposition. "This will be a surprise attack, at night."

  Jenny wasn't convinced. "The surprise will be over when the first bomb is thrown."

  Barbara jumped up. "I've got it! You can use these ." She pointed to the pile of Robomen helmets at the back of the room. "Some of the men can disguise themselves as Robomen. The rest can be prisoners they're bringing in. You'll be able to get right into the middle of the Heliport before they suspect!"

  Tyler picked up one of the helmets and put it over his head. "It'll work," he said slowly.

  Dortmun smiled grimly. "Yes. It'll work. Let's pre-pare for the attack."

  Barbara, David and Susan crouched in a ruined house, overlooking the edge of the Heliport. The open area before them was brightly lit, the gleaming shape of the flying saucer towered above them. Patrolling Daleks moved silently around the perimeter.

  All three were carrying satchels full of grenades. David tapped his meaningfully. "Sure you've got it straight? As soon as Tyler and his attack group move in, we start chucking these."

  The two girls nodded. There was nothing to do now but wait. Susan rubbed her ankle, hoping it wouldn't let her down. Though still a little sore, it was almost better. She'd been determined not to be left out of the attack...

  Inside the saucer the Doctor had been taken to a small room packed with intricate electronic machinery. Its central feature was a long table. Above one end was suspended an elaborate helmet-like device from which projected two metal prongs. For what seemed a very long time the Doctor was subjected to a variety of measuring devices which had recorded his blood-pressure, his temperature, the electrical activity of the brain, and indeed his total physical condition. The Robotising process was elaborate and time-consuming, and the Daleks did not care to waste it on subjects who might ruin everything by dying on them. At last the battery of tests was complete, and a Dalek scientist droned, "Prisoner suitable subject for operation. Take him to the table."

  Two Robomen bustled the Doctor over to the table and stretched him out on it. Before he could move metal clamps were applied to hold him in place. His sleeve was pushed back and he felt a prick in his right arm. Immediately a numbing paralysis spread over his entire body.

  The Doctor discovered he was unable to move a muscle. But although his body was immobilised, his brain was fully alert. Surely there was something he could do... Surely something would turn up to save him. Or was this really the end, after all?

  The Doctor lay quite still on the metal table. Dalek scientists glided around him, making final adjustments to the machinery that was designed to turn the Doctor into their helpless slave.

  In the ruined house, David suddenly tensed. A dispirited-looking group of prisoners was being marched to the bottom of the saucer ramp, under the charge of a squad of Robomen. David drew a deep breath. "Here they come. Get ready." He took a grenade from his satchel, and prepared to throw.

  Roboman helmet weighing heavy on his head, Tyler marched his squad of fake Robomen, with their equally fake prisoners, straight towards the ramp. The nearest Dalek guard moved up to him. "Stop. What are you doing?"

  Tyler made his reply in the slow dragging tones of the Robomen. "I am taking the prisoners into the ship."

  "Wait. In which area were these prisoners captured?"

  Tyler answered at random. "Sector Four."

  "No patrol was ordered in Sector Four."

  Tyler did his best to bluff. "New orders were given by the Dalek Supreme."

  Before the Dalek could reply there came the dull crump, crump, crump of exploding grenades from all around the Heliport. Barbara, Susan and David, and several other groups of freedom fighters, hurling grenades at random from widely different points, tried to create the impression of an attack from all sides. Forgetting Tyler, the Dalek guard began to scream, "Attack warning. Attack warning!"

  A siren started blaring from inside the ship. Daleks were rushing around in all directions. In his Roboman voice Tyler shouted, "I will take the prisoners into the ship." He marched his party quickly up the ramp.

  Daleks were all round the perimeter of the Heliport now, firing in the direction of the explosions. But since the attackers were so few in number, and well spaced out, they were very hard to find.

  A Dalek sped close to the building in which David and the girls were hiding, firing almost at random. David yelled, "Get down!" and swept the two girls to the floor. The blast of a Dalek ray-gun sizzled through the open window and set fire to the wall above their heads. A man ran past the window then dropped screaming as the Dalek fired again. David struggled to his feet. "Right, that's it. They must be inside by now. Time for us to pull back." They ran from the blazing building and disappeared into the darkness.

  Tyler and his men dashed along the metal corridors of the Dalek ship. "Right," called Tyler, "spread out. Free as many prisoners as you can before you use the bombs." One of the freedom fighters began blasting open the door of the cell which held Ian and Craddock.

  The noise of battle came only faintly to the Robotising room, and the Dalek scientist continued his work undistracted. Suddenly a harsh voice blared from a hidden speaker. "We are under attack. Report to main ramp. General alert. Report to main ramp."

  Obediently the Robomen and the Dalek scientists began filing from the room. The last Roboman was about to leave when a Dalek scientist stopped him. "The prisoner is already prepared. You will remain and supervise the operation." The Roboman touched a control. The Robotising machinery started to hum and throb with power. The pronged, helmet-like device began to descend, coming closer and closer to the Doctor's head. Just as the prongs seemed about to sink into his forehead Tyler dashed into the room, and wrenched the helmet device to one side. It blew up in a shower of sparks. The Roboman ran forward, there was a brief struggle, and he dropped with Tyler's knife between his ribs.

  Another freedom fighter ran in. Tyler called, "Baker! Help me get this man off the table." They un-fastened the clamps and lifted the Doctor clear. He slumped limply in their arms. Tyler made a quick attempt to bring him round and then gave up. "No good, you'll have to carry him. See if you can get him clear." Baker began dragging the Doctor from the table. A Dalek voice blared from the speaker. "All reserve Robomen into action. Destroy the invaders!"

  From a new hiding place behind a ruined wall, David, Susan and Barbara surveyed the scene. Fires were blazing all round the perimeter of the heliport. The Daleks had now abandoned the search for their elusive attackers and were retreating back to their ship. Barbara gripped David's arm. "Tyler's going to be trapped inside the ship! Are those bombs of Dortmun's really any use against Daleks?"

  Susan said, "I didn't see the bombs stop any Daleks. But there's too much smoke to see what's going on."

  David said nothing. He too had his doubts about Dortmun's bombs.

  Jenny came tearing towards them, pausing only to hurl a grenade at the Dalek ship. David seized on her arrival with relief. "Jenny, take these two back to H.Q. I'm going to see if I can get Tyler out of that ship."

  As David ran off, Jenny said, "I'm not playing nurse to you two. I'm going with David." She looked scorn-fully at Barbara and Susan. "I should have thought you'd have wanted to come too. After all, your two friends are in there."

  Barbara looked at her in astonishment, then turned to Susan. The look on Susan's face told her the whole story. "You knew. You knew all along."

  Susan was shamefaced. "We didn't want to worry you before - "

  Barbara was already running towards the Dalek ship. Susan followed, and caught her by the arm. "Barbara, where are you going?"

  "To help David find Ian and the Doctor. We've got to get them out of there." Pulling free of Susan's grasp, Barbara ran off.

  Susan turn
ed to find Jenny looking at her. "Well, are you coming?"

  "I suppose so, though what good we can do..."

  Jenny wasn't listening. "We'll do no good if we don't try. Come on, this way."

  Jenny ran off and Susan, still hobbling a little, did her best to keep up with her.

  By now Tyler and his men were already rushing down the ramp, bringing with them all the released prisoners they could find. Ian was somewhere near the back of the confused bunch of men.

  At the foot of the ramp, the Daleks were waiting to meet them. They fired into the crowd at point blank range, and men screamed and dropped all around. Tyler shouted, "The bombs. Use the bombs! " He pulled a grenade from his satchel and hurled it at the nearest Dalek. There was an explosion, a blaze of flame, and a cloud of smoke. Then, through the drifting smoke, Tyler saw the Dalek moving inexorably towards him, quite unharmed. Dortmun's bombs were a failure. Tyler yelled, "Scatter all of you. Run! The bombs are no good!"

  Freedom fighters and escaping prisoners began to run in all directions. Remorselessly the Daleks pursued, shooting them down. Since he'd been at the back of the escaping crowd, Ian was still on the ramp when the battle started. He got a grandstand view of the unequal struggle. He saw the useless bombs exploding all around, producing flame and smoke, but doing very little damage. Two freedom fighters tipped a Dalek on to its side by main force - only to be themselves blasted down by more Daleks. Suddenly, he saw a familiar face face appear out of the darkness. "Barbara," he yelled desperately. "Barbara, get back!" Barbara saw him and waved then she disappeared, swept up by the milling crowd.

  Ian jumped down from the ramp, just as the ramp itself began retracting with a hum of power. Two Daleks appeared round the curve of the Dalek ship, their gun sticks trained on Ian. The lifting of the ramp had left a small gap between the base of the ramp and the ship itself. Instinctively Ian flung himself into the gap - just as the ramp started to come down again, closing the opening and trapping Ian inside the Dalek ship. Gun-sticks blazing, Daleks poured down the ramp...