DOCTOR WHO AND THE FACE OF EVIL Read online

  'This really isn't necessary,' gasped the Doctor. 'Tell you what, I've got a wonderful idea...'

  Not daring to fire in case she hit the Doctor, Leela threw down the gun, and tried to drag the Tesh away.

  He gave her a savage blow in the stomach, and she fell back gasping. The Tesh returned to the struggle with the Doctor, dragging him to the ground. They rolled over and over, coming closer and closer to the wall. Clearly the Tesh had no objection to sacrificing his own life in order to kill the Doctor.

  Inches away from the wall, the Doctor managed to wriggle beneath his attacker. He gave a desperate heave.

  The Tesh thudded into the wall and died in a blaze of blue sparks.

  The Doctor struggled to his feet and looked sadly down at the body. 'Why wouldn't he listen...'

  'He acted like one possessed by a demon.'

  'Yes... I'm afraid Xoanon's just warming up. When he gets desperate enough he's going to destroy every-thing, just to get at me. There's not much time.'

  The Doctor hurried off down the corridor. Picking up the disrupter gun. Leela followed. As they moved off, the red lights dimmed and the lighting returned to normal.

  At the far end of the tunnel through the giant, head, Calib, Tomas, Neeva, and a handful of warriors stood gazing out at the world beyond the Barrier. Like the Doctor before them they saw a barren plain and a towering space ship.

  Tomas said reverently. 'At last, we're here.'

  Calib smiled wryly. 'And I always believed it was only legend...' Neeva came forward to join them, staring intently at the rocket ship. He began reciting from the Litany. 'The gates of Paradise shall be open to the people of Xoanon, and his dwelling place revealed.'

  Tomas looked sharply at him. 'We've outgrown the old superstitions, Neeva.'

  'But it's there, isn't it, Tomas,' said Neeva. 'We start getting proof, and we stop believing.'

  'When there's proof you don't need to believe.'

  Calib interrupted them. 'Get the men ready, Tomas. We're going to climb down there and capture that Tower. This is one attack that isn't going to fail. I wish Andor were here now to see us destroy the Tesh.'

  'The Tesh—and Xoanon.' Neeva's eyes glittered feverishly, and there was hysteria in his voice. 'Xoanon is our real enemy. He betrayed me—and I'm going to kill him.'

  The Doctor led Leela back to the auxiliary control room, closing the door behind them. He began fishing through the various lockers and cupboards, pulling out an astonishing variety of electronic spare parts. He selected certain specific items, and began stowing them away in his roomy pockets. 'You know, Leela,' he said, 'the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common...'

  Leela wasn't listening. She stiffened suddenly, her eyes widened, and slowly she swung her disruptor gun round to cover the Doctor.

  'You see,' the Doctor went on, 'they don't alter their view to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views... which can be very uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that need altering.' Leela's finger tightened on her trigger.

  Hurt by her lack of response to his rather neat turn of phrase, the Doctor looked up, and caught sight of Leela's reflection in one of the unused viewing screens. He ducked and the disruptor beam sizzled over his head, shattering the screen.

  Still moving with the same zombie-like deliberation, Leela swung round towards him. The Doctor jumped across the control room and took shelter behind a control console. Leela began stalking slowly towards him—and the Doctor started fishing hastily through his pockets. Hurriedly he produced his sonic screwdriver, and a large, oddly-shaped crystal.

  Just as Leela appeared over the top of the console, gun raised, the Doctor touched the crystal with the sonic screwdriver, and it gave out a clear, ringing note.

  Leela froze. Cautiously the Doctor went to her. She was standing quite still, staring straight ahead. 'The gun is getting heavy,' said the Doctor softly. 'It is heavy... heavy... heavy...'

  Slowly Leela lowered the gun. 'When I count to three, you will wake. One... two... three.' On three the Doctor tapped the crystal again, and the ringing stopped.

  Leela blinked at the Doctor, and he gave her a reassuring smile, as he returned screwdriver and crystal to his pocket. 'I think I've got everything I need. Shall we go?'

  Leela gave him a puzzled stare, and rubbed a hand over her eyes.

  'Something wrong?' asked the Doctor.

  'I was by the door. Now I'm over here. I don't remember moving.'

  'You're probably tired. Do you remember how to get to the main control room?'

  'Yes, I think so.'

  'Then lead the way!'

  As Jabel knelt in meditation before the holy relics of Xoanon, Gentek burst in, babbling with panic. 'Savages are attacking the main airlock,' he screamed. 'They will soon gain entry to the Tower! What must we do?'

  Jabel rose and looked at Gentek with cold distaste. 'And is that your excuse for behaving like a degenerate savage yourself?'

  Gentek drew a deep, shuddering breath as he struggled for control. 'Forgive me, Captain, but—'

  'You are an acolyte of the People of Tesh, one of the chosen of Xoanon. Will he accept into communion an unreasoning brute, a mindless beast?'

  Gentek gave a low ritual bow. 'I accept my fault and seek forgiveness. My mind and flesh which should be Two were One, and the Way was hid by Blood.'

  Jabel returned the bow. 'The Flesh is strong, and we are weak. Now, make your report in a more fitting manner.'

  In a calm, emotionless voice Gentek said, 'The Savages have attacked the main lock. Soon they will gain entrance to the Tower. What must we do?'

  In a voice equally calm, Jabel replied, 'You must fall back gradually. I will have disruptor cannon set up on level twelve. We will trap the Savages there and destroy them.'

  13

  The Last Battle

  Leela and the Doctor reached the corridor outside the main control room just in time to see Jabel and Gentek come out and hurry in the other direction.

  They pressed against the wall to avoid being seen. Immediately the lights flickered, and red emergency lighting came on. The Doctor pulled Leela away. 'You'll have to be quicker than that, you overgrown adding machine,' he shouted.

  The emergency lighting faded and the main lights came on again.

  Deep inside the computer complex, multiple screens showed images of Leela and the Doctor, and the Doctor's voice could be heard saying, 'There are probably sensory inputs almost everywhere. He can monitor every tiny change in temperature and pressure, every vibration...'

  'You did say he was the most powerful computer ever built.'

  'Oh he is, and very charming too, when he wants to be. Marvellous host. I remember one of his dinner parties...'

  The pictures on the screens changed as the Doctor and Leela moved away.

  In the corridor Leela was saying, 'Doctor, what are we going to do? Xoanon is trying to kill you—and he knows exactly where we are.'

  'Ah yes, but we know exactly where he is. Fair dos, Leela, you wouldn't want an unfair advantage, would you?'

  'Yes,' said Leela firmly.

  The Doctor grinned. 'Somehow I thought you'd say that.' He hurried her into the control room.

  On the lower levels, a fierce battle was raging. The Sevateem were through into the main lock by now, and were driving the Tesh back. The Sevateem fought ferociously, using their own primitive weapons, and disruptor guns wrested from the Tesh they killed. Tomas ran to Calib, who was directing operations from a side corridor, Neeva at his side. 'They're retreating, up a kind of steel ladder,' he gasped. 'Going further up into the Tower.'

  'Then they're beaten,' said Calib exultantly. 'We shall follow them and destroy them!'

  'No, Calib. Something doesn't feel right. It was all too easy.'

  Neeva was staring ahead, as if in a trance. 'It is not yet finished,' he whispered.

  Calib ignored them both. The success of the attack had convinced him that he was a born general. '
If we let them get away now they'll regroup. We must attack! '

  'I tell you it's a trap, Calib!'

  'I am the leader—and I say we attack!' Calib turned to the waiting warriors and raised his hand commandingly, 'Forward and destroy the Tesh! Attack!'

  Warriors were crowding round now and fierce voices took up the cry. 'Attack! Attack! Attack!' Calib rushed off, at the head of the shouting warriors.

  'You fool,' yelled Tomas. 'You'll get us all killed.' But no one listened.

  Tomas ran off after the others, and after a moment Neeva followed, his eyes wide and staring. 'It is not finished,' he whispered. He began chanting from the sacred writings. 'And the Tesh stand between the sons of the Tribe of Sevateem and Xoanon...'

  In the main control room, the Doctor opened a panel on the central control console, to reveal a maze of electronic circuitry. He studied it for a moment, then extracted a transparent plastic cube. He held it up to the light, and Leela saw that it was charred and cracked. 'Just as I thought, burnt out,' said the Doctor. He fished through the assortment of electronic spares in his pocket and took out a similar cube and slotted it into place. Immediately there was a hum of power and all the lights and dials and monitor screens in the room lit up. 'That's pretty,' said Leela delightedly. 'What's it all for?'

  'These instruments watch and control all parts ofthe ship, make sure everything's working properly.'

  Leela wandered over to a smaller, shielded console in the far corner. 'What does this one control?'

  The Doctor glanced briefly at it and said, 'Atomic generators.'

  'Why is this red light flashing, Doctor?'

  'Leela, I've not time to explain everything now,' said the Doctor impatiently. 'Later on I'll—' he broke off, realising what Leela had said. 'Flashing?' he yelled, and shot across the control room. His hands flickered over the controls on the little sub-console—but the red light went on flashing. 'Xoanon! He's put the atomic generators on overload.'

  'What does that mean?'

  The Doctor tipped all the electronic spares from his pocket and began assembling them into a complicated structure with the aid of his sonic screw-driver. 'It means I've got about, oh, twenty-four and a half minutes to build a Reverse Memory Transfer Unit and wipe my imprint from Xoanon's brain.'

  'And if you can't do it in time?'

  'If I can't do it,' said the Doctor grimly, 'the atomic generators will explode, taking us, Xoanon, the ship and about half the planet with them. Effective—but distressingly crude. I'm really rather disappointed in Xoanon.'

  Leela stared at him, struggling to take in the meaning of his words. Unless the Doctor succeeded, they were very close to total annihilation.

  Under Gentek's command a small group of Tesh were setting up the disruptor cannons—larger tripod-mounted versions of the hand weapons. 'Check that the sights are correctly aligned,' commanded Gentek. 'There must be no mistake.'

  Jabel surveyed the preparations. 'Are the projectors set up so that the Savages will be forced to come this way?'

  'Yes, Captain.'

  'Excellent. Then all that remains is to project a blank wall in front of the disruptor cannon. When the Savages enter the corridor we'll wipe them out before they know where the beams are coming from...'

  Jabel staggered, putting his hand to his forehead. Something, some other consciousness was invading his mind. He felt a vast, immensely powerful intelligence surging through his brain, taking control...

  Gentek stared at him in concern. 'Is something wrong, Captain?'

  'Don't you feel it... something... something...' Suddenly Gentek too put a hand to his forehead. 'Yes, Captain... is it...'

  'Communion,' gasped Jabel. 'Communion with Xoanon at last!'

  The Doctor had constructed a kind of headset, and was connecting it to a complicated structure of electronic parts. From this central structure ran a long lead with a connecting-socket on the end.

  Unable to help, and scarcely daring to speak, Leela looked on worriedly. She saw that the light on the smaller console was flashing more brightly now. It had been joined by others, and by a steadily rising electronic bleep as all over the console dials and gauges moved towards danger-point.

  On the doors of the computer complex a face had appeared. It was the Doctor's face twisted and distorted, and it pulsed steadily with an eerie light.

  Suddenly Leela touched her hand to her forehead. The Doctor went on with his task, explaining as he worked. 'Nearly done, Leela. It should be possible to re-absorb everything I originally put into the data core. In theory that should leave me unharmed, and Xoanon sane. Unless of course he's too far gone already, or so powerful that he swamps my brain and burns it out...'

  The glowing face on the door began to speak. The words were slurred and guttural at first then the voice became strong and clear. 'Destroy and be free!' It chanted. 'Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free!'

  Leela took her hand from her head, and her lips began to move. 'Destroy and be free,' she whispered. 'Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free!'

  Drawing her knife she advanced on the Doctor.

  14

  Recovery

  At the head of their warriors, Calib, Tomas and Neeva advanced cautiously along the corridors of level twelve. They turned a corner and found themselves facing the muzzles of disruptor cannons—cannons with no one behind them.

  Tomas held up his hand to check the warriors. 'You see? It's a trap, set by the Tesh.'

  'Then where are they?' asked Calib logically. 'They're retreating I tell you. Why else would they abandon the weapons?'

  Still worried and suspicious, Tomas shook his head. 'It doesn't make sense... What's happening?'

  'There's only one way to find out,' said Calib. He was about to lead the warriors forward when suddenly he stiffened, putting his hand to his head. His lips began to move. 'Destroy and be free,' he whispered. 'Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free!'

  Tomas and the other warriors took up the chant. 'Destroy and be free. Destroy and be free. Destroy and be free!' Faces blank, eyes staring, they moved slowly away, zombies controlled by Xoanon's will.

  Only Neeva did not move. He stood still, his head on one side, as if he was listening. His face was not blank, it was alive with a kind of mad intelligence. 'I hear you, Xoanon,' whispered Neeva softly. 'I hear you—and I am coming.' He went over to one of the disruptor cannon and lifted the heavy weapon from its stand.

  Carrying it with great difficulty he staggered off down the corridor—in the opposite direction to the others...

  The face was bigger now. It glowed more brightly, and the chant was louder. 'Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free! Destroy and be free!'

  The Doctor finished his task and looked up—just in time to see Leela's knife thrusting towards his back.

  He flung himself to one side and the blade flashed past him, stabbing deep into the console, and cutting across a power cable. There was a shower of sparks and the shock threw Leela across the room. She hit the far wall and slid to the ground. The Doctor took a quick look at her. 'You'll be all right,' he muttered. The bleeps from the atomic generator console were louder now, their note higher and more urgent. The Doctor hurried back to his rigged-up Memory Transfer Unit and put on the head-set. Crossing to the computer terminal that would give him access to the brain of Xoanon. he was about to plug-in the connector when strong hands grabbed his wrists. He was pulled away from the terminal, his arms pinioned behind him. Struggling wildly the Doctor saw that his assailants were a mixture of Sevateem and Tesh. Jabel, Gentek, Calib and Tomas, all mindless servants of Xoanon's will.

  The warning bleeps from the generator console rose higher and higher.

  The Doctor knew it was no use attempting to talk to his captors.

  Instead he called out to the intelligence that con-trolled them. 'Xoanon, you'll destroy yourself as well as me!'

  The huge twisted face glowed brightly and his voice
was a demented howl. 'Destroy, free, destroy, free destroy free...' it gibbered.

  Neeva staggered around the corner, struggling under the weight of the disruptor cannon. At the sight of the glowing face, his face lit up with hatred. Swinging up the heavy weapon he screamed, 'Die Xoanon!' —and fired.

  For a second nothing happened. Then a beam of power burst from the glowing face. Neeva's body glowed, twisted in mid-air and vanished, utterly consumed by the shattering burst of energy.

  At the instant of Neeva's death, Xoanon's control over his servants slackened—just for a second. This second was enough for the Doctor to wrench himself free, and hurl himself at the computer terminal. 'Now, Xoanon!' he shouted exultantly—and seizing the connector, he lunged for the socket.

  The great glowing face screamed, 'No! No... No...'

  Jabel, Calib and the others, under Xoanon's control once more, leaped for the Doctor, but they were too late...

  The Doctor thrust the connector into its socket... his body arched, and he gave a cry of pain...

  The glowing face on the door screamed too, echoing the Doctor's agony. It shrank to a tiny spot of light and disappeared.

  The Doctor fell back unconscious, ripping away the headset in the fall.

  Leela moaned and stirred, beginning to come round.

  Calib and Tomas, Jabel and Gentek suddenly recovered from their waking trance. Sevateem and Tesh stared at each other in mutual confusion, over the body of the Doctor.

  After an age in which he had floated down and down into limitless darkness, the Doctor drifted back to the surface and awoke.

  He was lying where he had fallen in the control room, though someone had straightened him out, put a pillow under his head, and covered him with a thin silver foil space blanket.