Doctor Who_ Attack of the Cybermen - Eric Saward [27]
Russell picked up the Cyber gun. ‘How does this thing work?’
The Doctor pointed at the trigger.
‘Look out!’ shouted Pen.
Russell turned and saw another Cyberman entering from the internal corridor. Aiming the gun, he fired, and the creature’s chest exploded. Russell then hobbled across the room to check that others weren’t lurking in the corridor. As he reached the door, a mighty fist seemed to come from nowhere, striking the policeman on the neck.
The crack echoed round the room as his spinal cord fractured. Russell died instantly.
‘No!’ screamed Peri, beginning to sob. ‘That wasn’t necessary!’
A metal face stared down at her, not comprehending one emotional word she uttered.
Peri continued to sob and sob, but all the tears in the world could not bring the policeman back to life.
In the sewers a curious mouse was examining the remains of the destroyed Cyberman as the Leader and his party arrived. As the mouse scurried away, Lytton noticed the sonic lance protruding from the respirator.
‘Do you recognise this, Leader?’ he said, extracting it from the wreckage. ‘Strange it should be here, especially as Earth technology has yet to develop the sonic lance.’
Staring first at the lance then at Lytton, the Leader asked: ‘Where has it come from?’
‘I think I know.’ Lytton screwed up his face as though having smelt something particularly nasty. ‘He calls himself the Doctor. I’ve been expecting him to return.’
A strange rumble emanated from the Leader’s voice box. ‘I know that name,’ he said. ‘He is an enemy of the Cyber race.’
As the Leader spoke a Cyberman stepped forward and informed him of the TARDIS’ capture.
‘What’s a TARDIS?’ inquired Charlie.
‘A machine capable of travelling in time.’
Charlie shrugged. Why not, he thought. After the events of the last few hours anything was possible – including time travel!
6
Telos
By the time the Cyber Leader’s group had reached the TARDIS, Russell’s body had been removed from the console room and dumped in an undignified heap in the corridor; and as though to show there wasn’t any discrimination, the destroyed Cyberman had been dealt with in a similar fashion.
Peri, her eyes red from crying, stood by the console. She had wrapped her arms around herself, as though in a reassuring self-cuddle, but it hadn’t helped. She still felt isolated, scared and very, very unhappy.
Sitting next to her on the floor, the Doctor nursed his bruised neck. He felt very angry, aware that his thoughtlessness had precipitated the current shambles.
Both Peri and Russell had advised waiting for help, but he hadn’t listened, foolishly preferring to take on a squad of the fiercest warriors in the galaxy. Not only had his folly cost Russell his life, but the TARDIS was now controlled by Cybermen. And as though to endorse his stupidity, Commander Gustave Lytton was glaring at him from the other side of the room, a reminder of yet another major blunder in his life.
As the Leader crossed to where he was sitting, the Doctor, using the edge of the console, pulled himself to his feet. Once upright, he noticed that his fingers were only millimetres from the distress-call button. All he need do was extend an index finger and a signal would be transmitted directly to Gallifrey. Whereas, in the past, his pride had deterred him from involving the High Council of Time Lords, the theft of a TARDIS, and the consequences it could have on the space/time continuum, were far too important. What was more his pride had already cost the life of one man and it was a mistake he was determined not to repeat. As he turned to face the Cyber Leader, he pressed the button, despatching its urgent signal across the Universe.
‘So...’ intoned the Leader, ‘you have once again changed your appearance.’
The Doctor nodded. ‘And once again you are attempting to invade Earth. I should have thought you’d have tired of that by now – certainly of the defeats you’ve always suffered.’
Pressing a red lever on the console, the Leader closed the double doors, sealing the TARDIS from the outside world. ‘It won