Doctor Who_ Attack of the Cybermen - Eric Saward [29]
The Doctor stood in front of an open roundel and fiddled with the wiring inside.
‘What are you trying to do?’ asked Peri.
‘Upset the navigational control.’ He gave the panel he was working on a sharp thump. ‘If I can distort the co-ordinates by just a fraction of a degree...’
‘We’d miss Telos?’
‘Not quite.’
‘Then what’s the point?’
‘We won’t land where the Cybermen want us to.
Hopefully that will provide us with a better chance of escape.’
He began to repeatedly hammer at the panel. ‘Would this help?’ inquired Lytton, pulling the sonic lance from his pocket.
The Doctor snatched it. ‘Where did you get this?’
‘From where you left it. I wouldn’t try sticking it in the Cyber Controller when we reach Telos. I rather fancy he’d snap your hand off.’
The Doctor turned back to the roundel where he was working. In spite of Lytton’s advice, he wouldn’t hesitate in using it on the Controller. The loss of a hand would be a small cost to rid the Universe of such a monster.
While the Doctor worked, Charlie grew more anxious.
Not only was he worried about his Ma and cat, but what awaited him on the mysterious Telos. He had been scared many times in his life, yet had always managed to preserve a degree of equanimity. Even while waiting to be sentenced, or the time he drove a getaway car with two slow punctures, while being pursued by half the Metropolitan Police, he had felt calmer, more resolved to his situation than he did now. ‘How much longer before we reach Telos?’
Almost from habit, rather than with real contempt, Lytton looked down his nose at Griffiths. ‘You’ll have to ask the pilot,’ he said tersely.
Although Charlie had been the butt of countless verbal put-downs, this one bit into him like the flying tip of a whip, and it made him feel very angry. ‘I asked you a civil question, Mr Lytton.’
‘And you got the only available answer.’
Charlie’s anger grew. ‘You may think me a fool, but I’m getting fed up with the way you talk to me.’ Lytton didn’t respond. ‘I’m also getting sick and tired of being the only one here who doesn’t know what’s happening!’
‘That’s about par for the course,’ came the dismissive reply.
Charlie clenched the thick fingers of his right hand.
One thing he did know something about was fighting, and Lytton knew it.
Having watched the situation grow, but not knowing how to curb it, Peri now stepped between the two men.
‘C’mon guys,’ she said gently, placing her fingers on Charlie’s fist. ‘This is no time to be macho.’ She felt the fist under her fingers relax.
‘Then someone’d better tell me what’s going on,’ he demanded.
Grabbing Lytton by the arm, Peri steered him towards Charlie. ‘Tell him,’ she said firmly.
Lytton eyed Charlie’s powerful fingers and modulated his tone accordingly. ‘There isn’t much to tell,’ he said. ‘As you know, we’re on our way to Telos, the Cybermen’s home planet.’
‘ Adopted planet,’ interrupted the Doctor, turning to face the group. ‘If you’re going to tell the story, at least get it right.’
Lytton shrugged casually. ‘You probably know it better than I do. Perhaps you should continue.’
‘As you wish.’ The Doctor cleared his throat as if about to embark on a major lecture. ‘Originally, Telos was populated by the Cryons,’ he said. ‘You would have liked the planet in those days...’
Peri wasn’t in the mood for reminiscences. ‘What happened to them?’ she asked. ‘Did the Cybermen wipe them out?’
He nodded.
‘They had no choice.’ Lytton sounded slightly defensive. ‘There was nowhere else they could go.’
The Doctor looked stony-eyed. ‘For heaven’s sake, man, the Universe is littered with unpopulated planets!’
‘But few with the facilities Telos offered.’
‘That’s hardly an excuse for destroying a highly sophisticated culture such as the Cryons!’
There was an awkward silence as though they had both run out of conversation.
‘Well don’t stop now,’ said Charlie suddenly. ‘What’s so important about Telos?’
‘Refrigeration.’ The word popped out like an expletive.
‘Refrigeration?’ Charlie repeated slowly, as