Doctor Who_ Attack of the Cybermen - Eric Saward [46]
Unable to beat her way past this metal barrier, she slowly died where she lay.
As the Cyber Leader turned back into the refrigeration room, he noticed burn marks next to the door control panel. He examined them carefully and realised they had been made by a sonic lance. When he reported this to the Controller he destroyed the Cyberman who had imprisoned the Doctor without first searching him. He ordered extra squads to help search the refrigeration area, knowing that if the lance was not found, it meant the end of Cyber Control.
A heavy metal door barred their way. Bates checked the electronic plan. ‘The launch pad for the time vessel should be on the other side,’ he said.
‘We’ve made it then!’ crowed Stratton.
Charlie Griffiths felt like being more cautious. ‘Let’s get aboard the ship before we celebrate.’
The others knew his was the more sensible attitude, but their excitement was beginning to affect their judgement.
‘Right,’ said Bates. ‘How do we get this door open?’ He gave it a kick, but instead of the dull thud of metal there was an explosion. Bates was killed instantly. Stratton and Charlie turned to run, but through the smoking remains of the door, came several pencil-thin beams from a laser gun.
They collapsed, both dead before their bodies hit the ground.
A Cyberman stepped into the ducting to confirm that his handiwork had been satisfactorily completed. When he turned Griffiths over with his foot, he found that the Earthman had a wry smile on his face.
To lose is always to lose. But to nearly win, as Charlie and the others had done, always offers some satisfaction.
The Cyberman who stared down at Charlie could not understand this nor appreciate the significance of the smile. To the Cyberman, winning was the only thing; to lose was failure. But any social structure that lacked all feeling and culture was already losing: the irony was lost on Charlie’s murderer.
Charlie Griffiths had not led a particularly good life.
Until he had met Lytton, neither had he been very successful. But in all his wildest dreams he never believed that he would die on an alien planet with two million pounds’ worth of uncut diamonds in his pocket. He hadn’t wanted to die, but whatever else could be said, he had done so in some style.
10
The Final Encounter
Commander Gustave Lytton stared out at the empty room.
Although his vision was distorted and his mind confused, he was convinced he could see a blue flickering blob. With enormous effort he attempted to focus his eyes. As the edges of the blur began to harden, his ears were suddenly full of a loud noise and Lytton thought he was hallucinating, especially when he saw a blue police box materialise in the corner of the room. Suddenly its door was thrown open and the familiar shape of the Doctor appeared. Lytton blinked. ‘I know you,’ he muttered.
‘That’s right,’ said the Time Lord, as he raced across the room. ‘What’s more, I’m just beginning to find out about you.’
The Doctor started to detach the silver skullcap as Lytton began to cough. ‘Did you put the sonic lance to good use?’ he gasped.
The Doctor nodded. ‘But why didn’t you tell me what you were up to?’
‘Too late now.’ Confusion was again beginning to take hold of his mind. ‘Now you must kill.’
‘Oh no.’ The Doctor continued to struggle with the skullcap, but was finding it difficult to detach the tubing. ‘I can help you... Just hang on.’
Looking round for something sharp, the Doctor saw a heavy knife on a work bench. Quickly he fetched it and started to hack his way through the tubing.
‘I did my best...’ Lytton moaned. ‘Kept my word.’
‘I know.’
As he spoke, he heard a door slide open behind him.
Glancing over his shoulder, the Time Lord saw the Cyber Controller, gun in hand, entering the room.
‘Move away from him,’ he intoned.
Surreptitiously the Doctor slipped the knife into Lytton’s hand, then did as instructed.
Noticing the disconnected tubing, the Cyber Controller moved to correct the damage. ‘Emotion is a weakness,