Doctor Who_ Dinosaur Invasion - Malcolm Hulke [33]
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ Whitaker protested. He looked keenly at the Doctor, who was now peering up and down the corridor wondering which way to go. ‘He’s terribly handsome.’
‘What do you want me to do?’
‘Oh, play games with him,’ said Whitaker. ‘You know what to do. Just send him away.’
Whitaker returned to the suitcase. Butler knew it might only annoy Whitaker again if he didn’t carry out the order, and his strict instructions were to keep the Professor happy at all costs. He crossed to the panel of controls that activated the control centre’s radiation-proof internal doors.
The Doctor glanced up and down the corridor. He caught sight of a large notice on the wall with daggers pointing in different directions. It read:
CABINET ROOM
PRIME MINISTER’S DAY ROOM
SECRETARIAT
ROYAL SUITE
KENNELS
SLEEPING QUARTERS
VICTUALS
SICK BAY
COMMUNICATIONS ROOM
NUCLEAR REACTOR
The Doctor hurried off in the direction indicated for the Nuclear Reactor. He found himself in a labyrinth of corridors. At each intersection signs indicated the way to different Government departments. He realised that this place was to have been the British seat of government had atomic war broken out. He turned into yet another corridor; at the far end was a door bearing the words NUCLEAR REACTORS—KEEP OUT. He raced towards the door. A heavy metal shutter slammed down in front of him, completely blocking his way. On it were the words RADIATION SHUTTER. Now he knew that his presence had been detected. He turned round and raced back up the corridor and turned a corner. Another shutter fell from its slot in the ceiling, barring his way. He made off in another direction. More shutters came down before him. He noticed that at some points, where shutter slits were clearly visible in the ceiling, the shutters did not come down. So they were playing a game with him, guiding him, by closing up some corridors, in the direction that they wanted him to go.
Finally he found himself back at the corridor outside the lift. The lift door stood open invitingly. At either end of the corridor shutters came down. He got into the lift among the mops and pales and brooms, and turned the clothes hook to point upwards. The door closed and the lift started to ascend. He hadn’t found everything he wanted, but he had seen enough. As the lift neared the Underground Station, it crossed his mind that they could have killed him but had let him escape alive. He wondered why.
Butler turned to Professor Whitaker. ‘I’ve guided him back to the lift. He’ll go and tell everyone what he’s seen.’ He felt he was not getting the Professor’s full attention. Whitaker was concentrating on something he was doing at the Timescoop. ‘I said he’s escaping,’ said Butler. ‘Remember, you didn’t want me to kill him. Do you realise what will happen now?’
Professor Whitaker replied, I’ve changed my mind. Come and look.’
Butler crossed to the Timescoop. Above the main console of controls was a small television monitor screen. On the screen a large pterodactyl in a sandy barren landscape was sitting on a rock.
‘Just think,’ said Whitaker. ‘That ghastly looking creature is actually sitting on that rock at this very moment.’
‘But millions of years ago.’
‘Don’t be so argumentative. All right, it was sitting exactly like that, and I’ve tuned in to it.’
‘Most impressive,’ replied Butler distractedly. He was wondering how he could make his escape before the Brigadier and goodness-knew-who-else descended to arrest them all. ‘But the Doctor is still escaping. We are in a very serious situation, Professor Whitaker.’
‘You don’t think I’ve summoned up that awful looking pterodactyl just for fun, do you? Now watch.’ He adjusted two master controls. The pterodactyl became transparent, then vanished.
‘Where have you sent it?’
Professor Whitaker giggled. ‘Guess!’
The lift came to a stop. The Doctor pushed open the louvred door, switched on his torch, and stepped on to the platform of the Underground Station. He strode