Doctor Who_ Illegal Alien - Mike Tucker [104]
Behind, in the gunner's turret, Brigadier Kraus was perched, already looking for all the world like the conquering hero, head and shoulders jutting through the gunner's hatch, watching, waiting.
Kraus was not the man Schott would have chosen to die alongside, the old colonel reflected with melancholy. Still, how many people in this or any other conflict had the luxury of choice in such matters? He raised the hatch above his head and peered out.
Behind the tank marched the squad of infantrymen. The sense of unease among them was tangible. Battles weren't meant to be fought underground.
'Herr Colonel,' the driver ventured to Schott, 'these corridors were not built to take a tank. Some of these corners
'
'Silence,' barked Kraus. 'Look at this place. It couldn't have been built without heavy earthmoving equipment. These corridors have seen worse than this.
'But Herr Brigadeführer'
'Keep your cowardice for the Wehrmacht mess room.
Drive.'
***
'Hartmann!'
Shot after shot the captain pumped into the Cybercommand unit.
The bullets ripped through its surface console. It let out an electric howl. Its legs sagged.
The Doctor closed his eyes in despair. If only he had left the forcefield chip in a little longer. Short cuts. Dangerous.
Hartmann's pistol arm sagged. He looked breathless and confused.
Ace, seizing the moment, launched herself into the wounded officer. He cannoned into the foot of the metal staircase and lay there panting, mumbling to himself, his one eye hypnotised by something in the middle distance.
The Doctor was leaning over the Cyberconsole, scratching his head in anxiety.
Oh dear...' he said. It looked up. 'I wonder what this is going to do to the Cybermen...'
Outside, among the Cyberranks, confusion reigned. Of the thirtyodd Cybermen who had emerged from hibernation, over half were still on their feet, their function until a split second ago unimpaired. Now their computer brains were crashing.
Shutdown procedures took over. The elaborate information network that linked them tried frantically to reinitialise itself, bypassing the crippled battle computer.
Antiviral programs cut in.
The confusion didn't last.
Finally:
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT>
MASSIVE DAMAGE TO SLEEPER FORCE>
RETURN TO THE HIBERNATION CHAMBER>
DESTROY ALL HUMANS THE VICINITY>
DEFEND>
REBUILD>
***
With a roar, the tank swung around the corner.
Brigadier Kraus stared in awe and horror at the silver giants. The Cybermen reacted to this new threat with one mind. In perfect synchronisation they turned; within a split second they had analysed the vehicle, broken it down boltbybolt, data files had matched the design with known weapon types, infrared sensors had revealed the exact positions of the occupants.
They began pumping energy bolts into the front of the tank's fuselage, and into the gun turret.
With a whimper Kraus dropped back into the gunner's chair. He was shaking uncontrollably. He felt a dampness in the seat of his SS uniform.
The front of the tank was beginning to glow. The driver snatched his hands from the controls.
'Kraus!' yelled Schott. 'Don't just sit there, fire the damned gun!' The SS Brigadeführer was slowly shaking his head. His mouth hung open.
'Impossible...' he said. 'Those things... Impossible...'
The driver was scrabbling at the lock on his escape hatch. It was too hot to touch, but he touched it anyway.
Panic numbed the pain.
'Don't be a fool,' shouted Schott.
The driver wasn't listening. He was hauling himself through the redhot metal opening. Within seconds he was standing on the body of the tank. He could see the infantry soldiers around him being cut to pieces by Cyberfire. It was the last thing he saw before he, too, was hit by a score of energy bolts. The body fell back through the hatch and lay, slumped over its controls.
His aged heart pounding, Schott crawled from his seat into the centre of the tank. There was only one hope.
'Kraus,