Doctor Who_ Space War - Malcolm Hulke [22]
She was tired, exhausted by the constant pressure of her office. For a moment she closed her eyes. Her mind went back to how the previous war between Earth and Draconia began. After much bitterness as to the exact line of the agreed space frontier, Earth and Draconian delegations were to meet on a neutral planet. She was young then, acting as aide to one of the senators selected for the Earth delegation. Young Lieutenant John Williams was a junior officer, responsible for communications. As they approached the planet, their ship ran into a neutron storm and was damaged. The ship’s captain and all the senior officers were killed. Williams was left in command. For the young inexperienced lieutenant it was a terrifying responsibility: a damaged spaceship, full of important political Earth leaders. Just as he got the ship under control again he saw a Draconian vessel approaching. They expected to meet an unarmed civilian ship like their own; instead, the Draconian ship approaching was a fully armed battle cruiser. Williams could get no answer to his signals to the approaching ship. Convinced that the Draconians were about to attack, he blasted the battle cruiser with the retro-rockets of the unarmed Earth ship. The Draconians’ power source exploded, disintegrating the battle cruiser and killing outright the entire Draconian peace delegation. The Earth ship was thrown clear. The Draconian Empire instantly declared war on Earth. It was a full-scale war of inter-stellar ballistic missiles and lasted three days, killing over five hundred million Draconians and Earthmen.
‘I will not be responsible for starting a war,’ the President repeated. ‘We do not attack.’
‘Madam President,’ said the General, ‘the Draconians are taunting us. They arc even now using their Embassy here on Earth as a military base. Their First Secretary’s trick in phoning you then kidnapping our prisoner, and now this latest outrage—an all-out attack by their Embassy guards on our Security Headquarters—are acts of war! If you don’t act against them decisively you can and will be replaced. Your political opponents are clamouring for war.’
The President was faced with a problem. If she failed to please her people they would replace her; once out of office, she could never hope to achieve the good things that she wanted to do for Earth. ‘I shall break off diplomatic relations,’ she said. ‘The Draconian Ambassador and his staff will be expelled from our planet. But unless you can give me conclusive evidence of Draconian war plans, I will not strike the first blow.’
‘The proof we need is in the minds of those two traitors, Madam President. We shall have to use the mind probe.’
The President had once seen the mind probe used on a prisoner. She shook her head. ‘Not on the girl, General. Perhaps I can persuade her to tell the truth. But as for the man, I give you permission to go ahead.’
The Doctor was firmly strapped in a metal chair, an iron skull-cap held on his head by tapes. The mind probe room was small, its walls brilliant red. The machine a simple black box with controls and a small television screen, occupied one corner. The General stood over the Doctor, issuing orders to the Security technician in charge of the apparatus.
‘I shall ask you again,’ said the General. ‘How long have you been an agent of the Draconian Empire?’
‘I am not, and never have been, anyone’s agent,’ replied the Doctor truthfully. ‘Does this gadget really work?’
The General’s face went scarlet. ‘If we have to turn it to full power, you will wish you’d never been born. How did you get on the cargo ship?’
‘In my own spaceship.’
General Williams nodded to the technician. ‘More power.’
The technician turned a control and the General looked at the television screen. To his surprise he saw a blue oblong box floating through space, a flashing light at one end. The picture represented whatever was in the prisoner’s mind. The General concealed his astonishment and turned back to the Doctor.