Doctor Who_ Space War - Malcolm Hulke [3]
The Doctor looked at Hardy, presuming rightly that the space pilot had left his senses. ‘Gun? I haven’t got a gun.’
Jo came running up behind the Doctor. ‘I say, Doctor, don’t go prowling about on your own. Wait for me—’ She saw the gun pointed at the Doctor’s stomach and stopped dead. ‘What’s happening?’
As she spoke the strange sound was repeated. To Jo’s view, Hardy blurred and shimmered. Then, to her horror, he seemed to turn into a Drashig, the foul monster that she’d met on a previous journey with the Doctor. Of all the monsters Jo had encountered, the Drashig filled her with most terror.
‘Doctor,’ she breathed, unable to move from sheer horror, ‘it’s a... Drashig.’
The Doctor shook her by the shoulders. ‘Nonsense, Jo. It’s a man with a gun. Pull yourself together, girl.’
The Doctor’s firm grip dispelled the hypnotic effect of the sound she had heard. As she watched, the Drashig turned back into exactly what the Doctor said—a man with a gun. The man, whoever he was, seemed terrified of the Doctor, even though he was armed and the Doctor was not.
Hardy demanded, ‘How many more of you have boarded us?’
‘There are just the two of us,’ smiled the Doctor. ‘May I ask why you’re behaving—’
‘Shut up! Come with me!’ Hardy gestured with his blaster gun.
The Doctor turned to Jo. ‘Ladies first.’
She pulled a face. ‘This lady’s going straight back to the TARDIS.’ She turned to go but the Doctor gently took her arm.
‘If we don’t want to get shot,’ he whispered, ‘we do what this gentleman says. After all, we are his guests.’
The Draconian battle cruiser now filled the monitor screen. Stewart tried to keep the terror from his voice as he spoke into the microphone.
‘This is Earth Cargo Ship C-982. Situation Red Alert. Draconians about to grapple. Does anyone hear me? I repeat, they are about to lock on now!’
A clang reverberated through the spaceship. The enemy ship had made direct contact. A strong voice came over the flight deck loudspeaker, speaking with the unmistakable accent of the Draconians.
‘This is the commander of the Draconian battle cruiser. We have locked on to your vessel and are about to board. If you offer any resistance you will be destroyed. Open the hatch of your air-lock.’
Stewart’s heart raced. He looked round desperately, wishing Hardy would come back. To his horror he saw two Draconion soldiers entering the flight deck. They were propelled forward at gun point by Hardy.
‘I found these two Dragons in the corridor,’ said Hardy.
Stewart couldn’t make sense of it. ‘But that’s impossible... The battle cruiser’s only just locked on. Didn’t you feel it?’
‘I don’t understand either,’ agreed Hardy. ‘But you can’t deny the evidence of your own eyes.’ He pointed the blaster gun menacingly at the Doctor and Jo.
Jo whispered to the Doctor, ‘Are they mad? Why are they calling us Dragons?’
‘Some kind of an illusion,’ replied the Doctor. ‘Just as you saw the older man as a Drashig for a few moments. Something very intriguing is going on.’
‘You two,’ Hardy shouted, ‘shut up! You’re our prisoners now.’
The strong voice spoke again over the loudspeaker. ‘If you resist we can destroy you with our neutronic weapons.’
Stewart, some confidence returned now they had two Draconian prisoners, shouted into the microphone: ‘If you destroy our ship you won’t get the cargo.’
‘So that’s what it’s all about,’ murmured the Doc-tor. ‘Piracy in Space.’
The voice spoke again, ‘Open the hatch of your air-lock.’
Stewart shouted back into the microphone. ‘We have captured two of your soldiers. If you try to enter by force they’ll be killed.’
Jo spoke up. ‘What do you mean—soldiers? This is the Doctor and I’m—’
‘Shut up!’ roared Hardy.
Again the strong voice over the loudspeaker. ‘We shall now enter your ship by force.’
Stewart turned to Hardy. ‘You’d better lock them in the hold.’
Hardy poked the muzzle of his blaster gun into Jo’s ribs. ‘Get moving, back the way you came.’
‘Do as he says,’ said the Doctor quietly. ‘The poor chap’s in a very