Doctor Who_ Space War - Malcolm Hulke [41]
He nodded. ‘Exactly, Jo. I want to get them into the range of the visual scanner.’
The Doctor activated controls that fired one of the forward rocket motors for a five second burst, slowing the spaceship by thousands of miles per minute.
‘Now,’ he said, turning to the controls that operated the external television eyes of the ship, ‘let’s see if we can pick them up on the screen.’
On the monitor screen a spaceship could be seen in the distance. The Doctor adjusted the controls, so that the picture zoomed in on the spaceship.
‘It’s the Ogrons!’ Jo exclaimed.
A blinding flash of light glared on the ship’s starboard side as a rocket-missile exploded. Half dosing his eyes to reduce the glare, the Doctor moved the ship’s directional controls. The ship dived steeply while at the same time swerving to one side. Jo and the Prince were thrown to the floor.
The Draconian guarding the Ogron prisoner also saw the reflection of the exploding missile. He turned to look at the port hole. For a few seconds the missile burnt like a tiny sun. Then, without warning, the floor gave way as the Doctor made the ship dive and swerve. The guard crashed heavily against the metal wall. He crumpled in a heap, unconscious. The Ogron, also thrown about by the sudden change of direction, slowly got to his feet. With the guard knocked out he had nothing more to fear. He took two bars of the cage in his great hands and wrenched them apart. Then he stepped through the opening to freedom and lumbered for’ard towards the flight deck.
Jo and the Prince were back on their feet, looking with the Doctor at the screen. The Ogrons’ spaceship, though still visible. was a considerable distance away.
‘I think we’re shaking them off,’ said the Doctor. ‘The Master’s not a very good pilot, you know. Now let’s see how fast we can go! ‘ He put his hand on the accelerator.
Jo screamed. ‘Doctor! Watch out!
The Doctor turned, saw the Ogron coming straight at him. ‘Keep out of the way, Jo! Go to the hold—you’ll be safe there.’
The Ogron hurled himself at the Doctor, trying to grasp him in a crushing bear hug. The Prince rushed forward, dug his claws into the Ogron’s neck, and tried to pull him away from the Doctor. As the three ‘men’—Time Lord, Draconian, Ogron—crashed to the floor, the Prince’s elbow accidentally touched the control. A two second burst of energy directed forward halved the ship’s speed.
The Master and his Ogron companions watched the Earth spaceship becoming larger on their screen.
‘They’re slowing,’ said the Master. ‘We must have hit them.’
The Ogron co-pilot asked, ‘I fire again? Make big fire all round them.’
‘No. Perhaps we can take the Doctor alive after all. Prepare a boarding party.’
Jo was kneeling by the unconscious Draconian guard. ‘Please try to wake up,’ she pleaded. ‘You could help fight the Ogron.’
The Draconian slowly opened his eyes. ‘Where am I?’
‘On a spaceship going to Earth, and you let the Ogron escape. Can you get to your feet?’
The Draconian guard remained dazed. ‘Big flash of light, then darkness.’
‘If you can’t move, tell me how to use your blaster gun. I’ll get it for you.’ She reached to where the gun lay on the floor.
The Draconian’s reaction was automatic, a reflex from military training never to allow someone else to touch his weapon. His claw shot forward, snatching up the blaster gun.
‘Then you go and use it,’ said Jo. ‘But please do something quickly to help the Doctor and your Prince.’
The Draconian focused his eyes on the bent bars of the cage. ‘Creature—escaped.’
‘That’s right.’ Jo realised she was going to get no help from him. ‘Can you stand up?’
‘I try.’ The Draconian slowly struggled to his feet.
‘Let me help you.’ Jo took one of the Draconian’s arms, but he shook her away.
‘Females do not help.’ As he spoke, he sank to the floor again, eyelids flickering.
At that moment Jo heard the now familiar clang of another spaceship locking on. Instinctively she looked up at the air-lock door. In panic she saw that it wasn’t locked on the inside. She scrambled to her feet to