Doctor Who_ The Devil Goblins From Neptune - Keith Topping [96]
'Do that, Corporal Benton.' Or, better still, ' just do whatever the Doctor says, everybody...'
Ah, now that was the key. Damn the man, gallivanting off to Russia when the world, when the Brigadier, most needed him.
Lethbridge-Stewart shook his head, sadly. They had all been hoodwinked this time. Led in every direction but 'home'
by clever, unscrupulous men who knew their business. The Brigadier almost approved. Almost.
The man they called Control took the seat beside him without seeking permission and smiled.
'Your first time over the water, General?'
'Sadly not.' said the Brigadier, his words dripping with sarcasm. 'Been to Nevada before?'
have to admit I haven't had that pleasure.'
'Bit of a hole, really. All desert.' Control looked at the whiskey glass in his hand. 'Hey, where are my manners? A drink?'
Thank you, no.' said Lethbridge-Stewart.
'Suit yourself. Ah, look down there...'
The Brigadier glanced out of the window of the B-52
bomber, and saw a collection of anonymous white buildings surrounding a large airfield. Even from this altitude he could see the concentric circles of wire fence and guard posts that surrounded the complex.
'Fort Knox?' he asked, twitching his moustache into a smile.
'Not nearly so famous. Welcome to Ranch 51.' said Control. 'Now, come and meet some real aliens.'
Bruce watched the dart-like aircraft through a pair of binoculars. He'd heard that the experimental planes were fast, manoeuvrable and quiet, but nothing had quite prepared him for the show they'd just put on over Groom Lake AFB.
The Phantoms and Tigers that buzzed around the periphery of the base were slow-flying dinosaurs in comparison.
The experimental planes landed smoothly, and immediately disappeared into a well-protected hangar. Bruce made his way down from the observation tower and towards the runway. He waited for the squadron leader in the hastily assembled debriefing room, and began questioning the man the moment he entered.
'How was it?' he asked.
'A breeze.' the man replied. 'We were there in next to no time.' 'The cobalt?'
'Every last chunk of it was vaporised. It was being moved by road, in a well-protected convoy, but that just made our job easier.'
'Collateral damage? Not that I give a damn, you understand.' 'Two trucks were destroyed. We had to take out a couple of AA
batteries as well, but I don't think they'd have posed any threat.' Bruce smiled. 'You guys put on quite a show up there.'
'We like to impress.' said the smiling, fresh-faced pilot.
He handed over some photographs of the destroyed convoy.
'And how are the aircraft handling?' asked Bruce.
The airman laughed. 'Like nothing on Earth.'
Once on the ground, the Brigadier was taken by jeep to the closest of the buildings. Control remained with him, accompanied by three armed men in dark suits and sunglasses.
'Threw these bases up in the forties.' explained Control.
'USAF originally. Test flights in the war against the commies.
Weapons technology, breaking the sound barrier, early space flights, that kind of thing.'
Is this where you keep your alien technology?' asked the Brigadier. He had read files about the mysterious Area 51 in Nevada, a supposed UFO 'hotspot'.
'I'm sorry,' said Control. 'That's classified.' He paused for a moment, then exploded with laughter. 'I'm sorry, Ally, I just couldn't resist it! You guys are so goddamn serious all the time. Yeah, this is where we keep the bugs. Everyone knows that. Nobody's got any proof of it, of course, but knowing that people think they know is all part of the game, isn't it?'
'Is it?' asked the Brigadier.
'Hell, yes. We've had aliens here since the forties. They'd been coming for thousands of years, of course -'
'You have captured aliens?' asked a horrified Lethbridge-Stewart.
'Yep.' said Control matter-of-factly. 'They're called Nedenah.' he continued, as he steered the Brigadier through the maze of corridors inside the complex.