• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 201 0

They came to an intersection which the Doctor thought he recognised. 'This way, I think,' said the Doctor, and kept running. The Master kept up behind him. There was no sign of any otter faced priests or the Primitives. Cracks started to appear in the rock walls and roof. Boulders of rock fell from the roof as they ran down one corridor after another. They came to another point where the corridor split into different directions. The Doctor stopped. 'You had a map - give it to me.' The Master handed over the map, his hand trembling with fear.

'Doctor!' It was Jo, running down one of the corridors towards them, Caldwell behind her. 'Are you all right?'

'None of us is all right; said the Doctor, trying to read the map and understand it, 'not while we're down here.'

'What's happening?' said Caldwell .

'I think the whole place is going to explode,' said the Doctor. He looked up from the map. 'I think we may find an exit this way.' He grabbed Jo's arm and started running again. As they left the spot, the rock wall fell in.

Two minutes later they came to a small opening in the rock face. It opened on to a circular staircase cut in the rock. The Doctor stopped, again checking the map. 'This could be it.'

'As long as those stairs lead up,' said Caldwell , 'that sounds good to me. Come on!' He bounded up the steps, the others following. From behind they could hear massive underground explosions. Caldwell got well ahead, and soon they heard his voice from above. 'It's all right - we're in the open!' A moment later they were all emerging from a hole in the rock. They had come up into the open inside a devil's playground of huge rocks and boulders. It was still night, but already the sun's rays were lighting the western sky. Even here the rock beneath their feet was slightly trembling. 'We'd better get away from here,' said Caldwell . 'We've got to find the buggy. I reckon we go this way.' He walked off quickly, the others following.

'So much for your interest in science,' said the Master, hurrying along behind the Doctor and Jo. 'The most powerful machine ever created in the Universe, and you let that fool Guardian destroy it all.'

'Science like that,' said the Doctor, 'is something we can all do without.'

Captain Dent stepped out from behind a boulder, his gun raised. 'Stop!' He signalled with his free hand. IMC men carrying their high-powered guns appeared from all sides. Dent turned to Caldwell . 'Thank you for leading them to us. Now stand over there.'

Caldwell stood speechless. Jo knew by his expression that he had no knowledge of the ambush. Resigned, he walked over to the spot indicated by Captain Dent. The Master walked up to Dent.

'Congratulations, Captain Dent,' said the Master. 'You're just in time. Put these people under arrest'

'Get back with your accomplices,' ordered Dent, and pointed his gun directly at the Master.

'You don't understand,' the Master protested, 'I'm the official Adjudicator, sent here by Earth Government.'

Morgan stepped forward, also armed. 'You're an impostor. Now get back.' He pushed the Master back in line with the Doctor and Jo. Then he turned to the IMC guards. 'All right, firing squad, step forward!'

Six IMC guards lined up in front of the Doctor, Jo, and the Master. They raised their guns, ready for the order.

'You're insane,' said Caldwell , speaking to both Dent and Morgan. 'You're murderers!'

Dent turned to him. ' Caldwell , if we didn't need you as our mining expert, you'd be over there with them. So shut up!' He turned to the IMC guards. 'Take aim!'

Suddenly Winton's voice called out from somewhere among the surrounding boulders. 'Drop those guns, all of you!'

Dent turned and fired wildly. All around colonists rose up from behind the boulders shooting at the IMC men. The Doctor grabbed Jo to pull her to safety. The IMC men fired at any colonist's head they could see appearing over the boulders. But they had to fire from crouching positions in the open, whereas the colonists all had the protection of the ring of great rocks. Morgan fell dead as a colonist's bullet hit him,