Doctor Who_ The Dying Days - Lance Parkin [131]
116
'The weapon is more effective than first we thought. Excellent. Shall we test your hypothesis?' He reached for the release control.
The Doctor whirled to face the Martian Lord, his arms flailing. 'Once it has finished feeding, Earth wil be a barren rock, without even the smallest bacteria in the soil or microbe in the air. The Death wil have consumed even itself.'
'I care little for life on Earth.' Xznaal hissed, baring fangs glistening with saliva.
'You've lost control of the Earth, so you destroy it?' the Doctor shouted. 'That's the behaviour of the playground, not the parade ground. You're not a warrior, Xznaal, you're a spoilt child.'
The Martian's claw snatched the release control.
***
The man in front of Lethbridge-Stewart was surely too young to have been a real general, despite the uniform.
There were six soldiers with him, eager young types.
'I am General Maybury-Hil , commanding officer of the government security forces,' he announced. 'I offer you the unconditional surrender of myself and al my men.'
The general handed over his machine gun. The Brigadier rubbed his moustache. 'Accepted,' he said finally.
'I will, of course, take full responsibility for my actions and those under my command. We will place ourselves under - '
Lethbridge-Stewart held up his hand. 'With the greatest respect, General, you will do no such thing. What you and your men wil do is open the gates of the Byward and Middle Tower and you will do it in the next thirty seconds.
Step to it!'
Maybury-Hil saluted and hurried away to find a walkie-talkie.
Bambera watched him go. 'Technically, sir, he does outrank you.'
The Brigadier pulled the bolt on the machine gun he had been handed. 'Technically, Winifred, I'm retired.'
***
'No,' Vrgnur called, lifting his arm to block Xznaal's.
The Martian Lord was stronger than his scientist. Xznaal brushed him aside. Vrgnur responded by raising his claw and firing at his Lord.
The Doctor shoved into Vrgnur, barely budging the Martian, but throwing off his aim. The energy bolt struck the floor, blowing open a large hole. Bare electrical wire was exposed, and began sparking.
'This isn't the way,' he shouted, turning to Xznaal, ready to talk to him. The Martian Lord's claw was raised, aiming his sonic disruptor squarely at them. The Doctor threw himself down to the deck as Xznaal fired. A glob of sonic energy streaked over him, slammed into the wal , shattering a chrome pipe. A stream of liquid gushed out, catching Vrgnur on the shoulder. Instinctively, the scientist turned, and the fluid was al over his face and torso.
With horror, the Doctor realised that the cylinder was full of liquid nitrogen.
Vrgnur's carapace was creaking. A crack had appeared. His legs and arms were untouched by the liquid, but they gave way. With each movement, a new gash was being rent in the Ice Warrior's armour. The Martian howled a scream, a terrible, almost electronic, sound. His final act was to raise his own claw, to aim it at his Lord.
'No, Vrgnur!' the Doctor cal ed, but it was too late.
The sonic energy ran up the frozen chitin of the Martian's arm, and the spiky armour burst open one segment after the other. The Doctor watched with horrified fascination. The molecular structure of the armour had become brittle, almost crystalline as a result of the freezing process. Vrgnur lurched, his Martian constitution keeping him alive even as the liquid nitrogen and sonic reaction reached his vital organs. He was gasping for breath, but each mouthful of air burst open the solidifying mazelike structures of his lungs.
The Doctor narrowed his eyes, trying to think of just one way that he could help the scientist. But there was nothing he could do. Vrgnur crashed over like a fallen tree. For a moment his remaining arm twitched, the claw clasping and unclasping. Around him, the liquid nitrogen was evaporating into patches of white mist.
Xznaal and the Doctor stood over the corpse, watching each other warily.
***
Extract from the memoirs of Professor Bernice Summerfield
The Brigadier