Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [41]
The Doctor looked at him soberly. ‘Better let me know the worst. Is it bad?’
‘He must’ve been shot by the alien ray guns. There may be some spinal damage—paralysis.
The Doctor looked grim. ‘Then there’s only one place for him, isn’t there?’
Penley nodded. ‘The medicare centre at Base...’
‘Take my airsled,’ the Doctor said firmly. ‘Get Jamie on to it and take him back there—if it’s as bad as you say.’
‘It’s his only hope.’
He lurched against the Doctor as the icy ground shuddered beneath them. ‘The glacier’s moving,’ observed the Doctor.
‘It’s getting worse,’ agreed Penley. ‘Let’s get out of here!’
‘You carry on,’ came the reply, ‘I’ve got a job to do.’
Penley nodded towards the spaceship door. ‘In there?’
The Doctor nodded. ‘There’s Victoria, for one thing—
and for another, Clent has to know whether the alien reactor unit will explode if the Ioniser is used properly.’ As Penley stared at him in surprise, the Doctor smiled, ‘I adapted your notes on the Omega Factor.’
‘Did you now...’ murmured Penley, with new respect.
‘But you’re the chap to handle it,’ insisted the Doctor.
‘Do you think you can cope with Clent?’
‘I dare say I can manage to stay sane.’ He looked down at Storr’s body. ‘I’ll take Storr back to his hide-out with me.
He’d’ve preferred it there.’
With that, he dragged his friend to the Doctor’s airsled.
When Penley was well clear of the glacier, the Doctor activated the tiny communicator. ‘Doctor to Clent.’ he called.
‘I’m going in now, old chap. Wish me luck.’ Then he tucked the device away.
With that, he moved boldly towards the sleek metallic door, and hammered on it with his list. ‘Open this door at once!’ he demanded brazenly. ‘Open up, I say!’ To his surprise, the door opened immediately, and he stepped inside the airlock. It closed behind him, and he waited for the inner door to open—but it did not. Instead, a harsh voice spoke from a loudspeaker set in the ceiling panel.
‘Identify yourself!’
The Doctor spoke sternly. ‘I am a diplomatic messenger.
I don’t answer questions until I am properly received by a suitable person!’
‘You will answer now!’ snapped the voice. The Doctor folded his arms, tilted his chin up defiantly, and remained silent.
‘Unless you answer inside ten seconds,’ the voice continued, ‘the atmospheric pressure will be reduced to zero—a perfect vacuum.’
The Doctor’s face filled with alarm.
‘In that condition, your Earthling body will explode.
Countdown commences now. Ten... nine... eight...’
The Doctor’s eyes found the atmospheric level indicator by his side—the pressure was decreasing fast!
‘If you insist,’ he shouted acidly. ‘But I don’t think much of your hospitality!’ The pressure gauge sank lower. ‘I’m a scientist—from the Base—I want to help you!’ The level stopped sinking, and. a second later, it rose to normal. The inner door slid open, and the Doctor found himself confronted by the Martian warlord inside the spaceship.
Flanking him were several other Ice Warriors.
‘You are a scientist?’ queried Varga coldly. ‘You do not look like one!’ he gazed at the Doctor’s eccentric dress.
‘He looks more like the human we destroyed—the scavenger,’ remarked Zondal sourly. ‘He could be an imposter. We should destroy him also!’
‘If you kill me, you’ll ruin any chance you might have of escape! Or perhaps you intend to stay inside this glacier permanently.’ Varga stepped forward arrogantly. ‘I am Varga, the Martian warlord. Explain how you can help us!’
‘There are certain conditions that have to be met first,’
insisted the Doctor.
‘You are our prisoner!’ hissed the warlord furiously. ‘It is I who set conditions and ask questions!’
The Doctor held up his hand, and smiled. ‘Listen!’ The faintest of tremors ran through the spaceship. Its sound sensors were picking up the creak and grind of the