Doctor Who_ The Zarbi - Bill Strutton [31]
‘They’re keeping well away from the ship,’ Ian muttered.
‘Yes — they’ve learned their lesson, my boy.’
Ian looked around as Doctor Who moved towards one of the control table sections. He flicked a lever, pulled, and the table came out easily on its smooth rollers. Ian stared in dismay.
‘You really are going to dismantle the ship — for them?’
‘Of course not, my boy. Just the astral map. Now come around this side and give it a push!’
Ian shrugged. ‘I never thought I’d see you give in this easily,’ he said coldly.
Doctor Who stared. ‘I — give in?’
‘You don’t mean you really believe they’ll free us if we help?’
‘Chesterton, we’ve made a bargain!’
‘With those weirdies?’ Ian waved with incredulous contempt to the control room beyond the ship’s doors.
‘Personally, I don’t blame those "weirdies" as you call them for mistrusting us,’ Doctor Who retorted, ‘they’re being invaded! Their very existence is at stake!’
Ian halted. ‘Look, we might have landed in the middle of a space war, but it has nothing to do with us!’
Suddenly the Doctor was smiling at him with a hint of mischief. ‘Did you really think I’d let them use me like that — unless I had something of my own in mind? Really, my boy...!’
Ian stared suspiciously. ‘What are you up to? What are you planning?’
‘Now, now — help me get this equipment moving. We don’t want to leave Vicki out there on her own too long.
Ian scowled and obeyed, pulling out several plug-leads which joined this section of the control table to the ship’s wall. To his surprise, Doctor Who turned and demanded.
‘Who told you to un-plug those leads?’
‘Bit old-fashioned, isn’t it, Doctor? Leads — in Tardis?’
‘It is not common or garden flex, Chesterton! This is Tardis machinery. It needs a time-space link. Now plug them back!’
Ian shrugged, complied, then helped the Doctor shove the control table towards the door.
The Zarbi waiting beyond in the control room drew back as they emerged, propelling the control section containing the astral map. Ian stumbled over the leads which kept it connected to Tardis’ machinery.
The Zarbi guard allowed Vicki past him as she moved to join them. Doctor Who put a comforting arm around her, patted her, smiled.
The other Zarbi clustered curiously around the control table as the two men wheeled and shoved it towards the centre of the great room. As it came to a halt, Doctor Who moved to the table, lifted a lid, revealing a complex panel of cathode tubes and instrument dials. He began to turn switches, scanning the astral map. Vicki stared from the Doctor to Ian.
‘Are we really going to help them?’ she whispered.
Ian gave a faint shake of his head. ‘He’s up to something crafty,’ he said darkly. ‘But don’t ask me what.’
Doctor Who kept watching the astral map, turning dials and flipping buttons on the control panel. Suddenly he threw up his hands in impatient disgust.
‘Useless - useless...!’ he stormed. He strode suddenly across the room until he stood beneath the Dome, and there raised his hand above his head and clicked his fingers imperiously.
‘Come on, come on!’ he snapped. ‘Put me through...!’
In answer, the Dome lowered down towards him. The Voice boomed expectantly, ‘You have the information —
already?’
‘Good gracious no! No — some power source of yours has jammed my instruments! While it operates I cannot possibly use them!’
The Voice rose to an echoing bellow of anger.
‘Do not dictate terms-erms... This is trickery-y!’
‘Is it?’ Doctor Who thundered back into the glassy head-piece. ‘You know our ship cannot take off because of your power interference! It is that which is crippling my instruments!’
A pause ensued. For a moment Doctor Who expected the Dome to raise and end their exchange. Finally the Voice echoed back.
‘I cannot suspend my functions for your experiments!’
‘Very well! That’s the end of it! Then get this hair-drier thing off my head! Since we cannot help you locate these invaders, you must do as you will