Doctor Who: The Ark (17 page)

‘But we now know where it is!’ said the Doctor. ‘And we must warn them immediately, so come along!’

As the Doctor, Dodo and Dassuk made their way to the area where the Launchers rested, they had to move cautiously through the warring factions of the Monoids.

The battle between the two groups had spread far and wide, judging by the number of scorch marks that they found on the earth.

‘The way they’re going at it there won’t be enough left to make a football team,’ Dodo whispered. Then they dropped to the ground hastily as a tree ahead suddenly burst into flames. ‘Cor... that was a close one!’

As they crept through a ravine, they heard a moan coming from some bushes surrounding a tree.

‘What’s that?’ Dodo asked.

‘It sounds like someone in pain,’ the Doctor replied. He went to investigate, then called: ‘Come here!’

They joined him and found themselves staring down at an injured Number Four.

‘What happened to you?’ the Doctor asked the Monoid.

‘I was in that tree,’ Number Four replied. ‘But a branch I was leaning on broke and I fell. I think I’ve broken my leg.’ The Doctor examined it, remembering the anatomy scan of the Monoids that he had studied on his first visit to the Ark, under the guidance of the microbiologist, Rhos.

His fingers moved along the leg, pausing when he found the fracture. He looked up at the others. ‘Get some sticks.

We have to make an improvised splint.’

Dassuk stared at him, bewildered. ‘But surely you’re not suggesting that we help one of his kind?’

‘He is a living creature and he is injured – so we must help!’ the Doctor stated.

‘I’ll get the sticks,’ Dodo said.

‘And we’ll need that belt that holds in your tunic,’ the Doctor said to Dassuk. ‘It doesn’t seem to have any purpose other than being decorative.’

Dassuk sighed. He was still not certain of the Doctor’s thinking and was disturbed by his concern for a creature that he and the other Guardians had always considered their enemy. But then he took off his belt and passed it to the Doctor.

‘Here you are,’ he said. ‘But by rights it should be used to strangle him!’

‘You have a lot to learn,’ said the Doctor reprovingly.

Then he concentrated on placing the sticks around the Monoid’s leg. Once in place, he bound them firmly with the belt.

The Monoid moaned and winced with pain as the Doctor completed his first aid.

‘That will have to do for the moment,’ he said. ‘When things settle down we’ll organise something better for you.’

Number Four was grateful and nodded his head. ‘Thank you, Doctor.’ He looked at the others. ‘And thank you for your help.’

They left him and continued on their way. As they walked Dassuk addressed the Doctor ‘He
thanked
us!... And what’s more, I think he meant it.’

‘Now you’re beginning to learn something,’ the Doctor replied.

As the Doctor and his companions reached the area around the Launcher, they found some straggling remnants of the Monoids still engaged in battle.

More flashes, more Monoids extinguished. Then those who had suffered the greater losses threw aside their weapons and surrendered to their opponents.

One of the victorious party, Number Eighteen, signalled for his friends to cease firing. Then he glanced aside and saw the Doctor.

‘Come forward, Doctor. We choose not to be your enemies, but your friends!’

The Doctor and his companions approached cautiously.

‘Are you friends of Number Four?’ the Doctor asked.

‘Yes! We no longer support Number One. We wish to make sure that the Ark survives and that the bomb is rendered harmless.’

‘Well, at least I know where it is, so I can inform those aboard the Ark. Meanwhile, Number Four is in that ravine over there. He is injured and requires assistance.’

‘Then we will see that he gets it,’ replied Number Eighteen. He signalled for the others to follow him, and they started away.

‘Let’s hurry!’ urged the Doctor. ‘No time to waste... we must get our message through!’

He, Dodo and Dassuk entered the Launcher.

Number Eighteen and the others found the injured Number Four. Quickly, they gathered together branches and formed a rough and ready stretcher. They were about to move off, carrying their comrade, when they were challenged by Number One and a group of his supporters.

‘Where are you taking him?’ Number One demanded.

‘To the castle, where there is the chance that he might receive proper treatment,’ Number Eighteen replied.

‘From the Doctor?’

‘No. The Doctor and his friends are on their way back to the Ark.’

Number Eighteen pointed to the distant Launcher as it took off, leaving Refusis behind.

‘Then if not by the Doctor, by whom?’ Number One demanded. ‘The Refusians?’

‘Perhaps.’

‘You are a traitor!’ Number One pronounced. He addressed his supporters. ‘Attack them!’

They started firing. There were more casualties, but Number Four was quickly lowered out of sight and Number Eighteen and his companions fought back, using the cover of nearby rocks.

This gave them the advantage. In a short while Number One could sec that his group was getting the worst of the exchange and, at his side, Number Two was hit and extinguished.

Number One again fled the field, this time travelling alone. Number Eighteen saw him go and started off in pursuit. The chase led through the ravine, Number One desperately seeking the cover of scattered rocks on its sides to try and get away. Occasionally he paused and fired back, but Number Eighteen kept coming.

A river coursed through the ravine. Number One plunged into it, gaining the other side. There he continued running, Number Eighteen sniping at him from the other bank.

At the end of the ravine the river tumbled over rocks into a waterfall. Number One paused, seeing a cave on the other side, and, judging that he was far enough ahead of his pursuer, he started scrambling over the rocks to try and reach its safety.

Number Eighteen paused and carefully levelled up the aim of his weapon. A searing flash... and while the shot did not hit his quarry squarely, it side-swiped him and knocked him off balance.

Number One screamed as he plunged over the lip of the waterfall and his body contorted as it fell into the swirling waters hundreds of feet below.

The Launcher settled back in the bay aboard the Ark and the Doctor, Dodo and Dassuk stepped out to be greeted by Steven and Venussa.

‘I’m glad you’re back, Doctor,’ said Steven. ‘We could not make sense of your radio signal. It kept breaking up.’

The Doctor strode quickly ahead, leading them into the Great Hall.

‘What I was trying to tell you about was the location of the bomb...’

‘That’s the part we couldn’t understand. Where is it?’

‘It’s up there! In the head of the statue!’

They stared up in amazement.

Venussa was dismayed. ‘But in that case how are we going to tackle it? The statue is so heavy!’

‘You must have some lifting gear!’ Steven exclaimed.

‘We only need to get it into one of the Launching Bays.’

‘Nothing that can handle anything like that!’

‘H’m!’ the Doctor mused. ‘Quite a problem!’

The voice of the Refusian echoed through the Great Hall. ‘I think I can help you! But first you must clear the area around the statue.’

‘What do we do?’ Dassuk asked.

‘As he says, dear boy, as he says,’ the Doctor said.

Steven, Dassuk and Venussa immediately started moving the Guardians away from the vicinity of the statue.

Steven looked up. ‘Will that do?’ he asked.

‘Yes!’ came the reply from the Refusian. ‘Now leave the rest to me!’

Fascinated, they watched as the statue was suddenly moved on its base, as though grasped by a being of great strength.

‘It... it’s moving!’ Dodo cried.

‘Yes,’ said Steven. ‘But let’s hope that the movement doesn’t set the bomb off!’

Steadily the statue was eased away from the position that it had occupied for seven hundred years. It was moved across the Great Hall and into the area of the Launch Bays, and there was set down, ready for expulsion.

‘I have done my part,’ said the Refusian.

Dodo was awe-struck. Finally she gulped and said, ‘Nice one, Charlie!’

‘But when you send it away from this spaceship, aim it at the Refusian moon. Like the one near your Earth it is only dust and rock. There is no life on it.’

‘We will,’ Dassuk replied. He manned the controls of the expulsion panel and then pressed the trigger.

The statue sped out into space, away from the Ark, finally exploding in a mighty but harmless strike against the surface of the Refusian moon.

A message came through from a Launcher on Refusis.

‘This is Monoid Number Eighteen. I wish to speak to the Doctor.’

‘Yes, Number Eighteen,’ the Doctor replied. ‘What is it?’ ‘Everything is under control on the planet Refusis. We have made contact with the Refusians, including one who calls herself Mary, and we are organising the return of the rest of the Launchers to the Ark so that everything aboard it can be brought down here.’

‘Thank you,’ the Doctor replied. ‘Message gratefully received and acknowledged.’

The Doctor broke off contact.

Dodo addressed Dassuk and Venussa. ‘Do you think you’ll be able to get everything down onto Refusis now?’

‘We’ll manage,’ Venussa replied.

‘Especially if the Refusians help us,’ Dassuk added.

The voice of the Refusian said, ‘We’ll do everything we can! Everything to assist you in settling on our planet.’

‘Thank you,’ Dassuk said.

‘But one thing you must do...’

‘What’s that?’ Venussa asked.

‘Make peace with the Monoids. A lasting, far-seeing and constructive peace!’

‘He’s right!’ the Doctor observed. ‘A long time ago your ancestors accepted responsibility for the welfare of the Monoids. But they were treated as servants – almost as slaves – so that it was no wonder that, when they got the chance, they repaid you in kind.’

‘Unless you learn to live together there is no future for you on Refusis,’ the voice continued.

Dassuk considered the proposal, then nodded. ‘We understand... and we agree!’

The Doctor patted him on the shoulder. ‘Well said, my boy. You have started to learn well.’ He turned to the others. ‘You know, you must live with understanding as well as hope. H’m... I once said that to one of your ancestors a long time ago!’

The Doctor, Dodo and Steven stood by for some time, observing with interest the mass landings from the Ark onto the surface of Refusis.

True to their word, the Monoids, led by Number Eighteen, had returned to the spaceship with the Launchers. They then set to with a will, co-operating in the loading of the craft with the multitude of storage trays containing the Earth’s life.

These, and the Re-enhancing Incubators that would give the microcell organisms their original shape and form, were taken to points on the planet that the Refusians suggested.

The operation became a model of efficient organisation, each of the Guardians and Monoids having an allotted task and following it faithfully. The Doctor realised that the Main Edicts of the long voyage were coming to fulfilment, and knew that there was something else that he had to see.

He addressed Dassuk and Venussa: ‘With your permission I would like to make one further trip to Refusis in order to meet some of your ancestors.’

‘Of course, Doctor!’ came the reply. ‘And you, too, Steven and Dodo.’

So the trip was arranged and once more they descended on the surface of the planet. There, Dassuk and Venussa accompanied them in a conveyor to a large hall that had been taken over for the special purposes of Re-enhancement.

The machines stood in a row; glass-fronted cubicles that were manned by Guardians and Monoid specialists.

As the Doctor and his companions watched, trays were placed in them. There was an intensity of bright light, and moments later the doors of the cubicles were opened and out walked human beings, Monoids and all the other forms of life that had made the journey.

After their long, suspended sleep they blinked for a moment, then moved off to take their place among the rapidly expanding population of the planet.

One of them, a young Guardian, looked at the Doctor.

He asked: ‘This is Refusis?’

‘Yes.’

The young man sighed with relief. ‘Thank heavens –

we’ve made it, despite my mistake.’

‘Oh, what was that?’

‘I opened some valves in the wrong way aboard the spaceship.’

‘H’m! It doesn’t seem to have made any difference,’ the Doctor said reassuringly. ‘What is your name?’

‘Niash,’ the young man replied. ‘I travelled in the time of the First Commander... and his daughter, Mellium!’

‘Ah, yes,’ the Doctor replied softly, glancing at Steven and Dodo. ‘But now, Niash, go and live your life to the full, as you were intended to.’

Niash nodded and walked out of the hall.

Back aboard the Ark the Doctor, Dodo and Steven turned to Venussa and Dassuk.

‘Time for us to go!’ the Doctor said. ‘Goodbye!’

There was a general exchange of goodbyes between them all, and then the Doctor and his companions were driven out into the jungle aboard a conveyor.

Venussa watched them go.

‘Do you think we’ll ever see them again?’ she asked Dassuk.

‘Perhaps,’ he replied. ‘Or if we don’t, our children might.’ He reflected. ‘Or our children’s children.’

‘If we were to tell them the story do you think they’d believe us? Or would they just dismiss it as a legend?’

Dassuk looked at her firmly.

‘We’ll make them believe it!’

The machinery within the TARDIS whined, whirred and clanked... and within seconds it disappeared from the glade in the jungle where it had been resting.

Inside, the Doctor was busy adjusting his flight controls. He jiggled a lever and when this action produced no results he gave the machine a kick.

‘Ah, that’s it!’ he said with satisfaction. ‘Now the Gravitational Bearing is working at full strength!’