Doctor Who: The Doomsday Weapon (14 page)

The Guardian thought for a full minute before replying. 'You make good argument. Both of you may now leave. You will not be harmed.' Slowly the Guardian faded back into the flames.

Within an hour the Doctor and Jo had safely emerged from the Primitive City and driven across the flat desert back to the colonists' dome. The Doctor first knew things had changed when an armed IMC guard stepped forward from the entrance to the dome and said, 'That buggy is IMC property.' The Doctor gladly dismounted from the vehicle. 'I had every intention to return it,' he said.

'The tribunal's re-convened,' said the guard. 'Why not go in and hear what the Adjudicator's decided?' He pointed his gun menacingly at the Doctor.

'I take it,' said the Doctor, 'that you've all got your guns back?'

'You take it right,' said the guard, and pushed the Doctor with the nozzle of his gun.

The Doctor said, 'This way, Jo,' and led her by the hand into the main meeting room. All the colonists sat on one side, the IMC men on the other. As the Doctor entered he stopped and stared at the man seated on the large chair at the end of the room. All eyes were on the man as he spoke,
'During the adjournment I have considered the evidence very carefully. While I have sympathy with the colonists, there is no proof at all that their colony is successful. Crops refuse to grow, and animal life is hostile...'

Winton jumped up. 'That was all faked by the IMC men!'

The man in the big chair ignored the interruption and continued, 'What's more, the colonists have behaved badly by attacking the IMC spaceship. They have made allegations which they cannot prove. In view of this, and the fact that this planet has a mineral needed by Earth, I rule that this planet is unsuitable for colonisation. The colonists most leave at the earliest possible time. Kindly all remain seated while I exit.'

In the stunned silence which followed, the man rose from the big chair and walked towards where the Doctor and Jo were standing by the entrance. He beamed at the Doctor, but knew better than to offer his hand.

'How interesting to see you here, Doctor,' he said

'And what,' asked the Doctor, 'are you, the Master, doing on
this
planet?'

The Master dropped his voice. ' “Adjudicator”, if you don't mind,' he said. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, it is my duty as the Adjudicator to have a private word with the losing side and explain how they can appeal.'

'Your duty.' said the Doctor, hardly believing his ears.

'Of course,' said the Master. 'A question of justice and fairness.' He turned to John Ashe. 'Mr. Ashe, are you ready for a private talk with me?'

The Master turned on his heel and went off towards Ashe's private quarters. Ashe rose from the bench he shared with the other colonists and slowly followed. Then the IMC men rose and trooped out of the dome. Winton jumped to his feet. 'That Adjudicator was bribed by IMC,' he said loudly. The colonists gathered round him to listen. 'We've given up our homes and secure jobs on Earth to find a better life on this planet. Are you going to let some crooked Adjudicator rob you of all that?'

'I understand,' said the Doctor, 'that there is the possibility of an appeal. Won't you let your leader try to use legal methods?'

'The law is the law of Earth Government,' shouted Winton. 'I vote we break with Earth altogether, and declare ourselves an independent democratic republic!'

There was a murmur of strong approval from the crowd of colonists. The big man, Smedley, stepped into the middle of the circle next to Winton, 'He's right. Those of you willing to carry arms against IMC and Earth, follow me and be counted!' He walked to the end of the room, and immediately Winton followed. 'Well,' called Winton, 'who's for freedom?'

The colonists looked at one another uncertainly. What Winton and Smedley proposed was treason against Earth Government. Then one man left the main body of the colonists and went to join Winton and Smedley. 'You're right,' the man said, 'we've had enough. I'll fight.'

Jo appealed to the Doctor. 'You most stop them, Doctor. They'll be outlaws.'

'I know,' said the Doctor. 'But how can I say anything when I really agree with them?'

Now two more men stepped forward to join those standing at the far end of the room. 'What about some of you women?' Winton called; and first two, then three, then five women joined Winton and Smedley and the others. 'And you men,' shouted Smedley, 'are you still undecided?' All the remaining men moved up to the end of the room, followed by all the women except Mary Ashe. She now stood alone where the group had been.

'Mary,' said Winton, 'which side are you on? IMC's or ours?'

'My father will try to get us justice,' she said.

'The only justice we'll get,' said Smedley, 'is with guns!'

Mary suddenly burst into tears and ran down one of the corridors so that the others would not see her cry. The colonists formed a close circle round Winton and Smedley and started to discuss their next move against IMC.

'There'll be more killing,' said Jo.

'Of course,' said the Doctor, 'but the situation is out of our hands now. Our real problem is the Master. He's come to this planet for some reason, and I've got to find out what it is.'

Captain Dent opened the locker in his control room that contained the officers' supply of astrobeer and synthetic champagne. He was happy to be back in the IMC ship, where he felt secure from the wide open spaces of this miserable planet. 'Tell the crew it's stand-easy,' he said to Morgan, 'and they can all have an issue of champagne, too.' He opened a can of champagne and offered it to Caldwell .

'Some other time,' said Caldwell .

'Take it,' said Dent. To him the can of champagne was a peace offering, to show Caldwell he was willing to forget their past disagreements. 'We're friends, aren't we?'

his, as Dent knew it would, appealed to Caldwell 's basic good nature. He took the can, but he didn't drink straight away. 'Thanks.'

Dent got out cans for himself and Morgan. 'Maybe we did have to play it rough,' he said to Caldwell . 'But the trouble's over now. Those colonists will find another planet, perhaps better than this one.'

The radio loudspeaker crackled. '
This is the Adjudicator,
' said a almost inaudible voice. '
I have received an emergency call and must leave this planet immediately. I wish to meet Captain Dent and his officers in the colonists' dome straight away. The settlement must be ratified in the presence of all parties.
' The transmission ended.

Dent looked at Morgan and Caldwell. 'Hold the champagne till later,' he said. 'Let's go.' He pulled on his gun-belt and led the way.

A hundred yards away, in the colonists' dome, Smedley asked Winton, 'Do you think you fooled them?' Winton put down the radio-microphone. 'We'll soon know.' He looked at the armed colonists surrounding him. 'Get in your positions. And shoot to kill!'

Down a corridor within the dome, the Doctor and Jo were listening, ears pressed to the thin partition wall, to a conversation between Ashe and the Master.

'Believe me, my dear Ashe,' said the Master, 'I sympathise with your position. But I have no choice. However, you have a right to appeal.'

'On what grounds?' said Ashe.

For a moment the Doctor and Jo heard nothing. Then it was the Master's voice again, after a long and effective pause. 'If this planet had some historical interest, for instance.'

Ashe said, 'There was once a great civilisation here, so I believe.'

'Indeed?' said the Master. 'Any traces left?'

'There's a ruined underground city not far from here,' said Ashe.

There was a sudden urgency in the Master's voice. 'Could you lead me to it?'

'It's dangerous,' said Ashe. 'The Primitives don't like people going there.'

'Do you know why?' asked the Master.

'I think there's something of great importance to them there,' said Ashe.

'I imagine there is,' said thr, Master. 'Indeed, the sooner I get there the better.'

Elsewhere in the dome, concealed behind a packing-case, Norton pulled his tiny two-way radio from his pocket and desperately tried to contact the IMC ship to warn them. But the message was never sent. Smedley, who was deploying men for the ambush, came upon Norton with the two-way radio in his hand. 'Norton,' said Smedley, not yet having seen the radio, 'I want you and two other fellows to hide...' Then he saw the radio. 'That's an IMC transmitter,' he shouted. Norton knew this could never be explained away. He tried to dive between Smedley's legs to escape. Smedley's great hands came down on Norton's neck and broke it. Norton's body fell limp to the ground. Smedley stamped on the little two-way radio until all its parts were spewed out on the floor; then he went on with his work of organising the ambush.

Five minutes later the IMC officers, followed by their guards, strode into the dome. No one was to be seen. 'Adjudicator!' called Captain Dent, 'you wanted us back here to ratify the settlement.' By now all the IMC guards had crowded in behind Dent and Morgan, forming a neat target for the guns of the hidden colonists. At a shout from Winton, armed colonists appeared from behind the agricultural machinery, the packing-cases, the door leading to the radio room, from over the railings of the steps that led to upstairs quarters. Three IMC guards died instantly in the initial hail of bullets; the others, with Dent and Morgan, dived for protective positions and returned the fire.

The Doctor and Jo rushed along the corridor from Ashes private quarters to the scene of the battle, the Doctor hoping he might be able to call for a cease-fire to stop the bloodshed. The Master, who had also heard the shooting, hurriedly left John Ashe, it would upset all his plans if the colonists' revolt was successful.

Keeping Jo well back, the Doctor stood in a doorway that led on to the scene of the battle. 'For the sake of reason,' he called, 'stop shooting!' And then he felt a gun rammed into the back of his own neck.

'Sorry, Doctor,' said the Master, 'but an opportunity such as this cannot be missed.' He moved round the Doctor, still holding his small handgun aimed at the Doctor's head. 'I'd rather be watching your face as I pull the trigger,' he said.

'You'd kill me in cold blood?'

'On the contrary,' replied the Master, 'you are going to die in the heat of battle. A stray bullet, from an IMC or a colonist's gun - no one will ever really know. Goodbye, Doctor.'

The Master raised the gun and started to squeeze the trigger. John Ashe came running down the corridor. 'Adjudicator,' he shouted, 'we've got to stop this! My people are making themselves into outlaws!'

'Exactly what I was saying to the Doctor,' said the Master, lowering the gun. He could hardly murder the Doctor in front of Ashe. 'Perhaps you'd like to tell them to stop.'

Both the Master and the Doctor took cover as an IMC man ran to the doorway for cover, and was cut down by a volley of fire from partly hidden colonists. The IMC man fell against John Ashe, knocking him backwards. Ashe struggled to get up again, but the IMC man lay where he was, dead.

'Stop shooting!' It was Captain Dent's voice, shouting from behind a crate of seed. His hand came into sight waving a white handkerchief. 'We give in.' Almost at once the shooting stopped.

'Stand up,' shouted Winton from his hiding-place. 'Tell your men to drop their guns'

For a few seconds nothing happened - no shots, and the men on both sides still lying concealed. Then Captain Dent slowly stood up and threw his gun on to the ground. He was white with the fear that some colonist might take this golden opportunity to shoot him.

'We are heavily outnumbered,' Dent called. 'I order all IMC personnel to lay down their guns immediately.'

Now Winton stood up, too. 'You must radio your men in your spaceship,' he called to Dent, 'and tell them of your surrender. If they refuse, you and all your men here will be killed.' He turned to the colonists. 'Round up the prisoners, and collect their guns.'

Everyone came out of hiding now, the IMC men with their hands raised. The women emerged and started to tend the wounded. Winton caught sight of the Master with Ashe and the Doctor and came over to them, his gun on the Master. 'We've had enough of you, too,' he said to the Master. 'You'll leave with the IMC men.'

The Master, quickly slipping his own gun out of sight, smiled at Winton. 'I don't think you understand the position you are now in,' he said. 'Unless you want Earth Government to send a space fleet to blow you out of the skies, you need someone to negotiate for you.'

Asir, said, 'You'd still be willing to help us, Adjudicator?'

'Of course,' said the Master. 'You've acted rashly, but I am impressed by your courage and determination.'

'Don't listen to him,' said the Doctor. 'He's trying to trick you.'

But the Master continued, ignoring the Doctor. 'There may be a case for preserving your colony on the grounds of the planet's historical interest. If I could investigate this claim, things might be very different. I should like to visit the Primitive City .'

'I am trying to warn you,' said the Doctor to Ashe and Winton, 'this man is not to be trusted. He is an impostor. You should check his credentials with Earth!'

They stepped back as a group of prisoners, which included Morgan, were led away by Smedley and other colonists.

'May I ask, sir,' said the Master to the Doctor, 'exactly who you are?'

Both Winton and Ashe looked at the Doctor. 'Yes,' said Winton, 'you've never really explained yourself.'

The Master put his arms round Ashe's and Winton's shoulders. 'Gentlemen, I suggest that we continue our discussion uninterrupted. Now let us go somewhere private to consider how I might intercede on your behalf with Earth Government' And with that the Master led Ashe and Winton away from the Doctor.

'Doctor,' said Jo, 'you've got to stop him. He's going to talk them into believing him!'

'There may be another way,' said the Doctor. 'Come on.' He strode out of the dome. Jo, not understanding, quickly followed him.