Doctor Who: The Doomsday Weapon (8 page)

Dent knew he was near to losing his temper. 'But they shouldn't be here at all! My corporation has been assigned the mineral rights. You know how Earth desperately needs minerals!'

'Earth's needs,' mused the Doctor, 'or your corporation's profits?'

'What's good for IMC is good for Earth,' said Dent rather smugly, realising that he was now blustering against the Doctor's calm. 'There are over a hundred thousand million people back on Earth, and they need all the minerals we can find!'

'What those people need,' said the Doctor, 'are new worlds to live on, like this one. Worlds where they can live like human beings again, instead of like battery hens.

'That's not my concern,' said Dent. 'Minerals are needed. It's my job to get them.'

'Even if that reduces this planet to a slag heap?' said the Doctor. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I have lost some important equipment. I most go and look for it.'

An idea was already forming in Dent's mind as to how he could get rid of the Doctor by way of an 'accident'. 'What sort of equipment?' Dent asked.

'It's rather difficult to explain,' said the Doctor. 'You might say it is a tall blue box.'

Dent pretended to lose interest in the Doctor's lost equipment. 'Well, at least I can arrange transport for you back to your colonist friends. Wait here, please.'

'This time,' said the Doctor, as Dent was closing the door, 'do you mind
not
locking we in?'

'It's normal security procedure,' said Dent, 'when non-IMC personnel are on board. You won't be locked in for long.' He closed the door, and turned the locking knob. He stood in the corridor for a moment, thinking. He knew he had conducted the interview badly and was not much of a credit to IMC. Then he reminded himself that normally he didn't have to contend with intelligent people like the Doctor. Once colonists had been scared by monsters, they were usually only too happy to accept IMC's help to move them on to another planet. This time it would be different, at least until he had disposed of the Doctor. He went back up the connecting corridor to the control room. Morgan was alone.

'Where's Caldwell ?' Dent asked.

'He got called down by the motor room people, sir,' replied Morgan, 'some minor problem they've got.'

'Uh-huh.' Dent slumped down into his special captain's chair. 'This man he brought in, he isn't a colonist. I think he's some kind of scientist. He noticed the vegetation here doesn't fit in with the existence of monsters'

'Could he be working for Earth Government,' said Morgan, 'checking up on us?'

'Maybe,' said Dent. 'Anyway, I want you to drive him back to the colonists' place.'

'If he's going to cause trouble,' said Morgan, 'why not keep him here?'

'No,' said Dent, 'there would be questions. When Caldwell found him, he was investigating the wrecked dome. Right?'

'Right,' said Morgan.

'So,' Dent continued, 'if his body were found in the wreck, it would be obvious that the monsters had gone back and killed him.'

Morgan got up. 'Leave it to me, sir.'

'He says he's lost some equipment,' said Dent. 'You offer to help him find it - you know, play him along. That'll give me time to get the robot over to the wrecked dome to meet him there.'

'Thank you, sir,' said Morgan. He was eager to go and had his hand on the door knob.

'One final point,' said Dent. 'Nothing must go wrong.'

'I'll make sure of that, sir,' said Morgan, turning the knob of the door. But Dent still had more to say.

'You should have told me last night about those two colonists being killed,' Dent went on. 'On this planet I represent IMC, and you must always tell the Corporation everything, even when you make a mistake.'

'Yes, sir,' said Morgan. 'Sorry, sir.'

'That's all right,' said Dent. 'Now get on your way. And make it look good

Morgan hurried away. Dent liked Morgan. Morgan was ambitious and totally unscrupulous. Dent felt you could always trust people like that.

From the moment of his arrival at the colonists' main dome, IMC Second Officer Wilfred Norton had been treated as a Very Important Person. That's what he liked about playing the 'survivor' every time Captain Dent arrived at a new planet. In his heart he had wanted to become an actor, but his father and mother told him that he ought to get work with one of the big corporations. Now he had the comfort and security of working for one of the biggest, IMC,
and
he had the chance to do some very real-life acting.

After his dramatic entrance, when he said that he was the sole survivor from another colony, the colonists washed him, fed him, and gave him clean clothes to wear. And now he was being given a tour of inspection by this young fellow called Winton. There were many rooms and corridors in the main dome, and he was being shown a small room one side of which was packed with the colony's main electrical junction and fuses. Compared with gleaming equipment inside the IMC spaceship, this tangle of wires and switches looked like a mess that would shame a junkyard. A man was working on one of the switches, removing it from a rough make-do control panel; he was being 'helped' by a Primitive.

'This is our power supply junction-box,' said Winton. 'This is Holden, our electrician.' He turned to Holden. 'This is Wilf Norton.'

Holden shook hands with Norton. 'Yes, I remember you coming in. You must have had a rough time.' Holden turned back to his work, but asked Norton about how he had survived so long alone on the planet, and Norton gave in answer the story that he had rehearsed so well. As they talked Holden removed the switch, obviously broken, and was about to drop it on the floor, when the Primitive reached out for it.

'Sorry,' said Holden with a smile, 'that's for you.'

The Primitive took the discarded switch and quickly attached it to his belt which already carried various bits of broken machinery.

'What's he doing?' said Norton, indicating the Primitive.

'He's my assistant,' said Holden. As he spoke he. reached out for a particular screwdriver on his little work bench; but the Primitive had already picked it up and was offering it to Holden. 'You see? He gets the right tool every time. Seems to know what's in my mind.' Holden started to use the screwdriver to install a newer switch.

'Our Primitives weren't that friendly,' said Norton. 'Where do you get your power from?'

Winton answered, 'We tap the old spaceship's nuclear generator and beam power through to the domes as they need it.' He turned to Holden. 'What's the trouble this time?'

'Same as before,' said Holden. 'All this stuff's had its time. Still, we soldier on.'

Norton followed Winton further down the corridor to the dome's dining area. The two girls, Mary and Jo, were cooking some stew. An idea was forming in Norton's mind, a plan that he wanted to carry out as quickly as possible. But first, while Winton still stayed with him, he had to talk to these two girls.

'That smells nice,' he said. 'What is it?'

'Only stew, I'm afraid,' said the girl called Mary. 'Whatever it is,' Norton said, 'I'm looking forward to it. For months I've lived on the roots of scrub.' He tamed to Winton. 'I do appreciate the way you people are looking after me, and your showing me around the place. But if you want to get on with your work now, I'll be all right.' He gave Winton a big wink which the girls didn't see, and nodded his head towards Mary. Winton got the point. Norton hadn't spoken to a girl for months, and maybe he had taken a fancy to Mary. 'Well,' said Winton loudly, 'perhaps I should get on with some work. So, I'll we you later, Wilf.' With that Winton left the dining-hall.

'That really does smell good,' Norton said. 'About how long before you serve up?'

'Fifteen or twenty minutes,' Mary said.

'Then I'll go and wash my hands,' Norton said. He went to the door in to the corridor, then paused for effect. 'I'll never forget you people. Never in my whole life.' He looked at Mary and smiled, and she smiled back sympathetically and warmly. Then he turned and quickly went back towards the room containing the colony's make-do electrical power supply junction. The door was partly open, and he could see Holden inside just finishing his work connecting the new switch.

'There we are,' Holden was saying to the Primitive, 'that should hold for another few days. Put the tools away, will you? I just want to check the circuit relay.'

The Primitive began picking up the various tools that Holden had used, he carefully replaced each tool into its right place in a tool-box on the little work bench. Meanwhile Holden gave his attention to a fuse-box on the far wall, so that he had his back to the door.

Norton planned his every move before going in. From the corridor he could see a large spanner lying on a shelf between himself and the Primitive. The Primitive was sideways on to him at the moment, but any time now he would have to turn his back in order to pick up one of Holden's tools. Suddenly Norton realised how much it compared with an actor waiting to go on stage. There he was, standing in the wings, waiting for his cue. He could see the other actors already on stage, but he had to wait till exactly the right moment to make his entrance. He could see his most important 'prop', the big spanner that he most remember to pick up on entering. The only thing was an audience; but in the circumstances that was perhaps as well.

The Primitive turned his back to pick up the last tool. Norton entered silently, picked up the big spanner and raised it above his head, all in one movement. Just as the spanner was arcing down onto the back of the Primitive's head, by some telepathic means the victim sensed his danger. He ducked, and instinctively tried to grab his spear which stood against the wall. But he was too slow. Before his hand could reach the weapon, Norton had raised the spanner again and brought it crashing down upon the skull of the unfortunate Primitive.

Holden whirled round. 'What the - ?' Then he saw the Primitive lying dead on the floor. 'You must be crazy!' he yelled at Norton. 'What do you think you're doing?'

Norton had found his audience - an audience of one startled man. Taking his time, he put down the big spanner, then picked up the spear. It was an actor's traditional joke that to be on stage carrying a spear means that you have only a very small part to play in the drama. And actors never had a chance to use their spears, not in real life.

'Put down that spear,' ordered Holden 'What you've been through - it's affected your mind.'

Holden was standing well away, his back to the far wall.

Suddenly, Norton lunged straight at Holden with the spear, aiming for the heart. It found its mark. Then, seizing the big spanner again, he quickly smashed fuse-boxes, switch controls, and electrical junction-points.

Norton raced back to the dining hall. The colonists' leader, Ashe, was talking to Mary and Jo. 'Please,' he called out to Ashe with the strained voice of a man who had just seen murder done, 'you've got to come with me.'

'What's the matter?' Ashe asked.

'Come with me,
please
,' said Norton, grabbing Ashe's arm and pulling him towards the corridor. 'It's terrible! It's murder!'

Ashe came running after Norton towards the electrical room, the two girls following. Norton stopped abruptly at the door to the room, covering his eyes, waiting for Ashe to catchup with him.

'What
are
you talking about?' Ashe demanded. 'Look,' said Norton, and pointed into the room.

Ashe looked, then spun round on Mary and Jo. 'No, keep back! I don't want
you
to see this.' He put his arm round Norton, who was now weeping. 'What happened?'

'I was coming by,' Norton said, between sobs. 'I saw it all... he didn't have a chance.'

'The Primitive killed Holden?' Ashe asked.

Norton nodded. 'He went for me, too, but I grabbed a spanner and hit him. I know it was in self-defence, but I've never killed anyone or anything in my life before.' He continued to sob, his shoulders heaving.

'You couldn't help it,' said Ashe, as he glanced around the room. 'The relay circuits have been wrecked.'

'Holden must have caught the Primitive messing about with the controls,' said Norton, 'smashing things. That's why he got killed, with that awful spear.'

'Unless we get this lot repaired,' said Ashe, in his matter-of-fact way, 'the whole colony will come to a standstill. We can't go on without electricity. 'And Holden was the only electrician we had.' He left Norton, stepped into the room and looked ddwn at Holden's body. 'Poor man, to die like this.'

Norton parted two of the fingers covering his eyes in order to watch Ashe as he stood over Holden's body. He congratulated himself on a marvellous performance.

After Dent left the Doctor in the crew room, he did not again try the door, he knew it would be locked. To bide the time the Doctor again switched on the entertainment console. Flashing coloured lights swam onto the screen, and these were accompanied by a low thumping sound and occasional groans. He couldn't make out whether this was present-day symphonic or pop music, so he turned it off. Then he sat down, and took in the detail of the room. A ship this big, he reckoned, must have a fairly large crew, but this room had only four sleeping bunks. Obviously these were the officers' quarters, Caldwell had thought to put him in here so as to conceal from him the true extent of the spaceship's complement. He wondered where the crew was housed, and how many there really were. Then the door opened and a fresh-faced young man in IMC uniform stepped inside.

'First Officer Morgan, sir,' he said deferentially, 'at your service. Captain Dent asked me to drive you back to where you came from.'

The Doctor rose. 'That's very good of you. Perhaps you'd better lead the way.'

But Morgan stood to one side of the open door. 'No, sir,' he said, 'you're our guest. After you.'

'I suppose you're right,' said the Doctor, going into the connecting corridor. 'Just in case I take the silver.'

Morgan closed the crew room door and followed the Doctor. 'The what, sir?'

'An old fashioned joke,' said the Doctor.