Apollo 23

by Doctor Who

Amy hurled the nearest thing she could find at the creature

  - a coffee cup. Cold dregs of coffee dripped from the cup as it turned in the air. But, like Carlisle, it just bounced off the creature's armour.

  The recovering soldier's training cut in, overcoming his shock in a moment. He picked up the chair from beside the console, raised it, and charged. The wheeled base of the chair hammered into the Talerian, forcing it backwards. It bumped heavily into the wall, its whole body shimmering like jelly and armour plates rattling.

  His momentum kept the soldier going. Amy stared in fascinated horror as the chair's base squashed into the creature's belly. One of the wheels on the chair was jammed between two of the loose armour plates, stretching the skin behind inwards like it was made of thin rubber. Any moment, the skin would spring back into shape and the soldier would he hurled off like he'd fallen on to a trampoline.

  Except it didn't happen. The sharp surround of the wheel cut into the Talerian's skin. It pierced the rubbery hide -

  making the smallest of holes. But it was enough.

  With a rumbling, gurgling, anguished cry, the 224

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  Talerian burst. Grey-green gunge erupted from its punctured skin and the whole body seemed to deflate. The bulbous arms flailed aimlessly, before losing their form and substance. The gun clattered to the floor. In a few seconds, all that was left was a pool of gooey liquid and metallic, armoured plates lying across the shrivelled-up hide of the creature, like a deflated balloon.

  'Well that answers one of my questions,' the Doctor said. He knelt down bes ide the creature's remains. He dipped his finger in the goo, and for one awful moment Amy was afraid he was going to lick it. But instead he sniffed at it curiously, then wiped it off again on the lapel of his jacket.

  'What question is that?' Carlisle wondered. She looked pale and shaken - but nowhere near as confused and shocked as the soldier, still holding the gunge-spattered chair.

  'Why they want human bodies. Their own are obviously far too fragile. Humans, for all your failings, really are quite robust. Not like viscous liquid-based creatures such as Mr Blobby-Balloon here.'

  'How many of them are there?' Amy asked. 'And what do we do - throw darts at them?'

  'You got any darts?' the Doctor said.

  'Well, no.'

  'Not really an option then, is it?'

  They all looked up as a bing-bong chime sounded.

  'Public address system,' Carlisle explained. 'Never known it used before, though.'

  Jackson's voice came through loud and clear. "This 225

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  is Androparg to all Talerian forces. Commander Raraarg has decreed that we need the humans alive as mind-fodder for our initial strike force to infiltrate planet Earth. Make sure all weapons are set to stun. And be careful, some of the Blanks are waking up and going rogue.' There was a pause before Jackson added: 'And to any humans listening - surrender or you will be shot. That is all.'

  The voice cut out.

  'Charming’ Amy decided.

  'We know where he is now’ Carlisle said, checking the control console. 'That was broadcast from Jackson's office.'

  The Doctor clapped his hands together. 'Terrific. Then it's obvious what we do. You and you...' He pointed to Carlisle and then to the still bemused soldier. '... Find Captain Reeve and get everyone together somewhere you can defend. The canteen would be good, becaus e then you can get croissants and hot drinks and those buns with the slightly cinnamon flavour.'

  'What about you and me?' Amy asked.

  'We're continuing with the hot drink theme - by going for a cup of tea with Professor Jackson and Commander Raraarg.'

  All across the base, soldiers and other staff were wakin g up, confused and disorientated. Jackson's announcement did nothing to help them adjust. Captain Reeve found several soldiers clos e to the hub where the prisoners were kept and together they opened the cells and ordered the prisoners out.

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  As soon as the first emaciated man stepped out of his cell, Reeve could tell they'd been neglected since Jackson took charge of the prison facility. The Captain was appalled at the way they had been treated since he'd been blanked - they'd obviously been given precious little food or water and probably denied their usual exercise time.

  'Get these people to the canteen’ he ordered. 'They need a decent meal before anything else.' He turned to the nearest prisoner, shuffling towards him. 'What's your name?'

  I’ll tell you nothing,' the man rasped, his voice a dry whisper. 'You have no right to keep me here.'

  Reeve nodded. That told him all he needed to know - the man's mind was his own. 'Well, whoever you are, let the other prisoners know that we're taking you to the canteen for something to eat. I'm sorry you've been treated badly, but we have a situation here. I can't tell you any more than that.'

  The man stared back at him, wide-eyed. 'Would this situation involve that?' He pointed past Reeve.

  Reeve turned - to see the bulbous, slimy shape of a Talerian sludging towards them. Reeve instinctively reached for his gun. But his holster was empty - the gun lying on the floor in the cavernous computer facility.

  'Halt!' he shouted. 'Halt - or my men will fire.'

  It was an empty threat. The soldiers on the base were not routinely armed, and none of them had weapons. The Talerian was brandishing its own gun. The end glowed and a beam of energy shot out -slamming one of the soldiers back against the glass

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  window running the length of the room. He slumped unconscious to the floor.

  Soldiers and prisoners dived for cover as the alien creature advanced. Then, suddenly, the Talerian exploded in a squelch of viscous grey-green liquid.

  Behind the steaming remains, Major Carlisle stood holding one of the alien weapons.

  'Are you sure this is the way?' Amy asked as they started down yet another corridor. They all looked the same to her.

  All the doors were open, she noticed - part of the Doctor's plan with the fire systems so the sprinklers would go off throughout the base.

  'Depends where you think we're going.'

  'Jackson's office?'

  The Doctor made a noncommittal sound.

  'You're lost, aren't you?'

  He made the same sound again. Ahead of them, the bulbous figure of a Talerian stepped out of an open doorway. It didn't see them as it walked with a blubbery gait away down the corridor.

  'There we are - just what we need,' the Doctor said happily.

  'Come on.' He hurried to catch up with the alien.

  'What?' Amy mouthed. 'What are you doing?' she hissed as she caught him up.

  'Asking directions.' The Doctor quickened his pace. ' I know, men generally don't, but Time Lords aren't proud. At least, not this one. Oi - you there!' he called. 'Yes, you with the blobby face and one eye.'

  The Talerian stopped and slowly turned towards them, raising its gun. It gave a gargling noise that 228

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  might have been surprise or laughter.

  'Glad we found you’ the Doctor said. 'Jackson wants to see us. You'll know him as Androparg. So if you could just point us in the right direction?'

  The Talerian jabbed its gun towards them.

  'Or show us’ Amy said quickly. 'That'd be great. Oh, you coming too?'

  'There'll be tea’ the Doctor promised. 'Maybe biscuits. I probably have a jammy dodger of my own somewhere.

  Usually do.' He patted his pockets. 'No?'

  They passed several more Talerians on the way. But quite the largest and most revolting Talerian that Amy had so far seen was waiting inside Jackson's office. Professor Jackson himself was sitting at his desk. Even with the grotesque, glutinous alien standing clos e by watching them, Amy was again impressed by the view out of the large window behind Jackson. Bathed in pale evening sunlight, the grey moon looked somehow warm and majestic rather than colourless and desolate.
<
br />   'You must be Raraarg’ the Doctor said with delight. He held out his hand, regarded the alien's blobby appendage, and decided: 'Maybe not.'

  'What an unexpected pleasure’ Jackson said. He dismissed the Talerian who had brought them and looked from the Doctor to Amy and back again. 'You've come to surrender?'

  'We came for tea, actually’ the Doctor told him. I assume the offer still stands?'

  The huge Talerian leader shuddered and growled.

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  'Tea’ Jackson mused. 'I had to drink it at first to maintain the illusion that I was still Jackson. But now I actually find it quite pleasant. I must confess it's one of the few things I find invigorates this rather strange body I have acquired.'

  'That'll be the caffeine and tannin’ the Doctor said. 'I'm sure it's good for the soul.' He turned to the Talerian leader Raraarg. 'You should try it.'

  This provoked more growls and wobbles.

  'No’ the Doctor agreed. 'It might upset your rather delicate insides, mightn't it? Must be a problem having a balloon body like that. Any little wound and you don't bleed, you rupture.

  Any change in atmospheric pressure and you either squash up and implode, or the internal pressure makes you explode.

  I can see why you might envy humans. But you can't just take their bodies, you know.'

  'Why not?' Jackson asked.

  'Because you can't’ Amy told him. 'It's not right. It's not fair. Its murder, that's why.'

  'What does Professor Jackson think about it?' the Doctor asked. 'I assume he's still inside you somewhere. As the first to be taken over, you'd need to preserve his memories and emotions so you could survive undetected. If you'd just blanked out, people would notice. Worse than just forgetting names -you'd have forgotten everything.'

  Jackson nodded. 'He's in here.' He tapped his forehead.

  'Just. The tiniest hint of him. And he knows it. I can feel what's left of his mind struggling to reassert itself. But you know what? It gets fainter and more desperate all the time.

  And soon, he'll be gone

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  completely.'

  'Except for his back-up. I assume there is a backup?'

  Jacks on s miled. 'You know there is.' He pulled open a drawer in the des k and took out a glass phial of colourless liquid. 'I could have destroyed it. But that really would be murder.' He s et the phial down on the desk in front of him. 'The human mind...' he mused.

  'Plus you never knew if you might need him back, did you. You still might - if his equipment goes wrong, or some memory you need has faded away.'

  'There is that.'

  'So what happens now?' Amy asked, glancing apprehensively at the shuddering alien bes ide them.

  'Your blob-men won't win against trained soldiers.'

  'You'd be surprised,' J ackson said. 'We can wait, and more T alerian troops are on the way. This is just the first wave. As soon as I boost the s ignal from J ackson's process equipment, the main force will latch on to it and transfer here from Taleria.'

  'Just as you latched on to it in the first place, I assume?' the Doctor prompted.

  Jackson smiled thinly. 'Jackson - the real Jackson -didn't even realis e his process was emitting a signal. It was faint, but it was enough. Our bodies are dying, Doctor.

  Every generation of T alerians is born more fragile than the one before. We are constantly looking for a new form, a replacement for our frail structure. Imagine my s ens e of euphoria when my mind was transported along the link and I woke to find myself ins ide this.' He spread his arms.

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  'You too can have a body like mine’ Amy quipped.

  'I won't pretend it was easy’ Jackson said. 'It took me a while to get control of Jackson's consciousness and take over completely. There were mistakes and problems.'

  'Like poor Liz Didbrook’ the Doctor said.

  "The process never completed’ Jackson told them. 'But that has been corrected. I boosted the signal, and ensured the next transfers would be perfect.'

  'So if we turn off all Jackson's equipment’ Amy said,

  'we can stop any more of you turning up out of the blue.'

  The Talerian beside her roared with what sounded unsettlingly like laughter.

  'We control the Process Chamber. Major Carlisle and Captain Reeve would never get there alive.'

  In a sudden fury, the Doctor shoved as ide the chair in front of Jackson's desk. He leaned right over the desk and stared into Jackson's face. ' What gives you the right to take another life form's body? What do you really think you can achieve?'

  Jacks on stared back at the Doctor, unflinching. 'When you've quite finished.'

  'Oh I haven't started yet.' The Doctor slowly straightened up, one half of his jacket trailing back across the desk. I came for tea, remember?'

  'Enjoy your tea, Doctor’ Jackson said. 'And you, Miss Pond. Very soon we'll round up the humans and simply start to process them all again. All except you, Doctor. Yes, you can have your tea. Let's call it a last request, shall we?'

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  'Oh, let's not’ the Doctor said quietly.

  'But it is, I'm afraid. You see, as soon as you've finished, you will die.' From behind the desk, Jackson lifted one of the Talerian weapons and aimed it right at the Doctor. 'You'll die knowing you've failed, and that M iss Pond is next in the queue for the process. On its maximum setting, this gun can blast through armour plate. Let's see what it does to a body, shall we?'

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  Chapter

  24

  The canteen had been turned into a fortress. All but one of the doors were barricaded shut, tables and chairs piled against them. When Major Carlisle overrode the fire systems, she'd locked all the doors open so they'd had to physically force them closed.

  Soldiers, scientists and prisoners sat on the floor or stood in small groups. Nurse Phillips was at a table, tending to several minor injuries. The only open door was guarded by Major Carlisle and several other soldiers.

  They must have worked out where we are and what we're doing by now,' Liz Didbrook said. She was looking pale and tired. But her head was clear at last of the alien presence that had tried to force its way inside her mind.

  Carlisle had to agree. 'When Captain Reeve gets back, we block this door.'

  'Then what?'

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  'Then we wait for the Doctor and Amy.'

  At some point, Carlisle realised, she'd moved from hope to belief. There was no doubt in her mind that the Doctor would sort things out. It was strange how she trusted the man, almost despite his appearance and youth. There was a wealth of experience behind his eyes and she dared not think how he had come by it. What he had faced. What he had done...

  The sound of running feet signalled the return of Reeve and his team. They had gone in search of as many people as they could find - directing them to get to the canteen as quickly and cautiously as possible.

  'There are blob-men right behind us’ Reeve warned. 'Not too many, luckily as most of them seem to be guarding the Process Chamber.'

  'Maybe that's where they'll bring in their reinforcements,'

  Carlisle guessed.

  'We could take the fight to them,' Reeve suggested. 'We have two of their guns now.'

  She shook her head. 'We stay put, like the Doctor said.

  But we'll keep this door clear in case we get a chance to do something. Or we need to evacuate.'

  'At least we know bullets stop them,' Captain Reeve said.

  He checked his handgun. 'Not that we have many left. And they've sealed off the armoury. We won't get any more ammunition.'

  The first of the Talerians oozed into view along the corridor. Several others followed cautiously, guns at the ready, plates of armour rattling as they moved. An energy blast seared past Reeve and blew a chunk out of the door frame.

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  'Then we need to make every bullet count’ Carlisle said.

  The Doctor busied himself at the tea urn as if he and Amy really had just popped into Jackson's office for a chat and refreshments. He lifted the lid and sniffed at the Earl Grey.

  He took a long-handled spoon from a small rack nearby and stirred the brew slowly and thoroughly.

  'Sure you won't?' he asked Amy.

  'Not without milk, thanks.'

  The Doctor turned to the Talerian leader, Raraarg. 'And I assume you'll give it a miss. If you ever took on human form, you'd want to try it though.' The Doctor held a cup under the urn and turned the tap. 'Not that you'll get the chance.'

  Having poured a s econd cup, the Doctor walked back to the desk. He passed a cup of tea to Jackson, then pulled up the chair he'd moved aside earlier and plonked himself down on it with a relaxed 'Aaah!'

  Raraarg was wobbling ominously and emitting irritated squelching growls.

  Jackson s miled indulgently and sipped his own tea.

  'Don't worry’ he told his leader. 'This will be over soon.'

  'Not too hot, I hope?' the Doctor asked politely.

  'Just how I like it, thank you.'

  The Doctor set his tea down on the desk and leaned back in the chair. 'So, last chance time, then.' He tilted his head so he could look at both Raraarg and Jackson. 'Are you going to surrender and retreat, never to darken these skies again?'

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  Jacks on laughed. ' Very droll, Doctor. But I'm afraid it's over.'

  'You are so right’ the Doctor said.

  'That's a "No" then, is it?' Amy asked. She had no idea what the Doctor was doing, but he was up to something.

  Raraarg let out a menacing, throaty growl. The creature's eye rolled angrily. The meaning was obvious -

  'Kill him now!'

  Jackson held up his hand. 'In a moment, I promise you.'

  'He doesn't know, does he?' the Doctor said.

  Jackson frowned. 'Doesn't know what?'

  'Last chance - surrender or suffer the consequences.'

  Raraarg squelched towards the Doctor.