Doctor Who And The Dalek Invasion of Earth

by Terrance Dicks

  13: Explosion!

  Tyler and the Doctor jumped back into an intersection, as a long line of Daleks moved down the corridor ahead of them. Tyler popped his head out. "That was a near one."

  The Doctor nodded. "They seem to be on the move. Let's go to where they've come from."

  Jenny and Barbara were still struggling with their manacles when Tyler and the Doctor made their way into the now deserted control area. The reunion was excited and ecstatic. "My poor Barbara," said the Doctor indignantly. "Mr Tyler, help me get these things off." Tyler set to work on the manacle locks with his knife, and soon Barbara and Jenny were free again.

  Briefly Barbara explained what she'd gathered about the Daleks" plan. The Doctor seemed unsurprised. "I thought it would be something like that. I'm working on a scheme to circumvent them. Now, let me see if I can work this scanner."

  The Doctor swiftly adjusted controls and a little screen in front of him sprung to life. It showed various shots of the mines, then suddenly a picture of Susan and David laying bombs around the base of an enormous radio mast. "They're trying to blow up the mast and so fracture the outer cable ring," explained the Doctor.

  Jenny was none the wiser. "What good will that do?"

  "You know the Daleks communicate by a sort of radio network? Well, if the radio-link is suddenly broken it will give them a most tremendous shock. A kind of brainstorm. It should immobilise them completely, at least for a while..."

  A Dalek voice crackled from a nearby speaker. "Interference to scanner settings in main control area. One Dalek unit will return to investigate!"

  Tyler ran to the doorway. "There's a Dalek coming along the corridor now!"

  On the screen David and Susan continued their task with maddening slowness.

  From the doorway Tyler called, "Doctor - the Dalek's nearly here!"

  He ran back to join them at the scanner. Seconds later a Dalek glided into the control area.

  The Doctor stood quietly at the scanner, ignoring the approaching Dalek completely.

  On the screen they saw David and Susan finish laying their charges, and retreat to a safe distance. David raised the rifle to his shoulder, then a flash filled the screen. When it cleared they saw the radio mast toppling slowly to the ground.

  The Doctor beamed triumphantly, turned round - and saw the Dalek heading straight towards him.

  Tyler tried to pull him aside. "Run, Doctor, it hasn't worked."

  The Doctor shook him off, and stepped directly in front of the Dalek, hands clutching his lapels.

  The Dalek said, "Halt! Who aaare ..."

  Its voice seemed to wind down, and trail away into silence. The Dalek stopped moving.

  Tyler gave a huge sigh of relief. "You certainly took a chance."

  "Science, my dear chap, not chance. It took a little time for the effect to be felt, that's all.

  "What will you do now, Doctor, stop the bomb?"

  After this latest display, Tyler was quite prepared to believe the Doctor could do anything.

  "All in good time," replied the Doctor calmly. "I'm not sure how long this little shock will hold the Daleks. We must find some more permanent way of dealing with them."

  Barbara said excitedly, "The Robomen, Doctor. That console controls them. I tried ordering them to attack the Daleks, but they caught us. Let me try again."

  The Doctor gave an assenting wave of his hand and Barbara rushed to the console. "Robomen, this order cannot be countermanded. Attack the Daleks! Destroy them!"

  The Doctor stepped up to the console. "Slave workers - here is your freedom. Use it. Destroy the Daleks." He turned away from the console, rubbing his hands with glee. "Now come along all of you. Let's see what happens!"

  They walked along the corridor towards the mining area. Soon they heard a clamour and a shouting, the ringing of metal on metal. They turned a corner to find a seething mob of slave workers and Robomen battering and smashing at a Dalek with pails and picks, until it was no more than a hunk of twisted metal. The crowd rushed past them, obviously searching for more Daleks to destroy.

  A grimy ragged figure dashed out of the crowd and caught Barbara in his arms, hugging her till she was breathless. "Ian," she cried delightedly. "Ian!"

  "Bless my soul, it's young Chesterton!" said the Doctor. "Where did you spring from, my boy?"

  Ian shook the Doctor's hand like a pump handle. "Doctor! I might have guessed you were behind all this. Just listen to them!"

  From all over the mine came the sound of exultant shouting, the roar and clamour of battle. The Doctor smiled. "The people of Earth are fighting back at last."

  They made their way back to the control room, exchanging a babble of congratulations, explanations and recitals of all their different adventures.

  The Doctor listened gravely as Ian told of his attempt to deflect the bomb. Ian crossed to a chart on the wall which showed the bomb shaft plunging down to join the fissure in the Earth's crust. He put his finger on the chart. "If the contraption works, the bomb's jammed here - just a couple of levels below us."

  "A brave scheme, my boy," said the Doctor, "But not without its perils to the rest of us. The bomb won't release the Earth's core as the Daleks had hoped. But there will be the most tremendous explosion in a very short time!"

  "How long have we got. Doctor?"

  The Doctor crossed to the bomb control area. "If I read these dials correctly - something in the order of ten more minutes!"

  Barbara ran to his side. "Can you switch it off to delay the explosion?"

  The Doctor shook his head. "The bomb was intended to explode deep within the Earth's core, remember. The detonation device is automatic - and self-contained."

  "Then we've got to get out of here!" said Tyler urgently. "And we've got to get everyone else out too!"

  The Doctor went over to the communications console. "The public address system will still be working. It's on a separate circuit." He cleared his throat and spoke into it. "Robomen and slave workers. This mine is about to explode. You must make for the surface and leave the area immediately. Never mind the Daleks. Leave them to their fate. I repeat, this mine is about to explode. Leave the area immediately." He turned to the others. "We've done all we can. It's time to look to our own safety. Follow me. We'll go out the way I came in!"

  Swiftly the Doctor led them out of the control area along the corridors, out into the tunnel, and finally in a last frantic scramble up the sloping sides of the crater. They found Susan and David waiting for them at the top. "Don't talk - run!" ordered the Doctor breathlessly, as they joined the crowds fleeing desperately from the mine.

  They witnessed the end of the Dalek invasion of Earth from the hill overlooking the mine area. The place looked like a disturbed ant-hill, long lines of people streaming away from it in all directions. The Dalek spaceship hovered over the main crater, but made no attempt to attack, waiting no doubt for the results of the experiment.

  As the last few escapers fled from the mine there was a low subterranean rumble... It grew steadily until, suddenly, the whole of the mine workings erupted in a great belching cloud of smoke and flame. The noise was shattering, and they all dropped to the ground, hands over their ears. All except the Doctor, who stood watching the holocaust with keen scientific interest.

  The incredible noise ended at last, dying down to a low, constant rumble. They looked up to see a huge mountain of earth, the crater on its top belching smoke and flame. "Quite a sight. eh, Mr Tyler," said the Doctor. "An active volcano in England!"

  Jenny looked upwards. "What happened to the Dalek spaceship?"

  "Totally destroyed," said the Doctor with satisfaction. "I saw it. They were caught in the first up-blast of the explosion."

  Jenny stood looking at the sky. Barbara put an arm round her shoulders. "It's all right, Jenny, it's over..."

  "Over," said Jenny quietly. Barbara saw tears streaming down her cheeks. Suddenly she realised - in all their adventures together, it was the first time she'd ever
seen Jenny cry.

  14: The Farewell

  It took them a very long time to make their way back to London, the riverside, and the building-site where the TARDIS had been trapped so long ago. So many people wanted to congratulate them, to hear the story of their adventures and final triumph. But they arrived at last, and now the Doctor stood looking on in quiet satisfaction while a willing gang of Tyler's men cleared the last of the girders away from the TARDIS door.

  London was already a very different place from the ruined city in which they'd arrived. There were people in the streets again and even a few cars, and boats on the river. Everywhere was a spirit of hope, the sense of life starting again. London was being reborn before their eyes.

  Tyler stood beside the Doctor and looked round at the bustling scene. "It's a pity Dortmun isn't here to see this. Dortmun and lots of others like him."

  "It's up to you to build their memorial," said the Doctor quietly. "A new London, a better Earth. I'm certain you'll succeed."

  The TARDIS was clear at last. Tyler nodded to-wards it. "There's your police box, Doctor. And I won't ask questions. As far as I'm concerned you're welcome to every police box in London."

  The Doctor smiled. "This one will do, thank you." A sound rang out, a sound once familiar to every Londoner, one that had been missing for a very long time - the chimes of Big Ben. Tyler smiled contentedly.

  The Doctor left him listening happily to the chimes, and scrambled down to Susan. She was sitting on a beam of timber, absently toying with her TARDIS key, which hung as usual on a chain around her neck. "All alone, child?" he asked gently.

  Susan smiled. "I've already let Barbara and Ian into the ship. I was just - thinking."

  The Doctor sat down beside her. "Hasn't been much time for that recently. I'm afraid you must blame me - I seem to have a nose for trouble."

  Susan gave him an affectionate hug. "You know I wouldn't blame you for anything, Grandfather."

  They sat in silence for a while. Several times the Doctor seemed about to speak, and then changed his mind. Susan seemed plunged in a fit of abstraction. Suddenly she stood up and said, "Ah well - " then broke off, wincing.

  The Doctor jumped up too. "Susan, you're hurt..."

  Susan stood on one foot. "No, I'm all right. I just trod on a sharp stone." She held up one shoe to reveal a gaping hole in the bottom. "The journey to the mines wore them out completely."

  The Doctor took the shoe from her, pursing his lips. "Dear me. Still it's nothing to worry about. I'll soon mend it for you."

  Susan smiled at him affectionately. The funny thing was that he was quite serious. It was typical of the Doctor that he was quite as willing, and as able. to repair a worn-out shoe as he was a damaged spaceship computer. "It's all right, Doctor, I've got plenty more pairs in the TARDIS."

  The Doctor frowned. "That reminds me, I'd better go and check up on the ship." He gave Susan a pat on the head and wandered off, the shoe clutched in his hand.

  Susan was still sitting on the beam when David came quietly up to her. He sat beside her, his arm round her shoulders.

  "Susan, stay with me," he pleaded.

  "David, I can't! I don't belong on your world or in your time."

  "I love you, Susan. I'm asking you to marry me."

  "I have to stay with grandfather. He's old now, he needs me. Please - don't ask me to choose between you."

  David took a deep breath. "You told me once you'd never really belonged anywhere. That's what I'm offering you now, Susan. A place and a time of your own."

  Susan stood up and started limping towards the TARDIS. There were tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, David. I'm all right. I just trod on a nail." She limped off towards the waiting police box. As she moved away she said quietly to herself "But I do love you, David. I do..."

  The Doctor stood at the TARDIS console, still holding Susan's shoe. Behind him Ian and Barbara stood hand in hand. They knew the dilemma the Doctor was facing, but there was nothing they could do to help.

  Suddenly the Doctor stood very erect. He put Susan's shoe down carefully, reached for a particular control-switch and slammed it over, hard.

  Susan had almost reached the TARDIS when its door closed in her face. She took the key from round her neck and tried to open it. Nothing happened. "Grandfather," she screamed. "Grandfather!"

  Suddenly she heard the Doctor's voice. "Susan, please listen. I've safety-locked the door - you can't get in." Inside the TARDIS the Doctor could see Susan's puzzled face looking at him on the scanner. Gently he said, "All these years I've been taking care of you - and all the time, you really felt you were taking care of me...

  He heard Susan's voice. "But I belong with you..."

  "Not any more, Susan. Your future is with young David, not with an old buffer like me." He saw that David had come to join Susan, his arm around her. "Look after her, David, my boy. Be kind. Work hard both of you. You'll find that life on Earth can be an adventure too."

  For a moment the Doctor's voice faltered, then he recovered himself. "Now then, both of you, no regrets. And look to the future. Remember, both of you, love's the thing. That's what really counts. Goodbye. One day I'll come back. One day... Goodbye..."

  Susan and David stepped back, as the dematerialisation noise began, and the TARDIS disappeared.

  Quietly David said, "He knew, Susan. He knew you could never leave him. That's why he left you."

  As David took Susan in his arms the TARDIS key slipped from her fingers, and lay unregarded on the ground. Susan made no attempt to pick it up because she knew she wouldn't be needing it again.

  Inside the TARDIS the Doctor turned away from the scanner with a sniff. He glared at Ian and Barbara, as if daring them to comment. When they said nothing, his face broke into a smile. "I'll get over it," he said briskly. "Bound to happen one day. Now then, I really must get you two home again. Right place and the right time, eh? Let's see what we can do! "

  As the Doctor leaned over the console, his fingers moving over the controls, Ian gave Barbara a nudge. "I wonder where the old boy will land us up this time!"

  "I'd be willing to bet you its not Earth," she whispered.

  Through the Space Time Vortex, the TARDIS sped on its way. The Doctor still had two faithful companions, and many more adventures lay before them.