Sarah went right up to the wall, and examined it curiously. At this close range she could see that it was made of enormous blocks, with only the finest of lines to mark the place where one block joined another. The wall was so bright and clean that it might have been built just a few hours ago. There was no dirt or dust, no sign of ageing or wear. Here and there elaborate patterns were cut into the wall. Sarah reached out and touched one of the patterns in front of her. The block on which it was carved was smooth and warm—and it tingled. Sarah snatched her hand away. The wall seemed to carry a mild electric charge. Perhaps that was what repelled the dirt—a kind of self-cleaning device. The people who had built this City must be very advanced indeed. She wished they'd been a bit more generous in the matter of gates and doors.
There was something else strange about the wall—a sound, a faint electronic hum. It was as though the entire City was somehow alive. She reached out and touched the wall again and heard a guttural snarl of anger.
Sarah whirled round. A group of black-cloaked, black-hooded figures had appeared behind her. She looked round for escape but she was surrounded. She backed away fearfully, but the wall of the City was behind her, cutting off her escape.
Bony hands outstretched, the horrifying nightmare figures advanced...
4
The Deadly Arrivals
Munching on a tube of food concentrate, and washing it down with water from a plastic bulb, the Doctor listened to Railton's account of the planet Exxilon and its strange inhabitants. The planet itself was bleak and barren, consisting mainly of sand dunes, rocks and deserts, with little vegetation or animal life. It was freezing cold and foggy at night, almost unbearably hot by day. Exxilon was a very old planet, with most of its resources drained and exhausted. It was Railton's theory that the planet had once been the home of some super-race which had since died out, or perhaps moved on to some other world.
Certainly, the present-day Exxilons were no more than ferocious savages. They had no civilisation, no machinery of any kind, only the simplest of weapons and tools. They appeared to live in a vast network of caves which honeycombed the planet, lurking underground by day, and coming out mainly at night. They were fiercely hostile, refusing all attempts at friendly contact, and attacking all strangers on sight. 'They could never have built anything like the City,' concluded Railton.
The Doctor finished his food-cube, wondering why no one ever managed to make the wretched things taste pleasant. 'This City you keep talking about... what does it look like?'
Railton said, 'Pass me the visual file, Jill. We've got some satellite pictures here, Doctor.' He passed a set of photographs across to the Doctor.
The Doctor studied them. Aerial views of miles of rocky terrain, with an occasional lake or pool. Dried-up rivers, and a kind of inland sea. Magnified shots that showed bands of black-robed figures scuttling across the face of the planet, ducking into cave mouths to hide. And finally the City, white, gleaming, enormous, towering into the coppery sky, the great tower with its beacon built on to its side. 'It seems to be the only building complex on the planet,' said Railton. 'It's bigger than a hundred ordinary cities. It's a fantastic place. It must have been built thousands of years ago, yet it still looks brand new.'
The Doctor studied the photographs. 'Fantastic, certainly. Have you ever been inside?'
Railton shook his head. 'We tried, but there doesn't seem to be any way in.'
'Not that we had very much time to look for one,' said Galloway. 'The Exxilons attacked as soon as we went near the place. We barely got away from there alive.'
The Doctor closed the file and handed it back. 'And what about your other problems? Forgive me for saying so, but your expedition seems to be in a pretty bad way.'
Railton nodded in gloomy agreement. 'We had a similar experience to your own, Doctor. As soon as we got close to Exxilon we had a total malfunction on all instruments. We managed to touch down without damaging the ship—but we can't take off again.'
Galloway exploded. 'So we're stuck here on this stinking planet.' He tapped the blaster in his belt. 'Our weapons are as useless as the ship—and the Exxilons are picking us off one by one.'
'Why did you come here in the first place?' The Doctor looked at the scattered crates of equipment. 'Some kind of mining operation, I take it?'
Jill Tarrant said, 'We came for the Parrinium.' She looked at the Doctor as if that explained everything.
The Doctor was puzzled. 'Parrinium?'
'It's a mineral, Doctor, a kind of trace element. On most planets it's so rare that it's absolutely priceless. Then a detector satellite did a fly-past on this planet and found huge surface deposits. It's as common here as salt.'
'Forgive me, but what do you want it for?'
By now all three were staring at him in utter astonishment. 'Where have you been hiding, man?' asked Galloway.
'Oh, here and there, one place and another,' said the Doctor apologetically. 'I'm afraid I've been a little out of touch.'
Jill Tarrant's face was grave. 'Earth's colonies on the outer worlds are being ravaged by a terrible disease. A kind of space plague. No one knows where it came from or how it started, but the colonists are dying in their thousands. Millions more will die unless we help them—and every hour we're stuck on this planet the death roll is mounting.'
'Parrinium can cure this disease?'
'Completely. It cures, and it gives immunity. But we need it in quantity, and we need it fast. Unless it's delivered within a month it will be too late. We managed to get an emergency message out before the power failed. We asked them to send a relief ship.'
'The message never arrived,' said Galloway. 'If it had, we'd have had help by now.'
The Doctor said thoughtfully, 'Then we must act on the assumption that none is coming, and help ourselves. The first thing to do is to find out what's causing the power drain. My theory is that it's something to do with that City and its beacon. As soon as I've found Sarah we'll mount a joint expedition...'
Galloway was bristling with anger. 'Now hold on a minute. What gives you the right to make plans for us?'
'My concern for those dying millions,' said the Doctor crisply. 'Not to mention our own lives. You haven't been doing too well so far, have you?'
Railton sighed. 'I'm afraid that's true, Doctor. Personally I'd be happy to join forces.'
Galloway jabbed a thumb at the wounded man on the bed. 'Commander Stewart's still alive, isn't he? Well, I take my orders from him!—and no-one else.'
'I'm not talking about giving orders,' snapped the Doctor. 'I'm talking about co-operation—and about survival. So you'd better—' He broke off suddenly. 'Listen!' A faint droning sound was coming from high overhead.
Peter Hamilton dashed into the dome, almost incoherent with excitement. 'The relief ship,' he spluttered. 'It's here!'
They all ran outside the dome, and stared up at the sky. 'Did you see it, Peter?' asked Railton.
'No... I heard it though. Up there in the heat haze... over to the north, I think:
'Probably making a spiral descent,' said Galloway excitedly. 'We should hear her again in a moment.'
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the low droning returned. It grew louder, and louder. 'Here she comes,' shouted Jill. High above them a gleaming metal shape flashed out of the clouds, then disappeared into the haze.
Peter Hamilton was on top of the nearest boulder. 'I can see her,' he shouted. 'They're landing in the next valley. Come on!' He set off across the rocks at a run, and the others followed. Caught up in the general excitement, the Doctor followed.
As the little group disappeared, two black-robed figures slipped from behind a nearby rock. Stealthily the Exxilons crept towards the dome.
Commander Stewart twisted and turned in fever-ridden sleep. The pain from his wounds, and above all his concern for his vital mission, fought with the drugs he had been given, and dragged him back to uneasy wakefulness. He licked dry lips and croaked 'Water... water...' A shadow fell
over him, and he opened his eyes. Two black-clad figures loomed above him. Too weak to scream, Commander Stewart watched helplessly as they swooped down towards him, blotting out the light.
One of her captors snatched the blindfold from her eyes, and for a moment Sarah thought she was in church. An arched roof rose high above her head, a choking smell of incense caught at her throat and the air was full of a deep sonorous chanting.
Her vision cleared and she gazed dazedly around her. She was in a huge cave, not a church, though its roof rose as high as that of any cathedral. It was lit by flaring torches, set at intervals round the rocky walls, and it was crowded with black-robed figures.
At the far side of the cavern, opposite what looked like a tunnel entrance, was a low stone altar. The guards dragged Sarah towards it. Now she was at close quarters with her captors, Sarah could see the faces beneath their hoods. The sight did nothing to reassure her. Although they were more or less humanoid, the faces were brutal, misshapen, degenerate, with loose mouths, flat noses and small close-set eyes glinting evilly. She could feel the pressure of fear and hatred as the crowd pressed close around her.
There was a space before the altar, and the guards thrust Sarah into the middle of it and stepped back. Behind the altar, one of the aliens stood on a raised platform. His bestial face was old and wrinkled, his robe was of finer quality than the others, and a necklace of barbaric ornaments glinted around his neck. He pointed a long skinny finger at Sarah and began to speak.
Sarah's mind went back to the fantasy of being in church. In a way it was true, she realised. She was in a kind of church, a temple of whatever religion these strange beings followed. And now the vicar was delivering his sermon.
Although she couldn't make out the words, the alien priest's tone and gestures made it clear what he was saying. She was being accused of some terrible crime. The high priest's speech drew angry roars of assent from the crowd. The priest's tone changed. His voice became deeper, graver, as if sentence was being pronounced. He pointed to Sarah, to the altar, and puzzlingly, to the tunnel entrance that lay just behind it.
Two alien priests came forward, carrying a kind of loose cloak ornamented with strange symbols. They draped the garment over Sarah's shoulders, seized her arms, and began dragging her towards the altar. All at once Sarah realised what was happening. She was going to be sacrificed ! She began struggling wildly as they dragged her towards the altar.
Hamilton led the little party across the rocky hills. They moved quickly, pressing hopefully onwards, charged with new energy by their excitement. The Doctor, bringing up the rear, couldn't help feeling that all this optimism was a bit excessive. This second expedition would still have to overcome the problems faced by the first. But he could understand their relief now that they were no longer alone, their delight at the prospect of seeing faces from home.
They struggled to the top of a rise. Peter Hamilton pointed. 'Look, there it is!'
The space ship was just settling down to land in the centre of the rocky plain ahead of them, the flames of its retro-rockets dying away. Clouds of smoke and dust rose up around it, obscuring the shape.
'Come on!' shouted Jill and began running down the other side of the hill. The others followed.
By the time they reached the ship the smoke had drifted away. It sat gleaming in the centre of the barren plain, the basic flying-saucer shape common. to most interstellar craft. Peter Hamilton stared at it in puzzlement, and turned to Railton. 'It doesn't look much like an Earth ship to me, sir.'
Galloway said, 'It's maybe some new experimental model—that new Z-47 they've been planning.' But there was no conviction in his voice,
Railton mopped the Sweat from his forehead. 'She's not a Space Corps craft,' he said slowly.
The Doctor said nothing. He stood gazing thoughtfully up at the ship.
'What do you think, Doctor?' asked Railton.
'I think we'll know soon enough.'
Galloway stared uneasily at the ship. 'Why don't they come out?'
'Maybe they've run into the power drain, just as we did,' suggested Jill. 'You remember, we could barely get our doors open.'
Peter cupped his hands. 'Come out whoever you are,' he shouted. 'The welcome party's here!'
As if in response there was a laboured hiss of hydraulic power. Slowly, very slowly, a landing ramp slid out of the ship and a door above it opened. Two squat metallic shapes glided swiftly down the ramp. Two more appeared in the doorway of the ship.
Jill Tarrant gave a gasp of horror. 'Daleks!'
One of the Daleks in the ship's doorway spoke in the metallic grating voice that the Doctor had known and hated for so long.
'The humans are to be exterminated. Fire at: my command!'
The Daleks at the foot of the ramp swung their gun-sticks to cover the little party.
Railton ran foward, his arms held out in appeal. 'Wait a minute,' he called. 'Wait, please! You can't...'
The Dalek leader grated, 'Fire!'
5
A Truce with Terror
Nothing happened.
The Dalek weapons gave a series of metallic clicks. 'Maximum power,' screamed the leader. 'Fire! Fire! Fire!'
There were more clicks. One of the Daleks swung its eye-stalk round towards its leader. 'Weaponry malfunction. Total power failure in all armament circuits.'
The stunned silence was broken by the sound of the Doctor's laughter. 'Well, well, well! Daleks—without the power to kill. How does it feel?'
He strolled closer to the ramp and the Dalek sentries swung their guns to cover him, emitting a further series of futile clicks. 'Keep back! Keep back!' There was a note of panic in the metallic screech.
The Doctor smiled. 'And if I don't, what will you do? Your weapons are useless here. They've been affected by the energy blackout that stranded the rest of us.'
The Dalek leader said arrogantly, 'The failure is temporary. Superior Dalek technology will overcome this interference. You will obey our orders.'
'You're not in any position to give orders,' pointed out the Doctor. 'We're all in this together. All equal—and all equally powerless.'
The Dalek responded to this taunt with one of the ranting, boasting speeches so common to its species.
'The Daleks are the supreme beings of the universe. Dalek technology is the most advanced in the entire cosmos.'
By now Railton had realised that his enemies really were helpless. 'Spare us the Dalek propaganda,' he said boldly. 'You're no better off than we are. What we ought to do is join forces.'
Rejection was automatic.
'The Daleks do not require the co-operation of inferior species.'
'Think about it,' urged Railton. There are five of us and only four of you. This planet is swarming with hostile aliens who want nothing better than to destroy all of us. Surely the fact must penetrate even Dalek arrogance!'
There was a brief silence. Then the Dalek leader said, 'We will confer.' The Daleks in the doorway disappeared into the ship. The two sentry Daleks glided up the ramp and followed them.
Railton mopped the sweat from his brow. 'Well, what do you think, Doctor?'
The Doctor said nothing for a moment. Railton's initiative in suggesting an alliance had taken him by surprise, and now he was busy thinking out possible moves and counter moves. 'It's a daring plan,' he said slowly. 'And they might just possibly agree with it. But I advise you not to trust them.'
'I don't,' said Railton grimly. 'But at the moment we need all the help we can get.'
'We don't need the Daleks,' said Galloway furiously. 'There's nothing they can do we can't do better on our own.'
'They happen to be brilliant technicians,' said the Doctor quietly. 'Their inventive genius has made them one of the great powers of the universe. Bear that in mind.'
'Exactly,' agreed Railton. 'If they can find some way out of this, we can turn it to our advantage.'
Peter said miserably, 'But Daleks, sir ! My father was killed in the Dalek wars.
Dan lost his entire family. I hate the idea of co-operating with them.'
'Your father was just one man,' said Railton quietly. 'Millions will die if we can't get the Parrinium off of this planet.' He turned to the Doctor. 'Do you think they'll agree?'
The Doctor kept his eyes on the space ship door. 'I'm not sure. We'll just have to wait and see.'
The Dalek leader appeared in the doorway of the ship. 'We wish to confer further. You will be the spokesman. Come!' Its useless gun-stick was pointing at the Doctor. The Doctor hesitated, then shrugged. After all, they couldn't really harm him. Reflecting that it was a new sensation to enter a Dalek ship of his own accord, he climbed slowly up the ramp.
Time went by. The others waited, wondering what was going on inside that gleaming metal sphere. Peter drew Galloway aside. 'What do you think about this idea of co-operating with the Daleks?'
'It might work—for a while.'
'I think Railton's gone soft,' whispered Hamilton.
'Aye, mebbe so. He's scared of the wee salt-shakers, I can tell you that. I saw his face when they came out of the ship.'
'Look, our spokesman's coming back.'
The Doctor came back down the ramp.
Well?' demanded Railton. 'What did they say?'
The Doctor rubbed his chin. 'They're still very suspicious, but I think they'll go along with your plan. They don't have much choice.' The Doctor's voice hardened. 'But I warn you, we must watch them all the time. We can't trust them an inch.'
'Did you manage to find out what they're doing here ?' asked Jill.
'Several of their own colony planets are suffering from the disease. It seems even Daleks aren't immune. They need the Parrinium just as much as you do. That's why they may be prepared to co-operate.'
Inside the control room of the Dalek ship, a final conference was ending. 'It is agreed,' grated the Dalek leader. 'We will co-operate until the humans are of no further use to us. Our true motives in seeking the Parrinium must remain a secret. Understood. The humans must continue to believe that there are only four of us.' The Dalek leader swivelled its arm-stick towards the three other Daleks, unseen, and so far unsuspected, by the Doctor and his party. 'You will remain on board ship and carry out weaponry experiments as ordered.'
DOCTOR WHO - DEATH TO THE DALEKS Page 3
