Doctor Who_ World Game - Doctor Who_ World Game Part 23
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Doctor Who_ World Game Part 23

'Now, last go!' whispered the Doctor.

There was a small barrel of nails beneath the workbench.

Moving slowly and carefully, the Doctor picked it up. There was, thought Serena, a surprising amount of sinewy strength in that unimpressive frame.

Choosing his moment, the Doctor rose and hurled the barrel into the middle of the workshop. As it rumbled across the floor the robot spun round and fired javelin after javelin into it, until the barrel looked like a hedgehog and came to a clattering halt. The robot flashed across the workshop to inspect it.

The Doctor and Serena sprinted to the door, flung it open and dashed out straight into the patrolling sentry.

'Prisoners escaping!' he bellowed. Spreading his arms he shoved them both back into the workshop.

'Out of the way, man!' bellowed the Doctor. 'You'll get us all killed!'

He grabbed Serena and pulled her to one side.

The sentry was staring in utter astonishment at the robot, which was standing by the barrel. Instinctively he raised his musket and staggered back from the open door with a javelin through his chest. He screamed, his dead finger pulled the trigger as he fell and the shot went high.

The second sentry ran up, raised his musket and fired. He was sure, absolutely sure, that he hadn't missed, but the heavy musket ball had no effect. There was no time to reload, and the second sentry, showing considerably more courage than sense, fixed his bayonet and charged.

Perhaps for the sake of variety, the robot allowed him to come close. Then it stepped aside, and raised its right arm, extruding a long silver blade. The blade flashed, blood spurted and the sentry's head rolled across the workshop floor.

The headless body fell to its knees and then slumped over sideways.

Serena screamed and the robot whirled and fired a javelin.

It missed by a millimetre as the Doctor knocked her aside and dragged her behind the shelter of a workbench.

The robot focused on their hiding place and the Doctor prepared for the attack. 'When it finds us, I'll run,' he whispered. 'When it comes after me, you make for the door.'

'And suppose you don't make it?'

'Take the TARDIS and go back to Gallifrey. Tell them I tried.' The Doctor knew he would never make it but Serena might.

The arrival of the soldiers saved their lives.

Unfortunately it condemned many of the soldiers to death.

The sound of the shots and the screams of the dying sentries had attracted the attention of a squad of guards returning to the palace barracks after musket practice. They were under the command of Sergeant Lebrun a vieux vieux moustache moustache, a veteran of several campaigns. He saw the crumpled body of the first sentry outside, placed his men in a half-circle and cautiously approached the workshop entrance from the side.

Peering round he saw the silver figure, blade still in hand, standing over the headless body of the second sentry. His eyes widened at the horrific sight, but he wasn't afraid. He'd seen far worse crossing the Alps with the little corporal. He'd seen off the Italians, the Prussians and the Russians, and no mechanical monster was going to frighten him.

A javelin thudded into the doorframe by his head and he leaped aside.

'Fire at will, lads,' he called. 'There's some damn tin man inside. It's speared Lamar and chopped off poor Durand's head. There's only one of them so let's finish it off.'

A hail of musket fire came in through the open door. The robot staggered a little but it didn't fall. Instead it advanced, stationing itself in the centre of the doorway. Soldier after soldier fell, transfixed by the deadly javelins, but the attack went on.

With suicidal bravery two soldiers bayonet-charged it at once. The silver blade extruded and flashed left and right...Two heads rolled in quick succession, two headless bodies slumped to the floor spurting blood.

From inside the workshop the Doctor and Serena watched the slaughter in horror.

'It'll kill them all,' whispered Serena. 'Why don't they give up?'

'The Guard dies, but it doesn't surrender,' said the Doctor.

'We've got to help them while they're keeping the robot busy.

It's our only chance.' He looked around the room for a weapon. 'All we've got is a submarine, not too useful on dry land.'

'There are the torpedoes...'

'That's it!' said the Doctor. He looked around. 'Torpedoes, torpedoes, torpedoes! There they are!' He hurried over to the rack and lifted down one of the long metal cylinders. He could hold it, but only just. Laying it down on the nearest bench he studied it for a moment. On one end was attached a bulbous cylinder, from which projected a lever.

'According to Fulton they work by compressed air which is presumably packed into this cylinder on the blunt end. So to fire it, you must pull this lever here...' He touched it gently and brooded for a moment. 'Here's what we must do, Serena. I can carry and aim this thing, but I can't fire it. You'll have to do that. These things are meant to work in water, not air, so we'll have to get close. When I shout "Now!" you pull the lever. Can you do that?'

'Of course I can,' said Serena sounding far more confident than she felt. Privately she thought it was a mad scheme but it seemed to be the only one they had.

The Doctor picked up the heavy torpedo, tucking it under his right arm and supporting and aiming it with his left hand.

Stealthily he advanced towards the robot, which was standing in the doorway ignoring the steady crackle of musketry. It was scanning the ring of soldiers, who had taken what cover they could find.

The Doctor crept silently forward, Serena close behind him. It was like a deadly version of that game they played here on Earth. Grandmother's Footsteps, that was it...

They crept close, closer, until they almost reached the doorway. Some sound, some instinct warned the robot and it swung round.

The blank metal head seemed to focus on them and the silver arm rose...

Chapter Twenty.

Torpedo

'Now!' yelled the Doctor and Serena pulled the lever.

There was a great whoosh of compressed air and the body of the torpedo shot forward. It struck the robot in the chest at point-blank range and exploded. The robot disintegrated into a shower of silvery fragments.

The Doctor and Serena were bowled over, blown backwards by the blast. A few moments later they staggered to their feet, faces grimy and ears ringing.

The Countess came running into the workshop and stopped in amazement at the sight of the Doctor and Serena.

'It didn't kill you!'

'No, it didn't kill us,' agreed the Doctor. 'It killed two sentries and a lot of the Emperor's soldiers, but it didn't kill us.'

'But how what did you...'

'Blew it up with one of Mr Fulton's torpedoes.'

Serena grasped the Doctor's arm. 'Doctor, look!'

The area around the threshold of the workshop was sprinkled with silvery droplets. As they watched they started to roll together with incredible speed assembling into a silver puddle. More and more droplets rolled in and the puddle grew larger and larger. A shape began to appear, an arm, an oval head...

'It's reforming,' gasped Serena.

'Oh yes, it's reforming,' said the Doctor. 'It's indestructible, you see. It'll be as good as new before very long.' He turned to the Countess. 'Send it back.'

She glared wildly at him. 'Why should I? It can still kill you.'

'Oh yes, it'll kill me,' agreed the Doctor calmly. 'And Serena, and lots more of the Emperor's soldiers. Then it will kill you, and Fulton when he arrives and Napoleon himself if he turns up here. What good will that do you? Send it back! Send it back! ' '

The Countess drew a deep, sobbing breath. 'I'm beginning to think you're the one who's indestructible, Doctor.'

She moved away a few paces, took a small silver sphere from the bosom of her dress and spoke into it in a low, urgent voice. The Doctor and Serena stood looking at the shape in the silver puddle. It was more completely formed now, a torso, arms, the beginning of legs...

The Countess returned to them. 'It may take a little time.'

Her voice was rather unsteady.

'Not too long, I hope,' said the Doctor.

All three stood silent, looking at the reforming silver shape. Serena wondered afterwards why they didn't all run, prepare another torpedo, do something, anything...Everyone, even the Countess, seemed in the grip of a strange fatalism.

The shape was almost complete now. It became a kneeling figure, crouched, head bowed. Then, slowly, it began to rise. Finally it stood upright, head raised. It was still a little blurred, a little unformed, though its shape was beginning to harden.

It turned and looked if an eyeless head can look at the Doctor. Slowly it raised an arm, pointing towards him and then it shimmered and vanished.

'Cutting it a little fine,' said the Doctor mildly.

Sergeant Lebrun came cautiously into the room, followed by two soldiers with a litter. He nodded towards the headless body and they put down the litter and lifted the body on to it.

They looked around the floor till they found the head, picked it up and arranged it tidily on the corpses lap, picked up the litter and carried it out.

The headless corpses by the door had already been removed, and the javelin-wounded soldiers were being carried away.

Sergeant Lebrun looked round. 'Has it gone? We heard an explosion...'

'It's all over,' said the Doctor.

'The Doctor blew it up,' said Serena. 'With a torpedo!'

'We've been waiting for reinforcements and for field cannon,' said Sergeant Lebrun. 'Muskets didn't do any good.

Musket balls just seemed to bounce off it.' He shook his head. 'Them spears and that sword. And the speed it moved...What was it, sir?'

'How are your men?' asked the Doctor.

'Six dead, ten wounded, sir,' said Lebrun. 'What was it?

What happened here?'

'Some English terrorists made an attempt to blow up Mr Fulton's submarine,' said the Doctor. 'Fortunately their bomb went off too soon and they blew themselves up.'

'But that metal thing, sir?' protested Sergeant Lebrun. 'I saw it!'

'It didn't exist,' said the Doctor. 'Some kind of group hallucination. Or maybe one of the terrorists was wearing some kind of armour.'

'And what about poor Durand laying there with his head clean off? And them other two...'

'Freak effects of the blast.'

'And the javelins?'

'Tell me, Sergeant, did you find any of the javelins?'

'Well, no sir. They all seem to have vanished.'

'There you are then, no evidence. Saboteurs and a bomb.

Believe me, Sergeant, it's far better to tell a story that will be believed.'

The sergeant looked hard at him. 'Daresay you're right, sir,' he said woodenly. He paused. 'And thank you, sir. We lost some good men and we'd have lost more if...Well, I heard what the lady said, about the torpedo.' He saluted and marched off.

Fulton came dashing into the workshop. 'I heard there was trouble. Is she all right?'