showed his prisoners. The girl, Jo Grant, was now sitting on one of the bunks, hugging her knees and talking. The Master turned up the volume of his loudspeaker to listen.
‘... I’m always telling you, Doctor, you’ve got no real idea where you’re going in that TARDIS. I mean to say you were supposed to be getting me back to Earth, and all we do is land in one terrible situation after another. And what’s the Brigadier going to say? After all. I’m supposed to be working for UNIT—’
The Master switched off the loudspeakers. The Doctor appeared to have taken to the other bunk, his form clearly discernible under the blankets. For a moment the Master alerted, suspecting a trick—was that really the Doctor or some dummy they had made? Then he noticed the sleeve of the Doctor’s jacket protruding from the blankets and felt at ease.
His momentary fears at rest, the Master turned the page of his book and continued to read. With the spaceship on automatic pilot, he had nothing else to do.
Keeping well out of sight of the television eye, the Doctor had found a locker containing a space suit. He quickly put it on, checked the oxygen cylinder pack, and returned to where Jo was keeping up the pretence of talking to his reclining figure.
‘... Anyway, if we ever do get back to Earth, I’m never coming up in that TARDIS again...’
The Doctor caught Jo’s eye. She gave an almost imperceptible nod to indicate that she had seen him. He gave her the thumbs-up sign then opened the inner door to the air-lock.
From the corner of her eye, Jo saw the Doctor disappear into the air-lock. She realised his intention must be to space-walk along the outer hull of the spaceship and enter the flight deck from the outside, thus taking the Master by surprise. All she had to do was continue the pretence that the Doctor was still in the cage with her.
‘I suppose it’s my own fault. really,’ she said, desperately trying to think what to say next. ‘If I hadn’t persuaded my uncle to pull strings and get me a job I’d never have got mixed up with UNIT. Some people think intelligence work is all very romantic, all glamorous dinner parties with James Bond types. Instead, I’m either filing letters at UNIT Headquarters or I’m off with you in some ghastly place being chased by monsters...’
The Master’s voice broke in over the loudspeaker. ‘Doctor—Miss Grant—you’d better hold on. I’m about to make a rather sharp course correction. It could give you both a bit of a jolt.’
Jo looked at the air-lock door in horror, realising that if the Doctor was already outside the ship, a sudden jolt could send him tumbling away into the depths of Space, lost for ever.
* See Doctor Who and the Sea-Devils.
9
Frontier In Space
Weightless now that he was outside the spaceship, the Doctor worked his way slowly along the hull towards the flight deck, using hand-holds which some thoughtful designer had provided for the purpose. All at once he became aware of a great glare of light from the rear end of the ship. Without thinking he turned to look, holding on with one hand. Too late he realised the glare was caused by a suddenly increased burst from the rocket motors. The hull of the ship lurched away from him and the Doctor found himself swimming in Space.
Vibrations from the rocket motors shuddered through the metal walls of the flight deck. Carefully watching the control dials. the Master eased back the rocket motor lever. The vibrations stopped. The spaceship was once again gliding freely. The Master looked up at the television monitor, where he saw Jo release her grip on the iron bars.
‘Everything all right, Miss Grant?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, her voice hollow with fear for what had happened to the Doctor. ‘I’m fine.’
‘And how are you, Doctor? No ill effects, I trust?’
The form under the blankets didn’t move.
‘Please don’t wake him,’ said Jo. ‘He’s gone to sleep.’
The Master turned off the
‘... I’m always telling you, Doctor, you’ve got no real idea where you’re going in that TARDIS. I mean to say you were supposed to be getting me back to Earth, and all we do is land in one terrible situation after another. And what’s the Brigadier going to say? After all. I’m supposed to be working for UNIT—’
The Master switched off the loudspeakers. The Doctor appeared to have taken to the other bunk, his form clearly discernible under the blankets. For a moment the Master alerted, suspecting a trick—was that really the Doctor or some dummy they had made? Then he noticed the sleeve of the Doctor’s jacket protruding from the blankets and felt at ease.
His momentary fears at rest, the Master turned the page of his book and continued to read. With the spaceship on automatic pilot, he had nothing else to do.
Keeping well out of sight of the television eye, the Doctor had found a locker containing a space suit. He quickly put it on, checked the oxygen cylinder pack, and returned to where Jo was keeping up the pretence of talking to his reclining figure.
‘... Anyway, if we ever do get back to Earth, I’m never coming up in that TARDIS again...’
The Doctor caught Jo’s eye. She gave an almost imperceptible nod to indicate that she had seen him. He gave her the thumbs-up sign then opened the inner door to the air-lock.
From the corner of her eye, Jo saw the Doctor disappear into the air-lock. She realised his intention must be to space-walk along the outer hull of the spaceship and enter the flight deck from the outside, thus taking the Master by surprise. All she had to do was continue the pretence that the Doctor was still in the cage with her.
‘I suppose it’s my own fault. really,’ she said, desperately trying to think what to say next. ‘If I hadn’t persuaded my uncle to pull strings and get me a job I’d never have got mixed up with UNIT. Some people think intelligence work is all very romantic, all glamorous dinner parties with James Bond types. Instead, I’m either filing letters at UNIT Headquarters or I’m off with you in some ghastly place being chased by monsters...’
The Master’s voice broke in over the loudspeaker. ‘Doctor—Miss Grant—you’d better hold on. I’m about to make a rather sharp course correction. It could give you both a bit of a jolt.’
Jo looked at the air-lock door in horror, realising that if the Doctor was already outside the ship, a sudden jolt could send him tumbling away into the depths of Space, lost for ever.
* See Doctor Who and the Sea-Devils.
9
Frontier In Space
Weightless now that he was outside the spaceship, the Doctor worked his way slowly along the hull towards the flight deck, using hand-holds which some thoughtful designer had provided for the purpose. All at once he became aware of a great glare of light from the rear end of the ship. Without thinking he turned to look, holding on with one hand. Too late he realised the glare was caused by a suddenly increased burst from the rocket motors. The hull of the ship lurched away from him and the Doctor found himself swimming in Space.
Vibrations from the rocket motors shuddered through the metal walls of the flight deck. Carefully watching the control dials. the Master eased back the rocket motor lever. The vibrations stopped. The spaceship was once again gliding freely. The Master looked up at the television monitor, where he saw Jo release her grip on the iron bars.
‘Everything all right, Miss Grant?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, her voice hollow with fear for what had happened to the Doctor. ‘I’m fine.’
‘And how are you, Doctor? No ill effects, I trust?’
The form under the blankets didn’t move.
‘Please don’t wake him,’ said Jo. ‘He’s gone to sleep.’
The Master turned off the
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