looked sad. ‘I’m afraid you can’t, the capsule terminal at the survey module was destroyed. By Dominator Toba, I believe.’
Rage’s face darkened with fury. Then he turned and ordered the Quark to prepare the saucer for flight.
The Doctor glimpsed Zoe’s frightened, pleading face.
‘Well, I do happen to know of a capsule not far from here,’
he mumbled.
Rago fixed him with a searching glare.
The Doctor babbled on nervously. ‘I didn’t mention it before because I’m not sure it still works, but I’m sure you could get it going,’ he smiled flatteringly.
‘How large is this machine? Will it transport a Quark?’
The Doctor thought quickly. ‘Oh dear no, I don’t think so,’ he muttered apologetically.
Rago waved his creaking gloves impatiently. ‘We shall take our own craft,’ he announced, striding across to the central dais.
Coughing and sniffing, the Doctor scurried diffidently after him. ‘Actually, if you remove the seats I think a Quark will just fit in,’ he suggested.
The Doctor flinched as the Dominator abruptly rounded on him. Watching anxiously, Zoe feared that her friend had finally gone too far. To her relief, Raga nodded.
‘You will show me the capsule immediately,’ he ordered.
Then he strode away to give instructions to the Quark, cancelling flight preparations.
The Doctor shuffled across to Zoe. ‘Don’t worry, my dear, you’ll be right as rain once the effects wear off,’ he murmured encouragingly.
‘Why did you... tell that monster... about the capsule?’
Zoe asked, fighting bravely against the paralysing effect of molecular adhesion.
‘So we might have a chance to investigate the saucer’s propulsion system,’ the Doctor murmured, ‘then we could discover what these Dominators are looking for here on Dulkis.’
Zoe did not look entirely convinced.
‘Besides,’ the Doctor added, ‘if they take us off to the Capitol we won’t he able to find out about Jamie...’
Zoe looked even more anguished. ‘If only they managed to find the shelter,’ she whispered to herself.
The Doctor had been trying to eavesdrop on the Quark’s complex coded transmission to the Fleet Leader at the communications unit, but he swiftly adopted his cretinous manner as Rago approached.
‘Instruct Probationer Toba to rendezvous with me,’
Rago concluded. ‘Release the female.’
The Quark trained its probes on Zoe and, with a brief pulse of ultrasonic energy, set her free.
‘And now you will lead us to the capsule,’ Rago commanded.
The Doctor bowed. ‘Kindly come this way...’
Rago stared suspiciously at the capsule, lying slightly on its side in deep sand under the cliff, a jumble of wires bristling out of the nose-cone. Then he glared at the Doctor, who tapped the battered hull and signalled the thumbs-up sign, while nodding and grunting encouragingly. Zoe lingered nearby, still stiff and dazed after her ordeal in the saucer, and watched the Doctor’s pantomime with uneasy scepticism.
‘A primitive machine, but functional,’ the Dominator declared at last. ‘Repairs can be effected quite easily.’
‘Oh, certainly,’ the Doctor agreed eagerly.
‘It is well that you appreciate the futility of deception,’
Rago added, completing his inspection.
The Doctor nodded vigorously, like some silent-movie comic and Zoe had to suppress a sudden urge to giggle.
At that moment, Toba arrived.
‘I intend to travel to meet the alien leader,’ Rago informed his subordinate. ‘You will remain and complete drilling operations.’
‘Command accepted,’ Toha readily acknowledged. He stared at the capsule in amazement. ‘You intend to use this crude device?’
‘Affirmative.’
Toba’s malevolent eyes narrowed craftily. ‘Is that wise?
It could prove hazardous,’ he rasped.
‘I shall take a Quark as escort,’ Rego retorted. ‘You, Toba, will command in my absence.’
A spasm of excitement jerked through the Probationer’s giant frame. ‘Command
Rage’s face darkened with fury. Then he turned and ordered the Quark to prepare the saucer for flight.
The Doctor glimpsed Zoe’s frightened, pleading face.
‘Well, I do happen to know of a capsule not far from here,’
he mumbled.
Rago fixed him with a searching glare.
The Doctor babbled on nervously. ‘I didn’t mention it before because I’m not sure it still works, but I’m sure you could get it going,’ he smiled flatteringly.
‘How large is this machine? Will it transport a Quark?’
The Doctor thought quickly. ‘Oh dear no, I don’t think so,’ he muttered apologetically.
Rago waved his creaking gloves impatiently. ‘We shall take our own craft,’ he announced, striding across to the central dais.
Coughing and sniffing, the Doctor scurried diffidently after him. ‘Actually, if you remove the seats I think a Quark will just fit in,’ he suggested.
The Doctor flinched as the Dominator abruptly rounded on him. Watching anxiously, Zoe feared that her friend had finally gone too far. To her relief, Raga nodded.
‘You will show me the capsule immediately,’ he ordered.
Then he strode away to give instructions to the Quark, cancelling flight preparations.
The Doctor shuffled across to Zoe. ‘Don’t worry, my dear, you’ll be right as rain once the effects wear off,’ he murmured encouragingly.
‘Why did you... tell that monster... about the capsule?’
Zoe asked, fighting bravely against the paralysing effect of molecular adhesion.
‘So we might have a chance to investigate the saucer’s propulsion system,’ the Doctor murmured, ‘then we could discover what these Dominators are looking for here on Dulkis.’
Zoe did not look entirely convinced.
‘Besides,’ the Doctor added, ‘if they take us off to the Capitol we won’t he able to find out about Jamie...’
Zoe looked even more anguished. ‘If only they managed to find the shelter,’ she whispered to herself.
The Doctor had been trying to eavesdrop on the Quark’s complex coded transmission to the Fleet Leader at the communications unit, but he swiftly adopted his cretinous manner as Rago approached.
‘Instruct Probationer Toba to rendezvous with me,’
Rago concluded. ‘Release the female.’
The Quark trained its probes on Zoe and, with a brief pulse of ultrasonic energy, set her free.
‘And now you will lead us to the capsule,’ Rago commanded.
The Doctor bowed. ‘Kindly come this way...’
Rago stared suspiciously at the capsule, lying slightly on its side in deep sand under the cliff, a jumble of wires bristling out of the nose-cone. Then he glared at the Doctor, who tapped the battered hull and signalled the thumbs-up sign, while nodding and grunting encouragingly. Zoe lingered nearby, still stiff and dazed after her ordeal in the saucer, and watched the Doctor’s pantomime with uneasy scepticism.
‘A primitive machine, but functional,’ the Dominator declared at last. ‘Repairs can be effected quite easily.’
‘Oh, certainly,’ the Doctor agreed eagerly.
‘It is well that you appreciate the futility of deception,’
Rago added, completing his inspection.
The Doctor nodded vigorously, like some silent-movie comic and Zoe had to suppress a sudden urge to giggle.
At that moment, Toba arrived.
‘I intend to travel to meet the alien leader,’ Rago informed his subordinate. ‘You will remain and complete drilling operations.’
‘Command accepted,’ Toha readily acknowledged. He stared at the capsule in amazement. ‘You intend to use this crude device?’
‘Affirmative.’
Toba’s malevolent eyes narrowed craftily. ‘Is that wise?
It could prove hazardous,’ he rasped.
‘I shall take a Quark as escort,’ Rego retorted. ‘You, Toba, will command in my absence.’
A spasm of excitement jerked through the Probationer’s giant frame. ‘Command
Similar Books
