hit the slide control on the booster and the machine screamed into life, a narrow, highly concentrated beam of ultra-sonic sound striking the robot in the chest.
Quickly she locked off the control and started to scramble towards her refuge. The android fired, catching the booster a glancing blow and sending her tumbling across the floor.
Although unhurt, Nyssa lay where she fell, pretending to be dead. The android fired again, and although scoring a direct hit, the booster continued angrily to roar and scream, its sonic beam tearing into him. Unable to advance, because of the beam's resistance, he was forced to stand his ground and continue to fire. But his power supply was dangerously low.
Suddenly he stumbled as the room began to vibrate. The mirror on Nyssa's dressing table split, then shattered. Ornaments and loose furnishings danced and jigged about, some of them tumbling from their shelves.
The android continued to fire, his aim now less accurate. Again he wobbled badly, as though the strength had been drained from his legs. Nyssa half opened an eye and saw that wisps of smoke were drifting from the android's left knee and that he was having to support himself against the door frame.
The booster continued its relentless pounding. Desperate to relieve the onslaught, the robot fired at the power cable, causing its casing to burst into flames. He fired again, but still the booster did its work.
Smoke was now pouring from both the android's legs as he attempted to drag himself out of the room. Again he wobbled, this time almost overbalancing. In one last frantic attempt, the robot fired at the booster, but his power was virtually exhausted and the beam fell short, scorching the floor.
Even though she was wearing tightly fitting ear-mufflers, Nyssa was still able to hear the scream of the booster. Suddenly it was joined by another high-pitched note. She opened her eyes and saw that the android's face had started to dissolve. A moment later, he exploded, showering the room with burning debris.
Quickly, Nyssa jumped to her feet and ran to the booster, but was unable to switch it off, the control having been damaged by the android's high-energy beam. She continued to struggle, but the sliding switch would not budge. The sonic beam that had so effectively destroyed the robot was now beginning to attack the structure of the TARDIS.
Nyssa began to panic. She abandoned the switch and worked on the clamp which was holding the cable to the booster. Even that proved an enormous struggle, but at last it came away and the machine fel silent. Nyssa removed her ear-mufflers and quickly ran into the corridor, broke open a locker, removed a fire-extinguisher and sped back to her room where she attacked the burning cable.
When the fire was out, she collapsed onto her bed exhausted. Although she had won, she felt neither elated nor triumphant.
The crunch of footsteps in the corridor announced the arrival of Adric, who had regained consciousness after his fal .
'Nyssa!' he said delightedly, rubbing his head as he entered the room. 'You did it! You destroyed the android.'
'I did it,' she said quietly.
Such was her lack of enthusiasm, Adric feared she had been hurt. 'Are you all right?'
'I'm fine. Just a little sad... it was such a magnificent machine.'
Adric was amazed. 'That machine tried to kill you!'
'It was a slave. It was only doing what it was told.'
Nyssa stood up and started to brush the dust from her tunic. 'I think we should check to see how much damage has been done to the TARDIS.'
Unable to comprehend why Nyssa should be so depressed, he followed her into the corridor. 'What about the Doctor and Tegan?' he said as they entered the console room.
'Where do you think we should start looking?' said Nyssa as she examined the console.
Adric felt the bump on his head again. It was beginning to throb. 'Tegan must still be at the
Quickly she locked off the control and started to scramble towards her refuge. The android fired, catching the booster a glancing blow and sending her tumbling across the floor.
Although unhurt, Nyssa lay where she fell, pretending to be dead. The android fired again, and although scoring a direct hit, the booster continued angrily to roar and scream, its sonic beam tearing into him. Unable to advance, because of the beam's resistance, he was forced to stand his ground and continue to fire. But his power supply was dangerously low.
Suddenly he stumbled as the room began to vibrate. The mirror on Nyssa's dressing table split, then shattered. Ornaments and loose furnishings danced and jigged about, some of them tumbling from their shelves.
The android continued to fire, his aim now less accurate. Again he wobbled badly, as though the strength had been drained from his legs. Nyssa half opened an eye and saw that wisps of smoke were drifting from the android's left knee and that he was having to support himself against the door frame.
The booster continued its relentless pounding. Desperate to relieve the onslaught, the robot fired at the power cable, causing its casing to burst into flames. He fired again, but still the booster did its work.
Smoke was now pouring from both the android's legs as he attempted to drag himself out of the room. Again he wobbled, this time almost overbalancing. In one last frantic attempt, the robot fired at the booster, but his power was virtually exhausted and the beam fell short, scorching the floor.
Even though she was wearing tightly fitting ear-mufflers, Nyssa was still able to hear the scream of the booster. Suddenly it was joined by another high-pitched note. She opened her eyes and saw that the android's face had started to dissolve. A moment later, he exploded, showering the room with burning debris.
Quickly, Nyssa jumped to her feet and ran to the booster, but was unable to switch it off, the control having been damaged by the android's high-energy beam. She continued to struggle, but the sliding switch would not budge. The sonic beam that had so effectively destroyed the robot was now beginning to attack the structure of the TARDIS.
Nyssa began to panic. She abandoned the switch and worked on the clamp which was holding the cable to the booster. Even that proved an enormous struggle, but at last it came away and the machine fel silent. Nyssa removed her ear-mufflers and quickly ran into the corridor, broke open a locker, removed a fire-extinguisher and sped back to her room where she attacked the burning cable.
When the fire was out, she collapsed onto her bed exhausted. Although she had won, she felt neither elated nor triumphant.
The crunch of footsteps in the corridor announced the arrival of Adric, who had regained consciousness after his fal .
'Nyssa!' he said delightedly, rubbing his head as he entered the room. 'You did it! You destroyed the android.'
'I did it,' she said quietly.
Such was her lack of enthusiasm, Adric feared she had been hurt. 'Are you all right?'
'I'm fine. Just a little sad... it was such a magnificent machine.'
Adric was amazed. 'That machine tried to kill you!'
'It was a slave. It was only doing what it was told.'
Nyssa stood up and started to brush the dust from her tunic. 'I think we should check to see how much damage has been done to the TARDIS.'
Unable to comprehend why Nyssa should be so depressed, he followed her into the corridor. 'What about the Doctor and Tegan?' he said as they entered the console room.
'Where do you think we should start looking?' said Nyssa as she examined the console.
Adric felt the bump on his head again. It was beginning to throb. 'Tegan must still be at the
Similar Books
