Doctor Who_ The Power of the Daleks Part 13

I Obey Lesterson stared at the Dalek in absolute fascination. 'I had no idea it could talk.'

The Doctor glared at him. 'There are a lot of things you have no ideas about, Lesterson.'

Ignoring him, Lesterson turned to his a.s.sistant. 'Janley, did you hear it?'

'More to the point,' the Doctor interrupted, looking from one to the other, 'do you believe it?'

Janley turned to the Doctor. For a fleeting second there seemed to be something in her expression that was almost as horrifying as the Dalek. Then it was gone. 'Why are you against this project?' she asked.

'I'm against the Daleks,' the Doctor replied. 'I'll tell you all again: one Dalek poses more threat to this colony than a string of armed atomic missiles would!'

'Rubbis.h.!.+' Lesterson snorted.

Hensell clearly felt that it was more than high time he took control of the discussion once again. 'That's a bit strong, isn't it, Examiner?' he asked.

The Doctor looked around the room. Ben and Polly were the only ones showing any sensible fear. Lesterson was completely consumed by his precious experiment.

Janley and Bragen both wore calculating looks. Hensell appeared to be determined to mine the whole fiasco for his own benefit. And Quinn looked bored. 'Do any of you know the Daleks?' the Doctor asked. Then he answered his own question: 'No, of course you don't. I do.'

Lesterson smirked at him. 'We've only got your word for that.'

The Doctor turned on him in anger. 'I order you to immobilize this Dalek and to halt any further experiments'

As soon as he had spoken the words, the Doctor realized that he had made a grave error.

Hensell bristled at this usurpation of his authority. 'You can't give orders like that!' he snapped.

'That's perfectly true,' Bragen agreed, backing up his superior. 'You have the authority to examine, to make recommendations and to report back to Earth.' He didn't have to bother adding: When you can When you can.

The Doctor stared at them. 'So you're all against me?'

Lesterson stuck his finger under the Doctor's nose and waggled it about. He had no idea how close he came to having it bitten off. 'We've discovered these Daleks,'

Lesterson crowed. 'Oh, you may have named them, but I'm the one who's made them operate. And I know you don't like one of the mere colony worlds colony worlds having anything that the Earth hasn't got.' The Doctor could see by the surprised and happy expression on Hensell's face how well that little crack had gone over. One more nail in his coffin and theirs. having anything that the Earth hasn't got.' The Doctor could see by the surprised and happy expression on Hensell's face how well that little crack had gone over. One more nail in his coffin and theirs.

'They're capable of speech,' Hensell said thoughtfully.

'And why not?' Lesterson asked. 'After all, they clearly have a certain amount of rudimentary intelligence but it is an intelligence that we can control'

Hensell stroked his beard thoughtfully. 'So what you want is permission to continue your experiments?'

Janley stepped in. Turning on all her considerable charm, she smiled at him and said: 'Governor, do you have any idea of the work that this single unit can do?' She didn't know herself, but promising the moon and stars could hardly hurt at this stage. 'Why, if we set it to work in one of the mines it could double our production overnight!'

The Doctor twisted from Lesterson to Janley to Hensell.

'Are you blind?' he appealed to them. 'Why can't you understand?'

'Pay no attention to him, Hensell,' Lesterson urged the Governor. 'Janley was perfectly correct about the work that this robot can do for us.'

The two scientists were acting like twin demons tempting a willing soul into h.e.l.l. Janley gently stroked the Governor's hand. 'Think what that that will mean to the annual production figures,' she breathed. will mean to the annual production figures,' she breathed.

'And the effect of that on Earth,' Hensell agreed. He was already experiencing fantasies of promotion and wild acclaim from the bureaucracy of the home world. 'Yes, yes they would be very grateful...'

The Doctor could see that Hensell's empty head was becoming filled with visions of being recalled to Earth to be crowned with glory. Chances of victory in this fight were slipping through his grasp faster than mercury would.

Glaring at the silent Dalek, he hissed: 'I shall stop you. I shall!'

Rubbing his hands in satisfaction, Hensell turned to Lesterson. 'All right, Lesterson, permission granted.'

'Permission?' the Doctor. 'Permission for what?'

Lesterson flashed him a smug smile. 'Permission to finish my experiment, Examiner.'

'Didn't you hear a word I've been saying?' the Doctor cried. 'The Daleks must be destroyed!'

'Never!' Lesterson replied.

'If not by my order, then by the Earth's,' the Doctor said. He spun around to glare at Hensell. 'You know perfectly well that if I recommend to Earth that you destroy this Dalek then they'll pa.s.s on the official order.'

Hensell spread his hands in mock helplessness. 'If you can bring me such an official order, I shall naturally follow it.'

The Doctor scowled. 'Communications with Earth have been severed. You know that perfectly well. That's what this hearing was supposed to be about.'

Hensell tried to look sad, but failed by several orders of magnitude. 'Then we shall just have to wait until it's restored, won't we?' He came to join the Doctor.

'Examiner, perhaps if you could tell me why why you are so much against this project?' you are so much against this project?'

Realizing that the battle was lost, the Doctor turned bleak eyes on the Governor. 'I told you. I realize I can't prove what I say, but you have no idea of the danger.'

Lesterson snorted in contempt. The Doctor threw him a filthy look. 'Yes, danger. I shall contact the Earth for the required order of destruction just as soon as communications have been restored. Come along, Ben, Polly.'

Throughout the whole discussion, the Dalek had stood silently by. Now the Doctor marched across and tapped it on the dome. 'You're my servant, are you?'

There was the barest of pauses, then: 'Yes'

'Very well then: I order you to immobilize yourself immediately!'

The Dalek seemed to lock gazes with the Doctor. Then the eye-stick and the arm both drooped towards the floor.

'What do you think you're doing?' Lesterson cried.

Despite his gangling build, Lesterson was stronger than he looked. He almost picked the Doctor up bodily and swung him around. His right fist flashed back and he looked ready to kill. Ben grabbed his fist, twisting it until Lesterson moaned.

'Take it easy, mate,' Ben advised him. As soon as the scientist let the Doctor go, Ben released his wrist.

'The trouble is,' the Doctor told Lesterson, 'I can't let you find out the magnitude of your folly for yourself. Too many other people would get hurt. I have to stop you before it's too late.' He started towards the door, then called over his shoulder: 'Meddle with the Daleks, Lesterson, and you're a dead man.' He marched out of the room, Ben following behind. Polly paused in the doorway and looked back.

'You must listen to him,' she told them all. 'Believe him.

He knows what he's talking about.' Seeing that her words were having no effect, Polly sighed and trailed her friends out of the room.

Her face darkened with anger, Janley stepped forward to examine the dead machine. As she did so, the eye-stick rose to stare back at her. 'Lesterson!' she exclaimed happily.

Lesterson stared at the Dalek as it came back to life.

'You didn't obey the order!' he said, shocked.

'He has gone,' the Dalek responded.

For a second, Lesterson was chilled. 'Then you obey only as long '

'His order was wrong,' the Dalek replied. 'I serve human beings. I cannot serve if I am immobilized. You are the one who gave me back my power. Your orders are right. I serve you. I am your servant.'

'You tricked him!' Lesterson said, laughing. 'Oh very well done! I like that.'

Quinn studied the Dalek carefully. 'I thought you said the Dalek was everyone's servant, Lesterson. Now we discover it's picking and choosing who its masters are. It's got very advanced brain power, hasn't it?'

Hensell finally looked a little concerned. 'It reasons, Lesterson,' he pointed out. 'Just how extensive is its intellience?'

'It's a d.a.m.n sight more cunning than you think it is,'

Quinn added. He seemed to have forgotten that he was here on trial.

Lesterson looked at both men. 'There's really no cause for concern, Governor,' he replied. 'There is no need to look for bogeymen. You just wait until you see how much work it can do! Then you'll be satisfied. Trust me.'

The Governor was still not completely convinced. As a man accustomed to giving orders, he knew how important it was that his orders be carried out, not questioned. And the Dalek was apparently questioning the Examiner's orders. Where would this line of logic lead the machine?

'Now, look here, Lesterson,' he said. 'I'm perfectly willing to back you up over this, but you have to give me plenty of proof that it won't backfire in my face!'

'I shall indeed,' Lesterson agreed.

'Well, be quick about it,' Hensell added. 'As soon as the communications room is restored, the Examiner is going to get in touch with Earth. We need some good solid facts to win them over to our side.'

'I understand,' Lesterson told him. Turning to the machine, he said, 'Follow me, Dalek. I'm going to put you through your paces.'

'I obey,' the Dalek agreed, falling in behind him. Janley, a thoughtful expression on her face, followed them both from the room.

Polly was having second thoughts. 'I think we should have stayed and tried to help Quinn,' she called.

Ben looked back and shook his head. 'We wouldn't have helped him, Pol. I've seen farces like that before. The Governor's already tried, convicted and sentenced him.

The whole fiasco's just for show.'

'But he didn't murder the real Examiner,' Polly said.

'I'm sure I didn't.'

'The way I see it,' Ben told her, 'this lot's too busy arguing amongst themselves to do much about anything.

First things first, and the Daleks are the important thing.'

The Doctor stopped dead with a cry of delight. He grabbed the startled Ben's hand and began to pump it up and down with terrifying enthusiasm. 'Congratulations, my boy!'

s.n.a.t.c.hing his hand back before some vital part was shaken loose, Ben shook his head. 'What did I do?'

'You used your brain,' the Doctor told him, 'that's what you did. The Daleks have a very dangerous ally in this colony: human stupidity. It's probably the only thing in the universe that's killed more human beings than the Daleks have.' Then he set off again. Ben shrugged and followed.

'I still think Quinn's innocent,' Polly muttered before das.h.i.+ng off after them.

It was quite apparent that neither Bragen nor Hensell shared Polly's view of their colleague. Now that the interruptions had been dealt with, the hearing was underway once more. The Governor looked at Quinn and shook his head. 'I don't understand you, Quinn,' he said.

'How can I be in league with the rebels?' Quinn asked him.

Bragen slapped the file. 'The evidence confirms it!'

'Nothing of the sort,' Quinn shot back. He looked at Hensell, hoping he'd show some reason. 'It was I who warned you of their dangers.'

'Yes,' Bragen interrupted again. 'As part of an overall plan, no doubt.'

Quinn glared at him. ' You You wouldn't even take the matter seriously.' wouldn't even take the matter seriously.'

'If I was wrong then,' the security man replied, 'I have a chance to rectify the mistake now.'

'So that's your att.i.tude?' Quinn asked.

Seeing that the hearing was degenerating into a shouting match, Hensell rapped his fist loudly on his desk.

'Quinn! I suggest that we continue this enquiry in an orderly fas.h.i.+on. Do I need to remind you that this is a very severe charge? The Examiner was was attacked, there is no question about that.' attacked, there is no question about that.'

'And the b.u.t.ton that the Examiner grabbed from his attacker was missing from your suit,' Bragen added.

Hensell tried to look reasonable. 'Look, man, if you have anything useful to add, then I suggest that you say it now.'