Doctor Who_ The Power of the Daleks Part 29

Polly's face drained of all colour. The Dalek had its gun-stick almost casually pointing to one side of them, but she was under no illusion that it would not be able to train on them all and fire if the Dalek wished it.

The guards seemed unconcerned. 'Keep moving,' the first one insisted, giving Polly a jab with the barrel of his gun. The three prisoners did as they were told.

The gun-stick moved fractionally. It was now centred on the five humans. 'This area is restricted,' the Dalek grated.

'On whose authority?' Quinn demanded, forgetting for a moment that he had none of his own.

The guard slammed the b.u.t.t of his gun roughly into Quinn's shoulder. 'Silence!' he ordered.

The Dalek's eye-stick moved across the group until it stared at the Doctor. The gun-stick seemed to hesitate a moment. Then the Dalek said: 'Repeat: this area is restricted'

'Now who's giving the orders?' the Doctor asked softly.

A second Dalek moved into place at an intersection.

'Obey, or you will be exterminated,' it insisted.

'Now what do we do, Doctor?' Polly asked.

'I think we'd better return the way we came, don't you?'

The Doctor turned his back carefully and stared at the guards. 'If you can't take us to the cells,' he suggested, 'perhaps we should return to Bragen for further instructions, eh?' Without waiting to see what they would do, he pushed past them and started back down the corridor. Polly and Quinn fell in behind him.

The two guards looked at one another uncertainly. They had lost control of this situation completely. Not wis.h.i.+ng to lose their prisoners, they hurried after them back the way they had come.

The two Daleks looked at one another. 'They will all be exterminated,' the second one stated.

The revolution was simpler than anyone had expected.

Together, the rebels and Bragen's guards simply moved in on the central areas and took control. Since none of the regular colonists had weapons, the guns of the rebels and the a.s.sault rifles of the guards tended to discourage protest.

The few who did try and resist were shot down without mercy.

The Hub was taken in minutes and then secured. The rocket pads followed, and then the mine areas. The rebels had won over many of the miners to their side, with promises of fairer work quotas and better conditions. With the perimeter and the interior both secured the vast majority of the colonists accepted the new order.

Without someone to rally behind, the average person wasn't inclined to go up against the guns of the new regime. Neither Hensell nor Quinn had been heard from, and Bragen the next in line was the one orchestrating the takeover. No one else really had the authority or charisma to organize resistance.

'It's over,' Janley said with considerable satisfaction as the reports flooded back to her and Bragen. 'We've won!

I'll pa.s.s along the word to Valmar, Kebble and the rest.'

'Wait!' Bragen held up his hand. Puzzled, Janley stared at him. 'The revolution is not over yet.'

'What more is there to do?' Janley couldn't understand him. 'Hensell is dead and you're now firmly entrenched as Governor.' She shrugged. 'The battle's over.'

'Not quite.' Bragen studied her across his desk, which was now cleared of all paperwork. 'You mentioned Valmar and that rabble. Now they must be dealt with'

It was obvious what he meant. Janley stared at him in shock. 'But those are your own men. They fought for you.'

'Of course,' he agreed.

'Then...' She shook her head. 'I don't understand.'

Bragen realized that he was going to have to spell it out for her. She wanted power almost as badly as he did, but she didn't seem to understand the full ramifications of her l.u.s.ts. 'Do you think I can ever be secure in this chair with that rabble on the loose? They revolted against Hensell today, tomorrow it will be my turn! One taste of power will not be enough. They will make demands, try to seize more and more. And I will not give it up.' He stood up and moved from behind his desk to join her. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes. 'Let them revolt! Tell them that the guards have seized control. Urge them to attack. Then we will crush them utterly!'

Janley was struggling with herself. The rebels had trusted her to help them. They were good people, on the whole. To betray them as Bragen asked her was almost too much to contemplate. Except... 'You said "we",' she whispered.

'Yes.' Bragen gently stroked her cheek. 'We've come a long way, you and I. Are you going to fail me now? We can share this power together.'

Janley still resisted slightly, but her will was failing.

Bragen was offering her what she had always desired power. It was worth trading in the lives of a few miserable fanatics like Valmar, Thane and the rest, surely?

Outside the doorway, Valmar hesitated. He had been on his way to report total success when he had heard Janley and Bragen talk. At first he had hesitated because he did not want to disturb them. Now he listened carefully to what they were planning.

A moment before, he had been exuberant and happier than he had ever been. Now his heart was shrivelling within him. What a fool he had been! Trusting and even loving Janley.

Janley's conscience was still kicking a little. 'Couldn't you just arrest them'?' she asked. Her voice was quite faint. She was intoxicated with her dreams.

'No,' Bragen told her. 'Alive, they will be a focus for rebellion once again. Every one must be killed!'

Giddily, Janley murmured: 'Must they all be slaughtered?' Her conscience was in its death-throes.

'All of them,' Bragen confirmed. His eyes glittered as he stroked her hair. 'Well? Are you still with me?' She seemed ready to agree. But, just in case... His hand reached down to the pistol he wore in his belt. Quietly, he slipped the safety catch off. If she refused him, he didn't dare let her leave this room to warn the others.

Janley finally nodded. 'I suppose so,' she agreed.

Bragen drew his pistol and dropped it on to the desk behind him. 'Then do as I say.' He caught the horrified look she threw at the gun and smiled coldly. 'I'm so glad you agreed with me.'

Janley stared at the pistol with real fear. He would have killed me, she thought. After everything... He would have killed me!

Outside the room, nursing his bitterness over their betrayal, Valmar hurried away.

The guards leading the Doctor, Polly and Quinn had rea.s.serted themselves. One marched ahead of them, ready to speak with Bragen when they arrived. The second was behind Quinn, watching the prisoners.

Everywhere there were signs of the change of power.

Bragen's guards hurried about, along with armed colonists obviously part of the rebel forces. There were pools of blood on some of the floors, but no signs of bodies. Once in a while there was the subdued sound of gunfire.

Each time, Quinn's face twisted with his own pain. He really cared about the people, that much was obvious.

A Dalek glided out of the cross-corridor just ahead of the Doctor. For a moment, it was between the prisoners and the leading guard. The Doctor was prepared for action, even though he was astonished that a Dalek should provide his opportunity. He whipped his recorder from his inside pocket and jabbed with it at the rear guard's face. 'Now!' he yelled.

The guard threw up his hands instinctively to s.h.i.+eld his eyes. Quinn pirouetted and put every ounce of his anger and disgust into the blow that slammed into the guard's stomach. The guard collapsed.

The leading guard spun around at the sounds of struggle. The Dalek's dome swivelled also. It was one of the unarmed Daleks, so it had no weapon to use. For a moment, it hesitated, blocking the guard for reacting with his own machine gun.

'Run!' the Doctor yelled. Arms and legs windmilling, he followed his own advice. Quinn s.n.a.t.c.hed up the unconscious guard's weapon as he and Polly followed their leader.

Valmar pushed Ben back into the rooms the Doctor and his companions had shared. 'Quiet!' he snapped as Ben opened his mouth. He glanced down the empty corridor.

Ben was at a loss to work out what was happening.

Valmar had fetched Ben from the storage room he'd been tied up in only to bring him back here. Ben had more than half-expected a bullet in his back at any point on their journey. But Valmar had been careful to hide from any guards they had pa.s.sed, demanding silence all along. Now Ben wanted some answers. 'What have you brought me here for?' he demanded. 'And just whose side are you on, anyway?'

'The winning side, I thought,' Valmar said bitterly.

'So what changed your mind?'

'Bragen.' Valmar shook his head. 'The colony's suddenly become too small for him to share. He wants all of us rebels out of the way now.'

It was starting to make sense to Ben. 'Yeah,' he said sympathetically. 'It often happens like that, mate, when you follow blokes like him. The promises in the ear, the bullet in the guts.'

Valmar turned to face him. 'Look,' he said, feverishly, 'I'm going to try and get your friends free if I can. You wait here for them, okay?' He didn't wait for an answer. He ran from the room and down the corridor.

Ben stared after him. Now what'? Could he trust the bloke? Well, Valmar had had set him free. And his story made sense. Chafing at the thought of letting someone else do all the action, Ben decided he'd give the man fifteen minutes. set him free. And his story made sense. Chafing at the thought of letting someone else do all the action, Ben decided he'd give the man fifteen minutes.

Then he'd be off to do what he could on his own.

The comm unit on Bragen's desk beeped for his attention.

Bragen slapped the switch, and the screen showed one of his squad leaders. 'Report,' Bragen ordered.

'The rebels are gathering,' the man said, glancing back over his shoulder. We have them all under observation.'

'Excellent. Don't let them concentrate into large groups.

Let them think they're un.o.bserved, then hit them before they can link together and organize. They should be ready to make their move any time now.'

'Right,' the squad leader acknowledged. He cut the link.

Bragen stared blankly at the s.h.i.+mmering surface of his desk for a moment. The final hand in this game was about to be played out. He held all of the aces, and the rebels were left with nothing. All that was left was to set the stage for the final executions.

He hit the signal for general transmission over the comm unit. Every unit throughout the colony would carry his words. 'People of Vulcan, this is your new Governor talking to you,' he began.

At the sound of Bragen's voice, Thane glanced up at the comm unit close to her head. She hated the bulk of the weapon she carried, and disliked what she, as a doctor, knew it would do to people. But sometimes you had to act on what you knew was right. They had replaced Hensell's corrupt administration, but they could never leave it in the hands of Bragen. He would be a worse tyrant than Hensell could even have dreamed of becoming.

One of her men ducked into cover beside her. 'Five minutes,' he whispered. Thane nodded.

Above their heads, Bragen's voice droned on: 'I have to announce that Governor Hensell has been murdered by the rebels. I have taken control temporarily until order is restored'

In one of the rest rooms, Lesterson listened with half an ear to Bragen's droning. His other ear was pressed against the door. The guards had thrown him in here when the fighting had begun and locked him in. He had worked carefully on picking the lock, all the while hearing gun-shots and screams. It had fallen silent outside now, and he eased the door open a crack. The corridor was clear, save for one mangled body stretched out on the floor in a pool of blood. Lesterson whimpered slightly as he staggered through the doorway and headed back to his laboratory.

All around him, Bragen's detestable voice carried on: 'People living in the perimeter and interior should remain calm. We know who the murderers are.'

A squad of four Daleks trundled down the corridor by the sick bay. All of them were armed. They ignored everything that Bragen was saying. It could not possibly be of any interest to them.

'I shall keep you informed of events as soon as I can,'

Bragen finished. 'So listen for the signal again on your comm units. That is all.' He switched off the transmitter and sat back in his chair with a smile. There! The people were rea.s.sured. They knew that Bragen's firm but benevolent hand was protecting them. All was well with the world.

Ben stood behind the door as it burst open. In his upraised hand he held a table lamp ready to brain whoever was breaking in.

'Ah, there you are,' the Doctor said, cheerfully plucking the lamp from Ben's numb fingers. 'I knew you'd be all right'

'Ben!' Polly ran in and gave him a huge hug.

'Pol!' He liked this bit, at least. 'Are you okay?'

'I am now.' She pulled free of his grip.

Reluctantly, he let her go. Glancing at the Doctor, he said: 'Valmar found you, did he?'

'No,' Polly replied, puzzled.

Quinn was standing guard in the doorway, the machine gun in his arms at the ready. 'What's this about Valmar?'

he demanded.

'Seems Bragen's gone power mad,' Ben explained. 'He's inciting the rebels to revolt so he can have them all finished off.'

'Imbeciles!' the Doctor muttered. 'The Daleks don't care who they fight. They'll exterminate every single human being on this planet. Bragen's simply playing into their hands by killing the rebels off.' He made up his mind and tapped Quinn on the shoulder. 'Stay here,' he ordered.

'Keep them with you.' He shot off down the corridor.

'Hey!' Ben yelled. 'Wait for me!' He tried to leave, but Quinn pushed him back.

'The Doctor seems to know what he's doing,' he told Ben. 'So do as he asks, and stay here. Okay?'

Ben wasn't as certain as Quinn about the Doctor's mental state. Aside from the confusion from his bout of renewal, the situation they were in was enough to send anybody cuckoo. But since Quinn had their only weapon and also, apparently, the will to use it, this probably wasn't the best time to question his orders. Ben settled back to wait.

The Daleks all stood still for a moment throughout the colony. Their inbuilt computers registered a transmission from the capsule.

' Exterminate all humans! Exterminate all humans! ' '

'Orders received,' each Dalek sent back. 'Commencing extermination.'

With their guns set on full intensity, the hundreds of Daleks now on the loose in the corridors moved off again to locate their victims.

The Doctor ran headlong down the corridor towards Lesterson's laboratory. That was the heart of the Dalek power, and his only chance of stopping them. It was imperative that he act now, or the colony was doomed.