Jo was frightened and puzzled.
'In space,' he explained, 'the rocket is totally useless; it simply has no effect in a vacuum! So, the Master is projecting it along a space-time vista. Only when it reaches its destination will it enter real space-time and cause havoc in the Earth's atmosphere!'
Jo did not see the point of his obvious joy at this discovery. Surely if the thing was time-travelling, that only hastened the destruction of the Earth.
'Jo, we can stop this thing yet!' he said, sensing her puzzlement. He enjoyed being with such an uncomplicated person as Jo to whom he could explain things like this. Without much effort - it was almost too easy! - he broke his bonds, and stumbled towards the computers, his faithful sonic-screwdriver at the ready.
'What are you doing?' she queried.
'I'm reversing the co-ordinates, Jo. I'm going to allow the rocket to continue its mission of destruction - but this time of the planet Min Terr!'
'But Doctor...' she blurted.
'I know what you're thinking, Jo. but don't worry; Min Terr is a dead world. However, we can at least put a stop to this Dalek-Master plan.'
'But what'll happen to us?'
The Master's hands swept over the controls of the Doctor's TARDIS, and the whole ship began to shudder as the time-column, throbbing with strange light, was thrust towards the ceiling as power flowed into the mechanism of time-travel.
The three Daleks studied him coldly. They intended to travel in the TARDIS to the Dalek Supreme's flying-saucer, now stationed over Earth, from where they could gloat over our planet's demise.
'Now, gentlemen,' laughed the Master, 'for my guided tour.'
The Daleks glided after him through the ship, studying every detail; thanks to the Master's tour of the Doctor's ship, the Daleks would one day be able to build their own time-machine!
The Doctor pocketed his sonic-screwdriver, and gave his companion a reassuring smile. 'Well,' he said, 'That was surprisingly easy!'
'Oh, Doctor!' Jo cried again, 'Saving the Universe is just great, but can't you do anything about saving us?'
'Well, let's see!' he said, searching through his pockets. Jo's face brightened and dulled every time he produced some interesting device, only to discard it. Finally, he fished out a couple of metal hoops about the size of your average rolls of sticky-tape; one was a pale red, and the other a light blue.
'Excellent,' he chuckled, 'Just the thing! You know, Jo, I was little beginning to think that my pockets were bigger on the inside than they are on the outside!'
Jo was puzzled; she could not imagine how on Earth two little hoops were going to save their lives. He handed one them to her.
'There you are, Jo: pink for a girl, and blue for a boy. Well, an old boy, at any rate!'
'Not that old!' she giggled, though still bemused.
'No, I suppose I am relatively young yet. Why, I'll be three million years old next dung-spreadin'! Anyway,' he continued, 'we simply wire each hoop up to the rocket's back-up guidance-computer, plot the correct co-ordinates, and "Bob's your uncle", we'll be transported back to the TARDIS along a chain of time-haloes! Come along!'
'Well, aren't you going to untie me first?!'
We now return to the Doctor's TARDIS, currently on view to the dreaded Daleks...
The Master had led the Daleks to the TARDIS' second console-room. Identical in function of having been fashioned in wood, and thus shadows were cast here and there giving it a dark, gloomy quality which made it rather more agreeable to the Master's tastes in interior design.
Leading the way, the Master immediately made for the pulpit-like console. This was placed on a raised platform and surrounded by a brass handrail; thus none of the Daleks could either approach the console or see what the villain was up to. And he had moved so quickly and unexpectedly, that they had no sooner adjusted the focus of their eye-pieces than he had completed his little job - re-programming the TARDIS' co-ordinates to return to Min Terr!'
'The Doctor's TARDIS is somewhat old - I was just adjusting the stabilizers,' he fibbed. Old as this particular model was, he thought, it might well be his only means of escape once the Daleks realised they had been double-double-crossed! The room began to shake.
'Well, it seems that our journey is finished,' he said calmly opening the doors, 'After you, gentlemen...'
'You-will-lead-the-way!' he was commanded.
As the uneasy group moved through the dark passageway out of the TARDIS, they could see ahead of them, on the other side, another Dalek- but this one, like them, was silver, and not the Dalek Supreme as they had expected! They immediately sensed betrayal when they found themselves back in the control-centre on Min Terr, and a Dalek death-ray brought the escaping Master to his knees - amazing what you can do with lolly-pops, he thought...
Jo sat on the floor of the main TARDIS console room. Those "time-haloes" of the Doctor's were not the liking of her stomach. The Doctor was busying himself around the console.
'I must admit that I found that trip rather unsettling myself, Jo,' he reassured her, 'but there's no time to waste, for that rocket of the Master's will be here any second now.'
A familiar vibration ran through Jo's bones as the TARDIS took-off. She put her head between her knees. She never wanted to time-travel again. The sooner she got herself back to Earth and got herself a husband, the better - someone with a nice ordinary job would suit her, she thought. No more green slimy monsters, or hot sticky jungles for her, thank you very much indeed!
The Master tried to force movement into his injured legs as the three Daleks glided towards him. However, their executionist intentions were interrupted by the resounding "groaning" sound of the Doctor's TARDIS dematerialising. The Doctor lived, which indicated that the Master's plan to have his enemy reprogrammed the rocket's flight-plan had worked! At least one of his schemes had succeeded, and therefore showed no surprise as the entire complex began to shudder violently.
On the huge viewing screen, the invincible rocket could be seen ripping across the yellow sky. The very air seemed to shatter in a mounting and unyielding scream. The Daleks and Robo-Ogrons tumbled around in computer-circuit confusion. Metal began to melt, and the very air itself seemed as though it were about to catch fire. Yet the fourth Dalek remained still...
Unheard about the hellish tumult, there was a maniacal chuckle, and a screeching, "groaning" sound as the fourth Dalek, its spec-blinkers flashing, simply vanished into thin air!
The Doctor viewed the dissolution of the planet's surface on the TARDIS screen. No more "arckbloit" ore. No more invincible rockets. No more Mr. Hasjat. no more Master...?
He smiled at Jo, who was still sitting on the floor.
'Well, Jo,' he said, 'Where too now?'
'U.N.I.T. H.Q.,' she said, trying to put on a brave face, 'I'm feeling more than a little homesick.'
Yes, he had felt home-sick himself, a while ago. Of course, he now realised that he had yet again been the puppet of the Time Lords; they had induced that alien feeling in him, and, having then trapped him in his own ship, they had replotted the course for Min Terr. Such mental power shocked him. But he was not frightened. No, he would be ready, next time...
written by
IAN McPHERSON
copyright 2009
artwork by
IAN McPHERSON
copyright 2009
