Number Two addressed them. ‘You are reckless and stupid. Now you have achieved only one thing – the death of another of your kind.’ He faced the Doctor. ‘Doctor, you and that girl there’ he indicated Dodo ‘will come with me!’
The Doctor sighed and started out through the open door, followed by Dodo who looked apprehensively at the scaly creature who was giving the orders. Steven started to follow, but Number Two stayed his move with a wave of his arm.
‘You will stay here!’ he ordered.
‘Why?’ Steven demanded. ‘Where are you taking them?’
‘They will make the first landing on the planet Refusis.
You will be held as a security for their conduct.’
Steven fell back, defeated, as the door slid shut.
In the area of the Launch Bays Monoids bustled around as they prepared a vehicle for, departure. A Monoid spoke into his wrist communicator.
‘The Launch Ship is ready, Number One. Number Nine, the Doctor, the girl and the Guardian called Yendom are aboard.’
The reply came back from Number One. ‘Good! Then let’s hope that they succeed in their mission.’
The ejection energy was activated and the Launcher left the chamber in which it had been placed, speeding away from the Ark.
Within the Launcher, the Doctor was aware that it was travelling at a great speed. So fast that there was hardly any feeling of motion.
He looked round at the others in the craft. Dodo appeared apprehensive, the Guardian, obviously a subservient one, stared blankly at the walls of the Launcher, and Number Nine seemed unperturbed as he manned the controls.
A jolly party, the Doctor thought to himself, to go venturing into the unknown. But then his thoughts were interrupted as the Launcher began to slow down and finally made a landing. The Monoid operated the release lever of the door and they rose to their feet and stepped out of the Launcher,
They stood, grouped together, gazing about them. They had arrived. This, at last, was the planet Refusis.
6
Trees... shrubbery... fields. The Doctor recognised that the First Guardian Commander had been right when he had stated, those seven hundred years before, that this planet Refusis was like Earth.
It was – and at the same time, it wasn’t. It had the same physical characteristics, but there was an important element that was missing. There was no sign of life of any kind.
‘So, this is Refusis,’ Dodo exclaimed, some of her apprehension having disappeared. ‘Where’s the red carpet then?’
Number Nine looked around warily. ‘The Refusians must be hiding somewhere. We must find them.’ He signalled to the party to start walking. ‘Move carefully.
And don’t forget that I am still armed!’
He held up his weapon to illustrate the point.
The Doctor shrugged and elected to lead the way, taking the party away from the parked Launcher. He noticed, as they moved along, that it was beautiful country that surrounded them. Dales, rivers and tumbling waterfalls...
and above it all, blue skies with a scattering of white clouds, instead of the steel roof that covered the Ark’s surface.
But no sooner had they moved away from the Launcher than something – or someone – entered it. But even had they stayed they would not have seen its entry... for it was an invisible being.
Indentations appeared on one of the seats as it sat down.
It was obviously curious about the craft and operated the door lever. The door closed... and then, as the lever was operated again, re-opened.
The being sighed, obviously pleased with its find. Then it stepped out of the door, disturbing the nearby bushes as it moved away from the Launcher.
Number Nine was puzzled. ‘I see no signs of life.
Perhaps the findings of the audio space research were wrong. It looks as though there are no such beings as Refusians.’
The Doctor smiled. ‘In that case let us return to the Launcher and send a message back to the Ark. We can tell them that they can make their landings quite safely!’ He chuckled. ‘I am sure they will be extremely delighted to hear it.’
Dodo agreed. ‘A good idea, because it will take some time to get the whole of the population down here.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Number Nine replied. ‘It may not take as long as you think.’
‘What do you mean?’ Dodo asked sharply. ‘Are you Monoids up to something?’
For a moment Number Nine was uncertain in his reply, caught off-guard. ‘Er... what I mean to say is... no!’
‘No? But you gave yourself away, didn’t you?’ Dodo persisted. She looked at him appraisingly. ‘I’ve got a feeling that when the time comes you’re not going to bring the Guardians down here at all. Is that it?’
The Guardian Yendom interjected nervously. ‘But they promised...’
‘I don’t care,’ said Dodo. ‘I’m right, aren’t I?’
The Doctor had been wandering about, taking a second and more careful look at their surroundings. Now he called back: ‘We were all wrong! This place
is
inhabited.’ He beckoned them to him. ‘Come! See for yourselves!’
Puzzled, they hurried to his side. Then, following his pointed finger, they saw, in a distance, a building.
‘Why... it’s a castle!’ Dodo cried.
Number Nine studied it thoughtfully. He voiced his thoughts. ‘Why didn’t the Refusians see us arrive?... Or make any moves to stop us?’
‘Shall we find out?’ the Doctor asked.
Number Nine nodded. ‘Proceed!’
With the Doctor leading the way, they set out across the countryside that separated them from the castle.
It took them some time. On the way the Doctor quietly addressed the Guardian Yendom. ‘How long have you served the Monoids?’ he asked.
‘All my life,’ Yendom replied in a low voice. ‘My father before me.’ He glanced back at Number Nine. ‘And now the thought, after all this, that they might desert us... it doesn’t bear thinking about.’
‘Perhaps you should have stayed loyal to your kind?’ the Doctor suggested.
‘But I have!’ Yendom replied. ‘So have all of us who have served our masters. It was our way of ensuring our future.’ He grimaced. ‘Oh, I know that the others – the ones who resisted – despise us, but I still think our way has been right.’
‘Perhaps,’ the Doctor observed. ‘But you’ll soon learn which of you employed the right tactics, won’t you?’
The castle lay before them, surrounded by a moat, but with the bridge down and its large wooden doors open.
They entered it, making their way through a court-yard into the hall of the keep. They paused as they looked around.
‘It is deserted!’ Number Nine said.
The Doctor nodded. ‘Very strange indeed!’
He and Dodo started searching in the anterooms that led into the main hall. Number Nine shook his head.
‘There is no-one in this place!’ he stated.
‘How can you be so sure?’ the Doctor asked.
‘They must be hiding somewhere,’ Number Nine concluded. ‘That must be because they are just frightened creatures.’
‘I don’t like this place,’ Dodo said. ‘It’s... so weird.’
‘What do you mean?’ the Doctor asked.
‘It’s just a feeling I’ve got,’ she replied. ‘I mean... this looks like an old castle... but it’s so clean.’
‘Why, of course!’ the Doctor agreed.
‘What does that mean?’ Yendom asked.
‘The child has noted that there is no dust... anywhere. If it were totally uninhabited, then the dust would have collected and there would be cobwebs all over the place.’
‘Cobwebs?’ Yendom asked, puzzled.
‘Er... never mind.’ The Doctor looked around. ‘But there is more to this place than meets the eye.’
‘I would like to see the faces of these Refusians,’
Number Nine declared.
‘I’m not sure I would,’ Dodo remarked. ‘If they’re anything like you, I’ve seen enough!’
‘What’s that?’
‘Oh... nothing.’ She muttered to the Doctor, ‘Why can’t I keep my mouth shut?’
‘Something I’ve often wondered, dear child,’ he answered drily.
Number Nine had walked over to a large table and there picked up a china figurine. ‘I will challenge them!’ he cried out. ‘Like this!’ He hurled the figurine across the hall so that it smashed into pieces when it hit the wall.
‘What are you doing?’ Dodo cried out.
The Doctor also protested. ‘That is no way to establish friendship...’ he declared.
‘They must be brought out into the open,’ Number Nine answered. ‘They will not be able to hide forever!’
He picked up a vase and raised it threateningly over his head. As he did so, the flower it contained fell out and landed on the floor. But just as Number Nine was about to throw the vase against the wall a voice boomed out: ‘Put it down! Your friend is right!’
Startled, Number Nine looked around. But there was no sign of anyone.
‘Where did that voice come from?’ Number Nine demanded.
‘I think... from up there.’ Yendom indicated a broad flight of stairs.
‘No!’ Dodo said. ‘More like this room here...’
Number Nine looked around, glaring. ‘Where are you?’
He raised the vase higher. ‘Show yourself... or I will smash this into pieces!’
The voice boomed again: ‘I warned you! Put that down!’
The Doctor looked round appraisingly. ‘I think the voice comes from within this room!’ he stated.
‘Nonsense!’ Number Nine replied. ‘If the Refusian seeks to challenge me I will accept it and...’
‘You have been warned!’ the voice repeated.
Number Nine drew his arm back, intending to throw the vase. But as he did so he was grappled in a vice-like grip by an unseen being. The Monoid attempted to break free of the hold upon him... but, after a moment, he was forced to ease the vase back down on the table.
‘Thank you!’ the voice said.
As Number Nine, the Doctor and the others watched, the fallen flower was picked up from the floor and placed back in the vase.
The voice spoke again: ‘As your friend said, I am here...
in the hall... with you!’
The Doctor chuckled, then went over to Number Nine and gently pushed down the weapon in his hand. ‘My dear fellow... you won’t need that any more!’
Number Nine was perplexed. For once he was caught off-guard and did not protest as the weapon was lowered.
In the Main Court Chamber aboard the Ark, Number One addressed Number Two.
‘They must have landed by now,’ he said. ‘So we should be getting a report from Number Nine.’
‘Yes, Number One.’
Number One rose from his chair and walked out of the Chamber, followed by Number Two.
‘What was the plan you had for getting rid of the Guardians and this spaceship?’ Number Two asked.
Number One had led Number Two into the Great Hall.
‘A short while after we leave they will disappear in a cloud of dust!’ he boasted.
Neither of the Monoids was aware that their conversation
was being overhead by the subservient
Guardian, Maharis, as he watched them on a monitor in the Main Comfort Chamber. His hand flew nervously to his mouth when he heard this exchange and he listened intently as the Monoids continued talking.
‘You mean... a bomb of some kind?’ Number Two asked.
Number One nodded. ‘A fission device. I had it made secretly and it is ready to be detonated at any time.’
‘But where is it?’
Number One pointed. In the Main Comfort Chamber Maharis desperately tried to follow the direction of his gesture, but the spot that Number One was indicating was out of the Monitor’s range. Frightened, he backed away from the screen, uncertain what to do.
Number Two nodded in satisfied agreement, evidently considering the hiding place chosen for the bomb a good one.
‘Excellent, Number One,’ he said approvingly.
‘The last place the Guardians would think of looking for it,’ Number One said. ‘Even if they suspected its presence aboard the Ark.’
‘Why should they?’ Number Two asked with a shrug.
‘And when it goes off that will be the end of all human existence!’
In the Security Kitchen Steven worked along with the others, preparing food. He was fascinated when Venussa introduced a microparticle into a container of water and it immediately turned into several kilos of mixed organic vegetables.
‘So that’s one of the ways in which you have been able to travel for seven hundred years,’ he observed. ‘Those microdots of food – saves a lot of storage space.’
‘Everything had to be organised down to the smallest detail,’ she replied. ‘Even the water is made from micro-crystals.’
Then she looked toward the door as Maharis entered the kitchen, using his Monoid Security Pass. Steven noticed the way in which she reacted at the sight of Maharis.
‘Who’s he?’ he asked.
‘His name is Maharis.’
‘But you and the others in here seem to resent him.’
‘That’s because he’s a subservient.’ As Steven looked at her blankly, she went on. ‘He collaborates with the Monoids.’
Maharis was trying to gain their attention. ‘I can tell you something,’ he said insistently. ‘Something terrible!’
Dassuk glared at him. ‘Whatever you have to say, why should we believe it?’
Maharis replied: ‘Because what I have to say is true.
And it threatens all Guardians – prisoners and subservients alike.’
Dassuk and Venussa exchanged glances.
‘That’s the first time I’ve heard him admit his true position,’ Venussa remarked.
She and the others gathered around Maharis. ‘What is it?’ Dassuk asked. ‘Not that we have to believe anything you have to say. You speak with the voice of the Monoids.’
‘No!’ Maharis protested. ‘No longer. They plan to betray us all! Even those of us who work for them!’
‘Betray?’ Steven asked. ‘How?’
‘They will leave behind a device when they land on Refusis. And that device will destroy the Ark and everything in it!’
‘How do you know this?’ Venussa asked.
‘I overheard Number One telling Number Two.’
‘Do you know where the device is?’ Dassuk asked.
‘No. I only heard them talking. I couldn’t see where Number One pointed at the position of the bomb...