Doctor Who: The Dominators
The Doctor remembers Dulkis from a previous visit as a civilised and peaceful place. But times have changed, and his second trip is not quite the holiday he was expecting.
The Dulcians themselves are more reluctant than ever before to engage in acts of violence.
The so-called Island of Death, once used as na atomic test site, has served as a dire warning to generations of Dulcians of the horrifying consequences of warfare. But an alien race prepares to take advantage of their pacifism . . .
The whole planet and its passive inhabitants are threatened with complete annihilation – and no one, it seems, is going to lift a finger to stop the evil Dominators and their unquestioning robot slaves.
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Science Fiction/TV tie-in
DOCTOR WHO
THE DOMINATORS
Based on the BBC television serial by Norman Ashby by arrangement with the British Broadcasting Corporation
IAN MARTER
No. 78
in the
Doctor Who Library
A TARGET BOOK
published by
The Paperback Division of
W. H. Allen & Co. Ltd
A Target Book
Published in 1984
by the Paperback Division of W.H. Allen & Co. PLC
A Howard & WyndhamCompany
44 Hill Street, London W1X 8LB
First published in Great Britain by
W. H. Allen & Co. Ltd 1984
Novelisation copyright © Ian Marter 1984
Original script copyright © Norman Ashby 1968
‘Doctor Who’ series copyright © British Broadcasting Corporation 1968, 1984
The BBC producer of
The Dominators
was Peter Bryant, the director was Morris Barry
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading
ISBN 0 426 19553 1
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
1
A huge crescent of brilliant pinpoints of light sliced through the unimaginable emptiness of space near the edge of a remote spiral galaxy. Like a colossal scimitar, it flashed in a relentless sweep towards an insignificant little planet which orbited a isolated minor star. Suddenly the very tip of the point of the crescent separated itself from the rest. It decelerated into a right curving path which gradually spiralled closer and closer to the pale, ochre-coloured planet. Far above, the gigantic blade of lights swept on through the galaxy, leaving the meteor-like object to burn its deadly way down through the hot dry atmosphere towards the barren waste shimmering below.
A vicious whirlwind of sand and rock splinters was sucked into the air around a vast dune-covered basin at the foot of rugged sandstone cliffs. A sickening throbbing sound sheered through the dense clouds as an enormous circular shadow darkened the swirling hollow. Slowly a massive silver disc descended and hovered a few metres above ground. Its upper surface was a shallow dome with cowlings radiating from the centre like flattened tubular spokes. A band of circular ports pulsated in rapid sequence round and round the rim, giving the impression that the saucer was rotating as it slowly gyrated and steadied itself while emitting a piercing rhythmic whine. After a few seconds, a broad silver shaft emerged from the underside and extended itself to the ground forming a central support.
For several minutes the whirlwinds raged around the weird craft and the oscillating whine reached a deafening climax. Then gradually the noise decreased, the pulsation of the rim slowed and stopped, and the shrieking sandstorm subsided. An eerie silence enveloped the giant metallic mushroom as the thick dust settled and the ground ceased to tremble. Then from far in the distance came the faint sound of waves monotonously breaking. For a while nothing happened.
All at once a curved panel at the base of the central shaft hummed smoothly open and something stirred in the dark interior. Two massive figures strode menacingly into the hot air. They were human in form but towered more than two and a half metres in height. Their leathery features were starkly chiselled, with thin bloodless lips and deeply set red-rimmed eyes which burned with a cold green light beneath heavy brows. Their short hair was black and sleeked back, like a skullcap, from their shallow foreheads.
The creatures were clad in protective suits consisting of black quilted material like rubber, armoured with small overlapping plates and built up around the shoulders so that they appeared to have no necks. Massive boots encased their long thick legs and their hands were concealed inside huge padded gloves which creaked when they moved their fingers.
The two figures stalked cumbersomely around under the saucer, surveying the arid landscape with piercing emerald stares.
‘Is flux absorption complete, Toba?’ one of them suddenly rapped in a hard imperious voice.
The other checked a small instrument he was carrying.
‘Affirmative, Navigator Rago,’ he announced. ‘Energy now transferred to fuel fields. But we require much more.’
Rago waved his big arm impatiently. ‘That is the purpose of our visit, Probationer Toba.’
Like two giant turtles on their hind legs, the figures marched slowly through the soft sand.
Toba glanced sideways at his superior.’With respect, I still submit that we should continue to Epsilon Zero Gamma. This planet has not been fully evaluated...’
Rago drew a hissing breath and his eyes reddened. ‘This planet is ideal,’ he retorted sharply. ‘At this location, crust parameters are optimum. Also an intelligent life-form is present.’
‘But the species might be unsuitable,’ Toba objected. ‘It might be hostile.’
Rago’s gloves creaked ominously. ‘If necessary we shall destroy it, Toba.’
A trace of a ghastly smile buckled Toba’s iron features.
‘Yes we shall destroy...’ he rasped eagerly.
Rago glared contemptuously at his subordinate.
‘Commence the preliminary survey at once,’ he ordered.
‘Command accepted,’ Toba replied submissively.
Turning towards the dark hatchway at the foot of the shaft he rapped out a harsh summons: ‘Quarks!’
lnstantly an excited whirring and chattering sound issued from within, a noise that was part human and part mechanical. Something glinted and sparked in the shadows. And then the Quarks emerged...
On the far side of the parched plateau stretching back from the ridge of sandstone cliffs, lay a vast grey sea covered with a smoky mantle of fog. Across the gently heaving, murky water a large hovercraft shaped like a flat beehive was gliding towards the shore. Its hull was composed of concentric rings rising from a broad base and tapering to a small dome and several faintly illuminated panels glimmered around its middle ring. Otherwise the vessel was featureless, looming through the cloud with a low-pitched grinding sound.
In the cool, softly lit interior, four people were lounging in padded seats set in a semicircle around a well-worn instrument console. They were staring up at the large display-screen at an angle above them, which showed a clear image of the approaching land, while through the observation ports the thick vapours writhed and swirled outside. The four travellers – three male and one female –
wore sleeveless garments like togas, cut low around the neck but with curiously bulging pleated waists. Their legs were bare and their feet were clad in thong sandals reaching to their ankles.
A slender but athletic young man with fine bronzed features and wavy blond hair turned to his companions with a smile. ‘This really is a terribly primitive way to travel,’ he exclaimed.
‘Well, we wanted some excitement for a change didn’t we, Tolata?’ replied a second youth with dark curly hair, turning to the beautiful fair girl beside him.
Tolata nodded eagerly. ‘An adventure. That is why I came, Etnin.’
The blond youth gestured round the shabby cabin.
‘Excitement? What’s exciting about sitting for hours in this obsolete old tub?’ he demanded. ‘In a capsule we’d only have taken a few minutes.’
Just then the fourth traveller – a short balding man with a plump body and a mischievous expression – sprang up to adjust some controls. ’Not without a permit, Wahed!’ he retorted. ‘You seem to forget... all this is extremely illegal.’
At that moment the craft shuddered and lurched violently from side to side. The helmsman smiled at his passengers’ gasps of dismay. ‘You can hardly complain.
You’ve travelled hundreds of kilometres by sea with a real live navigator...’
The vessel lurched again
‘Well, Kully, perhaps that does add a little zest,’ Wahed admitted doubtfully.
Kully gestured up at the scanner. ‘The Island of Death!’
he announced dramatically. ‘Uninhabited for 170 annos.
Nothing could survive in this poisoned wasteland...’
The passengers stared at the brownish coastline and distant cliffs. There were no signs of life of any description.
Eventually Wahed shrugged. ‘It’s not so impressive.
There’s a regular visit by the Monitoring Unit and...’
‘And sometimes Students are allowed to see the effects of atomic radiation there...’ Tolata added, her large blue eyes wide with fascination.
Kully snorted dismissively and jiggled his controls. ‘But all that’s organised by the Council,’ he cried. ‘This is the
real thing
!’
Wahed frowned at the screen. ‘It looks like the images on my video at home,’ he objected. ‘You could be cheating us, Kully.’
Kully shook his pinkish round head impatiently. ‘This is real. You’re actually here,’ he protested.
Etnin rose to his feet. ‘Why don’t we land on the Island... and see for ourselves?’ he suggested in a hushed voice. Kully stared at him in horror. ‘You can’t.’
‘Whyever not?’ demanded Wahed, standing up on. the other side of their perspiring little guide.
‘Yes. Why not?’ Tolata joined in excitedly.
Kully gripped the control console and swallowed nervously. ‘Without proctective suns.’ he murmured. ‘It would be madness.’
At that moment, warning systems started buzzing and flashing urgently.
Kully went pale. ‘Radiation hazard... Radiation...’ he stammered, gazing in panic at his instruments.
Suddenly they were thrown violently sideways.
‘Kully... do something, Kully...’ Tole. screamed as the ship swung abruptly to and fro and than shuddered to a stop, its propulsion systems grinding in protest.
Kully struggled to regain control, but the systems whined and squealed uselessly. The craft would not move.