Doctor Who: Prisoner of the Daleks (17 page)

On the edge of the Arkheon solar system, a squadron of Dalek saucers emerged from hyperspace and swept towards the broken planet that glittered like a tiny diamond in the glare of its distant sun.

Six outrider saucers zoomed ahead of the giant
Exterminator
-class flagship belonging to the Supreme Dalek's Inquisitor General.

It was the first of its kind; the ultimate expression of Dalek power. Ten immense antigravity impeller engines thrust the ship onwards, so powerful that they left a trail of time distortion in its wake. The neutronic reactor at the ship's centre supplied gigantic power to the vast array of particle-beam weapons, missiles and energy-shield repulsors. The saucer carried a standard crew complement of five hundred Daleks plus ten ranking commanders and, at the very top, secure in his Dalekenium plate-armoured control dome, Dalek X.

This squadron of ships had broken away from the command battle fleet, redirected from Skaro, for one purpose only: to bring the Primary Intelligence Unit, led by the Inquisitor General, to Arkheon. Its mission: to interrogate and destroy the definitive enemy of the Daleks – the renegade Time Lord known only as the Doctor.

The ships swooped into orbit around the shattered remains of the prison planet, scything through what was left of the upper atmosphere and cracking the deserted ruins of its once-beautiful cities with a succession of giant sonic booms.

The
Exterminator
settled into a geostationary orbit level with the huge cavern that housed the landing port and upper tiers of the Dalek prison facility. The saucer was far too big to land in the cavern or even dry dock. It simply hovered, its engines throbbing with enough suppressed power to shake loose stones from the edges of the cave.

Hatches slid open around the saucer's edge, and a phalanx of Daleks poured out in strict formation, heading for the landing platforms.

There were many more Daleks assembled in ranks on the various levels of the Arkheon base. At the very front was the gleaming bronze shape of the Command Dalek.

The
Exterminator
Daleks hovered as a small unit broke away and floated down towards the reception area. There were two elite guard Daleks, their black domes continually sweeping from side to side, double gun-sticks raised, and they came in to land first. Behind them were four assault Daleks, fitted with laser-cutting claws rather than suckers.

And then there was Dalek X.

The armour casing was gunmetal black where the other Daleks were bronze. But the globes which studded the base unit and the thick armour slats on the weapons platform were all gold. He glided imperiously onto the landing level and swept straight past the Command Dalek without even acknowledging it.

The Command Dalek slid hurriedly in behind the Inquisitor General.

'R
EPORT
!' barked Dalek X.

The Command Dalek edged closer as they moved towards the prison interior, flanked by the assault and elite guards. 'C
ORE SEPARATION IS PROCEEDING AS ORDERED – BUT THE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN DELAYED BY THE ARRIVAL AND APPREHENSION OF THE
D
OC–TOR
!'

'H
OW LONG UNTIL THE
A
RKHEON
T
HRESHOLD IS BREACHED
?'

'R
ESEARCH TEAM ESTIMATES TWO SOLAR DAYS UNTIL THE
T
HRESHOLD IS EXPOSED
. P
ARTICLE ACCELERATION BOMBARDMENT WILL FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY
!'

They had reached the interior hallway. Dalek X swept around and allowed his cold blue gaze to fall on the Command Dalek for the first time. 'T
HE DELAY IS UNACCEPTABLE
,' it grated. 'S
UMMON THE
D
ALEKS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAGNETIC CORE SEPARATION
.'

'I
OBEY
!'

Led by Dalek X, the group moved into the prison control centre. The guard Daleks took up positions behind and either side of their master. Very soon, three Dalek mine overseers arrived. Their normal bronze casings were covered in grime and dust and lava splashes from the cave systems that surrounded the planet's molten core.

Dalek X's dome lights flashed menacingly. 'E
XPLAIN THE DELAY IN MAGNETIC CORE SEPARATION
!'

One of the Daleks moved forwards, twitching nervously. 'D
ISRUPTION DUE TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE
D
OC–TOR HAS DIVERTED RESOURCES FROM THE MINE WORKINGS
. T
HE HUMAN SLAVES ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO ABSORB THE INCREASED WORKLOAD
.'

'T
HIS DELAY IS UNACCEPTABLE
,' repeated Dalek X implacably. 'Y
OU HAVE FAILED THE
D
ALEKS
! F
AILURE CANNOT BE TOLERATED
! E
XTERMINATE
!'

The two elite guard Daleks on either side of him instantly opened fire, unleashing twin bursts of neutronic energy at the mine Dalek. The creature inside was fried alive, its harsh, dying shriek nearly drowned by the piercing screech of the beams. A moment later, all that was left of the Dalek was a blackened shell, the oily smoke belching from the neck grille accompanied by a quiet sizzling noise.

'R
ECYCLE THE CASING
,' ordered Dalek X, addressing the remaining mine Daleks. 'C
ONTINUE WITH THE SEPARATION SCHEDULE
. F
ORCE THE HUMANS TO WORK HARDER AND FASTER
. S
ELECT THE WEAKEST HUMAN EVERY HOUR AND EXTERMINATE IT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER SLAVES
. T
HEY WILL REDOUBLE THEIR EFFORTS
. C
ONTINUE
!'

'W
E OBEY
!' shouted the Daleks. They turned and hurried away.

The Doctor was listening at the door of the cell with his stethoscope. He moved the diaphragm carefully around the metal frame and then raised his eyebrows.

'Lots of activity outside,' he murmured. 'Something's really stirred them up.'

'I told you,' said Bowman. 'It's Dalek X.'

The Doctor straightened up and folded away the stethoscope.

'We've got to get out of here.'

'Why didn't I think of that?' wondered Bowman drily. He was sitting along one of the benches watching the Doctor run his hands through his hair in agitation.

'We can't all be geniuses,' replied the Doctor, but he wasn't smiling. He started to go through his pockets.

'This is the top Dalek detention and interrogation facility. No one gets out of here alive.'

'You're being negative again.'

'I tell you it's impossible,' growled Bowman, losing patience.

'I
like
impossible!'

Cuttin' Edge stumbled again, crashing to his knees and almost pulling Koral over with him.

She staggered, grabbed him quickly by the arm and hauled him to his feet.

'Another slip like that will cost us all our lives!' she hissed in his ear.

He shook her hand away. 'You think I don't know that?' He looked down at his legs, where the tough material of his fatigues was stained with blood. He couldn't feel the pain, not properly. His legs were still riddled with nerves and it took all his concentration not to let them shake. Bending down and picking up rocks was becoming more and more problematic.

'Please, don't argue,' said Jenifa. She looked past Koral at Cuttin' Edge. 'It just attracts attention.'

'Not pickin' up rocks is gonna attract attention,' said Cuttin' Edge bitterly.

'Let's change places, then,' Jenifa suggested. She pulled a strand of sweat-soaked hair back behind her ear; her fingers were sore and bleeding from the work but she never complained. Behind her, Kuli watched silently, eyes wide and fearful.

Cuttin' Edge felt ashamed.

'I'll go to the head of the line,' explained Jenifa quickly. 'You stand at the back. Then you won't have to bend down so much.'

'I ain't no invalid,' said Cuttin' Edge.

'The Daleks might not agree,' Koral said.

'Look out,' Jenifa whispered suddenly. 'They're back.'

Two overseer Daleks had swept back into the cavern. They floated over the bubbling streams of lava, eyestalks roving over the human slaves.

'A
TTENTION
! T
HE WORK RATE IS UNACCEPTABLE
! Y
OU WILL INCREASE YOUR EFFORTS IMMEDIATELY
! I
MMEDIATELY
!'

'We can't work any harder,' argued one old woman bravely. She stood up straight, right in front of one of the Daleks. Her grey hair stood out on her scalp like wires, but there was a burning defiance in her eyes. 'You're just being ridiculous.'

'D
O NOT ARGUE WITH THE
D
ALEKS
!' screamed the overseer. Its sucker arm extended and grabbed her by the face.

Unable to breathe, she was forced quickly to her knees. The suction cup released its grip and the old woman sagged to the ground, heaving. Those in her work unit gathered around, helping her back up as quickly as they could. Everyone knew that any untoward sign of weakness could result in death for them all.

'F
ROM THIS POINT ON WE WILL IDENTIFY THE WEAKEST WORK UNIT EVERY HOUR
,' the Dalek continued, addressing the entire cavern. Its harsh, metallic voice echoed around the stalagmites. 'T
HAT WORK UNIT WILL BE EXTERMINATED
.'

'N
O FURTHER WARNING WILL BE GIVEN
!' the second Dalek added.

There was a murmur of fear throughout the crowd – but no one wanted to argue too loudly.

'They're in one bad mood,' observed Cuttin' Edge quietly. 'I mean, worse than usual. Wonder what got into them?'

'Fear,' said Koral.

The Daleks swept through the lines of slaves, domes rotating. 'T
HE FIRST WORK UNIT TO BE EXTERMINATED WILL BE CHOSEN NOW
.'

The slaves milled around in a quiet panic, all trying to look stronger, taller, fitter than their neighbours. Cuttin' Edge gritted his teeth as his legs started to shake. The sweat was pouring down his face and chest, his shirt stuck to his skin, and he knew he must look awful. Everyone else around him seemed to be healthier and more upright. Even the old woman who'd been suckered looked livelier than him.

The Daleks cornered a work unit on the edge of the cavern. From where they stood, Cuttin' Edge and Koral could not see the prisoners. Were they old? Weak? Injured? It was impossible to tell. All they heard was the savage metallic cry, 'E
XTERMINATE
!' and then a brilliant blue flash as the neutronic beams struck home.

Then silence.

'C
ONTINUE WORKING
!' ordered the Daleks.

The remaining slaves set to their tasks with desperate energy, each work unit competing with the next as if it was some macabre contest.

Cuttin' Edge picked up rocks and passed them quickly down the chain. Kuli tossed them into the skip, giving a tiny little grunt of exertion every time. The whole process was repeated, again, again, faster, faster. Cuttin' Edge was shaking now, his legs on fire. Tears burned his eyes. Whoever they were – the ones that the Daleks had murdered – they couldn't have been any weaker than him. He felt ill with fear and guilt. How long would it be before they came for him?

In the prison control centre, the Command Dalek was studying a bank of monitors. Circular screens projected images of the mines, the core, the research laboratories, and the prison levels. One large monitor was showing the interior of the Doctor's cell on level nine zero one. The Doctor and Bowman were sitting opposite each other, talking.