Doctor Who: The Invasion (20 page)

'Best we can, sir, on all three missiles.'

Bradwell turned the key in his command console. 'Right. One at a time... Three... two... one... Fire!' He stabbed the launch button with crossed fingers.

The bunker crew waited tensely.

'One's going wide, sir...' Peters called out.

'Prepare Two and standby Three, just in case.'

On the other side of the airfield the two remaining missiles had swung their slim black noses up at the sky. Seconds later one of them streaked away into the blue.

'Two looks good, sir,' Peters reported.

On the radar scanner the Taktik missile was soon seen homing in directly on the Megatron Bomb missile, while far beyond them the Russian rocket was now almost touching the Cyber Mother Ship.

'Bradwell, what the devil's going on over there?' the Brigadier suddenly boomed from the polyvox unit.

At that moment a frenzied cheer erupted in the bunker.

'Bradwell...? This is Lethbridge-Stewart. I demand to know what's happening...'

Another even bigger cheer and whoops of delight filled the bunker as the airmen hugged one another and shookhands.

Bradwell picked up the polyvox. 'Two bullseyes, sir!' he reported, laughing with relief as he gazed at the tracer sweeping back and forth across the blank radar screen.

'Not a trace of 'em left.'

While the Brigadier's and the Doctor's hearty congratulations buzzed out of the polyvox unit, Bradwell reached under his collar and gingerly removed the depolariser taped to his neck. It had begun to itch...

Two days later, Zoe was once again posing under the hot lights in Isobel's improvised studio. This time she was wearing a black catsuit and her hair was covered in silver glitter, while Isobel looked cool and relaxed in orange hotpants and silver boots.

'What exactly is this new job you've landed?' Zoe asked, taking a well deserved breather.

'It's super,' Isobel grinned. 'Because of all my action photos of the Cybermen I've got an exclusive contract with a magazine to do a worldwide exclusive on the invasion! What about you, Zoe?'

Zoe screwed up her face. 'Oh, I suppose when the Doctor's finished repairing the TARDIS circuits we'll be off again,' she replied regretfully.

Isobel looked sad. 'Where to?'

Zoe shrugged. 'We never know where to... or
when
to, come to that,' she replied mysteriously.

The door burst open and Captain Turner popped in.

'Here's my dolly soldier at last,' cried Isobel.

'Cheeky!' grinned Turner. 'Zoe, the Doctor's ready to leave.

I've got the jeep outside.'

Zoe looked a little downcast. 'Oh, any news of Jamie?' she asked.

'He's fine, Zoe. We'll pick him up from the hospital on the way.'

Isobel nudged Turner mischievously. 'Could I come too?'

Turner hesitated. 'Okay, as long as you promise not to call me your "dolly soldier" in front of the Brig,' he warned her sternly.

They all laughed and he led the way outside.

An hour later, the Doctor, Zoe, Jamie, Isobel, Captain Turner and the Brigadier all climbed out of a UNIT jeep parked beside a gate leading into a field.

'Here, Doctor?' exclaimed Lethbridge-Stewart, surveying the leisurely cows with some misgiving.

'Yes, thank you, Brigadier, this is fine,' smiled the Doctor, opening the gate. He turned and shook hands warmly.

Jamie limped up and frowned. 'Och, are ye sure this is the place, Doctor?'

The Doctor shielded his eyes with the two repaired circuit panels and surveyed the placid rural scene. 'Yes, Jamie. Don't you recognise that cow over there?'

They followed his arm and gaped in astonishment. Half the cow seemed to be missing - only its head and forelegs were visible.

The Doctor chuckled. 'The TARDIS must be just over there.

Come on you two, all aboard.'

He marched across the lush grass and went up to the half-invisible cow. He patted its head tenderly and then took a few steps towards where its tail should have been and promptly disappeared.

Immediately his head reappeared just above the cow's head.

'I've found the TARDIS!' he cried. 'Hang on a minute while I put the circuits back.' Again the Doctor disappeared.

'What the devil's the fellow up to?' muttered the Brigadier scratching his head, while Zoe and Jamie exchanged a grin.

A few minutes later, the TARDIS materialised with fitful flashes of its yellow beacon and shrill grindings from its innermost mechanism.

'A disappearing police box!' gasped Isobel, opening her camera case. 'I don't believe this...'

The door opened and the Doctor emerged. 'Come along, you two!' he shouted. 'We're five hundred years late already.'

Zoe and Jamie bade farewell to the amazed and bewildered group at the gate and walked off arm in arm towards the shabby police box. Isobel clicked eagerly away as the intrepid trio stood waving in the doorway of the TARDIS, with the Doctor posing dramatically for the telephoto lens. At last the door squeaked shut.

Isobel, Captain Turner and the Brigadier leaned on the gate and laughed as the cows suddenly looked up and scattered in all directions mooing loudly. With a hoarse trumpeting and groaning sound the battered police box faded and finally vanished completely.

'Where do you think they've gone, sir?' asked Turner, shaking his head in puzzled disbelief.

The Brigadier watched the cows as they gradually resumed their quiet grazing. Then he shrugged. 'It's a moot point, Jimmy,' he said and marched briskly back to the jeep.