Doctor Who: The Sea-Devils (15 page)

They raced down the corridor, Mitchell collecting the fallen Sea-Devil’s raygun as they went. The corridor opened into a vast cavern, the bottom half of which was full of water. Sitting in the water was the submarine. A metal gangplank led from the water’s edge to the conning tower. As the Doctor and the two officers ran up the gangplank and started to descend into the conning tower, they heard distantly a hooter blowing at regular intervals.

‘Their version of “action-stations”,’ said Mitchell, as he climbed into the conning tower. ‘They probably just realised we’re missing.’

At the bottom of the tower, Ridgway paused and looked clown through the hole in the hatch. He could just see the lower part of a Sea-Devil standing guard. He aimed the raygun and pressed the control. Even before the Sea-Devil had fallen to the deck, Ridgway had jump-climbed down the ladder into the main control area.

Petty Officer Summers looked at Ridgway, beaming. ‘Good to see you back, sir.’

‘Any more of these creatures on board?’ asked Ridgway.

‘No, sir,’ said Summers, ‘only the one you just killed. The lads are all locked up aft. I’ll go and release them.’

In under five minutes the submarine was again fully operational, every man at his post. The big moment of tension was when Ridgway gave the order to start the engines. Would the same mysterious force still restrain them?

But the engines started, and soon Ridgway had the submarine submerged and starting to reverse out from the underwater cave.

Then the Sea-Devils retaliated. When the submarine was halfway backed out from its underwater prison, with the propellers revolving in reverse at full speed, a force field set up by the Sea-Devils started to draw it back into the cavern.

‘It’s no good, sir,’ the engine-room Chief told Lieutenant Ridgway, ‘I can’t get any more power out of the engines.’

‘There’s only one thing to do,’ said the Doctor. ‘Fire one of the forward torpedoes.’

‘Are you mad?’ said Ridgway. ‘When the torpedo strikes the wall of the cave, it’ll blow off the front of the sub!’

‘Or,’ maintained the Doctor, ‘push us out of the cave like a cork out of a bottle.’

Ridgway gave it only two seconds’ thought. If the Sea-Devils took them prisoner again, he was convinced they would all be killed. This way, there was just a chance. ‘Arm torpedo number one,’ he ordered.

Seconds later the report came back that torpedo number one was primed and ready.

‘Fire,’ said Ridgway.

For some seconds nothing happened beyond the slight remor of the sleek cigar-shaped cylinder leaving its tube. The engines were still pulling full speed in reverse.

No one spoke as they waited for the explosion. Then it happened. The shock waves reverberated through the submarine.

The Sea-Devils watching the submarine on their underwater radar saw it suddenly leap backwards from the cavern, pushed out by the force of the explosion of the torpedo. Very soon it was out of reach of their magnetic force-field.

‘The humans,’ said the Chief Sea-Devil, ‘will soon be told of our trick. The guard whom we killed and sent to the surface died in vain. They will attack us again.’

‘I agree,’ said the Master. ‘Personally I would have liked more time to prepare. But it does seem that now is the moment for you to attack the Naval Base in force. Once you are established there, you will have taken the first step towards the reconquest of your planet!’

Parliamentary Private Secretary the Right Honourable Robert Walker regarded the Doctor and Lieutenant Ridgway across the lunch of cold chicken, sauté potatoes, mixed salad with French dressing, and chopped celery that was laid before him. All Captain Hart’s files and ink bottles and pencils had been removed from the desk top in order to turn it into a dining table for the man from the Government.

‘May I congratulate you,’ Walker said, bayoneting a slice of chicken on to the prongs of his fork, ‘on a remark-able escape. As soon as I’ve finished my lunch, I shall order that atomic weapons be used against these monsters.’ He popped the morsel of chicken into his mouth and started to chew.

‘With all respect,’ said Captain Hart, who stood to one side next to Jo, ‘I doubt that the Doctor would agree to that.’

‘I disagree very much,’ said the Doctor. ‘This is a time to make peace, not war. These creatures have underground bases all over the world. You must share the planet with them.’

‘We hardly know how,’ said Walker, prodding about in his mixed salad to find a slice of tomato, ‘to share the planet with each other, my dear fellow. Look at the Middle East, or Northern Ireland. If we could catch some of these things alive and put them in a zoo, to that I could agree. But the rest must be destroyed.’

‘These are intelligent creatures,’ the Doctor protested. ‘Wouldn’t you prefer to be known as Walker the Peace-maker, than the man responsible for the deaths of millions of people?’

‘Won’t be any deaths,’ said Walker, sipping his white wine appreciatively, ‘except for them.’

‘I believe that the Doctor’s right,’ said Captain Hart. ‘I’ve checked with Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart of UNIT about the creatures that were in those caves in Derbyshire. If they all start to emerge from their underground shelters throughout the world, we won’t know what’s hit us!’

Walker buttered a bread roll. ‘It’s really possible, Doctor, to communicate with these creatures?’

‘I can vouch for that,’ said Lieutenant Ridgway. ‘They interrogated Sub-Lieutenant Mitchell and myself. They wanted to know about the weapons we have, and how many millions of people inhabit the world. They’re intelligent—too intelligent, if you ask me.’

‘As it so happens,’ said Walker, ‘I haven’t asked you. But I have noted what you say.’ He popped a piece of buttered bread into his mouth. ‘All right, Doctor. Let’s see what you can do.’ He raised his wine glass to his lips.

‘Thank you,’ said the Doctor. He swung round to Captain Hart. ‘I shall need the diving-bell again.’

‘Doctor,’ said Jo, ‘couldn’t someone else go down this time?’ She looked at Walker. ‘What about you, sir? It’s a job for a trained diplomat.’

Walker almost spilt his wine. ‘I’m sorry, my dear, but I get terribly sea-sick. It’s just one of those little problems that one has to put up with in life.’

The Doctor, Jo, Captain Hart, and the Rt. Hon. Robert Walker left the administrative building and walked towards the waiting diving-bell vessel.

‘Not a bad day for a little jaunt out to sea,’ said Walker, adding quickly to Jo, ‘for those who don’t get sea-sick, of course.’

‘I’d hardly call this a “little jaunt”,’ said Captain Hart. ‘After those depth charges you had dropped, sir, I imagine the Sea-Devils will be in no mood to receive visitors—’

He stopped short because Jo was pointing wildly towards the quay. ‘Look!’ she screamed. ‘Sea-Devils!’

Sea-Devils came swarming up from the water on to the quay. Those who had already landed and secreted themselves in hiding places now appeared. Two Sea-Devils came running towards the group of humans now caught unprotected in the open area between the administration building and the boat.

Walker shrieked, ‘We come in peace! Don’t kill us!’

As one Sea-Devil raised its raygun to fire at Walker, the Doctor leapt at it and felled it with a Venusian karate chop. The other Sea-Devil came up behind the Doctor, and brought its hand down on to the. Doctor’s head. He fell unconscious on to the concrete. The Sea-Devil raised its gun to exterminate Walker, Hart, and Jo.

‘Stop!’ It was the voice of the Master. He came running from the quayside. ‘They maybe useful as slaves.’ He looked down at the Doctor. ‘And so may he.’

Jo, Captain Hart, and the Rt. Hon. Robert Walker were locked in a stationery cupboard in the administration building. It had shelves piled with typewriting paper, envelopes, and other office equipment. By peeping through the keyhole they had seen that a Sea-Devil was standing outside on guard. Captain Hart was now standing on a shelf using a twopenny piece as a make-do screwdriver to remove the screws from a ventilator grille.

‘If we escape from here,’ said Walker, ‘we’re only going to make them angry.’

‘If we don’t escape from here,’ replied Captain Hart pointedly, ‘we are only going to be killed.’

Walker pulled from his jacket pocket a little packet of sweets and helped himself to one. ‘Why didn’t they lock the Doctor in here with us?’

‘Probably,’ said Jo, ‘because the Master needs his help. Why don’t you offer your sweets round?’

Walker blustered, and tried to think of a reason. ‘They are specially made to suit my taste. I don’t think you’d like them.’ He pushed the packet back into his pocket.

Captain Hart carefully lifted away the ventilator grille. ‘There’s a shaft leads straight outside,’ he said, ‘but it isn’t very big.’

Jo climbed up on to the shelf. ‘I’m the smallest,’ she said. ‘Give me a hand.’

Captain Hart looked at her. ‘You realise the danger?’

‘You have just told us,’ she reminded him. ‘If we don’t escape we’ll be killed. Help me get into that hole.’

As the Captain helped Jo into the ventilator shaft, Walker watched on from below, and secretly helped himself to another sweet.

Jo dropped down cautiously from the outside opening of the ventilator shaft. She was at the side of the administration building. At the other end of the roadway she could see five or six naval ratings walking along with their hands raised, guarded by two Sea-Devils. The group went out of sight behind an outbuilding.

The problem was, she told herself, where to find the Doctor? The Master had saved the Doctor’s life, and that meant he must be using the Doctor for some purpose. Then she remembered where the Master had gone when he was brought into the Naval Base by the late Mr. Trenchard: the electronic stores. She worked her way cautiously along the wall of the building, and was relieved to find a signpost giving directions to various parts of the base. One finger in the signpost pointed towards ‘Stores’. She made her way in that direction, keeping a careful look out for Sea-Devils. Hiding whenever she saw one of the monsters, sprinting quickly from the shelter of one hiding place to another, it took her a long time to reach her destination. The door of the stores shed was open, but she thought it wisest first to try and look inside before entering. She found a window, and peeped inside.

The Master and the Doctor were working on some elaborate piece of electronic equipment. Standing watching them was a Sea-Devil; it kept its raygun aimed at the Doctor all the time as he worked. Jo could just hear what the Master was saying.

‘... With this, we shall be able to re-activate
homo reptilia
all over the world.’

Jo remembered hearing the Doctor use that term to describe the monsters that had been found in the caves in Derbyshire. It also described their underwater cousins.

‘How will that benefit you?’ said the Doctor.

‘Us,’ said the Master. ‘I can make you a partner...’

The Master went on talking about how he and the Doctor would rule Earth through the Sea-Devils. The Doctor, meanwhile, had caught sight of Jo’s face at the window, and was secretly signalling to her. While pretending to listen to the Master, the Doctor pointed to the Sea-Devil, then to the electronic equipment, and finally pulled a face of agony. Jo understood, and nodded. Then the Doctor put his hand behind his back, where. Jo could see it, and splayed out his four fingers and thumb. She tried to work out what he meant. Then she remembered the way she had signalled to the Doctor when he was manacled to a chair in the Master’s room at the chateau. So, in five minutes from now the Doctor was going to do something that would put the Sea-Devils in agony.

Jo worked her way back to the administration building, dodging Sea-Devils, taking cover whenever she could. Fortunately, no Sea-Devils had been left on guard at the main entrance. But when she got inside, and was making her way to the stationery cupboard, she saw that the Sea-Devil guarding the cupboard door was still on duty. It saw her at the same moment. The Sea-Devil raised its raygun and took aim. Then, suddenly, it re-coiled as though hit by high voltage electricity. It crashed to the floor, writhing in agony. Jo kicked the fallen raygun out of the Sea-Devil’s reach, and turned the lock in the door of the cupboard.

‘Well done, Miss Grant,’ said Captain Hart. ‘After you, Mr. Walker.’

Walker stayed where he was. He was quivering with fear. ‘This is only going to annoy them,’ he said. ‘Have you no thought for others? We should make peace, not war.’

‘But not peace at any price,’ said Captain Hart, and shoved Walker ahead of him out of the cupboard. ‘Now let’s release the ratings—and start winning!’

When the Doctor switched on the power connected to the re-activation unit, the Chief Sea-Devil watching the work also fell in agony to the floor. Fortunately for Jo, the Master was in another section of the stores at the time, looking for additional equipment. This allowed the Doctor to keep on the power for a full minute. Then the Master returned and saw what had happened.

‘You idiot!’ stormed the Master.

‘Why, what’s wrong?’ said the Doctor, turning round and pretending only now to notice that the Chief Sea-Devil was in acute pain on the floor. ‘Good grief,’ he said, ‘do you think he’s having a fit?’

The Master yanked the power lead from its wall socket. Instantly, the Chief Sea-Devil recovered, and started to get to its feet.

‘You overloaded the re-activater,’ said the Master. ‘We want this thing to revive the Sea-Devils who are in deep hibernation, not to knock out those who are already fully awake!’

The Doctor examined his arrangement of the electrical circuits. he pondered, ‘too much in-flow of the neutrons. We’ll have to fix that.’

‘It
was
fixed,’ said the Master. ‘Do you realise you must have temporarily knocked out every Sea-Devil in the base?’

‘How terribly thoughtless of me,’ said the Doctor. He turned and smiled at the Chief Sea-Devil. ‘You will, I hope, forgive me?’

‘We never forgive,’ said the Chief Sea-Devil, levelling his raygun at the Doctor. ‘We are the rulers of this planet. It was ours millions of years before you apes developed and took it over from us. We shall destroy all Mankind, and all mammals. Only the reptiles shall survive—’