Doctor Who_ Amorality Tale Part 28

The Doctor writhed in the air but could not escape the Xhinn Triumvirate's deadly grip. 'If you kill me, you are only sentencing yourselves to death.'

'More threats?'

'How tiresome.'

'You have no weapon that can stop us.'

The Doctor managed a smile amidst the crushing pain.

'You're wrong. If you don't believe me, see the certainty in my mind. You cannot read my thoughts, but I will let you know my emotions.'

The Xhinn delved into his feelings.

'It is true.'

'You believe you can destroy us.'

'But belief and reality are not the same.'

'Let the girl go,' the Doctor winced, 'as a sign of good faith.

Show me how magnanimous the mighty Xhinn can be. Then I will reveal the device that will destroy you.'

The Xhinn consulted silently amongst themselves. One of them waved an arm at Sarah. She fell to the floor with a sickening thud and lay still.

'Sarah! Sarah! Are you alright?' the Doctor shouted. On the ground Sarah stirred slightly. She lifted her head and smiled at the Doctor, before slumping back to the floor unconscious.

'We did as you asked.'

'We released the girl.'

'What is this weapon?'

The Doctor nodded with his head at the satchel. 'It's inside that bag.'

The Xhinn nearest the satchel moved towards it, raising an arm. Energy pulsated around the end of the limb.

'I wouldn't attempt to destroy it if I were you,' the Doctor said. 'Any attempt to tamper with the device will prematurely activate it.'

'What is it?'

'Open it very carefully! and see,' the Doctor replied.

The nearest Xhinn pointed at the satchel, which levitated just above the seat of the pew. The a.s.semblage of wiring, circuitry and power cells emerged slowly from inside and then rested atop the satchel, which sank back down on to the pew.

The Xhinn studied the device intently.

'A primitive construction.'

'Modest power source.'

'How can this threaten the Xhinn?'

The Doctor grimaced, still straining against his bonds. 'It is a Time Bomb. When fired it vastly accelerates the pa.s.sage of time within its blast radius. Millennia pa.s.s in moments. The Xhinn are a long-lived species, but I doubt even you could survive such a chronometric extrapolation.'

The Xhinn were appalled. 'But such devices are barbaric!'

'All civilised cultures have outlawed its use!'

'This contravenes all known weapons treaties!'

The Doctor did not look proud of himself. 'You talk of barbarism, yet you have tortured and killed thousands of people on this planet without flinching. You call yourself a civilised culture, yet you are poisoning the people of this city hour by hour. You talk of weapons treaties, yet you revive those you have killed and use them as undead weapons against those who resist tyranny!'

The Xhinn regarded him coldly.

'Self-justification.'

'Self-righteousness.'

'Self-deception.'

'Yes, you're guilty of all those too,' the Doctor replied. 'I came to you before. I asked you to leave, to forget this world.

There are millions of others which are better suited to your needs, where no sentient species like mankind would be sacrificed at the altar of your own self-aggrandis.e.m.e.nt. But you wouldn't listen! I said I didn't want to have to resort to your methods to stop you but you didn't listen! I said I was sworn to protect this planet and its people but you haven't listened!

Well listen to me now.

'You have given me no alternative but to destroy you. I gave you a first and final warning before. Now I give you a last chance. Leave this world while you still can. Leave now and I will deactivate this device. Only I know how and you cannot take that knowledge from my mind. Leave now, or die here with me.

It's your choice. But you should hurry. The Time Bomb will detonate soon.'

The Xhinn looked at each other and nodded. Before they could act, the Doctor added one final note of caution. 'By the way I wouldn't try using your short-range matter transmission technology to escape either. The warpshadow it causes would trigger the device instantly.'

The Doctor smiled at them. 'Of course, I could be lying about some or all of what I've just said. It's up to you to decide what's true and what isn't.'

Tommy blew the head off another of the oncoming zombies, but no sooner did he disable one than two more stepped forward to take its place. He had managed to cross the floor of the factory and regroup with the two teenage brothers. But Charlie and Billy were both out of ammunition and had been using their shotguns as clubs to strike out at the enemy. All three men were caught in a corner of the factory by a stack of forty-four gallon drums.

Tommy dug into his pocket and pulled out the last of the ammunition. He loaded it into the shotgun and prepared to shoot. 'Last of the sh.e.l.ls, boys. You got any bright ideas, now's the time for 'em!'

'Don't shoot!' Charlie replied.

'You what?' Billy was just as amazed by his brother's words as Tommy. 'Bruv, it's the last of our ammo. After that it's hand-to-hand combat, and they outnumber us five to one!'

'Exactly!' Charlie said. 'Save the bullets I've got a better idea.' He rapped his knuckles on the sides of the drums. 'Help me tip it over!'

Billy and Charlie got one of the drums over on to its side.

Tommy caught on quick. 'Now roll it in among them!' he commanded. The two brothers shoved the drum into the zombie policemen, knocking several over.

Tommy took careful aim and fired at the drum. It exploded into a ball of flame, dousing the surrounding guards. 'h.e.l.l! I don't know what chemicals are in these drums but they burn good,' Tommy said with delight. 'That must be what the Xhinn are putting in the bread!'

The brothers sent another drum spinning out among the policemen. Tommy fired and was rewarded with another explosion.

In less than a minute the factory was ablaze as the burning liquid inside the two punctured drums spilled out across the floor. The burning drones staggered around the factory like human torches.

Tommy laughed at the spectacle. 'Burn, coppers, burn!'

Charlie tapped him on the shoulder. 'I wouldn't gloat just yet, Tommy.' He pointed down at the pool of approaching liquid. It was gushing across the floor towards their corner.

'We're standing in front of one almighty bomb.'

'Christ, you're right!' Tommy grabbed one of the drums and stacked it on top of another. 'Come on! If we build this high enough we'll be able to get out that window!'

High above them was a small window, just below the eaves of the factory roof. It was at least two storeys high. All three men quickly began stacking drums to create a crude pyramid in the corner, clambering up its sides as they constructed it.

By now the flaming liquid was lapping around the bottom of the drums standing on the floor. Tommy urged the brothers to work faster. 'When the bottom drums get hot enough, they'll go too blowing us all to kingdom come!'

He looked up at the window. They were still more than the height of a man short of their goal. Then the burning policemen began climbing up the stack of drums after them...

The Xhinn Triumvirate had paused to consider what the Doctor said. While they were communicating telepathically, he whispered to Sarah. She was still lying on the church floor, but had begun moving again.

'Sarah! Sarah! Are you alright?' the Doctor hissed.

'Oh, I'll never drink c.o.c.ktails again,' she moaned. 'Where am I?' 'In St Luke's Church,' the Doctor said. 'It's Sunday afternoon.'

'Sunday afternoon? But the last thing I remember was biting into a slice of toast for breakfast! What happened?'

'Mind control drugs in the bread.'

'I've always said there's too many additives in food these days, but that's going a little over the top isn't it?' She glanced around and was shocked by the hovering aliens overhead. 'Are they...?'

'The Xhinn? Yes.'

'Who's winning us or them?'

'It's stalemate for the moment.'

Sarah could not help but smile. 'That's an improvement on our normal situation, Doctor. Whenever I regain consciousness I'm usually facing certain death or life imprisonment.'

'Well, don't count your blessings just yet!' The Xhinn had finished their silent discussion and were resuming their usual triangular floating formation. 'Here comes the verdict,' the Doctor said.

Before the Xhinn Triumvirate could announce its decision, the church was rocked by a ma.s.sive explosion nearby.

'What the h.e.l.l was that?' Sarah asked.

'Tommy Ramsey's contribution to events, I imagine,' the Doctor replied. 'When in doubt, shoot first or blow it up ask questions later.'

'Just like the Brigadier!'

The Doctor knew better. 'Tommy Ramsey is nothing like the Brigadier.'

The Xhinn released the Doctor from his bonds. He fell to the floor beside Sarah. The floating aliens pa.s.sed judgement on the Doctor's claims.

'We have listened to your words, Time Lord but we do not believe them. Your presence here has been a deception, a decoy to delay us while your a.s.sociates attacked our other base of operations. You shall pay for that deception with your lives.'

'You couldn't be more wrong,' the Doctor said.

'Silence!'

'You have said enough.'

'We have listened too long.'

'We have looked into your feelings.'

'You are willing to sacrifice yourself to save this woman.'

'But you are not willing to sacrifice her to save yourself.'

'That will cost both your lives.'

A new voice interrupted the Xhinn. 'You know what, Brick?

I think these aliens are all mouth and trousers.' Tommy Ramsey was standing in the doorway of St Luke's Church, aiming Brick's shotgun at the Xhinn Triumvirate. The big man stood behind Tommy, closing the heavy wooden doors. 'No flaming bottle, if you know what I mean.'

'Miss Smith, are you alright?' Brick asked.

'Just about, Arthur.'

The Doctor got up and brushed himself down. 'Brick, I thought I told you to stop anyone else from coming in. I was most specific.'

'Don't blame him, Doc,' Tommy replied. 'I over-ruled you.

No point being boss if I can't get me own way, is there? And I didn't want to miss the send-off for our unfriendly neighbourhood sc.u.m.'

'What happened in the bread factory?'

'Let's just say the Bread of Life is toast.' Tommy smiled.

'Burnt toast. Billy and Charlie are getting the survivors to safety.