Doctor Who_ War Of The Daleks Part 18

'Delusions,' the Gold Dalek stated. 'None of these things happened. Your foolish insistence on taking unwarranted risks created grave danger for the Dalek race. You are a threat to Dalek survival. Why did you not test the Hand of Omega first on Earth's sun instead of targeting the Dalek star?'

'Such a test would have wasted time,' Davros replied.

'So you elected to risk destroying the Dalek species instead of exercising reasonable caution,' the Dalek Prime pointed out. 'You aimed for the position of ultimate power and failed. In the same way, you have tried to take over control of the Dalek empire and failed. If you had achieved the power you desired, only the Daleks you had created would have shared in it. None of the Daleks here on Skaro would have been a part of your plan. You would have utilised your power to annihilate us.'

'All Daleks who do not acknowledge me as their creator and master should die!' Davros exclaimed. 'Without me, you are nothing!'

'Without you,' the Gold Dalek interjected, 'we are the masters of s.p.a.ce. Our armies are unstoppable. We are achieving victory on many worlds. Once you are gone, the Dalek race will continue as a unified race. We shall obliterate all inferior species.'

'Enough,' the Dalek Prime decided. 'The trial is over. You have admitted your desire to rule the Daleks, even though you have destroyed all Daleks loyal to you. You have admitted that the Doctor has outwitted and defeated you. You have admitted that you caused the destruction of the world you insist was Skaro.' The Dalek Prime surveyed the a.s.sembled Daleks. 'Are there any who would speak on behalf of Davros at this time?'

'Oh, right,' Sam sneered. 'Like anyone would back him up right now. Talk about kangaroo courts!' 'It's just a ploy,' the Doctor agreed. 'To make Davros look worse, as if he has no support. But watch. There'll be trouble soon, you'll see.'

Davros had expected the silence. Any Dalek foolish enough to speak up now would deserve the extermination it would get. Still he sat rea.s.sured the low-frequency signal had begun. His supporters were preparing to move. Soon, very soon...

The Dalek Prime slowly surveyed the room. 'None,' he finally summarised. 'Davros stands alone. His insanity is clear to all. The decision is obvious.' He turned to face Davros. 'The trial is over,' it announced. 'From your own words, you stand condemned. You cannot be allowed to live. You are to be taken for annihilation. The Dalek race will be out of your control for ever.' He turned to give the order to the Gold Dalek.

'No!' A Black Dalek moved forward, its gun raised. 'Davros must live!' Electronic flame spewed out, and the Dalek Prime's casing exploded in a gush of fire.

A dozen Daleks fired immediately on the Black Dalek. It, too, erupted in a ball of fire.

The hall fell into pandemonium.

INTERLUDE.

HESPERUS.

Mechon 179 went about its tasks in a pa.s.sionless, unhurried fashion. Humans liked gardens, and Mechon 179's a.s.signment was to keep the garden here on Hesperus in perfect order, ready for when the humans would arrive. It carefully weeded and watered, tending the growing plants, pruning trees and bushes and matching the end results with the optimal model stored within its data banks. The garden was looking acceptable.

It had been looking acceptable for two hundred and seventy-five years.

Mechon 179 was not programmed for curiosity, so it did not think that this was an overly long period to wait for its human masters. Nor did any of the other Mechonoids on Hesperus. Their a.s.signment had been simply to prepare the planet for the humans who would arrive to colonise it. The slight delay in their arrival signified nothing to the Mechonoids. They were programmed to prepare the planet and await their human masters; this they would do until the humans arrived to give them new programming.

Meanwhile, the Mechonoids continued with their a.s.signed tasks and Mechon 179 tended its garden carefully. It had no pride in its work, nor did it consider the garden a thing of beauty. It had been programmed without emotions to confuse it. It simply found the garden within the acceptable parameters of its programming.

The day was like all other days. When the sun rose, Mechon 179 went out into the garden to check that all was well. It would patrol the garden, eliminating pests, cutting any gra.s.s stalks that were above the optimal two inches tall, and removing any kind of native weed that might spoil the look of the roses. When the sun went down, Mechon 179 would return to its indoor duties of keeping the dwelling units in prime order, ready for their eventual occupants. The fact that it had been doing substantially similar work for more than two hundred years didn't bother it; Mechon 179 was not programmed for boredom, either.

Mechon 179 trundled its rotund form down the garden paths, patrolling vigilantly for any slight deviation from the accepted norm. Any that were found were dealt with instantly. There was a slight insect infestation on the geraniums. It administered a mild spray from its stock via a thin rod it extruded from its midsection, where all of its tools were housed, and then made a note to check the progress of the repellent the following day. It then moved on down the pathway.

Then, Central Computer issued a general alert. Such a thing had never happened before.

It informed all Mechon units that a s.p.a.cecraft had been detected approaching the planet Hesperus. For a moment, Mechon 179 computed the possibility of this being the arrival of the humans at last. It was neither eager nor disturbed by the thought; it was simply a possibility. Central Computer quashed the possibility a second later.

'The arriving ship does not respond with the correct command codes,' it informed the thousand or so Mechonoids working in the otherwise empty city. 'It must be considered a non-human vessel.' After another moment, it added, 'Though the ship is receiving our signals, it has not responded at all. It must therefore be considered inimical. All Mechon Units must prepare for possible alien contamination.'

Mechon 179, like all others, immediately acknowledged this new order. Gardening was finished for the day; it was time to prepare for a possible invasion. There was a chance that the arriving creatures simply didn't understand Machine Code, of course. If that was the case, then Central Computer would find some other way to communicate with them. The aliens must be told to leave; the Mechons were preparing this world for humans, and n.o.body else would be allowed to remain without correct authorization from humans.

If they refused to leave peacefully, they would be ejected or else negated.

Mechon 179 rumbled into the house, feeling no alarm, apprehension or concern. It emptied its storage units of the various chemicals that it employed in the garden. Fly spray would not be useful in a police action. It was, of course, impossible to be certain what would be useful until contact had been made with the aliens. Still, there were several devices that would be helpful in a variety of situations.

Mechon 179 upgraded the laser cutter it used for pruning, powering it up to a steel-cutting intensity. That was a sensible precaution. It also refuelled its flame-thrower; not for dead branches this time, but for potentially hostile creatures.

Then it waited for further instructions.

Central Computer would not bother the Mechonoids with pointless updates, and Mechon 179 felt no curiosity about what was happening. Whatever was needed, it would be told.

'The aliens have landed and are preparing to disembark their ship,' Central Computer reported. 'Mechon units 719 to 741 have been despatched to effect communication.'

Mechon 179 had been given no instructions, so it simply waited patiently.

'The aliens have been identified as Daleks,' Central Computer announced a moment later. 'They are known to be hostile to humans and must therefore be removed from this planet. All Mechon units must guard the city and prepare for attack.'

Mechon 179 knew what Daleks were from its memory banks. If it hadn't, it could simply have tapped into Central Computer and downloaded the relevant data. As it was, there was no need. All Mechonoids knew about Daleks, and the standard order was to dispose of them. To Mechon 179, this was no different from spraying the plants to eradicate bugs. It was simply a problem to be resolved.

In the absence of direct orders from Central Computer, Mechon 179 considered the matter. The Daleks were all confined at the moment to the area around their ship. Staying here in its a.s.signed house would not be an efficient use of resources. It opened the domicile door automatically, and then moved down the street toward the reported landing area.

Dozens of other Mechonoids had made the same, logical decision, and were emerging from other dwelling units. Together, they moved through the streets. Mechon 179 had its laser cutter and flame-thrower ready in case they should be needed. All of the other Mechonoids had their own weapons held ready.

There was an explosion close to the landing site. Switching to infra-red, Mechon 179 saw the blast clearly. 'The Dalek intruders have destroyed Mechon units 719 to 741,' Central Computer reported dispa.s.sionately. 'All available Mechon units are to engage the intruders.'

Since Mechon 179 was already heading in the right direction, it didn't need to amend its behaviour. It continued to move ahead, watching for Daleks. The loss of 22 units was unfortunate, but they could be replicated fairly easily.

Then it saw the Daleks. There were eight of them, moving along the street. Their guns were firing at targets on the way. Mechon units close to them were returning their fire. Mechon 179 noted that the Daleks could take direct hits without serious damage. It took the combined firepower of four Mechonoids to break through whatever armour the Daleks wore. One Dalek exploded, joining more than a dozen burning Mechonoids.

'Mechons 179, 803 and 212,' came a signal from the Mechon 84 unit to the left of 179. 'We must combine our fire on one intruder.'

Mechon 179 sent an acknowledgement to unit 84, which then selected a target. Mechon 179 instantly fired its laser at the selected Dalek. Similar beams from the other three Mechon units raked the target also. The Dalek fired back, even as its casing heated up under the combined fire. Unit 803 experienced a systems failure as a result, and exploded at virtually the same nanosecond as the Dalek target.

'Mechon 612,' 84 sent. 'Join with us.' The next Mechon unit replaced the burning 803 and unit 84 selected their next target.

The battle continued. More Daleks had emerged from their ship, including unusual Spider Daleks that scurried along, their own guns blazing. Accompanying them were human-looking machines that Mechon 179 recognised as Movellans. It was not puzzled as to why these creatures had joined with the Daleks; it was simply a fact to be accepted. And they were considerably simpler to destroy. Two Mechons together could obliterate a single Movellan. Hardest to hit were the Spider Daleks, which were more manuvrable than the usual Daleks. But they were not as heavily armoured, either, and could be destroyed more easily.

Mechon 179 simply kept firing its laser at a.s.signed targets. Mechon 84 exploded, having been hit by a blast from a Movellan trooper. Mechon 179 took over directing the fighting of their small group. Whenever a Mechon unit was destroyed, it simply co-opted the closest available unit to a.s.sist.

The war raged for eighty-seven minutes. Several hundred Daleks were destroyed, along with eight hundred and seventeen Mechon units. Mechon 179 was not concerned, except that it meant that finding replacement units for the foursome was becoming harder. The Daleks were slowing, but not stopping, their own a.s.sault. All about, burning and burnt-out sh.e.l.ls littered the city. Some of the buildings were on fire, too. It would be quite a task to clean up.

'Daleks are making their way into core areas,' reported Central Computer. 'All Units must protect me from attack.'

Mechon 179 understood and acknowledged. 'We must move forward,' it informed the three units with it. 'These Daleks must be pa.s.sed to allow us to aid the Central Computer.' Its laser was now severely low on power, so it switched to the flame thrower. This proved to be remarkably effective on Movellan units. They tended to catch fire and then detonate. The Spider Daleks found the flames harder to dodge than the more focused laser blasts, too. However, the regular Dalek units simply ignored the flames unless they came from several concentrated sources at once.

Mechon 179 moved slowly forward, firing continually. Its fuel reserves were down 54 per cent already; it would lose the use of its flame thrower in eight point two minutes. At which time it would have to improvise some other weapon. It was nothing to consider at this moment.

Beside it, Mechon 17 exploded, caught in the crossfire from two Daleks. Mechon 179 attempted to find a replacement unit, but there were none close enough to offer aid.

Then Mechon 906 was. .h.i.t and disabled. Its drive unit ceased. A second blast from two Movellans opened it up completely, and it was finished. Mechon 179 fired, and enveloped both Movellans in flame. Both would be destroyed.

A Spider Dalek scuttled forward before 179 could realign its flame-thrower. The blaster on the Spider spat, and Mechon 179's sensors reported a serious rupture in its integument. Critical systems had been damaged, and total systems failure was expected momentarily.

Mechon 179 sent a final message to Central Computer, to inform it that another Mechon unit would have to be a.s.signed to check on the insect infestation on the geraniums tomorrow.

Then its systems crashed.

PART 4.

TOTAL WAR.

'Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.'

William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar Julius Caesar

CHAPTER 10.

ESCAPE.

Sam stared at the viewscreen in shock and horror, watching the Dalek Prime explode. She had been expecting almost anything, she thought, but never that. 'Talk about a miscalculation,' she gasped.

'Oh, I don't know,' the Doctor answered. 'Didn't you spot something a bit too too mechanical about his actions?' mechanical about his actions?'

'You know me well, Doctor.'

Sam whirled to see the Dalek Prime glide into the room. 'What?'

'Bait,' The Doctor explained. 'A fake.'

'I antic.i.p.ated an attempt on my life,' the Dalek Prime explained. 'All was prepared.'

'So I saw,' the Doctor answered. 'And now?'

'And now the civil war begins,' the Dalek replied. 'You must leave now, Doctor, before I can no longer protect you.'

'Well, nothing lasts for ever,' the Doctor murmured. 'I can't say it's been a pleasure. Come along, Sam.'

'That's it?' she asked him. 'We just go?'

'Yes,' he replied. 'We just go.' A Red Dalek moved into the room. 'Ah, our escort, I see.' He turned back to the Dalek Prime. 'I trust you won't be upset, but I sincerely hope you manage to wipe one another out.'

'We shall see, Doctor.' The Dalek Prime spun about to face the other way. 'I have a war to win.' It moved from the room, in the direction of the control room.

'This way,' the Red Dalek commanded. It led them down a short corridor to a different lift. Sam took one last look at the screen before following.

War had, indeed, begun.

The Black Dalek had exploded under intense fire. As it did so, Davros was surrounded by several other Daleks, each of them transmitting the recognition code. They formed a living shield about him as others in the room turned on one another.

It was utter chaos. Dalek fired on Dalek, the air crackling with the discharge of energy weapons. Davros caught only wild glimpses around as his escort sought to move him from his exposed position. A Dalek on the ramps exploded, falling to the floor below in a raging fireball. Three Daleks fired on a Black Dalek, damaging it, and then finished it with a second burst. A group of Daleks took on a second group, flashes detonating all around. The holographic projector collapsed in on itself.

The Gold Daleks formed a phalanx, firing about them. They didn't appear to be distinguishing friend from foe, annihilating anyone who was in their way. They were simply attempting to retreat from the room, probably to head up the battle.

'The Dalek Prime is dead,' one of the Black Daleks informed Davros.

'Idiot,' Davros snapped. 'That wasn't the Dalek Prime. It was a robot. There was no protoplasm inside it. The Dalek Prime expected our revolution.' For the first time, Davros began to wonder if he was out-thinking the Dalek Prime after all. 'Concentrate our forces. We must take the s.p.a.ceport first, and then the control centre.'

'All has been prepared,' the Black Dalek a.s.sured him. 'Victory will be yours.'

Yes! This prophecy was surely correct.

Sam looked around apprehensively as the lift doors opened. She had expected to see Daleks battling one another in the corridor, but there was nothing. 'This is a very peaceful war,' she muttered.

'Right now, both sides are going to be concentrating on the most important targets,' the Doctor answered.

'Which are?' Sam asked. 'If it's all the same to you, I'd sooner avoid any major areas of conflict.'