Doctor Who: BBC Past Doctor Adventures [014] - Dreams of Empire by Justin Richards

Author:Justin Richards
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780563405986
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 1998-08-03T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Fine Nets and Stratagems

Trayx was annoyed but philosophical. ‘He won’t tell us anything now, but the fact that he’s been killed is useful information in its own right.’

They were in the Banqueting Hall, which Trayx had made his centre of operations. The table was now covered with screens and control consoles. Cables snaked under the table and across the floor to concealed power and video outlets.

The Observation Room was too near the main docking bays as well as being too small for comfort. It was from here that Trayx would command the defence of Santespri.

Prion was with Trayx, directing the setting up of the systems. ‘We now know that we cannot trust everyone within the fortress,’ he pointed out. ‘Whether Sponslor killed Remas or not, there is still at least one traitor within these walls who is prepared to kill.’

‘So what’s your plan?’ Jamie asked. ‘Do we just sit here and wait for the ship to arrive?’

‘Yes and no.’ Trayx said. ‘We’ll set up the defences, assuming that the ship will dock. But at the same time, it will soon be within range of our countermeasures.’

‘And what countermeasures are these, exactly?’ the Doctor asked.

‘Ah, I was forgetting the strange gaps in your knowledge. The indications so far are that we are up against a force of VETACs. Perhaps a whole legion.’

‘And these VETACs are soldiers?’ Jamie asked.

‘Indeed they are. The ultimate soldiers.’ Trayx allowed Prion to explain.

‘The Virtual Electro-Targeted Attack Computer is the most sophisticated armament in known space. The legionnaires are drone troops which have limited strategic and tactical reasoning capabilities. They are dependent on the instructions of a command unit relayed over a virtual network. The commander is usually backed up by a lieutenant with broadly similar capabilities to ensure a level of redundancy.’

Jamie nodded, as if this all made perfect sense to him.

‘I still don’t understand,’ Victoria admitted.

‘I think they’re robots,’ the Doctor explained. ‘Robot troops.’ Victoria frowned. ‘And how many of these robots are there in a legion?’

‘A full legion of the Haddron Republic comprises a single VETAC command unit and as many troops as that unit can channel instructions to.’ Prion seemed to think this answered the question.

‘So how many is that?’

‘Originally a VETAC commander could manipulate two hundred and fifty-six units. But that was soon enhanced to allow for five hundred and twelve.’

‘Five hundred?’ Victoria looked at the Doctor in horror.

Prion continued unperturbed. ‘A modern legion would consist of one thousand and twenty-four units. Plus the commander and lieutenant.’

Jamie threw his hands up in disbelief. ‘Now how on earth do we fight that?’

The Doctor seemed less worried, though his expression was grave. ‘You mentioned some sort of countermeasures. Would I be right in thinking you have a software weapon of some sort?’

Trayx looked at Prion before he answered, but his ADC made no comment – his expression remained static. ‘The arsenal does include two toxin projectiles. Soon, when the ship is within range, we will launch one of them into its immediate vicinity.’

Trayx sighed, as if he were reluctant to take the offensive in this way.

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