Doctor Who: Target - Novelisations [005] - The Armageddon Factor by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426201045
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1983-05-14T22:00:00+00:00

9

The Armageddon Factor

Romana and Merak were standing a little apart, looking on anxiously as the Doctor engaged in a long conversation with Mentalis, using K9 as his interpreter.

After a final flurry of bleeps, the Doctor turned away. ‘It’s no use. Mentalis won’t tell us anything about Astra and refuses all access to its memory banks. It did tell me something else, though, something rather disturbing.’

‘What’s that?’ asked Romana apprehensively.

‘Mentalis has been programmed that the war is over. Which means it can’t attack. But according to Sharp, the Marshal will soon be on his way here with the intention of blowing Zeos to smithereens.’

Romana frowned. ‘Surely Mentalis will react.’

The Doctor nodded. ‘Oh yes, Mentalis is convinced its invincible. It isn’t programmed to accept defeat.’

‘So what will it do?’

‘Fire a salvo of automated missiles that will totally obliterate Atrios, and then self-destruct. The term it used was obliteration. So if the Marshal attacks, first Atrios will be destroyed and then a rather big bang will blow up the whole of Zeos. The war will end in a draw. It’s the way these military minds work, you see. Destruction rather than defeat. You could call it the Armageddon Factor.’ He looked round the circle of worried faces and went on, ‘Has it ever occurred to you Shapp, that you and the Marshal and Mentalis here might all be in a kind of interplanetary arena, playing out this game for the benefit of some alien, evil spectator?’

‘You mean there’s a kind of third force involved, Doctor?’ asked Romana.

‘Oh yes, and I think I’ve met him. Calls himself the Shadow…’

Flanked by mute, hooded guards, the Shadow appeared in the doorway of Princess Astra’s cell.

He moved towards her, and she screamed and strained away, tugging vainly against her chains.

The Shadow moved closer, closer… He stretched out his skeletal hand to her throat… Princess Astra arched her back and screamed – then went suddenly still and silent.

When the Shadow stepped back, there was a small black cylinder at her throat.

The Shadow spoke. ‘Princess Astra, do you hear me?’

‘I hear you Master.’

‘Good. There are duties you must perform. You will help me in my quest, do you understand?’

‘Yes, Master.’

‘You are to meet your lover soon, Princess. Smile!’

Astra smiled. It was like a grimace on the face of a corpse.

The Doctor had made his plans and was outlining them to his companions. ‘I’ve got to work out away to neutralise Mentalis – and there mustn’t be any attack from the Marshal while I’m doing it. Merak, you and Shapp have got to go back to Atrios via the transmat. Tell the Marshal the war is over, tell him he’s won. Tell him anything, but don’t let him attack Zeos!’

‘Suppose he won’t listen?’ asked Shapp.

‘He’s got to. If the Marshal attacks, Mentalis will trigger the Armageddon sequence. Bang! Both planets will end up as bits of dust floating around the cosmos – including the Marshal. Tell him that!’ He looked impatiently at them. ‘Well, go on, what are you waiting for?’

‘What about Astra?’ said Merak.

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