Doctor Who: Target - Novelisations [053] - The Robots of Death by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426200611
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1979-02-13T23:00:00+00:00

9

Pressure

The Doctor waved Dask to the adjoining control-bank. ‘We’ve got to cut the Zeta power-links. You do the port drive unit, I’ll do starboard.’

The Doctor was already groping inside the control console with the insulated shears, and a moment later Dask was at the other console, doing the same.

They worked silently, sweat dripping from their foreheads. Suddenly, the Doctor gave a grunt of satisfaction. ‘Got it!’ There was a bright flash and a shower of sparks from the Doctor’s console.

‘Now you, Dask,’ shouted the Doctor. ‘Get the other one!’

Moments later there was a flash from Dask’s console.

The Doctor went over and slapped him on the back. ‘Good man!’

Dask straightened up, his usually impassive face showing sign of the tremendous strain. The tortured scream of the motors faded away.

‘All motive units are closing down,’ said V.16, reporting success in exactly the same tones it had used for disaster. ‘All readings falling to safety.’

‘Good,’ said the Doctor cheerfully. ‘Now our troubles really begin!’

The scanner screen flickered and went dark.

V.14 said, ‘Surface scanners now inoperative.’

‘We’re sinking,’ said Dask, his voice as calm as that of the robot. Checking a depth gauge he added, ‘Rate of descent, two metres per second.’

The Doctor looked quizzically at him. ‘I like a man who stays calm, Dask – but this isn’t the Titanic, you know.’

‘I’m sorry, Doctor, I fail to understand the allusion.’

‘If the damaged motive units can be repaired,’ said the Doctor impatiently, ‘then the miner can refloat itself. But there’s not much time, we’d better get on with it.’

‘I will see what I can do,’ said Dask calmly.

‘Good! Let me give you a hand.’

‘That will not be necessary, Doctor. It will be better if you stay here and repair the control links.’ Dask hurried away. The Doctor went over to the control console, reached for the toolkit, and set about repairing the damage he had just caused.

Toos watched him anxiously. ‘There’s not much time, Doctor. Pressure on the hull is increasing all the time.’

The Doctor went on working. ‘I’m sure Dask knows what to do.’

Leela sniffed. ‘It’s getting warmer. And the air smells different.’

‘The refrigeration and filtering systems are being affected by the pressure,’ said Toos sombrely. She reached for a control, wincing as a stab of pain shot through her left shoulder.

A light flashed on the communications console and Toos said, ‘Yes?’

A voice said, ‘This is SV.7 here. Commander Uvanov is injured. Poul has instructed that he be restrained. Confirmation is required.’

‘Confirmed. SV.7, I want damage control teams at work in all sections, and I want a full mine integrity check carried out at once. Clear?’

‘Yes – Commander.’

Toos winced and rubbed her shoulder again, and Leela saw that her right arm was dangling uselessly. ‘Let me see that,’ demanded Leela, and began examining Toos’s arm and shoulder with skilful fingers. ‘Badly wrenched, but I don’t think anything’s actually broken. Why didn’t you say something earlier?’

‘I had too much to do!’

The Doctor looked up from his work. ‘Well, you’ve nothing to do now, Toos, not till I get finished.

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