‘It’s Ben!’ Jamie could hardly believe it.
‘How do you feel, Ben?’ asked the Doctor.
It seemed an odd question at that moment, but Ben understood.
‘Getting back to normal, I think...’
‘We’ve only a few moments, Ben,’ called the Doctor. ‘The door must be locked from that side.’
There was a moment’s pause. ‘No sign of a key,’ said Ben.
‘Listen, Ben,’ the Doctor told him. ‘This is up to you. Go to the Central Desk. You’ll see a couple of switches marked
inflow
and
outflow
.’
‘Hold on.’ Ben hurried across to the desk. ‘Got them,’ he called.
Before the Doctor had time to speak, the Controller boomed out: ‘The other Stranger has reverted. He is no longer to be trusted. He will not obey Control.’
‘What next?’ Ben called.
‘Do you see a lever in front of them?’ The Doctor had to shout to make himself heard above the Controller whose voice was now rising in alarm.
‘The fourth Stranger is trying to help his friends! He is no longer one of us! He must be stopped!’
‘Yes, Doc. I’ve got the lever.’
The Controller seemed to confront him directly as his voice cried out: ‘You are not to touch that lever! It is forbidden to operate those instruments.’
‘Okay, Doc,’ called Ben.
‘You must not listen to the Doctor,’ screamed the Controller. ‘You must not do as he says.’
‘Go ahead, Doc,’ shouted Ben.
‘He will kill us all!’ The Controller was distraught. ‘He intends to create an explosion!’
Ben could hear the Doctor calling, but couldn’t be sure what he was saying as the Controller’s voice filled the room in panic.
‘Come away from those instruments! Guards! Guards! The pit head! Quickly! He will destroy the Colony!’
Ben turned to the screen. ‘Oh shut up, will you!’ Then he called across to the metal door. ‘Okay, Doctor. Fire away!’
‘Guards... guards... stop the strangers!’
The air was now thick in the little room. It was hard to breathe.
‘Listen, Ben,’ the Doctor managed to call. ‘Switch on both the inflow and outflow.’
‘No! Stop!’ shouted the Controller. ‘The pressure would be unbearable. For all of us. Human beings as well!’
‘Switch on, Ben... then stand by to pull the lever.’
‘You are to give no such orders,’ the Controller commanded.
Outside, the sound of guards running forced Ben to act.
‘Outflow, on,’ he called. ‘Inflow, on. Right, Doc. Ready with the lever.’
The guards burst into the pit head.
‘Throw the lever directly away from you,’ called the Doctor.
‘No! No! Don’t let him!’
As the guards raced forward, Ben pulled the lever.
There was a gigantic explosion somewhere behind the screen. It was shattered. A great wave of air flooded through the compartments beyond, surging through the passageways, bringing with it elements in which the Macra could no longer survive; destroying the parasites that had infiltrated the heart of the Colony.
‘What’s happened, Doctor?’ asked the Pilot.
‘I think your planet has been returned to its rightful inhabitants,’ said the Doctor gravely. ‘Well done, Ben,’ he added. ‘Although you did cut it a little fine.’
They stood looking at the great crater that lay beyond the screen.
‘And the Macra?’ asked the Pilot.
The Doctor shook his head. ‘The artificial structure in which they survived has been blown apart. The people of this Colony are going to have to learn to look after themselves. It will bring them freedom, but it will have its own problems.’
‘Same as we do, eh, Doc?’
The Doctor nodded. ‘Exactly the same.’
The members of the Colony surged round the dais on which the Pilot stood as he gave his speech. They cheered with relief. Only now did they realise what they had suffered, how they had been kept in check.
‘Our first duty is to thank the Strangers for the way in which they have restored our Colony to us. A festival will be held each year at this time in memory of them. As befits our community, there will be competitions in singing, music and dancing. The winners will be given our greatest prize – the Strangers’ Trophy.’
A short distance off, Polly and Jamie watched the events. All this public gratitude was a bit much. Ben made his way through the crowd to join them.
‘Where’s the old Doc?’
‘He’s playing his wee pipe.’ Jamie showed him where the Doctor sat by himself, playing his recorder.
‘I’ve got something to tell him,’ said Ben. ‘You’d better come and listen.’
The Doctor saw them hurrying across.
‘Relax... relax...’ he sang out. ‘As they say, “More haste, more waste, Leisure is for you to taste”.’ He imitated the catch phrases of the Colony.
‘Relax? Is that it?’ asked Ben. ‘Wait till you hear what they have in store for you, Doc.’
‘Me?’ The Doctor’s eyebrows shot up.
Ben nodded. ‘I’ve just heard it on the grapevine. We’re all going to be co-opted as members of the Colony... and you’re going to be the next Pilot!’
‘What! They can’t make a governor out of me! A figure of authority? What next? I’m getting out!’
‘Without attracting attention?’ queried Ben.
‘There is a way,’ said the Doctor. ‘We’ll take a tip from Jamie, and give them the old dance routine.’
They were last seen by the Colonists as they danced away – all four of them – apparently practising for the forthcoming Festivais.
But as fate had it, their dance took them at high speed back to the safety of the TARDIS.
Medok made his way back towards the big gates at the entrance to the Colony. But he was still very cautious.
Since he had surfaced from the mine shaft he had run into several of his old friends who had given him the good news – the astounding news – of what had happened to the Macra, and of the new free and liberal spirit that existed.
But Medok had been misunderstood not so long ago by these same friends, and he had suffered for it. He had tried to warn them, and everyone had accused him of having delusions. He made up his mind he’d be more discreet in future. He wouldn’t stick his neck out again.
So he paused for a long time as he stood in the shadow of the trees and watched the four figures go skipping and dancing through the little glen. He watched them stop in a very secluded spot, and for the first time he noticed a strange box-like contraption standing before them. He didn’t remember ever seeing it there before.
He was surprised as they all disappeared into the oddshaped box. It didn’t look big enough to hold four people.
There was a moment’s silence, and then he heard the faint hum of machinery – a whirling sound, a little like a dynamo in need of attention.
Perhaps this contraption was about to move. He watched carefully...
There was nothing there! It had vanished!
Not even a sound... Silence.
Medok made his way thoughtfully back to the Colony.
He had already decided he wasn’t going to push his luck.
And in the years later when everyone puzzled over the strange disappearance of the four strangers – to whom they owed so much – Medok never breathed a word of what he had witnessed...
Revision Notes:
Initial Scan by samscud
Ver 1.0: Converted to html and proofread by ST7