Free Doctor Who: Space War by Malcolm Hulke Page A

help us by confessing everything, I may consider releasing you.’
    The Doctor looked about himself. Surrounded by armed guards, there was no chance of escape from this place. ‘What about my companion?’
    ‘She will remain here,’ said the President. ‘Without your influence, I hope to make her see the error of her ways. General Williams, when is the next ship to the penal colony?’
    ‘In half an hour, Madam President.’
    ‘Good.’ She turned back to the Doctor. ‘This is your last thirty minutes on the planet of your birth, which you have tried to betray. You still have time to re-consider.’
    The Doctor said, ‘I don’t wish to seem rude, Madam President, but since your mind is closed to anything beyond your immediate understanding, nothing that I say will be of the slightest interest to you. This is a great pity, since thousands of millions may die and two great empires will be destroyed through your unwillingness to grasp that I may have been speaking the truth.’
    The General exploded. ‘He’s raving mad!’
    ‘Then best that he go to the Moon,’ said the President, averting her eyes from the Doctor’s, ‘for the rest of his life.’

7
The Master
    The Doctor saw neither Earth nor the Moon on the short journey to Earth’s satellite. The penal spaceship shuttle was windowless, a series of tiny cells just large enough for a prisoner to sit clown, knees touching the metal door. From the ship the prisoners were shuffled through a narrow corridor that led directly into the prison. The Doctor’s first sight of the Moon was when they were taken into a huge room with metallic walls, and here a big window looked out on to the bleak rocky moonscape. the airless world where any escaping prisoner would die instantly through lack of oxygen.
    A Security guard lined the newly arrived prisoners against the wall facing the big window. Except for the Doctor, they all wore the prison uniforms issued to them before the journey.
    ‘Don’t move and don’t talk,’ said the guard before leaving.
    The moment the guard had left, all the prisoners stretched and shuffled cramped feet. A young, fair-haired man with a keenly intelligent face turned to the Doctor. ‘My name’s Doughty. What did they get you for?’
    The Doctor smiled. ‘You’d never believe me.’
    ‘But you’re political, aren’t you?’
    This interested the Doctor. ‘Are there many political prisoners here?’
    Doughty shrugged. ‘Who knows? The Government doesn’t give away secrets! But yes—there’s probably thousands here. Are you in the Peace Party?’
    ‘You might say that I’ve been trying to stop a war.’ ‘Me too. I tried to sabotage a rocket launching base.’
    As they talked the Doctor tried to take in his surroundings. Doors and corridors seemed to lead off from this large room in all directions. It was, he thought, some central area. Metal tables and chairs suggested prisoners could meet at this point. ‘How long is your sentence?’
    ‘Are you joking? When Security sends you to the Moon it’s for ever. This is home for the rest of our lives.’
    A stocky prisoner with short-cropped hair entered from one of the corridors. He wore the same drab grey prison uniform, though on his left arm was a bright red armband. He strutted up to the line of new prisoners.
    ‘All of you shut up and listen to me.’ He shouted rather than spoke. A small bulge in Doughty’s tunic pocket caught his eye. ‘What have you got there?’
    Doughty produced a small block wrapped in tin foil. ‘Chocolate. My allowance from the remand prison.’
    The man with the armband laughed. ‘No chocolate allowed here, son. Give it over.’ Without waiting, he snatched the little block from Doughty’s hand.
    The Doctor said, ‘Do you realise that’s stealing?’
    ‘That’s what I’m in for,’ said the armband man. ‘All of you, stand to attention! The Governor’s going to speak to you.’
    The prisoners made some attempt to stand to attention as