Free Doctor Who: The Sensorites by Nigel Robinson Page A

well-ordered
society.
    'All are happy . .
.' protested the Sensorite, anticipating Susan's objections.
    '. . . but some are
happier than others,' finished Ian, amused in spite of himself at the
Sensorites' naivety.
    'I do not
understand,' their escort pursued. 'There is no disgrace in being a
member of one of the lower castes. It is simply what one is best
fitted to do.'
    They approached the
inner building of the Palace and the Warrior led them into a lift to
take them up to the Chamber of the First Elder. As he did so, John
clutched at Carol's arm, breaking the silence he had kept ever since
landing on the Sense-Sphere.
    'They're near us
now,' he said fearfully. 'I can feel an evil mind. . .'
    Carol started to
question him further, but Susan stopped her. 'His mind is open: he
can tell the difference between good and evil people,' she reminded
her, and then looked at the disturbed
astronaut. 'What is it, John? What are you trying to tell us?'
    But John was silent
again, unable to put into words the anxieties he felt in his mind. As
he and the two girls followed the others into the lift, a figure
emerged from his hiding place behind the greenery. His fears
confirmed, the City Administrator rushed down one of the walkways to
the Disintegrator Room.
    These creatures
were dangerous: it was time to destroy them.
    The Disintegrator
Room was located almost directly underneath the Palace of the Elders,
and formed part of the Science Block where Sensorite scientists
and engineers busied themselves in their appointed tasks.
    The Disintegrator
itself was a huge complex of computer banks and consoles, capable of
beaming a ray of white hot energy to any point in the City. A remnant
of the Sensorites' warring past, it had been carefully preserved and
was still kept in a state of permanent maintenance. It was now used
primarily as an excavating machine: its carefully precisioned laser
could cut through solid rock more easily than any conventional tool.
    As the
Administrator entered the room a Sensorite engineer acknowledged his
presence and stood to attention.
    'Is all prepared?'
the Administrator asked his accomplice.
    The Engineer nodded
towards the main control console of the Disintegrator. 'All I need is
the Firing Key.'
    The Administrator
handed him a long transparent plastic tube, filled with intricate
microcircuitry. The Engineer took it from him and inserted it into a
purpose-built socket on the console. The unit immediately buzzed into
life.
    'The Disintegrator
ray must be beamed directly on the Chamber of the First Elder,'
instructed the Administrator, and handed the Engineer five strips of
punched plastic. 'Five places have been assigned to the
Earth-creatures; these are the co-ordinates. In each case you must
aim at their hearts: that way we can be sure of eradicating them.'
    The Engineer fed
the five plastic strips into a slot at the side of the machine, and
then drew his superior's attention to a small video screen
on the unit. Across the screen moved five green dots: the thermal
traces of the Doctor, Ian, Susan, Carol and John. 'The Disintegrator
is now beamed and ready,' he said. 'Once the Earth-creatures enter
the room and take their positions I shall fire.'
    The minutes passed
slowly as the Administrator and the Engineer tracked the five moving
blips on the screen and watched them eventually enter the Chamber of
the First Elder. The points of light stopped for a moment and then
the two representing John and Carol separated themselves from the
others and moved off screen. Puzzled, the Engineer looked up to the
Administrator for instruction. He urged him to continue: they would
destroy the three aliens in the chamber first, and John and Carol
later.
    Suddenly an
authoritative and indignant voice broke into their concentration.
'Stop! Disconnect the Disintegrator at once!'
    The two Sensorites
turned around to see the Second Elder standing in the doorway. The
veins at his temples were pounding with outrage.
    'Why?' demanded