Free Doctor Who: Engines of War by George Mann Page B

into the other ship.
    ‘Right,’ whispered the Doctor, touching the top of her arm to get her attention. ‘This is our chance. There’s a ramp just around here.’ He indicated by waving his thumb. ‘Slowly and quietly, and stay by my side.’
    Cautiously, they crossed the courtyard and ascended the ramp. Cinder kept her weapon slung at her hip, her finger close to the trigger. She could hardly believe what she was doing. If Coyne could see her now…
    Side by side, the two of them stepped into the yawning maw of the Dalek ship.
    Inside, the walls were comprised of a series of crystalline archways patterned with small roundels, and through which lurid colours – yellows, greens, ochres and purples – pulsed like blood pounding through a network of arteries and veins.
    A wide passageway appeared to run around the circumference of the ship, offering them the choice of going left or right. Cinder’s heart was hammering in her chest, expecting a Dalek to round one of the bends at any moment. For now, though, they seemed to be alone.
    ‘Well, that was easier than I thought,’ she whispered.
    ‘Getting in is the easy bit,’ replied the Doctor. ‘It’s getting out that’s usually the problem.’
    ‘Oh, thanks for that,’ she muttered. She realised her hands were trembling as she tried to hold her gun level. ‘So, what now?’
    The Doctor shrugged. ‘We take a look around. Each of these domes will be given over to a specific purpose. Let’s find out which of them we’re in.’
    Staying close to the wall, they followed the passage as it snaked around to the left, peering ahead for any sign of oncoming Daleks. Sheer luck had got this far, Cinder was sure, and she was convinced they would find themselves surrounded at any moment. Surely the Daleks must have monitoring systems aboard their ships?
    After a while the passage branched to the right, splitting into a number of narrow tunnels that appeared to lead deeper into the ship. The Doctor – who seemed to be arbitrarily deciding which way to go – led her down one of these smaller, tributary corridors with a wave of his hand.
    Here, there was a row of panels in the wall resembling doors; large metal sheets inset into archways. They didn’t appear to have any controls. Or, Cinder considered, any handles. Well, that answered that question, at least.
    ‘Are these cells?’ asked Cinder. ‘Might there be prisoners inside?’
    ‘Possibly,’ said the Doctor. ‘It’s hard to tell from out here, although I imagine they’re keeping them all together on the other saucer, or in some of the buildings nearby.’
    ‘We should check,’ she said. ‘How do I open the door?’
    ‘Walk towards it. They’re motion activated,’ he replied.
    Cinder crept towards the door, but nothing happened.
    ‘No, not like that,’ said the Doctor. ‘Walk at it with purpose, like a Dalek.’ He strode forward confidently, puffing out his chest. There was a click and a mechanical whirr, and a second later the door whooshed open, sliding up into the roof.
    The room revealed beyond was a relatively large chamber, filled with all manner of bizarre equipment and technological ephemera. The stench that wafted out, however, was almost enough to cause her to keel over and vomit. Immediately, she wished she’d kept on walking.
    The Doctor stepped inside, and she followed, wrinkling her nose at the smell. It was foul, like rancid, rotting meat. Something inside the room was very wrong indeed.
    Five glass structures stood against the rear wall. They were transparent, but shaped in the archetypal form of a Dalek, complete with a glass manipulator arm and weapon.
    Cinder hefted her gun, expecting them to swing into action at any moment. She backed up, glancing from side to side.
    The Doctor held out his hand, reassuring her. ‘They’re not living Daleks,’ he said. ‘At least not yet. Take another look.’
    Still a little unsure, she crept closer. Through the glass walls of the casing she