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2. Happy Landings?
 he wasteland sat in its shroud of silence that erupted after Mok had felt the MP's power. A ghostly cascade of mist flowed and moved over the crater smashed ground, dodging the empty uniforms of soldiers from Haft control. Yet...a noise, a slow repetitive bleep...bleep...bleep...emitted from the small communicator that had tumbled from Mok's pouch scant seconds before the fiery melt. The noise continued 'bleeping' out a message to the dead...
The 'bleeps' soon found accompaniment in the form of a wheezing groaning noise. The TARDIS' shimmering shape found substance and solidity and stood like a huge blue tombstone in the deserted, war stricken area.
The door was slammed back and the Doctor marched out, obviously in the foulest of moods. He turned to the blue box and gave it a kick from his red and green coloured shoe. 'Why?' he shouted at the TARDIS and then at the deserted landscape, 'Why? Why break down now - now of all times. I haven't visited Mecotos Gamma for centuries, you know - so you decide to break down! Typical!' He roared to the silent blue bulk that sat obscurely perched on the burnt ground.
The door opened again, this time more quietly and Peri emerged from the time machine. She glanced around her and, being quite unaware that she wasn't on the famous Mecotos Gamma asked the obvious question:
'Where are we?'
The Doctor looked at her, muttered something along the lines of 'Harrumph!' and sat down on a boulder. Peri knew this mood well - the Doctor's sixth body and personality used it often. It was his " Things aren't going my way and I'm going to let the world know about it" mood and it was pointless trying to make sensible conversation. She heard a noise at her feet and picked up a small black 'bleeping' box. She showed the Doctor.
'What's this?' she asked, turning the box over in her hands.
'If it's a bomb, throw it into the TARDIS...' he muttered and turned away.
Peri pocketed the device and walked a little way over the rugged land. She tripped on something bulky and she fell to the ground heavily. She rolled over and saw what it was she had fallen over...she screamed...
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Peri's scream shattered the stillness of Kayj's control room. Everyone froze. The doors hummed open again, the men saluted again.
'Replay!' he shouted to the Communications Officer, before settling down in his white chair. The officer did as he was commanded and hit 'play'.
The scream cut its way through the air again. The men froze and listened.
'When did this take place?' Kayj asked.
Gaust checked through the reams of computer readout on his desk. 'Battlefield sensors registered this, er...noise about two minutes ago. Five minutes before hand, a faint sort of wheezing noise was detected and muffled speech. All the detectors picked up was the word "Mecotos Gamma", sir.'
Kayj swung his chair to the communications Officer. 'The scream was definitely "female", was it?' The officer nodded. Kayj looked thoughtful. Noises, speech and a female scream - all taking place a good half hour after Mok and his cronies were melted. Kayj walked to the communications outlet and activated the microphone. His voice bellowed from every speaker in The Ivory Tower:
'Every available combat unit get kitted up and search area nine of the battlefield...I want anyone, anyone out there to be brought here dead or alive...'
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The Doctor helped Peri to her feet and sat her down on a boulder. 'Are you okay?' he queried the shaking girl. She nodded and tried to smile. She couldn't. The Doctor put his coat around her shoulders and walked over to the object that had felled Peri.
It was the uniform of a soldier - yet, not just a uniform. Because seeping out of the empty legs and arms of the uniform was liquid flesh and bone, tissue and skin. A plastic I.D. tag with the name "Hite" punched into it was slowly sinking in the remnants of the melted man. The Doctor could understand Peri's revulsion - it was a barbaric way to die, even in war. He trotted back over to the young American and helped her up.
'Shall we try for Mecotos Gamma again?' he asked.
Peri smiled and nodded, allowing herself to be led away to the battered blue box that stood in front of them. A noise. A click of a rifle having its safety catch removed suddenly hit the silent air.
The Doctor and Peri froze, hardly daring to breath. Another click, followed by uniformed figures emerging from the shroud of mist, each carrying automatic machine guns. Guns that were levelled at them both.
The Doctor glanced at Peri. Should he risk it? Should he risk throwing open the door to the TARDIS and diving in with his young companion and vanishing? Should he put their lives on the line? He glanced at the blue time machine - so near, yet so far. Should he risk it?
No.
He dropped the TARDIS key into his pocket and slowly raised his hands. Peri did likewise, and they were marched off to The Ivory Tower for a meeting with Commander Kayj.
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the ivory tower page3
