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Kleinarr and Garrisonne had exposed their blasters too. 'Oh, that was very foolish of you, Doctor. Try that again and you'll be vaporised.'
Prodding the Doctor and Peri in the back with the wrist-guns, the procession of Autons walked through the woods to the lights of Harry Solem's house.
The rickety gate was smashed off of its hinges as the line of killers, a Time Lord and a small frightened Earth woman walked into the small workshop of Harry Solem.
Kleinarr looked at Harry. 'You have done well, Solem.' Harry bowed, and as he did so, Kleinarr and Garrisonne directed their fire-power at the crown of his head. A short blast of energy, an explosion that erupted flesh, blood and bone in one shot and a scream from the young Earth woman.
Peri buried her head in the Doctor's coat and the Doctor's anger rose like an antagonised cobra. 'That was totally unnecessary!' the Doctor exploded in a two second burst of fury and rage.
'He had to be eradicated,' said Garrisonne, walking over the headless corpse and placing Kleinarr's thermo detonator in the low rafters, activated the bomb for maximum explosion in 3.5 minutes, Kleinarr placed the Doctor and Peri back to back and tied them together with the deftness and firmness of a mountain climber.
The long line of Autons then strode out of the door. Kleinarr paused and then spoke. 'Goodbye, Doctor, Peri and thank you for donating me your TARDIS.' The door to the workshop closed and the ominous ticking of the thermo detonator filled the workshop.
For the first, for what seemed like ages, the Doctor spoke to the still, sobbing Peri. 'Are you alright?' Between the snuffles and the sobs he caught the word yes. He then started to struggle against the bonds and told Peri to try and slip her wrists out of the constricting ropes. After a while her hands were free and she untied the Doctor with double quick speed.
The Doctor bundled them both out the door and ran for the shattered remnants of the gate. They never made it. As the explosion that followed tore through the night air the Doctor and Peri were blown off their feet as a wave of heat and light hit them. The Doctor sheltered Peri as best he could as the back of his coat began to smoulder slightly and he felt the ends of his hair slowly receded.
Then as quickly as it had happened it was all over. The Doctor rolled over onto his back and smothered the smouldering coat. Peri staggered to her feet and thanked the Doctor. They turned to the workshop. There was nothing but a fine rain of debris falling like grotesque blossom from a tree. The Doctor then heard voices approaching.
In the heart of the woods, Kleinarr stiffened as the last echoes of the explosion reverberated around the forest. He smiled and walked over to the TARDIS.
The Doctor and Peri, meanwhile, ran to the edge of the forest as the voices got nearer. The Doctor was the first to hear what they were saying...
'Father?'
Harry's children. They turned the corner and saw the smoking pit in the floor that had once been their father's workshop - and both burst into tears.
Peri felt the tears sting her eyes again and turned to the Doctor. 'Let's see if the TARDIS is still there,' he whispered to her, Peri's sobbing stopped and she looked at him.
'Why did they want to come to Earth only to leave again? Where's this war criminal too?' she asked. The Doctor could see the strain of the last half hour or so was getting to her.
He sat her down and said in one of his nicest voices. 'They aren't Galac-Fed officers, they're Autons. I think I've already told you about them, haven't I?' Peri nodded recollecting the memories of the plastic killers that the Doctor had told her about once before. He continued: 'They've obviously used those,' he pointed to the nine forgotten meteors, 'to hypnotise that poor model maker and force him to make those Autons. They, in a sense, hi-jacked us so that they could collect the others. They will undoubtedly use my TARDIS for trying to take over the Universe - everybody else generally does!' This last quip brought a smile to Peri's face. 'That's my girl,' he said very cheerfully and headed towards the TARDIS, Peri holding on to the bottom of his coat, so as not to be parted from him.
Kleinarr was extremely angry. 'I thought you had got the key!' he shouted at Garrisonne, who in turn kicked the locked door of the TARDIS. He wheeled round to face his superior.
'And I thought you were getting the key while I was planting and setting the bomb, remember?' There was a crackling of twigs and all the Autons turned as one in the direction of the sound.
There stood the Doctor holding the TARDIS key out in a teasing sort of way, while Peri cowered behind him. He smiled, 'I believe you've forgotten this, you recycled dustbin liner. Well, go and get it!' and with that the Doctor swung round and with a bowling ability of his previous incarnation still in him, threw it deep into the woods. He then glanced up at the Autons. 'Ha, jolly, ha!' he retorted and sat down on a tree stump.
Kleinarr had watched all of this with disbelieving amazement. He snapped his fingers and ordered the Autons to seek out and find the TARDIS key, while Garrisonne secured the Doctor and Peri's legs together and once satisfied that the bonds would not work free he ran off into the woods in pursuit of Kleinarr.
Peri was even more confused now. She looked at the Doctor. 'What the hell is going on?' she asked, 'Why did you ditch the TARDIS key?'
 
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the unreal upon plarrion page3
