Part 17 (1/2)

The Matrona, peering out fearfully, saw Sil and Kiv and came anxiously to meet them. 'Anarchy has broken out,'

she said as Crozier came out of the laboratory to join her.

'What's happening out there?'

Sil grimaced. 'Just a few thousand servants going mad!

And good riddance I say! All they do is eat you out of house and home!' Kiv, from behind Sil, began to sob uncontrollably.

Crozier went to examine the leader of the Mentors.

After a moment of deliberation he reached his decision.

'Kiv is deteriorating. I must operate. Prepare Kiv and the girl at once!'

After their moment of liberation, panic then made the ma.s.s of Alphans want to escape from the underground world of the Mentors. Trying to reach the laboratory of Crozier, in order to free Peri, the Doctor and his group found it difficult to progress against the tide of Alphan servants and workers who were running under a desperate compulsion to reach the open air.

'Clear the way... I must find my lady!' Yrcanos shouted, thrusting bodies aside as he headed through the stream of fleeing Alphans.

Tuza, sheltering behind the king as much as he could, a.s.sumed the Doctor was dose up behind him. But, unnoticed by Tuza or Yrcanos, a baffling phenomena was taking place an unremitting force was dragging the Doctor backwards. Try as he might the Doctor could do nothing to resist the mysterious power that swept him away from the main throng and into a side pa.s.sage.

With a sudden trumpeting sound the TARDIS appeared; the door opened. The Doctor, helpless to resist, was drawn inside. The door closed. The TARDIS began to dematerialise. Soon the pa.s.sage was empty of the TARDIS which, taken out of time, was spinning down a white shaft of light.

In the courtroom the Doctor, like the rest of the Time Lords, averted his eyes from the brilliance of the light that shone from the Matrix screen. 'I remember now... I remember!' The flood of light pouring from the screen lessened. The words burst on the a.s.sembled Time Lords.

'Whatever made you take me out of time when you did? I remember it all! How I only pretended to help the Mentors. I was on my way to save Peri!'

The Inquisitor spoke authoritively. 'Things had gane too far, you had released chaos and allowed your companion to take part in an experiment that would affect all future life in the universe!'

'I did try to stop it,' the Doctor said, his voice bitter and stubborn.

'But you could not succeed. It was too late and therefore necessary, under the direct order of the High Council, to prevent the consequence of Crozier's experiment.'

The Inquisitor turned to the screen. 'I suggest you watch this final sequence most carefully, Doctor.'

The Matrix activated and the final act of the tragic adventure began.

'A perfect transfer,' the Matrona completed her final neural readings. Crozier nodded. He seemed dazed at the accomplishment of his life's dream.

'I believe we have altered the basis of all future life.'

Sil was staring at the two inert bodies that lay on adjoining tables. Both Peri and Lord Kiv both seemed dead to him. 'Kiv's brain is inside the head of that repulsive Earth being?'

Crozier smiled at Sil's lack of understanding. 'No. I have achieved much more than that I have transferred only the contents of Kiv's mind into the brain of the woman.'

'Sir...' The Matrona indicated that the body of the girl was beginning to stir.

'Thank you, Matrona. We will soon see if we have been over optimistic.'

'What of the Earth woman's mind?' Sil asked.

'Quite gone. Mentally she no longer exists.'

A slow dawn of understanding began to glimmer inside the crafty brain of Sil. 'And you can transfer any mind into any body?'

'Yes. When the Earth woman's brain ages, I can transfer the mental energy and consciousness of Lord Kiv on to yet another body. He need never die!'

Sil bounced up and down; from his mouth bubbled a froth of excitement at the prospect stretching before him.

'Immortality!' he cried in ecstasy.

Tuza and Yrcanos looked up and down the mist-shrouded corridor. 'Now where?' the Warlord asked.

'Around the next corner.'

'Good.' Yrcanos checked the automatic phaser he was carrying it was a more developed model with greater fire capacity and range than the usual hand weapon. 'I shall enjoy destroying Crozier.'

Tuza was not paying attention but kept glancing behind him as if expecting someone to join them. 'What are you looking for, Tuza, phantoms?'

'Do you not have the feeling something's missing?'

'No.' Yrcanos began to move off.

Tuza hurried to join him. 'It was as though there was someone else here just a minute ago... that there were three of us.'

Yrcanos clapped Tuza on the shoulder and grinned.

'You sense the presence of Milda, the great G.o.d of war.

That is good. It seems I will make a warrior out of you yet... wait!' Through the mist a figure loomed. Yrcanos thrust the automatic phaser out ready to blast away.

'Wait!' Tuza said as a bewildered Alpha woman servant tottered toward them.

'What must I do?' she beseeched Tuza.

'Go and find others like you go with them soon you will see the world clearly again.'

'Thank you... thank you...' the woman said and wandered away.