THE CHOSEN CURSE
Chapter 7 Everyone standing near the tractor heard Ken's wail of despair, and turned to look. Without hesitation, Ken dashed with astonishing speed, out into the barnyard. Taking up where Barbie had left off, he dragged Ringstaff to safety behind the hay wagon. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."." The Doctor said to Ken, who turned to stare at Barbie. Before the Doctor had finished speaking, the android was already racing back to Barbie's body. "No!Wait! Don't!" The Doctor shouted, wishing with both his hearts that he'd been able to stop this. But, it was too late. Kneeling in the dirt, Ken cradled Barbie's headless body in his arms. Until another laser bolt from the woods, shot through his chest, leaving a smoking hole there. Ken's body stayed upright for a few seconds, before crumpling on top of her. Donna looked at the Doctor, as he stared remorsefully at the bodies of the two androids. He looked so old and sad, all of the sudden. She reached over and took his hand. He looked down at her, and she nodded her head, her eyes trying to convey that she shared his feelings. She'd also come to like the two androids in the short time she'd known them. The Doctor slipped her a tiny smile of gratitude, and squeezed her hand, thinking, not for the first time, how lucky he was to have a friend like Donna. "Now, before we do anything else, let's have a look at that leg, hmm—?." The Doctor said, turning to Ringstaff. He fetched out his glasses and his sonic screwdriver, and crouched down beside the wounded man. "Donna, see if you can find a knife or a pair of scissors somewhere about." He said over his shoulder. A few moment's search netted a pair of kitchen shears. Donna handed them to him. Carefully cutting up the man's trouser leg, the Doctor pulled the fabric carefully away from the wounds. Ringstaff hissed with pain. Apologizing, the Doctor slipped on the eyeglasses and ran the sonic over the man's leg. Ringstaff was sweating and breathing hoarsely. Donna had to look away. There was a nasty second degree burn, and a deep gash in the skin. "Just hold still." The Doctor said softly. "This will only take a second. Won't hurt a bit." After checking the readings, he pocketed the sonic and his glasses and looked at Ringstaff. "Don't worry." He said, giving the man a reassuring smile, "There's no permanent damage to the leg. First aid kit in the TARDIS will take care of the wound. I think I also can scrounge up some stuff you can put that burn. Smells like dung, but it'll stop the pain. You'll be up and about, before you know it. All ship shape in Bristol fashion. Or don't you army blokes fathom nautical terms?" The Doctor grinned at his own joke. "Get it? Fathom?" "Thank you, Doctor. But, that...that android. 'Barbie'. She saved my life. I don't understand. Why did it do that?" Ringstaff asked, stifling a grown as the Doctor helped him to his feet. "An offshoot of her prime directive, quite possibly. Never harm a human. Her programming wouldn't let her stand by and see you get hurt. Plus, I think she may have fancied you." The Doctor said, as he and Donna helped Ringstaff up into the hay wagon. "I bet Malibu Barbie couldn't resist a man in a uniform." Climbing back down to the floor, the Doctor watched as Donna heaved herself over the top of wooden slats making up the sides of the wagon. She settled into the hay beside Ringstaff, fussing around a bit, helping him to get comfortable. Nazene was standing next to the tractor, keeping an eye trained on the woods, in case the guardsman decided to show himself. "You coming sergeant? Or aren't you finished killing things yet?" The Doctor asked bitterly, as he clambered up into the driver's seat of the big tractor once more. "Alright everyone...," He called back to Donna and Ringstaff, "...welcome to the hay ride portion of our first annual End of the World picnic and fun fair. For your own safety, please keep your arms and legs inside the wagon at all times. Hang on! Off we go!" The Doctor called out. He used the sonic to re-start the engine. Nazene grabbed hold and swung up onto the wagon, as the Doctor flipped on the tractor's head lamps. Clinging to the wooden slats on the side, the sergeant stared sullenly at the Doctor's back. "I don't kill for fun, Doctor. I'm a soldier. That's my job." Nazene mumbled petulantly, knowing that even if the Doctor heard him, he probably would ignore it. The Doctor slammed his foot down on the pseudo-petrol pedal. The machine gave a mighty roar, like a four-wheeled dragon. Showing an unusual amount of speed for a tractor, the machine took off out of the farmyard like a shot, nearly heeling over as it rounded the corner of the cottage. Donna and the others were hanging on to the wooden sides of the hay wagon for dear life. With its enormous wheels churning up the dirt, the tractor straightened out and roared down the track in the direction of the TARDIS. A brisk night wind swept over the hidden knoll where the Doctor had left the TARDIS. It mercifully concealed the bodies of the dead advisor, the Dacanese diplomats and the pilot. Also, tucked away out of sight, were the bodies of the emperor's other advisors. They'd been systematically executed by the imperial guard, on some ridiculous trumped up charge which Yenhir had improvised, in his final moments before leaving for Torsaaga. The only sounds were that of the wind and the harsh croak of a night bird, feasting on one of the bodies. Slowly, the silence of the dead was broken by the roar of the big tractor. Its head lamps sent twin beams of white light stabbing into the night, to tear apart the darkness. As the Tractor came to the knoll, it stopped. Framed in the head lamp beams was the reassuring square blue shape of the TARDIS. The Doctor killed the lights, got down and unlocked the TARDIS door. Donna and the others piled out of the wagon, and one by one, entered the time ship. Last to go inside was the Doctor, pausing just a moment to look wistfully at the tractor. Maybe when this was over, he could come back and drive Super Tractor back to farmer Brown's. Without the wagon. So he could do wheelies. "Oi! Spaceman!" Donna shouted from inside. "I know you want to stay here and play with your new toy. But, we've got the end of the world to think of. Priorities, yeah?" Regretfully, the Doctor stepped into the console room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He knew there was no going back, even if it did come out all right. There would be too many hard questions. Too many deaths to explain. And, in nine hundred and some odd years, he found that was one thing which never got any easier. Lifting up a piece of metal decking, the Doctor hauled out the first aid locker. Instructing Ringstaff to sit in the jumpseat, he'd patched the man up in a matter of minutes. While he worked, Ringstaff gave him the various codes he'd need to stop the missiles. As the Doctor was putting the kit away, Donna took over, proudly showing the two men around the console room. Donna was rattling on about the TARDIS to the two astonished men. The Doctor smiled to himself as he busied himself at the controls, listening to her. She wasn't quite getting everything right, but he had to give her points for enthusiasm. Donna suddenly reminded him of a very keen tour guide he'd once met at the Valley of the Queens in Egypt. The young Egyptian had told the Doctor that a giant statue of a god had lost its head during a religious upheaval. The Doctor hadn't the heart to tell him it had actually been damaged by a flying saucer. The Judoon had had to confiscate the ship and shoot the pilot for drink driving. With coordinates provided by a grateful Ringstaff, the TARDIS rematerialized deep underground in Torsaaga's main missile complex. The door creaked open. The Doctor went first, Ringstaff and Donna following behind him. Nazene brought up the rear. They were in a wide, curving hallway. Pipes ran along the walls, and the concrete floor was damp. Everything was back lit with a dull orange glow, coming from strips of florescent style light strips, which were set at intervals high on the walls. "Your planet's still here, then." Donna said, giving Ringstaff and Nazene a smile. Ringstaff bowed and agreed. Nazene said nothing. He was looking both ways down the corridor, acting jittery. "Yes indeed, Donna!" Ringstaff smiled. "Your ship is truly a marvel, Doctor." He said, turning to shake the Doctor's hand. Then the man frowned. "I just hope we're in time. The emperor has probably landed, by now. It's going to be cutting it rather fine, I'm afraid." "Where are we, exactly?" The Doctor asked. "The control centre for the missile complex is one floor above us. However, the routing computer which sends the signals to the missiles, is located down here, on the lowest level." Ringstaff told the Doctor in a low voice. "They keep them separate to avoid any danger of sabotage. No staff is allowed on this level. Not even the guards. Only myself, the emperor and the top officer in charge here, know about this place." "Where is the room where the computers are kept?" The Doctor asked. "It's..." Ringstaff began to say. "You killed them." Nazene growled, out of the blue. "What?" Ringstaff asked, confused at the sergeant's sudden change of conversation. "Sergeant, not now!" The Doctor warned. "Bastard! A lot of good soldiers died today. My mate, Corporal Fapter. He was just a kid! We could've won. None of this would have happened." Nazene said, his eyes suddenly going mad looking. "All because of you. You and that lying, self-serving..." His voice trailed off. Nazene pulled out the little laser pistol he'd taken from Ringstaff, earlier that day. With shaking hands, he pointed it his former commandant. Ringstaff reacted instantly. Reaching into a hidden pocket in his baggy military tunic, he yanked out a laser pistol, which he'd picked up from the floor of the burning barn. The gun in his hand stayed down by Ringstaff's side. He didn't want anything more right at that moment, than to stop the emperor from sending off those bombs. The Doctor stepped out of the way and got Donna behind him. "No, don't! You can't!" He shouted to Nazene. "Please don't, sergeant!" Ringstaff pleaded. "I don't want to kill anymore. Don't make me do this!" Without another word, Nazene blew a hole dead-centre through Ringstaff's heart. At the moment of impact, Ringstaff's finger involuntarily tightened on the trigger of his own gun. The shot went upward, right through Nazene's skull. Silence reigned in the cold, sterile hallway of the underground bunker. The Doctor didn't need to check for vital signs. Both men were obviously dead
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