Doctor Who: Space War Read Online Free PDF

and the Draconian Consulate in Helsinki has been burnt to the ground. In Los Angeles demonstrators burnt an effigy of you.’
    ‘I see.’ She considered. ‘We must compensate the Draconian Government for the loss of their consulate.’
    ‘Really, Madam President!’ Williams felt his temper flaring again. ‘What about them compensating us for—’
    A light on the desk telephone began to flash. The President lifted the phone. ‘Yes?’ She listened, then quietly replaced the phone. ‘That cargo ship, it’s just been found drifting in Space.’
    ‘Any sign of the Draconians?’ Williams had heard it all before and knew what the answer would be.
    She shook her head. ‘The rescue ship arrived too late to catch them. The Earth ship isn’t responding to any signals. Our people are about to board it now. We’ll soon know what really happened.’
    ‘Perhaps,’ said General Williams. if there’s anyone alive to tell the story.’
    The flashing lights and high-pitched buzzing inside the Doctor’s mind slowly subsided. He realised he was lying face down on a metal deck and that somewhere a girl’s voice was calling to him.
    ‘Doctor! Over here!’
    It was Jo’s voice. The Doctor tried to move his arms first. They felt heavy as lead weights. Slowly he drew up his legs.
    ‘Here, Doctor! I’m locked in here!’
    He looked round to the source of the calling. The bolted door to the cubicle swam into vision. A hand, Jo’s hand, protruded through the little grille, waving to draw attention. By now the Doctor’s twin hearts were starting to pump blood through his veins. He staggered to his feet, lurched across the deck towards the cubicle door, slid away the two bolts. The door opened and Jo came out.
    ‘Doctor, are you all right? I thought they’d killed you.’
    He shook his head. ‘Some kind of neutronic stun-gun. But why didn’t they kill me?’ He shook his head again, to clear it. ‘What happened?’
    ‘An Ogron threw me back into this little cell place, then they took all the cargo. And, Doctor...’
    ‘Yes. Jo?’
    ‘They took the TARDIS.’
    The Doctor looked at the corner where the TARDIS had materialised. It was empty.
    ‘We’re stranded,’ said Jo. ‘What are we going to do?’
    The Doctor forced himself to recover quickly from the shock of losing the TARDIS. ‘We’d better see what’s happened to those two fellows.’
    ‘But they wanted to kill us,’ Jo protested.
    ‘Because they thought we were Draconians. They may see things differently now. Come on.’ The Doctor walked up the corridor towards the air-lock.
    They found the air-lock door repaired and Hardy and Stewart lying unconscious near by. ‘Both stunned,’ said the Doctor, ‘just as I was. They’ll be all right.’
    Jo was studying the repaired door. ‘Why did the Ogrons go to all this trouble?’
    ‘If they hadn’t fixed the door,’ explained the Doctor, we’d have lost all the air in the ship when they cast off, and we’d all be dead.’
    ‘But why should that bother them?’
    ‘Maybe they’ve got kind hearts, Jo. There’s good in everyone, you know.’
    Jo pulled a face. ‘You’re making fun of me, Doctor. Ogrons don’t have kind hearts, and they certainly haven’t got the intelligence to do all this and mend that door. Do you know what’s really going on?’
    ‘I’m thinking about it, Jo—’
    The Doctor stopped short as he heard a voice coming from the flight deck. ‘Look after these two fellows, Jo. I’ll go and see what that is.’ He hurried along the corridor to the flight deck. The voice was coming over the loudspeaker.
    ‘... Do you read me? I repeat, this is Earth Battle Cruiser to Earth Cargo Ship C-982. We are now approaching you. Do you read me?’
    The Doctor pulled the stalk microphone towards his lips. ‘Hello, Battle Cruiser. This is the cargo ship.’
    ‘What is your situation?’
    ‘The ship has been attacked and the cargo stolen,’ replied the Doctor. ‘The crew are stunned but