The Ice Warriors Read Online Free PDF

business about two minutes thirty-eight seconds to destruction?’
    The Doctor looked modestly pained, but spoke quietly.
    ‘Not in the least. It was near enough correct – give or take a second or two.’
    ‘Rubbish!’ snapped Clent, irritated by the thought that a human being could be the equal of his beloved computer.
    The Doctor looked offended and angry.
    ‘Check it on your precious computer then – go on!’
    Clent stared at him, then smiled arrogantly.
    ‘Miss Garrett,’ he ordered, ‘process those figures, please.’
    Jan activated ECCO and read out the relevant figures, while Clent hovered over her, smiling smugly.
    ‘Ioniser fall rate – seven two point four… Ion compensator – minus seventeen degrees… Ion flow rate – one three seven nine. Assessment, please.’
    The computer’s reply was virtually immediate. As it spoke, the smirk was wiped from Clent’s face, and he stared at the Doctor with something akin to respect.
    ‘
Immediate emergency!
’ announced the computer. ‘
In two minutes thirty-seven seconds, the reactor will suffer feed-back and explode! Action must be taken—
’
    Miss Garrett ended its panic, and looked towards Clent. It was a long time since she had seen him accept another scientist as his equal. Would he reject this one, as he had rejected Penley and so many others before him?
    ‘I apologise for the odd second,’ muttered the Doctor modestly. ‘But we can’t all be perfect, can we…’
    ‘Leader Clent,’ interjected Jan, barely restraining her excitement, ‘it’s steady on half power now. We can hold our own!’
    Its oscillators steady, the machine’s operating purr was soft as silk – the healthiest it had been for weeks. This stranger certainly knew what he was up to… Clent frowned.
    ‘Even Penley couldn’t have done better,’ he admitted. ‘But where on earth have you sprung from?’
    The Doctor threw a sharp look back at Jamie and Victoria, and raised his eyebrows. Then he turned back to Clent, smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t want to have to enter into a full explanation – and fortunately Clent was in no mood for it. In spite of being desperately tired, he was elated. Perhaps they could still win! He clapped the Doctor on the shoulder, and then read the details on his plastic tag. His mind was made up.
    ‘Flight Seven, eh?’ he repeated. ‘There won’t be any need for that. Come with me to the laboratory – I think there’s something we need to discuss…’
    At last the great block of ice stood free from the glacier face! Arden gazed in excitement; even Walters and Davis were impressed. And within it: the massive figure of an armoured man, which looked like a monument to some ancient king…
    ‘Amazing…’ whispered Walters.
    ‘A giant among prehistoric men,’ agreed Arden, his mind racing. This discovery must go back at least three thousand years!
    ‘Is it a sort of armour he’s got on, sir?’ asked Davis.
    ‘Yes,’ replied Arden. ‘And that’s the most exciting thing about it. You see, he looks pre-Viking… but no such civilisation existed in the prehistoric period before the first Ice Age.’
    ‘Proper sort of ice warrior, I’d call him,’ suggested Walters, smiling.
    ‘A good description, Walters,’ Arden agreed. ‘Even from here you can see how cruel and terrifying he must have been…’
    He recalled the old legends of the Viking raiders; brutal, bloodthirsty killers, whose only ambition had been conquest.
    ‘I reckon even Leader Clent’ll want to take a second look, don’t you, sir?’ asked Walters.
    ‘I should hope so. And what do you think that blessed computer will make of it, eh?’
    Davis had finished packing away his drilling equipment.
    ‘We’d better be getting back, sir,’ he said, looking up at the sky, ‘while the weather holds…’
    Arden nodded in agreement. Time for celebration when they’d got the Ice Warrior back to Base. What Clent would say was anybody’s guess – but he