17.
"You'll need a much stronger power source if you want this to work. I can repair it for you and configure it, but it's still insufficient for a stable generation." The Doctor looked up at them from where he was carefully fitting a small piece into place with a jewelers screwdriver.
"Does the car need to be running, then?"
"No, that's not the point - the propulsion system is entirely separate anyway. The point is my car had an additional power source jury-rigged onto her to boost it before."
"Propulsion system?" Hodges said with surprise. "On a car? Don't they have those on jets?"
The Doctor took a breath. "A system which propels may be a reaction engine, such as you would find in a jet, or it may be a simple internal combustion engine, or even a steam-boiler." He hoped he was managing to sound patient. "It moves the vehicle forward."
"Huh." Hodges scratched his stubbled chin.
"More power? A generator maybe? We have a gas one." Blick paused to stifle a yawn. It had been after eight before any of them had roused up enough to let their captives out of the musty makeshift prison. They were still wary of the Doctor but visibly relaxing as time went on. They'd even shared a small breakfast, seeing as neither Jo nor the Doctor had seemed inclined to fight them, and Jo had stopped trying to bolt since her flamboyant coworker had been brought in. As before, the Doctor made the tea and coffee, confirming for them Blick's theory that he was a retired butler or valet.
Not permitted to stay out and help with the bedraggled roadster, Jo had then been locked back up, but this time not without some apologies on the part of the captors, especially Higgs. The Doctor smiled inwardly to see how quickly she set about charming her way into their confidence. If he was any study at all, it looked like young Higgs would soon be besotted enough with her to confide something of use.
He watched as the young man predictably made an excuse to take Jo something to drink. Yes, he and his assistant could compare notes later. For now, he would play his part and see what the extent of this group's plans really were.
"A generator wouldn't produce nearly what you need. But I do have something back at my own lab that might do the trick," he offered.
"Really?" Hodges said, surprised to have him volunteer help. He looked at him suspiciously. "What's the catch?"
The Doctor looked at him and frowned. "No catch at all. You want a working field, I've agreed to help you accomplish that goal in exchange for my assistant's freedom, remember? It won't work unless there's enough power."
"What is this thing, then? A special kind of generator?" Blick asked.
"No, more akin to a specialized battery. But I would still need to be permitted to fetch it."
"Tell them to bring it to you here."
"They'd know where you were in that event," the Doctor pointed out.
"Mr. Gorringe said they already do, but they're holding off," Blick said bluntly.
So much for the Brigadier being subtle. "Of course, I should have expected. They're military you know, quite good at tracking."
"He figured you have some kind of homing device."
"You are welcome to search me, I've nothing of the sort," the Doctor said as if offended. "But this also means it wouldn't breach your security to allow me to bring in equipment."
"True," Blick nodded. He turned to his companion. "What do you think, Hodges?"
"I think they're only keeping off because we told them their Doctor and the girl were goners if they set foot here."
"I will let them know they're still to keep distance," the Doctor put in reasonably. "I'd like to see if I can get this working myself, truth be told. It's been rather intriguing. Here, if you've some paper I can write out the message. You can look it over so you needn't wonder if there's anything compromising in it."
"Well, I don't see any problem with that," Blick said. "Long as we can see what he wrote."
"Yeah, all right," Hodges agreed. He dug in his pocket and produced a screw of dirty paper, which he smoothed out against the edge of the desk and handed to the Doctor. "Here's a pen. Go ahead."
--
"What is it, Sergeant?" Lethbridge-Stewart asked as Benton rather abruptly came into his office with a hurried salute.
"Message dropped for us sir, left in an empty milk-bottle by the gate. It's from the Doctor."
"What? In a milk-bottle? Let me see that!" The Brigadier reached for the wrinkled scrap of paper and smoothed it out. He read it over, then read it again more carefully.
"He wants that big battery thing from his lab… the one the men took from the car. We're to bring it to him, but not to interfere. That's the message."
"Anything else?" Benton asked curiously. "Doesn't seem like him to be so plain about it."
"No….it doesn't…." The Brigadier frowned at it. "Let me see. Did he ever call that battery whatsit by any kind of name or number? "
"Not that I know of, sir. He just had the men heft it into the lab. It's still there by his box."
"He's given it both here, very specifically," the Brigadier put down the paper and steepled his fingers thoughtfully, then suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed at the Sergeant. "Not a date… not coordinates… I've got it. Radio frequency! What are you waiting for, Sergeant? Go get that radio over there!"
"Yessir!" Benton said cheerfully.
--
Higgs looked over at where the Doctor seemed to be completely engrossed in soldering a small tangle of wires attached to a partially-assembled rectangular box at the workbench. He leaned over to his companions, gesturing them in closer. "I think we should tell him. About our mission. He's a right handy chap, and he'd be more likely to help us if he knew who the real enemy is."
"But he could be in cahoots with 'em," warned Blick. "You think he really invented this thing? He probably got it from those aristos, who got it from the aliens. You're wasting your breath."
"Or maybe he's a blue-blood himself," Hodges muttered. "All fine and dandy, he is."
"Am I?" asked the Doctor suddenly, making them jump guiltily. "Judging a man's convictions by the clothes he wears is a common mistake. I assure you I'm not the least related to any aristocracy at all." the Doctor waved a hand at him dismissively and turned back to Higgs. "I would be intrigued to know what you are willing to go to such great lengths for. Tell me more about this."
Higgs glanced at the others and seemed to make up his mind. He leaned forward. "For starters, there were all those strange lights not a month past, big ones, near where we picked up your car. And locals said there was an explosion with them. Then the military was there not lettin' anyone get close. And if that's not enough there's been plenty more, we've been tracking them."
"Fantastic. Very assiduous of you. What have you found?"
"Really! We have proof, people who saw these things themselves. We're not talking about swamp gas or weather balloons either, like the government say."
"I never thought you were."
Higgs paused to look closely at this odd white-haired man, but there was no trace of mockery; his audience seemed perfectly serious. He plunged ahead. "Well, even stranger, some time back there was some aliens making plastic things move. By themselves, like they were alive. Store mannequins coming out into the streets, shooting people dead. Dead! Real mannequins too, not people dressed up. We checked."
"Could it have been robotics?" the Doctor asked curiously.
"No, solid plastics, no robotics at all. We cut them open."
"Most thorough."
Blick nodded. "Then there was that radio tower that exploded, I've got a picture of that one," he put in.
The Doctor shook his head. "Have you? Quite alarming, I would think. And all of this hidden from the public?"
Blick nodded. "Of course! They don't want the common man to know that he's going to be in servitude to aliens. What would they do if they knew?"
"One can only wonder."
Blick nodded grimly. "They'll sell us all, and folks won't know what hit them. Not all of them are things like plastics. There were reports of strange men in space suits, but they weren't human, they had no faces, and they said…"
"No faces? Really, that's most unusual."
"…Well, we're not sure what that really meant. They didn't take the suits off, so they were hiding something. But they could kill someone just from touching them…"
Higgs interrupted seriously. "It's real. We know people died of it. "
"Where did they go? These space suited figures, that is."
The men looked at one another uncertainly. "We don't know," admitted Higgs, "but we expect the aliens are being hidden by the government. Possibly blended in with the population if they look human enough."
"All of them?" The Doctor looked very thoughtful and concerned. "I wonder where."
"Among the aristocracy," Hodges said gruffly. "In the House of Lords of course."
"There's others too, other aliens and sightings, all verified," Higgs continued, encouraged by the Doctor's apparent interest.
"And were there spacecraft of some kind?"
"There were some meteorites that weren't natural at all, they all came down at once and then disappeared. And one report said there was a thing that looked kind of like a police box out in the woods."
The Doctor's eyebrows quirked upward. "A police box?" he said. "Now someone's just playing with you."
"Really," the man said seriously. "Our informant was out hunting in those woods, swore he saw it. Said it was invisible, then he heard a strange noise and then it was there."
"What possible use would the aliens have for an invisible police box?" the Doctor asked reasonably. "I expect your informant was in the pub a bit too long that day. But with the exception of that and a living being going about without benefit of a face, I believe you."
Higgs was ready to defend and protest against disbelief and instead let out his breath with surprise. "You do?"
"Of course. Why should man be the only intelligent being on Earth? I've always thought there might possibly be alien life hidden away somewhere in Britain, under our own noses. It seems most plausible, when you think about it. And where better than among those with authority?"
"Exactly!" Higgs said. Blick and Hodges nodded with him.
Hodges looked very serious. "We already know they're in the aristocracy. They've been influencing the royal family and the House of Lords for years, and now they've truly become the power behind the throne of Britain."
"The aliens, you mean?"
"And the House of Lords," Blick said. "They've entered into agreements with the aliens. They keep technology like these force fields and weapons from the common people."
"To what purpose?" the Doctor wondered.
"Why, to enslave us!" Hodges said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The others nodded earnestly. "The government is run by the aristocracy, who are run by…?" He waved his hand in a prompt.
"The aliens," the Doctor nodded somberly.
"Right. Step by step, they will subjugate us, take away our freedoms. Step by step. We'll soon be nothing but servants to their like, with the blessing of our so-called superiors." He spat in emphasis.
Blick spat along with him in nonverbal affirmation.
"Monstrous. How will you stop them?" the Doctor asked, shaking his head.
"We'll make an example of them!" Higgs said, warming to the subject he grabbed at the Doctor's sleeve and shook it with emphasis. "And we're not the only ones. We've got others working with us too. They'll take care of collaring the Prime Minister, and we'll let him see the destruction of all he's planned. All of his aristos and aliens will go down in flames around him. The people will be free!" The young man was positively glowing with his misguided patriotism.
"We won't just sit back and let them rule our people, we'll show them that," Hodges chimed in fervently.
"Are you with us, Doctor?" Blick asked. He put out a hand.
The Doctor took it in a firm grip. "I would greatly regret seeing the British people subjugated or terrorized by anyone. I'll certainly do everything I can under the circumstances."
"Good man!" Hodges said as Blick pumped his hand.
"I knew you weren't one of their pawns," Higgs said with a relieved laugh. "And you sure aren't an alien!"
"Heaven alone knows what would happen if I were," the Doctor said. "Now, when do I get that battery from my lab?"
--
At luncheon, Jo was allowed out for a time and they assumed the Doctor would care for the coffee and tea for everyone, which he was happy to oblige, but as soon as they were done their captors apologetically locked both of them back up.
"Sorry, Doctor," Higgs said, "Mr. Gorringe doesn't think we should leave you without a guard."
The Doctor considered the freezer door and stepped through it once again with dignity. "You're leaving then?"
"We have to meet with the rest…" his voice trailed off awkwardly as Jo, passing him, took his hand.
"That's all right, we'll see you as soon as you get back?" she smiled up at him, all wide eyes and dimples.
Higgs flushed pink around his collar and his adam's apple bobbed. "Yes, Miss. I'll…we'll check on you straight away."
"Then we'll wait for you," she said softly and followed the Doctor into their prison. The door shut behind her and after a moment, it locked.
"Jo," the Doctor said.
"Well, it's true. What else can I do but wait for him?" She grinned and crossed to flump down on their makeshift crate-couch.
"You're going to have that poor lad walking right into walls," he chided gently.
"So it's working?"
"Yes, I dare say so."
"I don't know. He's rather sweet for a kidnapper, isn't he? He started to confide something in me earlier but old Gorringe interrupted. How did it go for you?"
He settled onto the crate next to hers and stretched out his long legs. "They told me pretty much everything."
"No! How did you do that? You didn't hypnotize them or something did you? That would be cheating."
"Of course not. I merely sympathized with their cause."
"And that cause is?"
"They want to eradicate Britain of aliens who are out to enslave the people."
"What aliens?"
"Well, that's where they have a hitch. I sincerely doubt the variety they are looking for even exist. They believe the government, the House of Lords and the upper classes in general are all being run by alien forces."
"Standard nutters, then. Kind of disappointing, really."
"More clever and determined than standard, seeing as they've gone this far, but I'm afraid their solution is more along the lines of something the Brigadier might do. They're certainly human themselves; they've decided the way to deal with it is to blow it up. So we were right, they do intend to plant explosives and destroy Parliament, or the House of Lords at the very least. Modern-day Guy Fawkes in the flesh."
"But, they can't do that!"
"They're certainly going to give it their best effort. What's more, the group they've gone off to meet are most certainly planning to kidnap the Prime Minister. They want him inside the force-field, to witness the explosives without being touched himself."
"The Prime Minister? But…. What can we do? We need to warn them."
"I'm hoping we have. I encoded some information in the note they sent out to UNIT, a request for the auxiliary battery from the lab. If the Brigadier was on his toes, he should have been listening in to the whole thing through Bessie's radio. I had it out on the workbench and set to transmit."
--
"There!" the Doctor said, "See? It rolls easily enough."
Blick, Hodges and Higgs stood around the heavy battery, now mounted on a reinforced teacart, all blowing on the mugs of coffee the Doctor had made for them at tea. They'd been dubious when they'd seen how large and heavy it was, though the soldiers who'd brought it to the warehouse door hadn't caused any trouble and had quickly withdrawn. At first Mr. Gorringe had watched from his office door rather sourly, but now seemed intrigued along with the rest.
"We'll never be able to carry that in to the aristos," were Blick's first words.
"It's mounted on wheels," the Doctor said mildly. "Simply pull it with you."
"You had it in a car," Hodges pointed out."We need to be on foot."
"Were you expecting to just drive my car right into the building? Besides, the power source is the largest and heaviest part. I should be able to rig a portable field for you, perhaps not something you could just carry along in your pocket, but significantly more compact than a roadster. Rigged to this cart, you should be able to go down any hallway with it. Cover it with a tablecloth and you may even pass for caterers."
"Hey, that's a good idea!" Higgs said. "We should've had you in with us sooner."
"Perhaps," Gorringe put in. "I want it tested as soon as possible. We're running out of time. When can you have this 'portable field' ready, Doctor Smith? And how many people will it protect?"
The Doctor looked over at the florid man where he leaned against the office door. "I expect half a dozen, provided they aren't too hefty in their proportions," he looked back at the converted teacart. "And we could probably rig something up for testing within an hour or two."
"Perfect."
--
"Now to test it!"
The Doctor made his fellow mechanics jump slightly. He'd been closely working on the tiny circuits of the force-field generator for the past hour with his jewelers glass, leaving them to their own devices. Blick was sitting in one of Bessie's ruined seats, dozing. Hodges was engrossed in a book on the history of Guy Fawkes and Higgs had wandered off towards the freezer, mumbling something about taking Miss Grant some tea.
"It's ready?" Hodges asked, immediately setting aside his book.
"In good time, we've still daylight," Gorringe said, emerging from his office once again. "You'll help us with it, of course?"
"Of course," the Doctor said. He finished wrapping the wiring that connected the smaller device to the larger battery on the teacart. "What did you have in mind?"
"This," said Gorringe in his smooth voice, and held up a handful of dynamite sticks. "But not indoors, naturally. There's a quarry nearby. We'll place someone inside the force-field's area and see if it adequately protects them."
"Uh," Higgs said nervously. "Are you sure you want to…"
"Don't worry, it won't be one of us," Gorringe continued. "I would never risk any common man. I realize my men trust you, Doctor Smith, and I assure you we are most grateful for all the work you've done. But just to ensure you're not really just some very clever aristocrat with alien sympathies…" He pulled a set of handcuffs from his pocket. "We'll take that girl along."