Chapter Seven
The turpentine traps were set. Scattered throughout the valley in which the base sat were large silver barrels, just waiting for an acid monster to burn through the surface and come in contact witht the combustible contents. But that was only, the Doctor insisted, if the Enkavans refused to cooperate.
Often times, when an alien race was attacking a human colony, it was because the humans were demanding something completely unreasonable and the aliens refused to oblige. With the help of a mediator like the Doctor, the humans and Enkavans might find that they would make useful allies. Then again, they might not, and that's what the turpentine barrels were for.
"Are we certain this will work?" Roland asked. as they watched from the beacon tower. " I mean, how do we know they'll bother to touch the barrels?"
"They might not," the Doctor admitted, "but that's why we made the catapults. If they refuse to cooperate and insist on destroying the rest of the humans, we can launch the last barrel into the valley and it will burst, spreading turpentine to all of the Enkavans."
"But, Doctor, turpentine is toxic to humans too. Won't it hurt the soldiers?" Nyssa pointed out.
"I had a talk with Commander Koldoff about that. Anyone that leaves the fort will have protective gear on. As it happens, they also have a terraforming device they've been meaning to use once the threat of the Enkavans is removed. That should clear away any remaining turpentine in the area, but hopefully we won't have to use it to begin with."
"So, as soon as we see them coming, you're going to go out there with protective gear and try to talk to them? Seems a bit risky to me," Roland commented.
"When you travel the universe trying to save people, risks are inevitable," the Doctor replied.
Time passed by slowly as they watched the horizon for the Enkavans to return. The sun began to set and patience was wearing thin.
"How long do they usually wait before coming back?" Roland asked. "'Cause if it's usually three days, I'm not waiting here." He began to turn towards the ladder that led out of the watchtower when a line of silhouettes appeared in the distance.
"Wait!" Nyssa said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Look. I think they're coming."
Roland squinted to make out the figures. Sure enough, an army of acid creatures were headed their way.
"That's my queue, then," the Doctor stated. He took off his hat and coat and stepped into a protective suit. "Commander Koldoff wishes to join me in negotiations, so we should give her the signal."
The guard that had accompanied them to the tower activated the beacon, which flashed three times before he turned it off. The gate opened and Commander Koldoff stepped out in a suit identical to the Doctor's. At his request, Koldoff had instructed all other soldiers to remain within the fort's walls.
The Doctor climbed down the ladder and stepped onto the rocky surface of the valley. "I suppose the turpentine won't affect the environment much, will it?" Koldoff remarked. Her voice was muffled behind the helmet that covered her face. "The planet is already desolate."
"We shouldn't have to use the it. We'll include terraforming in the discussion."
"If you say so." Koldoff watched calmly as the Enkavans approached. "You know they might kill us. These suits won't protect from acid, only the turpentine."
"They might try to, yes, but it's better to give them a chance at peace."
The Enkavans were in view now. They were bulky, bi-peds with yellow, bubble-like skin. Some of the younger ones were smaller and more translucent. Their eyes were not clearly visible, if they had any, and they moved as if they had no bones.
When the Enkavan nearest the front of the group noticed the Doctor and Commander Koldoff waiting for them, it raised its arm in a signal to stop. Slowly, the lines of the army stopped moving. The leader stepped forward and looked curiously from Koldoff to the Doctor.
"I hope you speak Enkavan," Koldoff whispered.
"Don't worry, I speak everything," the Doctor assured her. "My ship has a translation circuit."
"That's great," Koldoff scoffed. "I'd rather hear you speaking in an alien tongue than yammering on in English." Koldoff silenced as the lead Enkavan began to make a bubbling noise.
"Greetings," the Doctor replied. "The Commander and I have come to negotiate peace with you."
The creature bubbled again.
"No, not to surrender, exactly. More to come to a mutual agreement not to kill each other."
"Doctor!" Koldoff scolded. "Am I not to be included in this discussion? What is the monster saying?"
More bubbling sounds came from the Enkavan.
"I wouldn't call him that if I were you," the Doctor warned. "Enkavans are very quick learners. He might figure out what you're saying. I was just explaining that our negotiations are not the same as a surrender. Now he's asking us to leave the planet."
"Tell him that is not an option. Our colony has nowhere else to settle."
The Doctor repeated the message, and the Enkavans reply grew louder than before. "Oh, that's not good," the Doctor murmured. "He says we have the choice to die in space, or be killed by their army."
"That settles it then. We'll release the turpentine." Koldoff began to signal the base, but was stopped by the Doctor.
"I'm sure they'll change their minds if we warn them of our capabilities," the Doctor insisted. "If not, then I'm sure there's another planet you can go to. They're giving you a whole week without disturbance to leave Fortis."
"No, Doctor. These creatures a clearly hostile and must be eliminated before they take back their offer and wipe us out."
"You can't do that, this is their-" The Doctor's protest was interrupted when the Enkavans stepped forward and broke through a turpentine barrel. One by one, the barrels exploded, releasing the dangerous chemical and burning the Enkavans.
The leader was enraged, and advanced on the Doctor, touching his chest just before it exploded. The Doctor fell to his knees, apparently in shock, and Koldoff grabbed him by the arm. She directed him to the watchtower, where they waited out the chaos below them.
"You killed them all!" Nyssa shouted at Koldoff. "How could you do that, when this is their planet?"
"Their planet? My dear, Enkavans live on planets all over the universe. They're selfish monsters that refuse to share any of their land, even if it means letting other species die."
"Nevertheless," the Doctor sighed, "Genocide is always wrong."
After a small group of soldiers exited the base and gave Nyssa and Roland protective suits, the trio returned to the Tardis. Roland leaned against the wall in the same spot as before, pondering the unhappy situation. "I suppose this is one of those rare circumstances in which killing can't be helped?" he commented.
"I wouldn't say that," the Doctor said as he began to set the coordinates. "It could've been helped if Koldoff had a mind to listen."
Roland noticed that Nyssa was unusually quiet, and looked over to see that she was crying softly. "Nyssa..." He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she sniffed. "It's just that... I always believed people had to be evil to wipe out a race like that, but Commander Koldoff was a person like us... doing what she thought was right. Anyone can murder under the right circumstances, can't they?"
"I wouldn't say everyone. Koldoff didn't listen to the Doctor because she had a hard heart. If she really cared, the negotiations would have taken a completely different turn."
The pillar in the center of the Tardis console began to bob up and down steadily. Nyssa wiped her eyes and glanced at the coordinates, checking that they were right, as she always did. Her brow furrowed when she saw the numbers. "Doctor, these aren't Earth coordinates," she noted.
"I know," he said, leaning against the wall. "We need to make a side trip."
Nyssa glanced up at the Doctor, noticing something was wrong with his voice. Roland noticed something was wrong, too, and insisted that the Doctor take off the rest of his protective suit. The Doctor began to do so, revealing a deep burn on his chest.
"Nyssa, fetch a chair and some water," Roland ordered. "He was touched by an Enkavan."