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.From these units there issued a continuous rhythmic hissing noise, almost like human breathing.Similar tubes led into a large cylindrical powerpack set across the back of their shoulders.A kind of control terminal was attached to their abdomens and heavy, blunt-nosed guns were clipped to the figures' belts.In the darkness surrounding them, an array of weird oscillating humming sounds accompanied a dancing tracery of indicator lights which flashed and pulsed over the walls.The larger of the two figures reached out a bunched metal hand and made a small adjustment to the control module beneath the softly glowing disc.At once the reddish image under the projectors came to rest.The figure's rhythmic breathing paused momentarily and with a faint leathery creak it leaned forward to examine the outline of the mass of rocks.After a slight stirring of inner mechanisms, the figures spoke in a rasping, hollow, mechanical voice.'They are there.They must be destroyed.Destroyed at once.' The huge hand hovered above a series of triggering buttons and then descended.Once again the air in the cavern crackled and the lights dimmed as a fusillade of incandescent flashes burst from the outstretched hands of the two androids.The rocks sheltering the Doctor and the others shattered and flew apart and vicious razor-sharp17fragments whipped in all directions.The troopers returned fire as best they could, but the laser pulses sank harmlessly into the creatures' seemingly indestructible bodies.'Tell them to concentrate their fire!' the Doctor shouted into the Lieutenant's ear.'Go for the male first – the centre of the chest.'Scott yelled instructions and all the troopers aimed and fired simultaneously at the male.The creature raised its right arm to shield its body from the clustered rays.After a few seconds the arm glowed and then exploded in a shower of sparks.A triumphant cheer rippled among the hidden troopers as the female android seized the male's remaining arm and dragged the creature out of range behind a natural buttress, sending flash after flash ripping into the rocks to cover their retreat.'How very touching,' the Doctor murmured grimly, 'they seem almost human, don't they?'As soon as the androids had reached the safety of the buttress, near the mouth of the tunnel lending to the cave where the TARDIS had materialised, the uproar ceased abruptly.Nothing stirred.There was an eerie silence.'We're trapped,' Scott muttered with a grimace.'Those things can cover all the exits from there.' He flicked on his radio and tried to contact Walters, but no reply broke through the thick static buzzing from the receiver.'Surely your friends will realise something's wrong down here?' Tegan said hopefully.'Sooner or later,' Scott replied tersely.Tegan glanced at Nyssa.'Let's hope it's sooner!' she said, trying to sound casual, but feeling very frightened.The Doctor peered through his spyhole again.'They're just waiting for us to make a silly move,' he warned.'I am sure they will attack again.' He crouched down and turned to Kyle.'Professor, were you and your colleagues working near the rockfall when you were attacked?''Yes, Doctor, we were studying fracture deformation patterns,' Kyle replied timidly, nervously twisting her gloves.'In that case you were virtually on top of that hatch we've uncovered,' the Doctor mused.'Perhaps the androids are guarding it.''But why should they?' the Professor demanded distractedly.The Doctor turned to Lieutenant Scott.'I think we should try to find out,' he suggested.Scott scratched his moustache.'I haven't had much experience fighting androids,' he said doubtfully.'Well, as I said just now, they're almost like humans,' shrugged the Doctor.'Only androids function much more logically.' Nyssa added.'.which is also their chief weakness,' continued the Doctor eagerly, 'and we can exploit that weakness, Lieutenant.I propose that we attack the hatch!'Scott stared at the Doctor as though he were demented.'That would only expose our own weakness,' he retorted.'Our powerpacks are almost exhausted.'The Doctor turned excitedly back to Scott.'The androids now know that we can inflict lethal damage on them - so we create a dilemma for them,' he explained.'But why should they care if we attack the hatch?' Miss Kyle protested wearily.'They won't care - they'll simply react,' retorted Nyssa impatiently.'They have no choice but to obey their programmes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]