Writer... Sean Patrick Crossey

“We see no end to the dream,

We will never see the end,

We will never be the end...” -Fear Factory

It was only three weeks before the next election. The peoples of the Terran empire had, but twenty-one days to reach a final decision concerning the protection on their galaxy.  A final conference had been arranged on the recently populated moon of Ganymede.  It was the year 3999AD, and Ganymede HQ was under attack!

Sirens bellowed throughout the base as grey clad guards hurried back and forth.  Commander Phoenix, guardian of Earth’s solar system had been forced to take refuge in the meeting hall while her troops held off the terrorists.  The dull grey figures formed a living shield in front of Phoenix, who looked positively flamboyant in contrast to them.  She wore an elaborately decorated black bodysuit with lashings of gold trimming and insignia.  Even her dark hair was lively and vibrant, fitting perfectly with her tanned skin and Mediterranean beauty.

‘Order reinforcements from Garizone!’ snarled Phoenix.  ‘You must stop them before they reach the cells.’  She paused and looked back before murmuring.  ‘If they get that far it’ll be over for all of us.’

‘Ma’am.’ snapped one of the guards, in a formal and soulless manner.  ‘Our scanners report that there are more enemy soldiers approaching from the east.  It looks like they’ve brought demolition equipment with them.’

‘You must stop them!’ cried Phoenix.  ‘I order you to stop them!’

The shrill sound of laser fire suddenly erupted as the enemy soldiers burst through the large double doors and into the meeting hall.  They were clad in camouflage suits with light armoured jackets.  Phoenix’s guards were taken by storm at first, but the superior numbers and greater discipline of the grey clad ranks finally won through.  By the time the terrorists had killed two of the guards they had been out fired and out manoeuvred.  Commander Phoenix was escorted back along the room towards the cells.  More of the terrorists swarmed into the base, charging in from the rocky landscape outside.  Phoenix whipped out her laser pistol and started firing.  She hadn’t become the guardian by sitting back and watching throughout the years!  Finally her guards began to regroup, forming a solid line of defence to block the cells.  She nodded to Kharrn, her second-in-command.  Kharrn saluted sharply as he realised what Phoenix was doing.

‘So the day we feared has finally come.’ he said.

‘You must defend this position until the last man.’ said Phoenix.  ‘You must give the reinforcements time to get here.’

‘What about the... well... it?’

Phoenix said nothing and ran towards the holding cells.

All was quiet on the outskirts of the Garizone system as the ugly insect-like ship known as the Scrapdog drifted steadily through.  With the vessel set on auto-pilot there was only one person left awake, Melanie Bush.  She lay on her bed, filling in her Journal as she did every night.

It has been almost a week since we left the research post on Leonardo 7.  Hudson’s finally getting over his confrontation with the Cybermen.  Sara doesn’t really seem effected, probably due to all that training she’s gone through.  Mind you, even for a Space Security Agent it must be a hard blow to hear that an invasion fleet is on the way - especially when it’s a fleet of superhuman cyborgs.  It’s times like this when I wish the Doctor was here so I could just slip back into that old blue box and vanish, but I know I can’t do that anymore.

Melanie took a sip of water and continued.

It could be the start of a grim time, but at least we’ve managed to take some action.  We’ve downloaded the data from Leonardo 7 which contains most of the Cyber war fleet’s plans and tactical information.  Perhaps with this data the Earth Alliance can make a stand.  We’ve still got Agent Kingdom onboard, although she’s become a little more like one of the gang.  She still looks a little annoyed when I call her Sara though.  I think ‘Miss Kingdom’ is a slightly pompous title for someone who I’ve grown to trust.  Hudson’s a little unhappy that she’s commandeered his ship but at least she’s decided to stop at Garizone Barracks.  When she’s delivered the data then we can recommence the search for Glitz.  After all, Garizone was one of his favourite trading spots.  We’re only about a day away from the Earth Alliance barracks now, and you, Glitz, if you’re still alive...

Hudson almost jumped out of his chair when he heard the signal.  It wasn’t so much that it was early that morning, it was just that he wasn’t used to getting many incoming messages in his profession.  Scrap ships usually crept along the quiet and deserted stretches of space.  He looked at the screen and noted that the signal was from the Earth Alliance Military.  With that in mind he quickly tied his dark hair back and brushed off his black work clothes a little.

‘Receiving.’ he said.  An ox of a man appeared on the screen, square chinned and battle scarred.  He was a marine, or more likely an officer.

‘Ah, there you are.  I am Captain Gias of the Earth Alliance.  Your ident computer implies you are a scrap ship, is that so?’

‘Yes, er.. Sir.’ said Hudson.  ‘Although I’m not actually on duty right now.’

‘Well I’d suggest you keep on with the holiday.  The Garizone system is currently off limits to all civilian personnel.’

‘I have important information for your leaders.’  said Hudson.  ‘We discovered something very unnerving at a research post a little while ago.  If I could just...’

‘There are no exceptions to the rule.’ said the Captain.

‘But we also have a missing friend in this system.  We must find him, please!’

‘If this friend of yours was in the system then he or she will have been evacuated.  I’m afraid I have no more time for this discussion.’

Before Hudson could try anything else, Sara strode into the room.  She was, as always, wearing her sleek black cat suit.  Calculating and professional she kept her hair cut close to the head and although she was strikingly attractive there was very little warmth about her.  Sara had heard some of the conversation and quickly intercepted before Hudson could mess it up further.

‘This is Space Security Agent Sara Kingdom on an urgent mission to Garizone Headquarters.  I have information vital to the survival of this galaxy!’

Hudson was shocked to see the wide, almost terrified eyes of the captain.  He suddenly sounded apologetic and eager to please.

‘What am I to do, Agent Kingdom?’ he said.

‘Take us straight to Phoenix’s command centre.  We have reason to believe a Cyber War Fleet is approaching.’

‘That’s not possible.’ gasped the Gias.  ‘They’re almost extinct.’

‘I assure you they’re doing quite well for themselves.’ said Hudson.  ‘We barely escaped with our lives and one of Sara’s agents was taken by them.’

Melanie walked into the room.  Her cheery face and colourful clothes didn’t seem to fit the mood somehow.  Her red hair was still a little damp from the shower.

‘Sara, where have you been?’ she said.  ‘I thought we were working out today!’ 

‘Melanie Bush.’ said Gias, sighing in recognition.  ‘With respect, Miss Kingdom, I didn’t think you kept such questionable company.’

‘Oh it’s you.’ said Melanie cheerfully.  ‘How’s the second hand space bike Glitz got for you?’

‘It’s just fine thanks.’ replied the captain, blushing.  ‘Well, back to business.  I can clear you to the base, but it’s in a sorry state.’

‘What do you mean?’ demanded Sara.

‘Commander Phoenix has endured a severe attack by the followers of Mavec Chen. His terrorists have invaded her headquarters and taken all survivors as hostages.  Space Security agents are planning to assist in resolving the situation, but Chen’s warships have secured the whole system.  My rapid response fleet are working hard to break through but Chen’s defenses are tight.’

‘Who is this Mavec Chen?’ asked Melanie.

‘Mavec Chen was the second nominee for the position of Solar Guardian.’ said Sara.  ‘Commander Phoenix won the election due to Chen’s... impurity.’

‘Impurity!’ spat Hudson.  ‘He lost the election because he was only half human!  It came as no shock when that racist bitch Phoenix declared that the galaxy was for earthlings only!’

‘Nevertheless she is the guardian and I obey her orders!’ shrieked Sara.  ‘If you didn’t spend your time drifting around looking for scrap metal you might realise just how dangerous Chen’s followers have become!’

‘Agent Kingdom,’ said the captain, ‘shall I inform Space Security of your return?’

‘There’s no time for that.’ said Sara.  ‘I shall go to the base myself.’

‘What?’ gasped Hudson.

‘Hudson, you are coming with me.’

‘I don’t think so!’ snapped Hudson.  ‘You can count me out of your fascist regime!’

‘You are still my deputy, Hudson.’ said Sara, softly.  ‘Don’t worry.  My plan is to negotiate the release of those hostages.  The rapid response fleet can do the fighting part.’

Gias nodded and saluted before disappearing from the screen.  Hudson looked concerned as Sara started checking her equipment and bracing herself for action.  Melanie sighed for a moment before grabbing Sara’s shoulder and yelling at her.

‘What are you playing at?’

‘I’m not playing.’ said Sara, unmoved.  ‘I’m doing my duty.’

‘Well you can do it without us!’ screamed Melanie. 

‘I’ll need help for this.’ said Sara, keeping her steely cool composure.  ‘We need to get these hostages away safely and I can’t do it alone.’

‘What about our information on the Cybermen?’ asked Melanie.  ‘What about finding Glitz?’

‘This is important!’ snapped Sara, her temper fraying.  ‘Law and order in this godless galaxy are two things I consider more important than finding your pirate friend!’

‘I’ll go.’ said Hudson, quietly.  ‘Take the Scrapdog and find Glitz.  I’ll make my own way back.’

‘That’s ridiculous!’ cried Melanie.  ‘I can barely fly the ship.  How will you get back from this?  You could die out there!’

‘Sara’s right, Mel!’ urged Hudson.  ‘She’s got her duty.’  He suddenly left the room and murmured to himself.  ‘I’ve got mine too.  She did save my life.’

Melanie didn’t know how to react.  Part of her yearned to lash out at Sara.  After helping her escape the Cybermen she had some nerve to make demands like this.  But then there was something wrong with Hudson.  He knew something that nobody else did.  Melanie stormed away , tears already rolling down her cheeks.  Sara watched her leave with wide eyes.  She sighed and wiped her face with her hands, a tiny trace of guilt in her cold eyes for just a second.

‘I must do my duty.’ she whispered to herself.  ‘It’s all in a day’s work.’  She glanced through the view port at the stars, glistening in a corrupt galaxy she was sworn to protect.  ‘Perhaps after this it will finally be over.’ she sighed.

Hudson sat in the Scrapdog’s lounge room, a blank grey chamber apart from a table, a few chairs and some of Hudson’s heavy metal posters.  He cracked open a bottle of Clawbender, a vintage Martian wine.  Melanie strode in, holding back her tears as much as she could.  Hudson slid her a glass and poured the dark green wine out.

‘I don’t drink.’ said Melanie, sheepishly.  ‘Hudson, why are you going through with this?’

‘I don’t want to talk about it, Mel.’ sighed Hudson.  ‘I really don’t want to bring it all back.’

Melanie sat down and put her hand on Hudson’s arm.  Hudson took a sip of wine and shook his head.  There was no way he could hide things from Melanie.  She was just the sort of friend who’d get her answer eventually.

‘Come on, Chris.’ said Mel, softly.  ‘Hudson?’

‘You know I told you that I lost my crew before I met Glitz.’ said Hudson.  ‘Well they didn’t just die.’  He paused and took a huge gulp of wine.  ‘They were... they were murdered.’

‘Murdered?’ gasped Melanie.  ‘I’m sorry.’

‘We were cruising around Orion, looking for scrap to sell.  My navigator, Kara told me there was a derelict ship or something floating in the asteroid belt.  People don’t usually stray into Orion’s belt, but the old dog isn’t a very big ship.  We decided to go for it.’

‘What happened?’ whispered Melanie.

‘We came across this old base on an asteroid.  It was just left empty, like it hadn’t been used in centuries.  We found a computer of some kind.  It still worked fine but we couldn’t understand any of it.  There were just glyphs, no words.  We thought it was alien technology but in one of the rooms we found a dead body, a human, or at least he would have been originally.  This guy was like a cyborg enforcer.  He had a whip and a blaster on his belt.’

‘This sounds terrible.’ said Melanie.  ‘If you don’t want to talk...’

‘We were just about to leave when the base’s power supply suddenly kicked in.  There was this sort of electric heartbeat everywhere.  I told them to get out of there!’ Hudson suddenly dropped his glass.  It smashed on the floor, but Melanie took no notice.  Hudson’s hands were shaking as he continued with his story.  ‘Before we could regroup Kara came running out screaming that she’d found something.  In the lowest level of the base was this... thing, like a mechanical monster.  It was frozen in a cryogenic chamber.  I told Kara to leave it alone, but she wouldn’t listen.  It was like she was possessed!  She triggered the revival process and thing came to life.  Before I knew it I was running for the exit.  All behind me I heard my crew screaming as they died in agony.’

‘How did you escape?’ gasped Melanie.

‘I got to the exit, but dozens of marines had landed.  There were loads of them flooding into the base and they looked real shaken up!  They dragged my out of there and tried to arrest me but the monster suddenly came out of nowhere and attacked them.  In the panic, I got to my ship and escaped.’

‘Why didn’t you ever tell me about this, Hudson.’

Hudson fumbled for a cigarette in his pocket, his sad expression hidden beneath his hair.  Finally he looked up, staring Melanie right in the eye.

‘I was ashamed.’ he said.  ‘Ashamed of letting my crew die while I ran.  Ashamed of getting them into that situation in the first place.’  He closed his eyes before grunting.  ‘I was supposed to be a bloody captain!’

‘You did what you had to.’ said Melanie.  ‘Back on Leonardo 7, when we fought the Cybermen, I saw the bravest man I’ve ever met.’

‘You really mean it?’

‘Of course I do.’ said Melanie.  ‘What I don’t get is why you feel you have to go with Sara.  What connection is there?’

‘After I got over the incident I put my ear to the ground for a while.’ said Hudson.  ‘It was Phoenix’s fanatics that went to raid that base.  They certainly hadn’t turned up to save me or my crew.  Something big was going on in Orion.’

‘Like what?’ asked Melanie.

‘I’m not sure, but I noticed one thing.  After that happened Phoenix suddenly became the Guardian.  It was only a year or so later that the killings started.’

‘Killings?’ said Melanie.

‘Cleansing of the galaxy as they called it.  If you weren’t a pure bred human you had three choices.  You could live as a second class citizen, you could pack up and leave or you could die in a concentration camp.’

‘It sounds like this Magic Chen person is in the right.’ gasped Melanie.  ‘Why are you agreeing to help Sara save Phoenix?’

‘Mavec Chen.’ said Hudson.  ‘You see after we left Leonardo I thought I’d better do a little digging into the origins of our lovely Miss Kingdom.  She’s quite a mistress of espionage you know.  I found out in the Galactic archives that she went missing for two years after Phoenix rose to power, apparently trapped in suspended animation after a space battle.  During that time I found records of a secret conspiracy to remove Phoenix from power. They called themselves the Children of Chen. Visual records revealed pictures of a secret spy named Kathleen O’Hara.  The description fits our Sara too closely.’

‘She’s one of Chen’s agents?’ gasped Melanie.  ‘You’re kidding me!  What interest could she have in restoring peace?’

‘Everyone deals with life in their own way, Mel.’ said Hudson.  ‘Even the coldest eyes can hide a caring heart.’

‘You think she’s going to betray Phoenix?’

‘Perhaps.’ said Hudson.  ‘But there’s more to it than that.  For months I had nightmares about my encounter in Orion.  I was learning to forget about it all until one day I was browsing through some old books on Earth history, and I saw it!’

‘The monster... on Earth?’ asked Melanie, her face worried.

‘The year was 2158 as far as I remember.  I read through the history reports on a vicious dictatorship that ruled over our ancestors for years. After so much fear and doubt I could finally put a name to this monster... a Dalek!’

‘That’s enough!’ snapped Sara from the doorway.  She had crept into the room without being heard at all.  Her face was harder than stone and her hand tightly clenched the handle of her blaster.

‘What is a Dalek?’ asked Melanie.  ‘Tell me!’

‘That is no concern of yours!’ said Sara.  ‘Hudson, I could have you executed for telling her this.’

‘But you won’t, will you?’ said Hudson, with confidence.  ‘You want my help to deal with this hostage situation.  But just whose side are we on?’

‘What do you know about the Daleks?’ demanded Sara, her face now terrified.  ‘They died out over a thousand years ago!  What do you know?  Tell me!’

‘Phoenix must have caught one in Orion, perhaps a stray survivor in hibernation.’ said Hudson.  He shrugged.  ‘Perhaps she learned about Dalek technology, or picked up some of their tactics.’

‘If one, just one of those murderous things is allowed to live...’ started Sara, but her words stuttered into nothing.

‘You’re frightened.’ said Melanie, in a soft, curious tone.

‘I fear nothing!’ stated Sara.

‘I don’t believe you.’ said Melanie.  ‘You really are frightened, aren’t you?  What is it about these Dalek things that you’re all so afraid of?’

‘Look, none of this concerns you.’ said Sara.  ‘I suggest you do as Hudson says and go and search for Glitz.  I’ve had a word with Earth Alliance Commanders.  It may be nothing, but someone matching his description was seen on an evacuation ship.  I hope this helps you.’

‘I can’t just leave you to it!’ said Melanie.

‘You must.’ said Hudson.  ‘I’m sorry Mel but I’m not exposing you to this.’

Sara marched back to the bridge of the ship.  Hudson followed her quickly as Melanie strolled along behind them.

‘I must arrange for a scout ship to find us.’ said Sara.  ‘We’ll never make it in this old crate.’

‘A Space Security Ship?’ gasped Hudson.  ‘Will that get through?’

‘A stealth ship will, yes.  Space Security have perfected a new cloaking device with help from Phoenix’s scientists.  There’s no way Chen’s forces will see us coming.’

Sara tapped a few buttons on the communications console.  The face of Captain Gias appeared on the screen once again. 

‘Agent Kingdom.’ he said.  ‘Are you ready to start your mission?’

‘Yes.’ said Sara.  ‘Hudson is coming with me.  Melanie Bush will stay on this ship.  You are to do your utmost to protect her.  Escort her to the nearest civilian colony.  She seeks a friend who will probably be taking refuge there.’

‘As you wish.’ said Gias.  ‘And the data you hold?’

‘Melanie has given me the data you require concerning the Cybermen.’ said Sara.  ‘Oh and one more thing.  Order all scout ships and patrol fleets to investigate possible Dalek activity in this sector.’

‘Dalek activity?’ asked Gias, his face suddenly panic stricken.

‘Just make sure you do it.’ said Sara.

Neither Sara, nor the rapid response commanders knew that the conversation was being monitored from deep space.  A sinister warship skulked silently in the blackness, invisible behind an electronic shroud.  The watcher pondered Sara’s words within its calculating mind as cold light shone from its ever-staring eye.  The darkness inside the chamber was absolute, broken only by a few glowing lights and flickering screens.  Dark shapes glided silently back and forth as the droning pulse of the power systems throbbed about the chamber like an immense heartbeat.  As Sara gave her last order the watcher’s glowing iris widened as it spoke in a hateful grating tone.

‘Cut transmission!’

‘Kingdom?’ gasped Captain Gias.  ‘Agent Kingdom!’  The blank screen before him revealed nothing.  Suddenly there was a yell from across the room.

‘Sir!  Our scanners report activity.  Several blips have just appeared on the screen.’

‘What is their course and speed?’

‘Factor nine, Sir.  Factor ten.  Going above that!  It’s incredible!  They’ve already reached a velocity far beyond our capacity and their speed is still increasing.’

‘Where are they heading?’ demanded Gias.  ‘Tell me!’

‘They’re... they’re heading straight for us, Sir.’

‘Captain?’ yelled Sara.  ‘What’s happening?’

‘Someone’s intercepted the transmission!’ cried Hudson.  ‘Try a different frequency!’

Sara desperately adjusted the controls.  For a second she saw an image of Gias.  The picture was poor but she could see that all was not well.  Uniformed officers are running back and forth behind him.  Lights were flickering on the bridge of his ship.  Then the picture faded into static.

‘We must get to Phoenix’s base!’ cried Sara.  ‘We must stop this killing!’

‘How do you know it was Chen’s forces who attacked the fleet?’ asked Hudson.  ‘It could be...’

‘What?’ snorted Sara.  ‘A Dalek?  Wake up, Hudson!’

‘You don’t propose we just wait for help, do you?’ said Melanie.  ‘What if we’re attacked?’

‘It’s a chance we’ll have to take.’ said Sara.  ‘Until then we must wait.’

Outraged with defeat and frustration, Commander Phoenix paced up and down, instinctively pawing at her empty holster.  Her grey uniformed soldiers sat slumped on the floor around her along with her red uniformed officers.  The hateful glare from the camouflaged fanatics of Chen burned in from every direction.  The commander of the force, Johan, stepped forward to Phoenix, his blaster trained on her.

‘It’s been three hours.’ he sighed.  ‘How about we have a little chat?’

‘You do not scare me.’ rasped Phoenix, spitting in Johan’s face.  ‘Your force of terrorists will soon be dead.  When my fleet arrives you will suffer.’

Johan restrained the urge to strike out as he wiped the saliva from his face.  He glared into the eyes of this evil woman, this mass murderer.  If he had the stomach for it he would have blown her head off right here, but he needed to see her exposed first.  If she died here she would simply become a martyr for her followers. She had to be paraded and publicly punished for her crimes.  Phoenix knew he wouldn’t shoot her, and that put him in a difficult position.

‘You have one more chance!’ snapped Johan, pressing the pistol onto the guardian’s chest.

Phoenix eyed the commander curiously.  He was little more than a boy, perhaps in his late teens.  His eyes betrayed his true nature.  He was no killer.  He was afraid.  Phoenix chuckled to herself at the sight of the boy warrior.  He was no real soldier.  He had come here to save lives, not to conquer his enemies.  He was weak!

Sara stood eager for action as the sleek rocket ship approached.  At least Gias had survived long enough to order her up some transport.  The ship gently drifted next to the Scrapdog and connected through the airlock.

‘Is there another one of your lot on this ship then?’ asked Hudson, casually.

‘I doubt it.’ said Sara.  ‘It’s likely to be on autopilot.’

‘I guess this is goodbye.’ said Melanie.  ‘I wish you’d reconsider.’

‘I must go, Mel.’ said Hudson, softly.  ‘Don’t worry.  I’ll be back.’

Melanie threw her arms around Hudson and forced herself not to shed any tears.  She gave Sara a scornful look for a moment, one that even the hardened Agent Kingdom had to look away from.  Hudson kissed Melanie on the cheek before he forced himself away and picked up his laser pistol.  Melanie opened her mouth to say a last word, but nothing came out.  She collapsed into the nearest chair and buried her face in her hands as the airlock hissed shut and Hudson was gone.

Johan gritted his teeth and pressed harder with the barrel of his pistol.  The callous eyes of Phoenix regarded him with disgust but also slight amusement.

‘If you have an ounce of fighting spirit in that soft heart of yours, prove your commitment!’ laughed Phoenix.  ‘Pull the trigger.  End my life!’

Johan looked away and closed his eyes.  Phoenix strolled away, a smirk on her face.

‘Goliath.’ snapped Johan.  A huge man with an orange crest of hair snapped to attention.  Johan pointed randomly to a soldier.  ‘Kill him.’

Goliath grinned with joy.  He knew little of Chen’s cause, but he enjoyed killing, and he enjoyed being paid for it even more.  Johan closed his eyes and tried to block out the noise as Goliath pulled an outdated revolver from his belt and fired.  One of Phoenix’s soldiers fell as the bullet smashed through his skull.  Phoenix looked completely unmoved by the execution as she turned to Johan, still chuckling to herself.

‘You didn’t even have the courage to kill him yourself, did you?’

‘Shut up!’ snapped Johan.  ‘You know full well that Goliath would have no trouble killing a ruthless bitch like you if I didn’t need you alive!  One of your men will die every hour until you reveal all of your plans.  I know you have many secret bases scattered throughout the galaxy.  I know somewhere you are hiding an army!’

A small, athletic man came dashing into the room.  He had slightly weasly features and a nervous twitch in his right eye that became annoying very quickly.

‘Johan, I’ve had no luck with that blast door.’

‘Have you tried explosives, Ratskin?’ asked Johan. 

‘First thing I tried.’ replied Ratskin, twitching.  ‘I even tried my own special brew.’

‘Don’t waste your supplies.’ said Phoenix, cheerfully.  ‘Nothing you possess will open that door.’

‘Wrong!’ snapped Johan.  ‘We possess you, Phoenix!’ 

He grabbed her in an arm lock and dragged her out of the room.  Phoenix’s second-in-command, Kharrn jumped up from the floor and lunged forward, eager to save his leader.  Goliath grabbed Kharrn with his truck like arms and promptly snapped his neck, rattling with laughter as he did so.  Johan and Ratskin wrestled Phoenix down into lower chambers of the base where the holding cells lay.  They were empty apart from a couple of long forgotten skeletons that lay behind the bars.  At the end of the holding area was the blast door. 

‘I really don’t know what you expect to find.’ said Phoenix, still keeping a calm exterior.  ‘You already know what I do with my prisoners of war, I’ve never made no secret of it.’

‘I have a feeling we’ll find more than just prisoners here, Phoenix.’ said Johan.  ‘Keep walking.  I want to know what’s so damn important you keep it behind a bomb proof door.’

‘Open that door and you’ll be sorry.’ snapped Phoenix.  ‘You won’t even live to regret it.’

Johan saw a faint glint of concern in her eyes.  She was covering it up with her usual snide remarks and arrogance, but her fear was seeping through.  Johan’s ship had managed to perform a successful scan of Ganymede before landing.  There was a high level of electrical activity somewhere in the base.  Johan was sure that this was her tactical database.  Exploiting the contents of that would ruin Phoenix forever and set Mavec Chen up in a matter of days.  Ratskin slinked into the shadows while Phoenix reached out to the door’s control box with a trembling hand.

‘That’s it.’ said Johan.  ‘No funny stuff.’

‘I feel there is very little that is funny about this, you idiot!’ hissed Phoenix, the quake of fear now obvious in her voice.  ‘I have three more keys to push, you know what that means?  Three more seconds to live!  Three more nails in the coffin.’

‘Get on with it!’ rasped Ratskin.

‘Wait!’ cried Johan.  He looked Phoenix in the eye.  She meant every word.  ‘I’ll give you one more chance to tell me the truth.’

‘Don’t trust her, Sir.’ whispered Ratskin, his eye twitching like crazy.

‘What is behind that door?’

‘A Dalek.’ sighed Hudson, glaring at the picture on the screen.  ‘How could some killer cause me so much fear and doubt?’

‘You’ve been staring at that picture for ages, Hudson.’ said Sara.

The bridge of Sara’s rocket ship was gleaming with perfection and sophistication.  The ship was obviously designed for only two occupants, although there was a small holding cell in the back.   Hudson had spent the first hour of his journey looking through the vast databank that all Space Security ships had built in.

‘It looks kind of harmless when you just see a picture of one, but when it’s gliding right at you, screaming like crazy and shooting everything that moves... boy does it suddenly get scarier.

The mechanical monster on the screen was bulky and ugly with a single eyestalk mounted on a dome turret.  It had two other stalk appendages, a stubby gun barrel and a suction cup.  It had a strange grace about it, moving on a gliding base like a hovercraft.  Hudson switched the picture off and tried to forget about it.

‘That’s better.’ sighed Sara.  ‘I’ve just engaged the cloaking field.  I’d rather not have to start a dog fight with a whole fleet.  Besides, I’m not here to kill them.’

‘I take it you’ve got a few decent weapons at your disposal just in case.’

‘Here.’ said Sara, tapping a few keys on the defence computer.  Lines of data appeared on the screen with diagrams of the ship’s weapon systems.

‘Self guiding missiles.’ sighed Hudson.  ‘Seems a bit old fashioned for Space Security, mind you they’re deadly enough.  What else is there?’

‘Ah, you’re a laser man!’ said Sara.  ‘All scout ships have a twin linked set of laser cannons with a targeting grid  and full 360 degree rotation.’

‘Well, what’s the plan then?’

‘As it always has been.  We free those hostages.’

‘Sara, you don’t really intend to help Phoenix, surely!’  Hudson paused.  ‘Whatever happened to Kathleen O’Hara?’

‘I am a Space Security officer, Mr Hudson.  My job is to carry out my orders, not to wage a moral war on my superiors!’

‘I really thought what we went through together may have changed you.’ sighed Hudson, looking away from Sara.

‘I said I carry out my orders.’ whispered Sara.  ‘I didn’t say I always succeed.’

‘You mean you’re...?’ gasped Hudson.

‘Just keep studying the layout of that base.’ said Sara quietly.  ‘I’ll tell you more when I’ve formulated a plan.’

Melanie gazed out at the softly twinkling stars.  In the distance she could just about see the convoy of ships that guarded the Garizone system.  Chen’s ships were dull and poorly kept unlike the gleaming pride boasted by the Earth Alliance fleets.  Bits of ruined spacecraft drifted in space.  Melanie presumed that these were the remnants of Alliance fighter ships.

‘You can’t tell who the heroes are anymore.’ sighed Melanie.  ‘Politics really isn’t my strong point.  The whole thing’s giving me a headache.’

Then she realised how bad her headache had become.  Was it stress?  Sorrow perhaps?  Melanie finally concluded that it wasn’t her head that was aching at all, it was her eyes!  It was the same kind of pain she would get from staring too long at a screen.  As a computer programmer it wasn’t like her to go video blind but the very image in front of her was hazy.  She blinked a few times and wandered over to the scanner console.  She could see perfectly now.  With an intrigued hum Melanie started adjusting the scanner settings.  The image of the ships crackled and twisted on the scanner screen.  Finally after a last twitch of the controls, Melanie saw what was giving her a headache.  She gasped at first, trying not to squeal out loud.  Where Chen’s convoy should have been was a graveyard of ruined ships.  Skulking amid the wreckage were three enormous flying saucers!

‘Oh my God!’

Melanie jumped onto the communications console and desperately started to transmit a distress call to anyone who could help her.  Her plea however did not fall on sympathetic ears.

‘This is Melanie Bush from the planet Earth.’ echoed the voice through the speakers.  ‘Can anyone hear me?  The ships surrounding Garizone are not real!  Some force has created a camouflage to hide itself.’

Melanie’s worried face flickered on the immense screen that shone brightly in the otherwise dark drive room.  The cold glowing lights of mechanical eye stalks swung to and fro as Melanie spoke.  With an intrigued chuckle a tall man strode forward out of the shadows.  He had dark skin with a stern dignified face and inquisitive pointed eyebrows.  He put a finger to his lip and stroked his pointed beard with his talon like nail.

‘It seems we have an inquisitive opponent in our game.’ he chuckled.  ‘I do so hope that this plucky young damsel will not create a problem for us.’

Suddenly a terrifying voice grated harshly in a rhythmic sentence.  Although the voice was monotonic there was no hiding the evil and contempt that clung to its words.  The bulky, ugly form of a Dalek rumbled forward and stopped in front of the screen.

‘Sensors indicate that the human female is alone on board a civilian freighter ship.  Armaments are minimal.  She is of no threat to our plans.’

‘But she was able to break your illusion.’ said the man.  ‘Surely you can’t overlook that fact.’

‘Her ship is isolated and we have blocked all communication channels in this area.  Our plans remain intact.  Continue to monitor the progress of the resistance fighters on Ganymede.’

‘But surely you must realise that she knows our position.  It won’t be long before...’  He was cut off.

‘Do not dispute with the Daleks!  The function of an inferior creature is to obey!  Carry out your orders!’

‘I am not your slave, Dalek!’ snapped the man, offended.  ‘I am in equal alliance with your Commandant, the Black Dalek.  Do not forget that.’

‘The Black Dalek has ordered that in a potential combat situation you will consider yourself under my command.  I have already made arrangements to capture the female before she can give away our position.  Carry out your orders... Mavec Chen!’

‘What are you hiding?’ demanded Johan.  ‘You may be manipulative enough to see my better side, but I assure you that Ratskin here will have no trouble blowing your brains out!’

‘Okay then.’ sneered Phoenix.  ‘It’s a battle computer.’

‘Just as we thought!’ hissed Ratskin.  ‘Get it open!’

‘I’m sure Mavec Chen will be grateful for you co-operation.’ said Johan.  ‘Perhaps when he has restored peace to the galaxy he will show mercy, unlike you ever did.’

Phoenix completed the security code and the door rumbled slowly open.  Johan gasped as he saw how thick the door was.  Five feet of reinforced titanium and bonded steel layers coated with kevlar.  It was dark beyond the doorway.  Only a faint mechanical pulse gave any indication of there being anything there at all.  Johan pressed his laser against Phoenix’s back, he didn’t trust her one inch.  Ratskin carefully proceeded inside.  Suddenly there was a light!  It startled Ratskin at first.  It was small and round.  As Ratskin stepped ever closer it started to contract slowly like an iris.  Ratskin slowly raised his pistol.  Suddenly the light dilated in recognition of the weapon.  Ratskin whimpered in sudden terror as a gun grey machine rolled out towards him.  There was no mistaking the terrible form.  It was a Dalek.

‘Exterminate!’

There was a flash of blinding light and a crackle of thunder before Ratskin screamed in agony.  The pistol dropped from his hand, fused and warped in the heat.  Johan covered his eyes from the light.  When he uncovered them Phoenix had vanished and he was just in time to see Ratskin’s sizzling body drop to the floor, his face paralysed in a painfully twisted expression.  The Dalek emerged, swinging it’s eye to regard Johan.  He fired his laser.  A beam of glowing blue light hit the Dalek on the dome, leaving little more than a black mark.

‘Oh shit!’ cursed Johan as he turned on his heels and dashed for an escape.

‘Halt!  At once!  Halt!’ chanted the Dalek, gliding after Johan.  ‘Halt or you will be exterminated!’

Johan didn’t wait to hear what the Dalek wanted.  He ran out of the prison area and scrambled up the flight of stairs.  He reached the top and ducked round a corner, panting and wheezing.

‘Thank heaven for that.’ he sighed.  ‘So that’s what Phoenix was keeping.  No wonder she’s kept this place out of bounds.’  Johan’s communicator bleeped.

‘Commander Johan, this is Goliath.  We detected a strange signal a moment ago.  We think it might have been a ship but we can see nothing coming in to land.’

Before Johan could respond a shrill mechanical whining began to emerge from the stairway.  It grew louder and higher in pitch.  A glowing light flickered from below.  Johan peered round.  He dropped the communicator as he saw the Dalek hovering steadily up the stairs, it’s base glowing as more power was fed through the motive units.

‘Give me a flippin' break!’ cried Johan as he started to run again. 

The Dalek reached the top of the stairs and callously watched Johan running away.  It’s eyestalk dropped down to view the communicator.  It extended it’s sucker stalk and carefully scanned the communicator, gathering information on the radio signals and tapping into the frequency.  Referring to the databank in it’s onboard battle computer the Dalek sampled Johan’s voice from earlier.  The lights on the Dalek’s dome flashed as it spoke, but the voice that came out was certainly not grating or monotonic.  It was Johan’s voice.

‘This is Commander Johan in pursuit of Phoenix.’  The Dalek quickly studied it’s mental map of the base and established where all the possible escape routes were.  ‘Lock and seal doors nineteen to twenty-four.  She must not escape.’

‘Yes, Sir.’ replied Goliath from the communicator.

The Dalek rumbled forward, keeping a constantly twitching gun stalk ready at all times.  Deep beneath it’s metal shell, inside it’s foul twisted body the Dalek secretly hoped that more attackers would come just so it could kill them.  It had remained here for nearly two decades, skulking in the background.  When the door had first been opened, when Ratskin had first peered in the Dalek had shot him on instinct alone.  A rush of ecstasy had pumped through it as the gunstalk fired and it heard the pitiful creature scream.  For the first time in eighteen years it had felt satisfied, making an example to all others.  That is what happens when inferior creatures point weapons at their masters!  The Dalek saw no wrong in this.  This was what the Dalek stood for.  This was all it knew.

Phoenix crept round the corner clutching a discarded blaster pistol in her hand.  The Dalek slid along the corridor ahead with ugly grace.  It stopped, pondering before carefully shooting the lights out one by one.

‘Clever boy.’ whispered Phoenix.  ‘Humans can not see in the dark, but you can.  You really are magnificent!’

Suddenly the Dalek spun round.  Phoenix strode forward, just about seeing the shadowy shape behind the glowing lens.  Her prisoner eyed her coldly in the darkness, if it really was her prisoner.  Phoenix really didn’t know who was giving the orders anymore.  The ugly and bulky form of the thing shuffled slightly forward.

‘Speak!’ it snapped in a hateful grating tone.

‘My rival has sent troops to this base to destroy us.  We’re holding them off, but it I don’t get any backup soon they will win.’

‘That would not be in your best interests, Commander Phoenix.’ said the prisoner.  ‘Your position as Solar Guardian has already been placed in jeopardy.  The people of this galaxy consider you a dictator, a tyrant.  Your regime of ethnic cleansing has not been accepted well by your people.’

‘A regime you suggested!’ snapped Phoenix.  ‘What are you trying to do?’

‘I only provide you with the help you ask of me, Commander Phoenix.  It was your forces who failed to overcome the dissidents.’

‘You told me that I would gain power through your advice!’ snorted Phoenix.

‘And you have.’ grated the prisoner.  ‘But you fail to ask yourself an important question.  What will you do with that power when you have obtained it?’

‘Do not try to philosophise with me you monster!’ roared Phoenix.

‘Why do you seek power?’ demanded the Dalek.  ‘Answer!’

‘For the good of my race!’ cried Phoenix.  There was a moment of silence while the Dalek pondered her words within it’s twisted mind.

‘I see no value in your aims.’ it said, slowly and venomously.  ‘Without a strong ruler your race will turn against itself until they have destroyed themselves.’  There was a pause while Phoenix shook her head in denial, sobbing to herself.  The prisoner took no notice of her tears as it callously grated on.  ‘Your race is worthless!’

‘You tricked me!’ cried Phoenix.  ‘You told Mavec Chen where we were somehow!’  She raised her blaster pistol and pointed it at the Dalek.  ‘It is time we ended our alliance.’

‘You do not have the courage.’ grated the prisoner, unmoved.

‘I wouldn’t count on it.’ said Phoenix, her trembling hand clutching the weapon firmly.

‘Your weapon will not destroy me.  By the time you have fired you will be dead.  Cease your idle threats or I will kill you!’

Neither captor nor prisoner had the chance to prove their strength.  An announcement bellowed through the communication system.

A Space Security ship is landing outside!  Repeat - a Space Security ship is landing outside!

‘What shall I do?’ cried Phoenix, lowering her pistol.  ‘If they come in here our alliance is definitely over!’

‘Alliance?’ grated the prisoner.  ‘We have no alliance.’

‘What?’ gasped Phoenix.

‘When the Space Security agents arrive you will be tried and convicted, then Mavec Chen will become the new Guardian.’

‘Why?’ cried Phoenix.  ‘Why have you done this?’

‘I estimate you have less than ninety rels to reach your escape shuttle.’ droned the Dalek.  ‘If I do not exterminate you first!’  The gunstalk twitched.

‘You didn’t answer my question!’ snapped Phoenix.

‘You are in no position to demand answers!’ grated the Dalek.  ‘I suggest you make your escape before it is too late.’

‘Who are you really working for?’ asked Phoenix.  ‘Why don’t you just kill me now and get it over with?  That’s what you do isn’t it, kill?  That’s all you can do!’

‘There is no need.’ replied the Dalek.  It watched Phoenix running towards the exit, calmly.  After years of striving for power, justice had finally caught up with her.  ‘I detect that two human beings are already approaching...’

As Phoenix ran towards the exit her personal guard section poured into the room, they stopped as they saw their leader racing towards them.

‘Commander Phoenix!’ snapped one of the troopers.  ‘Space Security agents are here.  Chen’s fanatics are scattering already.  We’re saved.’

‘Quick!’ exclaimed Phoenix.  ‘In there!  You must kill it at once.  Kill the prisoner!’

The prisoner started to move forward as streams of laser fire lanced from the guards’ rifles.  Phoenix pushed her way through to safety as the guards fired again.  As the prisoner approached from the shadows the squad leader stopped firing and yelled, retreating.

‘It’s a Dalek!’ he cried.  ‘A Dalek, get out of here!’

The bulky metallic form of the Dalek slid smoothly after the troopers, the eye stalk swivelling round from it’s top section to regard the human soldiers.  The Dalek’s outstretched sucker stalk extended to scan the troopers, taking in details and statistics of their weaponry.  Finally, the stubby barrel levelled as the soldiers started to flee. 

‘Exterminate!’

There was a flash of brilliant light and a thunderous discharge of energy as the screaming soldiers fell to the floor, their smoking corpses twitching and juddering on the cold unforgiving steel tiles.  The Dalek lifted itself from the floor and hovered over the bodies, seeking out the fanatic followers of Mavec Chen.  Now the Dalek was free it could take control and make them regroup.  As it entered the meeting room a line of terrified guards trained their blasters on it.  At the back of the room, a bald headed man with wide eyes strode in.  He wore a sinister black uniform.

‘Stop!’ he yelled.  But it was too late.

Sparks of energy crackled around the room as the last of Phoenix’s troopers fell dead.  The room was filled with the tang of ozone.  The bald man strode towards the Dalek, his nostrils flaring.

‘Those were the last of the guards.  We needed them for interrogation!’

‘They have no knowledge of Phoenix’s campaign.  I hold all the information you need.’

‘How do you know the details of her campaign?’ demanded the man.

‘Because I am her campaign!’ bellowed the Dalek.  ‘Every move she made, she did with my guidance.’

‘‘We had better get you to Mavec Chen’s secret base before the reinforcements arrive.  The Daleks have started work on a new command centre on the planet Kemble.  Come with me and I shall take you there.’

‘It is too late for that!’  said the Dalek.  ‘My sensors have already detected a Space Security ship near this base.  You have been inefficient!’

‘I hold much sway with Space Security.  Let me talk to them.’

‘No!’ snapped the Dalek.  ‘Take Chen’s remaining forces and escape from this planet.  The Space Security agents must obtain proof that I was the template for Phoenix’s campaign.’

‘Then what?’

‘I must transmit my database to the Dalek Empire.  If I am captured I will self destruct.’

Hudson and Sara scrambled towards the base leaving the rocket behind them.  Hudson tightly clutched his laser pistol and prepared for the worst.  Sara seemed to be frighteningly focused as she sprinted from rock to rock, keeping in cover at all times.

‘According to the blueprints there should be a service entrance right about here.’ she said.

‘You mean that thing over there?’ said Hudson, pointing to a small hatch.  ‘I could have told you that without any blueprints!’

‘Just shut up.’ snapped Sara.  ‘And get the explosives ready.’

‘Explosives at the ready.’ said Hudson.  ‘Although why we need heavy duty blasting gear to rescue hostages is quite beyond me.’

‘Perhaps I’m becoming open minded.’ sighed Sara.  She held up her pistol.  ‘If your mindless ranting holds any sway and we do find I Dalek in there I don’t like my chances of fighting it with this.’

‘Why don’t the Earth Alliance study Dalek weapons and copy them then?’ said Hudson.  ‘You’d blast your way up through the ranks with one of them!’

‘A Dalek gun?’ gasped Sara.  ‘Call me old fashioned but I don’t like to come home from work and find myself glowing in the dark.’

Sara slid open the service hatch to reveal a narrow corridor lined with pipes and circuitry.  Hudson carefully followed her.

‘I see the way through.’ whispered Hudson, looking at a small grille.

‘Stay here, I’m taking a quick look around.  For a potential war zone it’s far too quiet.’

Hudson slumped down as Sara gently opened the grille and stepped into one of Phoenix’s various conference rooms.  The walls were littered with propaganda and military symbols.  It was deadly silent.  Quickly, Sara slipped through the nearest doorway.  The air was thick with the tang of ozone.  As she peered inside the next hallway Sara suddenly gasped.  Bodies littered the floor, their faces twisted in agony and their limbs tensed in desperate gestures.  Sara leaned over one of them and looked at the pale face of a local guard.  His skin was webbed with broken capillaries but there was no other sign of damage.  With a quick examination Sara suddenly gagged and wretched as her hand pushed down easily on the soft stomach of the corpse.

‘Internal displacement.’ she muttered.  ‘Nasty way to go.’

Suddenly she was grabbed in strong trunk like arms.  Her pistol slipped from her grasp and fell somewhere among the dead bodies.

‘What have we got here then?’ grunted a deep voice.  ‘One of Phoenix’s lackeys!’

Sara felt the wind escaping from her mouth as the bear hug tightened.  She franticly waved her legs but the attacker had a strong hold on her.  With a last move of desperation she struck back with her fist, sending it crashing into the attacker’s groin.  She was dropped as the man howled in agony.  Scrambling to her feet she turned to see the hulking figure of Goliath charging towards her.  Sara flipped out of his way with astonishing agility and watched him blunder on by. 

‘Don’t force me to kill you!’ yelled Sara, but Goliath was beyond reason.

Goliath roared in anger, launching an anvil sized fist at Sara.  The blow was clumsy but it glanced her across the head and she was sent staggering back, blood beginning to seep from the wound on her forehead.  Goliath chuckled and pulled a large knife from his belt as Sara stepped back.  Goliath lunged!  Sara ducked.  The blade smashed into the wall and Sara caught the giant off guard, slamming her knee into his stomach repeatedly.  Goliath wheezed and gasped, scrambling away from Sara.  He fumbled for his pistol but it was too late.  Sara kicked him with astonishing force in the side of his ribcage and he cried out as bones cracked.  He rolled over onto his back, his arms flailing in frenzied pain as Sara kicked him again.  Finally she slammed her boot onto his neck and pressed down on his throat.  Goliath’s trembling hand gripped the revolver from his belt.  Sara spun her body round and broke his neck in a swift graceful turn.  She smiled in triumph and turned back to the doorway.  Suddenly she saw the terrified figure of Johan, holding a pistol he had found on one of his dead troopers.  He raised the barrel of the revolver.

‘Die, bitch!’ he gibbered.  There was a deafening gunshot and Sara fell to the ground, blood pouring from her abdomen.  ‘So much for Space Security.’ he added.

Johan saw that Sara was still breathing, just about.  He looked over at the body of Goliath, face up on the metal floor, his head cocked at an unnatural angle.  Perhaps the instinct to kill was not so hard to muster after all.  Johan aimed the pistol at Sara’s head and started to squeeze the trigger.

Melanie winced and braced herself as the Scrapdog landed with an almighty thud.  How she had been allowed to fly freely past the flying saucers was beyond her.  She didn’t know.  She didn’t want to know.  All that mattered was that Hudson was in there somewhere.  She sprinted towards the main entrance, weighed down by the huge weapon she had found in the workshop.  Hudson called it a bazookoid, some kind of heavy rock blasting laser for scrapping on asteroids.  It seemed easy enough to use anyway.  Just point it and fire it.  Simple, like most killings were in her life these days.  The entrance hall of the base was like something out of an old Nazi war film.  Melanie looked grimly around at the decoration.  Suddenly there were footsteps.  Melanie jumped behind a desk as what sounded like half an army ran through the room.  She peered over to see lines of troopers in camouflage jackets charging out towards the exit, lead by a bald man in black clothes.  She guessed that these were the terrorists.  Instead of lasers and high tech gadgetry most of them carried machine guns and shotguns.  As the last of the troopers left the base Melanie slowly rose to her feet and made her way through the doorway.

‘Hudson?’ she asked the empty corridor.

There was no reply.  Melanie wandered through the bewildering layout of passageways before finally stopping and sighing to herself.  Whatever happened here was over by the looks of it.  Perhaps she was too late.  Melanie dropped the bazookoid and slumped down, burying her face in her hands.  Then, through the gap between her fingers, she noticed the shadow.  A squat shape was sliding smoothly along the wall.  Whatever it was it must have been right around the next corner!  Melanie stood up quickly and grabbed the bazookoid.  What rumbled round the next corridor was the most bizarre creation she had ever witnessed.  She had come across many robots and androids on her travels but this was unique, mainly because there was absolutely nothing even remotely human about it.  Some kind of eye swung round to see her and the machine suddenly moved faster.

‘Who are you?’ it demanded.  ‘Answer!’

Melanie stood gaping for a moment.  She was just about to say something when her instincts caught up with her fascination and she suddenly ran.  The thing was screaming at her to halt.  Melanie blundered through a doorway and crashed over a stack of chairs, dropping her weapon.  She lay stunned for a second before shaking her head and reclaiming the bazookoid.  The thing slid into the room, blocking the doorway.  Was this a Dalek?  Whatever it was it didn‘t look friendly!  She fired the bazookoid.  A ball of glowing energy slammed into the side of the Dalek’s hull and it made a terrible metallic scream before gliding forward at speed.  There was a large dent in the side of it’s casing but it appeared unhindered.  Melanie fired again but the Dalek slid sideways, avoiding the blast as it blew a chunk out of the wall.

‘Stay back, whatever you are!’ screamed Melanie.

‘Cease firing or you will endanger us both!’ squawked the Dalek.

Melanie ignored the creature and pumped out another blast.  The Dalek slid out of the way again as the firepower smashed the wall behind it.  Melanie was about to fire again when she saw rubble crashing down.  She had hit a support beam!  Dust and ruin caved in from above, engulfing a screaming Melanie and a ranting Dalek.  For a moment it was dark and silent.  Melanie wandered if she had died under the falling wreckage.  How could she tell?  Then she saw light as her eyes opened and she felt pain as blood trickled down her face.  The dented and scratched Dalek loomed over her like a vulture.  Melanie tried to scramble away but her leg was trapped under a huge slab of metal.  She screamed in pain as steel and concrete dug into her hamstring.  She looked up at the Dalek as it slowly extended it’s sucker arm towards her.

Johan aimed carefully down the barrel of the pistol as Sara lay on the floor in a pool of blood.  Suddenly he was swept off his feet by a furious storm of black leather and dark hair.  The bullet just missed Sara and ricocheted off the floor as Johan fell under the fierce charge of Hudson.  Johan tried to turn the gun on his attacker but Hudson was too quick for him.  He wrenched the pistol from Johan’s grasp and punched him in the face again and again. 

‘You filthy scum!’ yelled Hudson with a flurry of blows to the face.

Johan struggled helplessly as Hudson continued to pound at him with blood covered fists.  Hudson stood up, picking Johan up by the hair and dragging him to the nearest wall.  Johan screamed at him to stop but Hudson proceeded to smash his head against the concrete.  Johan fell to the floor, blood pouring from all over his face.  Hudson picked up Goliath’s  knife and pinned Johan to the floor with his heavy boot.  He raised the shining blade above his head and looked down at the bruised, bleeding man.  

‘Please.’ croaked Johan. 

Hudson stepped back, the knife dropping from his trembling hand.  He suddenly realised what he was going to do.  He was going to kill this man!  Guilt and shame welled up inside him.  He felt the urge to collapse on the floor and join all the other bodies.  But then he looked at Sara.  She was barely alive.  If he didn’t get her back to the rocket she wouldn’t make it.  He had to remain strong.  Gathering his thoughts he gently picked Sara up in his arms and strode back towards the service hatch. 

‘Come on, Sara.’ said Hudson, softly.  ‘You’ll make it.’

Johan watched him leave with hazed eyes, realising that he had been spared.  He felt sick inside, realising that Hudson had done what he couldn’t have done in the same situation.  Phoenix had been wrong about him all along.  He was a killer, or at least that’s what he felt in his heart.  He crawled over to Goliath and closed the big man’s lifeless eyes before staggering away.

‘The first casualty of war is love.’ he whispered to the empty room.  ‘When will this all be over?’

Melanie wasn’t quite sure what to say as the Dalek lifted the metal plate easily with it’s strong limb and threw it aside.  She flexed her leg a little.  It was painfully bruised but no real damage.

‘Thank you.’ she found herself saying.

‘Are you damaged?’ grated the Dalek.  ‘You appear to be in pain.’

Melanie’s thoughts were mixed up right now.  She shook her head silently. 

‘You’re a Dalek, aren’t you?’ she said in a bleak tone.  ‘I’ve heard of your people before.  You’re alive inside that machine, right?’

‘Correct.’ said the Dalek, impassively.  ‘I detect that the structural damage in this area had blocked our means of escape.’

Melanie sighed and nodded. 

‘I should never have come here.  I don’t even know if my friends are still alive.’

‘I detect no more humanoids in this vicinity.’  grated the Dalek.  ‘Any allies that you have here will be either gone or dead.’

Melanie didn’t want to face the possibility of Hudson having been killed.  She had held back her fears while searching the base but hearing the Dalek say it in such a blank logical tone made it seem all the more likely.  Finally her emotions gave in and tears rolled down her face. 

‘Hudson.’ she sobbed.  ‘Why did I let you go off on your own?’

‘What is wrong with your eyes?’ droned the Dalek.

‘Leave me alone.’ sobbed Melanie.

‘What is wrong with your eyes?’ bellowed the Dalek.  ‘Answer!’

‘I’m crying you idiot!’ shrieked Melanie.  ‘Can’t you see that?  I’m bloody well crying!’

‘Why do you cry?’ asked the Dalek, blankly.

Melanie looked at the Dalek with sheer disbelief.

‘You really don’t know, do you?  You can’t understand the pain of another.’

Suddenly the Dalek’s tone seemed to change.  It seemed less harsh.  Melanie stepped back slowly with wide eyes as it spoke.

‘I will not pretend that I understand your emotional responses.  I can do nothing to relieve your pain but I can help you to stop Phoenix before more of your people die.’

‘What do you mean?’ gasped Melanie, wiping the tears from her eyes.  ‘Why would you help me?’

‘For twenty years I have been her prisoner.  She has used my tactical knowledge for her plans.  With your help I can establish a communications link to Earth Command.  We can ensure she is captured by Mavec Chen.  We can avenge the murder of your friends and bring Phoenix to justice.’

‘I don’t understand.’ said Melanie.  ‘Hudson said you were monsters.  He said that your species did nothing but kill.  How can I trust you?’

‘What choice do you have?  We are trapped here.  Help may not come for many days.  Human beings need food and water to survive.’

‘But you don’t.’ sighed Melanie.  ‘I need you to blast our way out of here and you need my help with the communications systems.  Lucky for me you don’t have any hands.  I just wonder how long you’ll need my nimble fingers for.’

Sara looked peaceful as she lay still.  Hudson sat by her side in the cool white room that was used as a medical bay.  A small multi-limbed robot whirred back and forth, gathering various tools and medicines.  It had a blank lens for a face, which span round to regard Hudson.

‘Agent Kingdom’s condition is critical but stable, Sir.’ said the robot in a polite voice.

Hudson said nothing, but reached out and gently held Sara’s hand.  He looked glumly at his knuckles and noticed that they were still smeared with blood.  The robot continued to scoot back and forth, working away with efficient and almost enthusiastic vigour. 

‘It’s amazing how pretty she looks when she’s not shouting and killing.’ sighed Hudson.

‘Do you require a response, Sir?’ chirped the robot.  Hudson looked blankly at the machine.

‘No thanks.’ said Hudson.  He rose to his feet and picked up Sara’s bundle of explosives.  ‘Actions speak louder than words.’  He strode towards the doorway.

‘Where are you going?’ enquired the robot.

‘To finish what we started.’ said Hudson with grim determination.  ‘Sara didn’t come here and nearly get herself killed for nothing.  I’m going to make sure this ends now!’

Phoenix dove through the hatchway and tumbled into her escape shuttle with astounding agility.  She hated to admit defeat like this but if Space Security were involved then she stood no chance of reclaiming her position.  The Dalek could have been dealt with somehow, but the authorities were a different matter.  Not that the attack on Ganymede could halt her plans.  Her agenda was delayed, but she would not give up.

‘You may have won the battle but you are far from winning the war, Mavec Chen.’  She smugly cackled to herself.  ‘With the data I took from the Dalek I shall build the ultimate army!’  She leant over her navigation computer and started tapping in co-ordinates.  ‘My main force has been kept well hidden.’

Suddenly she heard the airlock door opening.  She span round to see a tall figure in black clothes, his eyes filled with hatred and contempt.  She froze still as she looked straight at the barrel of Hudson’s blaster.

‘You have three seconds before I finish you, Phoenix.’ he said.  ‘Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t pull this trigger.’

‘Who the hell are you?’ snorted Phoenix.  ‘Do really think that I will be intimidated by some long haired stowaway?’

‘A stowaway with a gun, Phoenix.’ said Hudson.  He took aim and prepared himself to commit murder. 

‘I see it in your eyes.’ said Phoenix, calmly.  ‘You are no killer.’

‘Perhaps you’re right.’ said Hudson.  ‘But if I fail to shoot you then I’ll be responsible for the deaths of millions.  Millions of lives Phoenix!  Millions of families.  Men, women and even children, killed because of their heritage, or their skin colour, or the simple fact that they want to live in freedom!’  Hudson knew he could do it now.  Phoenix’s calm face suddenly shuddered with fear.

‘Security protocol nine!’ yelled Phoenix suddenly.

Hudson looked confused.  Before he could react there was a flash of light from above.   Phoenix had a built in security alarm on the ceiling.  A small metal sphere crackled with electricity, striking the gun from Hudson’s hand with a bolt of lightning.  Hudson yelled in shock and pain, shaking his smoking hand.  Phoenix launched herself at him, punching him square in the jaw.  Hudson staggered back, stunned.  For such a slim woman Phoenix was surprisingly strong.  She grabbed Hudson’s arm and gracefully threw him to the floor.  Hudson crashed down with a painful grunt.  Phoenix stomped on his midsection, winding him.  As Hudson rolled and spluttered on the floor Phoenix calmly strode across the room and picked up the blaster pistol.  Hudson fought the aching pain in his stomach and scrambled to his feet, charging her.  Before Phoenix could aim the pistol she was bowled over and sent crashing into the navigation console.  Hudson tried to wrest the pistol from her hand but she viciously bit him on the arm, sinking her teeth deep into the flesh.  Hudson growled and winced as blood trickled down his forearm.  Phoenix still struggled to point the gun on Hudson but he lifted her , using his height and size to his advantage.  He raised her over his head and threw her to the floor.  She managed to keep hold of the gun as she was slammed onto the metal surface.  Hudson dashed for the doorway as Phoenix sat up and fired.  A blue stream of energy screamed through the air, just glancing Hudson’s shoulder.  He cried out in agony as he darted out of the airlock and tumbled out onto the rocky land outside.   Phoenix chuckled smugly to herself and closed the airlock.  Normally she would have taken immense pleasure from hunting her foe down but she knew there was precious little time before either Chen’s forces would capture her, or even worse, the Dalek would come for her.

Hudson clutched his smoking shoulder.  He looked pained for a few minutes as he staggered away from the escape ship but as he looked back he found himself smiling.  He looked at his watch and closed his eyes, bracing himself for…

‘This one’s for you, Sara.  Goodbye, Phoenix.’

The ground suddenly shook as a tremendous explosion rocked the surface of Ganymede.  A ball of fire spread out over the landscape as Phoenix’s ship was blasted to pieces.  Hudson sighed to himself in both relief and disappointment.  There should have been another way.

Melanie squinted to shield her stinging eyes as the Dalek blasted through the last crumbling wall.  When the smoke cleared she saw a massive chamber, the walls lined with computers.

‘We have reached the communications centre.’ droned the Dalek.

‘Let’s see if we can reach out and touch somebody.’ said Melanie, strolling into the room.  ‘Everything seems to be working.’

Melanie started to check the various screens and consoles.  Suddenly the Dalek spoke, loudly.

‘Alert!  Sensors detect the arrival of a star ship in geo-stationary orbit.’

‘Perhaps it’s the Earth Alliance.’ said Melanie.

‘Dalek access codes recognised.  It is the Black Dalek’s flagship.’

‘Black Dalek?’ gasped Melanie.  ‘Is that your commander?’  There was a pause.  The Dalek stood rigid as if it were listening to something.  ‘What happens now?’

‘New orders received.  Command network updated… I obey!’

‘Orders?’ said Melanie.  ‘What do you mean?’

‘You are my prisoner!  Do not move!’ screamed the Dalek, training it’s gunstalk on Melanie.  ‘You will obey all instructions… or you will be exterminated!’

‘Oh sausages.’ sighed Melanie.  She prepared to make a break for it but she was stopped in her tracks.

Dancing blue lights flickered in the air as the dreadful shapes of three more Daleks materialised in the room.  One of them was jet black.  The other two, which were grey, slid closely towards it like bodyguards.

‘This is the humanoid female.’ grated the Dalek.

‘Excellent!’ screeched the Black Dalek.  ‘You will search the building for more humanoid survivors.  They are to be taken alive.  We shall destroy this building when we leave.’

‘It is understood.’ replied the Dalek.  ‘Seek, locate, capture.’

‘What of the female?’ grated one of the bodyguards.

‘Prepare her for teleportation onto our ship.’ ordered the Black Dalek.  ‘All prisoners will be used in the building of our new power base.  She will be taken to Kembel!’

Hudson still felt the same hollow despair after weeks.  He stood tall and proud by the side of Sara Kingdom, raised high on a platform in the main conference chamber of the Earth Command Centre.  All around him were cheering crowds, their arms reaching out and their eyes bright with hope for the first time in years.  Hudson tried to smile back at them but inside he felt himself sinking.  He was wearing a priceless red suit that the Earth Alliance has donated him for the ceremony.  He looked rather dashing except for the fact that his arm was in a sling.  As Mavec Chen stepped out onto the platform the crowd erupted into a deafening cry of joy and pride.  The new Guardian of the Solar System smiled as he approached the two travellers.

‘It is with the greatest of pleasure that I take my position as Guardian.’ he said, his voice echoing all over the vast room.  ‘Now that the Phoenix’s reign of terror is over we can finally look forward to an era of peace for all peoples in this Galaxy.  There will be no more dictators like Phoenix!  There will be no more tyrants like Legentia, Emperor Thyrus or Servillan!’  The crowd chanted in a thousand different languages.  ‘No matter how hard I have worked to get where I am now, I know I could have never succeeded without the effort and devotion of my loyal supporters.  In our most crucial hour, the bravery of these two citizens, Sara Kingdom and Christopher Hudson, gave us all the chance to dispose of fascism for all time!  It is with great honour that I present each of these individuals with the Terran Medal of Honour and Bravery.’

Chen shook Sara’s hand and she saluted sharply to him. 

‘It is simply my duty, Sir.’ she said.

‘I will remember you as my most loyal and trusted agent, Kingdom.’ said Chen.  ‘I believe Bret Vian, your brother, will be proud of you.  I met Agent Vian back the Academy.  Bravery must be a family trait, Miss Kingdom.’

‘Thank you, Sir, and I assure you that you can count on me when we face the Cybermen.’

Hudson managed to give a forced smile as he too shook the new Guardian’s hand.  Chen’s handshake was warm and reassuring, but it could not comfort Hudson.  His dreams had grown worse and worse of late.  He knew that every night he would look back and relive the moment when he had found the Scrapdog empty outside the burning ruin of Garizone HQ.  Melanie had gone.

Hudson and Melanie will return in ‘The Ghost of the Navigator’

Sara Kingdom and Mavec Chen’s continue their adventure in Terry Nation’s ‘The Dalek Master plan’