14

KISS OF THE DEVIL

Out of the vast eternal wastes of the cosmos it drifted seemingly pulled by nothing but the solar winds and the last dying vestiges of its own power systems. Higher than it was wider the ship could have been a decaying Catherine wheel as its grey flesh was pitted with small indentations that almost obscured its name, almost but not quite.

Deep within the confines of the Arkadia sat a man with greyish white hair his trembling liver-spotted hands were clenched together as if in fear until he decided to make his next move. Very carefully he lifted his kingside bishop and extended it diagonally across the board for six squares until it eliminated an enemy pawn. Taking his fingers away he sat back, there was no clock to hit as time had no meaning here; the game could last forever so long as he won it and he had to win the alternative was too terrible to contemplate.

Across from him the opposing chair was empty and there was no sign that anyone had ever sat in it, dust hung thickly on the wooden surface and the chair legs were strewn with plastic and paper detritus. Yet despite this one of the enemy pieces began to move it was a knight and sweeping down on the bishop it removed it from the game.

Roberts frowned then he shook his head, no it wasn't possible he would have seen a trap like that he was the best chess player he knew and he didn't make such obvious mistakes.

"You're cheating," his voice was dry and hoarse. "That's not fair you said you'd play by the rules and give me a fair match. That knight wasn't there a moment ago I'd swear to it."

From the air opposite came a sound, a hissing rattling noise that could have been mocking laughter. Was Roberts playing against a ghost? If so the ghost was now winning because by taking the bishop it had opened up his kingside and made him extremely vulnerable.

"Damn you," cursed the old man. "This has to be a proper game or the whole thing is pointless, give me my bishop back."

The ghostly laughter deepened adding an extra degree of malice to its already hostile timbre, but the bishop was not restored the game would continue and woe betide Roberts if he tried to withdraw now.

Wearily he stood up, "I need some water it's so dry in here and you won't let me turn the heating down." Going to a dispenser he placed a plastic cup under it and hit two switches, the cup began to fill. "I don't get it why do you need it to be so warm, it's not as though you have a physical form – or do you? Is there more to you than I can sense, are you like me flesh and blood after all just invisible?"

The laughter cut out and the chessboard rattled impatiently, get back here and finish the game or else.

"I'm coming, I'm coming all right?" Roberts snapped taking a deep gulp of icy water, oh that was much better he had been so parched. There was precious little food left, but protein supplements in the water kept him alive, or they would until the game was over.

A new sound came to his ears and he didn't know it. He thought he was aware of every click and groan aboard Arkadia but this was something new and extremely strange – a long, drawn out howl like something ripping its way through an impossibly flexible material and then it turned into a shriek, a bronchial, unbreathing protest divided into staggered gulps.

"What is this," he asked? "Are you doing it, is it another of your sick little games to put me off?"

But the invisible chess player made no response and for the first time since they'd met Roberts got the impression that his enemy had been surprised by something and more than that, unsettled to the point where the game was on hold. Going to a viewer he activated it and keyed in a sonic sensitivity trace so that the cameras would home in on the sound. This was fading to an echo now but there was enough of it left to pick up a signature, lower deck seven, eastern quad, one of the rest quarters.

The viewer produced a grainy monochrome image, its colour facility had long ago failed so he was left with a flicking black and white image and in the centre of this something tall and dark could be seen that didn't belong in any rest quarter. A light flashed on top for a moment then ceased, something very strange had arrived on the ship out of nowhere and Roberts could work out what it was, all he knew was that it gave him a strange thrill of hope.

Rushing to the room door he keyed it opening instructions, this time the door opened and it never had before. Stumbling out into a corridor the old man pressed his palms against the cold steel of a bulkhead and sucked in air that wasn't stale with his own bodily odours. How long had been imprisoned in his room playing chess – a week, a month?

Shaking with excitement he walked his hands along the wall using it for support until he reached an elevator, this yawned open and he almost fell against the touch sensitive display at the back palming in LD7, east quad, residential. The lift door hissed shut and deep within his ancient bones he felt movement, sideways at first then a diagonal drop at great speed.

Something had come to Arkadia, something utterly alien and yet oddly reassuring. It wasn't anything like the intruders, their arrival had been dramatic and terrifying not anonymous and restrained and soon after their arrival the deaths had begun, dreadful, agonizing, unrelenting and undiscriminating. Roberts had lost all his friends and even men he didn't like, one by one they had fallen to the power of the aliens until in the end…

The lift stopped and its door opened to reveal a dull twilight punctured only by the watery light of the sodium lamps – the only things that worked properly on the lower decks. The air was musty and very cold, it was breathable but not for long and the cold ate into old bones like his making the joints ache.

Emerging slowly he tried to hear any sounds but the only thing that came back to him was his own heart, a tired thing now working too hard against the tight confines of a thin chest. Roberts had no weapons, all guns had been destroyed early in the attack but moving into the gloom he soon found a chair leg broken off by some death spasm. With this in his hands he felt a degree safer although not very much as it was a useless thing against the intruders.

The dark oblong box was in a room directly ahead, the door of the room was slightly ajar and as he approached it he heard another sound a click followed by a creak the sort of thing a rusty hinge might make then the unmistakable tread of a shoe, not a soft boot like he wore but something leather and old-fashioned, the kind of footwear that needed polishing and its soles replacing after long use.

Up to the door Roberts raised his club, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with it or even that the new arrival was an enemy he was just being cautious. A box that can arrive out of thin air can leave the same way. This thought galvanized him to push the door right open and hurry inside club raised.

He found – no one, not a sign of anybody. Oh the box was there and it was blue not black with white lettering across the doors, yes there were two of these but only one was open permitting a noise to escape the box. Roberts swallowed he felt parched again, his mouth and throat dry with fear. What should he do try to seal the room, even if he did the aliens may insist he open it he couldn't do anything without their say so?

Taking a step nearer to the box he looked down and saw footprints in the dust moving away from the box in his direction. He wheeled around expecting an attack but none came so where had the new arrival gone, he hadn't been out in the corridor as its dust was undisturbed.

Roberts thought of calling out making a sound but he had lived with paralysing fear too long, do as you're told and keep quiet you are our prisoner.

Instantly the table leg was gone from his fingers plucked clear of them and held with easy confidence by a hand that belonged to a total stranger, a man who did not radiate hostility but at the same time looked like he could defend himself if he had to.

Not a malicious face thought Roberts more oddly curious with its high cheekbones and deep azure blue eyes. So much hair he thought, thick dark curls going in all directions just like I used to have before…well before the unseen ones came into my life and hijacked it along with the ship.

"This is a queer sort of thing for a second-lieutenant to be carrying around, and I find it odd that someone of your rank would be sent to investigate a common or garden intruder. I'm the Doctor by the way, you are…?"

So stunned was Roberts that he backed away in fear, catching on the visitor tossed the chair leg aside, smiled and made a passive gesture. "GBH never was my style, don't worry I'm not hostile nor do I mean your crew any harm."

The brilliant eyes took in their surroundings, the grubbiness of it all, the dust and neglect then the nostrils sniffed no doubt taking in the stale smell.

"Cleaners on strike are they, according to my scanners this craft has been drifting for a while can't you affect repairs?"

"Get out of here," Roberts croaked. "And take me with you before they find us."

A frown marred the handsome features but instead of asking any more questions the Doctor moved around the cramped room touching various things, from his left pocket he took a small box-shaped device and did a double-click, a light came on and a low whistling noise filled the air.

"This is interesting," came the purr. "I'm not detecting any other human life signs, which means.." The blue eyes jumped back to Roberts full of enquiry, in response he gave a curt nod to signify that the Doctor was right he was the only person left aboard.

"They killed the others oh not right away and not quickly, with some they took their time extracting all the information they could, sometimes they forced me to watch." Roberts screwed up his face in disgust at the awful memories. "I think they enjoyed my shock, my revulsion it was all part of the great experience for them."

"Why keep you alive?"

A good question, how often had he pondered it? "I'm being allowed to compete for my life in a chess game."

The Doctor's face lit up as if he loved chess, "And if you win they let you survive?"

"I believe so."

"On a dead ship with no power drifting aimlessly? Not much of a prize is it? Presumably if you lose you die, but what if the game is a stalemate?"

"We play until there is a clear result, win or lose." Slumping into a chair Roberts buried his face in his hands, he was so tired, so weak; there had to be a way out of this. "We must leave here in your box, will there be room for both of us?"

Coming over to him the Doctor ran his scanner over the man, "Malnourishment, dehydration, shock and sleep depravation. If you carry on like this you're heading for a complete physical collapse so I agree you must leave here and soon."

Hope flared within the chess player, was he going to escape at last? But the newcomer pursed his lips, "But first." He said as he moved to the door.

"No, don't let them capture you." Roberts was on his feet in an instant not willing to let his only chance go the same way as so many others. "I've seen what they can do how they can peel back the layers of the mind."

"Oh they like minds do they? I think they'd find mine a bit of a challenge."

This Doctor was confident but Roberts had seen strong, determined men destroyed by the intruders before, they seemed to savour good opponents.

"Wait, please." He intoned hurrying to catch up and taking hold of the jacket sleeve. "You have no idea what they're like."

"No I don't, which is why I was hoping you could supply some details."

If only I could, Roberts thought, "I've never seen them, they can totally mask themselves from human eyes and spy cameras."

Mulling this over the visitor turned a corner. "All right tell me about their technology."

"They constructed their machines out of our technology, disassembling units and rebuilding them in ways I've never seen into devices unknown to me. I can show you some of these if you like but be warned, they are extremely dangerous."

The Doctor nodded, indicating that he would indeed like to view some of this re-engineering. "What about they ship they arrived in, I assume they did come in a ship?"

Roberts shrugged, "If they did then it to was invisible, at least nothing showed up on the scanners. The next thing we knew they were in here taking prisoners."

A hand was raised and Roberts found himself falling silent, "When you say taking prisoners, what exactly do you mean, how did they take prisoners?"

The memories were dreadful, "People just disappeared, and we couldn't find them anywhere onboard. More and more key staff went like that, there was no sign of violence they just vanished."

"Did you ever see them again?"

"Oh yes once the aliens were in charge the prisoners reappeared wired up to their machines, welded to them in some cases."

"Back up a little lieutenant," said the Doctor.

"Adam, please call me Adam."

"All right Adam," a slight smile played at the edges of the newcomer's lips and his eyes sparkles with curiosity. "At any time did the aliens make ransom demands or issue threats, did they explain why they were taking your people and what was being done to them?"

Adam sighed, "The only explanation they gave to me was later when everyone was gone and only I was left. They said that the crew were being used as part of an experiment, that they were test subjects. Apparently the aliens need an organic content in their machinery, living nervous systems through which signals can be passed and data stored."

"Fascinating," said the Doctor and he genuinely seemed intrigued.

"It's revolting," Adam spat. "Inhuman."

"Yes indeed but then these creatures aren't human, did they tell you why you weren't subjected to this experiment?"

"They said I was part of a different program, that I was being given a sporting chance to earn my freedom."

The time lord frowned, "A sporting chance." He repeated with relish, "How interesting, and who picked chess was it you or them?"

Indicating himself Adam admitted to being the ship's senior chess champion, the Doctor asked.

"And your alien opponent, did he know the game of chess? I mean chess is by no means unique to earth but your version of it is quite rare."

"He accessed the rules and some old games stored in our computers."

"So, self-taught and a quick study to, they're an adaptive and resourceful bunch these modest invaders."

Face twisting with hatred the lieutenant balled both fists, "They're monsters, devils." He screamed and tears formed in both eyes to cascade down the thin, pale cheeks. Instantly sympathetic the new arrival put a hand on Robert's shoulder and patted gently before saying.

"I'm sorry to sound so effusive, it's just my way. Come on let's go and have a look at an example of their handiwork, it may tell me a lot more about them than anecdotal evidence."

Wiping his face Adam nodded once, "Why are you getting involved Doctor, why don't you just get back in that box of yours and escape?"

"Getting involved is what I do Adam, there's a mystery here, something that just doesn't add up. I don't buy into the experimental theory at all, and all right some races do employ bio-technological craft but I've yet to meet one that harvests the personnel from other ships in such a random fashion and then there's you old chap, the fly in the ointment. I mean why offer you anything at all, much less a sporting chance? They don't have to give you any kind of chance, much less a chess game."

Roberts nodded feebly, these thoughts had occurred to him as well. "You mean they're lying to me, stringing me along?"

Instead of answering this directly the Doctor turned his face slightly away as though he could hear something, when he didn't speak for several seconds Adam asked him what was wrong, the azure blue eyes flicked back.

"I think we're being watched, possibly scanned but I can't be sure."

Panic tightened every muscle in the lieutenant's neck, but he received an encouraging pat on the arm and a winning smile.

"Come on Adam, take me to the bridge it's usually where all the action is."

The bridge had changed and quite a bit, all the terminals had been torn from the walls dragged to the middle of the room and welded together into a crazy sculpture of distorted metal, fused wires and homogenized microchips. The whole thing was many yards long and several high, it had no obvious shape or purpose yet there was energy running through it.

Fascinated the Doctor ran his scanner over the array, "The aliens did this?"

Roberts nodded whilst nervously glancing around the bridge, "I was told never to come here."

"I'm sure you were," his companion agreed as he circled the array. "You know this is amazing, I'm picking up traces of all the usual metals and alloys this ship is made of, which you'd expect but there are other elements here that are completely alien and were obviously added to the mix."

Adam didn't understand and wasn't sure if he wanted to. "So what is this thing exactly?"

"Well I'm not sure yet, but it's highly complex is drawing off massive amounts of power and seems to be performing several independent functions at the same time." The Doctor replied pausing to scan a particular part of the apparatus.

"A computer," Adam offered?

"More like a host of computers, and you were right about organic content there are several human nervous systems wired up to the electronics although I don't see the point of it just yet."

Revolted as he had known some of the bridge personnel Adam moved to join the Doctor, "They won't just let us poke around inside this thing you know."

"Well they haven't tried to stop us so far, aha what's this?"

Sinking to his knees the newcomer probed the underside of the machine at its narrowest point, not speaking for almost a minute he acquired data then sat back on his own ankles and frowned. "Now that's odd," he judged. "Very odd, according to these readings the human nervous systems are actually alive, I mean they are thinking for want of a better word. And there aren't just human minds linked to this thing, I'm picking up alien DNA."

Roberts felt cold all over, "You mean some of them are in there to?"

"Without knowing just exactly who they are it's hard to tell, but it's not a species I'm familiar with."

Moving around to the top end of the structure the Doctor panned his tracker first up then down, "Extraordinary." He muttered. "The living nervous systems in here are changing, evolving, that shouldn't be possible in a cybernetic environment. I'd expect them to be kept stable but not to add new cells or ganglia."

"Can you tell what they're evolving into," Adam asked intrigued despite his fear.

"Well it's early days but from the data I'm getting now I'd say that the human and alien spinal chords are joining together to form entirely new entities, combining the best qualities of both in a form of…"

The bridge door had slammed shut and locked itself. Roberts spun around and clutched his chest automatically. "They're here," he said.

Not questioning this the Doctor readjusted his tracker and moved it across the large room. "Yes," he whispered. "I do believe you're right."

Rather than submit to the kind of paralysing fear the human had the Doctor strode boldly forward three steps and put on his best smile. He had learned over the centuries that a confident air achieved far more than craven fear.

"Three of you," he said. "According to my tracker at least. I hope you represent the leadership of this little boarding party. I am the Doctor by the way, and I can't say I'm impressed by what I've heard so far. Torture and murder aren't the hallmarks of an advanced species, ethically speaking. As for your hybridisation project, I don't really see the point of it."

In the air before him a curious dark grey haze appeared, it wasn't very large at first being about hand sized but it soon spread in all directions until it was man-shaped, however from the structure of the head it clearly wasn't a man – not with those horns nor with two cloven hooves.

Roberts was appalled, what he was seeing struck a deep racial memory it was something unclean, evil and corrupt. The Doctor was more curious but even he seemed uncertain for once, his face reflecting alarm, shock and a deep wariness.

The satanic outline thickened and darkened acquiring long clawed fingers, a high crested neck and some kind of body armour around the chest, arms and knees. Slowly the whole thing congealed into a creature attired in metallic plates with a thick belt around the waist and attached to the belt were a variety of hand held weapons and cruel looking appliances. The face was greyish-black with fierce crimson eyes, flared nostrils and a split of a mouth with a thick top lip under which two sharp canine teeth jutted. Hideous and malevolent looking, the alien had an arrogant posture and from its gaze it clearly didn't think much of the two men before it.

"Revealed at last," said the Doctor. "And what a surprising fellow you are, not exactly the chess playing type."

Not moving the creature raised its left hand and in the dark palm of this a slim box was visible with small winking lights on it.

"A pain cube," the Doctor remarked. "Induces various degrees of discomfort, memory loss, blackouts and paralysis. Illegal and banned in more than twenty galaxies, including this one."

Raising the pain cube higher the demonic soldier thumbed controls atop it and a low humming note filled the air.

Roberts sank to his knees, "That sound, that's how they took over." He screamed.

"Oh I don't doubt it for a second," the time lord answered. "Well you'll need more than that little box of tricks to impress me."

Tracker up he thumbed a dial on the side and a new note joined the first, the pain cube lights began to flicker madly and several of them went out. Quickly the demon worked more controls but he could do nothing to stop all twelve lights from eventually going dim.

"I think you need an upgrade," said the Doctor. "I hope you belong to an emergency callout service." Turning to Adam he said, "They're not as invincible as they'd like you think, most bullies aren't if you stand up to them."

But the next instant the cockiness was knocked out of the traveller as he was physically gripped from behind, slammed head first into a terminal and thrown to the floor. Then his tracker was snatched up by unseen claws and examined, before being switched off.

The visible alien gave a coarse chuckle then said in a rasping voice, "Impressed now are we?" Looking down at his opponent he made a dismissive gesture. "I just wanted to see what you had up your sleeve, obviously nothing much. Let us hope that you belong to an emergency callout service."

The red eyes swung around, "Come out lieutenant, don't cringe like some pet animal kicked by its master show yourself to me, our chess game is far from over and I am keen to see how you will cope with the trap I have set you."

Emerging Adam walked around the alien machine and stood facing his opponent able to see him for the first time ever.

"What are you," he pleaded?

"What do I look like to you lieutenant?"

"Well you look like," Adam swallowed recalling the mythology of his own people going back over the ages. "But that's not possible, you can't be him, he doesn't exist."

A chuckle came from the alien but the Doctor – who had picked himself up – responded.

"Well done Adam, don't pander to legend or fantasy, whatever he looks like he isn't the devil."

"I'm not so sure," Roberts said in a voice heavy with defeat.

"Why would the devil need technology, weapons or computers, why would the devil steal living tissue from your race and his own? He's a living, breathing creature." The Devil in question cast a quick glance at the Doctor then turned back to Adam, from a pouch on his belt he extracted a small black object and held it in his palm it was a chess piece a pawn and he threw it to his opponent making his catch it.

"I let you be white," came the rasp. "I let you decide the opening of the game, that game has yet to be concluded."

Closing his fingers around the pawn Adam bowed his head recalling what was at stake, "I'm sick of games." He said bitterly, "if you're going to stick my nervous system into your filthy machine then get on with it."

The alien cracked a smile or the closest thing to a smile his features were capable of, more of a grim rictus. But the next words came from the Doctor,

"I don't think you're compatible with their technology Adam or you'd have been put in the mix a long time ago, they don't strike me as a very altruistic bunch. As for the chess game, it's just a way of passing the time isn't it you've no intention of letting him go so why don't you just admit it. I mean he's seen too much, and now he's seen you and so have I for that matter?"

Not denying any of it the devil nodded his huge head and took the tracker from one of his unseen colleagues, turning it over in a claw several times before prizing open a small panel on the side to expose a mass of complex nano-circuitry.

"You are right Doctor, Adam here is not compatible with our technology and there is a very good reason for that. But I have to say that I think you are." The threat was left in the air for several moments before the alien spoke again and when he did his tone was less amused.

"But first I need you to tell me what species you belong to because the human race did not design a device like this."

With a nod the Doctor asked, "May I have it back?"

The tracker was patted but not surrendered and its owner said, "I see, possession is nine tenths and all that, very well I'll say this my tracker is a multi-purpose and semi-sentient construct and in the hands of someone who doesn't know how to handle it, it can be highly dangerous."

A mocking laugh followed this remark and even Adam thought the Doctor was bluffing. Full marks to him for trying but it seemed a pointless gesture.

"I'm serious," the time lord raised his voice. "You don't realise how tenuous your position is."

"Do I not," came the bark and the Doctor was gripped again? This time he was lifted off his feet and held suspended off the floor by several inches. "I'm sure Adam here has told you how persistent we can be, let me add that we do not respond well to threats or insults and you have offered both. Now tell me who and what you are and why you are here?"

The tracker was hurled across the bridge with such force that when it struck a wall it bounced off this and skittered back across the floor, spinning over and over to come to rest not far from Adam's left boot. He was amazed to note that it hadn't smashed into several pieces, nor was it dented, indeed all its power lights were still on and upon the tiny display screen the Doctor's face could be seen fixed into a smile.

"Oh now that was a mistake," the real item announced as he was lifted higher and his distress increased.

Going up to him the visible alien removed a wicked looking bladed weapon from his belt, it was star-shaped and was held by the black nub in between the four razor sharp wings. "I don't make mistakes," came the rasp. "But you just did," and the weapon was lifted to the Doctor's throat. "Interrogation it is then and it just happens to be my specialty."

The time lord's face reflected fear now and Adam knew all about that because he'd lived with fear for a long time, when their eyes met the lieutenant suddenly realised he could no longer stand by and take no action. He had done nothing as his crewmates fell one by one, he had been a coward and it disgusted him.

Looking around desperately he saw what he needed, picked it up and ran to the alien computer then with a snarl of rage he brought the metal legs of the chair down hard and heard a satisfying crunch of metal as the legs perforated the machine in four places. He let go just in time as current jumped upwards in a line of blue sparks, and a sound not unlike a massed cry of pain issued from the damage. Incredibly he saw thick red oil leak from the holes and the entire bulk of the machine began to shudder like a body going into shock.

All three aliens were instantly visible, and the other two were just as devilish in appearance as their leader. All of them turned to glare at him with malevolent snarls but from their bodies he noticed that steam was billowing, which was odd and more of the blood-like oil could be seen leaking from nostrils and lips as if by damaging the machine he had damaged them in some way.

The Doctor was cast aside, but this time he landed well and went into a gymnastic roll to end up on his feet. His intelligent eyes seemed to have registered the same details as Adam, but he said nothing being more interested in reclaiming his precious tracker.

The alien leader lunged forwards Adam. "You fool!" He raged, "What have you done?"

"Acted like a man, something I should have done in the first place." And Adam threw the pawn back at his tormentor, "The games are over, I want you off this ship."

A vicious backhand blow sent him to the floor stunned and all three aliens turned to their assemblage, from it came a low keening sound like a beast in pain. It's alive Adam thought as his senses reformed, it's some kind of living entity and it's linked to these devil things to the point that when it's hurt so are they. The idea gave him hope, it hinted at a weakness a vulnerability; the first he'd seen.

Picking his tracker up the Doctor took it over to the lieutenant and inspected his bruised head, nodding as though satisfied.

"We can beat them," Adam panted.

"Yes I do believe we can," came the assured reply.

"That machine is the key, but what is it?"

Not responding the time lord put his tracker to scan mode as the three devils placed their talons against the skin of the machine and closed their eyes as if communing with it.

"There's some sort of mental exchange going on," he said. "They're communicating with the entity inside the machine and it's responding, as though it's some kind of parent or overseer."

"I don't understand," Adam admitted. "They built it, created it, doesn't it serve them?"

The Doctor moved a fraction closer to get more readings from a different part of the array he was particularly interested in its blood.

Suddenly the alien leader let go and swung towards him, "Always sneaking about Doctor, poking your nose in where it doesn't belong but you don't understand what you're up against."

Don't I, questioned the lean face, maybe I'm beginning to?

"I've met gestalt entities before and that's what you are, aren't you? A collection of fragments that are part of something bigger, but you're also parasites, pirates you need to steal what you don't have from others – equipment, circuitry and neural pathways. What's wrong, running out of good nervous systems amongst your own kind? Is the gene pool thinning?"

The horned head shook violently, "The idiotic chatter of a fool who is guessing."

"Yes but I think my guesses are fairly close to the mark, and Adam here has struck a profound blow against you which is ironic is it not, your tame little chess opponent whom you thought you could manipulate turns out to have more spine than you."

Grinning at his own little joke the Doctor straightened to face his satanic enemy, having about him a new bearing now, a fresh confidence.

"It makes no difference Doctor, there is nothing more you can do to harm us you have run out of time."

"But I'm a time lord, we never run out of time." Hoisting his tracker the Doctor let his opponent see it with more clarity. "I've been gathering a lot of information about your species ever since I arrived, you see even when I'm not actually touching this tracker it keeps working until I send it a telepathic signal not to and I haven't done that."

The evil face of the alien leader twisted into a rictus of contempt, "data is useless if it can never be employed."

"What makes you think that?"

"You will never get close to our governing intelligence again."

"Oh so that's what that thing is, is it? So by damaging that we can damage you?"

The vast head shook, "You will attack nothing more time lord."

From every door on the bridge more of the demonic creatures emerged, termites from the woodwork Adam was thinking only much bigger and a lot nastier.

"We've had it Doctor."

"Have we?" And in reply the Doctor lobbed his tracker rugby-style through the air, high over the horned heads in a long arc towards the homogenised super computer. Clanging on the roof of this the tracker magnetised itself in place. At once the aliens in communion with their governing intelligence let go and jerked back with growls of pain.

A strident note rather like a hysterical screech came from the construct and Adam saw several of his fascia turn bright red. "Doctor, what have you done?"

"Just exactly what you did, only in a rather more subtle way."

Clawed hands grabbed the two intruders dragging them to a wall and pinning them there, Adam felt a lance of pure white terror but the Doctor was unbelievably calm even jovial.

"It's too late for storm trooper tactics now, you should have employed them when I first arrived, he who hesitates and all that. My tracker has analysed your governing intelligence and has begun to scramble its systems, divorcing the harvested nervous systems from their cybernetic prisons."

Indeed as Adam watched the great machine began to deform out of shape, dents appeared and these imploded inwards even further as the construct lost cohesion and began to sag, to dissolve in places. It was an incredible sight to see metal turn as soft as butter and begin to run, in places holes appeared and through these one could see bubbling plasma like hot putty.

Clutching their horns the devils began to utter the most incredible sounds of distress and confusion, only their leader retained any degree of poise. Lunging forwards he grabbed the Doctor by the scruff of the neck,

"I shall add one further nervous system to the mix, yours!"

Attempting to writhe free the time lord was no match for the immense strength of his opponent and was yanked off his feet. "Petty," he gasped. "And pointless."

"We shall see," he was told and it was clear the devil was going to smash him bodily into the dying, decaying maze of metal.

Adam looked around in horror knowing he had to save his newfound friend. He plucked a gun from the belt of one of the other aliens, a big heavy black-skinned thing almost too big for a human hand. Nobody tried to stop him, the alien hoard where in too much pain and several had already collapsed.

As the Doctor was wrenched high into the air Adam fired a continual burst of super ionized particles into the back of the devil.

There was a burst of melting fabric and tissue, dark blood volatised into the air and the Doctor was released with a snarl. He did a gymnastic flip in the air, kicking his shoes off the side of the alien machine to propel himself into a triple spin and land almost next to Adam.

The alien leader was less fortunate, bleeding heavily and off balance he fell into the seething, smoking mass he had intended to be his victim's last resting place now it would be his. The machine seemed to yawn to receive him then weld shut over the twitching body.

"Thank you Adam," The Doctor gulped then with horror, "Look out!"

The sword blow aimed at both of them missed him by an inch it could have cleaved his skull. Roberts was not so fortunate being struck in the chest, the blade going in deep and cutting down.

With a yell the Doctor kicked the alien away but the damage had been done and Adam pitched to the floor holding him self - features ashen.

It was a bad wound, a dreadful injury even the Doctor could see that as he knelt over his ally, his friend, a man who had found such courage and determination in his final hours.

"I'm a clone," Adam gulped as blood moistened his tongue. "That's why I was no use to them, my DNA is slightly out of sequence."

Breathing ragged he lay limply in the Doctor's arms. "I know Adam, I detected that soon after we met."

"It didn't bother you, some people are prejudiced? They see clones as not entirely human."

The smile was ironic indeed, "Well I'm not entirely human myself so we have that in common, now lie still and don't try to talk I'm going to get some medical supplies from the TARDIS."

Clutching a silken sleeve Roberts fought to get the next words out, his throat could fairly form them. "Thank you for what you did Doctor, you're a good man."

Tears prickling his blue eyes the time lord struggled to keep his own voice normal, "No Adam you're the best man aboard this ship, it was you who showed me the way; you've done your colleagues proud."

In the event he didn't leave Roberts to get medical supplies, there was little point and when Adam had died the Doctor draped the body in his frock coat and carried to the ship's mortuary. There was a small log with which to record final messages, the time lord inputted just four words.

HERE LIES A HERO.

Then he left.