The Ice Warriors by Brian Hayles Read Free Book Online Page A

geologist would have to be reprimanded – yet what he had found was obviously of sufficient importance to interest world authorities. But everything depended on the success of the Ioniser mission. First things first, then.
    ‘Arden, whatever the implications, this find of yours must take second place to our project,’ declared Clent. He watched as the young geologist connected the output leads of a portable power pack to electrode points on the horizontal block of ice. ‘You can give me a full appraisal of your theories after the meeting,’ he consulted his watch, ‘which will commence in three minutes fifteen seconds exactly.’
    Without seeming to hurry unduly, Arden had completed his power connections and was ready to go.
    ‘Miss Garrett, perhaps you’d lead the way?’ continued Clent. ‘Come along, Arden. You can play with your toy later. You’ll be needed at the meeting too, Doctor.’
    With that, he and his colleagues passed through the swing doors towards the conference room.
    The Doctor may have heard Clent’s last words – if so, he showed no inclination to obey them. Instead, alone with Jamie and Victoria, he stood hunched over the ice-encased giant, studying it intently. Jamie pointed to the wiring and the black power pack that Arden had attached to the ice.
    ‘What’s all this about, Doctor?’
    ‘It’s a portable power pack, Jamie,’ the Doctor explained. ‘Arden has set the current so that it will melt the ice very slowly.’
    ‘But it’s working quite quickly – look!’ cried Victoria.
    Jamie and the Doctor looked to where her finger was pointing, and saw that a large flake of ice had fallen away from the side of the warrior’s helmet. He didn’t, however, hear the faint but ominous humming which seemed to come from the power pack. The Doctor didn’t notice. The Doctor bent close to the helmet, examining it through the cloak of thin ice with an expression of intense astonishment.
    ‘But that’s… incredible!’ he blurted out.
    ‘What is, Doctor?’ asked Jamie in amazement. It wasn’t often something set the Doctor back on his heels!
    ‘Jamie…’ murmured the Doctor wonderingly, ‘that’s an electronic earpiece – there, on the helmet! Almost identical to the ones used on modern space helmets!’
    Both the youngsters looked at him uncomprehendingly.
    ‘But Doctor… it can’t be,’ said Victoria finally.
    The Doctor raised his head abruptly. His voice was keen with excitement, and possibly something more… ‘Don’t you realise what this means?’
    He looked into their young faces, and saw that they did not understand. Reaching a quick decision, he hurried towards the door.
    ‘Wait here,’ he shouted back over his shoulder, ‘and don’t touch anything!’
    Jamie and Victoria were getting used to his sudden exits, and exchanged a gentle chuckle.
    ‘I wonder what sent him off like that?’ asked Jamie.
    ‘Scientists are all the same,’ replied Victoria. ‘They’re forever shouting
Eureka
, or something. Hey! What are you doing? Don’t be a spoilsport!’
    Half playfully, she struggled to prise Jamie out of the vibro-chair – not because the Doctor had told them not to touch it, but because she dearly wanted to have a go in it herself. ‘Me first!’ she shouted, then gasped as she felt the machine tingle into life, switched on by Jamie’s eager hand, as he relaxed in the chair.
    Neither of them noticed that more ice had fallen away from the warrior’s helmet. The power pack’s electrodes were now touching bare metal. Their excited laughter hid the hum which was coming from the prostrate form, and which seemed to be ever increasing in volume.
    They didn’t see the eye-pieces of the cruel helmet flicker, nor the reflex twitch of the great, gauntleted hand.
    Slowly but surely, the Ice Warrior was coming to life…

3
    Creature from the Red Planet
    THE DOCTOR HAD been summoned to Clent’s meeting – but he hadn’t been told how to get there. Flustered and