Episode X: Christmas Bells Part 4

Elizabeth was hauled by the Robot Santas to a large dining room. A figure with scales sat at one end of the table, and an empty chair faced opposite him. The Robot Santas forced Elizabeth into the seat, and left the room. The figure smiled at her, and clapped his hands.

“Welcome!” he said. “Enchanté. My name is Dux Ducis, and I am in charge here.”
“Elizabeth Bell,” Elizabeth stammered. “What are the Santa things?”
“Roboforms,” Dux replied. “I’ve hired them to do my dirty work – I don’t like doing things myself. I’ve been watching you, Mrs Bell, on the monitoring systems on the ship, and on Earth. You arrived with the Doctor. I must admit, when you arrived I was merely hoping to capture the Doctor, but when I saw you… I was enamoured.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, unsure whether to smile or not.

Dux began to eat with his alien knife and fork, so Elizabeth copied his movements. He let out a tinkling laugh, and watched her in fascination.

“This... Beef… It’s lovely, but I really had better be going back to Earth,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you for your hospitality…”
“But, Mrs Bell, its cold outside,” Dux replied. “You must stay, I have Earth beverages for us to enjoy.”
“I really must be going,” Elizabeth smiled, standing up from her seat.
“I insist!” Dux cried, sliding towards her and kissing her hand. “You really are the most beautiful human I’ve seen. Do you know what I’m planning for the Earth?”
“No,” Elizabeth replied.
“Well, at 12:00pm tonight, just before Boxing Day begins, I’m going to shoot the Earth out of the sky, and sell it for cash,” Dux smiled. “I’ve got to pay for my lovely ship and Robots. I would be honoured if you would join me. Of course, I’ll let Colin, Georgia and Conner go once I’m out of the Doctor’s reach, but you could come with me!”

Elizabeth pulled her hand away, slapped Dux around the face and ran for the door. She barged past a Robot Santa, who marched after her.

“Bring her back to me!” Dux cried. “I want her alive!”

The Doctor materialised on Earth, out of sight of the Bell house. Sadly, he watched the UNIT soldiers carry out their work. Even if his plan succeeded, he couldn’t guarantee that Elizabeth would survive, or that Georgia and Conner would come back to him. As he continued to watch the soldiers, Mrs White appeared at his shoulder.

“Shouldn’t you be with Elizabeth?” she asked.
“I had to leave her,” the Doctor said. “If I’m right, she should be back soon.”

There was a flash, and Elizabeth appeared in the street, out of breath. The Doctor and Mrs White rushed to her side.

“What happened?” he asked.
“The leader,” Elizabeth puffed. “He fancies me! He plans to shoot the Earth and sell it for cash!”
“All he really wants is money in his pocket,” the Doctor summarised. “What about the Robot Santas? Did they follow you?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth said. “Is that a problem?”
“They can trace you,” the Doctor explained. “I don’t want a gun battle with UNIT going on. Is there anywhere we can go?”
“The Pink Ladies are having a meeting at the Church,” Mrs White said quickly. “Sheridan and Violet have gone out – we could hide there.”
“Brilliant Mrs White,” the Doctor grinned. “Come on you two!”

He raced to a car, and dived into the front seat.

“I don’t think you should do that,” Conner said.

Georgia ignored him, and opened the front door. She stepped out into the white light, which was all around. Colin stayed on the sofa, with a worried expression on his face.

“It’s fine,” Georgia called to Conner, who joined her out into the white light. “It’s just like being in a studio.”
“What is this place?” Conner muttered.
“Nowhere land,” Georgia guessed. “I’m thinking that someone doesn’t want us on hand to help the Doctor.”

Conner agreed with her. He knew that the Doctor could cope on his own when he had to – it was just a matter of the Doctor bothering to return to notice they’d gone. Would he know if they disappeared? Probably not, Conner decided, returning to the house.

“I shall read the register,” Elizabeth announced.

She stood at the pulpit, and addressed the Pink Ladies and the Doctor, who was sat at the back with an uncomfortable expression.

“The Doctor and I are present,” Elizabeth told them. “Mrs White. Daisy Cole, ah, there you are. How are you coping after the Clown incident? Not too well? Oh. Mary Wood? Yes. Sylvia Hold? Yes. Janet Martin? Yes. Oh, Georgia told me you saw her at the Bakery a few months ago! She was delighted! You must pop round one day! Joanie? Joanie Allen? Ah, there. Still drinking, I see. Dorothy Atkin? Hello my dear. And Betty Spencer? Yes. Betty, put the scissors down!”

Betty dropped the pair of scissors she was clutching, and edged away from Sylvia Hold. Janet waved at Elizabeth as Daisy asked a question.

“What’s going on Elizabeth?” Daisy asked. “What are we doing today?”
“My family is under attack,” Elizabeth said. “There’s a spaceship in the sky, and we need to stop it from shooting us out of the sky! As you all know, I am a very proud woman, and I don’t like to see aliens trying to harm the Earth. Are you ladies with me? Oh, and the Doctor, are you all with me?”
“Yes!” Joanie cried, toppling onto the floor.
“I am, but as long as I’m not near Betty!” Sylvia said. “She keeps trying to kill me with scissors!”

Elizabeth sighed, and got to work. Half an hour later, five Robot Santas walked up to the Church, and tried to open the door. Joanie, Betty and Mary had barricaded the old oak doors, while Daisy became tangled in a trip wire, and Mrs White, Elizabeth and the Doctor discussed how to stop Dux. Janet, Dorothy and Sylvia looked out of the windows they were stationed at, and informed the Doctor of the arrival of the Robot Santas.

“They’re here!” Dorothy cried. “Everyone prepare!”

Sylvia, Janet, Joanie and Mary grabbed nets, while Dorothy and Betty helped Daisy with the trip wire. The Robot Santas entered, and stepped over the trip wire, and dodged the nets. They raised their arms into the air, and white light erupted from their gloved hands.

“They’re taking us to nowhere land!” the Doctor cried. “Run!”

He abandoned the plans and maps he was studying, and ran to the back of the Church. He would normally stop and help the others, but if he was captured too, the world would be doomed. He heard footsteps behind him, and he knew that at least one person would make it out as well.

“Come on!” he cried to no one in particular.

He burst through the door and out into the sunlight. The white light consumed the Church, and soon it disappeared. The Doctor turned, to see who his final ally in the battle against Dux was.

“Elizabeth,” the Doctor smiled. “I’m so glad it’s you.”

Elizabeth smiled, before looking back at the empty space where the Church once stood.

“There’s nothing we can do,” the Doctor sighed. “We’ll get them back I promise. Can you hear that?”
“Sirens dear,” Elizabeth said. “The boys do a wonderful job of cleaning up the streets.”
“No – that’ll be UNIT,” the Doctor decided. “Let’s get back to the TARDIS, we need to sort this out.”

Kate couldn’t get hold of Petr Costravalos, so she had returned to the TARDIS. The rest of the UNIT patrol had moved to the local Church, which had also disappeared. She looked along the street, and smiled.

“Doctor, you came back!”
“Hello,” the Doctor smiled. “Who are you?”
“Kate Lipsett, sir,” she saluted.
“Don’t salute!” the Doctor moaned.
“Sorry.”
“We’re off to stop the ship,” the Doctor said. “Tell Captain Gifford that I’ll handle it from here.”
“You may have a problem,” Kate informed him. “I contacted Petr Costravalos in the hope that he’d help Earth…”
“How do you know Petr?” the Doctor frowned.
“UNIT have files on him – we do realise he’s been following you, you know,” Kate said matter-of-factly.
“And did he say he’d help?”
“I haven’t been able to get through to him,” Kate replied. “But be careful – he could be there too.”

The Doctor nodded, and strode back to the TARDIS where Elizabeth was waiting for him.

“We need to give Dux a chance to stop this,” he said as they entered the TARDIS.
“And if he says no?” Elizabeth asked. “What would we do then?”

The Doctor set the TARDIS in motion, and took a small disc from his pocket. On the underside, there were several purple bubbles that looked sticky.

“We’ll attach this to the outside of the ship,” he said, holding the disc up. “The purple bubble bits are sticky, and when their stuck to the ship’s engine, we press the disc, and after a few seconds it’ll explode. I don’t really like doing it, but it’s him or Earth.”
“The chap better accept then,” Elizabeth smiled. “Oh wait till I tell Georgia about all our adventures!”
“We’re here,” the Doctor said, grinning slightly. “After you.”

Brian Mason and Lucy Stuart ran along the street, towards where the Bell house once stood. Kate came forward and held out her hands.

“Stop!” she said. “This area is cordoned off!”
“What happened?” Brian asked. “Where’s the house?”
“That’s confidential,” Kate said. “If you could get back!”
“But Georgia lives there!” Lucy cried. “Where are they?”
“You know Georgia Bell?” Kate asked. “Then you must know the Doctor…?”

Brian and Lucy nodded, and Kate smiled.

“He’s sorting it out now,” she said. “Our Christmas saviour!”
“He’s on his own?” Brian frowned. “But he needs someone… We could help.”
“We have before,” Lucy added.
“He’s not alone,” Kate said. “Elizabeth Bell is helping him.”
“Christ,” Brian muttered. “God help us all!”

Georgia and Conner were still sat on the sofa, while Colin was tending pointlessly to the Christmas tree in the corner.

“What did Lucy want when she came to see you the other day?” Conner asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Georgia sighed.
“Tell me,” Conner said.
“She just gave me a warning,” Georgia replied. “She knows I’m working at the Bakery and she doesn’t want me to try anything on with Brian.”
“Ohhh,” Conner nodded. “So you and her are enemies now?”
“Not really. Well, I don’t think we are,” Georgia thought. “If someone joined us in the TARDIS, I’d warn her away from you or the Doctor.”
“Thanks for that,” Conner grinned. “Hey, there’s more white light outside!”

He climbed up from the sofa, and ran to the window. After a moment he shielded his eyes, and the white went back to its usual brightness. Slowly, Conner turned to Georgia.

“The Church is here too.”

The Doctor and Elizabeth left the TARDIS and walked through the ship.

“This way,” Elizabeth pointed. “This is where Dux talked to me before.”
“What’s in this room?” the Doctor asked, heading to one of the doors along the corridor.
“I don’t know dear,” Elizabeth sighed. “I didn’t see that door before.”

The Doctor peered through the glass, and grinned. His plan was falling into place perfectly. Elizabeth joined him at the glass.

“It’s the spacesuit room,” the Doctor said. “Useful, that…”
“Can you hear footsteps?” Elizabeth asked, turning around.
“Robot Santas!” the Doctor cried. “Quick, hide in here!”

He opened the door to the spacesuit room and pushed Elizabeth inside, slipping several things in her pocket as he went. With that, he shut the door, and the Robot Santas grabbed him.

“Take me to your leader!” he beamed.

Dux Ducis looked up from his evening papergraph as the Doctor was dragged into the room. He smiled as his Robot Santas forced him into a seat.

“Doctor,” he said.
“Hello,” the Doctor beamed, putting his feet up on the desk. “Let’s have a look at the old papergraph.”

Dux slid his alien newspaper along the table and the Doctor picked it up, flicking through the pages, reading at top speed.

“You’re quite the entrepreneur,” the Doctor noticed. “Selling things left, right and centre, including the Earth.”
“I make a living,” Dux replied.
“A living?” the Doctor laughed. “Have you seen your ship? It’s magnificent! The only thing lacking is some pictures of you on the walls!”
“What do you mean?” Dux asked.
“You, you’re very self loving!” the Doctor said. “You need to have a sit down with your ego mate.”
“I prefer a mirror,” Dux replied coolly. “Now that I have you here, you cannot stop me! Roboforms, kill the Doctor!”

The Doctor looked around as the Robot Santas advanced on him menacingly. Dux left his seat and stood by the window, holding a small silver pad with a button.

“I’m advancing the plans so nothing will go wrong,” Dux announced. “Pressing this button will activate the guns, and the Earth will be blown out of the sky!”

The Robot Santas raised their arms, and Dux pressed the button.

“Happy Christmas!” Dux cackled.

To be continued…