"Sincro: wyxchari" "Dervish..." "Dervish!" "We're nearly finished." "Our men are just coming." "We'll detonate by radio beam." "Right, hurry it up." "Everything all right, Penn?" "Fine, sir." "Fine." "You sent for me, sir?" "Ah yes." "Ian, sit down." "Thank you." "Any information on that beacon signal yet?" "No sir." "There's been no response to the secondary emergency circuits either." "No, there wouldn't be." "Sir?" "What do you think has happened to that beacon?" "Well, it's difficult to say, sir." "It could be a failure in the solar energy store." "No, the emergency power would operate and we'd get a May-Day signal." "Well?" "Oh, you don't think this is a mechanical failure, sir?" "No, no, I don't." "These beacons are practically fool proof." "You got any ideas?" "Yes, I have." "And I must be right" " Argonite!" "These beacons are almost entirely constructed of Argonite." "Of course, sir!" "What are you going to do about it?" "Attention all personnel." "This is General Hermack." "Your V-Ship is now fifty days and many billions of miles out from Earth." "You're entering the fourth sector of our galaxy." "In this sector for some time now, Earth Government has been aware that a highly organised gang of criminals have been roaming the space ways, and preying upon defenceless cargo ships." "The main target of these criminals is Argonite, the most valuable mineral known to man, and so far only found on the planets of the Fourth Sector." "A government space beacon marking the approaches to the planet New Sarum has ceased transmitting its navigation signal." "These beacons, as you know, are constructed of Argonite." "It is my belief that the criminals are attacking the government navigation beacons and plundering the Argonite." "There can be no other explanation for its failure." "This being the case, I have decided to... abandon our present mission and to investigate the missing beacon in the New Sarum sector." "I want all section commanders on the bridge at twenty hundred hours, sector four, solar time." "Resume normal duties until then." "There are eighteen space beacons cra... scattered across this sector, sir." "Seventeen, Ian, until the one at New Sarum's replaced." "Seventeen." "And they're millions of miles apart." "Mmm hmm." "So how can we be sure which one the pirates are likely to attack next?" "Ha ha!" "We can't." "Well exactly." "The odds are seventeen to one against us being in the right place at the right time." "Ah!" "With our speed, I think we can cut those odds a bit." "Now, there are four beacons in the Pliny Solar System here." "That is where we'll start our patrol." "Come on!" "Speed it up." "Caven, I don't like this." "Nobody's asking you to like it." "Just get those scissor charges laid into position." "If we attack any more beacons we'll have the whole of the Interstella Space Corps in this sector." "Look." "As of this moment, the Space Corps has its hands full of trouble." "Brush fire wars in three different sectors." "There's never been a better time for getting rich." "Right lads." "Now we'll lay four charges along the main axle, then we'll attach booster charges around the hull." "Okay." "You're a good engineer, Dervish." "Just do your job and leave the Space Corps to me, eh?" "Okay, but I worked ten years for Earth Government." "You should've stayed with them." "They'd have given you a pension." "Attacking Government property is one crime they make sure never pays." "Sixteen hundred tons of pure Argonite pays all right, Dervish." "To me this is like a floating bank." "What range are the forward scanners set for, Penn?" "Fifteen hundred, sir." "Well, reset them at, er, two thousand." "Right?" "Very good, sir." "And keep a sharp eye on that screen." "There are lots of rogue asteroids in the Pliny System." "Sir." "Oh and one thing more." "Make sure the Minnow ships are fully fuelled, and put the detonation heads on their missiles." "Report back as soon as that is done." "We're approaching the Pliny system now, sir." "We've made scanner contact with the four beacons." "They're functioning normally." "Ah good." "Now this - the planet Ta here - is the main one in the system." "We'll orbit here for a few weeks and see what happens." "So that's Ta, huh?" "Ah, you've heard of it?" "Yeah, that's the headquarters of the Issigri Mining Corporation." "The most productive planet in the entire galaxy." "Hm hmm." "Madeleine Issigri has built quite a place there." "Which is one reason for basing ourselves in the Pliny system." "Why's that a reason, sir?" "Well, if we're out here long, Ian, the men will need somewhere for rest and recreation." "Deep space sickness is the one thing we can't chance." "Major Warne?" "What is it Penn?" "I've got a contact sir." "At..." "Beacon Alpha Seven." "Well hold on it." "Any identification?" "No sir." "Too far away." "Ah, it's a space ship right enough." "Check central flight information, Ian, and see if anyone should be out there." "Right sir." "Change course for Beacon Alpha Seven." "Bridge to Power Room, I want ten seconds main boost." "According to flight information, sir, there should be no ships in the area within the next seventeen days." "Ah, well whoever they are they've not yet reported to central flight information." "Do you think it's the Pirates?" "It could be." "Though some of these commercial flights don't always like to report their whereabouts, er, for reasons of their own." "Anyway we shall soon know." "She's backing off, sir." "Keep track of her." "She's moving quite fast, sir." "Got a good turn of speed for a commercial." "Is Beacon Alpha Seven still functioning?" "Yes, sir." "Very strong signal." "Ah, well, that's something." "Maybe they were just picking up emergency supplies, sir." "Some of these beacons do carry reserve medical and oxygen equipment." "Sir, I've... got another signal coming in now." "It's a UHF!" "UHF?" "Well that's reserved for demolition teams." "Well, put it on audio." "Yes sir." "Alpha Seven's broken up, sir!" "Argh!" "Right under our noses." "Main boost." "Lost the beacon, sir." "No more signal." "No there won't be." "It's probably in a dozen separate bits by now." "Penn, hold contact with that pirate ship!" "Yes, sir." "At least we can be sure they don't get away." "Ian give me a projected arrival, time." "Three hours, sir." "Maybe I can get a visual on the main scanner." "There she is, sir." "And that's what's left of the beacon." "Oh we've got them cold, Ian!" "We'll be onto them long before they get rid of that salvaged scrap." "Yeah, providing she doesn't see us approaching, sir." "They don't know..." "That ship looks fast..." "They don't know we're in the same area." "What's wrong with the scanner?" "Seem to be losing visual contact, sir." "The ship's moving away, sir." "What?" "Just started to go... and the beacon debris's going with her." "Hold that contact, Penn!" "It's no good, sir." "She's going too fast." "They must have twice our speed." "Maybe the minnows can hold her?" "Not at this distance." "They haven't the fuel." "Lost contact, sir." "Oh... hold the same course." "Sir." "Keep searching." "They must have attached rocket units to the beacon, sir, the way it moved off." "Yes." "They're very well organised." "They cut the beacon into several manageable pieces by means of scissor charges, then shoot the bits off to some pre-arranged collection point." "Very clever." "And quick." "It cuts down the time they're at risk." "And they just burn out the Argonite at their leisure." "Ian, we shall have to rethink our tactics." "We shall never catch them by normal patrol methods." "What else can we do, sir?" "Man the beacons." "Man them?" "It's the only answer." "We'll drop small parties of four or five men on each beacon, and give them rations and supplies for two months." "Well all these mark five beacons were designed as emergency survival centres." "Yes sir, but I don't think anybody has ever tried living on them." "Some of these beacons are pretty primitive." "I'm not interested in men's comfort, Major!" "Set course for the nearest beacon." "Yes, sir." "Here's your radio, lieutenant." "It's beamed automatically to main control." "All you have to do in the event of trouble is press this button, right?" "Don't worry, I'll press it." "Remember your main job here is to give us the earliest possible warning in the event of the pirate ship approaching right?" "And after that, we fight them." "After that, I think you'll have to, Joe." "Good Luck." "Thank you." "See you in about six weeks." "I hope." "Set a course for Alpha Nine." "Very good, sir." "I told Lieutenant Sorba we'd be back in about six weeks, sir." "Or much earlier if the pirates raid Alpha Four." "How's morale on the picket?" "Oh, it's pretty high sir." "I think they're hoping for the chance of a party." "They understand they have to shoot on sight?" "Yes sir, I told them." "No, anybody poking their nose aboard Alpha Four will find plenty of trouble waiting for 'em." "Now we're going to be here for about six weeks." "Settle down..." "'Scuse me." "...and keep your eyes open." "Take care about..." "Sir!" "What?" "What are you doing here?" "Why aren't you in the observation tower?" "There's something in the computer bay, sir." "Something?" "Well what do you mean by that?" "I heard something in there, sir - a noise." "All right, we'd better check it out then." "Come on." "Oh dear." "Well, what's wrong?" "Well, I... well, I don't think we're... we're quite where I expected." "But never mind." "This looks very interesting." "Interesting?" "A piece of old machinery?" "Yes." "I..." "I've never seen a computer quite like this before, Jamie." "It looks like some sort of control room." "Yes, but what does it control?" "Ah, well I think we'd better get out of here before somebody catches us." "Good idea." "There's a door here." "No, Zoe, I meant in the TARDIS." "Jamie, stop worrying." "There's obviously nobody here." "Well, how do you know that?" "Well, this machine is programmed to operate by itself." "Eh?" "Yes, but what does it do?" "Well, I'm not sure Zoe, but I..." "I think we're on an unmanned spacecraft in a... in a fixed orbit." "We're... we're too far away from anywhere to be a... a weather satellite." "Let's see what, er, what clues we can find through here, shall we?" "What's that?" "What?" "Doctor!" "Oh Jamie, run!" "Nobody here eh?" "Oh now what are we going to do?" "The TARDIS is in there." "There's only one thing we can do." "What?" "Run." "Well, maybe next time you'll listen to me." "If there is a next time." "All right there are only three of them and they can't get away." "Hunt them down and don't forget - shoot to kill." "Alpha Four." "Another present from the home planet's tax payers." "Same procedure as last time?" "Yes, Dervish, but now that you've had a little practice get those scissor charges laid a bit quicker eh?" "Hey, what's that?" "Caven, those were blaster guns!" "Get the crew in here - at the double." "Are you all right, Zoe?" "Yes, I think so." "That should hold them for a little while." "Oh, why are they trying to kill us?" "We haven't done anything." "No!" "I don't know." "But we're certainly not stopping to find out." "What's that?" "Look!" "Come on." "Let's find somewhere else to hide." "Doctor, there's no way out of here." "What?" "Look!" "Oh Doctor, what can we do?" "Well, I don't know." "If we go down there we'll bump straight into them." "I'm afraid we're trapped!" "Thirty minutes from Beacon Alpha Three, sir" "Right, warn the picket to stand by on C deck, Ian." "Right, sir." "Emergency from Beacon Alpha Four, sir!" "Sorba's being attacked!" "Set course for Alpha Four." "Try and get me a visual on the scanner, Ian." "On course, sir." "Bridge to Power House:" "I want main boost for as long as you can hold it without vapourising the motors." "This one's still alive." "So the Space Corps were too busy to bother about us eh?" "Shut up!" "I'm thinking." "There's no time for thinking - we've got to get out of here!" "Four space guards and an officer." "What are they doing here?" "There must be a cruiser in the area." "Not a big enough crew to defend the beacon, but they must have been put on board for a reason." "What's this?" "It looks like a fixed beam transmitter." "Why that's it!" "Well, they'll... they'll be on their way back here by now." "Then you'd better get moving." "Well, you don't still want the beacon cutting up?" "That's what we came here to do." "Well, you might...!" "Don't waste time." "Get on with it." "Could be their radio's packed up, sir?" "Yes." "Can you give me a projected arrival time?" "Two hours, twenty minutes." "I should have left a stronger picket." "Oh no, sir." "We haven't the man power." "Besides, Sorba knew he could only hope to delay things." "I am going to get that gang of murdering thieves if I have to spend the next ten years out here!" "Yes, Lieutenant, you're the last of the toy soldiers." "Shot in the back." "You mean we're disqualified?" "You don't want to play any more?" "You can laugh now." "But you won't get away with this." "Who's going to stop me, Lieutenant?" "How did you get those decoys aboard?" "Decoys?" "Those three that lead us into your ambush." "Concussion Lieutenant, or stalling for time - which?" "You know who I'm talking about." "They ran off into the aft-companion way." "None of my men down there." "Must be some of yours." "Sure, we were having a private training session with loaded Thermite Guns." "We did hear firing in the airlock." "You mean there really is someone else in there?" "I thought you'd planted them there." "Well, whoever they are, I've got no time to bother with them now." "I've laid the charges." "Just fixing the rockets." "Good." "Well, if he can walk get him out of here." "If he can't leave him." "What are you doing?" "Just sealing a coffin, Dervish." "I wish we could hear what they're saying." "I believe they're trying to burn through it." "Just a minute." "I think they've gone away." "Well, I don't understand." "Why didn't they come in here after us?" "Aye, they must've known we were trapped." "Well..." "Why not finish us off?" "They didn't seem very friendly did they?" "Oh!" "What's the matter?" "Well it's hot." "You try." "Er, ah, no thank you." "I told you they were trying to burn through it." "Well, why haven't they?" "Shh!" "What's that?" "There's something moving out there." "It sounds as though somebody's on the hull." "What are they doing?" "I don't know Jamie." "Perhaps they're cleaning the windows?" "Oh..." "Hey?" "Look, why don't we sneak back to the TARDIS and get out of here?" "Aye, while we've still got the chance." "Sensible idea, Zoe." "Er, umm." "You sure there's nobody out there?" "Well, I haven't heard anybody for ages." "Come on." "Mind out, it's hot." "Well it's not hot any more." "What?" "Oh, I can't unlock it." "Oh, let me, Zoe." "You'll have to eat more porridge." "Jamie, I don't think it's any use." "You know what I think they've done?" "What?" "They've welded the lock." "We're prisoners." "They're leaving Beacon Alpha Four, sir." "It's exactly what happened before." "What is our arrival time?" "Still ninety minutes to go, sir." "We are going to be too late again!" "The beacon should blow any second now."