wastheIndomitable.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rexton open his mouth as though to protest,buthesaidnothing.Eitherhisinstinctforself-preservationoverruledhis prideandhatredoftheNimosians,orelseherealisedthereweretimeswhenthe
needsofcommonhumanitycamefirst.Shewonderedwhich.
***
Vega strode through on to the bridge from his ready room, where he had been snatchinghalfanhour'ssleep.
'Report,'hesnapped.
'The Cirrandaria is now on an unpowered trajectory that will cause her to impact the alien vessel in four minutes,' Fayle said. 'Her lifeboat ports are opening.'
'Putusontoaninterceptioncourse,'Vegacommanded.'Readythetowbeam.
Communications,informthemthatwewillattempttobringthemaboutontoa
safe course.They must not try to eject their lifeboats while we are making the beamlock.'
***
In the engine room the Doctor and Manders were working frantically over the cable conduit to restore engine control. Sam could only look on anxiously, holdingtorchesandpassingovertoolsondemand.Itwasevidentthatitwasfar
quickerandeasiertoseverconnectionsthanitwastorepairthemcorrectly.Still, thetaskwouldnormallytakeonlytenminutes.
Unfortunately,theydidn'thavetenminutestospare.
Manders, her arms thrust deep into the void under the floor plate as she microwelded and reinsulated the wiring, said,'With the gravity field that ship generates we'll need all the manoeuvring thrusters working to alter course in time.AndIdon'tthinkwe'regoingtomakeit.'
'Aretheinertia!gyroringsstillfunctioning?'theDoctorasked.
'Yes.'
'Thenforgetthethrustersandconcentrateongettingthemainreactiondrive
operational.Bendix,'hecalledouttothefirstofficer.'TelltheCaptaintousethe gyrostoturntheshipninetydegreestoourpresentcourse,thencutinthemain
driveassoonasit'sfunctioning.Asecondortwoofthatwillshiftourtrajectory enough to miss the alien ship. By the time we fall back towards it again we'll haveeverythingfullyoperational.'
Bendixtransmittedthesuggestionuptothebridge.Hereportedback:"The
Nimosiansaregoingtotrytolockonatowbeamandpullusclear.'
'Perhapstheyaren'tasbadasyou'vebeenmakingout,'Samsaid.
'TheCaptainsaysshe'llimplementyoursuggestionanyway-justincase,'
Bendixadded.
***
The Indomitable manoeuvred over the falling Cirrandaria .The tow-beam
controllerwasaligningtheemitterssothatthebeamwouldstrikethelinerover
itscentreofgravitytopreventittumbling.
'Stillgettingtheerraticenergyreadingsfromthealienship,Commander,'
oneofthemonitorsreported.
'Doesitmatchthepatternsrecordedduringthepreviousgravityshift?'
'No,Commander.'
'So, they chose this very moment to try something new,' Vega said softly, glancing at Fayle.'Well, Mr Fayle. Does that strike you as more than a coincidencewhentheEmindianlinerhasjustreportedbeingsabotaged?'
'Yes,Commander,'Faylesaidstiffly.
'I agree. All hands, move to amber alert status. Report any unusual
observationsdirectlytothebridge.'
'Beamtargetedandlocked,Commander.'
'Powerupslowly.Thisisnotamilitarycraftwe'regrappling.Engagemain
drivetobegindeceleration.'
***
OnthebridgeoftheCirrandariatheyfeltthegradualforceofthetowbeamtake
hold. The Cirrandaria's own artificial-gravity fields shifted to compensate, keepingthefloorundereverybody'sfeet.
'Weareslowing,Captain,'thehelmsmanreported.
'Towbeamisholding,'theengineeringsystemsmonitorreported.
'Structuralstresswithintolerances.'
lanchard ran a finger across her brow and found it damp with sweat. She spoke into her wristcom. 'Captain to all lifeboat stations: continue embarking passengersbutdonotattempttolaunchunlessdirectlyordered.There'sachance
wemaysavetheoldshipyet.'
'Captain!'thecrewmanmonitoringtheexternalsensordisplayscalledout.
"Theenergyfluctuationsareincreasingonthealienship.Thereadingsare...
well,they'regoingcrazy.'
Rexton was staring intently at the magnified image of the ship on the big screen.Lanchardsawthatitsmoresubstantialendwaspresentedalmostfullon
now,thetunnelmouthlookinguncomfortablyasthoughitwasgapingwiderto
meet them. Within was a pit of darkness - no, streaks of light were starting to form.
Even as she watched they resolved into starlike points. It was like looking down into a well on a star-spangled night.They grew brighter and blurred and vanishedagain,fallingintothedepths.Then,outofthedarkness,shesawared
glowthatflickeredandshimmeredbutgrewsteadilystronger.
Theglowbecamediffuse,swellinguntilitfilledthemouthofthehugeshaft.
It was pulsating more and more rapidly.Then with a surge of power it
expandedandfilledthescreen.
A column of ruddy-tinted sparkling radiance erupted from the shaft and
struckCirrandaria.
Chapter22
Cavern
Theendofthealienshiprestedinsideahuge,approximatelyovoid,cavern.Their
torchescouldilluminateonlythenearestrockfacewithanyclarity.Therestwas lostinalmosttotaldarkness,brokenonlyhereandtherebyafewfaintyellow-white glimmerings which might have been artificial lights several kilometres away.Thefarendoftheshipfadedintotheuncertaingloom.
ShoturnedtoLyset,lookingwild-eyedandangry,andtouchedhelmets.
'Whatisthisplace?'hedemanded.
'Well,it'snotKansas,Toto..."TheancientliteraryallusionwaslostonSho.
Shesaidasevenlyasshecouldmanage,'HowshouldIknow?TheDoctor
- the Moderator - said this whole ship was an experimental hyperspace
bridge.Well,itlookslikehewasright.Crossingthatinterfacemusthavetaken
ussomewhereelse.'
Sho appeared to calm down slightly."Then I shall reconnoitre. If this is wherethecontrollersofthealienvesselhavetheirbasetheymayhavebrought
someofmysquadhere.Theymaystillbealive.'
LysetwantedtogetbacktoDonandtheCirrandaria.Butthisdiscoverywas
sofantasticthat,despiteherrecentordeal,itpiquedhercuriosity.Ifonlyshehad hercamera.Atremblingunderfootremindedherofonereasonwhytheyhadleft
theship.Maybeitwasworthexploringuntilitsettleddownagain.
'Ifwe'regoing,let'sgo.'Shelookedabouther.'Isthatsomesortofgantry?'
In the dim light it was just possible to make out a framework tower
extendingfromtherockwall.Itconnectedwiththeflangestructureaboutthree
hundredmetresfromwheretheystood,holdingthegreatprojectinghornsclear
ofthecavernwalls.
'Yes,' Sho said.'Probably to prevent the craft from drifting. We shall climb downittothecavefloor.'
Theysetoffacrossthepipeworkfieldbesidetheflangewall.
Climbingitwouldbelikemountingaseriesofsmallcliffssmotheredintree
roots,shethought.Butatleasttherewouldbeplentyoffootholds.
Astheyproceededthewholecavernseemedtorota
teaboutthem.Theship's
own local gravity field was stronger than that of whatever place they were in, andsodownremainedinthegeneraldirectionofitslongaxis.
Lyset suddenly felt sick and she reminded herself firmly that a spacesuit helmetwasnoplacetothrowup.
Herstepsweregettinglighterandshebegantobounceinexaggeratedstrides
acrossthehull.Itwasasthoughshewaswearingseven-leagueboots.Thealien ship'scentreofgravitywaschangingagain.Ifitshiftedalltheway,shethought, they would effectively be at the top of a four-kilometre sheer wall! Sho must haverealisedthesamething,forhelengthenedhisownstrides.
Theydidn'tneedtoclimbthefirstflangewall.Asingleboundcarriedthem
to the top.Three long strides took them to the second. Another bound. They soared over the next terrace top. They were definitely getting lighter. As she toucheddownshefeltavibrationthroughthesolesofherboots.Thenthegantry
wasbeforethem.Ithadseemedspiderlikefromthedistanceanddwarfedbythe
alien ship's hull. But close to she saw it was formed of a latticework of heavy beams.Afinalleaptookthemtoitsbase.Runningupinsidetheframeworkwasa
ladderwithrungsametreapart,idealforalow-gravityenvironment.Theybegan
toclimbhandoverhand.
After they'd ascended only a hundred metres her legs were gently pulled away from the ladder in the direction of the invisible far end of the alien ship.
Thecentreofgravityhadshifted,butdistancewasmoderatingtheeffect.Lyset
was breathing heavily by now and her arms were beginning to ache. She
wonderedifshecouldattractSho'sattentionlongenoughtosuggesttheytakea
restnowtheywereoutofdanger.Thensheblinked.
Whywasitgettingbrighter?
A dull red glow was emanating from the huge tunnel mouth below her,
illuminatingthedepthsofthecavern.Sheclimbedfaster.
Two-thirdsthewayuptheladderallrelativegravityfadedawayasthefield
of the ship and the surrounding cavern equalised. Sho swung about gracefully and she copied him. She needed to push to get herself started down again, but then she could glide, letting the side rail of the ladder slip through her fingers.Theradiancewasextendingintoamistysparklinghazeaboutthemouth
oftheshaft.Byitslightshesawbalconiesstuddingthewallsabouther,andthe dark mouths of smaller cave openings, planed shelves of rock and strips of windowreflectingthelightinthedistance.Theshipwasamassivedarkcylinder
hanging above them, apparently supported by several slender pylons similar to theonetheywereclimbing.
Sho'shandslappedherleg.Shelookeddownandsawrockfloorjustbelow
them. She slowed her rate of descent and hit ground, staggering slightly even thoughthegravitywaslessthanthatonthealienship.Apath,lookingasthough it had been cut by a laser, led away from the base of the pylon and twisted betweentheruggedupthrustsofrock.
Shouldwefollowit?shewondered.ThenshesawShostaringupward,rifle
unslungandcradledreadyinhisarms.Shefollowedhisgaze.Smokeseemedto
be pouring from several of the dark cave openings opposite the glowing hull mouth.Whatwashappeningnow?
Thenasenseofscaleasserteditself.Itwasnotsmoke.
FireblazedfromSho'sgunevenashismouthopenedinasoundlessscream.
Chapter23
TheShadowHost
The impact as the red glow enveloped the Cirrandaria was transmitted through thetowbeamtotheIndomitable,makingtheshipshudder.
'An energy beam of unknown composition has surrounded the Emindian
ship,' a monitor reported. 'It's acting like an attractor field, pulling the ship towardstheshaftmouth.'
'Increasepowertomaindrivebyonehalf,'Vegasaid.'We'regoingtorescue
theEmindiansevenifsomebodyelsethinksotherwise.'
***
In the engine room they felt the Cirrandaria's hull groan under the increased strainasBendixrelayedthenewsfromthebridge.Lightsbegantoflashurgently
onmonitorpanels.
Mandersliftedherheadoutofthefloorhatchtocallout,'Everybodysuitup.
Repair teams to emergency stations. Close all airtight doors. Activate reserve pressurecurtains.'
'Bendix,'theDoctorcalledout.'We'llbefinishedinanotherminute.Havethe
Captain turn the ship all the way round.Then we'll use the main drive to pull free.'
***
Themainbridgemonitorscreenwasfilledwiththeimageoftheglowingtunnel
mouth,slowlygrowing largerdespitethe counterthrustofthe Indomitable.As
she stared more intently Lanchard noted that the beam had a subtle structure.
The sparkling points within it, like dust motes caught in sunlight, were descending through the centre of the column and rising in a ringlike formation abouttheoutside.Itremindedherofacirculationpatterninacolumnofliquid.
And they were caught in its apex, unable to break free, slowly being sucked downintothecentre.
Shefrowned.Therewassomethingelserisinguptheoutsideofthebeam.
Darkerfuzzypatchesshecouldnotresolve.Shemagnifiedonequadrantof
theimagetothemaximum.Itwasahazygreycloudwithirregularedges.
BesideherRextondrewinhisbreathsharplyandgaveventtoacursewhich
wassuddenlycutshortasheregainedhiscomposure.
'Ghosts,'hesaidtonelessly.'Hundredsofthem.They'regoingtoattackus.'
***
Theyhadjustscrambledintoemergencypressuresuitswhentheship'sspeakers
cametolife:'Allhandstoarmamentlockers.Unidentifiedbeingsareridingthe
beamuptotheship.Theymayattempttoboardus.'
Bendixstartedtomove,hisfaceverypale.
'Yourweaponsareuseless,'theDoctorcalledafterhim.
'So? You expect us to give up without a fight?' Bendix snapped. He was alreadyhalfwaytothelift.
'No. That wouldn't be the human thing to do,' the Doctor acknowledged
gently.
"This might help them,' Sam said, holding up the normaliser. 'We've got to try.Maybewecanholdthemoffuntilyoucangetthemaindrivefixed.'
'Allright,Sam.Becareful.'
Shesawtheconcerninhisfaceandfeltthefamiliarfrissonitsparkedwithin
her.Oneofthethingsshewasmostproudofinherlifewasthatthismantruly
caredabouther.
SheranafterBendix.
***
'Have the Nimosians cut their beam for a few seconds so we can eject those lifeboatsthatarefull!'Rextonsaid.'Atleastsomeofthemwillgetaway.'
Despite the full thrust of the Indomitable's engines they were still slowly descendingtailfirst.Therewasnothingmoretheycoulddo.
"They may not have the power to pull free of the beam from the
derelict,'Lanchard snapped, fighting back a sense of sick despair.'Even if they did,whatifthosethingsattacktheminopenspace?'
'It'sanacceptablerisk.'
'Iwillnotgamblewiththelivesofmypassengers!Acceptablerisksarefor
soldiers.Godsdamnit!Weshouldn'tbehereplayingyourgames.Ishouldhave
toldtheboardwhattheycoulddowiththeirdirectives.Peoplearegoingtodie
becauseIwasn'tbraveenoughtostandupto
you!'
Themainscreenwasfilledbyfleetingimagesofshadowswithoutbodies.
In the last moments before they struck, Lanchard saw, against all reason in thevacuumofspace,thattheyhadwings.
***
Suchwastheconfusionontheupperportlifeboatdeckthattheghosts'
arrival went almost unnoticed at first. People were still pressing forward while others were being turned aside from boats that were full. Children were crying, adults were shouting and families were desperately trying to stay together-alltintedbytheredlightstreaminginthroughtheviewports.Thecries ofthosewhosawthefirstshadowsmeltingthroughthehullwallontothedeck
weredrownedinthegreateruproar.
Theywerealmostinvisibleatfirst-feebleflickeringthingswhosebatwings
shrivelled away as soon as they touched solid matter, as though the effort of maintaining them had drained their strength. They became no more than cold wispsofgreymistblowingthroughthethrong.Thenoneofthemwrappeditself
aroundaman.
As he screamed in pain and fear the ghost grew, as though feeding on his verylifeforce.Itswelledintoatranslucentthingofteethandclawsandboneless clingingarms,andthepeoplescatteredfromitinterror.Asitbecamemorereal
theman'sstrugglesweakened,andhefadedintogreytranslucence.Clutchingits
prize,theghostranatthehullandleapt,slidingthroughthesolidmetalandglass andpullingthemanwithit.
The shadows began to pluck people from the panic-stricken crowd. Each
victimmeltedintoinsubstantialityandwascarriedbackthroughthehullintothe red haze.Anybody who tried to bar a ghost's passage was knocked aside by a fleetinglysolidlimb,orslashedbyclawsandtalons.
IntothisnightmarecameBendixandahandfulofarmedcrewmen,withSam
attheirheels.
Ashadowyformlungedatthem.Samcaughtitinthebeamofthenormaliser
Doctor Who - The 8th Doctor - 14 - Vanderdeken Page 19