Doctor Who - The 8th Doctor - 14 - Vanderdeken

by Christopher Bulis (pdf)

  'ThesearenotNimosianbrandnames,'hesaid,wavingasqueeze-tubeinher

  face.

  'Soit'sanoldsupplydump.Thiscouldhavebeenhereforyears...look.'She

  picked up one of the oxygen canisters. "The seal's intact but the gauge reads three-quarters.The rest must have leaked out... and this one's only two-thirds full...'Frowning,shecheckedtherowofbatteries.'Noneshowfullcharge.This

  stuff

  really

  has

  been

  here

  for

  years.'

  She

  looked

  about

  her

  uncomfortably.'Nobodywouldneglectaservicepointlikethis,unless...

  Whereareallthepeople?Aretheghoststheonlyonesleft?'

  'AllIknowisthisisnotaNimosianinstallation,'Shosaid.'Ishallattemptto ascertainitslocation,'headded,asthoughquotingaphrasefromaninstruction

  book. "The High Command will be interested to learn of -' 'What was that?'

  Lysetsaid.

  It was a whisper like the wind through the branches of a tree, rising and fallingbutneverquitedyingaway.Exceptthatheretherewasnowind,andthe

  only sounds were coming over her helmet radio. It grew stronger and resolved into separate voices that were too indistinct to understand. But the tones were clear enough. There was wild excited jabbering, plaintive wails, a desperate pleading.Noneofitsoundedsane.'It'stheghosts,'shesaid.

  A sudden itching down her spine made her spin round, even as three

  nebulous forms appeared round the corner and moved towards them. Lyset

  turned to run, only to find two more ghosts blocking the tunnel in the other

  direction.Theyweretrapped.

  ***

  Sam stumbled desperately on, just keeping the grey wraith and its burden in sight.

  A desperate initial dash had brought her within sight of it before it had vanished in the maze of tunnels. Now she wondered whether, if she could get closeenough,sheshouldriskashotwiththenormaliser.Wouldtheghostharm

  Daninresponse,orcoulditbechasedaway?Thetroublewasshehadnoother

  weaponstotakeadvantageofanyweaknessthenormalisermightinduce.Could

  sheusethedeviceonthenegativesettingandpushtheghostsofaroutofphase

  that it could no longer physically hold Dan? But it might drain more 'reality'

  fromhimasitdidso.Howmuchlifewasthereinasmallboy?

  ThetunnelsseemedendlessandSambegantoworryaboutfindingherway

  back.TheonecertaintysheclungtowasthattheDoctorwouldnotabandonher.

  Ifhestillthoughttherewasachancethatshewasalivehewouldcomelooking.

  Thequestionwas,couldshestayaliveuntilhefoundher?

  Adimlylitcavern,perhapsahundredmetreswide,openedbeforeher.The

  wraith sped quickly across it while Sam held back for a moment, fearing she mightbeseenintheopen.Thefloorwasdottedwithcuriousplants.

  Theyhadslenderstalksandbulbousheads,likelostfunfairballoonstrailing

  theendsoftheirstringsontheground.Theywerepinkygreyandsopallidthat

  theyalmostseemedtranslucent...

  Shelookedagainmoreclosely,thenrecoiledviolentlywithachokingcryof

  fearanddisgust.

  They were not plants, but caricatures of child-sized people curled up into balls and enclosed in transparent membranes, eyes tightly shut in perfect, tiny, expressionless faces. They were tethered, or rooted, to the ground by what she now saw were trailing umbilical cords. All were perfectly still and silent; whetherdeadormerelyrestingshecouldnottell.

  Sam turned her eyes away from the dreadful things and fought down the

  reflextovomit.Shehadnoideahowtheygothereorwhattheymeant,onlythat

  the ghosts seemed suddenly almost wholesome by comparison.Yet she had to passbetweenthemtocontinue.

  Crossing through the terrible forest was a nightmare that would long haunt her.Shewasterrifiedthatshemighttouchoneofitsmacabreinhabitants.

  Shefeltthedespairoflivingdeathallaroundher.Allshecoulddowasfix

  hereyesonthedarkopeningonthefarsidethroughwhichtheghosthadpassed,

  andedgeherwayforward.Ifanyofthegrotesquethingsaroundherhadstirred asshepassed,sheknewshewouldturnandrun.

  Sick with relief, she reached the far side and sprinted into the next tunnel, hopingtheghostcarryingDanhadnotgottoofarahead.

  Around a corner she came upon a translucent, blue, shimmering curtain

  emanatingfromacontinuousemitterstripcutintotherockandstretchingacross

  the width of the corridor. A pressure curtain. Well, at least that was understandable technology. She pushed through it, feeling the resistance of the air on the other side. A few metres on was another curtain and another, each holdingbackalittlemoreairthanthepreviousone.

  Whenshewasthroughthelastone,thesensoronthearmofhersuitsaidthe

  atmospherewasbreathable.Sheopenedhervisorandsniffedcautiously.Theair

  wasmustybuttolerable.

  Faint sounds came from around a corner ahead, which was glowing with

  brightartificiallight.Sheheldthenormaliserreadyandcreptforward.

  It was Dan's voice. He was sobbing and shouting, 'It's not true! Take me back!Iwantmypropermother!'

  Toughkid,Samthought.Hecouldhavebeentotallytraumatisedbynow.

  Perhapshe'salreadyseenworseonthevids.

  She peered round the corner.The chamber beyond was a dead end. There

  were crates and boxes scattered about the walls, giving the impression of an abandoned storeroom. Dan was standing in its centre, almost enveloped in the foldsofhisjuniorspacesuit,withhishelmetopen.Twoghostswerealsointhe

  room, but neither for the moment was threatening him. One was smaller and almosthumaninoutline,theotherlargerandflickeringunstably,flashingwith

  burstsofangrycolour.ItwastothisonethatDanwasspeaking.

  'You'renotreal,you'renotreal!'hescreamed.

  Hold that thought, Dan, Sam said under her breath. Just give me a second andthey'llbeasunrealasIcanmakethem.

  Butevenassheraisedthenormaliser,thesmallerghostmovedforwardand

  touched the larger. It began to shrink. The flickering ceased, and gradually it seemedtosolidifyintoanewform.

  Samgapedinutterastonishmentatwhatitwas.

  Chapter28

  InTheRuins

  Lanchard stared at the strange container that was being loaded into the belly hatchoftheDoria,thenattheDoctor.

  'The probe Vega destroyed was also a blue rectangular box,' she said.'We neversawitclearly,butitmusthavebeenaboutthissize.'

  'Really?'saidtheDoctorinnocently.

  'Yes.Whatdidyousayitwasagain?'

  'Asortofmobilelaboratoryandholdall.Fullofusefuloddsandends.More

  distinctivethantheusualsetofmatchingplaidcases,don'tyouthink?'

  Howcanhejokeatatimelikethis?shewondered,gratefulnevertheless.

  Rexton appeared carrying an extra pack in addition to his life-support unit and Wynter's camera. Lanchard wondered just how far he would go to get his precious information. He'd been in private communication with Emi
ndar for muchofthelasthour.HegavetheDoctor'sboxacuriousglance,thenappeared

  todismissitfromhisattention.

  Theteamcomprisedtheminimumcomplementnecessarytoallowasmuch

  room for the return of survivors, assuming there were any. Apart from Rexton andtheDoctortherewerejustBendixaspilotandacoupleofDessel'ssecurity

  staff. All were armed and each had one of the Doctor's normalisers. Nel Manders's technicians had managed to produce six of the devices within the deadline.

  Theywerejustabouttoboardwhenavoicesaid,'I'mcoming,too.'

  It was Don Delray, already suited up. His face was impassive, his voice level,hismannerdeterminedbutalsocuriouslydetached.

  'Ithoughtyouwereinjured,MrDelray,'Lanchardsaid.

  'There'snothingwrongwithme,'Delrayassuredher.

  'Thiswillbemoredangerousthanlasttime,'Lanchardpointedout.

  'I know,' Delray said. 'I've had first-hand experience of what we're facing, remember.Let'ssayI'velearntfromit.'

  TheDoctorwaslookingathimveryclosely.'IthinkifMrDelraywantsto

  come he should be allowed to, Captain. We need people we can trust to keep theirheads.Youwon'tletusdown,willyou,MrDelray?'

  'No,Doctor,'Delrayreplied.'Notthistime.'Therewassomethingcompelling

  abouttheman'seyes,Lanchardrealised.

  'Draw arms from the locker, Mr Delray,' she said. 'You leave in two

  minutes.'

  ***

  Therewasonlyasmallcrowdonthepromenadedeck,asmostpassengerswere

  still keeping to their cabins or the inner public compartments. Lester Plecht, however, was among those at the rails. It was only correct and only proper to showmoralsupport,hehadtoldRhondawithuncharacteristicassurance.

  He was looking hopefully about for Ingrid Schollander. Instead he found

  himselfstandingnexttoEvanArcovian.Theothermanwaslookingdevastated

  and dabbing his eyes unashamedly. He had the manner of one who has to confideinsomebody,evenatotalstranger.

  'Don's going after her,' he said. 'I tried to talk him out of it but he was determined.Neverseenhimlikethisbefore.'Hefaltered.'Troubleis,Ihavethis feelinginmygutthatI'llneverseehimagain.'

  Lesterwasnotreallypayingattention.Ingridwasn'thereandhewasgetting

  aheadache.Therewasapersistentbuzzinginhisearhecouldnotseemtoget

  ridof.Maybethestressofthelastfewdayshadbeentoomuchforhim.Perhaps

  heshouldseetheship'sdoctorassoonastheshuttlehaddeparted.

  'Theretheygo,'saidArcovian,hisvoicebreakingashepointed.'Takecare,

  Don.'

  ***

  Bendix kept glancing at Rexton out of the corner of his eye as he steered the Doria to their agreed rendezvous with the Nimosians.The councillor sat beside himintheco-pilot'sseat,staringaheadwithintenseconcentration.

  The last time they had taken this journey, Bendix had unquestioningly

  considered Rexton to be the most important man on the mission. But now he found his attention divided between him and the Doctor. In many ways they couldnotbemoreunlike,yetbothpossessedthesameintriguingauraofpower

  thatwashardnottoadmire.

  There was also something different about Delray this time, but he was not surewhatitwas.Thelastfewhoursseemedtohavechangedtheman.

  There was a chill about him, and a couple of times Bendix had seen him absentlyreachdownbyhisfeetandrunhishandoveremptyair.

  Therewasablipontheforwardscannerdisplay.Itrapidlyresolvedintothe

  imageofaslightlylargercraftthantheirown.

  'It's the Nimosian shuttle,' Bendix said, opening a channel. To his surprise CommanderVega'sfaceappearedonthescreen.

  'This is the shuttle Dauntless ', Vega said briskly. 'We are ready to make entry.Isuggestmaintainingaminimumseparationofonehundredmetresduring

  thepassagethroughthehyperspatialcorridor.'

  'Agreed,'saidBendix.

  'Iseeyouhavedecidedtotakepersonalchargeofthemission,Commander,'

  Rextonsaid.

  'IneveraskmymentodoanythingIwillnotdomyself;Vegareplied.

  'Besides,Iwantedtheopportunityofmeetingyoufacetoface,General.'

  'Ihopeyouwon'tbedisappointed,Commander.'

  'I'msureIwon'tbe.'

  TheDoctorleanedforwardintoviewofthecomms-linkcamera.

  'Commander,thepassagethroughthetunnelmayberough,bothphysically

  andmentally.Isuggestyousetyourautopilotsothatyourshipwillslaveonto

  oursifyoulosemanualcontrol.'

  'Andwhatmakesyouthinkyourcraftwillmaintainindependentcontrolany

  betterthanours?'Vegaasked.

  'Because,ifCouncillorRextonwillobligebychangingseatswithme,I'llbe

  readytotakeoverifMrBendixisincapacitated,'theDoctorrespondedsimply.

  Curiously,nobodyprotested.Rextonvacatedhisseatwithoutaword.

  Bendixturnedthemontoadirectcourseforthealienship.Inaminutethe

  interference effect had drowned the link to the Cirrandaria .The dark mouth of thetunnelswelled,seemingtogapewiderastheynearedit,obscuringtherestof theshipasitgrew.Hecouldseeafeintredglowinitsdepthsatthecentreofa halooftwinklingdartsoflight.

  They passed within the great arcing rim of the shaft, the familiar stars of normal space becoming a shrinking circle behind them. But there was no

  correspondingcircleaheadwheretheotherendoftheshaftshouldhavebeen.It

  seemedtostretchawaytoinfinity.Bendixfelthisheartskipabeat.

  The void within the shaft suddenly contorted. A sudden sickening wave of nauseaovertookhimassomeinvisibleforcereachedintohisbodyandtwisted.

  His vision blurred and his thoughts fragmented. Dimly, he realised that the shuttlewastumblingandheknewtheywereatthemercyofpowersfarbeyond

  thoseofitsfeebleenginestooppose.Allhecoulddowaskeepthemsteady.But

  hishandshadbecomeuselessthingslostsomewherelightyearsawayfromhim.

  Hecouldnotoperatethecontrols.

  Theyweregoingtosmashintothesideofthetunnel.

  ThentheDoriasteadied.

  TheDoctorwasbentoverthecontrols,holdingthemoncourse.Bendixhad

  an impression of clenched teeth, pale skin beaded with sweat and blue eyes

  colderthananyglaciersandsparklingwithmoredeterminationthanhehadever seenbefore.

  Somehowheheldthemsteadythroughtheendlessagonyofdislocation.

  Then a dark circle was rushing towards them and they were clear of the tunnel. Rock walls glittering in the ship's lights. Off to one side was the Nimosian shuttle, its motion mirroring theirs.A broad planed ledge of rock appearedoutofthedarknessandtheDoctorsetthemdownuponitasgentlyasa

  thistledown.

  Foralongmomenttherewasonlysilenceastheycollectedtheirwits.Then

  Rextonsaidgruffly,'Thankyou,Doctor.'

  Vega'spaleimagespokeoverthecommscreen.'Ialsothankyou,Doctor.

  Butwherearewe?'

  They peered out into the huge cavern illuminated by the darting circles of their spotlights. Bendix saw the Doctor straining his eyes, hoping to see some signofthosetheyhadlost.Buttherewasnothing.Rextonhadeyesonlyforthe

&
nbsp; bulkofthealienship,hanginglikesomehugegrubinitsrockycocoon.

  'I don't know,' the Doctor admitted, after a minute's intense study of their surroundings, in answer to Vega's question. 'I have some equipment on board which might tell us, but it will only function properly outside the interference fieldofthealienship.Ican'tseeanysignsofsurvivorsfromtheraidinhere.'

  Headjustedoneofthespotlightstoplayoverthewalloppositethemouthof

  the ship. It picked out the dark circles of several cave mouths. 'But there are plenty of places they could have been taken,' he said.'If there is any chance of findingthem,andyourmissingcrew,thenitwillbedownthere.

  Theylookwideenoughtotakebothshuttlesthroughinthislowgravity.'

  'Agreed,Doctor,'Vegasaid.

  Rextontookonelastlookatthealienship,thenreturnedtohisseat.Hisface

  wascreasedinthought.

  Bendixliftedthemonlow-powerunderjetsandminimalthrustersandsteered

  themtowardsthenearestofthecaves,feelingtheDoriapitchgentlyasitmoved

  away from the sharp gravity gradient surrounding the hulk behind them.The Dauntlessfollowedandtheypassedintoalongsmooth-sidedtunnelsomefifteen

  metresacross.

  'Looks like an excavated asteroid,' Bendix commented. 'It might be

  honeycombed with tunnels. How do we know they took our people down this one?'

  'We don't,' said the Doctor. 'But we must begin somewhere. When we're

  clearoftheinterferencewemayknowmore.''Somethingupahead,'

  Rextonsaid.

  Theshuttlesslowed,glidinguptoablackenedmetalringthatencircledthe tunnel.Thehugeplateofanarmoureddoorlaybesideit,blowncompletelyclear

  of its mountings. Close by it, partly buried in the thin scree of dust and rock fragments,werehalfadozentwistedshapes.Theywerebodies.

  Skulls grinned up through shattered helmets. Blackened skeletal hands

  seemedtobereachingoutinsupplicationthroughtornandmeltedfabric.

  Beside them were the remains of machinery. One larger item might once