by Brian Hayles
‘Set to wide impact,’ Zondal paused briefly as his men made the necessary adjustments. ‘Fire!’
The effect of the combined sonic weapons was devastating. The ice face crazed, shattered and erupted into fragments under the impact of the invisible beams, which clawed their way deeper and deeper into the heart of the glacier. Inside minutes, the once jagged mark on the ice had been gouged hollow – then it became a cave, and still later a massive crystalline cavern…
Victoria was not the only amazed observer. Hidden by an outcrop of frozen snow, Penley was taking in the scene from below. What the purpose of this task force was, he had no way of knowing – but they were armed, and had a human hostage! He looked towards the girl. Rescuing her was not going to be easy. Until the opportunity arose, he could only watch, and wait…
Clent stood in the doorway of the medicare laboratory, and nodded his head in disbelief. The area that had been assigned to the Doctor was no longer a neat and tidy desk unit – it was almost buried under an untidy mountain of torn and crumpled paper. And the Doctor – totally unaware of Clent’s presence – was on his knees, searching desperately for the vital scrap of calculation… Clent moved forward until he was standing almost directly in front of the scavenging Doctor. But he still wasn’t noticed – until the Doctor came to the particular piece of paper that Clent was standing on. ‘Excuse me…’ he murmured, and snatched it up. Suddenly his face broke into a broad grin. ‘Ah! I thought so! Of course! Reverse the sequence and it gives a density ratio to the power of ten!’ he exclaimed gleefully, throwing his arms into the air and discarding the items that he had just been grovelling for so diligently – and at the same time seeing Clent for the first time.
‘Genius at work, I see,’ remarked the Base Leader drily. ‘Wouldn’t it be simpler if you used our computer?’
The Doctor paused in his frantic scurrying about, and, catching sight of a marker scribe in Clent’s lapel, snatched it with a smile.
‘Just the thing!’ he exclaimed, and started writing an extended series of calculations at shoulder height all along the nearest bare wall. Suddenly the Doctor stopped, bit his lip thoughtfully, and shook his head. ‘It’s not right!’ he muttered. ‘Something’s missing!’
At that moment, Jan Garrett entered, carrying a small sheaf of notes. She handed them to the Doctor. He took them eagerly.
‘Your instructions were to help the Doctor, Miss Garrett,’ said Clent coldly. ‘Where have you been?’
‘Obtaining these notes from Scientist Penley’s file.’
‘You had no authority—’ Clent ranted. But the Doctor cut short his angry reaction with a cry of triumph.
‘That’s it!’ he blurted out, elated. ‘The Omega factor! Clever chap, your friend Penley. Why did you ever get rid of him?’
Clent was too preoccupied with checking the formula to react to this sharp observation. As he reached the final equation, his face smiled in admiration and pride.
‘It’s amazing! And it was staring us in the face all the time…’
Jan hadn’t the same theoretical training as Clent or Penley. She had been trained to rely on the computer for formula analysis. ‘Will it work?’ she asked Clent anxiously.
Clent quickly copied down the essential numbers. ‘I’ll run it through the computer myself!’ the Leader exclaimed, and hurried out, followed by Jan and the Doctor. The Doctor, turning to Jan, sighed and shook his head disapprovingly.
‘It doesn’t need running through a computer,’ he complained, ‘it’s perfect!’ He glanced mischievously at Jan, as they hurried along the corridor leading to the control room and the computer. ‘I deserve an apology,’ he said, and then added, ‘Penley, too. Thank you for digging out his notes.’
‘I thought they might help…’ murmured Jan, leading the way across to ECCO, where Clent was studying the computer print-out. He was completely absorbed, his eyes glued to the machine. He made no sign of hearing the ensuing exchange between the Doctor and Jan.
‘Pity Penley turned traitor…’ remarked the Doctor innocently. Jan’s reaction was immediate, and angry.
‘He was not a traitor! He’s the most brilliant scientist we have, and if you—’
The Doctor cut her short and smiled gently. ‘I’m glad he’s still got some friends here at Base. I needed to know—’
‘It works!’ cried Clent. ‘The computer says it works!’
Suddenly, the static-distorted voice of Arden crackled out from the video-communicator. The geologist’s hooded face showed fuzzily on the videoscreen, and he spoke urgently.
‘Glacier Task Unit to Base,’ he called, ‘Arden to Leader Clent. Over, over!’
Clent moved quickly to establish contact. ‘Clent here, Arden. Report.’
‘We’ve arrived at the glacier site…’ Arden’s words faded in a sudden rush of static, then cleared again. ‘There’s something strange here. Can you hear me?’
‘Bad atmospherics,’ replied Clent, emphasising his words for clarity. ‘You’ll have to speak up. We’ll try and boost you…’ He waved a vague hand towards Jan, and she tried to adjust the controls.
‘What has he found?’ asked the Doctor impatiently.
‘The ice face,’ crackled Arden’s disembodied voice. ‘It’s been excavated… into a sort of cave.’
‘Excavated?’ queried Clent.
‘How?’ demanded the Doctor tensely.
‘Not a drill,’ replied Arden, ‘nor explosives… some sort of power tool, I’d say.’
‘Is there any sign of a spacecraft?’ demanded Clent.
Arden’s blunt answer brought them all forward, tense and expectant.
‘Yes… at the back of… the excavation… there’s what looks like – a metal door!’
Clent looked first at Jan, and then at the Doctor. The spacecraft theory was right – but would its propulsion unit bring the danger that they feared?
‘The place seems deserted…’ Arden continued. ‘But the Ice Warrior couldn’t have done this… alone.’
‘Don’t get any closer than you need,’ warned the Doctor.
‘Arden, get those radiation readings quickly – and come back here at the double! Don’t take any chances!’
For once, Arden didn’t need Clent’s warning. He shuddered as he began to set up the radiation detector, apprehension mingling with the enjoyment of discovery. Jamie looked about, but he could see no sign of the warrior, or that Victoria had ever been here…
‘We’ll take the readings first, Jamie…’ murmured Arden, ‘and then we’ll have a look round outside for Victoria. All right?’ He gave the Scots lad a quick smile.
‘Fair enough,’ agreed Jamie. He knew the importance of the mission Clent had ordered; but he was glad that Arden shared his own feelings about Victoria.
‘What readings are these, then?’ he asked, as they unwound the power pack connections.
‘Radiation – magnetic field – ion density… it won’t take long.’
‘Just as well,’ muttered Jamie. ‘I don’t much like this place – nor that door.’ He stared at it, frowning. ‘I wonder what’s inside it?’
Arden threw him a quick, amused glance. ‘You don’t think I’m leaving here until I’ve had a go at opening it, do you? There’s never been a discovery like this before—’
They were the last words he ever spoke. At Varga’s silent command, the warriors stepped out of hiding and opened fire. Victoria, her mouth smothered by Varga’s mighty fist, could only watch in helpless terror as Arden took the full brunt of the massive burst of sonic power. His body seemed to shimmer, almost disintegrate, beneath the invisible blast of energy. For a split second, he seemed suspended like a broken puppet, his face crumpled in agonised surprise. Then he slumped to the ground beside Jamie, as though hurled there by a giant hand. The ambush complete, Varga released the girl. She stood trembling, staring at the two sprawled bodies on the cavern floor, her face wide-eyed with misery. ‘You’ve… killed them!’
6
&n
bsp; Under the Moving Mountain
THE DOCTOR PROWLED round the Ioniser Room like a caged animal, his puckish features clearly showing his deep anxiety. Since completing the Ionisation formula, he’d been able to think of nothing but Victoria – and now nearly an hour had passed since Arden and Jamie had last made contact.
The Doctor paused before the video-communicator. He was just about to operate it, when Clent strode into the room, bursting with elation at the compliments showered on him by the World Scientific Director. Seeing the Doctor’s intention, he moved forward and intercepted his hand at the video controls, and questioned him with a frown.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m worried. Arden and Jamie should’ve reported in again by now!’
‘You know what Arden is like,’ he replied cheerfully – ‘full of scientific curiosity…’
‘I think we should find out,’ suggested the Doctor, again reaching for the video.
‘If you don’t mind,’ replied Clent, reaching the controls first, ‘I’ll handle this.’ He adjusted the controls and spoke crisply into the machine. ‘Base to Glacier Task Force – Leader Clent calling Scientist Arden. Arden, do you read me!’
There was no response other than the harsh surge of static. The videoscreen was blank. Clent frowned, and spoke again more brusquely. ‘Arden – answer me! Arden!’
The Doctor’s mouth tightened. ‘Something is wrong…’ he muttered. ‘I’ll never forgive myself if anything’s happened to those two youngsters.’
Jan entered briskly, still smiling from Clent’s achievement. Her face fell when she saw the two men staring anxiously at the faintly nickering videoscreen. ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
‘No reply from Arden.’ Clent tried to brighten the gloom. ‘At least we’ve made the breakthrough with the Ioniser!’ He beamed at the Doctor. ‘The World Director assured me that there’ll be suitable… recognition for all the members of our little group! We’ve got that machine under complete control at last!’ But his face fell at the Doctor’s reply.
‘What a pity we shan’t be able to use it then.’
Clent and Miss Garrett looked at him blankly for a moment – then the truth of his statement sunk in.
‘You’re forgetting that Arden hasn’t yet completed his mission,’ the Doctor continued. ‘And until we know the facts about that alien spaceship, we daren’t go on!’
Penley had watched the ambush in the ice cave with horror. Minutes after the aliens had retreated into the doorway in the ice, dragging the girl with them, he had managed to pull himself together enough to scurry silently across to the two crumpled bodies. To his astonishment, he had found that Jamie, partly protected from the warriors’ deadly fire-power by Arden’s body, was still alive! Summoning up the strength to drag the lad’s limp form to the waiting airsled, he had brought him back to Storr’s hideout. He could do nothing to save the girl – but as he sped back to safety, his mind raced. What was behind the door in the ice?
Storr’s immediate reaction to Jamie was predictable and fierce. ‘Why bring him back here?’ he growled. ‘Another mouth to feed.’ But he changed his tune when Penley showed him the spoils he had brought on the airsled: food, a first-aid kit, and sleeping bags. He listened, frowning, to Penley’s description of the cave and the door set into the ice.
‘It has to be a spacecraft of some kind! And big enough to hold six of those hulking brutes – as well as the girl!’
Suddenly, Jamie groaned, and half-opened his bloodshot eyes. ‘Where… am I?’ he whispered hoarsely.
‘Never you mind,’ growled Storr. ‘Somewhere safe…’
‘You’re suffering from severe shock, lad,’ soothed Penley. ‘Take it easy.’
‘What happened? Where’s Arden?’ Jamie’s eyes flicked nervously from Storr to Penley.
‘Dead,’ replied Penley quietly. ‘You were both shot down by the warriors. He got the worst of it.’ He frowned, remembering that horrific moment. ‘Some sort of ray gun, I’d say.’
‘So we failed then…’ Jamie murmured bitterly.
‘Came to rescue the girl – is that it?’ demanded Storr.
Jamie tried to sit up, his eyes bright. ‘Have ye seen Victoria? Is she alive?’
The effort was too much and he fell back – but Penley’s words eased the pain. ‘Yes, she’s alive all right – but you just take it easy, lad.’ His face looked grave. ‘She’s a prisoner.’
‘Then we’ve got to save her!’ exclaimed Jamie. ‘Help me – please!’ He began to slip back into unconsciousness.
‘We’ll discuss it later,’ soothed Penley.
Storr looked from the prostrate boy to Penley, who shook his head solemnly.
‘I don’t know what his chances are, Storr,’ remarked the scientist. ‘As for the girl…’ He looked down at Jamie sadly, ‘there’s nothing we can do…’
Inside the spaceship, Victoria was waiting for her opportunity. Although still feigning unconsciousness, she was now sharply alert and determined to escape. She had to know if Jamie was alive or dead – and somehow she had to let the Doctor know about the aliens and the plan she had overheard them discussing earlier.
‘Will there be more Earthlings, Commander?’ Zondal had asked, obviously only too ready to kill again.
‘Not yet,’ Varga had replied. ‘If more come, we know we can destroy them. If no others seek this girl, then we know they are too few to resist us.’
‘Let us kill her now. It will make no difference!’
‘No! We may need her voice to lure them here.’ The majestic head had nodded towards the complex machinery. ‘You have a more urgent task, Zondal: the propulsion unit – we need it to break free of the ice.’
The warlord had then held up the portable power pack he had removed from the radiation detector unit outside after killing Arden. ‘This may help us,’ he hissed, and strode across to the compact machine section out of Victoria’s line of vision.
Now, at last, she was alone. All the other warriors were preparing the spaceship for action – and the way to the airlock was clear. As long as she remembered how to work the controls! Stealthily, she crept towards the door. Her hand brushed the sensor control. With the faintest of whispers, the door opened, then shut automatically after her. Inside the airlock, she quickly found the outer door control. At her touch, it opened – and she was free!
But her immediate plan was to find Jamie. She ran to where he and Arden had fallen – and froze in shock and amazement. Jamie was gone! Her face softened at the sight of the geologist’s body – but she had no time to lose. With a simple gesture, she covered the dead man’s face, then looked wildly about her. Jamie couldn’t have been killed after all – but he might well be injured or severely wounded. She had to find him! But she saw the deep grooves in the snow – as if a heavy object had been dragged away – perhaps by a wild animal, she speculated with a shudder.
Just then her eye fell on Arden’s dead wrist, and her heart jumped. His wrist-video! If she could only make it work! It could make contact with the Base – and the Doctor! With a silent apology to the dead man for the necessary theft, she quickly eased the device from his already stiffening arm. Scurrying into the shelter of a spur of ice that hid her from the Martian spacecraft, she studied the tiny controls. To her delight, there was only one – the device must be pre-set.
‘Doctor – Leader Clent – Miss Garrett!’ she cried in an urgent whisper. ‘This is Victoria! Please – somebody answer me!’
She wasn’t to know that her every move was being watched by Varga and Zondal on the spaceship’s video system, and that even her whispered call for help was being picked up and relayed clearly to the vigilant warlord. He laughed coldly.
‘The girl has courage,’ he hissed, ‘but she is stupid to think that we would not watch her every move.’
‘She will betray us, Commander!’ declared Zondal. He pointed to the sonic cannon that could operate from the side of the ship at the touch of the button beneath his crue
l fist. ‘She must be destroyed!’
‘No, Zondal,’ ordered the warlord. ‘Let her talk first. There are things we need to know.’
Just as Victoria was about to give up in tearful frustration, a small burst of sound came from the tiny communicator. The familiar face of the Doctor appeared on its screen.
‘Victoria! Where are you?’ he asked frantically. ‘Are you all right? Where’s Jamie – and Arden?’
Gulping back the tears that threatened to overcome her, Victoria briefly described the situation. ‘I don’t know where Jamie is – but Arden is dead!’ She took a deep breath, trying to thrust that terrifying memory from her mind. ‘It was the Ice Warriors. They have a terrible weapon – a sort of ray gun.’ Her voice began to rise hysterically; she tried desperately to control her shaking hands. ‘Doctor – they’re from Mars! They’re vicious – ruthless!’
Clent’s cool voice cut across her panic, and brought her under control once more. ‘Keep calm, girl!’ he rapped. ‘We must have facts! Tell us about the spaceship! Quickly!’
A sudden wave of anger swept over Victoria. She almost shouted at the calm face which stared back at her from the tiny video. ‘Don’t you understand? They’ve killed Arden, and Jamie’s disappeared! Don’t you even care?’
‘Of course we care, Victoria,’ came the Doctor’s gentle reply. ‘But we need to know something about that spaceship’s propulsion unit – it’s vital.’
‘Propulsion unit?’ queried Victoria blankly.
Clent’s face reappeared; his voice was sharp. ‘Engines, girl – engines!’
‘Oh, I see…’ answered Victoria tiredly. ‘I think they’re repairing the engines now.’
‘What kind are they?’ demanded Clent urgently. ‘Reactor turbine – ion jet – anti-gravity? Think, girl!’
Before Victoria could answer, a mighty shudder shook the ground, bringing a flurry of ice down from the excavated ceiling, and knocking Victoria breathless to the floor.
‘Victoria – what’s happening?’ came the Doctor’s voice. ‘Are you all right?’