by Doctor Who
Closing her eyes, she threw herself to one side and, to her embarrassment, cried out in terror.
29
‘You can keep your computers and your scans,’ Kendle told Hespell solemnly, ‘but if you’re going to put your life and the lives of others in any danger, then there is no alternative but to examine your ship yourself.’
The ex-marine didn’t just mean having a quick walk round to check that everything was in order; he meant a proper fingertip examination of the entire exterior of the ship. Which was why they had spent the last two hours on the job and had only managed to cover about a third of the ship’s external surface. So far all the damage they had found was merely cosmetic, nothing that could cause any problem when they returned to space, but they had yet to approach the crucial areas at the rear, where the propulsion units were to be found. Damage to them would be a more serious matter and, as they moved slowly but inevitably towards them, it was clear that both Kendle and Hespell knew it.
‘Do you think she’ll fly?’ Hespell asked, trying to sound casual.
Kendle answered without taking his eyes from the heat-shield panels he was examining. ‘Computer says she will.’
31
Hespell tutted, frustrated at the answer. ‘But you said we shouldn’t listen to the computer,’ he complained.
Kendle was about three metres away from the junior pilot and it was impossible to see his face, but Hespell just knew that the older man was grinning now when he responded. ‘Yeah, I did, didn’t I?’
Hespell stopped to wipe the sweat from his eyes. Although it was incredibly frustrating, he was secretly pleased that Kendle was teasing him like this; he knew it was a sign that the older man had a degree of respect for him. Hespell had seen the way Kendle treated young officers he didn’t like. He seemed to have a soft spot for Baker, but Collins was always getting the sharp end of the ex-marine’s tongue.
Hespell looked out towards the forest that was surrounding them.
The forced landing had knocked over a number of trees and created the clearing they now rested in, but beyond that the forest was thick and dense on all sides. He felt a sudden chill as he realised that the foliage he was looking at was moving. Was it the wind?
‘Sir?’
Kendle picked up the hint of alarm in the younger man’s voice.
‘What is it?’
Hespell raised an arm and pointed in the direction of the movement.
‘There’s something out there. . . ’
Kendle slid down to join him and studied the section of forest that Hespell had indicated. ‘Some kind of animal?’ he speculated.
Even as he spoke the truth was revealed. It was a massive four-armed figure, covered in thick black hair like a gorilla, but this was no ape. It stood upright on powerful legs and moved with speed and purpose. Each of the four ‘arms’ ended in a massive paw, from the back of which long, sharp talons emerged.
‘Looks like the natives might not be friendly,’ muttered Kendle, bundling the younger man towards the nearest airlock and cursing the fact that he was outside on an unknown planet without any form of weapon. A rookie mistake. One that might yet prove fatal. How could he have let the professor’s description of this place as a paradise lull him into such a false sense of security?
Kendle risked a quick backwards glance to see how much time they 32
had and instantly wished he hadn’t. The creature was not alone; there were two more of them. Hespell had reached the airlock and was already inside. Kendle put on an extra burst of speed, painfully aware of his age. No matter how fit he kept, it was not the same as regular combat and at times like this he had to admit that he really wasn’t young any more. Gasping for breath, he reached the airlock and all but fell into the chamber. Instantly Hespell hit the controls and the outer doors slammed shut with a hydraulic hiss. Kendle took a moment to recover, while Hespell opened the inner doors and reached for the intercom. ‘All hands, we are under attack from native life forms.
Seal the ship!’ he shouted.
In her quarters Professor Shulough reacted to the intercom announcement with annoyance. How frustrating. Native life forms. That was something she hadn’t allowed for. Of course she knew the Paradise Planet was inhabited – she’d read the personal account of the explorer who had first stumbled across the place fifty years ago – but the inhabitants were meant to be peaceful humanoids, not wild monsters.
Was it possible that this wasn’t the right planet after all?
The professor went back to reviewing her evidence, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. It opened to reveal Kendle, looking older and somehow frailer than she had ever seen him.
‘Professor, we may have to make a rapid departure.’
‘No.’ She was adamant. ‘We’re not leaving.’
‘Haven’t you heard? We’re under attack!’ Kendle insisted with his usual authority.
‘Then do your job,’ the professor threw back at him. ‘You’re meant to be a soldier, aren’t you? Defend us.’
Rose was certain that the next thing she felt would be sharp pain as those vicious talons sliced into her and she just hoped they wouldn’t cut anything too vital – like a major blood vessel! Eyes squeezed tight shut, she kept rolling from side to side, but the fatal blow never came.
‘It’s OK, you’re safe! Stop rolling around.’
33
It was the monster – only it didn’t sound very monsterish. In fact, it sounded like a young man. Gingerly Rose opened her eyes. The
‘monster’ was trying to pull its own head off. With a final effort it succeeded and Rose realised that the ‘head’ was, in fact, nothing more than a mask. It wasn’t a monster at all but someone in a monster costume! And now Rose knew the truth, she could see that it wasn’t even a very good monster costume. The hairy legs of the beast stopped about thirty centimetres above the ground, revealing a pair of athletic-looking humanoid legs. And where the fearsome monster’s head had been, a much more attractive human head was sticking out of the monster’s shoulders. Rose thought it looked like someone sticking their face through one of those comedy photo opportunity boards you find at seaside resorts, the ones that let you have your photo taken with the cartoon body of some fat beach-lover. The clawed paws were merely gloves, which were quickly shrugged off.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,’ said the youth inside the monster costume, smiling.
Rose instantly relaxed. When it came to men, she really was her mother’s daughter – a nice smile took a bloke a long way, and this lad had a really nice smile. His hair, short and spiky, was a sun-dyed blond and his skin glowed with a healthy tan that had nothing to do with a bottle. Perfect blue eyes and teeth that would make an orthodontist proud completed the look. Rose allowed herself to be helped up.
‘You’re like me!’ he exclaimed, clearly surprised.
Rose blushed, still embarrassed by the way she’d reacted to his arrival. Had she really screamed?
‘Well, I guess I have my blonde moments, if that’s what you mean.’
The boy – Rose would have guessed his age at around seventeen –shook his head. ‘No, no. . . ’ He reached a hand towards her head and she resisted the instinct to flinch. He gently brushed the hair away from her face and with hesitant fingers stroked the top of her ear.
Rose gave an involuntary shiver. ‘You’re like me,’ he repeated. ‘The same race.’
‘Human,’ Rose whispered, ‘you’re human.’
The boy looked into her eyes and smiled a grateful smile.
34
‘My name’s Rose,’ she stuttered, suddenly nervous, feeling as if she’d just approached a shy lad at a club and asked him to dance when she should simply have introduced herself first. Feeling terribly self-conscious she offered him her hand.
‘Rez,’ offered the boy by way of reply. Instinctively he took her proffered hand but, not knowing what to do with it, just held it.
‘You’re meant to shake,’ explained
Rose kindly.
A frown flittered across the blond boy’s face and then he started to shake his entire body. Rose didn’t want to be cruel, but it was such a funny sight that she couldn’t stop the laughter bursting out.
Her new friend started laughing too. Soon the pair of them were helpless, leaning against each other for support, the discarded monster costume forgotten at their feet.
The screen was filled with static. Moments before, it had given the entire bridge an uncomfortably close-up image of one of the creatures as the sharp-looking talons sliced towards the security camera, but now it showed nothing.
‘That thing just took out the camera. But that’s impossible,’ exclaimed Hespell. ‘It must have cut straight through the metal!’
‘Imagine what it would do to you,’ Kendle muttered.
‘Where are they?’ It was the professor, who had reluctantly joined them on the bridge, concerned that the attack might adversely affect her own mission.
‘Climbing over the hull.’
‘Can they get through it?’
Kendle shrugged. ‘If they can slice through metal, the hull won’t hold them for long.’
‘There must be something we can do. Doesn’t this ship have any defence capabilities? I thought it had seen military service.’
‘You wanted a ship suitable for exploring.
You never said you
wanted to wage war!’ replied Kendle.
‘I didn’t know I’d need to.’
Kendle looked around the room. The crew were all young and raw.
Right now he’d have welcomed just one more face like his own, one 35
with the scars of experience on it, but none of these kids looked like they’d lived at all. And if he couldn’t find a way of stopping the current attack, none of them would live much longer. He racked his brain, trying to think of something he could do.
‘Metal, metal. . . ’ he muttered. Of course. ‘The hull is metal, isn’t it?’
It took Hespell a moment to realise that Kendle was talking to him.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And the emergency generator is running at full power?’
Hespell nodded, then looked shocked when he understood what Kendle was suggesting. ‘You want me to electrify the hull?’
The other man met his gaze. ‘Is it possible?’
Hespell sucked his teeth, considering. ‘It’s certainly possible, in theory, but in practice. . . It’ll fry a lot of our sensors.’
‘Sensors can be replaced, people can’t. Do it.’
It took a few minutes of frantic work by every member of the crew. Sensitive systems had to be off-lined and isolated and conduc-tive wires connected between the generator and the hull. While the minutes ticked away, they were all conscious of the sounds echoing through the ship’s corridors, as the creatures crawled over the hull, apparently trying to find a way in. The hull creaked and groaned eerily, as everyone hurried to complete the necessary circuit. They worked in a tense silence that was occasionally punctuated by the screech of tearing metal. The creatures seemed determined to get inside the ship.
Finally they were ready. Kendle gave the order and Hespell flicked the switch, sending a massive current through the hull.
The sounds from the hull ceased.
The silence held for a long moment, then Kendle gave the order to shut off the current. ‘Do we have any cameras working?’ he demanded.
Hespell nodded and flicked a switch.
On the screen they could see that their desperate measure had produced the desired result. The creatures had been hurled metres away from the hull by the electrical force. The three of them were lying 36
on the ground, their fur smoking slightly. But incredibly, as the crew watched in horror, they staggered to their feet again and began shuffling towards the ship.
‘Power up,’ ordered Kendle.
Hespell quickly reactivated the current. The view-screen picture crackled with interference but it was still possible to see what was happening. One of the creatures made another attempt to climb on to the ship, but the electrified hull sent him flying backwards. Eventually, having been thwarted in their efforts, the trio turned and headed back into the forest. For now. . .
Kendle watched as the three enormous beasts disappeared and then got to his feet purposefully. ‘Hespell, Collins, with me,’ he ordered.
Hespell and the usually cool Jae Collins exchanged nervous looks.
Kendle noticed their reluctance and offered them a further explanation.
‘We’re going after them,’ he said. ‘In my experience, attack is always the best form of defence.’
The Doctor was sorry now that he had left Rose at ground level. Not because he wanted her to have the same aching legs that he had after climbing to the summit of the tower, but because he really wanted to share the wonderful view with her. This was one of the reasons why he travelled, to see incredible things, and it just wasn’t the same if he couldn’t share the experience with someone else.
The view from the observation post was absolutely breathtaking.
He could see for miles in every direction and each point of the com-pass offered a stunning vista. This planet truly was a beautiful place, but it was more than just a visual thing; it felt wonderful too. The Doctor couldn’t be sure exactly what it was. Perhaps the gravity which was just slightly less than Earth’s. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, which seemed to have a little more oxygen in it. Or perhaps it was simply one of those feel-good planets you found now and then where everything was just right. For a brief moment his mind went back to the planet he had grown up on, so many years ago. That had been one of those perfect planets. All gone now. Dust to dust. The Doctor shook 37
his head to scatter the ghosts haunting his thoughts and returned his attention to the present. Emergency distress call, he reminded himself, crashed spaceship.
He started scanning the horizon for signs of the ship’s descent. They weren’t hard to find. The ship had damaged a strip of forest as it came in to make what had clearly been a poor landing, and this acted like a giant arrow pointing to the crash site. Even at this distance the Doctor could see that the spaceship was still essentially intact. With luck there would have been no fatalities.
Making a mental note of the direction he would need to take, the Doctor began the long trip back to ground level. As he skipped down the stairs, taking care not to go too fast for fear of losing his footing on the worn stone steps, he continued to cast glances out towards the crashed spaceship. Was that movement he could see? Something crashing through the forest from the landing site and moving towards the ruins? The Doctor had a sudden bad feeling and increased his pace, desperate now to get back to Rose. He reached the bottom of the steps and began the more difficult part of the descent, along the sloping roof. On the way up this had been easy, but coming down gravity made it far more treacherous and the Doctor wanted to arrive in one piece.
Kendle led the way, every inch the soldier now, plasma rifle cocked and ready in his hands. Hespell and Collins followed, looking less comfortable with their own weapons. Kendle was using all his old tracking skills to follow the creatures that had attacked them, but it wasn’t a particularly difficult task. The powerful beasts had raced through the forest, breaking branches and undergrowth just like two-legged bulldozers. Even Hespell could see where they had been. At least he could when the forest was quite dense, but now that the trees were thinning out the trail was becoming less obvious.
Kendle, who had been leading them at a brisk trot, waved a hand to slow them down. Up ahead was a clearing in which some stone buildings, most of them in a ruinous state, could be seen. Of the 38
creatures there was now no sign. Using what cover they could find, the three humans crept closer to the ruins.
Collins and Hespell looked at each other – both were feeling increasingly anxious about this course of action. Following Kendle in the forest had been one thing, but now they felt much more exposed.
The further they went into the ruins, the greater the risk of the creatures circling round and attacking them from the rear.
The sun was now quite low in the sky and cast long shadows on all sides, making the place seem even eerier. In the centre of the clearing was a large building with an impressive tower built on top of its roof.
Kendle seemed to be taking them towards it. Was it the creatures’
lair? A movement on the lower part of the roof caught Hespell’s eye.
Had one of the creatures been watching their progress? Instinctively he raised his weapon and took aim.
The Doctor was nearly on the ground and was about to call out to Rose when he saw the humans. They were creeping through the undergrowth, dashing between piles of stone and bushes, taking up defensive positions. He could see that they were armed and their movements suggested that they were expecting trouble. Which could be bad news for any strangers they might encounter. Trigger-happy humans were, in the Doctor’s experience, the worst kind of humans. He had to get down there quickly and defuse the situation before anyone got sh –
The Doctor never finished his thought. A blast from one of the soldiers hit him, stunning him instantly. He staggered and fell before rolling down the incline and toppling over the lip at the part where the wall became almost vertical.
If Rez hadn’t clamped his hand over her mouth, Rose would have cried out. Rez had taken her to the storeroom in which he had found the monster costume. It was down some earthen steps, in a cellar.
All sorts of ceremonial costumes and props were stored there. ‘Like some kind of weird dressing-up box,’ Rose had commented. Rez had 39
shown her his other recent discovery. Hidden behind a tapestry that was hanging on the wall was a tunnel.
‘Where does it lead?’ she had asked.
Rez had shrugged and given her one of his trademark grins. ‘There are loads of tunnels and cellars under the ruins. Shall we explore?’