The Deviant Strain

by Justin Richards

  ‘I thought he was my friend,’ Vahlen said weakly.

  ‘Then hurry up and save the man who never told you different.’ The Doctor lifted up the tool box, holding it open for Vahlen. ‘Do it.’

  The troops were retreating into the base. Pretty soon the creatures would be there, and Levin knew his men would be trapped between creatures and fire. Their only chance was to get inside and try to defend the concrete building.

  Rose and Jack were with them. Jack was carrying Valeria in his arms, stumbling across the compound.

  Once inside, Rose led Jack and Valeria to the Doctor. Levin and his men immediately started to barricade the doors and block off the windows. Krylek had gone to get the civilians to help.

  The Doctor was in the corridor, with a sullen-looking Vahlen. Alex Minin stumbled after them. He looked pale and frightened and was clutching a handkerchief to his mouth as if he was afraid he was going to be sick.

  ‘They’re almost here,’ Rose said.

  ‘Levin’s barricading us in, so I hope you’ve got a plan,’ Jack added. Beside him, Valeria stood staring blankly forwards.

  ‘Is she all right?’ Minin asked hesitantly.

  ‘No,’ Jack told him.

  ‘But the rest of us will be,’ the Doctor said. He was smiling. ‘It’s risky, but we’ll have to try to shut the ship down. At least we know now there’s a direct link.’

  ‘What about Georgi?’ Minin asked.

  ‘You did the right thing. The only thing. I dunno why he was bringing the creatures here. Maybe he was in with Barinska, cos someone was. But whatever, it’s time to finish this.’

  He led the way down the corridor, and Rose realised they were heading back to the storeroom where the tunnel to the ship emerged. ‘But didn’t you say it was dangerous to try to shut down the ship?’

  ‘Oh, yes. Very.’ He was suddenly serious. ‘While there was another way, I’d never have risked it. But now it’s our only chance. This is Plan B.’

  ‘And there’s no Plan C,’ Jack said.

  ‘That’s right.’

  The door to the storeroom was still standing open. On the other side of the room, the hidden door was closed, and the Doctor went over to it. ‘You don’t have to come with me,’ he told them all.

  ‘You might need help,’ Jack said.

  ‘We’re coming,’ Rose told him.

  ‘Great.’ He pulled open the door.

  And a huge tentacle hurtled towards him.

  The Doctor slammed the door shut again, but it caught on the tentacle, which was forcing its way into the room. The door burst open – a glowing, blue, glutinous mass filling the frame behind. Forcing its way through into the storeroom.

  ‘Back!’ Jack shouted, shoving Valeria ahead of him.

  The Doctor was last out, slamming the door behind them.

  ‘That won’t stop it,’ Minin said. He seemed to be shivering.

  ‘Not for long, no.’

  ‘So what now?’ Rose said.

  The Doctor looked at her, meeting her gaze. ‘Back to the main doors,’ he said. ‘It’s time for Plan C.’

  THIRTEEN

  ‘IF WE’RE LUCKY we can keep them out for a while,’ Levin was saying.

  He and Krylek and several of the soldiers were standing by the barricaded main doors. Metal filing cabinets were jammed up against them – most of the barricade was metal, made from things that had been left behind because they wouldn’t burn on the fire.

  ‘Too late – they’re already inside,’ the Doctor said, running up. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘So what now?’

  ‘Working on Plan C,’ Rose told him.

  ‘Minin’s looking for plans of the building, so let’s get to his office. Everyone else to the conference room. At least we’ll all be together,’ the Doctor said. ‘Jack’s already assembling all the civilians he can find. Get your men to help him.’

  ‘You think there’s another way out, sir?’ Krylek asked.

  ‘Nope,’ the Doctor told him. ‘I think there may be somewhere to hide.’

  The barricade shuddered under a blow from outside. An upended metal desk toppled away and crashed to the floor. Dust showered down from the ceiling.

  ‘There’s one on the roof,’ Levin said.

  In Alex Minin’s office, Boris Brodsky and Catherine Kornilova watched Klebanov arguing with Minin.

  ‘Those plans are out of date, they’re no help at all,’ the chief scientist was saying.

  ‘They’re all we have.’

  ‘They’re from the 1960s, for goodness’ sake!’

  ‘Children,’ Jack admonished. He had sat Valeria in an upright plastic chair on the other side of the room. He’d left the civilians in the conference room, together with most of the soldiers, but he didn’t trust Valeria’s father to look after her.

  The Doctor arrived with Levin and the soldiers. ‘Post guards along the corridors. Let us know as soon as the creatures are in.’

  ‘That one in the storeroom seems to be staying put for now,’ Jack told them.

  ‘Waiting for its mates,’ Rose said.

  ‘Could be,’ the Doctor agreed. ‘Right – what have we here?’

  Jack and the other scientists moved aside to let him get to the desk where Minin and Klebanov were arguing about the plans.

  ‘What are you looking for?’ Minin asked.

  Levin joined them. ‘I don’t see a way out,’ he said, scanning the maps.

  The Doctor traced his finger round the main corridor. ‘See this? It runs right round the edge of the building. Rooms off either side. This is us, here. That’s your office, Klebanov. That’s the conference room. Labs. Storerooms.’

  ‘So?’ Klebanov demanded. ‘It shows us nothing we don’t know.’

  ‘Maybe not.’ The Doctor jabbed his finger down in the middle of the floor plan. ‘Right here. In the middle. What’s this?’

  ‘It’s . . . nothing,’ Minin said. ‘There’s nothing marked.’

  ‘Must be something,’ the Doctor told him.

  The other two scientists – Boris Brodsky and Catherine Kornilova – were leaning in to look.

  ‘I’ve never been there,’ Brodsky said. ‘There’s no way in.’

  ‘Nothing to do with the labs,’ Catherine added. ‘Probably just a closed-off area or solid concrete. The building’s in the shape of a square with a courtyard or something, except there’s no way into it.’

  Levin was running his finger along the same route the Doctor had traced. ‘Everything’s round the edge. But I’ve seen this place from above, when we arrived in the helicopter. It’s solid. Completely enclosed. The Doctor’s right – there is something there.’ He pointed to a storeroom. ‘This is the access point. A corridor blocked off and turned into a room. Another one here.’

  ‘So what are you saying?’ Rose wanted to know. ‘Is it just empty space or what?’

  ‘Might be full of concrete,’ Jack pointed out. ‘Solid.’

  ‘Nope.’ The Doctor pulled out a plan from underneath the one they were looking at. ‘Wiring, pipes, air conditioning – they all service that area like any other.’

  ‘You’re wondering why it is blocked off,’ Klebanov said quietly.

  ‘Yes. But I’m also thinking it’s the best place to defend, because it’s blocked off.’

  Klebanov was shaking his head. ‘Go in there,’ he said, ‘and you’re dead.’

  The barricade finally collapsed. One of the filing cabinets split open, spilling papers across the floor. The doors were bulging, bursting. A blue wall pulsed and glowed beyond them.

  The two soldiers left on guard retreated slowly along the corridor, their rifles levelled even though they knew they were useless against the creature that was now forcing its way inside.

  They turned to run. But not quite quickly enough. A tentacle shot across the corridor, swiping one of the soldiers off his feet. His comrade paused, turned, watched as his friend was dragged away – face collapsing and limbs atrophying. He hesitated only for
a moment, then he ran.

  The Doctor was facing Klebanov. The room was eerily quiet as he asked, ‘Why? What’s in there?’

  ‘It was the main lab. Years ago, when this place was first set up. It was sealed off. For good.’

  ‘Why? What happened?’ Catherine asked.

  ‘It was in the 1950s. Before my time, but of course I was briefed when I took the assignment here.’

  ‘Just tell us,’ the Doctor snapped.

  ‘There was an accident. Containment leak.’

  ‘Biological?’ Brodsky asked, his voice husky.

  Klebanov nodded. ‘They sealed it solid. Standard procedure.’

  ‘What leaked?’ the Doctor asked.

  ‘What about the people?’ Catherine said before Klebanov could answer. ‘What happened to them?’

  Klebanov’s face was drained of colour. ‘They’re still in there.’

  The Doctor put his hand on the scientist’s shoulder, turned the man to face him. ‘I said, what leaked?’

  ‘Does it matter?’

  ‘Of course it matters.’

  ‘He wants to know,’ Jack said, ‘if it’s still dangerous. Because if not – that’s the best place to defend. To survive. It’s already sealed solid, if we can just get into it.’

  ‘We can blow the wall here,’ Levin said, pointing to one of the blocked-off storerooms. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Krylek told him. ‘Probably. Depends how thick it is.’

  ‘You’re crazy,’ Klebanov said. ‘We could all die the moment you open that chamber.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Rose told him, ‘the alternative being what exactly?’

  ‘Die trying to survive,’ the Doctor said. ‘Or just die. We need to draw the remotes in so I can get to the ship. Way’s blocked at the moment. So, any other offers?’

  Whatever the answer was, it was drowned out by the shouts from outside. Several soldiers ran in, and one of them hurried over to Levin and talked to him quietly.

  As they spoke, Minin opened a drawer of his desk. He glanced up to see if anyone was watching him and caught Jack’s eye. The man hesitated, then pulled a bottle of colourless liquid from the drawer. He pushed it into his jacket pocket.

  ‘We’re out of time for debate,’ the colonel announced when he had heard the report. ‘Lieutenant, get the explosives and gather the men. Bring the civilians. Let’s blow that wall and find out whether this thing’s still dangerous or not.’ He was looking at the Doctor. ‘Agreed?’

  ‘What are you waiting for?’ the Doctor asked.

  There were two storerooms that used to open into the sealed-off main lab. They headed for the one nearest the conference room.

  Even so, it was a nightmare journey. The outer wall was crumbling – tentacles reaching through the concrete and thrashing along the corridor. One of the creatures was blocking the end of the corridor that led back towards the main doors. It scraped and squelched against the walls as it dragged itself along.

  Krylek and one of the soldiers rolled grenades down the corridor. Everyone ran the other way, and soon the corridor was filled with noise and smoke and confusion.

  Brodsky, pale-faced, was keeping pace with Rose when he suddenly disappeared with a cry. She turned round – to see the man struggling and clawing at the floor of the corridor as he was dragged back. He was looking right at her when his face collapsed in on itself.

  Catherine screamed, clutching Rose’s arm, and they ran on. In front of them Rose could see Jack pulling Valeria along, urging her onwards. Dust and grit showered from the ceiling. A tentacle fell through in front of them and Rose pushed Catherine aside, so she narrowly missed it.

  ‘Come on!’ the Doctor urged from somewhere ahead of them.

  Gunfire and explosions from behind.

  There were too many people to fit in the storeroom. They were spilling out into the corridor. The Doctor, Levin and Krylek pushed their way through. Jack, Rose and Valeria were left at the back.

  The young-old girl just stood, staring into space. Her wrinkled face was stained black from the fire and one side of it had been scalded on the hot metal of the digger’s front scoop. Rose smiled at her, but as ever there was no response, no flicker of interest or acknowledgement in the eyes.

  Further along the line of people in the corridor, Jack could see the girl’s father watching. His expression was as blank and unreadable as his daughter’s.

  The sound of gunfire echoed along the corridor. Two soldiers appeared round the corner, half running, half stumbling as they turned to fire at the enemy behind them.

  But as the first tentacles lashed out after the soldiers, the corridor filled with even more people. They were coming out of the storeroom and back into the corridor. Levin and the Doctor were ushering them out urgently.

  ‘Can’t we get through?’ Rose wanted to know. ‘We can’t stay here.’

  One of the soldiers cried out as a tentacle wrapped round his leg and brought him down. The end of the corridor was lit with a blue glow as the creature approached.

  ‘They’re blowing the wall,’ Jack told her. ‘You don’t want people standing beside it when you set off the charges.’

  ‘If it’s a choice . . .’ Rose started to say. But she was interrupted by the arrival of the Doctor.

  ‘Krylek’s setting the charges,’ the Doctor said. ‘But it’ll take him a minute.’

  ‘We don’t have a minute,’ Rose replied.

  The creature filled the corridor now – pulsing forwards, tendril-like tentacles whipping and flailing. People pressed back against the cold concrete walls as they tried desperately to keep out of the way.

  ‘Hold it back,’ the Doctor said. ‘I’ll help Krylek. Half a minute. Can you do that?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jack said. ‘We’ll do it.’

  ‘I don’t know how,’ Rose told him, but the Doctor was already gone.

  ‘I do,’ a voice said quietly beside them. It was Minin. He was holding the bottle that he had taken from his desk. He pulled out the stopper and pushed his handkerchief into the bottle.

  ‘You need something to burn. Something more than just the alcohol – that won’t be enough. Let me help,’ Jack told him.

  ‘I don’t need help.’ He had a lighter. Was walking slowly along the corridor towards the grotesque creature squeezing its way towards them. ‘You get them to safety, Captain. They’re my people. I’ve looked after them as best I can. Now it’s your turn. Don’t let me down.’

  The white of the handkerchief became orange and red as the lighter touched it.

  The creature’s squeal of triumph was Minin’s scream of pain and defiance as it caught him, dragged him towards it. His hand was shaking, ageing, withering. But somehow he managed to smash the bottle to the ground beneath him as he collapsed. Into the flames.

  Tentacles dragged him back – through the pool of fire. His clothes were igniting and burning. The creatures were squealing and retreating as the man staggered and stumbled after it – driving it back down the corridor.

  Then the corridor was full of dust and smoke. Jack’s ears rang with the rumbling roar of the explosion as Krylek’s charges ripped through the concrete wall at the back of the storeroom.

  ‘Come on!’ The Doctor’s voice cut through the confusion. ‘Everyone inside, quick!’

  Jack grabbed Valeria’s hand and led her through to the storeroom. The Doctor was standing just inside the door, ready to slam it shut as soon as everyone was inside. He saw the shock on Rose’s face.

  ‘Minin?’

  ‘Bought us some time,’ Jack said.

  The Doctor nodded. He closed the door. ‘Right, everyone wait here while we go inside first. Never know what we might find.’

  ‘What do you expect?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Will it be dangerous?’ Rose said.

  ‘If the toxin’s still active, we’re already dead,’ Jack told her.

  ‘It isn’t,’ the Doctor said.

  ‘Sure?’

  ‘Yep. You can tell from the pla
ns that the air conditioning’s still connected to this area. Always has been. There was never any toxin. Never any leak.’

  ‘Then why’s it sealed?’ Jack wondered.

  ‘Let’s find out.’

  Levin, Krylek and most of the soldiers had already gone through the ragged hole in the end wall. They were standing in a short section of corridor the other side. The floor was coated with a thin layer of dust, but otherwise in the light from the storeroom it looked like every other corridor in the building. At the end of the corridor was a heavy metal door.

  ‘Do we open it?’ Levin asked the Doctor.

  He nodded. ‘Yep.’

  ‘You know what’s inside, don’t you?’ Levin said as Krylek turned to the door.

  ‘Yep.’

  The door swung open. Beyond it – blackness.

  ‘Power should be on. There’s a light switch on the wall to your left,’ the Doctor called to Krylek. ‘It’s marked on the plans.’

  Fluorescent lights flickered into life as the Doctor followed Krylek and Levin into the huge room. Rose followed, with Jack leading Valeria after them. The rest of the soldiers and the villagers streamed in behind them.

  ‘Close and bar the door,’ Levin called out. He did not turn. Like everyone else, he seemed unable to take his eyes off the scene revealed in the room.

  It was a huge laboratory. Equipment was piled up on workbenches and antiquated computer systems stood against the walls – tapes and switches and dials and meters. Dust lay heavily over everything so that the glass jars and tubes and pipes seemed opaque. Several surgical trolleys were in the middle of the room, linked up to an arrangement of tubes and pumps, similar to the equipment at Sofia Barinska’s house.

  But none of this was what held the attention of the people standing inside the door. Fifty people – men, women, children, soldiers, time travellers. All staring at the figures that lay on the trolleys, or sat propped on lab stools so that they leaned over the workbenches. Several were slumped against the walls or computer banks.

  All wearing hooded lab coats that had once been white but were now grey with dust and mould. Skeletal arms and bony hands poked out of the ends of the sleeves – pale and brittle as stone. The faces were shrunken, withered husks – mummified and skull-like. Fleshless and grey.