‘What do you mean?’ pursued Clyde. ‘Everybody’s got a mum and a dad. Even I’ve got a dad.’ He paused. ‘Somewhere.’
‘But the area of each room doesn’t add up to that. So there must be an empty space.’ Luke’s eyes came to rest on a door, and his face lit up. He had it. ‘Through there!’ he announced, triumphantly. ‘I think you should go home,’ he said, turning to Clyde.
But Clyde wasn’t going anywhere. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. He stuck close to Luke as he opened the door and went inside…
‘So, what are you saying about our company?’
‘Miss, er…’
‘Call me Janine.’
Sarah had been shown into a pokey, bland office. It had no windows and was lit by a single striplight, which gave everything a sickly neon tinge. The only furniture was a pair of filing cabinets, and a desk at which Janine now sat. She picked up a sandwich and started to munch on it.
‘I’ve been reading up as much as I could,’ said Sarah Jane. ‘It’s not just these school projects in London. You’ve moved from country to country, hiring cheap local labour, no questions asked.’
‘Oh yeah?’ said Janine, between mouthfuls. Sarah Jane flicked through her notebook until she found the relevant page. ‘At your building in Santiago, workers refuse to go in. Food goes off. Endless technical problems.’ She paused and looked up. ‘Valencia, Paris, the same story. And another thing…’ She held up the diagram that Alan had given her. ‘The plans for each building have a large empty area behind a wall. Why is that?’ Her ever-searching eyes were fixed on Janine’s chomping features.
The fat woman put down her sandwich. She was beginning to lose her temper with Miss Smith. ‘I really wouldn’t keep asking these questions,’ she said, menacingly, ‘if I was you.’
Sarah Jane sized up her opponent. She didn’t like to think ill of people, but it was clear that this Janine was a bitter young woman. Over the years, Sarah had been threatened by experts - the mighty Sutekh, the Giant Spiders of Metebelis Three - so she felt more than equipped to handle a surly secretary from Middlesex.
‘I never stop,’ she said, defiantly.
Janine’s face darkened.
‘I think that because these projects are so far apart, nobody connects you with the problems. So you go on and on and - ’
‘I strongly advise you to leave right now,’ yelled Janine, her enormous bosom quivering with rage. ‘If you know what’s good for you.’
‘Was that a threat?’ Sarah Jane’s voice had a lightness to it, as though she was about to laugh in the woman’s face.
‘Yes!’
‘Do you realise I’m going public with this?’
‘No, you aren’t,’ said Janine.
‘What?’
Janine rose from her seat. ‘That was your last chance, Miss Smith, to be fair. I did warn you.’
And with that she raised both her hands to her forehead.
At first Sarah Jane thought she was adjusting her hair, which seemed an odd thing to do at a moment like this. In fact, she almost started to laugh. But then she saw what the woman was actually doing…
Janine was slowly unzipping her forehead.
And as she did so, an almost blindingly bright blue light was spilling out of her head. At the same time, the neon tube overhead flickered and popped. Now the only light in the room was the dazzling brilliance coming from Janine.
The light was so bright that Sarah Jane had to squeeze her eyelids so tightly they were almost closed. What on Earth was this creature?
Somehow, Janine was growing - swelling in size and changing in shape - as energy fizzed around her. And all the while, she was advancing towards Sarah Jane…
Chapter Six
Escape to danger
Sarah Jane seized the handle of the door. It turned, but the door didn’t open. She was locked in.
She rummaged in her bag and grabbed her sonic lipstick. She pulled off the gold lid and extended the device inside. But just as she was about to activate it, a mighty claw smacked it out of her hand and the lipstick clattered to the floor.
Sarah Jane turned around and faced her enemy. For the first time she saw that Janine wasn’t Janine anymore, but had transformed into a creature the like of which she’d never seen before - not in all her travels in time and space.
The skin of the woman was lying in a pile on the ground, and instead, towering over Sarah Jane was a huge, reptilian creature.
An alien.
It must have been a squeeze for it to have fitted inside Janine’s skin. Big as she was, this monster was larger still - at least eight feet tall.
It had elongated, sinewy arms, nearly trailing on the floor, each ending with an enormous three-fingered hand and razor-sharp talons as long as bread knives. A massive belly flopped down over strong, muscular legs.
The creature threw back its head and opened its small mouth containing rows of razor-sharp teeth. It issued a gurgling, blood-curdling screech.
Sarah Jane gasped in terror, but she didn’t scream.
Sarah Jane never screamed.
Maria edged cautiously down a corridor on the first floor of the new block at Park Vale. She pushed open the door of a classroom and went inside.
A computer lab greeted her. It smelt of fresh paint, and had obviously never been used. Individual desks, each with their own monitor, mouse and keyboard lined the room. Row upon row of them. It was all very bizarre.
As she crossed the room, her foot banged against a shiny metal dustbin and the room echoed with the clang.
‘Who’s that?’ said a gruff voice. ‘Hello?’ it called.
Maria did the first thing that came into her head, and hid under a desk.
‘I know you’re in here.’ It was Mr Jeffrey He entered the room cautiously and sniffed at the air.
Maria remained totally still, holding her breath. The next thing she heard was that now-familiar sound. Phaaaaarzzze! The teacher let out a giant gust of hot air, just as his legs came into view alongside Maria’s hiding place.
‘I can smell you,’ he said, threateningly.
He could smell her? Maria couldn’t understand it. What did he mean?
‘A little girl. Fresh as a daisy. Sugar and spice and all things nice.’
Seeing that his feet were now pointing away from her, Maria took a sneaky peek at Jeffrey, who was scanning the room, his nose in the air.
‘She really shouldn’t be hanging around school after home time,’ he chuckled. ‘Not when I’ve got no reason to hide in this stupid skin any longer.’ Jeffrey let another belly-shaker of a fart. Phaaaaarzzze! ‘Because, after all, why should I hide?’
Reaching up, Jeffrey slowly unzipped his head and pulled back the skin. A dazzling light flooded the classroom. Maria stared in horror as the creature slowly peeled down Mr Jeffrey’s skin like sliding the wrapper off a chocolate bar.
The Bane had been terrifying enough, but this was even worse. How many different kinds of aliens were there in London? This thing had been squeezed inside the former teacher all this time. Right under everyone’s nose.
‘I am Slitheen!’ came the hoarse, vibrating cry of Kist Magg Thek Lutovia Day Slitheen.
Maria froze. It was only her second day at Park Vale and now it looked as if she’d never live to see a third. But then, slowly, she regained her nerve. It wouldn’t be long before the alien sniffed her out, so she bolted for the door.
Kist span round. ‘I love it when they run!’ he cried.
‘There’s another room,’ said Luke, pointing to a blank wall at the end of a corridor. ‘A secret room.’ They had arrived at a dead end, which was odd for an otherwise conventional building like this. ‘It must be behind there,’ he added. ‘But how do we get inside?’
‘What?’ said Clyde, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘There’s nothing there! It’s just a wall!’ He turned to Luke and gripped him by the shoulders. ‘Stop… being… strange!’
With that, Clyde turned and marched off d
own the corridor. Luke looked after him, but he didn’t follow. He had to get into this mysterious, hidden room and find out what was going on in Park Vale.
He failed to notice the tiny whirr of a CCTV camera high on the wall behind him…
Sarah Jane had jammed herself between a wall and a filing cabinet, just out of the creature’s line of vision.
The Slitheen - whose real name was not Janine but Florm Rox Rey Fenerill Slam Slitheen - padded carefully around the room, sniffing as she went. She was trying to locate the direction of the human aroma that floated in the air.
She had a baby-like face now she had assumed her true form. She was almost cute. But her cold, uncaring eyes revealed her true nature. Sadistic. Heartless.
‘I know you’re in here,’ called Florm, in her alien staccato. ‘I can smell you.’ She sniffed again. What lovely perfume you’re wearing, Miss Smith. You’re positively fragrant.’
Sarah Jane stayed still, trying not to breathe.
In the capacitor room, an amused Mr Blakeman watched a frightened Luke on his scanner screen. He had his mobile phone pressed to one ear.
‘Your Luke Smith’s too clever by half,’ he said. ‘He’s right outside.’
‘There’s another one,’ replied Kist, the Slitheen who had been hiding inside Mr Jeffrey’s skin. ‘I’m after her now.’ He sounded out of breath. ‘Oh, it feels good. After so long.’
‘Rejoice in your hunt, brother!’ boomed the head, triumphantly. And he let out a cruel, childish laugh.
Maria raced down the stairs and out into the foyer at the back of the new block. There was no exit here. Just then, Clyde appeared from another corridor.
‘We’re outta here!’ shouted Maria. ‘Come on!’
‘What?’
‘Where’s Luke?’
A voice echoed around the foyer. ‘You’re out there, girl,’ it said.
Maria turned white with horror.
‘It’s only Mr Jeffrey,’ said Clyde, noticing his friend’s reaction.
‘Oh, and there’s another one,’ said Kist. ‘A boy!’
There was the sound of slow, heavy footsteps coming from along the corridor. And the sound was getting ever closer.
‘You’re sad,’ laughed Clyde, smugly. ‘Hiding from a teacher. What’s he gonna do - give you detention?’
Just then a deafening roar filled the air. Clyde and Maria span round to see the vast form of Kist Slitheen, his arms raised in attack.
‘Whoa, no!’ howled Clyde. And the pair ran for their lives.
Luke stared intently at the blank wall. It’s a door, he said to himself. And every door must have a handle.
He moved his hand slowly across the surface, feeling for any change. He felt something - more like the tingle of an electrical current than anything physical. ‘About here.’ He stopped, and pressed into the wall.
Where there was once nothing, an edge appeared and a small, rectangular section of the wall moved inwards with a low clunking sound.
Luke stood back as the entire wall began to slowly slide across. He had opened the door. But what lay inside?
Maria and Clyde raced down the corridor as fast as their legs would carry them.
Behind them, the Slitheen was in hot pursuit. Its long legs took huge, exaggerated leaps forward, and its arms helped propel it with enormous force. For such a large creature, its movement was almost graceful - like a cheetah chasing a gazelle.
‘Run as fast as you can, kiddywinks! I’m coming to find you!’ screamed Kist, loving every second of the chase.
Maria took a look over her shoulder. The alien was gaining on them. She grabbed Clyde by the arm and they turned suddenly up a flight of stairs. The Slitheen didn’t notice, and bounded on down the corridor.
All Sarah Jane could see from behind the filing cabinet was a fraction of the room. At the moment she was perfectly happy about that. At least she couldn’t see that hideous creature.
The room had momentarily fallen silent. Perhaps the alien had got bored, Sarah Jane thought to herself. Or perhaps it had changed into some other ghastly incarnation.
Just then, the worst thing that could possibly happen, happened.
The face of the alien loomed right into Sarah Jane’s own. She gagged as it exhaled a stinking, rotten breath.
‘Run!’ screamed the Slitheen. ‘It’s no fun if you don’t run!’ And with that, it smashed the filing cabinet - Sarah Jane’s only protection - to one side like a matchbox.
‘The smell of human fear,’ roared Florm. ‘Love it!’
Maria and Clyde had paused on the first landing. They gazed down over the edge of the balcony at the floor below. The Slitheen came loping into view, sniffing the air. For a moment, they could do nothing but stare at the alien below.
‘We’ve gotta get out,’ whispered Maria.
‘We can’t,’ replied Clyde. We need to fight it.’ Behind them a classroom door opened. The kids held their breath, terrified at what they might see…
They sighed with relief. It was only Carl - the chubby kid they remembered seeing in the canteen the previous day.
‘Quick!’ he called. ‘In here.’
Maria and Clyde followed him into the classroom.
Luke entered the secret room. It was filled with all kinds of alien technology, like nothing he had ever imagined. In the middle stood six torpedo-like structures, pointing skywards. They towered above Luke, crackling and sparking with mysterious power.
Just then, Mr Blakeman appeared from behind this massive device. Luke took a step backwards.
‘So, Luke,’ said the headmaster, in a relaxed and cheery tone. ‘How do you like our little science project?’
‘Where’s Jeffrey?’ asked Clyde, once they were safely inside the classroom. ‘I heard him.’
‘That’s Jeffrey!’ insisted Maria. ‘The thing chasing us.’
Clyde was resigned. ‘Oh, I’ll believe it. Why not?’
‘Thanks,’ said Maria, turning to Carl. ‘Is there a way out through here?’
‘No,’ replied Carl. He smiled a chubby smile. ‘There’s no way out.’ It was then that Maria noticed the boy’s voice was changing from bored adolescent to sinister villain. ‘You see…’ He let out a long, high-pitched exhalation of gas. Phaaaaarzzze!
‘No!’ gasped Maria. She guessed what was coming next.
Carl began to unzip his forehead. Blue light blazed out as the rest of the room seemed to darken. Then the child pulled down the skin that covered his head, as a disgusting green form struggled out.
There were fizzing, crackling sounds and, as the skin suit was lowered, another smaller Slitheen stood before Maria and Clyde.
The thing spoke. Slowly and menacingly. ‘I am a child of the Slitheen!’ it gurgled.
Carl was gone, but before them stood a creature from their darkest nightmares.
It raised its mighty claws, ready to kill…
Chapter Seven
Sarah Jane to the rescue
Clyde and Maria both realised they had just one slim chance of escape. The Slitheen child was blocking the only exit from the room - they had to get past him.
The creature, whose true name was Korst Gogg Thek, advanced on them. Then Clyde seized his chance.
Quick as lightning, he reached to the side, grabbed a chair and flung it into the monsters path. The Slitheen stumbled. ‘Run!’ yelled Clyde.
The pair darted around either side of the alien and flung open the door.
They were out!
‘Come on, boy,’ teased Blakeman. ‘Don’t you want a closer look?’
Luke stared into the headmaster’s flashing eyes, as he advanced on him. Then, seizing his chance, he raced out of the secret room. He may not have known much about life, but he knew when he was in danger.
Luke activated the door mechanism, it slid shut, trapping Blakeman firmly inside. He sprinted away down the corridor.
The stairs flew past under their feet as Clyde and Maria pelted down to the ground floor of the new block. T
hey were in another corridor. There was a door leading to the outside at the end of it.
Suddenly, Luke flew round a corner and nearly cannoned into them. ‘There’s a secret door,’ he panted.
‘Not now!’ hissed Maria.
The Slitheen child’s voice pierced the air. ‘You’re never getting out of here!’ he hissed.
The three kids ran to the door and Clyde wrenched at it.
‘Get it open!’ yelled Luke, panicked.
‘It’s locked!’ said Clyde. ‘That thing is real, isn’t it?’ No one replied. ‘It’s real,’ he repeated, as if trying to convince himself.
This place is sealed,’ laughed Korst, the boy Slitheen. ‘You’re finished! Right here, right now!’
‘This way!’ called Maria and tore off.
Just then, Korst appeared from a side corridor, cutting the boys off from Maria, who’d sailed on ahead of them. He roared furiously. They had no choice but to spin round and retrace their steps.
‘Maria!’ Luke called back plaintively over his shoulder.
‘Come on!’ shouted Clyde.
They had no choice but to abandon their friend…
‘Good sense of smell, have you?’ asked Sarah Jane, looking fearlessly back into the face of Florm Slitheen, while at the same time rummaging through her handbag.
‘Oh, yes,’ breathed Florm. ‘Best nostrils in the galaxy. And that’s official!’
‘And you like my perfume?’ asked Sarah Jane, lightly.
‘Lovely…’
Sarah Jane pulled out a small bottle of scent. It was neither sonic nor alien. It was from Boots. ‘Then sniff this!’ she shouted, and pumped several squirts into the air.
Florm span backwards, coughing violently.
‘It’s cheap, but it’s not that bad,’ chuckled Sarah Jane, and smashed the entire bottle onto the floor.
The room filled with a suffocatingly sweet smell. Florm’s eyes began to blink frantically, water streaming down her face. She tried to use her giant hands to wipe the scent away, but this only made it worse, causing the creature to issue a shrill wail.
Now the danger had temporarily passed, Sarah Jane bent down and retrieved her sonic lipstick. She activated the device. Vreeeee!
[Sarah Jane Adventures 02] - Revenge of the Slitheen Page 4