gettinganyclosertothederelict.Themotionwasunsettling.
Kerven gulped dangerously for a moment and hurriedly cut in the gyro to impart what remaining stabilisation it could, and then forced himself to concentrateonthetopographyofhispotentiallandingsite.Apodwasnoplace
tobemotionsick.
Alittletoonesideofhiscurrentpositionwasanodewhereadozenconduits
converged, feeding into a structure resembling a flat-topped drum some thirty metresacross.Closebywasoneofthe'monotube'supportpylons,archingover
likeaflyingbuttressonanancientcathedral,toburyitselfamidthebundlesof pipesandtubes.Itwasofsolidlatticeworkconstruction,probablyconnectedto
thecraft'smainstructuralframe,andlookedsoundenoughforhispurpose.
Hesignalled,LEFT150.BytheconventionhehadagreedwithRengbefore
hestarted,thetower-likestructurewasup,theoppositedown,andthetwolong
armsofthevesselleftandright.
After a few seconds he felt the line tighten and he began to drift along the length of the alien craft. Using direct linkage he extended the pod's external manipulator arms, flexed them experimentally, then left them locked spread wide.
Just before he reached the pipework node he signalled: STOP. The line
tightened, swinging him up in a long lazy arc over the target area, then back again. The pendulum-like motion faded surprisingly after only a couple of minutes. It must have been damped by interaction with the alien ship's energy field.Atleasttheinterferenceeffecthadsomebenefits.
Whenhewasstillagain,hesignalled,DOWN50.
Hefeltthedropthistimeasthedrumsurfacespreadtomeethim.Hehoped
the Indomitable would hold still for the next few seconds. He halted, swaying andbobbing.Heestimatedhisdistanceagainandsent,DOWN
Anotherdrop.Hewasnowtenmetresclearbutdriftingtowardsoneedgeof
thedrumtop.Quicklyhesent,FREE.
Thelineranoutonafrictionclutch.Themultipleshadowsofthepodcastby
theIndomitable'ssearchlightsmergedintoone.Kervenbracedhimself.
Therewasathudandbounce,thenthepodfellforwardontoitsoutstretched
arms,makingatripodwithitsbase.Twentymetresofslacklinefellbehindhim,
thenstopped.Hewasdown.
Kervenfoundhehadbeenholdinghisbreathandexhaledshakily.Hesent, DOWNSAFE.
With the normal monitors nonfunctional, he checked for external radiation by observing a simple gold-leaf electroscope and self-developing film strip mounted on the pod's outer shell. After five minutes the levels still showed normal for open space. He signalled, COMMENCING EVA, then closed and
sealedhisvisorandactivatedhissuit'ssimplechemicallife-supportpack.Itwas goodforonlytwohoursbuthehadreplacementsets.
Hopefully his task would not take that long. He shut down the pod's
improvisedairsystemandcautiouslyopenedthepurgevalve.Hissuittightened
about him slightly as the air hissed away. He unlatched the access hatch set in thebackofthepodandclimbedslowlyoutontothesurfaceofthealienship.
The ground under his boots glowed a dull crimson under the vertical light fromtheIndomitable.Butthecolourwasnotconstant,andhecouldseeswirls
of deeper purple mingled with the occasional streak of surprisingly brilliant green.Themarbledpatternsuggestedhalf-mixedpaintallowedtodry.Hecould
evenmakeoutafaintridgedpatternmatchingtheswirlingcolours.Thesurface
felt hard and unyielding, and he could not determine whether it was metal, ceramicorsome unknowncomposite.Atleast thetexturegave goodtractionin
thelocalgravityfield,which,heestimated,wasaboutone-halfstandard.
Kerven looked about and, for a moment, was overwhelmed by the sheer
intimidatingartificialityofthestructure.Behindhisbackthemassivecylinderof the hull curved away sharply. Before him was the base of the encrusted tower, which by his orientation was tilted almost horizontally, its plated growths and stanchions forming a veritable forest that faded into the shadows beyond the reach of the Indomitable's lights. To either side the twisted mat of pipework flowedtowardsthefarendsoftheshipwhere,twokilometresdistant,theflaring spireringsappearedlikehornedmoonsrisingovertheedgeoftheworld,theone
totherightmadeevenmoremysteriousbyvirtueofitseerietranslucency.
Suddenly he felt very alone, without even the usual open comlink for
company, and he found his hand sliding to his holstered regulation pistol as though seeking reassurance from its presence.With an effort he drew his hand back,remindinghimselfthathewasapracticalengineerandhehadajobtodo.
Heundippedthelinefromthepodandfastenedittohissuitharness.Itsdrag
wouldbenegligibleoverashortdistanceanditmeanthecouldbehauledback
up to the ship in an emergency. It would also serve, once he fixed it to the supportpylon,asaguidedownwhichtheywouldlowertheheaviertowcable.
They had used all their store of single-molecule mooring line, emergency repairfilamentandtapetofashionthetowcable.Renghadestimatedmaximum
working load would only be two hundred and fifty tonnes. Even if it had been greater,theIndomitable'sengineswereincapableofacceleratingthehugemass
of the derelict to any useful velocity. But a token gesture was all that was required. Simply having it under controlled tow would give them legal
possessionandsodenytheEmindiansanyclaim.
Kervencouldsendandreceivesignalsdirectly,nowhewasclearofthepod,
soheclippedthetorchtohisbelt.Thenhewalkedovertotheedgeofthedrum
andstaredoutacrossthehumpsandvalleysofthepipes.
Seeing them closer to, he became less certain they were necessarily all conduits. Apart from their mottled colouring, they were of very organic
appearance, some tapering distinctly along their length and dividing in a dendriticfashionlikethebranchesofatree.Orvines,perhaps.Hehadasudden
impressionofthetruehullmanymetresbelowsmotheredbyagrowthofhuge,
clingingcreepers.Orperhapsitwasintentional.Didtheyformpartofthecraft's externalstructure,providingsupportandbracingtotheskinofthehull?Crystals
'grew';couldyougrowavesselthissize?
Almostunderhisfeetabroadpipeemergedfromthedrumandpassedclose
to the nearest 'monotube' support, which was about fifty metres away. From therehewouldonlyhavetotraverseacoupleofsmallerconduitstoreachit.
Hedroppedthecoupleofmetresontothetopofthepipeandbegantomake
hiswaycautiouslyalongitsuppercurve,drawingthelineafterhim.
Ashemoved,oneofthespotsfromtheIndomitableshiftedaswell,keeping
himinthecentreofitsreassuringdiscoflight.
There were fanlike blooms in the substance of the pipe, aligned along its length,formingmatchingridges.Frostpatterns,hethought;moregrowth.
Whydidhekeepfeelingthatthisdesolatemachinewasgrown?
Thenthehairsonthebackofhisneckrose.Hehaltedandlookedabouthim,
certainforamomentthathewasbeingwatched.
Hewishedhewastrulyasunimaginativeashisshipmatesthoughthim.He
knew anything could be hiding out th
ere in the shadowy valleys between the pipes,oruponthetower.Butwhyshouldanybodyhidefromoneman?
herationaliseddesperately.Besides,anycrewhadhadseveralhourstomake
their presence known. The craft had to be abandoned and dead. He wished he hadn'tthoughtthatlastword.
Wouldhebeabletopassthisincidentoffwithalightlaughtohistraineesat
thecollegeasanexampleofemotioncloudingcommonsensejudgment?
Or perhaps his subconscious had noted something amiss and was trying to warnhim.Evenapracticalengineercouldnotaffordtoignorehisinstincts,and
rightnowhisinstinctwastellinghimtoleavethisalienplaceimmediately.But
hestillhadajobtodo.
Kervenhadtakentenmoreresolutepaceswhenhefeltthevibrationthrough
thesolesofhisboots.
Itwasaslowheavybeat,graduallypickingupintempo,tellingofsleeping
forces slowly stirring. The whole pipework plain seemed to shimmer and a sparkling haze rose up about him. He blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks,untilherealiseditwassimplydustcaughtinthespacesbetweenthepipes being displaced by the vibration. But his relief was short lived.A wave of sicknesspassedoverhimandheshakilysankforwardontohishandsandknees,
swallowinghard,unsurewhetherthenauseawasallinhismindortheproductof
external forces. The vibration was drumming up through him now. Perhaps it wasliquidthunderingthroughoneofthemassiveconduits.
The ground suddenly shimmered with unexpected highlights and brief
shadows, as though illuminated by a flash of distant lightning. Lightning in space?Hetwistedabout.
Blue-whiteelectricaldischargeswerearcingbetweenthebasesofthespires
that ringed the more substantial end of the derelict. Jagged bridges of fire climbed up the huge tapering shafts and flared into space, as though sparking betweentheelectrodesofsomeprimitiveelectricalmachine.
Againandagainthelightningbowsroseandvanished,evenasthepounding
under him grew stronger. He sensed that somewhere within the derelict vast energies were being marshalled, and he was witnessing merely the secondary effectsoftheiractions.
Wasitachancepowersurgefromanunattendedsystem-orthedeliberate
actofthevessel'screw?
Suddenly the vibration under him grew distant and he felt curiously light-headed. The pipe was moving. No, he was falling. Scrabbling futilely, he slid acrossthecurveofthepipeanddroppedintotheV-shapedvalleybetweenitand
thenext.
Dazed,hefoundhimselfwedgedbetweenvibratingwallslookingupintothe
black sky and the dazzling point of light that marked the position of the Indomitable.Butitwasnolongerdirectlyabovehim.Thentheredeyeofthe
commlaserbegantopulserapidly,COFGSHIFT.ABORTING.
PREPAREFORRECOV-
AnotherwaveofsicknessknottedKerven'sstomachandthegroundseemed
to heave. How could the alien craft's centre of gravity shift? The Indomitable's spotlights blinked out, leaving him in sudden shocking darkness. He began to rolloutofthepipevalley,thelinetanglingroundhislegs.Heslitheredungainly overthetopofthepipeandfellontothesideofthenext.Nowheunderstood
what was happening. Down was no longer where it had been when he had landed.Ineffectthederelictwastiltingupunderhim,andwhathadbeenlevel
groundwasbecomingawall.Downwasnowtheringedendofthehullovertwo
thousandmetresbelow.
Agrotesqueshadowyformseemedtolungeoutofthedarknesstowardshim,
its skeletal arms spread unnaturally wide. His cry of fear was cut short as he realised belatedly that it was just his pod, displaced as he was by the gravity shift. It fell past him, tumbling and bouncing away in the starlight across the ribbedfieldofpipes.Thenitwasgone.
Kerven tried to halt his progress but the surfaces around him offered no handholds.Hefumbledwithhisthickglovesforthelinetangledabouthisfeet,
even as he tumbled into the next channel. It curved with the branching pipes, turning ever downwards, and he slid helplessly along it like an unseated tobogganist-towardsthedistantringofstillarcingspires.
Then there was constriction about his legs and he was jerked out of the valley and into space, twisting upside down, blood rushing to his head in poundingwaves.Theslackofthelinehadrunout.Withadesperateconvulsion
he managed to free his legs from the entangling line so that he hung, twisting and bobbing but at least upright once more. He glimpsed the Indomitable high abovehimcartwheelingslowlyagainstthestars.Ofcourse,herownstabilisation
musthavebeenthrownoffbythegravityshift.
Assoonasshewassteadytheywouldwinchhimin,hetoldhimself.
As suddenly as it had begun, the lightning ceased to play about the spires, andthederelictbecamecoldandapparentlylifelessoncemore.
Kervenreachedthetopofhislongarcandslowlybegantoswingbackdown
again,stilltrappedbythederelict'slocalgravity.HadtheIndomitablepulledhim farenoughawaytotakeuptheslackhe'dhadonthesurface?
Otherwisehe'dhitthehullasfastashe'dleftit.Hetriedtohaulhimselfup
theline,butitslidthroughhisthickgloves.Thedimlystarlitbulkofthederelict was filling the sky again and it seemed as though the gaping maw of its black tunnel mouth was waiting to swallow him. For a moment he thought he saw somethingmovingwithinthatblackness:bluewhitesparksstretchingandfalling
intoadullredglowlurkinginfinitelyfarinitsdepths.
Themonstrouscathedralspiresofthetunnelrimappearedtostabupathim.
Whatiftheydischargedagainwhilehewasthisclosetothem?Butthenhewas
pastthemandswingingoverthecurvingplainofthemainhull.
He was slowing - the new mass centre was now behind him, residing
somewhere about the tunnel mouth. But even so he was still travelling
dangerously fast. If he hit at this speed he would tear his suit open, even if he
didn't break half the bones in his body. The snaking pipes were only metres awaynow.Instinctively,hepulleduphislegsasfarashecould,tryingtogetout oftheway.Healmostsucceeded.
His left foot struck the side of a conduit with sickening force, sending him spinning obliquely towards one of the 'monotubes', which now seemed to run down the hull like a monstrous guttering pipe. He missed the tube itself but passedunderneathasupportpylonandhislinewrappedaboutit.
Abruptly, he was pulled up into an ever-tightening curve, flipped over and jerkedtoasuddenhalt,danglingfreeinthespacebetweenhullandtube.
Before he could recover his breath the line started to run back around the pylon, hauled upward by the still uncontrolled motion of the Indomitable , dragginghimwithituntilhisharnessjammedagainstitsflangededge.Heheard
thepylongroanasthetensionincreasedandhetwisteddesperatelyabout,trying
tofindaholdsothathecouldreleasehimself.
'Slack! Give me slack!' he shouted by reflex into his useless helmet
microphone.
Asheclaspedtheflangetherewasasharpmetallicclick.Hefeltthetension
vanishandthelinewhippedawayintospace.
Hisharnesscliphadsnapped.
>
Weaklyhedrewhimselfupandclungtothepylon,wrappinghisarmsand
legs through its lattice. Now all he could do was hold on, he told himself. As soonastheIndomitablewasstabilisedandtheyrealisedwhathadhappenedthey
would recover him somehow. He still had an hour and a half of life support left.They would find him in time and drop a fresh line. They would do something.CommanderVegawouldneverabandononeofhiscrew.
Another wave of sickness passed though him and he felt the vibration
returning,throbbingthroughthestructureandsettingthepylonshivering.
Thetingleofsomemassivestaticchargesoakedthroughhissuitandsethis
haironend,thoughhesawnolightningdischarge.Hefeltthecentreofattraction shiftslightly,asthoughsettlingintoitsnewlocation,andhetightenedhisgrip.
He didn't try to analyse what was happening; his future trainees would have to dowithoutanexplanation.Lifehadbecomeasimplematterofholdingonand
waiting.Nothingelsemattered.
Onlywhenallwasstillagaindidherealisehisleftlegwashurtinglikehell.
Hedidn'tdareexamineit.Heclosedhiseyesandtriedtoignorethepain.
And then, for the second time, he felt their presence. Even unimaginative childrenhavenightmares.Herememberedasachildbeingterrifiedtolookatthe
fearfulthingsthathadinvadedhisbedroominthedeadofnight,andhopingthe
covershehadpulledoverhisheadwouldprotecthimuntilmorning.Butthere
wasnomorningouthereandheknewthatthistimetheywouldn'tgoaway.He wasutterlyaloneandtheywerestealingcloserandcloser...Withawhimperhe
openedhiseyes.
They stood under the pylon looking up at him. Impossible things reaching out with what served them as hands, wanting to enfold him in their horrible embrace.
Kerven cried out in utter terror - shocked beyond any thought of
consequencesorreason.Allheknewwasthathehadtogetawayfromthem.
Heletgoofthepylon.
He was still screaming when he smashed into the flared ring of the tunnel mouthtwothousandmetresbelow.
Doctor Who - The 8th Doctor - 14 - Vanderdeken Page 4
