Doctor Who - The 8th Doctor - 14 - Vanderdeken

by Christopher Bulis (pdf)

  wastheIndomitable.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rexton open his mouth as though to protest,buthesaidnothing.Eitherhisinstinctforself-preservationoverruledhis prideandhatredoftheNimosians,orelseherealisedthereweretimeswhenthe

  needsofcommonhumanitycamefirst.Shewonderedwhich.

  ***

  Vega strode through on to the bridge from his ready room, where he had been snatchinghalfanhour'ssleep.

  'Report,'hesnapped.

  'The Cirrandaria is now on an unpowered trajectory that will cause her to impact the alien vessel in four minutes,' Fayle said. 'Her lifeboat ports are opening.'

  'Putusontoaninterceptioncourse,'Vegacommanded.'Readythetowbeam.

  Communications,informthemthatwewillattempttobringthemaboutontoa

  safe course.They must not try to eject their lifeboats while we are making the beamlock.'

  ***

  In the engine room the Doctor and Manders were working frantically over the cable conduit to restore engine control. Sam could only look on anxiously, holdingtorchesandpassingovertoolsondemand.Itwasevidentthatitwasfar

  quickerandeasiertoseverconnectionsthanitwastorepairthemcorrectly.Still, thetaskwouldnormallytakeonlytenminutes.

  Unfortunately,theydidn'thavetenminutestospare.

  Manders, her arms thrust deep into the void under the floor plate as she microwelded and reinsulated the wiring, said,'With the gravity field that ship generates we'll need all the manoeuvring thrusters working to alter course in time.AndIdon'tthinkwe'regoingtomakeit.'

  'Aretheinertia!gyroringsstillfunctioning?'theDoctorasked.

  'Yes.'

  'Thenforgetthethrustersandconcentrateongettingthemainreactiondrive

  operational.Bendix,'hecalledouttothefirstofficer.'TelltheCaptaintousethe gyrostoturntheshipninetydegreestoourpresentcourse,thencutinthemain

  driveassoonasit'sfunctioning.Asecondortwoofthatwillshiftourtrajectory enough to miss the alien ship. By the time we fall back towards it again we'll haveeverythingfullyoperational.'

  Bendixtransmittedthesuggestionuptothebridge.Hereportedback:"The

  Nimosiansaregoingtotrytolockonatowbeamandpullusclear.'

  'Perhapstheyaren'tasbadasyou'vebeenmakingout,'Samsaid.

  'TheCaptainsaysshe'llimplementyoursuggestionanyway-justincase,'

  Bendixadded.

  ***

  The Indomitable manoeuvred over the falling Cirrandaria .The tow-beam

  controllerwasaligningtheemitterssothatthebeamwouldstrikethelinerover

  itscentreofgravitytopreventittumbling.

  'Stillgettingtheerraticenergyreadingsfromthealienship,Commander,'

  oneofthemonitorsreported.

  'Doesitmatchthepatternsrecordedduringthepreviousgravityshift?'

  'No,Commander.'

  'So, they chose this very moment to try something new,' Vega said softly, glancing at Fayle.'Well, Mr Fayle. Does that strike you as more than a coincidencewhentheEmindianlinerhasjustreportedbeingsabotaged?'

  'Yes,Commander,'Faylesaidstiffly.

  'I agree. All hands, move to amber alert status. Report any unusual

  observationsdirectlytothebridge.'

  'Beamtargetedandlocked,Commander.'

  'Powerupslowly.Thisisnotamilitarycraftwe'regrappling.Engagemain

  drivetobegindeceleration.'

  ***

  OnthebridgeoftheCirrandariatheyfeltthegradualforceofthetowbeamtake

  hold. The Cirrandaria's own artificial-gravity fields shifted to compensate, keepingthefloorundereverybody'sfeet.

  'Weareslowing,Captain,'thehelmsmanreported.

  'Towbeamisholding,'theengineeringsystemsmonitorreported.

  'Structuralstresswithintolerances.'

  lanchard ran a finger across her brow and found it damp with sweat. She spoke into her wristcom. 'Captain to all lifeboat stations: continue embarking passengersbutdonotattempttolaunchunlessdirectlyordered.There'sachance

  wemaysavetheoldshipyet.'

  'Captain!'thecrewmanmonitoringtheexternalsensordisplayscalledout.

  "Theenergyfluctuationsareincreasingonthealienship.Thereadingsare...

  well,they'regoingcrazy.'

  Rexton was staring intently at the magnified image of the ship on the big screen.Lanchardsawthatitsmoresubstantialendwaspresentedalmostfullon

  now,thetunnelmouthlookinguncomfortablyasthoughitwasgapingwiderto

  meet them. Within was a pit of darkness - no, streaks of light were starting to form.

  Even as she watched they resolved into starlike points. It was like looking down into a well on a star-spangled night.They grew brighter and blurred and vanishedagain,fallingintothedepths.Then,outofthedarkness,shesawared

  glowthatflickeredandshimmeredbutgrewsteadilystronger.

  Theglowbecamediffuse,swellinguntilitfilledthemouthofthehugeshaft.

  It was pulsating more and more rapidly.Then with a surge of power it

  expandedandfilledthescreen.

  A column of ruddy-tinted sparkling radiance erupted from the shaft and

  struckCirrandaria.

  Chapter22

  Cavern

  Theendofthealienshiprestedinsideahuge,approximatelyovoid,cavern.Their

  torchescouldilluminateonlythenearestrockfacewithanyclarity.Therestwas lostinalmosttotaldarkness,brokenonlyhereandtherebyafewfaintyellow-white glimmerings which might have been artificial lights several kilometres away.Thefarendoftheshipfadedintotheuncertaingloom.

  ShoturnedtoLyset,lookingwild-eyedandangry,andtouchedhelmets.

  'Whatisthisplace?'hedemanded.

  'Well,it'snotKansas,Toto..."TheancientliteraryallusionwaslostonSho.

  Shesaidasevenlyasshecouldmanage,'HowshouldIknow?TheDoctor

  - the Moderator - said this whole ship was an experimental hyperspace

  bridge.Well,itlookslikehewasright.Crossingthatinterfacemusthavetaken

  ussomewhereelse.'

  Sho appeared to calm down slightly."Then I shall reconnoitre. If this is wherethecontrollersofthealienvesselhavetheirbasetheymayhavebrought

  someofmysquadhere.Theymaystillbealive.'

  LysetwantedtogetbacktoDonandtheCirrandaria.Butthisdiscoverywas

  sofantasticthat,despiteherrecentordeal,itpiquedhercuriosity.Ifonlyshehad hercamera.Atremblingunderfootremindedherofonereasonwhytheyhadleft

  theship.Maybeitwasworthexploringuntilitsettleddownagain.

  'Ifwe'regoing,let'sgo.'Shelookedabouther.'Isthatsomesortofgantry?'

  In the dim light it was just possible to make out a framework tower

  extendingfromtherockwall.Itconnectedwiththeflangestructureaboutthree

  hundredmetresfromwheretheystood,holdingthegreatprojectinghornsclear

  ofthecavernwalls.

  'Yes,' Sho said.'Probably to prevent the craft from drifting. We shall climb downittothecavefloor.'

  Theysetoffacrossthepipeworkfieldbesidetheflangewall.

  Climbingitwouldbelikemountingaseriesofsmallcliffssmotheredintree

  roots,shethought.Butatleasttherewouldbeplentyoffootholds.

  Astheyproceededthewholecavernseemedtorota
teaboutthem.Theship's

  own local gravity field was stronger than that of whatever place they were in, andsodownremainedinthegeneraldirectionofitslongaxis.

  Lyset suddenly felt sick and she reminded herself firmly that a spacesuit helmetwasnoplacetothrowup.

  Herstepsweregettinglighterandshebegantobounceinexaggeratedstrides

  acrossthehull.Itwasasthoughshewaswearingseven-leagueboots.Thealien ship'scentreofgravitywaschangingagain.Ifitshiftedalltheway,shethought, they would effectively be at the top of a four-kilometre sheer wall! Sho must haverealisedthesamething,forhelengthenedhisownstrides.

  Theydidn'tneedtoclimbthefirstflangewall.Asingleboundcarriedthem

  to the top.Three long strides took them to the second. Another bound. They soared over the next terrace top. They were definitely getting lighter. As she toucheddownshefeltavibrationthroughthesolesofherboots.Thenthegantry

  wasbeforethem.Ithadseemedspiderlikefromthedistanceanddwarfedbythe

  alien ship's hull. But close to she saw it was formed of a latticework of heavy beams.Afinalleaptookthemtoitsbase.Runningupinsidetheframeworkwasa

  ladderwithrungsametreapart,idealforalow-gravityenvironment.Theybegan

  toclimbhandoverhand.

  After they'd ascended only a hundred metres her legs were gently pulled away from the ladder in the direction of the invisible far end of the alien ship.

  Thecentreofgravityhadshifted,butdistancewasmoderatingtheeffect.Lyset

  was breathing heavily by now and her arms were beginning to ache. She

  wonderedifshecouldattractSho'sattentionlongenoughtosuggesttheytakea

  restnowtheywereoutofdanger.Thensheblinked.

  Whywasitgettingbrighter?

  A dull red glow was emanating from the huge tunnel mouth below her,

  illuminatingthedepthsofthecavern.Sheclimbedfaster.

  Two-thirdsthewayuptheladderallrelativegravityfadedawayasthefield

  of the ship and the surrounding cavern equalised. Sho swung about gracefully and she copied him. She needed to push to get herself started down again, but then she could glide, letting the side rail of the ladder slip through her fingers.Theradiancewasextendingintoamistysparklinghazeaboutthemouth

  oftheshaft.Byitslightshesawbalconiesstuddingthewallsabouther,andthe dark mouths of smaller cave openings, planed shelves of rock and strips of windowreflectingthelightinthedistance.Theshipwasamassivedarkcylinder

  hanging above them, apparently supported by several slender pylons similar to theonetheywereclimbing.

  Sho'shandslappedherleg.Shelookeddownandsawrockfloorjustbelow

  them. She slowed her rate of descent and hit ground, staggering slightly even thoughthegravitywaslessthanthatonthealienship.Apath,lookingasthough it had been cut by a laser, led away from the base of the pylon and twisted betweentheruggedupthrustsofrock.

  Shouldwefollowit?shewondered.ThenshesawShostaringupward,rifle

  unslungandcradledreadyinhisarms.Shefollowedhisgaze.Smokeseemedto

  be pouring from several of the dark cave openings opposite the glowing hull mouth.Whatwashappeningnow?

  Thenasenseofscaleasserteditself.Itwasnotsmoke.

  FireblazedfromSho'sgunevenashismouthopenedinasoundlessscream.

  Chapter23

  TheShadowHost

  The impact as the red glow enveloped the Cirrandaria was transmitted through thetowbeamtotheIndomitable,makingtheshipshudder.

  'An energy beam of unknown composition has surrounded the Emindian

  ship,' a monitor reported. 'It's acting like an attractor field, pulling the ship towardstheshaftmouth.'

  'Increasepowertomaindrivebyonehalf,'Vegasaid.'We'regoingtorescue

  theEmindiansevenifsomebodyelsethinksotherwise.'

  ***

  In the engine room they felt the Cirrandaria's hull groan under the increased strainasBendixrelayedthenewsfromthebridge.Lightsbegantoflashurgently

  onmonitorpanels.

  Mandersliftedherheadoutofthefloorhatchtocallout,'Everybodysuitup.

  Repair teams to emergency stations. Close all airtight doors. Activate reserve pressurecurtains.'

  'Bendix,'theDoctorcalledout.'We'llbefinishedinanotherminute.Havethe

  Captain turn the ship all the way round.Then we'll use the main drive to pull free.'

  ***

  Themainbridgemonitorscreenwasfilledwiththeimageoftheglowingtunnel

  mouth,slowlygrowing largerdespitethe counterthrustofthe Indomitable.As

  she stared more intently Lanchard noted that the beam had a subtle structure.

  The sparkling points within it, like dust motes caught in sunlight, were descending through the centre of the column and rising in a ringlike formation abouttheoutside.Itremindedherofacirculationpatterninacolumnofliquid.

  And they were caught in its apex, unable to break free, slowly being sucked downintothecentre.

  Shefrowned.Therewassomethingelserisinguptheoutsideofthebeam.

  Darkerfuzzypatchesshecouldnotresolve.Shemagnifiedonequadrantof

  theimagetothemaximum.Itwasahazygreycloudwithirregularedges.

  BesideherRextondrewinhisbreathsharplyandgaveventtoacursewhich

  wassuddenlycutshortasheregainedhiscomposure.

  'Ghosts,'hesaidtonelessly.'Hundredsofthem.They'regoingtoattackus.'

  ***

  Theyhadjustscrambledintoemergencypressuresuitswhentheship'sspeakers

  cametolife:'Allhandstoarmamentlockers.Unidentifiedbeingsareridingthe

  beamuptotheship.Theymayattempttoboardus.'

  Bendixstartedtomove,hisfaceverypale.

  'Yourweaponsareuseless,'theDoctorcalledafterhim.

  'So? You expect us to give up without a fight?' Bendix snapped. He was alreadyhalfwaytothelift.

  'No. That wouldn't be the human thing to do,' the Doctor acknowledged

  gently.

  "This might help them,' Sam said, holding up the normaliser. 'We've got to try.Maybewecanholdthemoffuntilyoucangetthemaindrivefixed.'

  'Allright,Sam.Becareful.'

  Shesawtheconcerninhisfaceandfeltthefamiliarfrissonitsparkedwithin

  her.Oneofthethingsshewasmostproudofinherlifewasthatthismantruly

  caredabouther.

  SheranafterBendix.

  ***

  'Have the Nimosians cut their beam for a few seconds so we can eject those lifeboatsthatarefull!'Rextonsaid.'Atleastsomeofthemwillgetaway.'

  Despite the full thrust of the Indomitable's engines they were still slowly descendingtailfirst.Therewasnothingmoretheycoulddo.

  "They may not have the power to pull free of the beam from the

  derelict,'Lanchard snapped, fighting back a sense of sick despair.'Even if they did,whatifthosethingsattacktheminopenspace?'

  'It'sanacceptablerisk.'

  'Iwillnotgamblewiththelivesofmypassengers!Acceptablerisksarefor

  soldiers.Godsdamnit!Weshouldn'tbehereplayingyourgames.Ishouldhave

  toldtheboardwhattheycoulddowiththeirdirectives.Peoplearegoingtodie

  becauseIwasn'tbraveenoughtostandupto
you!'

  Themainscreenwasfilledbyfleetingimagesofshadowswithoutbodies.

  In the last moments before they struck, Lanchard saw, against all reason in thevacuumofspace,thattheyhadwings.

  ***

  Suchwastheconfusionontheupperportlifeboatdeckthattheghosts'

  arrival went almost unnoticed at first. People were still pressing forward while others were being turned aside from boats that were full. Children were crying, adults were shouting and families were desperately trying to stay together-alltintedbytheredlightstreaminginthroughtheviewports.Thecries ofthosewhosawthefirstshadowsmeltingthroughthehullwallontothedeck

  weredrownedinthegreateruproar.

  Theywerealmostinvisibleatfirst-feebleflickeringthingswhosebatwings

  shrivelled away as soon as they touched solid matter, as though the effort of maintaining them had drained their strength. They became no more than cold wispsofgreymistblowingthroughthethrong.Thenoneofthemwrappeditself

  aroundaman.

  As he screamed in pain and fear the ghost grew, as though feeding on his verylifeforce.Itswelledintoatranslucentthingofteethandclawsandboneless clingingarms,andthepeoplescatteredfromitinterror.Asitbecamemorereal

  theman'sstrugglesweakened,andhefadedintogreytranslucence.Clutchingits

  prize,theghostranatthehullandleapt,slidingthroughthesolidmetalandglass andpullingthemanwithit.

  The shadows began to pluck people from the panic-stricken crowd. Each

  victimmeltedintoinsubstantialityandwascarriedbackthroughthehullintothe red haze.Anybody who tried to bar a ghost's passage was knocked aside by a fleetinglysolidlimb,orslashedbyclawsandtalons.

  IntothisnightmarecameBendixandahandfulofarmedcrewmen,withSam

  attheirheels.

  Ashadowyformlungedatthem.Samcaughtitinthebeamofthenormaliser