The Doctor and Sam followed on a little way behind them, Sam armed with the Doctor's normaliser - the operation of which he had rapidly briefed her on - while he carried his sonic screwdriver. Sam found her eyes darting about as they passed between the towering machines. There were so many places for a real person to hide, let alone a wraith.
They'd completed two-thirds of their sweep when there was a call from the catwalk almost above her head:'It's up here!'
Sam saw a grey form woven of mist and shadows flying at the technician, who leapt aside in horror and almost fell over the guard rail, dropping his own torch, which fell with a clatter. Sam stepped back rapidly to get a clear line of sight, pointed the normaliser at the ghostly thing and pressed the button.The device buzzed in her hands as the sighting beam stabbed out and touched the creature.
The thing faltered, writhing as she held the beam on it.The Doctor was at her side adding the shrill of his sonic screwdriver.The creature seemed to be shrinking as the fuzz of half-seen limbs around it contracted. A darker, more substantial shadow was forming inside the haze, resolving into a man-sized creature hunched over on all fours. It uttered something between a moan and a snarl, then it collapsed to the floor of the catwalk.
'We've got it!' Sam shouted.
But even as she spoke, the creature rolled underneath the catwalk guard rail and fell out of their line of sight behind a secondary generator. There was only the slightest of thuds as it struck the floor. It took them only a couple of seconds to round the generator, but in that time the creature was moving again and as immaterial as before. One of the technicians swung a length of I-beam at it but he was brushed aside. It turned the next corner before they could fire at it again.
'It's heading for the control room!' Manders shouted. They pounded back along the aisles after it, rebounding off the sides of machinery as they turned right-angled corners. But they were too late.
The heavy blast doors of the engineering control room were closed in their faces.A technician lay slumped beside them.Through a mesh-reinforced transparent port they saw the ghostly form brush across the panels.
'What are those controls for?' the Doctor asked Manders. "They're the bridge repeater controls. You can steer the ship from there in an emergency. Was that what it was after all along?'
'Possibly. Contact the bridge and tell them to override its commands if they can.' Manders spoke rapidly into her wristcom. The Doctor turned to Sam.
"The shielding will attenuate the beam a little, but try the normaliser on reverse effect. The creature won't be able to operate the controls so easily.'
Sam sighted on the creature through the clear panel and fired. The thing grew paler, but it continued to work the controls. She felt the ship tremble as power was fed into its thrusters. The Doctor knelt beside the frame of the blast door, adjusted his sonic screwdriver, and activated it. There was a shrill whine and a hole began to appear in the toughened metal and ceramic composite.
'They've lost control of manoeuvring and main drive,' Manders said, dropping her wristcom from her ear. She grabbed a toolbox from a locker, pulled a power tool from it and began attacking the recessed bolts securing a floor plate beside the wall of the control room. 'I'm going to cut the circuit directly,' she shouted over her shoulder.
Sam staggered as the ship yawed suddenly, but tried to keep the normaliser focused on the ghost. She realised her fear of it had muted, and not simply because she had something with which she could fight back.
This particular creature had acted with purpose, not like some mindless beast from a nightmare. Where there was purpose there was also reason and hope - at least so the Doctor often said.
An engineer who'd been standing clear of the noise of the Doctor's screwdriver to listen to his wristcom shouted, 'Captain says we're heading for the alien ship!'
'Naturally,' the Doctor replied grimly. The hole he was cutting was half completed.
Manders tore off the floor panel, revealing thick bundles of cabling running beneath it. She selected a pair of insulated cutters, reached down and snipped.The drone of the thruster units faded away one by one. The ship steadied. The thick wedge of blast-door material the Doctor had cut away around the lock fell to the floor. He hauled the sliding door open and they confronted the ghost.
'Now keep it solid, Sam, so that it can't slip away through the wall: The creature tried to pass them but the Doctor drove it back with a burst of sonic power, penning it in the room. Sam heard its guttural snarls and hisses, even though she could see no mouth that could have issued them.
The flickering sequence of shapes and colours the thing ran through made her eyes water. She could not focus on one before it was gone. But she steeled herself not to look away. It was not a supernatural entity but a real creature, she kept telling herself. It must have its limits.The thing was bobbing and weaving from side to side. Mismatched limbs kept reaching out towards them, then shrinking back.
'We've got it frightened!' she exclaimed.
'We want it co-operative, not frightened,' the Doctor said.'If there's a chance to make contact we must take it. Reduce the power slightly.'
As she did so, he made a deliberate show of putting his sonic screwdriver in his pocket.Then he began to make careful exaggerated gestures with his hands, inviting the thing to calm down, pointing at himself and then it. Then he touched his mouth.
'If you communicate with sound-based language, please do so,' he said. 'I will understand you.'
Whether his words or gestures registered Sam was not sure. But the flickering of body shapes became less frenzied. She had the impression the thing was descending from some violent peak of agitation into relative calm.
Then came a distant clatter of boots on the stairs. Bendix was pounding down them followed by two crewmen carrying rifles.
'Stay back!' the Doctor shouted. But it was too late.
The thing flared into its former rage. Knobbly limbs lashed out, knocking them back from the doorway. The normaliser was dashed from Sam's hands as she hit the deck.There was a shock of cold as it surged past them.
Bolts of gunfire struck the creature. It reared up, swelling with flickering inner fire until its head brushed the ceiling. A terrible bellow rent the air. For a moment Sam saw blazing red eyes and a reptilian jaw full of dagger-like teeth. Then it fell forward on to its attackers. One crewman was dashed aside against a stanchion, the second snapped up into those terrible jaws, even as Bendix kept up his fusillade of futile gunfire.
The Doctor had drawn his sonic screwdriver once more and its shrill note cut through the creature's howls. Sam scrabbled over to the normaliser, swung it round and pressed the trigger. The creature reared back from Bendix, the energy bolts burning its flesh for the first time.
'Manders - where's the nearest external bulkhead?' the Doctor shouted.
'Behind you and left!'
'Sam, we've got to drive it that way. Get around it! Bendix, you can't kill it.
We must force it out into space.'
Manders picked up one of the fallen crewmen's guns and added its fire to that of Bendix. Slowly they drove the monstrous being towards the bulkhead that separated the compartment from open space until it had its back to the curving metal wall, snapping at them like a cornered dog.
'Change normaliser polarity when I say so, Sam,' the Doctor said. 'Ready the rest of you... heavy fire,knock it over... now!'
A blaze of gunfire toppled it backwards. Sam switched the normaliser over.
The thing became a pale phantom. The Doctor adjusted his sonic screwdriver to emit one last pulse of brilliant light. The ghost fell through the solid hull and was gone.
The echoes died away. Sam found the sudden silence almost deafening.The Doctor turned an angry face to Bendix.
'That was an ill-timed and quite unnecessary intervention. I believe I was about to make some kind of contact with it!'
'With that thing!' Bendix shot back at him.
'At least it's dead now,' Manders said.
'Oh, I doubt that,' the Doctor said. 'It's not alive enough in this universe for simple exposure to vacuum to kill it.'
'All right, Doctor,' Bendix conceded.'But at least it's gone.' He tapped his wristcom: 'Captain.The intruder has been... dealt with.'
They all heard Lanchard's brittle reply. 'It may be too late. We're on a collision course with the alien ship. If you can't restore control we shall hit it in six minutes!'
Chapter 20
Exit
The realisation that Squadleader Sho had been seriously unhinged by his encounter with the ghosts grew within Lyset Wynter as they made their way along the alien ship's seemingly endless corridors. But rather than fear, she found the knowledge kindled a small spark of sympathy within her, and she wondered if he had taken her prisoner more for company than military necessity. She took no satisfaction in having come though her recent experience relatively unscathed, while he had clearly suffered mental damage. He may have had it worse than she had. On the other hand it may have been the fault of his own nature. His type would resist until the last.
Maybe it would have been better if he had simply passed out as she had done. She had bent, he had broken.
Twice they hid down side corridors from ghosts, warned by the flickering lights ahead. Only when they were sure the way was clear did they scuttle for the next intersection. Sho was very stealthy in his actions, scouting ahead and waving her on with curt gestures. She did not attempt to escape. She had no doubt he would kill her as he had threatened. Besides she had no better idea of which way to go, and he did provide a certain measure of security. She couldn't face the thought of wandering alone down here either.
But after a while she began to worry. If they had been headed back towards the interface they should have reached it by now, even allowing for the possibility that the ghosts had taken her further away from it while she'd been unconscious than she had estimated.And she was using the corridor handrails more often to steady herself as she leaned forward. The corridor seemed to be steepening under them, though it remained perfectly level to the eye. Suddenly she understood what was happening.
'We're going the wrong way.'
'Shut up,' Sho hissed.
'I thought you knew which way to go.You're as turned around as I am.'
'I told you -'
'Look, why can't you admit making a simple mistake? You can feel where the centre of gravity is. We must be getting near the far end now, not the middle. All we've got to do is turn round.'
Sho was breathing heavily, his eyes constantly darting from side to side.
Perhaps she should simply let him work it out for himself in his own time, she thought.
Then the lights along the corridor began to flicker.
Sho bundled her down a side turning and into a wall niche. He crouched down with his rifle held at the ready. The reflected flickering of lights got closer and she held her breath. She heard a faint whisper of marching feet.
The lights opposite their turning dimmed.
She caught a glimpse of the group as it went by. But they were not like the other ghosts they had seen.
Their forms were grey and translucent, but they were smaller and roughly humanoid. Moreover, they seemed to be dressed in bulky padding or armour. She had an impression of heavy gauntlets and oversized helmets.
They were also carrying long sticks or poles, together with some other unidentifiable bundles of twisted ropes slung across their shoulders. Unlike the other creatures, these beings moved with deliberation. One helmeted head turned to look down their side tunnel as though searching for something, making her jerk back into the shadows.
Then the lights brightened again and they were gone.
Sho rose from his crouch and turned an accusing face to hers.'What were they, then? They weren't like the others. Some of your own guards looking for you?'
'I keep telling you I don't know. I don't care! I just want to get out of here.
Listen. Before you found me I was thinking of finding an external hatch and getting out on to the outer hull. We can get back to our shuttles from there, or maybe signal our ships, and we shouldn't have to keep dodging these creatures along the way.'
Sho considered, clearly viewing any suggestion Lyset made with automatic suspicion. But eventually he had to acknowledge the logic of the idea.'We'll try it. But if it's a trap -'
'Oh, please, shut up about traps. Give your paranoia a rest. Let's start looking for ramps or ladders.There must be some service hatches or something around here.'
They found what they were looking for down another cross corridor. One of the alcoves in its walls was deeper and higher than the others. There was a small irised hatch built into the ceiling and recessed horizontal slots set into its back wall leading up to it, which were obviously intended to serve as the steps of a ladder. Sho climbed them cautiously. The hatch had a simple wheel set beside it, which Sho turned.The hatch opened. Beyond was a small bare chamber.
As he examined it Lyset felt a sudden tremor run through the ship's structure and a distinct rising throb of power. She swarmed up the ladder after Sho.'I think we should get out of here before something else happens,'
she said urgently.
Sho closed the hatch. Another ladder led to a second hatch above their heads. It looked like a similar sequence to the airlock system leading off the landing bay. Lyset closed the faceplate of her suit and felt it pressurise.
Sho opened the upper hatch leading to the second chamber. She expected another keypad lock, but there was none.The third hatch opened on to the hull.
They emerged in the narrow channel between two massive pipes.
Towering over the end of the channel was a rising series of curving walls, encrusted with pipes and conduits and crowned by a great spire. It was one of the ring structures that surrounded the ends of the ship's main hull.They'd travelled as far as they could go.
Then Lyset frowned.
'Wait a moment. If we've gone the wrong way, this should be the fuzzy translucent end of the ship.' There was only static on her radio. She touched her helmet to Sho's and repeated the question.
'What of it?' he growled back.
'Well, why does it look perfectly solid?'
The puzzling irregularity must have penetrated even Sho's narrow mind. A few metres away was a support bracket for the pipes. He climbed it and stood on the upper curve of the pipe. Lyset followed and looked about them. 'Oh, Gods!' she exclaimed softly.
Chapter 21
From a Well of Stars
'This is the Captain speaking. Prepare to abandon ship.This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Make your way quickly but calmly to the nearest lifeboat stations. Members of the crew will be there to guide you. Do not stop to collect any personal belongings...'
***
The Cirrandaria's Young Adventurers room was a confused mass of screaming children, costumed entertainers trying to usher them through the exits and parents, frantic to find their offspring, fighting their way in against the flow. With a gasp of relief Jeni Engers pushed forward and clasped Dan junior's hand so hard that he protested. 'Mummy - you're hurting me!'
He was not afraid, she realised. It was all part of the entertainment to him.
She fought to keep her own voice steady.'Now we must go to the lifeboats,'
she told him.
'Will Daddy be there like the Captain said?'
'Yes, he'll be there.'
***
Despite the injunction, Rhonda had insisted they stop to collect her handbag. With an uncomfortable insight Lester realised she was so used to controlling and arranging life to suit herself that she acted as though no disaster could possibly overtake the ship until she was safe. Now she was chiding others to move more quickly and berating those who were carrying any extraneous personal items.
As they moved with the flowing tide of confused and frightened fellow passengers, Lester scanned their faces in the hope of seeing Ingrid. He had discovered that her
cabin was only two corridors away on the same deck as theirs, and thought she might be making for the same lifeboat station. He couldn't see her, but comforted himself with the thought that somebody as practical and level-headed as she was would not let herself get left behind.
***
Ingrid Schollander pulled and twisted the handle of her cabin door, but it refused to open. It was jammed or locked - but who would want to lock her in at a time like this? She pounded on the door but if anybody heard her over the general commotion they did not respond, and the door was much too strong for her to break down.
For a moment she leaned against it, sobbing with fear and anger. Then she remembered the cabin phone. She scrambled across the bed and punched the emergency call button on the unit built into the headboard. Nothing happened. The operating light remained dark. She pressed the button frantically and slapped her palm against the speaker. Something rattled ominously inside it, but the unit remained quite dead.
***
Delray heard Evan Arcovian banging on his door over the sound of running feet and raised voices.
'All right, I'm just coming, Evan,' he called out automatically.'You go on.Take care of yourself.'
But he didn't make any effort to leave his compartment. If the ship was lost then so was any hope of rescuing Lyset. In which case there was no point in his living. Why not just sit here and let it happen?
The unseen shuffling continued moving about the room and again something soft brushed his ankles, but he ignored it.
Then a faint voice seemed to whisper in his ear, 'Taking the coward's way out again?'
***
Rexton arrived, panting, on the bridge. His clothes looked crumpled, as though he had slept in them. Even he had needed rest to recover from his encounter on the alien ship, Lanchard noted absently. He should have been making his way to a lifeboat like the rest but clearly he didn't classify himself as an ordinary passenger. He took in the readings on the displays and the swelling image of the alien ship with professional composure.
Vanderdeken's Children Page 16
