DOCTOR WHO AND THE CAVE-MONSTERS

by Malcolm Hulke

  Dr. Lawrence knew there was no point in hiding anything. 'Major Barker, our security officer, was attacked by some person or persons unknown in the caves, and has since run away from the sick-bay. Dr. Matthew Quinn has been murdered. Miss Dawson, one of our most important technicians, has become mentally unbalanced.'

  Masters looked at Dr. Lawrence for a full half-minute without speaking. 'Well, well,' he said at last, 'it just isn't your day, is it?'

  'Look, Frederick,' said Dr. Lawrence, lowering his voice. 'You've got to help me, for old time's sake. Is there any chance I could get out of this place?'

  'You just get into that lift and press the button...'

  Dr. Lawrence cut in on Masters' facetious reply. 'I mean get another job somewhere.'

  'With your qualifications,' said Masters, 'I should think that very easy. We have posts open in laboratories and research centres all over the country—for junior technicians.' He smiled again. 'You don't really want to be the first rat to leave a sinking ship, do you?'

  'I know that if I remain here, and finally this place has to be written-off as a total loss, you people in the government will always hold the blame against me!'

  'Come now,' said Masters. 'We aren't as beastly as that!' He paused again for effect. 'But you don't seem to have made much of a success of it all.'

  Dr. Lawrence sat down in one of the hard-backed chairs. He felt very tired and miserable. He knew he wouldn't get his own chair back while Masters remained here. 'What do you want me to do?' he asked.

  'Some coffee would be nice,' said Masters.

  'I've already ordered it.'

  'And a little scientific progress would be even nicer,' said Masters. 'We sent you the Brigadier. Has he been of much help?'

  Dr. Lawrence shook his head. 'None at all, so far as I can see.'

  The door was flung open and the Doctor and Liz entered, both grimy with cave dust. 'Dr. Lawrence,' said the Doctor, 'have you just had a power failure?'

  'We're always having power failures,' said Dr. Lawrence.

  'But the time of the last one,' said the Doctor urgently. 'It's most important.'

  'At four twenty-two,' said Dr. Lawrence. 'Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to have a discussion with...'

  But the Doctor ignored Dr. Lawrence and turned to Liz. 'You see, it fits exactly. I checked my watch when we saw the reptile being de-hibernated.'

  'May I ask who you are, sir?' said Masters with edgeto his voice.

  'You may indeed,' said the Doctor, and as he spoke Miss Travis entered with a tray of coffee for two. 'How terribly thoughtful of you, my dear,' he said to the startled girl technician, then turned to Dr. Lawrence. 'Your people do look after us terribly well down here.' He took the tray from Miss Travis, set it on the desk in front of Masters and started to pour two cups of coffee. 'How many sugars, Liz?'

  'One,' she said.

  'To keep that figure of yours,' said the Doctor. 'Very wise.'

  'That coffee,' said Dr. Lawrence, 'was ordered for myself and the Permanent Under Secretary!'

  'Really?' The Doctor was already sipping the cup he had poured for himself. 'Well, when he gets here, Miss Travis can make some more.'

  'I'm already here,' said Masters.

  The Doctor turned and looked down at Masters. 'My dear fellow, how appallingly thoughtless of me. Here, it's yours.'

  Masters looked at the proffered cup. The Doctor's grimy finger-marks were all over it. 'I can wait,' he said. 'Why did you want to know the time of the last power loss?'

  'Because we saw what happened to all your electricity,' said the Doctor. 'They use induction, you see, instead of cables.'

  'They?' Masters was by now keenly interested.

  'The reptiles,' said Liz. 'Like lizards.'

  Masters drew back in his chair, not wishing to be contaminated by the madness of the two grimy people standing before him. 'Lizards who know how to use electricity'

  'It's quite logical,' said the Doctor. 'Humans sometimes use electricity to get muscles to work again.'

  'Excuse me, sir,' said Miss Travis, who had been waiting by the open door, 'but should I get more coffee?'

  'Yes,' said Dr. Lawrence. 'A great amount of very black coffee.'

  Miss Travis turned to go, and collided with the Brigadier as he entered. 'Mr. Masters,' he said, going forward to shake hands. 'I've only just heard of your arrival. How are my reinforcements coming along?'

  'They're not,' said Masters. 'That's one of the reasons I'm here. I really can't get the Regular Army to send support for you on the basis of a wild tale about monsters in caves.'

  'But we have overwhelming evidence that there is something hostile in those caves,' said the Brigadier. 'The caves are vast, with a great many galleries and passageways. I need a lot of men to cover them completely.'

  'Having covered them completely,' asked the Doctor, 'what do you intend to do?'

  'Round up the saboteurs, or whoever they are,' said the Brigadier, 'and bring them to justice.'

  'We were hearing something about lizards,' said Masters, 'when you came in.' He turned to the Doctor. 'You did mention lizards, didn't you?'

  'Miss Shaw used that term,' said the Doctor. 'I prefer to think of them as reptile men, or more accurately homo reptilia.'

  'Doctor,' said the Brigadier, 'are you feeling all right?'

  'A bit grubby,' said the Doctor. 'Otherwise I think I have all my senses about me, thank you.' He turned to Masters and Dr. Lawrence. 'There is an entirely alien form of intelligent life living in those caves, gentlemen. It is highly dangerous. Most of them are still in a state of deep hibernation. Every time there is a power loss here it is because they are using your electricity to re-activate one of their own kind. Among other things, they have taken Major Barker prisoner.'

  Masters, Dr. Lawrence and the Brigadier stared at the Doctor in almost total disbelief. At last Masters spoke. 'Have you any evidence to support this extraordinary claim?'

  'I have a witness,' said the Doctor. 'Miss Shaw here.'

  'It's all true,' said Liz. 'We got into their place inside the caves. We talked to Major Barker.'

  The Brigadier said, 'Then the sooner we get in there, with men and guns, the better.'

  'I strongly advise against that,' said the Doctor. 'They have some idea about the power of our weapons, but we have no idea about theirs.'

  'Quite honestly,' said Masters, 'I'm trying to do my best to cope with what you are saying, but I find it impossible to imagine a lizard armed with a sub-machine gun!'

  'So do I,' said the Doctor. 'They are far too advanced for that sort of thing.' He turned to the Brigadier. 'I do implore you, Brigadier, don't invade those caves.'

  'I'm sorry, Doctor,' the Brigadier said, 'but I have no alternative. I was summoned here to help Dr. Lawrence solve the problem of these terrible power losses. If you are right and some alien life-form is the cause of all this trouble, I must use what forces I have available to stop it.'

  Dr. Lawrence spoke up for the first time in minutes of silence. 'Doctor,' he said, 'can you suggest any other solution to our problem?'

  'Indeed I can,' said the Doctor. 'I must go back there alone and try to make peace with these people.'

  'People?' said Masters. 'You call lizards "people"?'

  'It doesn't really matter what we call them,' said the Doctor. 'It's what arrangements we make with them that count.'

  'But we are not going to make arrangements with reptile men,' said the Brigadier emphatically. He swung round to face Masters. 'You're sure there's no chance at all of getting those reinforcements?'

  'No chance at all, old man,' said Masters. 'Not until we've got some proof that a real enemy exists, and not a couple of saboteurs.'

  'I see,' said the Brigadier pulling back his shoulders. 'Then with the few men at my disposal, I shall invade the caves.'

  'You may all be killed,' said the Doctor. 'Please leave it to me to go and talk to these creatures.'

  The Brigadier shook his head. 'No, Doctor.
This is a military matter. What's more, those caves are now strictly out-of-bounds to you or to any other civilian. I hope I make myself clear?'

  'Absolutely clear,' said the Doctor.

  'Then if you will excuse me, sir,' the Brigadier said to Masters. 'I must make my plans.' He left the office.

  The Doctor sighed. 'Well, I suppose I had better make my plans, too,' he said, and turned to go.

  'I'm afraid I still don't know quite who you are, sir,' said Masters.

  The Doctor paused at the door and looked at Masters. 'I'm beginning to wonder myself,' he said, and left. Liz gave a quick smile to Dr. Lawrence and Masters and hurried after the Doctor.

  15

  Attack and Counter-attack

  It took the Brigadier a full ten minutes to get his men together to invade the caves. It took the Doctor only five minutes to drive Bessie from the research centre car park to the main mouth of the cave. By the time the Brigadier arrived, with two Jeeps and half-a-dozen soldiers, Bessie was standing there deserted, evidence that the Doctor had defied the Brigadier's instruction not to enter the caves.

  'What are you going to do, sir?' asked Sergeant Hawkins.

  The Brigadier bit his lip. 'I told him not to go in there. We shall have to press ahead just the same.'

  'But if he tries talking to them,' said the Sergeant, 'and we roll up with guns, that isn't going to help him much, is it?'

  'The Doctor is supposed to do what I tell him,' said the Brigadier, 'and so are you. Carry out the plan.'

  'Yes, sir.' The Sergeant saluted, then ordered the other soldiers out of the Jeeps. As a precaution it was planned to leave one soldier at the mouth of the cave, and he would remain in telephone communication with the Brigadier and the other UNIT soldiers who entered the cave. The idea was that if none of the soldiers ever returned, at least the one soldier left at the mouth of the cave would know what happened to them. This could be helpful for any future attacks that might be planned. The lucky soldier, the one to be left at the mouth of the cave, was equipped with a field telephone. As the Brigadier and the soldiers advanced into the cave, they carried with them another field telephone and a drum of telephone wire which they paid out carefully as they penetrated the main passageway.

  Sergeant Hawkins walked alongside the Brigadier, both flashing powerful torches. 'What do we do, sir, if we see something?' he asked.

  'We fire first,' said the Brigadier, 'and ask questions afterwards.'

  The Sergeant walked in silence for a while. Then he said: 'Sir?'

  'Yes?'

  'Do you really believe in these intelligent lizards?'

  'Having been associated with the Doctor for some time now,' said the Brigadier, 'yes, I'm willing to believe in anything. But the idea of having peace-talks with them—that's another matter.'

  The soldiers continued on their walk through the caves, guns at the ready. From time to time the Brigadier raised his hand and every man stood motionless as a statue, holding his breath. During these moments they all listened intently. All they heard was the drip-drip of distant water.

  The Doctor crawled slowly on his hands and knees through the air ventilation-tunnel. As he approached the reptile men's shelter there was even more noise now. He emerged from its opening into the shelter, stood upright and tried to rub the grime from his hands. From the pit with the caged top there came a growling sound as from some very large animal that was kept down there. Another reptile man was being de-hibernated, which must have meant yet another power loss in the research centre. The Doctor had the impression that now there were even more reptile men going about their business. At least a dozen were standing around the bench where Barker's gun was now dismantled; the reptile men who had achieved this seemed to be explaining its parts to the onlookers.

  The Doctor stepped from the darkened corner into a better-lit area. He could see Major Barker in his cage watching him in astonishment. Suddenly there was a commotion among the reptile men. One of them had spotted the Doctor, and was pointing him out to the others. The Doctor stepped forward and raised his voice. 'I have come to talk to you,' he said. 'I bring greetings from the other intelligent race that inhabits this planet.'

  At first the reptile men were too surprised to do anything. Then three of them rushed at the Doctor, grabbed him violently and dragged him towards the prison cages. One of the trio looked at the cage's electronic lock; its third eye glowed for a second, and the lock sprang open. The cage door was pulled to one side, and the Doctor was pushed into the little caged cubicle. The cage door was pulled back, the lock refastened by a one-second glow from a reptilian third eye. Then the reptiles hurried away. The Doctor was in the next cage to Major Barker.

  'A lot of good that did,' said the Major.

  'It's a start,' said the Doctor. 'What's the food like here?'

  'I have no idea,' said Major Barker. 'I only throw it back at them.'

  Two reptile men, one old and the other younger, and both clearly in some authority, came forward to look at the new prisoner.

  'You have come here,' said Okdel, 'of your own accord?'

  'Of course,' said the Doctor. 'I think it's high time we all had a good talk.'

  'We do not talk with apes,' said Morka.

  'You used to,' said the Doctor. 'You used to talk to a man called Quinn, until you killed him.'

  The old reptile man, Okdel, looked questioningly at Morka. 'You killed him?'

  'He tried to hold me prisoner,' said Morka. He returned his attention to the Doctor. 'You wish to talk, ape. What about?'

  'I want to help you,' said the Doctor.

  'Just a minute,' Major Barker cut in. 'What do you think you're doing? I thought you were going to get help for our side!'

  'I think their side may need it more,' said the Doctor.

  'Do you realise that is treason, sir?' said the Major, then quoting from the law, ' "Assisting a public enemy at war with the Queen"!' He turned to Okdel and Morka. 'This man is a traitor! If you, gentlemen, are true soldiers you will have nothing to do with him!'

  'How do you wish to help us?' asked Okdel, ignoring the Major's outburst.

  'I have come to warn you that men will shortly be entering these caves to look for you,' the Doctor said. 'If you do not attack them, they will not attack you. I want you to meet them in peace.'

  'We do not "make peace" with apes,' said Morka. 'We exterminate apes.' He walked away purposefully.

  The Doctor appealed to Okdel. 'Isn't it possible for both sides to live in peace?'

  Okdcl looked long and hard at the Doctor, then silently turned away.

  'Come back!' called the Doctor. 'We have much to talk about.'

  But Okdel had gone.

  The Brigadier had stopped his men near where the water was dripping from the roof. Using their torches, he and Sergeant Hawkins looked at a map of the caves. The map was only partly complete, based on what passageways potholers had located and noted over the years. The Brigadier's plan was to inspect every inch of the caves by going down the passageways in an organised way.

  'We shall proceed in that direction,' said the Brigadier, pointing to an opening in the cave wall.

  'Yes, sir,' said the Sergeant. He called to the soldiers. 'This way, lads.'

  They started to move off again, still paying out the telephone wire that led from their field telephone. Suddenly there was a cracking sound above them. The Brigadier and Hawkins shone their torches up on to the roof just ahead of them. A crack had appeared and was widening.

  'Mind out!' called the Brigadier, but as he spoke a whole section of cave roof fell before them, blocking their way. The passageway was choked with dust from the fall. As the dust started to settle, the Brigadier shone his torch ahead in the direction they had been going. The cave was completely blocked.

  Sergeant Hawkins said, 'That looks like the end of that, sir.' He sounded almost pleased not to be able to go any deeper into the caves.

  The Brigadier looked at the map again. 'We can go back down here,' he
said, 'then work our way round again through some of these smaller passages.'

  'About turn,' called Sergeant Hawkins. 'Back the way we came!'

  The soldiers turned round to retreat down the main passageway. Then there was another cracking sound. Within a moment the cave roof further down the passageway had fallen in. Huge rocks barred their escape. They were completely trapped.

  ... a whole section of the roof fell before them, blocking their way

  The Major glared at the Doctor from his cage. 'You had no right to tell them about the Brigadier's plan!'

  The Doctor tried to reason with the Major. 'I simply want to prevent a massacre,' he said. 'Killing people isn't the only way to settle an argument.'

  'It's the only way these creatures are likely to understand,' said the Major. 'Watch out, that vicious one's coming back.'

  Morka came up to the cages. 'I wish to thank you for your warning,' he said to the Doctor. 'Your soldiers have all been killed. And now I shall kill you.' Morka focussed his third eye on the Doctor. The eye started to pulsate with glowing redness.

  'You will gain nothing by killing me,' said the Doctor, but already the power of Morka's radiation was having an effect on him. The Doctor felt as though he was being strangled, the air squeezed from his body. He fell to his knees. Intense pain raced through his arms and legs. He was just losing consciousness when he heard Okdel's voice.

  'Stop!'

  The pain continued through the Doctor's limbs. Morka had not heeded Okdel's order.

  'Do not kill it,' said Okdel. 'It may be useful to us.'

  Morka's third eye suddenly stopped glowing. 'What use can we make of the creature?'

  'The other,' said Okdel, indicating Barker, 'has told us so little. I think this one is more intelligent. It can live for a little longer.'

  'I have dealt with the apes sent to attack us,' said Morka. 'They are trapped in the caves.'

  'You forget, there are now millions of this species,' said Okdel. 'They will send others to attack us.'

  'Then we shall destroy them all,' said Morka. 'Ask your questions of this so-called intelligent ape, then I suggest you exterminate it.' Morka abruptly walked away. Okdel stood looking at the Doctor. Slowly he asked, 'How many of your species now pollute our planet?'