by BBC
‘Probably,’ said the Doctor. ‘The meteorite was only activated by UV light, remember. And it’s done its work already. Helped make Rocky here come to life.’
The Doctor gestured towards the motionless Rock Man.
And as he did so, the Rock Man suddenly grabbed the Heart of Stone right out of Amy’s hand.
CHAPTER 21
THE STATUE WAKES
‘Rory,’ Jess called from the kitchen. ‘Come and look at this!’
Rory, alerted by the note of anxiety in Jess’s voice, came at a run. ‘What’s up?’
‘I thought I saw him move.’ Jess pointed out of the kitchen window at her father.
Ralph Conway still stood by the Land Rover, bound to the vehicle by chains and washing line. He didn’t appear to have moved an inch.
‘It was probably your imagination,’ he told her gently.
‘It wasn’t my imagination at all,’ Jess protested.
‘A shadow, then – maybe a bird flew overhead and you saw the shadow crossing.’
She shook her head. ‘No, Rory. I definitely saw him move!’
And then she pushed past him and ran out of the kitchen, heading across the yard to where her father stood like a statue.
Rory sighed and followed her out.
Jess came to a halt by the Land Rover and circled it. She stood in front of her father and looked up into his stone cold face. The eyes were open but unseeing. His hands were stiff where they gripped the chains.
Rory caught her up. ‘It may even have been the sun – you know, the shadows changing as it moves.’
Jess shot him a look that said, ‘Don’t be stupid.’
Rory had been on the receiving end of enough looks like that from Amy to recognise it easily.
‘Negative electrostatics – that’s what the Doctor said,’ Rory pointed out. He wasn’t completely sure what it meant but he could have a good guess. ‘In other words, he can’t move. The ultraviolet rays from the sun–’
‘Oh, shush, Rory – use your eyes!’
Jess was holding her hand up towards her father’s rigid face.
Rory immediately grabbed her wrist. ‘Don’t touch him –!’
But then he stopped.
Because he’d seen something moving on Ralph Conway’s stone face.
The eyelids were starting to close. With a tiny, thin scraping noise, his eyes blinked. Once. Twice.
‘Get back,’ Rory said, pulling Jess away.
But she yanked herself free and ran back to her father. ‘Dad!’
Ralph’s stone head twisted around to look at her. Every movement was accompanied by the sound of scraping rock.
‘We should get away,’ Rory insisted. His heart was beating faster. Where was the Doctor when you really needed him? Swanning around in a flash sports car, that’s where!
Ralph Conway flexed his shoulders and turned to face his daughter. The stone eyes seemed to find her, but how he could see was anyone’s guess. His lips parted, slowly, painfully, and Rory winced at the sound they made.
Ralph pulled at the chains that held him, shifting them, gripping them in his stone hands until each link was transformed with a dull crack into moon stone and snapped.
The chain fell away in ruins and the washing line parted, breaking into tiny, brittle pieces.
‘Move,’ said Rory, gripping Jess’s hand and pulling her towards the farmhouse.
‘No, wait …’
But Ralph had started to follow them with slow, plodding footsteps.
Rory half dragged Jess into the farmhouse. Once inside the kitchen he turned to close and lock the door – only to find that the door was already missing, along with part of the frame.
‘Uh, we have a problem developing …’ Rory muttered, as Ralph approached the door.
‘What’s he going to do?’ asked Jess.
Rory snapped around, searching for something to use to defend themselves. He could hear the dull scrape … scrape … scrape of the man’s approach behind him.
And then suddenly Ralph stood in the remains of the doorway.
Rory picked up the last remaining kitchen chair and faced Ralph like a lion tamer, holding the chair legs out towards him.
‘Don’t come any closer!’ Rory told him, but his voice came out like a tight little squeak.
Ralph stepped into the kitchen.
‘Oh, crumbs!’ Rory backed away, keeping the chair up. ‘Stay behind me, Jess.’
The stone man started walking towards them.
CHAPTER 22
RUN!
‘Amy!’ shouted the Doctor. Amy staggered backwards, horrified. The Rock Man lurched out of the shadows, its fist closed tight around the Heart of Stone.
‘Not good!’ yelled the Doctor, grabbing hold of Amy and helping her away. ‘Not at all good …’
They tripped over a stone cable and crashed to the floor. The Rock Man stomped towards them.
‘Up!’ shouted the Doctor, hauling Amy to her feet.
They pelted across the room, dodging past moon rock workstations and under dangling stone power lines.
‘This way!’ cried Chris, calling them across the chamber as the Rock Man charged.
It crashed through a databank, hurling the thing to one side – where it smashed into fragments.
The Doctor, Amy and Chris ran, as moon rock shrapnel scattered across the floor.
‘We’ve got to stop it,’ the Doctor said, scrambling over a stone power converter. He helped the others climb over.
‘Can’t we just get out of here?’ Chris asked.
‘And let it come after us?’
Amy looked back to where the ugly shape of the creature loomed in the darkness. It didn’t seem to care where it went or what it smashed to get to them. Clouds of grey moon dust were beginning to fill the chamber.
‘What made it come alive again?’ she asked the Doctor. ‘I thought it was only ultraviolet light – sunshine.’
‘The bacteria must be adapting,’ replied the Doctor. ‘The meteorite is learning to use any kind of energy source – including the sonic screwdriver. Look out!’
The Rock Man smashed the power converter and strode through the debris.
The Doctor, Amy and Chris headed further into the depths of the secret lab – and further into the darkness.
The Doctor used the sonic screwdriver to light their way – the equipment here was packed closer together, linked by hundreds of wires and cables and junction boxes. It was like climbing through a stone jungle in the dark. The torchlight crept over the strange grey shapes as they picked their way through.
The Rock Man charged after them. It paused on the edge of the stone jungle, the dim light reflecting from its grey face. The deep holes that served as eyes were as black as night as they peered into the shadows.
The Doctor, Amy and Chris crouched behind a databank, hardly daring to breathe.
The Rock Man moved slowly forward, its heavy feet dragging across the stone floor with a harsh scraping noise.
The three of them remained absolutely still.
And suddenly the Rock Man heaved aside the databank, splintering the moon rock into a thousand dusty pieces, revealing the Doctor and his friends in an instant.
Amy screamed as she dived out of the way. The Doctor was right behind her, pulling Chris after him.
The Rock Man’s massive hand swept down, crunching into the floor where the three of them had been a second before.
With a snarl of savage anger, the Rock Man charged after them. It thrashed its way through the power lines. The stone girders that helped support the central machinery crumbled.
There was a deep groan from above.
The Doctor’s head snapped up and he shone his torch towards the ceiling. The huge stone ramparts that secured the machine stretched up into the shadows. Dust was falling like rain.
‘It’s going to destroy this place,’ he realised.
Chris was appalled. ‘It cost millions to put this lot together!’
&n
bsp; ‘All a bit useless if it’s made out of stone, though,’ the Doctor pointed out.
There was a loud creak and fragments of rocks fell from above, scattering down through the machinery and onto the floor.
‘We have to get out of here,’ Amy said.
The Rock Man had almost caught them up. It shoved aside more computer workstations, leaving a trail of chaos.
The Doctor glanced up again. Then he turned to Amy and Chris. ‘Head for the door – I’ll meet you outside.’
‘We can’t leave you,’ Amy protested.
‘Just do as I say!’
Chris grabbed Amy’s hand. ‘Come on, Amy!’
The Doctor was already climbing onto the nearest workstation. From there he clambered across to a taller piece of machinery festooned with cables that snaked up into the branches of the central complex.
With a last, despairing look, Amy followed Chris, heading towards the exit. She had a horrible feeling she knew what the Doctor was planning.
The Rock Man saw Amy and Chris run – but the Doctor was still nearer. Craning its thick neck, the creature turned its pitiless black eyes up towards him.
The Doctor was hanging on to one of the support struts, leaning unsteadily out over the laboratory.
Letting go with one hand, the Doctor held his sonic screwdriver out at arm’s length. He pointed it straight up into the shadows and activated it.
The tip glowed a fierce green and a shrill whine filled the chamber.
Something cracked like a gunshot in the darkness. The Doctor pointed the screwdriver in another direction and repeated the process. There was another huge crack – followed by a series of splintering noises. Dust cascaded from the ceiling.
Amy stopped at the doorway and looked up. The Doctor adjusted his aim again, and more dust rained down as a series of loud cracks echoed through the lab.
Everything started to shake.
‘What’s he doing?’ Chris wondered.
‘Using the sonic to vibrate the moon rock and crack it,’ Amy said. ‘He’s going to bring this whole place down!’
The Doctor was climbing slowly down – he had to go carefully because the whole structure was shaking. He had the sonic screwdriver gripped between his teeth.
The Rock Man lumbered towards him, splitting a monitor bank in two with a scraping growl. Its hands reached out to grab the Doctor – but he was too quick for the creature.
He slipped down the last couple of metres, landed awkwardly and fell. The Rock Man’s hands closed on dusty air.
The Doctor rolled along the floor, sprang to his feet and dodged past the creature. As he ran he held the sonic screwdriver out behind him and activated it.
A piercing whine shot through the air. The Doctor raised his arm, directing the sonic screwdriver straight up.
There was an almighty, splintering crack from above.
A huge piece of machinery dislodged from the ceiling and fell down, crashing into the rest of the apparatus below. Dust billowed out from the wreckage.
The Rock Man started after the Doctor.
The Doctor skidded to a stop by the door where Amy and Chris were waiting.
‘When I say run,’ panted the Doctor, ‘run!’
They took one last look at the lab. The Rock Man roared and headed straight for them – and then the entire chamber shook as if gripped by an earthquake and the whole thing collapsed.
The central machinery cracked and fell into pieces, crashing down with a terrible noise. Sections of the ceiling tumbled after it, dragged down as the support legs gave way. Tons of moon rock crashed to the floor and a huge, thick cloud of choking dust rolled up.
The Doctor, Amy and Chris waited for the last pieces to fall. The entire lab had been destroyed – there was nothing left now but a pile of rubble.
‘Do you think that thing is dead now?’ asked Chris.
‘It was never truly alive – not in the way you mean,’ said the Doctor sadly.
‘But it’s done for, isn’t it?’
‘I doubt anything could survive that,’ said Amy.
The Doctor peered at the huge mound of grey waste. ‘It must have been crushed,’ he said. ‘But look …’
Sticking out from the base of the wreckage, there was a rocky hand.
It still gripped the Heart of Stone.
The Doctor, covering his nose and mouth with a hanky so that he didn’t breathe in the moon dust, crept back to the hand. He bent down and gently worked the stone loose.
‘Why do you want that?’ Amy asked.
‘This rock is what started it all, remember,’ said the Doctor. ‘We don’t want to leave it in the wrong hands.’
He wrapped the stone in his handkerchief and put it in a pocket. ‘Come on – let’s go.’
Pieces of moon rock continued to fall, clattering down through the debris. Dust swirled.
And, faintly, the Rock Man’s fingers began to move …
CHAPTER 23
EXPLANATIONS
Rory tried to position himself in front of Jess. He wasn’t sure this was a very good idea, but it felt like the kind of thing he should do.
The Rock Man – in the shape of Ralph Conway – continued to approach.
And then Jess stepped past Rory and held out her hands to her father.
‘Dad,’ she said. ‘It’s me – stop.’
And, remarkably, Ralph Conway did stop.
‘Don’t get any closer,’ hissed Rory. He didn’t want to see Jess turned to stone as well.
But a very strange thing was happening. Jess was inching closer to the stone figure before her. And he was staying absolutely still.
‘Be careful,’ Rory insisted.
‘I think it’s OK,’ Jess whispered. ‘Really, I do …’
She took another step.
Ralph Conway’s head dipped slightly lower, as if he was about to say something.
‘Dad?’ Jess said gently.
Ralph’s grey lips parted slightly and a horrible scraping sound emerged. It looked like he was trying to speak, but it was causing him terrible pain.
‘It’s all right,’ Jess said. ‘Don’t try to talk. I understand.’
‘You do?’ said Rory.
‘He doesn’t want to hurt us,’ Jess said. ‘Look at him. He’s terrified.’
‘Look at me,’ said Rory. ‘I’m terrified too.’
Ralph fell silent. He remained completely still.
Encouraged, Rory came a little closer. Every line in Conway’s face, every tiny bit of stubble and mark on his skin, was perfectly captured in stone. It was astonishing – more than a work of art, in fact. There was no man-made sculpture in the world like this.
‘We’ll get you back, Dad,’ Jess said softly. She turned to Rory. ‘Won’t we?’
‘Yeah, of course.’ But Rory couldn’t for the life of him see how.
There was an abrupt knock at the door – or rather the door frame. Rory and Jess had hardly turned their heads before Mr Hoggett strode uninvited into the farmhouse.
‘Door was open,’ he explained snootily. ‘In fact, the door was missing. Like half the rest of this dump. It’s in a state of collapse, you know.’
‘I thought we’d seen the last of you, Mr Hoggett,’ said Jess.
‘The only way you’ll see the last of me, my dear girl, is when you agree to sell this hopeless excuse for a farm.’ Hoggett smiled wolfishly.
Then something else caught his attention. Hoggett’s face darkened as he saw Ralph Conway.
‘I can’t believe you brought that awful thing inside,’ he said. ‘But then I suppose it’s better than having it on display outside. Always thought Conway had too high an opinion of himself – but a statue, for goodness’ sake!’
The statue’s head turned slowly and glared at Hoggett.
Hoggett practically choked.
Jess and Rory watched him turn pale, then red and then almost black with fury.
‘What …’ Hoggett spluttered, ‘what on Earth is this meant to be? S
ome kind of joke?’
‘Well,’ began Rory, and then stopped. He couldn’t think of anything to say.
‘Explain!’ thundered Hoggett.
‘It’s really very simple,’ said the Doctor, sweeping into the room unannounced.
Every head snapped around to look at him and Amy. Every head except Ralph Conway’s, which turned slowly with a harsh grinding noise.
Chris Jenkins appeared in the door frame behind Amy.
‘Chris!’ exclaimed Jess, her voice full of shock and delight – and a hint of uncertainty. ‘Chris? Are you all right?’
‘I’m not sure,’ he replied.
Hoggett continued to splutter with indignant anger. ‘What’s going on? Who are these people? What’s happening?’
‘Hello,’ said the Doctor, waving his fingers briefly at the irritated man. ‘I’m the Doctor, this is Amy, that is Chris – Jess’s fiancé – and that is Rory – Amy’s husband – I know, it’s beginning to get confusing, but don’t worry, all will become very clear in a moment.’ The Doctor clapped his hands together with some satisfaction.
Hoggett pointed a trembling finger at Ralph Conway. ‘And this?’
‘This is Ralph Conway, Jess’s father,’ the Doctor explained patiently.
Hoggett’s finger continued to tremble, but it was impossible to tell whether this was due to fear or anger. ‘I know who it is …’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘Ah,’ realised the Doctor. ‘You’re wondering why he appears to be made of stone.’
‘But –’
‘That’s because he is, in fact, made of stone.’
‘But –’
‘And not just any old stone,’ the Doctor continued brightly. ‘But moon stone. That’s rather extraordinary, don’t you think?’
‘But –’
The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh. ‘But what?’
‘But it moved!’
‘Ah, yes,’ the Doctor nodded slowly. ‘That is the other extraordinary thing. Isn’t it wonderful that one day could be so full of so many extraordinary things? They’re the days I love best, to be honest.’
Hoggett was seething. ‘Will someone please explain exactly what is going on here?’
There was silence as everyone looked at the Doctor.
