Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom (4 page)

Stevenson led Scorby to the Lab and produced the second pod out of the freezer.

Scorby cursed Keeler under his breath for missing it. ‘Are there any more?’

‘No. This is unique—priceless—as you are no doubt aware.’

‘What’s to stop it breaking open like the other one?’

‘It’s quite safe at this temperature,’ replied Stevenson calmly.

‘I see. Well, it’s going on a little journey, so find me something to keep it cool.’

Stevenson hunted round the debris until he found a thermocontainer in which he placed the pod. As they returned to the Crew Quarters, Scorby asked about their source of electrical supply. Stevenson explained curtly about the Power Unit.

When they rejoined the others, Stevenson was bound hand and foot like the Doctor and Sarah.

‘You can say your goodbyes now,’ sneered Scorby and pointed his gun at the helpless captives.

‘You’re not going to shoot us in cold blood?’ murmured Sarah.

With a laugh Scorby let his arm drop. ‘No. I’ve got a better idea.’ He grabbed hold of Sarah. ‘You’re coming with us. Give me a hand, Keeler.’ Sarah’s feet were untied and she was dragged towards the door.

‘How do you expect to get away from here?’ yelled Stevenson. ‘You said your plane was grounded.’

Scorby smiled. ‘You shouldn’t believe everything people tell you.’ With a bang the door slammed shut.

Sarah, her hands still tied, was led to an outer door.

‘Right,’ ordered Scorby. ‘Take us to the Power Unit.’

‘I don’t know where you mean,’ lied Sarah.

‘Don’t try to be clever. You checked it earlier. Now move! ‘ He shoved her forward into the snow. Keeler followed, carrying the precious container.

The trio rounded the corner of the farthest hut and set off across the open waste. It was still snowing, but the first few streaks of dawn were beginning to lighten the sky. Sarah wondered briefly if she would live to see another day.

Inside the Crew Quarters the Doctor had wriggled to his feet and was hopping up and down like a jack-in-a box. Above his head hung an old hurricane lamp for use in emergencies. Stevenson observed the Doctor’s antics in puzzlement.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Ever played football?’ gasped the Doctor, as he headed the lamp off its hook and on to the floor. The glass smashed into fragments. ‘Quick!’

Stevenson inched over to the Doctor whose fingers had grabbed a piece of the broken glass. ‘Now keep very still, or I might cut a blood vessel.’ The Doctor began to saw away at the rope around Stevenson’s wrists.

Outside, in the cold dawn, the creature observed the lights of the Camp from behind a hillock of snow. It was now seven or eight feet high. After a moment or two, it set off towards the Camp, moving at exceptional speed, its long fibrous tentacles dragging behind in the snow. It reached the nearest but and began to edge slowly along the side looking for a way in.

The trek across the snowy waste seemed to Sarah like a march to the guillotine, an inexorable journey to certain death. Once inside the Power Unit, Scorby tied her to a heavy pipe on the wall and then started to fix an explosive device to the side of the Fuel Cell.

‘This bomb will set off a fault in the system which in turn will blow up the entire Camp, leaving no clues whatsoever. Ingenious, don’t you think?’

‘You’re twisted... evil!’ replied Sarah. ‘Why kill us all? Why not just take the pod?’

Scorby leered sadistically. ‘You know too much.’ He finished wiring the charge and picked up the pod container. ‘Come on, Keeler, let’s get airborne.’

Sarah suddenly noticed Keeler’s strange, tortured expression. ‘No... no... I can’t let you do this!’ He lunged at Scorby. ‘It’s cold-blooded murder!’

Scorby brushed him aside. ‘Too late,’ he snarled. ‘I’ve already started the count-down.’ He turned to Sarah. ‘You won’t have long to wait. Ten minutes at the most.’ He strode out. Keeler shot Sarah a final, anguished look, then hurried after.

The door slammed shut and Sarah heard the bolt drawn across. She glanced at the detonator. The numerals on the clock were clearly visible. They read five hundred and eighty seconds. She struggled to free her bonds but knew it was hopeless.

With a final wrench the Doctor released his wrists from the biting rope and headed for the door. ‘I’ll get after the pod... and Sarah,’ he snapped at Stevenson. ‘You contact Main Base on the radio and see if they can intercept the aircraft.’

‘What about the Krynoid?’

‘We’ll have to take a chance on that,’ cried the Doctor and dashed out. Stevenson hobbled after him into the corridor, rubbing his wrists and ankles.

The Doctor set out from the Camp at a run, his eyes scanning the murky grey landscape. ‘Sarah! Sarah!’ His voice died on the wind. Although it was nearly daylight the snowfall was still heavy. He hesitated a moment then headed in the direction of the landing strip. They had probably made straight for the plane. It was a slim chance, but he might still be able to stop them taking off.

In the Lab, Stevenson was feverishly plugging up the radio. ‘Hello Main Base... hello Main Base... can you hear me?... Over.’ The line seemed dead. ‘Hello Main Base? Over.’ Nothing.

Behind him the door began to open slowly and a fibrous tentacle pushed its way into the room.

‘Hello... this is Camp Three calling Main Base. Can you hear me... can you hear me?’ He threw down the headphones and inspected the back of the equipment. Immediately he saw the damage.

‘Sabotage!’ he whispered to himself. Then suddenly he realised he was not alone. He whirled round. A terrifying mass of green tentacles was bearing down on him.

‘No... no...!’ Stevenson stumbled back, crashing into the radio. But there was no escape. The tentacles were all round him and closing in. He let out a last desperate cry as the Krynoid enveloped him totally.

In the Power Unit, Sarah stared mesmerised as the seconds ticked away.

The Doctor pounded through the snow, his scarf flailing in the wind. What a fool he had been. The pod stolen by a thug with a gun! The consequences were incalculable.

All at once a fresh noise cut through the howl of the wind. The Doctor stopped and strained his ears. It was a plane taking off. He was too late. The thought stabbed him like a knife. Sarah? He hardly dared contemplate her fate. He turned back towards the Camp, a lonely and dejected figure. His gaze swept the glaring white snowscape but took nothing in.

Then, abruptly, he jerked to life again. Looming out of the snow a few hundred yards away was the dark shape of the Power Unit building. He set off towards it at full pelt.

Not far away, but hidden by the ridge, another figure also moved quickly through the snow. But this figure was not human, and its purpose was deadly.

Click... click... click... The dial showed less than a minute to go. Sarah felt the panic rise inside her as the ropes refused to give. Suddenly she heard a scrabbling outside the door. Her heart missed a beat. Then it was flung open and the Doctor burst in. With one bound he was by her side and untying the ropes.

‘Doctor! The whole Camp is going to be blown sky high any second!’ Expertly the Doctor unravelled Sarah’s knots and took in the bomb with a hurried glance. There was no time to defuse it.

Sarah pulled one arm free. ‘Where’s Stevenson?’

‘I’ll have to try and save him.’ The Doctor released her other arm and hauled Sarah to her feet. ‘Come on!’

Sarah took one pace then froze. ‘Doctor,
look
!’ She pointed to the door. The Doctor spun round. Blocking the doorway was the monstrous bulk of the Krynoid. From its body sprouted a hundred tentacles, each as thick as a man’s arm. Where once a face had existed there was now a gnarled and twisted mass of bark. It remained in the doorway, swaying from side to side and emitting a low, unearthly rattle.

‘Get behind me,’ whispered the Doctor. Sarah did so. She could hear the bomb ticking quite clearly.

The Krynoid started to advance. The Doctor edged round the wall. Suddenly the creature rushed towards them. The Doctor side-stepped, pulling Sarah with him, and one of the green tentacles caught on the metal grid protecting the Fuel Cell. There was a flash and the Krynoid roared in pain.

‘Run!’ yelled the Doctor and bundled Sarah towardsthe door. As she passed the creature Sarah felt a cold, slimy tentacle brush her face. She let out a scream and the next thing she knew she was pitched into the wet snow. Behind her, the Doctor slammed the door and slid the bolt into position.

‘Get away!’ he shouted and raced off in the direction of the Camp. With horror Sarah realised he still hoped to rescue Stevenson.

‘There isn’t time!’ she cried, but the Doctor was already out of earshot. Sarah glanced again at the Power Unit. It was about to explode. She sprinted for the cover of the ridge.

Inside, the Krynoid pounded the door in a frenzy. EIGHT... SEVEN... SIX... It managed to prise one tentacle through... FIVE... FOUR...

Sarah could see the ridge. Only a few yards further. THREE... TWO...

The Doctor came in sight of the Camp. He opened his mouth to yell. ‘Stev...’ There was a searing flash of red, the ground shook, a firework seemed to explode in his head. Then he was sinking... sinking... sinking into a white cloud of nothingness...

Sarah woke. She found herself staring up at a clear blue sky. She tried to sit up but there was no sensation in her arms or legs. For one awful moment she wondered if she had lost them. Then she realised they were numb with cold.

Suddenly a foot crunched in the snow a few inches from her head. A muffled figure in furs and goggles loomed over her.

‘I almost missed you in the snow,’ it said in a familiar English accent.

Sarah smiled weakly. ‘Yes, well, there’s rather a lot of it about.’

‘Are you all right?’

‘I think so.’

The man helped her to her feet. ‘We’re from South Bend. Medical Team. We heard the explosion. What happened?’

The explosion! It came back with a rush. The Doctor! Where was he? She began to run towards the Camp like a mad thing. More figures jumped from a Snocat in pursuit. Panting, Sarah reached the top of the ridge only to let out a gasp of horror. Where once the Camp had stood, there was now only a heap of blackened ash and twisted metal. A few wisps of smoke curled up into the blue sky. She looked back at the Power Unit. That too had completely disappeared.

Stunned, Sarah lowered her gaze. As she did so she gave a cry of fear. Sticking out of the snow a few feet away was a hand.

‘Doctor!’ she screamed, and began to claw frantically at the snow. Moments later strong arms arrived and pulled the inert figure of the Doctor from the snow. Desperately Sarah slapped his face to try and revive him. ‘Doctor! Wake up!
Wake Up
!’

For a while nothing happened. Then slowly one eye opened and winked. The grin she knew so well spread across the Doctor’s face and he spoke. ‘Good morning.’

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back. She was never more grateful in her life to hear those two simple words.

Harrison Chase sat in his library glowing with triumph. On the desk in front of him stood the thermocontainer.

‘Well open it! Open it!’ he ordered. Keeler removed the lid to reveal the pod. Chase stared at it with greedy fascination.

‘I must hold it,’ he whispered and lovingly lifted out the strange, green object.

‘It’s all right in its present state,’ advised Keeler, ‘but we must be careful.’

‘Why?’

‘The other pod infected one of their men.’

Chase abruptly replaced the pod. ‘Infected? What happened?’

Keeler explained.

‘Incredible! ‘ said Chase. ‘You’re sure the other one was destroyed?’

‘The whole scientific base, and everybody in it, was obliterated,’ said Scorby smugly.

‘Excellent. Regrettable, but excellent.’ Chase gazed at the pod once more. ‘Think of it, gentlemen,’ he said. ‘If the theory is correct, this has come to us across thousands of years and millions of miles.’

‘The last few miles caused a bit of trouble,’ muttered Scorby.

‘Trouble?’ scoffed Chase. ‘Nothing would be too much trouble for
this
!’ The intercom buzzed on his desk. ‘Yes, Hargreaves?’

‘Mr Dunbar of WEB is here to see you, sir.’

‘Send him in.’ Chase clicked off the receiver.

A moment later, a distraught looking Dunbar was ushered in. He hesitated at the sight of Keeler and Scorby.

‘It’s all right,’ explained Chase smoothly. ‘These are the two men who brought back the pod.’

Dunbar spoke with suppressed fury. ‘I had no idea you would go to such terrible lengths to get it!’

‘The destruction of the others was necessary.’ Chase spoke without emotion.

‘Necessary!’ repeated Dunbar, appalled.

‘You’ve been handsomely rewarded for your part, Dunbar, so put on a stiff upper lip and forget your qualms. The object has been achieved.’ Chase gestured towards the pod. ‘We can all relax.’

Dunbar took a pace forward. ‘Not quite.’

Chase stiffened. ‘What do you mean?’

‘They weren’t all wiped out. That’s what I came to warn you about. The Doctor and his assistant are still alive.’

‘Impossible!’ hissed Chase.

‘The Doctor is meeting us at WEB in an hour’s time.’ Dunbar waited for the effect of his news.

Keeler and Scorby shifted uneasily on the spot. Chase turned to face them, his eyes blazing: ‘You asinine bunglers! ‘

‘You were very lucky, Doctor.’

The speaker was Sir Colin Thackeray, Director of the World Ecology Bureau, a large distinguished-looking man with a rather precise manner.

‘Simple presence of mind,’ replied the Doctor dismissively.

‘Are you quite certain it was sabotage?’ Dunbar spoke now.