Read Online Doctor Who: Earthshock by Ian Marter - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ian Marter
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intruders,' the Cyberleader boomed, and he jabbed the communicator off, signing to the Deputy to replay the materialisation of the TARDIS
yet again.
Two young crewmen - Vance and Buchanan - were patrolling slowly along the first-level walkway above the main hold, their laser tubes slung over their shoulders, grumbling about their duties and about life on the freighter in general.
'I don't fancy walking round that lot,' Vance muttered, glancing down at the endless rows of silos stretching like a miniature town below them. 'Ringway should do his own patrols.'
'You could hide an army down there and never find it,' joked Buchanan as they reached a metal stairway and started to descend.
Half-way down, Vance suddenly stopped. 'What's that?' he whispered, whipping his laser off his shoulder.
'Where?'
'I saw something move. By silo 529.'
'Nothing there now,' Buchanan shrugged. 'Anyway it's pitch dark.'
'Better look, though,' Vance insisted.
'I suppose so,' Buchanan agreed grudgingly. 'You and your carrot juice!'
Reluctantly they crept down to the main floor and began edging along the dark narrow corridor between two rows of towering silos.
Up on the walkway, at the bridge end of the hold, Navigating Officer Ringway stood in the shadows carefully retuning the frequency on his communicator. 'Ringway to Vance. Report position, please,' he murmured into it in his nasal whine.
31
'Vance here, sir. Just passing silo 519 at floor level. We've spotted someone.'
A thin smile just cracked the corners of Ringway's emaciated face. 'Then apprehend him. I'll be right down,' he snapped, unclipping his pistol and hurrying towards a nearby stairway.
Vance and his mate had pressed themselves into the shallow niche formed by the curving sides of silo 529 and were watching a large obscure shadow moving from niche to niche further along the row of silos. Suddenly it disappeared completely.
'This way. We'll head him off,' Vance muttered excitedly. He darted across the junction where two corridors crossed at right angles. 'I think we've got him now.'
They ran along one side of a block of silos, turned and then crept rapidly along the other side to the next junction, where they waited in ambush. They waited in vain.
'Lost him again,' Vance spat.
As he spoke, Buchanan gripped his arm and pointed back the way they had just come. They just caught a glimpse of a tall glinting figure crossing along one of the transverse corridors some distance away. They stared at one another in astonishment.
Vance rubbed his eyes. 'How did he get over there so fast?' he exclaimed.
'Perhaps there's more than one of them,' Buchanan murmured, priming his laser, 'whatever it is.'
'I don't like this,' Vance said, checking his own weapon.
'Come on . . .' he breathed, setting off back the way they had come.
Buchanan tapped on a silo wall with his knuckles before moving warily after Vance. 'What's in these things anyway?' he whispered uneasily...
'Aren't we being just a little bit casual?' Adric suggested, struggling to keep up as the Doctor breezed along between the silos, turning left or right at whim.
'Oh there's no one about. This ship is totally automated,' retorted the Doctor airily.
'There must be some kind of crew.'
'Perhaps a small one. Somewhere.' The Doctor had stopped abruptly in front of a small security camera angled along the alleyway and was bowing and doffing his hat at the lens in exaggerated politeness.
Adric shook his head resignedly. 'I don't like being so far away from the TARDIS,' he complained. 'Could we go back now?'
'Give them a chance!' the Doctor protested, smiling and waving at the camera.
'I want to announce my presence.'
Adric tapped the metal side of the nearest silo, marked 533, and put his ear up against it. 'Sounds empty,' he muttered.
'Come along!' cried the Doctor, setting off again. As they hurried along, a tall shadow followed them, flapping and whipping over the curved walls of the
yet again.
Two young crewmen - Vance and Buchanan - were patrolling slowly along the first-level walkway above the main hold, their laser tubes slung over their shoulders, grumbling about their duties and about life on the freighter in general.
'I don't fancy walking round that lot,' Vance muttered, glancing down at the endless rows of silos stretching like a miniature town below them. 'Ringway should do his own patrols.'
'You could hide an army down there and never find it,' joked Buchanan as they reached a metal stairway and started to descend.
Half-way down, Vance suddenly stopped. 'What's that?' he whispered, whipping his laser off his shoulder.
'Where?'
'I saw something move. By silo 529.'
'Nothing there now,' Buchanan shrugged. 'Anyway it's pitch dark.'
'Better look, though,' Vance insisted.
'I suppose so,' Buchanan agreed grudgingly. 'You and your carrot juice!'
Reluctantly they crept down to the main floor and began edging along the dark narrow corridor between two rows of towering silos.
Up on the walkway, at the bridge end of the hold, Navigating Officer Ringway stood in the shadows carefully retuning the frequency on his communicator. 'Ringway to Vance. Report position, please,' he murmured into it in his nasal whine.
31
'Vance here, sir. Just passing silo 519 at floor level. We've spotted someone.'
A thin smile just cracked the corners of Ringway's emaciated face. 'Then apprehend him. I'll be right down,' he snapped, unclipping his pistol and hurrying towards a nearby stairway.
Vance and his mate had pressed themselves into the shallow niche formed by the curving sides of silo 529 and were watching a large obscure shadow moving from niche to niche further along the row of silos. Suddenly it disappeared completely.
'This way. We'll head him off,' Vance muttered excitedly. He darted across the junction where two corridors crossed at right angles. 'I think we've got him now.'
They ran along one side of a block of silos, turned and then crept rapidly along the other side to the next junction, where they waited in ambush. They waited in vain.
'Lost him again,' Vance spat.
As he spoke, Buchanan gripped his arm and pointed back the way they had just come. They just caught a glimpse of a tall glinting figure crossing along one of the transverse corridors some distance away. They stared at one another in astonishment.
Vance rubbed his eyes. 'How did he get over there so fast?' he exclaimed.
'Perhaps there's more than one of them,' Buchanan murmured, priming his laser, 'whatever it is.'
'I don't like this,' Vance said, checking his own weapon.
'Come on . . .' he breathed, setting off back the way they had come.
Buchanan tapped on a silo wall with his knuckles before moving warily after Vance. 'What's in these things anyway?' he whispered uneasily...
'Aren't we being just a little bit casual?' Adric suggested, struggling to keep up as the Doctor breezed along between the silos, turning left or right at whim.
'Oh there's no one about. This ship is totally automated,' retorted the Doctor airily.
'There must be some kind of crew.'
'Perhaps a small one. Somewhere.' The Doctor had stopped abruptly in front of a small security camera angled along the alleyway and was bowing and doffing his hat at the lens in exaggerated politeness.
Adric shook his head resignedly. 'I don't like being so far away from the TARDIS,' he complained. 'Could we go back now?'
'Give them a chance!' the Doctor protested, smiling and waving at the camera.
'I want to announce my presence.'
Adric tapped the metal side of the nearest silo, marked 533, and put his ear up against it. 'Sounds empty,' he muttered.
'Come along!' cried the Doctor, setting off again. As they hurried along, a tall shadow followed them, flapping and whipping over the curved walls of the
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