Cold Fusion - Lance Parkin [76]
Tegan screamed.
12
Staring into the Abyss
Tegan screamed, her eyes wide open. Suddenly, the monster and cabin pitched to one side. The Doctor had tackled her, throwing her to the ground. Her head spinning, she began pushing herself upright. What happened next confused her: the Doctor was holding out a medallion and roaring, so loud that the creature stopped in its tracks. The monster swung round to face him and snarled something. The Doctor barked back, and handed the medallion over. The creature turned back towards Tegan.
‘My apologies,’ it said in a gravelly voice, bowing its head ever so slightly. ‘I am Quint, of Shlima.’ It held out a claw.
After a moment’s hesitation Tegan shook it. His skin was rough, like sandpaper. ‘Tegan Jovanka, of Earth.’
‘I had thought you grave robbers or murderers. He clipped the medallion to his tunic. ‘This was worn by my brother, and only by him. It bears his name. He was killed last night by the savage humans. The Doctor, however, is Gallifreyan, and a man of honour. He retrieved the medallion so that the Shliman funeral customs might be observed.’ His face wasn’t capable of human expression, but the cadences of his voice were almost peotic in their subtlety.
‘The Doctor told you all that in a few snarls?’
‘Shliman is a very concise language,’ the Doctor informed her. ‘Be thankful for the Shliman homing instinct – without it Quint would never have been able to locate the medallion, and us.’
‘Doctor, this Gallifreyan female is injured.’ Quint was kneeling to examine Patience. Tegan half hoped that the poor woman didn’t open her eyes. Friendly or not, Quint wasn’t what you would want to see looming over you when you’d just woken up.
‘Yes,’ the Doctor said, hovering at Quint’s shoulder. ‘We need to get her to a medical centre.’
The Shark Person tugged at the rope around his waist.
‘Signalling a colleague?’ the Doctor enquired.
‘A primitive method of communication, but not one that spy satellites or monitoring stations can intercept. Can we move the unconscious female?’
‘I think so. We will have to be careful about sudden movements to her head.’
Quint inclined his head to one side. ‘As you wish.’
Together, he and the Doctor eased her up, carrying her.
‘You go first, Tegan.’ The Doctor prompted. Tegan went over to the door, a blanket draped over her shoulders.
A circular corridor had been carved in the ice, leading up.
It was narrow, just enough for one person – or Shark Person – to clamber through. The skitrain’s door was half-melted into the side of the corridor. A little light was percolating through the walls, but it wasn’t really enough to navigate. Tegan located the rope attached to Quint’s waist - she could just make it out, leading up through the tunnel - and used it as a handrail. Her other hand drifted up the wall of the corridor. The floor and walls were smooth where the ice had melted then instantly refrozen.
The ice stung her bare feet as she climbed. Behind her she could hear the Doctor and Quint entering the tunnel. The rope was slackening, but that didn’t matter so much any more, because as she climbed more sunlight was getting through. Ahead of her was a circle of light: the end of the tunnel. As she reached it, four powerful hands pulled her up and out. There were two humans, dressed in bulky furs to protect them from the wind and cold. Protected only by a light blanket, Tegan buckled.
‘Get her inside,’ one of them shouted