Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [100]
The Queen stood, shaking off his concern. 'No, Doctor. We came here for a purpose and that has not yet been fulfilled: Then the screaming began.
* * *
General Doulton strode towards the soldiers, his back ramrod straight, his chin held high. 'What is the meaning of this? Why are your men not properly acknowledging the presence of a senior officer?' he demanded.
The three dozen men turned as one and automatical y snapped to attention. Then they saw the face of the officer approaching them.
None dared speak for several seconds, Johnson finally breaking the silence.
`General Doulton? But you can't be there - you've over here...'
The private pointed down at the prone body on the ground. It still wore the uniform of a general in the British Army but the face was just a blur. Standing over the body was another creature, its features also abandoning their human characteristics.
The creature threw back its head and screamed, a terrifying cry rending the air. Doulton and the soldiers tried to shield their ears from the cacophony, blood beginning to trickle from their noses. 'Fall back!' the general screamed. `Fall back to the gateway!'
`Gute Fraiichen..: The voice was indistinct at first, just a muttering beneath the horrific scream. But the words soon became more audible, along with the sound of someone approaching the outside of the tent. 'Are you there?'
Àlbert?' The Queen strained to hear the voice. 'My beloved, is that you?'
`Weibchen, where are you?'
`Coming, my beloved, I'm coming: Victoria began to leave the tent but the Doctor stepped in front of her.
`Your Majesty, listen to me. That voice - it may sound like your husband but it is an illusion. Do not believe it,' he urged.
Ì must go to him!'
`No, Your Majesty. You have to listen to me!'
`Come to me, kleines Frauchen, let me embrace you again.'
Victoria pushed open the tent. Standing outside was the corpse of the duplicate James Lees, its face contorted back into some semblance of life. Lids fluttered over sightless eyes and dark crimson blood splattered from between blue lips.
The head was tilted to one side, while both arms were raised in a crude mockery of someone waiting to be hugged. 'My Weibchen, my love,' the corpse whispered, speaking with Prince Albert's voicèNo! No!' Victoria cried out before fainting into the Doctor's arms. He lowered her carefully to the ground before approaching the grisly apparition. The Doctor stood in front of the resurrected corpse and folded his arms.
Ìf you want the Queen, you'll have to get past me'
When the screaming began James went into spasm, his body twisting and jerking out of Nyssa's grasp. He fell to the ground, his head cracking against a rock. The private ran across the dry riverbed past the wounded duplicate of Clark to help Nyssa with the boy. 'We must get you both away from here,' Morrison shouted, straining to be heard over the cry howling out from inside the rift. 'This whole valley will be underwater within minutes!'
Nyssa bent over James's face, straining to hear anything but the nerve-jangling screech. 'He's stopped breathing! We can't risk moving him. I have to revive him first' She pressed her mouth over the boy's lips while pinching his nose shut and blew. James's chest rose and fell as Nyssa tried to breathe life back into him.
`You cannot stop us,' the doppelganger gurgled. It stretched out an arm to grab at Morrison. The soldier lashed out with his rifle, smashing the butt into the impostor's head. The duplicate cried out in pain, its face distorting into a featureless blur.
Morrison began reloading his rifle, fingers working urgently while his eyes searched the surrounding hills. `We're sitting ducks out here. Those things could be back at any moment.
Nyssa stopped to listen again. 'There . I think... Yes, he's breathing again!'
Morrison scooped up the boy in his arms and began striding to the edge of the