Doctor Who_ Full Circle - Andrew Smith [37]
'Oh, that was hours ago,' Adric said lightly, and lifted his knee. The Doctor frowned at the sight of the healed flesh through the tattered hole in the knee of the trousers.
'This is typical, is it?' he asked. 'Wounds healing at this speed?'
'Old people take a bit longer - sometimes a whole day.' There was a gleam in the Doctor's eyes now. 'Rapid cellular adaptation - that settles it.'
'Settles what?'
'Back to the Science Unit.' The Doctor whirled round and headed back along the passageway at a brisk pace. Adric raced to catch up.
At the passageway junction, they stopped as the starliner's address system crackled into life. The Doctor recognised Login's voice.
'All citizens remain in your quarters. All citizens remain in your quarters. The starliner has been boarded by hostiles. Steps are being taken...'
'Varsh!' Adric cried.
The Doctor turned to see Varsh and Keara running along the passageway towards them, out of breath.
'What's going on?' the Doctor wanted to know.
'It's the Marshmen!' Keara gasped.
Varsh was looking round. 'Wait - where's Tylos?' Suddenly aware that Tylos was most likely still trapped in the boarding area, he looked Keara in the eye and said, 'I'm going back.'
'No!' Keara begged, afraid for him.
'I'll see to Tylos,' said the Doctor, and he started to usher them off down another passageway. 'All of you take cover. In the Science Unit. Wait for me there.'
'Doctor, I want to come with - ' Varsh began.
'In the Science Unit!'
Aware that the Doctor would not be swayed, the youngsters submitted, and started on their way to the Science Unit.
Steeling himself, the Doctor ran off in the direction of the boarding area, knowing, and fearing, what he could expect to meet there.
Nefred, Garif and Login were gathered in a nervous huddle in the middle of the floor of the Great Book Room.
After the instrumentation had reported the opening of the lower deck escapeways, reports had started coming in of Marshman activity all over the ship, and the indications were that more of the creatures were coming on board all the time. The citizens were in a terrified panic. Login's broadcasts had done little to restore much order.
'How did they get in?' Login demanded. 'The entrances were all sealed from the inside.'
'The Doctor has betrayed us,' was Garif's suggestion.
'I don't think so,' Nefred countered. 'The Doctor has already demonstrated his great wisdom. He is not a man to side with chaos.'
'Nevertheless,' Garif put in, 'chaos surrounds us.' He looked to Nefred. 'What are we to do?'
'Yes, Nefred,' said Login. 'What are we to do?'
Nefred considered. He turned, taking a few paces away from his fellow-Deciders, then swivelled round to face them again. He began, 'Login, you are a Decider now... what are we to do?'
The Doctor approached the boarding area with the utmost caution, his twin hearts pounding rapidly. Apart from his palpitations, the only sound was the steady hum of the ship's power source - one of those sounds, the Doctor remarked to himself, of which you are always unaware until you become, through fear, sensitive to even the slightest disturbance of silence.
The Doctor emerged slowly from the passageway, his eyes searching every corner of the confined area. The Marshmen had gone. He allowed himself to relax just a little and moved further into the chamber. As he manoeuvred round the TARDIS, Tylos's body came into view. The youngster was sprawled on the floor, one leg tucked awkwardly under the other, very dead, his neck bruised and bloody.
The Doctor knelt beside the boy. They had never spoken, yet he felt a sense of real loss. The taking of life was always to be mourned, the taking of a young life even more so. The Doctor was puzzled to see that blue veins had developed on the youngster's face. The Marshmen must have been responsible. But how? Some contagious infection?
The low snarl came from immediately behind the Doctor. In one instant he had shot to his feet and spun round. He was face to face with the Marshleader. The creature was carrying his club. Perched on the end of it