Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [86]
supposed to come from!’
To his inexpressible relief, the doors sprang open and he
‘From the nova?’ said Cooper quizzically.
threw himself out of the lift into another darkened corridor.
‘No! We couldn’t see the wood for the trees. The nova is Trevithick groped his way through the blackness and his incidental. The energy isn’t coming from space at all. It’s hand clapped on to a cold, steel banister. Thank God, at underneath us.’
least there were stairs at this level.
Cooper whistled. ‘That would explain why it’s flooded He forced his weary legs on to the damp concrete. It was the systems. Too local to make any sense.’
now vital that he found his friends. There was something Vijay looked at her excitedly. ‘But what is it? The Doctor’s alive down here. Alive and growing.
ghost thing?’
Holly shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’
Holly and Vijay helped Cooper through the double doors Cooper sat down and pouted her lower lip. ‘Well, call me and then into the control room.
alarmist if you like, but it strikes me we’re not in the best of
‘Now what?’ said Holly. ‘The village?’
positions here.’
Vijay shook his head. ‘No, this changes things. If Dr Vijay looked down gravely. ‘We’re sitting on a powder Cooper survived, then maybe old Trevithick did too. I think keg.’
we owe it to him to at least look.’
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DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
The Doctor rocked on his haunches.
Ace was hanging from Robin’s legs as he hooked his
‘How long?’ he whispered.
fingers into the guttering. It was horribly unsafe and he Billy Coote inclined his head, his whole frame now gritted his teeth, mixing blind optimism with prayers to his flickering with light.
neglected deity.
‘How long have you been here?’ urged the Doctor.
‘OK?’ he gasped.
There was a strange, whispering groan, merging with the
‘Yeah. Hold on.’ Ace scrambled down his legs and pushed familiar rustling sound. Then the voice, halting, dry and her boot into the same wall crevice she had found the dead as stone: ‘All time. Since before the world.’
previous night. If she could just keep a grip on the stone and The Doctor frowned. ‘Before the world?’
swing herself back through the window...
Billy raised a spindly arm along which flurries of blue
‘You get back on the roof!’ she shouted to Robin. ‘I’ll get light were dancing. ‘All time.’
the rope strung up and then you can come down. OK?’
The Doctor changed tack. ‘What are you?’
He hissed his assent, struggling to breathe as Ace The thing within Billy Coote seemed to shudder and for clambered down him.
an instant there was a vile movement beneath his She reached his ankles and her feet found the top of the transparent skin, like a specimen in a jar suddenly jerking to stone window. Carefully, she pushed her fingers into the life.
crumbling masonry and scrambled through into the attic
‘Know not,’ it mumbled. ‘Know not. Just am.’ Billy’s head chamber.
slumped on to his chest, columns of light bursting from
‘Doctor!’
every pore. ‘So tired. So tired.’
He held up his hand to silence her. Ace gawped at the The Doctor rubbed his chin thoughtfully and moved back thing in the corner.
still further. Energy seemed to be seeping from Billy’s body, Billy Coote’s whole body was alive with crackling light, pooling under his legs and beneath his back.
billowing around him in nebulous clouds.
‘Do you know ...’ the Doctor began. ‘Do you know where
‘He’s possessed,’ whispered the Doctor. ‘Possessed by you’ve come from?’
whatever it is.’
The voice gave a guttural choke, as though willing itself
‘All time,’ it burbled, ectoplasmic fluid gushing from the back into life. ‘Only ever here. Alone. Cannot rest. Cannot light-blanched mouth. ‘Need! Need!’
rest.’
The Doctor leant forward as close as he dared. ‘What do The light in Billy’s eyes seemed to blaze again for an you need?’
instant.
Billy Coote’s body flickered for a moment and then, like a
‘Need!’ it rustled. ‘Need!’
distant image in a heat haze, vanished into the shimmering wall of light.
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