Doctor Who_ St. Anthony's Fire - Mark Gatiss [65]
There had to be a way out. Walking quickly around the perimeter of the chamber, past the throbbing banks of circuitry, she emerged next to another large door.
It opened with a squeal and the woman passed through.
Ahead was a metal corridor. Blank. Featureless. Subdued lighting gave it a chilly, clinical glow. She made her way quickly down the passage, her bare feet clapping on the steel‐panelled floor. This looked promising. Perhaps even the way out. If she didn’t find it soon then the Chaptermen would discover her. And they had quite a few fates worse than death up their sleeves.
* * *
Bernice stepped back and looked around rapidly as though smelling the air.
Liso looked up. ‘What is it?’
‘Listen!’
Liso’s snout crinkled worriedly. ‘The stone rain? We’ll have to get under cover.’
‘No. Look!’
Liso’s gaze flicked across to her outstretched arm. Something was materializing out of thin air above the square depression in the ground. A light flashed and, with its familiar thump, the TARDIS returned to the jungles of Betrushia.
Bernice almost skipped towards the battered blue box, such was her relief and excitement.
‘Is this it?’ queried Liso.
‘Yes!’ She slapped her palm against the door. ‘Doctor! Come out wherever you are.’
The doors remained obstinately shut. Bernice frowned. ‘Doctor?’
She stepped back as the double doors creaked slowly open. To her great surprise, Ran’s bemused and twitching face appeared around the jamb.
‘You!’ she cried. ‘What are you –’
Liso rushed to support his comrade as Ran stumbled from the TARDIS
‘Ran? Ran, what is it? What happened?’
Bernice had more pressing concerns: ‘Where’s the Doctor?’
Ran shook his head. ‘It’s no good. They’ve taken him. The Keth came and… took him.’ He gazed up at the blurred halo of the rings. ‘I was up there, Liso. In space. I saw them.’
Bernice shook him frustratedly. ‘Someone took the Doctor? Who?’
Ran closed his eyes. ‘The Keth. A great black ship.’
Liso and Bernice exchanged glances. Ran struggled to his feet and rubbed his twitching eyes. ‘You must excuse me. I have things to attend to.’
Liso grabbed him by the shoulders. ‘Get hold of yourself, man. What are you talking about? We need to know what’s going on.’
Ran almost smiled, something of his old humour returning. ‘You really want to know, Liso? The Doctor showed me everything. Betrushia is dying. Pulling itself apart.’
‘What?’ Liso looked appalled. ‘I don’t believe it.’
‘How long?’ said Bernice directly.
‘Days. Perhaps hours.’
Liso turned away, his broad shoulders sinking. ‘Then there’s nothing we can do.’
Ran moved across the clearing, his boots slicing through the dewy grass. ‘No. But there’s something I can do.’
‘Where are you…?’
‘I’ll be back,’ cried Ran, disappearing into the jungle.
Bernice tugged at Liso’s arm. ‘We must find the Doctor.’
‘It’s too late, Bernice. The Keth have him. The Keth will have consumed him. And now they will consume my world.’
Bernice’s eyes flashed angrily. ‘And you’re just going to let them?’
‘I’ve told you. We cannot fight –’
‘Yes we can! Look, Liso. You told me these… Keth things were some sort of… evil… from your planet’s pre‐history, right?’
‘Yes. They came when…’
‘Never mind. Well, I don’t know many mythical bogymen who have to do their chain‐rattling in spaceships.’
‘What do you mean?’
Bernice sat down on the tree trunk. ‘I mean that I reckon your Keth are a bit more corporeal than you imagine. And what’s corporeal can be hurt.’
Almost as though challenging Bernice’s defiance, lightning streaked across the inflamed sky. Corresponding thunder grumbled distantly.
Liso looked appealingly into Bernice’s face, his solitary eye blinking thoughtfully.
‘You have spirit, Bernice. I admire you.’
‘Well, don’t give up on me then,’ she said, smiling. ‘You may have lost your certainty but there’s always a cause. And this is a very good one as causes go. What d’you say?’
He grunted, half smiling.