Doctor Who_ Storm Harvest - Mike Tucker [28]
Ace struggled with the heavy hatch, slipping on the wet floor.
‘Bryce, give me a hand here.’
The hatch slammed down and she and Bryce heaved on the locking 51
handles. R’tk’tk lay panting on the floor. Ace could hear Rajiid’s voice: ‘I don’t believe it! Go active on the sonar.’
Ping.
The noise echoed around the sub like a gunshot.
‘Is that one creature?’
‘Rajiid, what the hell is going on?’ Ace could hear the panic in her own voice. The Alpha Centaurians began to chatter nervously to each other. Ace couldn’t hear herself think.
‘Will you two shut up!?’
Ping.
She crossed to the cabin. The two pilots were staring at a dot on the screen.
‘Look at the speed it’s moving.’ Greg was shaking his head in disbelief.
‘It’s more than one signal.’
‘Rajiid...’ Ace shook him. ‘Talk to me.’
Ping.
‘Two thousand metres and closing.’
‘Rajiid, will you get us the hell out of here!’ R’tk’tk’s translators screamed at the back of Ace’s head.
Rajiid slipped into his chair and the motors whined into life.
Ping.
‘One hundred and fifty metres and closing.’
‘Everyone, strap in. Someone get a harness on R’tk’tk.’
Ace stumbled backwards as the sub lurched forward.
Ping.
‘One hundred metres and closing.
Ace struggled to strap herself in. Holly Reif started to scream again.
Ping.
‘Fifty metres.’
‘Dear God they’re everywhere!’
Ping.
‘Ten metres!’
Ping.
‘Holy...’
Ping ping pingpingping...
Ace caught a sudden glimpse of claws scything through the water, then the sub lurched and all she could hear was screaming.
52
Part Two
‘Swim,’ said the momma fishy ‘swim if you can...’
53
Chapter Seven
Ace’s world had become a kaleidoscope of noise and terror. The sub spiralled towards the seabed, throwing its occupants around like dice in a cup. She tumbled backwards as the sub lurched to one side. She could hear harsh shrieks and scrapings, and the water outside the windows boiled and heaved. The little craft pitched again and she was flung against the hull, her face pressed up against one of the windows.
She gave a gasp of pure horror as one of the things that was attacking them loomed up through the gloom. The creature was huge, its skin plated and ribbed, spines and bristles cresting over its head and down its back. Its eyes blazing with malevolence, it leered at her through the window. The mouth was a vast distended maw. Ace was close enough to see down the gaping throat. She felt sick.
The monster seemed enraged by the sight of her. Its claws raked out, slamming against the hull. Water from a dozen tiny punctures suddenly sprayed across the deck. Ace gasped as the freezing water hit her.
‘Rajiid!’ she screamed at the struggling pilot. ‘We’re leaking!’ She braced herself against a bulkhead and desperately tried to staunch the flow of water with her hands. There was another rending shriek as the creatures tore at the skin of the submarine, their claws skittering across the metal.
Rajiid was suddenly at her side, an aerosol can in one hand. He pulled her hands out of the way and directed the nozzle at the hull. A thin spray of foam spattered over the metal. Within seconds, it was solid.
There was a cry from Bryce as the floor at his feet buckled and bulged. He curled into a ball, whimpering as more and more of the creatures pressed against the windows raging at their prey.
There was a harsh crack and a spider web of lines raced across one of the windows. Ace snatched the aerosol from Rajiid’s hand. She hurled herself forward and squirted foam over the windows, shutting out the creatures.
Holly continued to scream, her eyes wild and staring. Ace caught hold of her arm, spun her round and punched her, hard. Holly dropped 54
like a stone. Cradling her fist, Ace yelled over to Rajiid, ‘You’ve got to get us out of here!’
The Indian scrambled forward to where Greg was struggling with the controls. ‘Can we blow the tanks?’ The Australian shook his head.
Not a chance. All our external lines are damaged. They’ve not punctured anything yet, but it’s only a matter of time.