Doctor Who_ Storm Harvest - Mike Tucker [44]
‘So what are you saying?’ urged Ace.
‘Nothing’s differentiated,’ said Rajiid. ‘No specialised organs.
Everything looks practically the same.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Ace.
‘Neither do I, said Greg, prodding the thing’s chest with his fingers.
His expression suddenly froze. His eyes widened.
‘I’ll tell you something else, Ace...’ He pulled his hand back and moved away from the body. think it’s still alive.
Ace didn’t have time to reply. The body twitched, danced on the table. Before they could move it lashed out, its heavy clawed arm catching Greg across the face and sending him spinning across the workshop. In seconds the creature was on its feet in front of them. It let out a curious, queasy mewing sound. A vicious sound...
‘What now?’ whispered Ace. The thing was looking at her with bright, primitive eyes.
‘Don’t move,’ said Rajiid quietly.
Sod that. Ace dived forward and rolled behind a metal cupboard –
just in time. The thing sprang for her, its powerful legs thrusting it forward, its lethal claws raking the air in front of her face.
Rajiid was moving too. He sprang over the workbench, knocking a 83
pile of equipment to the floor, and joined her.
‘It seems slow,’ whispered Ace. ‘Sluggish.’
‘Probably because half its guts are hanging out, said Rajiid. He was rummaging among the debris he’d knocked from the bench. He fished out a small buoy and scrabbled at its base.
In a cacophony of sound the buoy screeched into life, strobing blue light across the workshop.
The creature cocked its head in curiosity. The lights seemed to fascinate it. It had them trapped – it seemed in no hurry to deal with them.
‘That wall locker above your head,’ said Rajiid. ‘There’s an antique gun in there.’
Ace pulled the little door open and felt the cold metal of a pistol barrel. A 47 magnum, loaded. She passed it to Rajiid.
‘It’s years since I used this,’ he said. ‘Cover your ears.’
He aimed the gun and squeezed the trigger. He emptied the magazine into the creature’s torso. It staggered under the impact, and let out a roar of pure fury. Ace could see the holes torn by the bullets.
The creature continued to advance.
‘Any ideas?’ said Rajiid.
The thing sprang again but Ace was prepared. She braced herself against the wall and kicked out with all her strength against the metal cupboard. It tipped forward and crashed on to the creature which roared again, its claws flashing and grating against the cupboard’s sides.
Ace watched in horror. The thing’s claws were tearing through the metal walls as if they were made of paper. The huge cupboard was being torn to ribbons.
Ace glanced over at Greg, slumped against the wall of the workshop.
His face was a deathly white, his arm twisted under him at an impossible angle.
‘We’ve got to get over to Greg,’ she whispered. ‘We’ll have to distract it.
‘Got it!’ said Rajiid. He pulled an old box from a shelf and ripped it open. He took out what looked to Ace like a big firework.
‘Flares,’ said Rajiid. ‘This is a time of distress, isn’t it? Cover your eyes.’
He pulled a loop on the back of the tube. There was a fizzing, and a blinding flash. The creature screamed and clutched its eyes. The flare had hit it square in the face.
‘Now!’ Rajiid shouted.
They tried to dart around the blinded, flailing monster. With a hiss of 84
fury it sprang into their path.
‘It can still see us,’ said Rajiid. ‘Or hear us...’
The monster staggered around the workshop, tearing wildly at the smoking skin of its face.
It was directly under the block and tackle. Directly under the engine.
Ace threw herself forward, her foot slamming into the winch control.
With a deafening clang of chains the huge sub engine dropped on to the monster, catching it across the shoulder blades. The creature folded almost in half with a horrible whistling rattle.
Ace crossed to it and kicked it. It seemed dead, but she had thought that before...
She joined Rajiid, who was crouching next to Greg.
‘Is he all right?’
Rajiid nodded. ‘I think so. Some superficial bleeding... and I