Doctor Who_ The Bodysnatchers - Mark Morris [38]
The Doctor peered at the floor where the barrels had been.As far as Sam could see, there were only a number of dark slimy circles populated by a great many fat and confused woodlice.At the Doctor's behest, they moved the timber next, then the machinery. A spider roughly the size of Venezuela crawled out of the machinery and scuttled over Sam's hand. To her shame, she was unable to suppress a cry of alarm, but at least she didn't drop what she was holding.
There was nothing underneath the timber or the machinery. The Doctor moved across to the arch on the far side of the room, holding his candle above his head like a tour guide.
'Here we have the spacious master bedroom,' Sam said, squeezing into the alcove behind him. She eyed the walls distastefully. 'Plenty of running water, though unfortunately no taps.'
'More barrels,' the Doctor said apologetically. 'Professor, would you mind?'
Litefoot had stuck his head through the arch behind Sam and was looking up at the seeping walls warily, as if afraid something unpleasant was going to plop down on to his top hat and ruin it. 'I must be quite mad,' he decided, but propped his cane against the wall.Together he and the Doctor shifted the barrels from one side of the alcove to the other.
'Aha,' the Doctor said, and placed his candle on the floor next to what had been revealed.
'What is it?' Sam breathed, cautious of getting too close.
Set into the stone floor was what appeared to be an upside-down crab, its jointed legs tightly meshed.
'It's a lock,' the Doctor said.
'A lock?' exclaimed Litefoot, his voice echoing in the confined space.
'It looks alive,' said Sam.
'Well it is, in a manner of speaking.'The Doctor crouched down and peered at the 'crab', his face only inches from its bunched legs.'Organic technology,' he murmured. 'That narrows it down a bit.'
'Whatever are you talking about, Doctor?' Litefoot asked.
The Doctor looked up at him. 'I'm afraid this is going to be rather hard for you to accept, Professor, but the mechanism you see here doesn't originate on this planet.'
'Doesn't originate...? What the Dickens are you trying to say?'
'Aliens,' said Sam, not without some degree of relish.
'Aliens! ' repeated Litefoot. 'Beings from outer space, do you mean?' He started to laugh, then abruptly stopped when he realised that no one was laughing with him.'I do believe you're serious.'
'Oh, we are,' said the Doctor. 'Deadly.'
'I am mad,' said Litefoot faintly.
'Nonsense, Professor,' said the Doctor, producing his sonic screwdriver once more.'You're as sane as I am.'
'Very reassuring,' said Litefoot doubtfully. He looked at the alien lock again.
The Weng-Chiang business five years ago had broadened his horizons considerably, but creatures from another planet? The idea was preposterous!
'No, I'm sorry, Doctor,' he said, 'but I simply can't accept what you say. It must be some sort of trick.'
'Must it?' said the Doctor as if the idea had never occurred to him.
'Well... of course. It stands to reason, surely? I mean, beings from other worlds are a fantasy.They simply do not exist.'
'Don't they?' said the Doctor, all innocence, and switched on his sonic screwdriver. Sam grinned in anticipation.
He pointed the screwdriver at the alien lock, the red bulb almost touching the 'stomach' section between the meshed legs. The effect was instantaneous and spectacular. The legs began to writhe like those of a crab which had been flipped on to its back and was frantically trying to right itself.
'Great Scott!'exclaimed Litefoot.
'Gross,' said Sam.
The Doctor half turned, and was about to say something when his face fell.'Oh dear.'
'What's the matter, Doctor?' asked Sam, then realised that he was looking not at her, but beyond her. She twisted round, holding up her candle.
Something was moving in the darkness by the door, just beyond her