Doctor Who_ The Devil Goblins From Neptune - Keith Topping [13]
He placed one foot on the windowsill, about to push himself through.
Without warning something smashed into his back. He lost his balance, swayed forward - then felt what seemed like a claw on his arm, pulling him backward.
He tumbled on to the grass, face up. Night sky.
Comforting clouds. Just a bad trip. Perhaps -
With an otherworldly screech a creature, dark and flapping, arced down towards him from the sky talons outstretched.
CHAPTER 3
One of the disadvantages of having to change UNIT HQ with the regularity that befitted a secret organisation was that you were never truly at home anywhere. At least, that's the way it seemed to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. No sooner had the dust settled from one move than they would be off again. It made continuity a big problem.
And few things irritated the Brigadier more than discontinuity.
The daily file of normal UNIT business, brought to him by his adjutant Corporal Bell, was the usual mixture of interesting oddities, absurd speculation, and sensationalist rubbish. He glanced at the reports with disinterest. The first was from a police chief superintendent concerning several strange crop circles found over the last few months around Polesworth in Warwickshire. Could they, the policeman wondered, be connected with recent alien threats to Britain?
The Brigadier scribbled a quick note to the effect that the chief superintendent would be better employed checking out the activities of young farmers after closing time at the local.
A similar query from a constable in Wiltshire was also dismissed. A much more interesting report came from an RAF base in Leicestershire. Two pilots flying back from a night exercise near the town of Coalville had a close encounter with a bright, glowing object. Radio communication between the Harriers and the ground was lost for over a minute, and both RAF men reported that after having encountered a blinding light they had no memory of the ensuing period.
Lethbridge-Stewart noted the file for further investigation.
The reports were remarkably similar to those UNIT had received at the time of the Cyber invasion. 'Get the Doctor to have a look at that one, I think,' he said, and moved on to a report on increased radiation levels in the Solent just as his intercom buzzed.
'I have Professor Trainor on line three for you, sir,' said Carol Bell.
'Put him through,' said the Brigadier. Another distraction.
As a favour to Ralph Cornish, who had recently been appointed to overall command of the British space programme, UNIT were to provide security for a press luncheon which was to announce the results of British Rocket Group's latest unmanned mission to Uranus and Neptune.
Professor Bernard Trainor was the man under whose direction the mission had provided much valuable information about these two mysterious planets. The Brigadier had met Trainor once, at the launch of the spacecraft the previous year, and had found him to be a charming if somewhat absentminded man.
'Good morning, Professor,' he said brightly. 'What can I do for you?'
'Brigadier?' replied Trainor, as though expecting someone else. 'How are you?'
'I'm well,' said the Brigadier, casting his eyes towards the ceiling. 'Is there something you need?' He didn't really have the time for pleasantries. At this moment, Captain Mike Yates entered the office and the Brigadier threw him an exasperated glance.
'I was just... That is... The press luncheon...' said the professor.
'Of course, Professor,' soothed the Brigadier. The arrangements are in hand. My liaison officer should be with you shortly to deal with any last-minute problems that you, or we, may have.' He covered the telephone mouthpiece with his hand and growled at Yates to have a seat.
'Professor Trainor, sir?' asked Yates with a mischievous grin.
'Third call in the last two days,' said Lethbridge-Stewart before returning his attention to the professor. He was asking, in his own unique way, whether