Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [28]
The snow buried not only the ground and ice beneath it, but also every sound: wolves and bears moved quietly enough at the best of times, but under cover of the snow blanket they gained an edge of surprise that could be deadly. It paid to keep your ears open and your eyes sharp. It also paid to conserve your energy, thought Penley—especially when one of the team was flat on his back and totally incapable. Still, he thought, Storr’s past the danger stage now; whatever the big man might rave about scientists and their hocus-pocus drugs, it was that very magic that had saved him. Penley had left him sleeping deeply—but with all trace of the burning fever gone.
Twenty-four hours more, and the old pirate would be himself again; in time the bone would heal, strongly if not perfect. It was while Storr was out of service, under-going repair, Penley smiled to himself, that he could tackle what was in his own mind.
There was a mystery afoot, involving the strange, warrior-like alien, the girl—and the scruffy-looking stranger he’d met in the medicare laboratory. Very odd, that one—
what was he doing at the Base? How as it that he knew so much about Clent, and the problems that idiot brought on himself? Why had he asked him to come back to the Base?
The man had a sense of humour, too—and that was unusual in itself. What was his link with the girl—and the creature from the ice?
He was certain that the ungainly monster he’d seen had something to do with Arden’s excavations at the glacier face; and there had only been one way to satisfy his questioning mind: go and investigate.
Penley lurched forward through the drifting snow, moving diagonally across the slope that would bring him close to the excavation site. But at the top of the wind-skimmed ridge, he paused and crouched, his eyes squinting into the wind, hardly able to believe what he saw.
The usually smooth curve of the glacier, instead of gleaming dully in the fading moonlight, glinted and sparkled like a frozen waterfall. In front of the shattered crystalline wall, ankle deep in ice fragments, towered the alien creature.
Its arm was pointed at the ice face and, even at this distance the whine of some unseen device could be heard, faint but jarring to the ear. And as Penley watched, great frozen gouts of ice spurted and crumpled away, as though struck by a gigantic, invisible hammer! The creature was carving its way into the heart of the glacier!
Penley shaded his eyes and peered harder into the stinging spume of snow. Now he could make out the girl—
apparently helping, though without much enthusiasm. But it was what stood beyond, gaunt and gleaming in the thin light of the dying moon, that caught Penley’s eye and held it in unbelieving amazement. Like prehistoric stone monoliths.
carved and dragged from the face of the glacier, towered four immense blocks of ice.
At last the searing whine of the sonic weapon ceased.
With a series of great heaves. Varga tore the last remaining block of ice free of the glacier, and dragged it across to the others. The five gleaming crags loomed menacingly against the night sky: Victoria seemed to flinch from their cold power. Varga strode proudly up to them, and struck the fractured ice with his great fist.
‘It is done,’ he hissed, elated. ‘They are free!’
He wheeled to face Victoria, and snapped out his orders. ‘Bring the power packs to me!’
She could do nothing but obey. Snatching them front her, he deftly placed the electrodes at key points on the first two blocks of ice. They began to hum ominously. Varga faced his comrades boldly, and barked a command at their lifeless forms.
‘Awake from the dead!’
5
The Omega Factor
Dawn at last. Outside the Base airlock, the equipment that Arden and Jamie would need for their investigation was already packed aboard the sleek form of the airsled. It included all the usual snowtrek survival gear; drilling tools, power packs and self-heating food dispensers. But most important of all was the directional radiation detector,