Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [34]
‘Just as well,’ muttered Jamie. ‘I don’t much like this place—nor that door.’ He stared at it, frowning. ‘I wonder what’s inside it?’
Arden threw him a quick, amused glance. ‘You don’t think I’m leaving here until I’ve had a go at opening it, do you? There’s never been a discovery like this before—’
They were the last words he ever spoke. At Varga’s silent command, the warriors stepped out of hiding and opened fire. Victoria, her mouth smothered by Varga’s mighty fist, could only watch in helpless terror as Arden took the full brunt of the massive burst of sonic power. His body seemed to shimmer, almost disintegrate, beneath the invisible blast of energy. For a split second, he seemed suspended like a broken puppet, his face crumpled in agonised surprise.
Then he slumped to the ground beside Jamie, as though hurled there by a giant hand. The ambush complete. Varga released the girl. She stood trembling, staring at the two sprawled bodies on the cavern floor, her face wide-eyed with misery. ‘You’ve... killed them!’
6
Under the Moving Mountain
The Doctor prowled round the Ioniser Room like a caged animal, his puckish features clearly showing his deep anxiety. Since completing the Ionisation formula, he’d been able to think of nothing but Victoria—and now nearly an hour had passed since Arden and Jamie had last made contact.
The Doctor paused before the video communicator. He was just about to operate it, when Clent strode into the room, bursting with elation at the compliments showered on him by the World Scientific Director. Seeing the Doctor’s intention, he moved forward and intercepted his hand at the video controls. and questioned him with a frown.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m worried. Arden and Jamie should’ve reported in again by now!’
‘You know what Arden is like,’ he replied cheerfully—
‘full of scientific curiosity...’
‘I think we should find out,’ suggested the Doctor, again reaching for the video.
‘If you don’t mind,’ replied Clent, reaching the controls first, ‘I’ll handle this.’ He adjusted the controls and spoke crisply into the machine. ‘Base to Glacier Task Force—Leader Clent calling scientist Arden. Arden, do you read me!’
There was response other than the harsh surge of static.
The video screen was blank. Clent frowned, and spoke again more brusquely. ‘Arden—answer me! Arden!’
The Doctor’s mouth tightened ‘Something is wrong...’
he muttered. ‘I’ll never forgive myself if anything’s happened to those two youngsters.’
Jan entered briskly, still smiling from Clent’s achievement. Her face fell when she saw the two men staring anxiously at the faintly flickering videoscreen. ‘What’s wrong?’
she asked.
‘No reply from Arden’ Clent tried to brighten the gloom. ‘At least we’ve made the breakthrough with the Ioniser!’ He beamed at the Doctor. ‘The World Director assured me that there’ll be suitable... recognition for all the members of our little group! We’ve got that machine under complete control at last!’ But his face fell at the Doctor’s reply.
‘What a pity we shan’t be able to use it then.’
Clent and Miss Garrett looked at him blankly for a moment—then the truth of his statement sunk in.
‘You’re forgetting that Arden hasn’t yet completed his mission,’ the Doctor continued. ‘And until we know the facts about that alien spaceship, we daren’t go on!’
Penley had watched the ambush in the ice cave with horror. Minutes after the aliens had retreated into the doorway in the ice, dragging the girl with them, he had managed to pull himself together enough to scurry silently across to the two crumpled bodies. To his astonishment, he had found that Jamie, partly protected from the warriors’
deadly fire-power by Arden’s body, was still alive! Summoning up the strength to drag the lad’s limp form to the waiting airsled, he had brought him back to Storr’s hide-out. He could do nothing to save the girl—but as he sped back to safety, his mind raced. What was behind the door in the ice?
Storr’s immediate reaction to Jamie was predictable and fierce. ‘Why bring him back here?’ he growled.