Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [38]
She had almost succeeded in wriggling through, feet first, when she heard the crushing approach of the Ice Warrior! Panicking, she dropped the precious communicator—her only link with the Base, and human help.
She knew that she must have the device without it she would be utterly lost. It lay on the floor only a yard away. Stretching back through the crevice, she could almost reach it—the effort wracked her weary muscles to breaking point; the ice became a living creature, creaking and groaning all around her. And beyond the rumbling menace of the ice, she could hear the steady, crunching tread of Turoc’s feet—and the menacing hiss of his approaching breath.
Abandoning the struggle to reach the communicator, Victoria tried to draw, back out of his reach—but she was stuck! With horror, she realised that she couldn’t move! Then, just as the Ice Warrior’s massive fist clamped down on her wrist, there came a shudder and a roar of moving ice! The body of the Ice Warrior was crushed by the ceiling of the tunnel as it fell in on top of him! When the moment of terror had passed, and the eerie silence returned, Victoria suddenly realised that the grip of the crevice round her body had loosened—she could move! Now was her chance of escape—
before another movement of the glacier brought down an avalanche of ice on top of her, too! And then she discovered the grim truth: her puny strength couldn’t budge the grip of Turoc’s mighty fist—even in death he held her a prisoner in the heart of the moving mountain of ice!
7
Diplomat in Danger
‘His fever’s gone,’ observed Storr brusquely, looking down at Jamie’s sleeping body. ‘His body’s young. It’ll soon heal.’
‘Yes, of course it will,’ replied Penley, but he didn’t sound convinced.
‘What are you worried about then?’
Penley frowned, remembering the Ice Warriors’ vicious attack. ‘The weapons they used...’ he brooded, ‘peculiar...’ He snapped out of his thoughts and faced Storr squarely. ‘The fact is I’m afraid there might be some neural damage. He has no reflex response from the waist down.’
Storr had seen spinal paralysis in animals and men before; the only hope of survival would be intensive care and proper treatment. Was this an excuse for Penley to return to the Base? ‘How can you be sure, it he’s unconscious?’
‘I’m not—yet. When he wakes, and tries to walk—then we’ll know.’
‘And if it’s bad?’
‘I’ll have to get him to the Base,’ he said bluntly.
‘No!’ cried Storr fiercely.
‘For the boy’s sake! Do you want him to end up a cripple?’
Storr fell silent. He knew the other answer wasn’t easy, but his hatred of the scientists and their degrading prover forced him to make the suggestion. ‘There’s another way to save him—to befriend the aliens!’
Penley stared at him in disbelief. ‘Don’t be a fool!
They’re ruthless warriors, trained to kill!’
‘In self defence!’ growled Storr. ‘I know what it’s like, remember? If their weapons did this to the boy, they’ll know both cause and cure—it’s obvious.’
‘What makes you think you can talk to them?’
demanded Penley. ‘They killed Arden!’
‘They were afraid! You said yourself that he’d set up some scientific gear or other—they probably thought he was going to attack them! Why shouldn’t they defend themselves?
I would!’
‘But the boy isn’t one of their kind!’ Penley replied.
‘He’s human—one of us!’
‘When I explain that he’s not a scientist, they’ll understand,’
‘Wait!’ Penley cried. ‘At least try to—’
He never completed the sentence. A single brutal blow from Storr’s encased arm knocked him to the ground unconscious. Storr crouched by him long enough to make sure the damage was only temporary. Grunting, ‘Peace at last’
he began his preparations for the journey to the glacier.
In the engine room of the spaceship, Zondal was making a critical report to his commander.
‘All fuel has degenerated beyond use,’ the lieutenant stated grimly—’including emergency reserves. ‘That would normally take thousands of years,’ whispered Varga.