Doctor Who_ The Ice Warriors - Brian Hayles [39]
‘Without fuel, we are helpless!’ exclaimed Zondal. ‘We will never be able to break free from the ice!’
‘Is that what they fear, Zondal?’ the Martian warlord queried. ‘That our energy source could explode? If that is so—if they understand such physical principles—they may have developed a similar form of reactor!’
‘And they will have the fuel elements we need!’ agreed Zondal eagerly. ‘They must be made to give the fuel to us!’
‘That is where the girl will be of use,’ replied Varga. ‘She will give us information, and help us bargain for our needs...’
‘But she has not been found. Turoc has not yet returned.’
‘We have no time to waste,’ rasped his commander. ‘We must make other plans.’ He looked through into the control room, and made an instant decision. ‘Zondal’—he commanded—‘unship the sonic cannon!’ The cruel laughter coughed from his armoured throat. ‘The Earthlings will not argue with that!’
Outside the excavated cave, Storr paused in amazement.
To tear a whole cave out of the guts of the glacier—that had taken some doing! He moved forward stealthily until he was inside the cave and within sight of the metal door. The place was deserted. Skirting its perimeter he paused in a side cave, struggling to think of the best way to make contact—he didn’t intend falling into a trap laid for visiting scientists!
Suddenly, he heard a distant, plaintive voice, human and female, crying for help! As the faint cry was repeated, he realised that it wasn’t coming from the metal door, or from the main cave itself, but from within the glacier. Catching sight of a tunnel-like gap in the darkest shadows of the cave in which he was standing, he moved towards its entrance and listened again. Yes, it was a woman’s voice—a girl’s!
‘Help...!’ came a desperate cry, ‘Help me...!’
It was unlikely to be a trap, set so far away from the alien’s spaceship, and the cry itself sounded genuine enough.
Besides, if it was the girl, perhaps she could tell him more about these unearthly creatures, before he confronted them.
The glacier shuddered, and he saw he’d have to act quickly.
Dodging the fragments of ice that fell spasmodically, he hurried towards the calling voice.
The sound was closer now; and as Storr emerged into a tunnel almost filled with ice debris, he saw Victoria, gesturing towards her wrist. Clamped round it was a metallic fist, which was holding her prisoner! As more fragments of ice rained upon them, Storr worked quickly to force the alien’s iron grip apart. Victoria looked at him hopefully.
‘Can you get me free?’ she pleaded.
‘What happened?’ Storr was finding the job more difficult than he thought, with only one arm in use.
‘I ran away,’ explained Victoria. ‘He’d just grabbed me when the roof fell, and crushed him.’
Storr flicked a puzzled glance at the girl’s face. ‘Why run away?’
It was Victoria’s turn to look surprised. ‘The warriors—
they’re evil!’ she exclaimed. ‘They killed Arden—they want to destroy the Base, too, I think!’
Storr paused, suddenly interested. ‘They’re against the scientists then!’
‘I tried to tell them about the Ioniser—but they seem to think that it’s some kind of weapon of destruction!’ Storr’s eyes turned fiercely upon her.
‘That’s just what it is!’ he growled. ‘It’ll destroy the whole of civilisation!’ His face was fanatical.
‘But the Ioniser is meant to hold back the ice!’ The ragged pirate gave her a fierce glance, then pulled her free of the crevasse and the Ice Warrior.
‘Come on,’ he said, leading the way back to the main rave. ‘We’ve got no time to lose!’
Victoria pulled at his arm, urgently. ‘Not that way!’ she cried. ‘The Ice Warriors—
‘You want to help your young friend, don’t you?’
demanded Story. Victoria stared at him, then almost laughed with relief.
‘Jamie?’ she cried. ‘You know where he is? Is he hurt?’
Her face fell at Storr’s reply.
‘He’s desperately ill. I was going for help when I heard you—’
‘Help?’ asked Victoria, confused. ‘Here?’
‘From the aliens in that spaceship,’ Storr told her, then, seeing her fear, went on. ‘We’ll be all