Doctor Who_ The Loch Ness Monster Part 1

DOCTOR WHO.

AND THE LOCH NESS MONSTER.

By TERRANCE d.i.c.kS.

1 Death from the Sea

The oil-rig called 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' towered high above the moonlit sea. Its ma.s.sive steel legs, set firm in their concrete foundations, seemed to defy the ocean, which lapped almost tamely round the base of the rig. It was a calm, clear night, silent except for the persistent sighing of a chill wind.In the warmth and comfort of the rig's radio room Jock Munro stretched out in his chair, a mug of rum-laced cocoa in one hand, his radio-mike in the other. He was ordering fresh provisions from the supply base on the Scottish mainland, more for the sake of a chat than because the matter was urgent. 'Hey, and listen, Willie, the blokes say can you rustle up a few haggis and send 'em out with tomorrow's supply helicopter? The cook here's a Sa.s.senach, and he doesna' ken the first thing about them!'Grinning to himself, he waited for Willie to demand how the blanketty-blank he was supposed to find haggis for twenty-odd men at a few hours' notice.But Willie's reply did not come. The radio went suddenly dead. Jock jiggled controls for a bit, cursed, and tried again. 'This is Charlie Rig to Hibernian Control-are you receiving? I say again, Charlie Rig to Hibernian Control, do you read me?' The only reply was a high-pitched electronic burbling sound.Suddenly the entire rig shuddered under a tremendous jolt. Munro was thrown out of his chair and sent cras.h.i.+ng against the door. As he struggled to his feet, there came a second jolt, and then another. The rig seemed to reel under a series of ma.s.sive hammer-blows. Munro struggled to the RT set. 'Mayday, Mayday, Hibernian Control and all s.h.i.+pping... the rig is breaking up...'Another tremendous blow tilted the entire cabin, sending the RT set cras.h.i.+ng to the floor. Munro struggled to the door and clambered out on to the catwalk. From all around he could hear the blaring of alarm signals, the shouts and screams of running men. Clinging to a steel girder, he gazed out at the moonlit sea. To his horror, he saw something huge, incredible, rus.h.i.+ng through the water towards the rig. As it struck again, the impact sent the whole rig lurching. Munro was torn loose from his girder and sent flying through the air. He struck the water with an impact that knocked the breath from him, and the cold, dark sea closed over his head.With a strange, wheezing, groaning sound, the blue police box materialised on the bleak windswept hillside. The door opened and three people emerged. First came a very tall man, untidily dressed in a strange a.s.sortment of vaguely bohemian-looking garments. A long woolly scarf dangled round his neck and a floppy hat was jammed on the back of a tangle of curly hair. He looked around eagerly, his eyes ablaze with interest. A broad, childlike grin spread over his face at the sight of the wild and unfriendly landscape.The two who followed from the police box didn't look quite so delighted. The first was a brawny young man, conventionally dressed in blazer and flannels. His handsome face with its square jaw, frank blue eyes, and curly hair, made him look like the hero of an old-fas.h.i.+oned adventure story. The slim, attractive girl who accompanied him s.h.i.+vered in the cold wind, turning up the collar of her jacket.The young man was Harry Sullivan, the girl Sarah Jane Smith. Both stared accusingly at their companion, that mysterious traveller in Time and s.p.a.ce known only as 'The Doctor'.Sarah looked startled, 'I thought you said we were returning to Earth.'The Doctor abandoned his survey of the landscape to give her a look of guileless innocence. 'Thisis Earth, Sarah.' Earth, Sarah.''If you say so, Doctor.' She didn't sound too convinced. Suddenly the blue police box winked out of existence. Sarah clutched the Doctor's arm. 'The TARDIS-it's gone.'The Doctor sighed. The TARDIS-the initials stood for Time And Relative Dimensions In s.p.a.ce-was playing up more and more these days. As fast as he repaired one thing, something else went wrong. 'Thought I'd fixed that fusion plate,' he muttered crossly. 'Must have gone on the blink again. Shan't be two seconds.' He stepped inside the invisible TARDIS and immediately became invisible himself.Sarah and Harry watched unsurprised. Since beginning their travels through Time and s.p.a.ce with the Doctor they'd seen so many strange things that the odd vanis.h.i.+ng trick was nothing special.Sarah looked again at the windswept landscape. 'I don't care what he says, this isn't Earth.'Harry said gloomily, 'Probably some benighted planet right on the far edge of the galaxy.' Sarah and Harry knew from experience that the TARDIS's destinations were always unpredictable, though this never seemed to affect the Doctor's cheerful confidence.The TARDIS reappeared and so did the Doctor. He was wearing a strange-looking bonnet with a bobble on top, and the woolly scarf had been replaced by another, equally long, in a particularly vivid tartan. 'Native dress,' he explained. 'We don't want to attract attention now we're in Scotland.''How do you know?' asked Harry suspiciously.The Doctor breathed deeply of the clear cold air. 'I can smell the tangle of the isles. Besides, I've just checked the co-ordinates. Now why has the Brigadier brought us here?'Brigadier Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart was head of the British section of UNIT, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce, an organisation of which Harry Sullivan was a member. UNIT was dedicated to protecting Earth from the many attacks and invasions from outer s.p.a.ce that had plagued it in recent years. The development of Man's technology to the point where the moon had already been reached, with interplanetary travel an inevitable next step, had attracted the attention of hostile forces throughout the galaxy. Most seemed to consider the Earth an attractive little planet, just ripe for conquest. UNIT had been formed to help Earth protect itself, and the Doctor was supposed to be UNIT's Scientific Adviser. Unfortunately, he hated being tied down to one place or time, and his habit of disappearing on prolonged trips round the galaxy was a constant source of aggravation to the Brigadier.Just before this latest trip, the two had reached a compromise. The Doctor had given the Brigadier a recall device, which could signal to the TARDIS whenever, and wherever it happened to be; he had also given his promise to return to Earth whenever the signal was used.Watched by Harry and Sarah, the Doctor produced a compa.s.s-like device from his pocket. He flipped open the lid, revealing a directional needle quivering over a multi-coloured dial. 'Well, he's still signalling on the syonic scale. All we have to do is keep the needle in the green sector and it'll lead us to him. Follow me!'Tartan scarf blowing in the wind, the Doctor set off down the hillside. Sarah and Harry followed. Despite all the Doctor's a.s.surances they were quite prepared to come across anything from a Dalek to a dinosaur.What they did meet was considerably more prosaic. The track joined up with a narrow country lane, and after consulting his syonic compa.s.s the Doctor led them along it. A few moments later they heard the sound of an engine, and a muddy shooting brake appeared on the road behind them. As it came up to them, it stopped. The driver was an authoritative-looking old fellow in country tweeds. He spoke in a clipped, upper-cla.s.s voice, with just a suggestion of a Highland lilt somewhere underneath. 'Might I offer you a lift?'The Doctor took a quick look at his compa.s.s. 'Well, you do seem to be going our way. It's extremely kind of you.''Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?''Forgive me. This is Sarah Jane Smith, this is Harry Sullivan, and I'm the Doctor.'The driver of the shooting brake gave a stiff nod. 'I am the Duke of Forgill. Would you like to get in?'The Doctor climbed in beside the Duke, and Sarah and Harry piled in the back.As they drove down the lane, the Doctor said, 'I wonder if you could tell me where we are?''You're just outside the village of Tulloch.''And Tulloch is...?'The Duke looked at him curiously. 'In the highlands of Scotland, of course. As a matter of fact, we're quite close to Loch Ness.'Sarah noticed a lumpy tarpaulin-covered object in the area behind the back seat. From under the tarpaulin a gla.s.sy eye stared at her. She lifted the cloth a little, then smiled. The covered object was a stuffed stag's head, mounted on a wooden plaque.Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was not a happy man. The landlord of Tulloch village inn had resented having his parlour commandeered by UNIT for their temporary H.Q. He was retaliating by constant practice on the bagpipes. The noise had already given the Brigadier a headache. Now a very angry oil-company executive called Huckle was pounding the table and shouting at him. The Doctor still hadn't appeared, though his signalling device was bleeping away in the corner. To crown it all, the Brigadier was beginning to have second thoughts about his decision to celebrate his return to the land of his ancestors by wearing the kilt. He had a shrewd suspicion that he looked ridiculous. Benton and the rest of the men were just a little too straight-faced whenever they glanced at him.The Brigadier winced as Huckle's fist thumped the table yet again. 'Three rigs gone in a month. My company's losing millions.''I a.s.sure you, Mr Huckle, the Government is as concerned as you are.''If this keeps up there won't be a man willing to work out there...' Huckle broke off as a particularly loud wail from the bagpipes drowned his words. 'Do we have to put up with that hullaballoo?'A tall soldier in the uniform of a Warrant Officer entered the little parlour. The Brigadier turned to him thankfully.'Mr Benton, any news of the Doctor?''Sorry, sir. Not a thing.'Huckle scowled at the interruption. 'Who's the Doctor then?''Our Scientific Adviser. He ought to have materialised by now.'The Brigadier glanced at the Doctor's calling device. 'Is this thing still working, Benton?''Far as I know, sir.'A further shuddering wail from upstairs made the Brigadier put a hand to his temples. 'Mr Benton, please see if you can prevail upon our host to practice the bagpipes when we are out.'Benton grinned and turned to leave. At the window he paused. 'Look sir, there's the Doctor now!'As Benton left the room the Brigadier looked out of the window to see the Doctor, Sarah and Harry climbing out of a muddy shooting brake. He turned to Huckle. 'Who's that at the wheel?'Huckle scowled. 'That is the Duke of Forgill. Owns pretty well everything around here, except our sh.o.r.e base. He doesn't care for us one little bit.'Seconds later the Doctor breezed into the room, Sarah, Harry and the Duke trailing behind. The Brigadier tried to conceal his relief at seeing him again. 'Welcome back, Doctor,' he said curtly.The Doctor, who had no inhibitions about showing his feelings, slapped the Brigadier on the back, shook him warmly by the hand and said, 'h.e.l.lo, Brigadier, h.e.l.lo. I say, I do like the local garb. Suits you, you know, suits you very well.' He gazed admiringly at the Brigadier's kilt.The Brigadier harrumphed, and said, 'Thank you, Doctor,' in an embarra.s.sed way.Sarah kept her face straight with a mighty effort. She didn't dare look at Harry.'This is His Grace the Duke of Forgill,' she said. 'He very kindly gave us a lift.'The Duke acknowledged the Brigadier's greeting with formal politeness, but it was obvious that the oil man was the one who really interested him. 'I'm glad to have found you here, Mr Huckle,' he said grimly. 'It's saved me a trip to your base. I'm afraid I have to complain once more about the behaviour of the roughnecks who work for you. They've been trespa.s.sing on my property again, and poaching too!'Huckle reddened with anger but controlled himself with an effort. Unfortunately, he knew there was probably some truth in the Duke's charges. The men who worked for him were a tough, hard-bitten lot. If they fancied a bit of shooting or fis.h.i.+ng on their days off, they weren't likely to let a few antiquated game laws stand in their way. 'I'm sorry to hear that, your Grace,' he spoke with forced politeness. 'My menhave been warned. If any of them are caught, they'll be discharged immediately.' been warned. If any of them are caught, they'll be discharged immediately.''Then let me add a warning of my own. If my gamekeeper finds any of your men trespa.s.sing, they won't be prosecuted-they'll be shot. And I a.s.sure you that's not idle threat, Mr Huckle.'Huckle didn't trust himself to reply. He turned to the Brigadier and said, 'I'll be expecting you at the base then, Brigadier,' and marched out of the room.The Duke looked sternly at the Brigadier. 'I trust the army isn't going to help these oil people. Is that why you've been sent here?''No, sir. We're part of a special investigation team.''Investigating what?' There was a kind of unconscious arrogance in the Duke's voice. He and his family have ruled here for so long, thought Sarah, they can't imagine things changing.The Brigadier's reply was respectful but firm. 'I'm afraid I can't disclose that, sir. Our mission is of a rather confidential nature.''My family,' said the Duke coldly, 'has served Scotland for well over seven centuries. That doesn't seem to count for much today. I'll leave you to your official secrets.' With a nod of farewell he stumped off. They heard him calling out, 'Angus, where are you, man? I've a wee gift for you in the boot of my car. Come and help me carry it!''Odd sort of chap,' remarked the Brigadier. 'Bit medieval in his ideas.''Well, at least he's a man of conviction,' said the Doctor. He suddenly remembered his grievance. 'Now then, Brigadier, why did you bring me back? I trust you have a good reason!'The Brigadier gave him a brief report of the trouble off the Scottish coast. Recently, a large number of off-sh.o.r.e oil-rigs had been set up to drill for North Sea oil. In the past few weeks three of them had been totally destroyed, smashed into the sea by some incredible force.The Doctor gazed at the Brigadier indignantly. 'Just a minute, Brigadier, just a minute! Do you mean to say you've dragged me back seventeen million miles for this? When I left you the syonic beam I expressly said it was only to be used in an emergency.''Doctor, thisis an emergency!' an emergency!''Oil, an emergency?' said the Doctor disdainfully. 'It's high time this planet ceased to be so dependent on a mineral slime. If you ask me...''Just one moment!' There was an edge to the Brigadier's voice that silenced even the Doctor. 'It isn't only a question of the oil, though I won't deny that's important. These rigs carry a large crew. So far three rigs have been destroyed-and there have been no survivors. Don't you think we ought to solve this mystery before more men die?'For a moment the two men glared at each other, while Sarah and Harry stood forgotten, holding their breath. Then the Doctor spoke in a very different tone. 'Yes, of course,' he said. 'You were quite right to send for me.'One thing about the Doctor, thought Sarah, he never bothered about saving face. When he was wrong he admitted it, and went on from there.The Doctor rubbed his hands together briskly and looked round the room. 'Right then,' he said. 'Where do we start?'

2 Murder on the Sh.o.r.e

They started, after a large and filling lunch, with a visit to the sh.o.r.e base of the oil company. This was a small cl.u.s.ter of ultra-modern buildings, huddled together on a bleak stretch of Scottish coast-line. Mr Huckle was obviously overjoyed to see them, if only because it gave him a chance to discuss his worries. In a bright, luxurious, centrally-heated office, lined with wall charts and cluttered with communications equipment, he showed them the medical reports on the bodies taken from the sea after each disaster. It was a grim story.'Exposure and drowning,' said Huckle, pa.s.sing a batch of reports over to Harry Sullivan. 'Same cause of death each time.'Harry Sullivan, who had been a Naval doctor before joining UNIT, skimmed rapidly through the reports. 'No signs of violence?''A few minor injuries, but that's all. Nothing that couldn't have been caused by the sea itself.''Where are the bodies now?'Huckle grimaced, 'Most of them are still in the local mortuary.'Harry shuffled the papers together. 'I'd like to take a look at them, if I may. And I'll need a chance to study these reports in more detail. It may take a little time.'The Brigadier said briskly, 'Very well, Sullivan, you cut along. We'll see you back at H.Q.'As Harry began to leave, Sarah said, 'Wait Harry, I'll come with you as far as the village. I'll interview some of the local people, see if they know anything they're not telling.' Sarah was an experienced journalist, and knew that however closely guarded the secret, there was usually someone willing to drop a hint or two, if only to show their own cleverness. If the village peopledid know anything about what was going on, Sarah was sure she could ferret it out. know anything about what was going on, Sarah was sure she could ferret it out.Sarah and Harry went off. The Doctor didn't even seem to notice them go. He was staring absorbedly at a wall-map which showed the position of the company's off-sh.o.r.e rigs. Three of them were marked by sinister black crosses. There were many more rigs on the map, unharmed as yet, but obviously in the same danger as those that had vanished.A model oil-rig stood on Huckle's desk. The Brigadier picked it up and examined it curiously. 'These things always remind me of spiders in Wellington boots.'Huckle took the model from him. 'Correction, Brigadier-spiders inconcrete boots,' he said firmly. 'Thousands of tons of it. These rigs are supposed to be unsinkable.' boots,' he said firmly. 'Thousands of tons of it. These rigs are supposed to be unsinkable.''That's what they said about the Bismarck,' said the Doctor. 'And we all know what happened there! Have you considered seismic disturbance-an undersea earthquake?'Huckle pointed to the markings which showed the estimated size of the oil field. 'We spent a fortune proving the Waverly Field geologically sound. Everything is constantly checked for stability. Winds, currents, the slightest movement of the sea bed, all charted and recorded. Our instruments showed nothing.'The Doctor wandered across to the elaborate RT set that stood in one corner. 'And before every disaster there was a complete radio blackout?''That's right. Either there was nothing on the set, or all we got was a sort of electronic burble.''No other craft in the vicinity? Nothing suspicious?''Difficult to be sure,' said Huckle frankly. 'After all, it was at night. As far as we know, the sea was calm and empty.''Correction, Mr Huckle,' the Doctor mimicked Huckle's phrase of a moment before. 'The sea may be calm-but it's never empty.'Even as the Doctor spoke a vast dark shape was slipping through the sea, heading towards its next target-another oil-rig.Sarah Jane Smith spent a sociable afternoon chatting to as many people as she could in the little village of Tulloch. It was hard going at first. The village people were polite enough, but they tended to be reserved, unwilling to open up to a stranger. But Sarah had got a foot in quite a few doors in her time as a journalist, and she managed to get most of them talking in the end. Now, an hour or so later, she was discussing her harvest of gossip over tea and scones with Angus MacRa.n.a.ld, burly landlord of the village inn.Away from his bagpipes, Angus was pleasant enough, a little on the dour side, but an occasional twinkle in his eye showed that his grimness was mostly an act. Sarah was taking a mischievous delight in showing off how much she had learned.'And they say in the village thatyou'rethe seventh son of a seventh son, that you have the second sight!'Angus gave a noncommittal grunt. 'Aye, mebbe. Yon fellow the Doctor now. He looks like a man who could see round a corner or two.'Sarah thought there might be something to the story of Angus's powers after all. It hadn't taken him long to spot something unusual about the Doctor. And since answering questions about the Doctor was always a tricky business, Sarah did her best to change the subject. She glanced round the room and saw a new addition since the morning. Dominating one wall was a vast, many-antlered stag's head, staring down at her with bulbous gla.s.sy eyes that seemed almost alive. 'That's a fine looking specimen!'Angus nodded proudly. 'Aye, yon's a twelve-pointer. The Duke himself presented it to me this very day.'Sarah nodded, remembering that she'd seen it in the back of the shooting brake. 'He's a strange man, the Duke, isn't he?''He's my hereditary chieftain,' Angus sounded reproving. 'The MacRa.n.a.ld, Chief of the Clan.''I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that-well, after he picked us up he scarcely spoke a word all the way into the village. He seemed so-preoccupied.'Angus sighed. 'It's true enough, he's no' the DukeI remember. He's been a different man since the oil people came. All his servants left him, you see. There was more money to be earned at the base. Forgill Castle's an empty, cold-hearted house these days. I havena' set foot there in a long time. I wouldna' care to now, and that's a fact.' There was deep sadness in Angus's voice, and Sarah felt a s.h.i.+ver of unease. She looked round the room. She couldn't rid herself of the strangest feeling that she was being watched. She glanced quickly round, but saw only the oddly-gleaming eyes of the stag as it gazed indifferently down at her. remember. He's been a different man since the oil people came. All his servants left him, you see. There was more money to be earned at the base. Forgill Castle's an empty, cold-hearted house these days. I havena' set foot there in a long time. I wouldna' care to now, and that's a fact.' There was deep sadness in Angus's voice, and Sarah felt a s.h.i.+ver of unease. She looked round the room. She couldn't rid herself of the strangest feeling that she was being watched. She glanced quickly round, but saw only the oddly-gleaming eyes of the stag as it gazed indifferently down at her.(Not far away, in a hidden control-room, a claw-like hand reached forward to touch a control. Immediately the scene in the inn parlour appeared on a glowing monitor screen. The alien hand touched another control, and the voices of Sarah and Angus came through, faint but clear.)Sarah s.h.i.+vered and looked away from the stag's head. 'Mr MacRa.n.a.ld, is it true you predicted disaster for the oil company? They say in the village you had a vision.''Och, I wouldn't say a vision. No more than a wee feeling. They built their base on Tulloch Moor, do you see, and that's a place of bad luck.' His voice deepened. 'It's a strange murky place, the moor. Its mists are like the steam from a witches' cauldron. n.o.body from these parts will cross it after dark.''Surely that's only superst.i.tion?''Call it that if you like,' said Angus darkly. 'But I tell you something. There was once a man staying at this very inn. He went off for a walk on the moor one night and was never seen again.'Sarah's journalistic instincts were aroused. 'Sounds like a good story-when did it happen?''1922,' said Angus solemnly. 'Then there was the business of the Jamieson boys. Went cutting peat on the moor. The mist came down and they were benighted. Donald just disappeared... They found his brother Robert two days later. He was clean off his head, and the fear in his eyes was terrible to see.'Sarah couldn't help being impressed. 'And when did all this happen?''Well it was a wee while ago,' admitted Angus. 'Around 1870, I think.'Sarah laughed, but Angus's voice was utterly serious. 'Aye, you may laugh, la.s.sie. But take my word, there are evil spirits haunting Tulloch Moor.'Sarah rose to leave. 'That's as maybe. But I'm sure of one thing, Mr MacRa.n.a.ld-evil spirits don't smash up oil-rigs.'Sarah went off to her room to wash and rest. As she left the parlour the gla.s.sy eyes of the stag's head seemed to follow her.(The alien hand in the control-room reached out, and the monitor screen clicked into darkness.)The mist from the sea drifted in over Tulloch Moor, blurring the outlines of the gorse and the few stunted trees, making the moor seem more eerie and sinister than ever. A huge figure came striding through the mist, and a nervous villager might easily have taken it for some ghoul or goblin out of Angus MacRa.n.a.ld's stories. But a closer glance would have brought rea.s.surance. It was only the Caber, faithful gamekeeper, servant and companion of the Duke of Forgill. Everyone in Tulloch knew the Caber. Indeed it was impossible to mistake him. A champion of the Highland Games, his ma.s.sive size had caused one of the judges to remark that he was as big as a 'caber', the trimmed tree trunk that he was tossing. The name had stuck, and the Duke's ghillie had been called the Caber ever since.One thing about the Caber might have puzzled the villagers, if there had been anyone on the moor to see him-the gun in the crook of his arm. There was nothing strange about the Caber having a gun. But this wasn't the old, well-cared-for shotgun he usually carried. This was something else altogether. Resting in the crook of the Caber's arm was a heavy, big-game rifle with telescopic sight.The sea-mist was thickest at the water's edge. It swirled round what looked like a huge, humped piece of driftwood that had floated in on the incoming tide. For a moment it lay there, a shapeless lump. Then the 'hump' slowly detached itself, and took on the shape of a man. Jock Munro let go of the piece of wood that had saved his life and began crawling up the beach. He had floated for untold hours in the freezing sea, and now his instinct was to get away from it. Crawling at first, and then in a shambling, staggering run, he made his way towards the road.The mist drifted in patches across the road, coming and going with amazing rapidity. It made driving a tricky business, and Harry Sullivan had no wish to pile up his borrowed oil company land-rover. He drove slowly and carefully, keeping speed down to a minimum. Even so, he had to step hard on the brakes when a shapeless figure lurched out from the mist and collapsed in front of him. The land-rover's front wheels stopped only a few feet from the body as Harry jumped out and knelt beside it. The man's clothes, hair, even his skin itself, were soggy with water. Harry guessed instinctively that this was a survivor of one of the wrecked oil-rigs, and the briefest examination told him that, unless he got warmth, shelter, and dry clothing, the man wasn't going to survive much longer. He started to drag the body carefully towards the land-rover. To his amazement the survivor stirred and began to mutter, 'The rig... I was on the rig.''All right, old chap,' said Harry soothingly. 'We'll soon get you to hospital.'Munro shook his head. 'I'm thinking you're too late.'The feeble voice and the faint flickering of his pulse convinced Harry the man might well be right. He put rea.s.surance into his voice. 'No, you'll be all right. Can you tell me what happened to the rig?''Didn't stand a chance... came at us suddenly...' The voice tailed away.'What did?' asked Harry urgently: 'What came at you?'(The Caber settled himself on the hilltop, face down in the gorse, legs spread for balance, elbows forming a steady tripod. He cuddled the walnut stock of the gun into his shoulder and peered through the telescopic sight. The two figures on the road below sprang up in sharp relief. He moved the rifle barrel steadily until the cross-hairs of the telescopic sight intersected on his target...)Harry put his head closer to Munro's, trying to pick out the sense of the feeble words. He was reluctant to delay getting the man to hospital, but those mutterings could contain a vital clue, and if the journeywas too much for the poor chap... 'Huge... terrible...' Munro was saying faintly. 'Charged again and again. Smashed the rig to pieces...' too much for the poor chap... 'Huge... terrible...' Munro was saying faintly. 'Charged again and again. Smashed the rig to pieces...'Munro's body jerked, and was twitched from Harry's arms as if by a giant invisible hand. Too astonished to move, Harry saw blood gush from the wound in the man's chest. The rifle boomed again and Harry spun round, his hand clutching his head, and collapsed across Munro.The sea mist swirled slowly round the two motionless bodies.

3 The Zygons Attack

When Sarah came down from her room, UNIT's temporary H.Q. was empty except for the Doctor. He was happily fiddling with a pile of electronic equipment which he had spread all over the big table. Sarah peered over his shoulder. 'What's all this then?'The Doctor sighed. Sarah's constant curiosity about anything and everything was one of her most engaging characteristics, but it could get a little wearing. He knew from experience it was no good trying to put her off. Only a clear, precise explanation would satisfy that enquiring journalistic mind. He spoke without looking up from his work. 'This is part of a probe system for detecting localised jamming and alien energy emissions.'Sarah considered for a moment and said, 'What happens if whatever's doing the jamming jams the jamming detector?'The Doctor opened his mouth to deliver a crus.h.i.+ng reply, then realised with a shock that Sarah was quite right. He'd overlooked that problem. 'I shall build in a protective circuit,' he said with dignity, hurriedly a.s.sembling the necessary parts.Sarah started wandering round the room. She wanted to tell the Doctor about her chats with Angus and the villagers, but he was obviously too preoccupied to listen. She glanced up, met the baleful glare of the stag's head, and hurriedly looked away. 'Where's the Brigadier?''Down at the quayside, I think. They're bringing in some wreckage from one of the rigs. I asked him to get the stuff to me here before too many people know about it.''No use trying to be secretive in this village,' said Sarah darkly. 'The landlord's got the second sight.'The Doctor made a minute adjustment to a very small circuit. 'Maybe we should recruit him into UNIT.'The telephone rang, and Sarah picked it up. It was the Brigadier, and his news made Sarah go pale with shock.She said, 'Yes, he's here, I'll tell him. We'll come at once.'Something in her voice made the Doctor look up. 'What is it, Sarah? Bad news?'Sarah nodded. 'It's Harry-he's been shot!'The hidden control-room was filled with a strange sound. It was a high-pitched electronic gurgling, rhythmic and monotonous. The creature at the console reached out, touched one of the nodules on the control panel, and the noise went up in pitch.The control console, and indeed the entire control-room, was as peculiar and alien in shape as the creatures operating it. It was made of a strange, gnarled, fibrous material, and somehow seemed to have been grown rather than constructed. Instead of k.n.o.bs and levers there were root-like stumps and projections, while sensitive nodules replaced b.u.t.tons and switches.The alien being at the console was a Zygon. Its name was Broton, and its voice when it spoke had a hissing, gurgling quality, curiously like the noise that filled the air. 'What is the impulse strength?'On the other side of the control-room, another Zygon presided over a similar bank of root-like instruments. It replied in the same hissing, gurgling tones. 'Diastellic reading seven-o-three.''Increase the sonic call tone by three remars,' Broton ordered.The Zygon's claw-like hands moved obediently over the control nodules. 'Increased tone, three remars. Contact firm.''Check directional pulse.''Pulse correct to within one Earth mile. Closing.''Adjust final course for target strike.'The subordinate Zygon touched more control nodules. Miles away, in the chill depths of the sea, a huge, powerful shape altered its course a few degrees, responding to the alien hands that controlled its movements.In his office at the oil company base, Huckle crouched over his RT set. He spent every available moment on the air these days, checking and re-checking that the rest of the steel giants for which he was responsible still stood securely on the ocean bed. Every transmission he made was a fresh ordeal; each time he dreaded that the rig he was calling would not reply. He crouched tensely over the set. 'Do you read me, Ben Nevis, do you read me?''There was silence, except for the crackle of static. Then, 'Hibernian Control, this is Ben Nevis rig, over.'Huckle gave a sigh of relief. Without realising it, he'd been holding his breath. 'Got you, Ben Nevis, loud and clear.'In the radio room of Ben Nevis rig, the operator grinned sympathetically. He knew Huckle well, and realised what he must be going through. Huckle's voice crackled from the set.'How are you doing out there? How's morale?'The operator felt like asking 'What morale?' After three disasters the rig crews were in a state of near mutiny, and only the promise of huge danger bonuses kept them working at all. Restraining himself, the operator said, 'Could be worse. Any news of the investigation?''Not much. This Brigadier chap's brought in his Scientific Adviser. Weird fellow called the Doctor. He seems...'Huckle's voice was cut off in mid-sentence. A strange electronic burbling came from the set. The operator at Ben Nevis rig flicked switches and adjusted dials, but all in vain. He switched to transmitting. 'Hallo, Hibernian Control, we seem to have lost you. Are you still reading me? Over.'There was no reply, only the electronic sound which was getting louder and louder. Suddenly the entire cabin reeled as some huge object struck the rig a ma.s.sive blow. Thrown from his chair, the operator struck his head against one of the steel walls, and slumped unconscious to the floor. The strange electronic burble filled the little cabin, rising higher and higher.The sound was filling Huckle's office too, as he flicked frantically at the controls. 'Ben Nevis, Ben Nevis, are you there? Over.' There was no reply.Huckle abandoned the RT set, grabbed his phone and sent out a general alarm. Within minutes he heard the sound of company helicopters taking off. But there was no hope in Huckle's face as he slumped down behind his desk. He already knew what they would find-nothing. An empty place in the sea where an oil-rig had once stood.Harry Sullivan lay white and motionless in one of the oil company's sick-bay beds, a bandage round his head. The Doctor looked at the neat figure of Sister Lamont, who hovered by the bed. 'Has he spoken at all?'There was a soft Highland lilt in the nurse's voice.'Not a word, I'm afraid. The wound on his skull is no more than a graze, but he's still in shock.'The Doctor leaned over. 'Harry, it's me, the Doctor. Can you hear me?'Harry stirred and mumbled. He seemed to be trying to speak.The Brigadier rushed in, stopped, and looked down at the bandaged figure. 'How is he? Will he be all right, Sister?''He'll be fine. He just needs to rest.'The Brigadier remembered his news. 'Doctor, they've lost another rig, the Ben Nevis. Forty men aboard. It's completely vanished.''Same pattern as before?''Exactly. Same radio blackout, same burbling sound...''Did you bring that wreckage from the other rig for me?''It's all back at H.Q. now. Though what you think you'll learn from a pile of metal junk...''I'd better get to work.' The Doctor made for the door, the Brigadier close behind him.Sarah didn't move. 'I'll stay with Harry for a while. I can let you know if he wakes up!'The Doctor paused in the doorway. 'Good idea, Sarah. I think he'll soon be coming round. If he can talk, he may be able to tell us something.'As the two men went down the corridor, Sarah could hear the Brigadier's voice. 'I hope you can come up withsomething to show Huckle, Doctor. He's coming down to H.Q. for a conference later on, and he's hopping mad.' to show Huckle, Doctor. He's coming down to H.Q. for a conference later on, and he's hopping mad.''My dear Brigadier, the purpose of my experiments isnot to satisfy Mr Huckle, but to discover the truth. He'll just have to be patient and so will you...' to satisfy Mr Huckle, but to discover the truth. He'll just have to be patient and so will you...'Their voices died away and Sarah looked again at Harry. He was still muttering and twisting, and seemed to be trying to speak. She leaned close. 'Harry, it's Sarah. Can you hear me?'Sister Lamont came quickly forward. 'I really think you should let him rest. He is under sedation, you know. Perhaps if you come back later?'Sarah's voice was polite, but quite determined. 'I think I'll stay if you don't mind. I'd like to be here when he wakes.' She sat back in her chair, watching Harry's face.The Doctor's electronic tracing equipment had been set up in one corner of the room, and a UNIT signals technician was manning it. Now the big table was occupied by packets of white powder, buckets and bowls of water, and a pile of chunks of twisted metal-part of the wreckage from a destroyed rig. More wreckage was piled in a corner. Working with quiet concentration, the Doctor was chipping delicately at a chunk of hardened white plaster. He was so absorbed that he didn't look up when the Brigadier brought Huckle into the room.The Brigadier coughed, and when this had no response he said heartily, 'Well, as you can see, Mr Huckle, the Doctor's hard at work.'Huckle didn't seem over-impressed. 'Do you mind telling us exactly what you're doing, Doctor?'The Doctor continued his chipping. 'A little experiment in orthodontology.''Orthodontology?' It was clear from Huckle's tone that he was none the wiser.'Teeth, Mr Huckle,' said the Doctor sharply. 'The scientific study of teeth!' He chipped away the last few flakes of plaster, and held up the finished result. 'This is the plaster cast of a tooth, don't you agree?'And indeed it was-a tooth of enormous size. It reminded Huckle of the reconstructions of dinosaur teeth he'd seen in museums. 'Are you trying to tell me my rigs werechewed up-by a set of molars?' up-by a set of molars?'The Doctor's voice was thoughtful. it would be more correct to say dentures. Made of some material that can cut through concrete and steel like paper.'This was too much for the Brigadier. 'Come on now, Doctor. First you suggest we're dealing with some kind of sea monster, then you say it's got false teeth.'The Doctor stood up, brus.h.i.+ng flakes of plaster from his clothes. 'We're certainly dealing with a kind of monster,' he agreed. 'Something of frightening size and power. But this is no ordinary sea serpent. It's a creature whose natural power and strength has been boosted by artificial means. We're dealing with a cyborg, something part animal, and part machine!'(In the Zygon control-room, Broton switched off his monitor screen with a hiss of rage. 'This one they call the Doctor is a threat to us. Already he has discovered too much.He must be killed! ') ')Sarah's long vigil at Harry's bedside was rewarded at last. Harry opened his eyes, smiled at her and said, 'Sarah...' His voice was weak, but perfectly clear. 'Could I have something to drink, please?'Sarah poured a gla.s.s of water and held it to his lips. He swallowed thirstily and said, 'Sarah, listen... got to tell you...' His voice tailed away, his strength suddenly gone.'Harry, what is it? What are you trying to say...' Sarah looked up as Sister Lamont came quickly into the room. 'Sister, he's coming round.'Sister Lamont leaned over the bed, smoothing Harry's pillow and making him more comfortable. As his eyes opened again, Sarah said, 'What did you find out, Harry? The man who was killed, did he tell you anything?'Harry frowned, obviously making a mighty effort. 'He said the rig was shaking... falling. Then... he saw...' The effort was too much, and he slumped back on his pillow.Sarah jumped up. 'Will you stay with him, Sister? I've got to ring the Doctor. And please, be sure to remember anything he says. It could be very important.'As Sarah ran from the room, Sister Lamont bent over the bed, the soothing Highland lilt in her voice. 'It's all right, Dr Sullivan, you're quite safe. You're going to be well looked after.'Harry looked up at the figure leaning over him. Suddenly it seemed to blur and change. His eyes widened and he screamed, 'No... No! ' An alien hand clamped across his mouth, cutting off his voice.On the telephone in the corridor, Sarah poured out her news. The Doctor's voice was cheerful and rea.s.suring.'He's coming round and seems quite rational? That's splendid! Keep an eye on him, I'll be over as soon as I can. Oh, and, Sarah, get the sick-bay people to keep his recovery dark. Let everyone think he's still out cold, eh? Might be safer.''Safer? You mean Harry's still in danger from...'A hand came down on Sarah's shoulder. But it wasn't a human hand. It was orange-green in colour, claw-like and alien. It was the hand of a Zygon.

4 A Trap for the Doctor

Sarah swung round. Facing her was a squat, powerful figure about the size of a small man. Orange-green in colour, it had small, claw-like hands and feet. There was no neck: the big high-domed head seemed to grow directly from the bulbous torso. The face was terrifyingly alien, with huge, malevolent green eyes and a small, puckered mouth. A row of protuberances ran down its back. The really horrible thing about the creature was that it seemed to be a parody of the human form. It looked like a grotesque, evil baby.Sarah opened her mouth to scream, but even as she drew breath the creature reached out and grabbed her with its claw. A force like a ma.s.sive electric shock slammed Sarah against the wall, and she slid unconscious to the floor.At UNIT H.Q. the Doctor spoke into the phone, 'Sarah? Sarah, can you hear me?' There was no answer. He slammed down the receiver and turned to Benton. 'Something's happened to Sarah. We'd better get over there at once.'Thanks to some spectacular driving by the Doctor, they arrived in an amazingly short time. They rushed into the sick bay to find Harry's bed empty, no sign of Sarah, and Sister Lamont fluttering about in a state of great agitation. 'I a.s.sure you, gentlemen, I was only gone a few minutes. Dr Sullivan began to talk, you see, and Miss Smith went off to call you. I waited and waited, and when she didn't come back, I was worried and went to look for her. I couldn't find her anywhere-and when I got back, Dr Sullivan had gone too.''Maybe he woke up delirious, and wandered off somewhere,' said Benton. 'I'll get some men over and search the area.'The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. 'It's possible-but what happened to Sarah? Sister Lamont, will you show me this telephone she used?'While Benton used his walkie-talkie to contact UNIT, Sister Lamont led the Doctor along the spotless white corridor to a telephone fixed to the wall. 'When I came along the telephone was just swinging on its cord. I thought it odd at the time.''n.o.body else was on duty?''No. We're just a small establishment here.'The Doctor stood quite still, apparently lost in thought. He nodded towards a door further down the corridor. 'Where does that lead?''It's a decompression unit. We sometimes need it for the company divers. But it's always kept locked.' Sister Lamont seemed struck by a sudden thought. 'You know, I've just remembered, I haven't looked in the dispensary.' She hurried off in the other direction.Left to himself, the Doctor wandered across to the decompression unit. Almost idly he tried the door. It swung open as soon as he touched it, and he went inside.He found himself in a kind of antechamber. Set into one wall was a huge metal door, a big locking-wheel in its centre. Higher in the door was a small observation window, covered by a Venetian blind. He crossed to the window and peered through the c.h.i.n.ks. The decompression chamber was small, bare, featureless. Sarah lay unconscious in the middle of the floor.Swiftly the Doctor spun the locking wheel, hauled open the door and climbed into the chamber. Kneeling by Sarah, he lifted her head and shoulders. Sarah's eyes snapped open, and she parted her lips to scream in blind panic. The Doctor shook her gently. 'It's all right, Sarah. It's me.'Sarah shook her head confusedly. 'Doctor? I was talking to you on the telephone-then I saw this... thing.' She struggled to sit up. 'What about Harry? Is he all right?''I'm afraid he's disappeared.''Oh, no...' Suddenly she broke off. 'Doctor-look!' The heavy metal door of the decompression chamber was swinging closed. The Doctor sprang across the room, just too late to stop it. On the other side of the door, two claw-like alien hands were turning the wheel. The hands touched controls on a nearby panel; there was a low hum as the needles on the dials jumped to life. A gauge that registered the pressure of air in the chamber began dropping steadily...Sarah and the Doctor listened to the low hum.'What's that noise?' Sarah asked nervously. 'Some kind of air conditioning?'The Doctor was examining the observation window. As he feared, it was made of reinforced gla.s.s, impossible to break. 'I'm afraid not, Sarah. In fact, just the reverse.'Sarah swung round, suddenly becoming fully aware of her surroundings. 'Where are we? What is this place?''It's a decompression chamber.' The Doctor went on examining the door. He patted his pockets for his sonic screwdriver. If there was time he could use the laser-attachment to cut their way out, or at least make an air hole for them.Sarah tried to remember what she knew about decompression chambers. Sometimes divers had to come up too quickly because of some emergency. If that happened, the abrupt change in pressure could be dangerous, and they had to spend time in a decompression chamber, to enable their bodies to adjust. Presumably a decompression chamber was basically a sealed s.p.a.ce where you could vary the air pressure...Sarah felt suddenly dizzy. She tried breathing deeply, but it didn't help. She tugged the Doctor's sleeve. 'Doctor-I can't breathe. There doesn't seem to be any air in here.'The Doctor went on working frantically. The specially hardened gla.s.s of the window was incredibly tough, and even the sonic screwdriver seemed to make very little impression. 'Sarah, sit perfectly still. Try to save your breath.'Sarah sat slumped against the wall, breathing shallowly. 'They're pumping the air out, aren't they? We're going to die!' She felt oddly detached, as if this was all happening to someone else.The Doctor looked at her worriedly, trying to remember human reaction to oxygen deprivation. Unconscious in two minutes, dead in under ten, wasn't that it? He realised he simply could not get through the door in time to save Sarah's life. Or his own for that matter. His resistance was far greater than Sarah's, but lack of oxygen would kill them both in the end. Unless... unless...He crossed over to Sarah and sat down beside her. 'Sarah, look at me-and listen. Concentrate-look into my eyes.' Muzzily, Sarah obeyed. The Doctor's face swung before her, seeming to get nearer and farther, larger and smaller. She was conscious only of his burning eyes, and his urgent hypnotic voice. 'Listen to me, Sarah. You do notneed to breathe. You feel nothing, nothing, nothing...' The final word seemed to echo inside Sarah's head as blackness swallowed her up. to breathe. You feel nothing, nothing, nothing...' The final word seemed to echo inside Sarah's head as blackness swallowed her up.Outside in the corridor, the Zygon that had worn the shape of Sister Lamont spoke into a small communications device. There was a note of gloating triumph in its voice. 'The trap has been sprung. The Doctor and the human female will soon be dead.'The message was received by Broton in his control-room. 'Excellent,' he said, in tones of equal satisfaction, and looked down scornfully at the wounded human slumped by his feet.Harry Sullivan recovered consciousness slowly, and felt that he had wakened into a nightmare. Vague memories floated into his head. The man he'd found by the roadside... being in bed, the Doctor and Sarah looking down at him, then that nurse-and now this. He was in a kind of fantastic control-room where nightmarish creatures moved about mysterious tasks. The whole place seemed alive in some weird fas.h.i.+on all of its own. The fibrous walls were broken up with strange protuberances, odd-shaped nodules and roots, and there were glowing veins in walls and ceilings, and tangles of fibrous roots and vines running everywhere. Somehow the place looked as if it had beengrown rather than made. rather than made.The after-effects of Harry's wound had left him feeling curiously light-headed. Perhaps itwas all a nightmare he concluded. Maybe he was still tucked up in bed, with Sarah and the Doctor waiting for him to wake up. all a nightmare he concluded. Maybe he was still tucked up in bed, with Sarah and the Doctor waiting for him to wake up.Still, nightmare or not, he decided there was no reason why he shouldn't find out where he was. He struggled to his feet and tapped the nearest creature on the shoulder. 'I say, what in the name of blazesare you?' you?'The Zygon spun round, hissing malevolently. 'I am Broton, Warlord of the Zygons. It is a name you will learn to fear, human.'Harry was struck by the note of colossal arrogance in the voice. Whatever these weird things were, they certainly thought a lot of themselves.'Who are you? Where do you come from?'Broton glared angrily at him, tempted to blast down this insolent human. Then it struck him that it might be amusing to overawe this primitive creature with the might of Zygon technology, to see his fear when he knew the fate that awaited his planet. Broton spoke slowly in his hissing, gurgling voice. 'Centuries ago, by your time-scale, our craft was damaged. We landed here and concealed ourselves. Over the long years we regenerated, regained our former strength. But when the sub-s.p.a.ce communicator was at last repaired, we received terrible news. Our world was destroyed in a stellar explosion. The survivors roam the galaxy in their s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps, exiles like ourselves. We can never return home.'For a moment Harry was touched by the sadness in the creature's voice. But any trace of sympathy vanished with Broton's next words. 'Since our planet is no more, we must makethis planet our own. All resistance will be crushed. We shall change the destiny of Earth!' The voice rose to a high, triumphant shriek. planet our own. All resistance will be crushed. We shall change the destiny of Earth!' The voice rose to a high, triumphant shriek.Broton looked expectantly at Harry, waiting to see him collapse in terror. To his disappointment the human seemed totally unimpressed.'I seem to have heard that one before,' said Harry. 'How do you propose to set about it?'Broton gave a hiss of rage. He pressed one of the control nodules and a screen slid back to reveal a long observation window. Harry peered through it, and saw with a shock that the window looked out into murky, swirling water. Broton pressed another nodule, and a low electronic burbling filled the room. 'Look, human,' he ordered.Obediently, Harry looked. For a moment or two he saw nothing. Then he gasped in astonishment. A huge shape had loomed up, and was drifting slowly by the window. Harry stared in amazement at the fierce head on the immensely long neck, the huge body with its two low humps, the two pairs of flippers front and rear, and the flat, powerful tail. 'We must be under Loch Ness,' gasped Harry. 'And that thing-that's the monster!''To us, human, it is the Skarasen. A native of our planet-and in your terminology, our ultimate weapon!'Broton touched a control. The noise died down and the monster swam away. The cover slid hack over the window. Harry shook his head wonderingly. 'How did you manage to bring a thing that size with you?''As an embryo. It was grown and reared here on your planet. The Skarasen is our life source. We Zygons need its lactic fluid to survive.'So the monster was also a kind of milk-cow, thought Harry. He blurted out his next thought before he could stop himself. 'Then if that thing is killed, you die too?''None of your human weapons can affect the Skarasen. Our technology is supreme.''Ours isn't so bad either,' Harry said defiantly. 'I doubt if your little pet would survive a nuclear missile.''The merest pin-p.r.i.c.k,' Broton was scornful. 'We have converted the Skarasen into a cyborg of devastating power. Nothing can stand against the Zygons. Nothing! 'Suddenly Broton tired of his sport. The human was failing to show the proper reactions. He should have been pleading for mercy by now. 'Take him away and prepare him,' he ordered. Another Zygon stepped up behind Harry and seized his arms in a powerful grip.Harry realised he had forgotten to ask the most important question of all. 'What aboutme ?' he yelled. 'Why have you brought me here?' ?' he yelled. 'Why have you brought me here?'As he was dragged struggling from the control-room, Harry heard Broton's mocking reply. 'We have brought you here, human, because we need your body.'

5 The Sleeping Village

The Brigadier was feeling aggrieved. Not for the first time, he brooded over the tendency of his a.s.sistants to disappear just when needed. Harry was missing. Sarah was missing. The Doctor and Benton had gone off to look for them, and nowthey were missing. For want of anything better to do, the Brigadier started harrying his H.Q. staff. were missing. For want of anything better to do, the Brigadier started harrying his H.Q. staff.'Is the cordon set up on the moor?''Yes, sir,' said Corporal Palmer patiently.'Remember now,' snapped the Brigadier, 'I want a twenty-four hour watch kept on every inch of this coast-line.'Corporal Palmer sighed. He'd already set up liaison with Trinity House, the Coastguard and the Royal Navy. However, he refrained from pointing this out to the Brigadier, contenting himself with a brisk, efficient, 'Sir!' as he got on with his work.The Brigadier studied a map of the coast-line. 'If the Doctor's right, and some kind of sea monster is attacking the rigs, we've got to be ready for anything.''Sir!' said Palmer again, thinking they'd all be ready a lot sooner if the Brigadier would clear off and let them get on with it.A new and alarming thought struck the Brigadier. 'The thing might decide to come inland somewhere else, and bypa.s.s our cordon. You'd better warn the local police to be on the alert.''Sir! ' said Palmer. He'd seen to all that half an hour ago.The Brigadier regarded him with some irritation. The super-efficient Palmer was invaluable, but it was possible to betoo efficient. 'Can't you say anything else but "Sir! "?' he demanded irritably. efficient. 'Can't you say anything else but "Sir! "?' he demanded irritably.'Sorry, sir! ' The RT operator pa.s.sed Palmer a message slip and he seized thankfully on the diversion. 'Message from Sergeant Fletcher's squad, sir. They've arrived at McNab Point and set up a listening watch with some of that new equipment of the Doctor's. So far they say there's...'Palmer's voice slowed, his eyes glazed, and he slid gently to the floor.The Brigadier stared at him in utter disbelief. Sleeping on duty was a serious offence in itself, but actually dropping off under the eye of a superior officer... 'Corporal Palmer!' he barked, 'Get a grip of yourself, man.' Palmer made no reply. He seemed to be fast asleep. The Brigadier turned to his orderly clerk.'Look after the Corporal. He seems to have...' The Brigadier's voice tailed away. The clerk was dozing peacefully, his head buried in a pile of report forms. The RT operator was sprawled across his set.Everyone in the room was asleep-and a thin mist was seeping under the door and spreading through the place. The Brigadier rushed to the door and flung it open. A thicker cloud of the same mist billowed into the room, and the Brigadier slumped to the floor. in the room was asleep-and a thin mist was seeping under the door and spreading through the place. The Brigadier rushed to the door and flung it open. A thicker cloud of the same mist billowed into the room, and the Brigadier slumped to the floor.The room was silent, except for the sound of heavy breathing and the occasional snore. After a moment the telephone began to ring, but there was no one to answer it.In the sick-bay corridor, Warrant Officer Benton listened to the ringing at the other end of the line in utter amazement. It was impossible that there should be no answer. Whatever the crisis, they'd always leave someone to man the communications.He slammed down the receiver as his men came along the corridor. 'No sign of the Doctor?''No, sir.'Benton sighed in exasperation. 'Now we've gotthree missing! Not to mention the whole of H.Q.' Like the Brigadier before him, Benton began to feel the victim of a ma.s.s disappearing act. A search of the grounds had revealed no trace of Sarah or Harry. And on returning to the sick bay, they'd found that the Doctor and Sister Lamont had also vanished. Benton turned to the puzzled soldiers. 'Come on, we'd better search the building. You go that way, I'll take a look in here.' missing! Not to mention the whole of H.Q.' Like the Brigadier before him, Benton began to feel the victim of a ma.s.s disappearing act. A search of the grounds had revealed no trace of Sarah or Harry. And on returning to the sick bay, they'd found that the Doctor and Sister Lamont had also vanished. Benton turned to the puzzled soldiers. 'Come on, we'd better search the building. You go that way, I'll take a look in here.'Purely by chance, the door Benton chose was the one leading to the decompression chamber. He looked briefly round the anteroom, and was just about to leave when he saw the heavy metal door and the little window with its Venetian blind. Casually he walked across and peered in. What he saw made him give a yell that brought the UNIT soldiers running back. Sarah and the Doctor were sitting cross-legged against the far wall of the little chamber. Both were as still as death.Benton spun the locking-wheel frantically, and heaved at the door. It wouldn't budge. The soldiers joined in to help, but the door resisted their combined strength.Benton studied the control panel by the door, and swiftly adjusted controls. He watched the air-pressure climb steadily and said, 'All right-let's try again.' They heaved on the door and slowly it gave way. Benton climbed into the chamber and crossed to the Doctor. He sat completely still, stiff and corpse-like. Despairingly Benton wondered if rigor mortis had already set in. Then, suddenly one of the Doctor's eyes flicked open. It stared unwinkingly at Benton for a moment, then the other eye opened.The Doctor's nose twitched, he sneezed, and then took in a great gulp of the air flooding into the chamber. A delighted grin spread over his face. 'It worked.'Benton gave a sigh of relief. 'Whatworked?''Oh, just an old trick I learned from a Tibetan Monk,' said the Doctor airily. He saw a soldier trying to revive Sarah and called hastily, 'Don't touch her. It's fatal to break the trance incorrectly!' The Doctor moved over to Sarah, cupped her face in his hands, and gently stroked her forehead with his thumbs. He applied pressure to carefully selected points in her neck, gave her a hearty slap on the back, and Sarah came to life as if she'd been switched on. For the second time that day, she recovered consciousness to see the Doctor gazing down at her.'Doctor-what happened?''I had to put us both into a kind of suspended animation, so we'd survive long enough to be rescued,' the Doctor explained cheerfully. 'Congratulations, Sarah. You're a remarkably good subject.'Sarah climbed shakily to her feet. 'I'mso glad. Do you think we could get out of this place now?' glad. Do you think we could get out of this place now?''What an excellent idea!' agreed the Doctor cheerfully. 'You know, I really think we'd better pop along to see the Brigadier-he must be wondering what's happened to us.''I'mwondering what's happening tohim ,' said Benton. He explained about the abortive telephone call. ,' said Benton. He explained about the abortive telephone call.The Doctor looked worried. 'We'd better get back straight away.'Sarah said suddenly, 'What about poor Harry? We've got to find him.'The Doctor's voice was rea.s.suring. 'I think he's a prisoner of the aliens. When we find their base, we'll rescue him!'An astonished Huckle stood looking about him in the middle of UNIT H.Q. One of his divers, examining the sunken remains of a wrecked rig, had come up with a very interesting discovery, and Huckle had decided to inform UNIT straight away. The last thing he'd expected was to find them literally asleep on the job. Yet all around the Brigadier and his H.Q. staff were sleeping soundly, impervious to all attempts to wake them.A strange, eerie feeling began to creep over Huckle. He remembered his drive through the village-he hadn't seen a living soul. He looked about uneasily, wondering what to do next. Suddenly, from out on the moor, came a terrifying sound. Like the bellowing of some enormous beast...One of the Brigadier's patrolling soldiers heard the sound at the same time. He was actually out on the moor, and the noise was very much closer. It made the already-terrified soldier c.o.c.k his rifle, and peer nervously into the impenetrable mist that surrounded him.He'd been on the moor for several hours now, on the outer limits of the cordon set up by the Brigadier to keep watch for the monster. By rights he should have been relieved some time ago. But his relief hadn't arrived, the sergeant hadn't been round to check up, and his increasingly frantic RT calls to UNIT H.Q. had received no reply. The sudden shattering roar from out of the mist was too much for him. His nerve broke and he turned to run.Something huge and powerful was crossing Tulloch Moor, moving, for all its vast bulk, at incredible speed. The fleeing soldier ran right across its path. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the monstrous head on its long neck, and then a ma.s.sive paw crushed him into the ground. The creature bellowed once more as it disappeared into the mist.The Doctor, Sarah, and Benton heard the roar just. as they arrived at the inn. They dashed into the parlour only to find it full of sleeping soldiers, with a terrified Huckle trying to shake them awake. Benton decided to take a look outside, while the Doctor made a quick examination of the Brigadier and his men. Sarah went off to look round the inn itself. She came back into the parlour as the Doctor finished his examination.Huckle hovered nervously beside him. 'Well, what's the verdict?''Nerve gas,' explained the Doctor. 'Something affecting the higher consciousness to produce all the effects of natural sleep. Concentrated, localised, and extremely powerful.''Are they going to be all right?''Right as rain,' said the Doctor cheerfully. 'Look, they're starting to come out of it now.' And indeed, all round the room, men were stirring and muttering.Sarah said, 'Everyonein the place is asleep, Doctor. All the staff, guests-everyone.''I can beat that,' said Benton, following her in. 'Everyone in the village seems to be asleep. My patrols too, as far as I can tell. No one's answering the RT.'The Doctor seemed unsurprised.'Why?' demanded Sarah. 'Why should anyone want to knock out an entire village full of people?'Benton agreed. 'That's right, Doc-why? Doesn't make any sense.''It makes sense, all right,' said the Doctor. 'Someone, or rathersomething , wanted to pa.s.s this way unseen.' , wanted to pa.s.s this way unseen.''Thesomething that gave the roar we heard?' asked Huckle. that gave the roar we heard?' asked Huckle.The Doctor nodded. 'Very probably.'Benton made for the door. 'I'm going to check on my patrols. Tell the Brig, will you-when he comes to.'The Doctor nodded, and turned to HuckIe. 'Now then, Mr Huckle,' he said brightly. 'What can we do for you?' He sounded for all the world like an old-fas.h.i.+oned shopkeeper welcoming a customer, thought Sarah.Huckle stared blankly at the Doctor, who said gently, 'Did you have some special reason for coming here?''Yes-yes of course. My divers were checking what's left of the rigs and one of them found this. It was stuck to the concrete foundations, well below the water line.'Huckle produced a strange-looking object. It might have been a large, old-fas.h.i.+oned deaf-aid that had been in the sea long enough to get encrusted with weed and barnacles, thought Sarah. Or it could have been an oddly shaped piece of rock that just happened to look like something manufactured. In fact, though Sarah didn't know it, the thing had the half-made, half-grown look of all Zygon technology.The Doctor took the device from Huckle almost reverently. Stepping carefully over the sleeping form of the Brigadier, he took it to the table and began to examine it. 'You know, Mr Huckle,' he remarked happily, 'I think we're getting somewhere at last!'The Doctor's good spirits were not shared by Broton, Warlord of the Zygons. He stood in his control-room hissing with rage at the news brought by one of his subordinates. 'You a.s.sured me the Doctor and the female were dead. Now I hear they have arrived safely at the village. Explain