Trial Of A Time Lord _ Mindwarp Part 2

'All we did was land here-' the Doctor began.

'Where is your submersible?' Frax interrupted.

'Further along the sh.o.r.e.'

Frax nodded, regarding the Doctor coldly. The phaser still pointed at the second b.u.t.ton of the Doctor's multicoloured coat. 'You are part of Crozier's new group?'

'Oh, indeed, yes, of course.'

Frax relaxed a little and pointed at the corpse of the Raak.

'There will have to be an enquiry about his death.'

'We will help in any way we can,' the Doctor said. His voice sounding as sincere as he could possibly make it.

Frax seemed genuinely troubled. 'The Raak was proud of his upgrading. So happy to be in service to the mentors.'

'Do you serve them?' Peri asked.

'Everybody must,' Frax said simply.

'Ah, I see,' the Doctor said, then added, 'Pity the Raak lost his head and tried to squeeze Peri like toothpaste.'

'It was an accident,' Peri said gently to Frax whose sad gaze was only diverted from the bedy of the Raak by the arrival of the guard carrying a stretcher-like sling.

'Take him to the dissecting lab.'

For a moment the Doctor thought Frax meant him, but the guards shouldered past and began to lift the green creature on to the stretcher.

'If there has been a regression,' Frax continued, 'they will want to know why.'

'Quite,' said the Doctor. 'Of course they will.'

'You must come with us,' Frax said, 'we will take you to Crozier's laboratory. Once he has verified your ident.i.ty you will be released.'

The Doctor nodded his agreement. 'Oh certainly, let's do that. Security is so very important.'

'I'm glad you agree,' said Frax watching the Doctor closely while standing aside to allow his guards to carry the Raak past him. The Doctor's attention also s.h.i.+fted momentarily as the stretcher with its grotesque burden went by. In the second of his distraction Frax neatly removed the phaser from the Doctor's hand and politely indicated that Peri and the Doctor should fall in behind the Raak. With Frax bringing up the rear the party set off to meet the mysterious Mr Crozier. A meeting that could only deepen their implication in what Officer Frax had called murder.

Three.

'Is the Transformer Helmet prepared?'

The handsome woman, known as the Matrona, checked the readings on the BTV scanning screen. 'Yes, Mr Crozier.'

'Let us begin,' Crozier said. A man in his late thirties, blond with pale almost colourless blue eyes, he possessed an abrupt manner that dismissed everything as uninteresting apart from his one consuming pa.s.sion that of how the brain functioned in any creature that had, or could be given, the power to reason.

His latest experiment lay unconscious on an operating table. A large muscular, fiercely bearded, warrior king from Thordon. Encasing his upper torso was a breastplate made from leather, studded with iron and decorated with a deep inlay of gold that betokened his royal status.

'Let us begin,' Crozier said, helping the Matrona to guide the helmet across the laboratory on its supporting arm.

'Slowly, Matrona, slowly... what's...?' A jewelled dagger had entangled itself in the pocket flap of Crozier's lab coat and had clattered to the floor.

'Barbarians,' Crozier said. His voice sharp with contempt as he guided the brain transformer towards the skull of Yrcanos.

The helmet closed on the ma.s.sive head. The power source was switched through and the lights of the input condensers activated and glowed, waiting to pa.s.s the waves of power that, when completed, would alter the warlike personality of Yrcanos.

Fussily, Crozier checked the instruments on the main visual display units. Satisfied, finally, he thrust his hands out before him.

'Decontamination box,' he ordered.

The Matrona held out the square metal box, lifted the seal to allow Crozier's hands to enter, then activated the particle bombardment which would cleanse the scientist's hands of contamination.

The bombardment stopped. Crozier removed his hands.

'Let us pacify the brain of the barbarian.' Crozier moved to the Control Function Codifier. In his eyes could be seen the intensity of his excitement.

Following the Raak, Peri found herself mesmerised by the lolling head and the staring eye that opened and closed with the swaying of the stretcher.

This, taken with the twists and turns of the tunnels, soon disorientated Peri completely. All she could do was plod on through the dank, rock-strewn pa.s.sageways.

Finally they reached a junction of corridors. Down one lay what seemed to be a room from which light spilled.

Above them a red warning light was activated.

'We must wait,' Frax said, pointing up at the light.

'Crozier must not be disturbed.'

'Oh, what a shame we can't meet him straight away,'

Peri said with a sidelong glance at the Doctor.

'Yes, it seems a lifetime since we saw old Crozier,' said the Doctor.

Frax stared at the Doctor, his expression showing suspicion. 'Old? He is young for a man of science.' He paused. 'Perhaps you should describe Crozier to me.'

'Certainly,' the Doctor said, 'but shouldn't we attend to the Raak first?'

'Why? He is dead.' Frax frowned.

'Oh,' said the Doctor. thought he just winked at Peri.'

'Cheek!' Peri said, trying to support the ploy of the Doctor.

'No accounting for alien taste,' the Doctor said. His eyelid lowered a fraction in an almost imperceptible sign to Peri.

Frax examined the Raak who sagged back lifelessly when the officer touched him. 'Surely he is dead.'

'Not necessarily,' the Doctor pushed Frax aside. 'May I examine him I am a Doctor.'

'Like Crozier?'

'Yes. Yes. A colleague. Nurse Peri, please prepare to apply the skedaddle test.'

Peri swallowed nervously. 'Is that wise, Doctor?'

'The alternative might be quite nasty. Come round here, Nurse, quickly, before it's too late.' The Doctor, as he said this, picked up the Raak's claw as if trying to locate a pulse.

'Hold this,' he ordered as Peri joined him.

Trying not to grimace too much Peri took the pincer in her hands, which allowed the Doctor to manoeuvre so that Frax and the guards were on the opposite side of the stretcher.

'Ready to apply the test, Nurse?'

'More than ready, Doctor,' came the tense reply.

'Count of three then.'

Bending over the Raak the Doctor counted calmly, 'One and two...' Then, roaring out ' three three!' he overturned the stretcher with the Raak on to the guards and their officer.

In the confusion of his sudden action Peri darted away.

But soon she heard footsteps gaining on her. She glanced behind and saw with relief that the Doctor was almost within reach of her, though puffing and panting with exertion. A solitary force bolt streamed by but after that a curve in the tunnel protected them from further fire.

Left behind, Frax restrained his men from going in pursuit. 'Leave them to their fate.'

The guards looked puzzled until Frax added, 'They are headed for the lair of the Lukoser...' There was no need to add anything. The guards grinned and nodded.

'We'll take our time, then go and collect what is left of their bodies.'

The rock out of which the pa.s.sage had been blasted was rough-hewn. The Doctor rested a hand against the wall, trying to regain his breath. He was puzzled as to why they had not been pursued. Perhaps the mist which once more had swirled in had helped their escape but it was still perplexing.

'Doctor, what's this?' Peri offered a long white bone with jagged edges for his inspection. 'There's a pile of others ahead; what is it?'

'Not quite sure. A s.h.i.+n bone, no marrow... pointed, jagged edges...' Watching the Doctor examine the long bone, Peri remembered another adventure and did not wish to take part in a repet.i.tion.

'Let's get back to the TARDIS,' she said, then stood transfixed as the piercing howl of a soul in torment was heard from close by. The sound throbbed, reverberated, penetrated their hearing and upset that part of Peri's mind where unnamed terrors lurked. She turned to run, but the Doctor gripped her arm.

'No,' he said, firmly. 'Let's find what made that dreadful noise and why.'

'I don't want to, Doctor...'

At that moment the patchy pink mist cleared momentarily. 'Doctor, straight ahead, I saw something!'

Peri's voice cracked with tension.

'What?' said the Doctor, alarmed.

'A shape... a... there!'

The Doctor strained his vision and just made out a vague shadow. 'A man?'

Peri blinked in surprise. 'Alone?'

'And unarmed, let's hope. C'mon!' the Doctor, clutching the s.h.i.+n bone, took a few cautious paces forward.

Peri followed the Doctor, then realised a vital factor.

'Doctor, whoever... whatever it is, he's chained to the wall, look!'

The head of the Lukoser lifted. Wild bloodshot eyes stared at them from out of a once-human face that had elongated into the muzzle of a wolf. On his bare torso large patches of fur grew at random. The slavering mouth opened, revealing long canine teeth, while from his throat came a rolling growl that made the hairs lift on Peri's neck.

At the same time compa.s.sion made her somehow want to reach out to this hybrid creature, in chains and so obviously in torment. Impulsively Peri bent to him, which was a mistake for, alarmed by her sudden movement, the Lukoser snarled, gripped her arm and opened his fearsome jaws, aiming to savage her throat.

'Help me!' Peri managed to gasp out before the Doctor looped both of his hands over the neck of the Lukoser, holding the s.h.i.+n bone as a lever against the throat of the Wolfman causing him to choke and loosen his grip on Peri enough to allow her to scramble clear.

The fur-covered paws of the Lukoser gripped the bone and forced it away from his throat. Exerting a strength that was beyond that of his attacker, the man-beast hurled the Doctor from him. Stumbling and staggering the Doctor began to run with the Lukoser bounding after him howling with anger.

Just as it seemed that the Doctor must be brought down by the snapping jaws the restraining chain reached its full length, causing a howl of frustrated anguish from the maddened Lukoser.

Peri went to help the breathless Doctor. 'Are you OK?'

'Yes... Now I am. Now I understand how that bone got its toothmarks...'

'What is he?' Peri stared in fascinated concern at the creature that glared, growled and panted just out of reach.

The Doctor considered. 'Looks a little like a man, acts more like a wolf... lycanthropy?'

'Man changing into a wolf. How?'

'Ask him,' the Doctor said without too much thought and was surprised when Peri took him at his word and stepped forward a pace.

'Good boy. Good dog. Nice man. Can you help us, we're-'

'Peri, be-' the Doctor started but before the sentence could be completed the chain tautened. The Lukoser twisted under its restraint and Peri was safe, a pace beyond the limit of the creature's range. Then an odd thing happened: instead of impotent growls and snarls and another attack, the huge jaws began to creak and stretch painfully in an attempt to form speech. With guttural croaking sounds the words slowly and painfully formed themselves.

'Uh. Hih-hel... help... muh... me.' The great teeth gleamed in the semi-darkness while the long tongue formed the grotesque parody of human speech.