Doctor Who: Nightshade Part 24

now,' he continued. 'I gather you've had some experiences Trevithick hooked his thumbs into the pockets of his up here?'

waistcoat. 'I need a drink. A proper one, I mean.'

Vijay nodded, stooping to relume a candle which had Vijay looked across at Holly. 'I wish the Doctor would blown out. He briefly outlined Ace's discovery of the dead come back. He seems to know more than he's saying.'

security guard and Holly's experience in his room. 'And 'He knows more than we do, that's for sure,' muttered you too?'

Trevithick.

'Oh yes. Things I would never've believed possible. Those Vijay sighed. 'I just wish my mind wasn't so closed. I monsters you mentioned, for instance.'

mean, we're here to monitor radio signals from s.p.a.ce. Why 'Monsters? What? From Nightshade you mean?'

should I be surprised if something... something intelligent Trevithick nodded heavily. 'I saw one. It attacked me.

has turned up?'

Really. A b.l.o.o.d.y monster.'

There was a gentle whirring sound as one of the consoles Vijay's mouth set in a grim line. 'I saw... a ghost, I flashed back to life. Holly was by it in an instant, her fingers suppose. That's all I can call it. It was as real as you are. It tapping away at the keyboard. Vijay dashed across the room, even threw me against the wall. And there was this stuff, knocking down a couple of candles.

like ectoplasm, condensing all over me.'

'What is it?'

Trevithick put down his cup suddenly. 'Your young Holly scanned the screen. 'Power's coming back. Slowly.

lady's late fiance, you say?'

There's the same data from the Bellatrix nova. And 'Yes.'

something else. A sort of... pulse. Steady pulse in the 'That's interesting.'

background. Like interference. But with a pattern.'

Vijay put his head on one hand. 'What is?'

'Getting stronger,' stated Vijay, flatly.

'Miss Kidd saw her dead friend. I saw the creature from my old series. Mrs Yeadon believed that the ghost of her late Medway changed gear and slammed his foot on the brother appeared to her.'

accelerator.

204.

205.

The car had spent several agonising minutes stuck in the Suddenly there was someone in his headlights, looming marshy ground by the station's security fence before he'd into view like a spotlit statue, her hands flying to her mouth persuaded it on to the road.

as she screamed and threw herself off the road.

Ahead, the monastery seemed to burn like a Roman Medway spun the wheel to avoid her but the road ahead candle, but, when he looked again, the old building was had vanished in a mist of pain and nausea. There was just invisible against the night sky.

the moor now, somersaulting into his mind's eye as the car He was getting out. Away from this strange place with its rolled and rolled.

missing persons and stinking corpses. Back to London and Medway's last thoughts were of the old tinselly Christmas safety, somewhere he knew well, where there were people tree, now dazzlingly bright and beautiful. Then he screamed to love him. No, even better, he would go home. Home for and rammed his head under the dashboard as the car Christmas, just as he had been promising himself all these erupted in flame.

years.

Home.

Jill Mason ducked down as the explosion lit up the night, He would make the tea tomorrow morning. Hold his chunks of red-hot metal whoos.h.i.+ng across the moor. She parents tight and tell them how much he loved them.

stood up, her legs almost buckling with exhaustion and fear, Home.

as the skeleton of Medway's car burned before her.

Medway's stomach lurched as if he'd been punched, a wave of dizziness flooding through him. There was a dull, 'b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l!' Robin pulled Ace to the tower window and thumping ache at the back of his neck. Sickly pain shot both their faces flashed orange as the car exploded out on across his temples and over his eyes. He took one hand off the moor.

the wheel and rubbed his forehead which was p.r.i.c.kled with 'We'd better try and find the Doctor,' said Ace, turning icy sweat. His stomach heaved involuntarily and vomit back. 'We're no use to anyone stuck up here.'

trickled down his chin.

'No!' barked Robin. Ace looked at him.

The car jerked as he took his foot off the accelerator. He 'No,' he said more softly, 'I don't want you to. We still couldn't stop now. He had to get out. Had to.

don't know what's down there, do we? Let's stay where Then there was a wild, appalling sickness spinning we're safe, at least till it's light.'

through him and he cried out, almost losing control of the Ace checked her watch. It was close to five in the morning.

car as his hands twitched and shook. The road ahead was a 'Yeah. I suppose you're right.' She looked at him steadily.

dark black ribbon, s.h.i.+fting and blurring as he fought to keep 'I'm really sorry about your mum.'

a grip on his senses.

Robin nodded. 'I was too old to think of her as my mother.

Never really got to know her, I suppose. But we were good friends. I can't believe she's gone, I just can't.'

206.

207.

'Maybe that's good,' said Ace quietly.

Ace ruffled his hair. 'You're full of those cliches, aren't 'What d'you mean?'

you?'

'Maybe it's good that you can't take it in. You've got to They laughed again, eyes s.h.i.+ning.

keep your wits about you. I think the best thing you can do Perhaps she would tell him everything soon. Tell him of for her is to stay alive.' Ace took his hand and pulled him to the wonders and the horrors she'd seen. And who she and her. They kissed again.

the Doctor really were. Perhaps...

'Tell me about the Doctor,' said Robin at last, stroking her The floorboards creaked loudly and Ace jumped in shock.

hair from her eyes with his delicate fingers.

She peered into the dusty corners.

Ace shrugged. 'We travel together. He's a sort of ... guru 'There's somebody there!'

for me, I suppose.'

'Can't be.' Robin began to advance towards the trap door.

Robin laughed. 'You're not into all that hippy s.h.i.+t, are 'There is!' Ace grabbed his arm. 'Listen!'

you?'

A heavy silence followed and then they heard the same 'No!' Ace grinned. "The Doctor's ...' She thought of a creaking of boards followed by a deep moan.

word she'd found in a little yellow-backed novel in one of 'What the h.e.l.l is it?' Robin whispered from between the TARDIS's less dusty rooms. 'The Doctor's... my mentor.

clenched teeth.

He teaches me things, shows me places. Helps me to grow Ace shook her head. Something small and dark scuttled up.'

into view, starlight from the window picking out its bent 'You don't seem like you need much help.'

contours.

'Oh, I did. Still do, I suppose. Sometimes I feel like he Billy Coote walked slowly towards them, his arms stiff manipulates me. But it usually turns out for the best.

and his hair swept back from his head like a halo.

Usually.'

Ace gasped. 'Look at his eyes!'

'Cruel to be kind, eh?'

The old man's black orbs jerked and twitched in their Ace nodded. 'Something like that.'

sockets. A voice, deep and rumbling, rose from the depths She stared into the darkness and smiled. 'He's shown me of his chest.

so many things, so much beauty...' Ace looked at Robin, 'I can see it! I can see it!'

suddenly embarra.s.sed. 'Stuff like that.'

Then, more powerfully, the timbre becoming almost Robin could sense she was troubled. 'But?'

musical: 'I can see it!'

'I'd do anything for him,' said Ace. 'But now... now he's talking about jacking it all in.'

Trevithick, Vijay and Holly shot to their feet. For an Robin squeezed her hand. 'All good things come to an instant, the sky was like an upturned crucible, fire leaving a end.'

starburst after image on their eyes.

208.

209.

Holly gasped and jumped back from the window, reared up on its legs, mandibles clicking, and the others s.h.i.+elding her eyes.

followed suit as though obeying a silent command.

'Mr Medway, I presume,' said Trevithick hollowly, Gradually, very gradually, the soft rustling sound clasping his hands behind his back.

whispered into the air, rising in volume like the sound of an Vijay pulled a parka off the back of his chair. 'I'm going to expectant crowd.

find Cooper.'

'You see!' cried Trevithick. 'It's them! Remember!'

He expected Holly to react, to ask him to stay with her as Vijay's gaze was forced away from them for a moment as she had done before, but she just slid to the floor, gently more consoles blinked back to life. He grabbed Holly's hand rocking herself. Vijay didn't really want to go outside at all.

but she resisted, pressing her feet against the floor tiles.

Trevithick came to his rescue. 'Are you sure about this, Vijay gritted his teeth and picked her up bodily.

young fella? We don't want to risk any more of us, do we?

'Mr Trevithick. Into the interior. Quick!'

It's rather like those Hammer horrors I used to do where The row of insectoid creatures sprang through the people get b.u.mped off one by one. You always end up window, gutteral screeches escaping their jaws.

saying "Why do they go off on their own? It's so obvious!"

Trevithick yelped in fright and pelted across the room Maybe we should stick together.'

towards the interior door. The creatures' huge, glistening Vijay gave a relieved sigh. 'Well, if you think...'

bodies flashed green, then white in the glare of the consoles Shattering cracks echoed through the room as the main as they careered across the room.