Ten Little Aliens Page 9

  ‘You can see our craft for yourself, madam,’ the Doctor said impatiently, gesturing to the TARDIS.

  ‘Where were you standing,’ asked Haunt, ‘when you

  disappeared?’

  ‘It was dark, I’m not sure.’ Polly frowned. ‘Over by the bodies there, somewhere near the TARDIS. I was trying to get away from them.’

  ‘Marshal, these two were here when we arrived,’ Shel said, his voice flat and emotionless as he looked at the Doctor and Ben. ‘It’s possible they could have set our destination and then hidden the navigational crystals.’

  ‘Oh, come off it,’ Ben protested.

  ‘The systems were dead until you entered,’ the Doctor agreed tetchily. ‘The area was pressurised, as you well know.’

  ‘But we don’t know how long you were here before us,’ Tovel said, without, Ben was pleased to see, a good deal of conviction.

  ‘We’re wasting time!’ the Doctor said. ‘Even without the crystals I’m sure I can decipher the residual coding in the navigational circuits.’

  ‘You can?’ Tovel looked surprised. ‘Care to show me how?’

  ‘Wait,’ Haunt ordered. ‘Scan them, Shel.’

  Shel waved some weird-looking device over the Doctor.

  Then he stuck it in Ben’s face. Ben felt dizzy for a few moments.

  Shel opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

  He looked a bit dizzy himself. Maybe it was catching, thought Ben.

  ‘Cl… Clear, Marshal. No power source detected.’

  Haunt frowned at Shel. ‘You all right?’

  ‘I’ll check the girl.’ He moved over to Polly as if nothing had happened. But by the uneasy look between Haunt and Tovel, clearly something significant had.

  ‘Nothing,’ Tovel observed, and Shel turned away impassively.

  ‘As you see, we were telling the truth,’ said the Doctor.

  ‘Nevertheless, you were quite right to check. The crystals must be on board somewhere.’ He smiled icily at Shel.

  ‘Concealed by whoever set this vessel in motion.’

  ‘Why can’t they be on the part we left behind?’ Ben asked.

  ‘Without them,’ Tovel explained, ‘this ship can’t change course. Ever.’

  ‘It’s a one-way journey,’ said Polly quietly.

  ‘Indeed, that’s quite possible.’ The Doctor steepled his fingers and turned his eyes to the vaulted ceiling high above.

  ‘But to where are we travelling, hmm? Let us consider the facts.’

  Haunt looked at him warily. ‘Go on.’

  ‘Firstly, it would seem the Schirr infested this training area and subverted its functions to accommodate their own. If we are travelling under the guidance of their systems it is unlikely we shall be entering Morphiean space. To do so would mean certain suicide for DeCaster and his followers.’

  ‘Yeah, but they’re already dead, Doctor,’ Ben interrupted.

  ‘Precisely, my boy. But the flight of this asteroid, and the timing of its takeoff, would have been determined before the bloody conflict that consumed them took place.’

  ‘They’ve turned this whole place against us,’ Haunt breathed. ‘They must mean to use it as a weapon.’

  Shel considered. ‘DeCaster’s intent has always been hostile to Earth and Empire. Outwardly, our appearance, size and mass suggests a simple meteor.’

  ‘This rock could steer smoothly into orbit around an Earth world,’ said Tovel, catching on, ‘then drop out of the sky on any continent before anyone can react.’

  Polly just stared at him, horrified.

  Ben was still scratching his head. ‘But if they had all this planned on the automatics, why stay behind? Why fight among themselves?’

  ‘A power struggle of some kind?’ wondered Shel. ‘Perhaps Pallemar wanted to take control.’

  Haunt nodded, a faraway look in her eyes as if she were somehow watching the bloody events unfold. ‘Pallemar was placing the others in the stasis field. They didn’t know how long they would have to wait for the next training squad.

  They planned to use our ship to escape in once the trap was sprung, marooning us here. But Pallemar must’ve realised that with DeCaster stuck in stasis, he could set himself up as the leader.’ She nodded with sudden conviction. ‘The scum won’t even stay loyal to their own kind.’

  ‘The scenario would seem to fit,’ said the Doctor. ‘Except for one thing. If such a squabble took place at the end, unexpectedly... why are the crystals not in evidence?’

  Tovel clicked his fingers. ‘Of course. One of the Schirr must have them! If we can breach that stasis field, we can simply take the crystals back and change course as we wish.’

  ‘Scan the corpses, Shel,’ said Haunt.

  All eyes were on Shel as he waved the wand-like device around the dais.

  And shook his head.

  ‘No power source, Marshal,’ he stated.

  Polly felt sick as her hopes plummeted. She noticed the Doctor nod his head, just a fraction, as if he’d suspected as much all along.

  III

  Lindey led the way through the narrow passage in the rock that led to the doorway. Shade wished it was him staying behind to guard it.

  ‘Watch out for dead Schirr,’ he called lightly to Roba and Frog.

  Roba said nothing. Frog gave him an obscene gesture.

  Shade headed off through the glittering shadows of the complex, Lindey just behind him. He felt exposed without his webset, hated having such freedom to think. Without the mission to trammel his thoughts, they were escaping all over.

  Half the bullring had collapsed in on itself. The route back to the ship, along with another tunnel, was buried forever.

  Shade saw that some of the weed had been shaken down from the crumbling ceiling by the tremors. A cloud of fleas hopped round his feet. He watched them jump, fascinated.

  Going about their business, unaware giants were gathered around them.

  ‘Shadow?’ asked Lindey lightly.

  He couldn’t stop staring.

  ‘You seem a little worked up, Shadow,’ she went on.

  Shade didn’t see the point of arguing the point. ‘What if we’ve got no way off this rock?’

  ‘Haunt will find one.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘You doubt it?’

  Shade closed his eyes. He didn’t want to doubt it. ‘And what about Denni? Do you reckon she’s dead like Joiks thinks?’

  Lindey shrugged. ‘Maybe we’ll find her while we’re checking out what else is left behind here.’

  ‘You don’t sound bothered.’

  ‘She grew up on Paris II, didn’t she? Worst cess-pit in Little Europe. She can handle herself here.’

  Shade didn’t respond. He hated Lindey for being so cool.

  She was always this way, whatever the spot. She’d earned her place here.

  ‘Poor Shadow.’

  She may have picked up on his self-pitying mood, but her voice was cold.

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Always seems to happen to you, doesn’t it? Things getting out of hand. Going wrong.’

  She knows. Shade cleared his throat, made a big pointless show of picking which tunnel they might take as an alternative. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lindey.’

  ‘I think that sappy little girl likes you, you know,’ Lindey went on, her eyes wide and smiling. ‘She must find it so reassuring having a big brave soldier like you around.

  Someone who keeps his head while all around are losing theirs.’ The smile faded. ‘Someone who makes damn sure of it.’

  Shade couldn’t keep up eye-contact, and studied his palmset instead. ‘Seems there’s nothing beyond this rockfall.’

  He tried to sound brisk and emotionless about it. ‘No ship.

  This is the end of the road.’

  ‘Maybe they’ll airlift you out again,’ Lindey whispered, her face in shadow. ‘Earthman.’

  Shade bore down on her angrily. ‘What the hell is all this,
Lindey?’

  But she put her finger to her lips, shushed him, and walked off back the way they had come. ‘You know, I wanted you to get through this mission so badly.’ Her voice wasn’t teasing now. It was strained. ‘I wanted you to get merits, to earn your Elite placing. To feel like you’d actually made it, like you’d finally pushed the past behind you.’ She paused, enjoying herself. ‘Before I buried you with it.’

  ‘Lindey?’ Heart sinking, he strode up behind her, grabbed hold of her shoulder.

  She spun round, gun pulled and ready, and jammed it into his neck. ‘Off. Now.’ She sneered. ‘You’re not in the Royal Escort now, and I’m not just some petty officer in Pauper Fleet - Earthman. We’re equal. Elite, right?’

  Shade let go of her. She chuckled softly.

  ‘I know what you are,’ Lindey said simply. ‘And I know what I could be. So you’d better think of a few strings you can pull for me back on Earth. Or a few other people here might have to find out about you too.’

  Shade felt his temples throbbing, felt the shrapnel in his face bite at the little good skin left. ‘What are you going to do?’

  Lindey lowered the gun and tapped the palmset tucked into her belt. ‘If we ever get out of this... You’ll see.’ She blew him a kiss and turned away. ‘And then you’ll have to be very, very nice to me, my little Earthborn Shadow...’

  Shade watched her go, clenched his fists. ‘Will I,’ he muttered.

  IV

  Polly sighed. The Doctor and Tovel were digging about in the gossamer cables within the navigational console. Haunt was watching them, sullenly. Creben and Joiks were still waving little pieces of machinery around the place, looking for her magic door (Polly hoped they would fall through it and vanish, just as she had). Shel lingered by the grisly display of corpses, staring at them as if he were somehow communicating with them telepathically.

  The idea frightened Polly. She edged closer to Ben.

  ‘He’s a funny one, isn’t he,’ she whispered. ‘Shel, I mean.

  He acts more like a machine than a person.’

  ‘Confucius say, he inscrutable,’ Ben said cheerily. ‘Bet if we looked hard enough we’d find “Made in Taiwan” stamped on him somewhere.’

  Polly didn’t smile back. ‘That’s racist, Ben.’

  ‘Come on Pol, I didn’t mean nothing by it.’

  ‘No one ever means anything by it, but they still make the jokes all the same. Would you like to be treated like that?’

  Ben looked away, hurt. ‘We ain’t been treated so well by any of them in case you hadn’t noticed.’

  Polly spoke without thinking. ‘Adam’s all right.’

  ‘Adam?’ Ben didn’t look happy. ‘Oh, got you. Shade. The bloke with the face. Yeah, you and him seem to be getting on pretty well.’

  Polly sighed. Jealousy was so childish. ‘I don’t know why you’re so bothered. You and that froggy woman seem to be hitting it off quite well yourselves,’ she said, folding her arms.

  Ben didn’t say anything to the contrary. The rat.

  ‘Look, Duchess,’ Ben said finally. ‘We’re all stuck here, whizzing through space on some dirty great rock with a load of murdered black-magic criminals, a bunch of trigger-happy space marines and God knows what else. Let’s not fall out in the middle of this lot.’

  ‘We haven’t fallen out,’ Polly told him, and was rewarded with a broad grin. She lowered her voice. ‘You know what we were saying earlier, about cat people and dog people?’

  Ben nodded. ‘What do you make of this lot?’

  ‘Well, I suppose they should all be cats. Independent.

  Tough.’ Polly considered. ‘Shel’s a cat. Creben and Lindey too.’

  ‘Frog’s not one or the other. Well, she’s a frog, ain’t she!’ He paused. ‘Got to feel sorry for her.’

  Polly nodded, forced a smile. ‘Adam - Shade - is definitely a dog.’

  ‘And you feel sorry for him, right?’

  Polly nodded. ‘So we’re equal.’

  ‘Creben. Joiks,’ called Haunt. ‘Found anything yet?’

  Both men shook their heads.

  ‘As if she needed to ask,’ Polly snorted. ‘Doesn’t she trust them to tell her?’

  ‘She’s just trying to keep them motivated, giving them something to do,’ said Ben. ‘Just ‘cause they’ve got big guns don’t mean they’re not bricking it like the rest of us. If they feel like she’s counting on them, they feel better about themselves.’

  The thought hadn’t occurred to Polly. ‘I suppose that’s your Navy background talking.’ Then she sighed. ‘I really am like a fish out of water round here.’

  ‘Then I’d better watch out for you with all these cats about,’

  Ben said, patting her hand. ‘Especially the big, bad Marshal Haunt.’

  Polly shook her head. ‘I’m not sure about her. Something in her eyes... She acts really tough, but I’ll bet she’s been hurt before. Hurt badly. A love affair that went wrong, or something.’

  ‘Female intuition, is it?’ Ben smirked.

  ‘She’s probably been a soldier forever, but it’s like she’s not here because she really wants to be... She just doesn’t have anywhere else to go.’

  Ben raised his eyebrows. ‘Getting a bit deep for me, Pol.’

  He looked quite relieved when a distraction came along in mutters and grumbles from the Doctor, as he struggled out of his spacesuit. Ben gave him a hand, while Tovel got on with pulling web-like filaments from out of the console. Soon the navy blue spacesuit was a shucked skin on the cavern floor, and the Doctor was resplendent again in his black frock coat, starched wing collar and cravat, somehow none the worse for wear.

  ‘Any luck finding where we’re going, Doctor?’ Polly asked.

  ‘I’m afraid not yet, my child.’

  ‘Only a matter of time though, thanks to those reducing equations of yours,’ said Tovel, and Polly could see he was impressed.

  The Doctor smiled wanly, but his face hardened as Shade and Lindey came marching back into the control room with Roba and Frog at their heels. As usual Lindey looked assured and collected. Shade, she noticed, looked less comfortable.

  ‘Half the bullring has collapsed,’ Lindey reported. ‘There’d be no way through to the ship, even if it was still here.’

  The temperature in the room seemed to fall by a couple of degrees. Polly looked longingly at the TARDIS. With the invisible barrier in place it was as out of reach as the soldiers’ spaceship.

  Haunt took the news stoically. ‘Then we sweep this place for droids. We kill anything that can kill us. Then we’ll find a way to signal back home. We’ll figure something out.’

  ‘Are we sure this isn’t part of the training simulation?’

  asked Shade hopefully.

  No one replied.

  ‘We could do with finding Denni,’ Creben observed. ‘She might’ve learned something that could help us.’

  ‘She’s dead,’ Joiks muttered bitterly.

  Haunt overheard him. ‘Thanks to you, we don’t know that for certain.’ Joiks looked up, stung, but said nothing. ‘We don’t know anything at all,’ Haunt went on. ‘It’s time we did.’

  Now, as if under orders to accentuate the positive, there were murmurs of assent from the troops.

  Haunt turned back to Joiks. ‘Can you guide us back to where you lost Denni? That’ll be our starting place.’

  He nodded, to Haunt’s evident satisfaction.

  ‘All right everyone, we’re moving out.’

  ‘Everyone?’ Polly squawked.

  Haunt turned to her grimly. ‘Everyone.’

  ‘Madam,’ protested the Doctor, ‘surely in light of what has happened here with the missing crystals and the vanishing body, someone should remain here, on guard?’

  ‘I have no one to spare,’ Haunt said flatly. ‘Besides, what’s to guard? The crystals are not in this room, and the corpse fell apart in some kind of power surge when the drives started up.’

  The Doctor looked
between Haunt and Shel. ‘You put a good deal of faith in your adjutant’s judgement.’

  ‘We’re a team. One unit. All of us,’ Haunt said simply. Her gaze swept round the room. ‘If we’re going to survive, we have to act like one. So congratulations, old man. You and yours just joined the squad.’

  ‘Why do we have to go too?’ Polly asked.

  Haunt smiled coldly. ‘I want you where I can see you.’

  V

  Ben tramped along behind Joiks as he led them all off to where he had last seen Denni. The Doctor and Polly were separated from him by the mass of marching bodies, straggling at the back of the procession. Now and then he heard Frog buzz some kind of prompt to keep them moving, but whether threat or request, he wasn’t sure.

  The cold seaweedy cave smell of the asteroid now had the added niff of sweaty trooper. It seemed to be driving the white fleas crazy. They were swarming over the troopers, jumping like ticks in their hair, over their skin, everywhere. The light seemed to shift as they walked along; Ben worked out this was because the weed on the ceilings - fleaweed, he would call it - grew in uneven clumps in these tunnels, rather than the even covering of those closer to the complex.

  Why would that be, Ben wondered. What had the Doctor said? ‘Has this been grown here by the architects of this place so that you can light your way... or so that something else can see you approaching?’

  Maybe now that something else didn’t want them to see it coming.

  ‘It was here,’ Joiks said, pausing at the twisted mouth of yet another dank tunnel. ‘It slopes down and gets pitch black.’

  ‘All right,’ Haunt said, pushing to the front of the group.

  ‘We go inside in groups of three. Joiks, take Creben and Frog in there. Tovel, Roba, take the boy here.’

  Ben felt his heart beat a little faster. ‘I should go with Polly,’

  he said.

  Haunt didn’t even bother to look at him. ‘The girl can go with Lindey and Shade. Shel and me will take the old man.’

  Ben turned to Roba and Tovel. Their lack of enthusiasm suggested that if they’d been picking teams, he might have wound up somewhere else.