Doctor Who_ The Deviant Strain Part 18

'What is it?' Vahlen pointed to the red mist.

'Deadly. Can you get the door open? Get him out?'

Vahlen examined the fused keypad. Minin's face was close to his, through the gla.s.s. Eyes wide with fear.

'Probably.' But Vahlen made no effort to do it. 'He betrayed Chedakin,' he said quietly. 'Betrayed my friend. He deserves to die.'

'No one deserves to die.'

'What about Georgi?'

'He didn't deserve it either. But there was no other way.

'And Chedakin?'

The Doctor hauled Vahlen to his feet. His dark eyes stared into the man's very soul. 'You still don't get it, do you? You saw the file in his office. You still think that Minin drove your innocent friend to suicide?'

'What else?'

The red mist was halfway across the room. Minin was hammering on the door.

'There was a party agent working undercover, sending back information. d.a.m.ning you all.'

'Minin.'

'No!'

'Then he worked for Minin.'

'You saw the memos. Minin didn't even know he was here. And when he found out...'

And Vahlen did see it then. 'Chedakin? But he was my friend.'

'He would have betrayed you all,' the Doctor said. 'That's why Minin shot him. Back of the head. An unlikely suicide. More of an execution.'

'I thought he was my friend,' Vahlen said weakly.

'Then hurry up and save the man who never told you different.' The Doctor lifted up the tool box, holding it open for Vahlen. 'Do it.'

The troops were retreating into the base. Pretty soon the creatures would be there, and Levin knew his men would be trapped between creatures and fire. Their only chance was to get inside and try to defend the concrete building.

Rose and Jack were with them. Jack was carrying Valeria in his arms, stumbling across the compound.

Once inside, Rose led Jack and Valeria to the Doctor. Levin and his men immediately started to barricade the doors and block off the windows. Krylek had gone to get the civilians to help.

The Doctor was in the corridor, with a sullen*looking Vahlen. Alex Minin stumbled after them. He looked pale and frightened and was clutching a handkerchief to his mouth as if he was afraid he was going to be sick.

'They're almost here,' Rose said.

'Levin's barricading us in, so I hope you've got a plan,' Jack added. Beside him, Valeria stood staring blankly forwards.

'Is she all right?' Minin asked hesitantly.

'No,' Jack told him.

'But the rest of us will be,' the Doctor said. He was smiling. 'It's risky, but we'll have to try to shut the ship down. At least we know now there's a direct link.'

'What about Georgi?' Minin asked.

'You did the right thing. The only thing. I dunno why he was bringing the creatures here. Maybe he was in with Barinska, cos someone was. But whatever, it's time to finish this.'

He led the way down the corridor, and Rose realised they were heading back to the storeroom where the tunnel to the ship emerged. 'But didn't you say it was dangerous to try to shut down the ship?'

'Oh, yes. Very.' He was suddenly serious. 'While there was another way, I'd never have risked it. But now it's our only chance. This is Plan B.'

'And there's no Plan C,' Jack said.

'That's right.'

The door to the storeroom was still standing open. On the other side of the room, the hidden door was closed, and the Doctor went over to it. 'You don't have to come with me,' he told them all.

'You might need help,' Jack said.

'We're coming,' Rose told him.

'Great.' He pulled open the door.

And a huge tentacle hurtled towards him.

The Doctor slammed the door shut again, but it caught on the tentacle, which was forcing its way into the room. The door burst open a glowing, blue, glutinous ma.s.s filling the frame behind. Forcing its way through into the storeroom.

'Back!' Jack shouted, shoving Valeria ahead of him.

The Doctor was last out, slamming the door behind them.

'That won't stop it,' Minin said. He seemed to be shivering.

'Not for long, no.'

'So what now?' Rose said.

The Doctor looked at her, meeting her gaze. 'Back to the main doors,' he said. 'It's time for Plan C.'

THIRTEEN.

'If we're lucky we can keep them out for a while,' Levin was saying.

He and Krylek and several of the soldiers were standing by the barricaded main doors. Metal filing cabinets were jammed up against them most of the barricade was metal, made from things that had been left behind because they wouldn't burn on the fire.

'Too late they're already inside,' the Doctor said, running up. 'Sorry.'

'So what now?'

'Working on Plan C,' Rose told him.

'Minin's looking for plans of the building, so let's get to his office. Everyone else to the conference room. At least we'll all be together,' the Doctor said. 'Jack's already a.s.sembling all the civilians he can find. Get your men to help him.'

'You think there's another way out, sir?' Krylek asked.

'Nope,' the Doctor told him. 'I think there may be somewhere to hide.'

The barricade shuddered under a blow from outside. An upended metal desk toppled away and crashed to the floor. Dust showered down from the ceiling.

'There's one on the roof,' Levin said.

In Alex Minin's office, Boris Brodsky and Catherine Kornilova watched Klebanov arguing with Minin.

'Those plans are out of date, they're no help at all,' the chief scientist was saying.

'They're all we have.'

'They're from the 1960s, for goodness' sake!'

'Children,' Jack admonished. He had sat Valeria in an upright plastic chair on the other side of the room. He'd left the civilians in the conference room, together with most of the soldiers, but he didn't trust Valeria's father to look after her.

The Doctor arrived with Levin and the soldiers. 'Post guards along the corridors. Let us know as soon as the creatures are in.'

'That one in the storeroom seems to be staying put for now,' Jack told them.

'Waiting for its mates,' Rose said.

'Could be,' the Doctor agreed. 'Right what have we here?'

Jack and the other scientists moved aside to let him get to the desk where Minin and Klebanov were arguing about the plans.

'What are you looking for?' Minin asked.

Levin joined them. 'I don't see a way out,' he said, scanning the maps.

The Doctor traced his finger round the main corridor. 'See this? It runs right round the edge of the building. Rooms off either side. This is us, here. That's your office, Klebanov. That's the conference room. Labs. Storerooms.'

'So?' Klebanov demanded. 'It shows us nothing we don't know.'

'Maybe not.' The Doctor jabbed his finger down in the middle of the floor plan. 'Right here. In the middle. What's this?'

'It's... nothing,' Minin said. 'There's nothing marked.'

'Must be something,' the Doctor told him.

The other two scientists Boris Brodsky and Catherine Kornilova were leaning in to look.

'I've never been there,' Brodsky said. 'There's no way in.'

'Nothing to do with the labs,' Catherine added. 'Probably just a closed*off area or solid concrete. The building's in the shape of a square with a courtyard or something, except there's no way into it.'

Levin was running his finger along the same route the Doctor had traced. 'Everything's round the edge. But I've seen this place from above, when we arrived in the helicopter. It's solid. Completely enclosed. The Doctor's right there is something there.' He pointed to a storeroom. 'This is the access point. A corridor blocked off and turned into a room. Another one here.'

'So what are you saying?' Rose wanted to know. 'Is it just empty s.p.a.ce or what?'

'Might be full of concrete,' Jack pointed out. 'Solid.'

'Nope.' The Doctor pulled out a plan from underneath the one they were looking at. 'Wiring, pipes, air conditioning they all service that area like any other.'

'You're wondering why it is blocked off,' Klebanov said quietly.

'Yes. But I'm also thinking it's the best place to defend, because because it's blocked off.' it's blocked off.'

Klebanov was shaking his head. 'Go in there,' he said, 'and you're dead.'

The barricade finally collapsed. One of the filing cabinets split open, spilling papers across the floor. The doors were bulging, bursting. A blue wall pulsed and glowed beyond them.

The two soldiers left on guard retreated slowly along the corridor, their rifles levelled even though they knew they were useless against the creature that was now forcing its way inside.

They turned to run. But not quite quickly enough. A tentacle shot across the corridor, swiping one of the soldiers off his feet. His comrade paused, turned, watched as his friend was dragged away face collapsing and limbs atrophying. He hesitated only for a moment, then he ran.

The Doctor was facing Klebanov. The room was eerily quiet as he asked, 'Why? What's in there?'

'It was the main lab. Years ago, when this place was first set up. It was sealed off. For good.'

'Why? What happened?' Catherine asked.

'It was in the 1950s. Before my time, but of course I was briefed when I took the a.s.signment here.'

'Just tell us,' the Doctor snapped.