Part 17 (2/2)

Birth Of A Carnivore 'Okay, so what's to stop them materialising somewhere else in Killingworth?'

This was the nub of the issue in Peri's practical mind.

She and the Doctor had made their escape. Behind them, huge clouds of dust spumed from the disused mine entrance. Naturally, she rejoiced in their deliverance, but could see no reason for complacency.

She repeated her question.

'What indeed!' The Doctor was twirling a screwdriver nonchalantly. 'While I was in the Rani's TARDIS, I made an adjustment or two.' He chuckled, remembering the occasion. 'To the navigational aid and the velocity regulator.'

Provided it worked, thought Peri. Past experience of the Doctor's so-called modifications kept her in sceptical mood.

The Rani's TARDIS began to vibrate.

'What is it?' asked the Master.

The Rani manipulated the velocity regulator.

'What's wrong?'

'Our speed's increasing,' the Rani replied.

'Then reduce it!' He joined her at the auxiliary power panel.

'You asinine cretin! What do you imagine I'm trying to do!' She elbowed him aside and flicked the velocity regulator again.

No response.

Forsaking that section of the console, she jammed the navigational aid into an 'off position. Perhaps that would restrain the unfettered TARDIS.

It didn't.

Instead, in gathering momentum, the room started to rotate...

The impact of what was occurring rendered the articulate pair speechless. At this rate of increase, they would cross the frontier into the unknown. No-one had ever travelled at such speeds.

Rotation and acceleration built up to so great a degree that they were being propelled to the walls.

The Rani tried desperately to cling to the console.

It was as if she were submerged in a ferocious whirlpool, except the suction was reversed. Invisible tentacles embraced her. Like unseen leeches, they bled energy from every sinew and muscle, and dragged her outwards. Her clawing fingers lost their purchase. Remorselessly, she was forced away from the console; away from the position where she could influence events. Transfixed against the wall, she, who had reduced so many to the status of helpless victim, now got a bitter taste of her own medicine.

The vibration had set going a tintinnabulation of tinkling gla.s.s as dozens of bottles and tubes jigged and danced.

Glued to the wall, the Master's mesmerized attention was on the Tyrannosaurus Rex embryo jars as they strained their retaining clamps to breaking point...

'They're Time Lords, the Rani and the Master.' Peri's prosaic mind worried on. 'They'll repair the TARDIS.'

'Eventually. But not yet. Not before they're beyond the Milky Way!' Exuberance was in every stride the Doctor took as they made their way past the bath house. 'For that matter, beyond most galaxies.' He glanced up at the sky.

'I've heard conditions are rather primitive in the outer reaches of the Universe!'

Glancing skywards too, Peri could not appreciate, as the Doctor could, the real extent of the Rani's and the Master's plight.

'Hardly the setting for an harmonious relations.h.i.+p,'

mused the Doctor.

Quite true.

But even he could not foresee how dreadful his enemies'

situation would become.

By now the awesome centrifugal force had them plastered against the wall. The resulting 'G' factor was reflected in their agonised rictal grimaces.

Also reflected was terror.

One of the jars had crashed to the floor, ejecting an embryo.

The impact acted as a post-natal slap. The embryo began to squirm... it was alive...!

Worse... it seemed to be developing in size... 'It's growing!' The Master's horror was tinged with disbelief.

How could the obscenity grow that rapidly? It was an embryo, months away from being fully developed. And yet the limbs and torso were lengthening.

'Acceleration! Time spillage!' The Rani's vocal cords were hoa.r.s.e with despair. She had seen the Tyrannosaurus Rex in action when she had raided the Cretaceous Age to purloin the embryos. She knew this monster would need to mature very little before it could scrunch them savagely between bone-crus.h.i.+ng jaws.

The Master seemed spellbound by the beast as the powerful, arched hind-quarters began to bulge and swell.

Its scaly legs grew visibly longer, its talons sharper and stronger. Time spillage was causing the dinosaur to achieve a year's growth in minutes.

Pinned to the wall, even the Rani, with all her brilliance, could think of no counter-measure. They were irretrievably trapped with a creature that would devour them without mercy.

Almost as though it could read their thoughts, the Tyrannosaurus Rex widened its cavernous jaws in a salivating, toothy grin...

20.

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