Part 25 (1/2)

'Lock tractor beam when in range; ordered Jalbert.

A few hours later, the small shuttle came within scanner and tractor-beam range.

'Wonder if those Anthaurk s.h.i.+ps'll do anything,' mused Guvin. 'Maybe they'll blast it.'

But they took no notice of the tiny s.h.i.+p and it was drawn safely into dock, guided by the invisible hand of the tractor beam.

'Guess we should go down and check it out,' said Guvin.

Jalbert frowned. The guy was always trying to find other things to do. Never wanting to stay in one place. Jalbert had worked most of his life on the s.p.a.ceyards of Beatrix, had spent his years governed by endless safety rules and security regulations. Guvin had been a sledder, gathering meat for the freezefarms of Oomingmak. There was something of the wild snowy wastes glinting in his dark eyes. A restless young lad. 'No. That's not our job. Besides, you heard the 'puter no life signs. Just floating junk.'

Guvin's face, usually sullen and unsmiling, took on an even more frosty expression. 'Yes, sir.'

An idea struck Jalbert. 'Besides which, anything could be on board even some of that Omnethoth stuff.'

Guvin raised heavy eyebrows.

Jalbert grinned. 'Not so keen on going down there now, eh?' He accessed the comms network and informed the duty trooper squad of the situation.

Their job done, Jalbert dialled them more coffee. It had been a busy day, and the shuttle was hopefully the last 'Hey!' cried Guvin. 'Look at that!'

Jalbert spilled coffee on his lap, leapt to his feet brus.h.i.+ng it away. 'What '

Then he saw the screens.

The ring of Anthaurk battle cruisers was closing slowly on the station.

'Warning: incoming vessels, weapons ports fully armed.'

Jalbert swore. 'Sound the general alarm.'

Guvin hit the alarm b.u.t.ton without hesitation.

The Doctor sat cross-legged on the floor of the Anthaurk battle cruiser, a mess of cables in his lap.

He shoved them to the floor with a sigh of frustration. It was useless. There was no power to reroute. They were stuck. He stood, shaking his head. 'It looks like we're doomed.'

Zendaak cursed.

'What about the escape pods?' said the Doctor.

Zendaak folded his arms. 'There are no escape pods on an Anthaurk battle cruiser,' he said with obvious pride.

The Doctor raised his hands. 'Don't tell me, better to die in the glory of battle than to run away.'

Zendaak nodded. 'I had no idea you had an appreciation of our philosophy, Doctor.'

'Appreciation?' exploded the Doctor. 'All I feel is disgust. You should be helping the System regain its feet after the Omnethoth disaster!'

Zendaak bore down on the Doctor, eyes gleaming. 'No, Doctor, that is not the Anthaurk way! The Anthaurk way is glory. With the heart of the System taken out, it is time for us to seize control.'

The Doctor drew himself up to his full height, shouting hoa.r.s.ely. 'Well that's good, as we're all about to die! You'll never live to see your victory!'

A zealous expression crept over Zendaak's wide face. 'I may die, but in my death I can be a.s.sured of Anthaurk supremacy.'

The Doctor rolled his eyes. And so it went on. Once warlike, always warlike. The Omnethoth invasion hadn't united the System: if anything it had spurred the Anthaurk on. Maybe. if Yquatine still stood, there would be a basis for negotiation. But, in the chaotic aftermath of the Omnethoth, it was every species for itself. Survival of the fittest and nastiest in this case, the Anthaurk.

The cycle of life. Sometimes it rea.s.sured the Doctor, sometimes it appalled him.

The deck lurched beneath their feet as another explosion rocked the s.h.i.+p. The Doctor ducked as the control console burst open in a shower of sparks. The screen cut out.

It couldn't be long now.

There was only one chance, but it was a long shot.

He shoved past Zendaak.

He ran along the corridor to the airlock. 'Oh, no!' he cried. both hands plunging into his ma.s.s of brown curls.

The inner airlock door hung open. Inside, there was no sign of the Omnethoth attack unit.

A scream from behind him. He whirled round to see snakes of black gas wrapping themselves around Zendaak, choking the life from him. The attack unit had smeared itself over the walls and ceiling of the corridor and dropped on Zendaak as he pa.s.sed beneath.

The Doctor pressed himself to the floor, shuffling past Zendaak, watching in horror as the Anthaurk commander fell to his knees, his form wreathed in black Omnethoth matter, an arm occasionally shooting out, claws splayed wide.

Zendaak fell face down, and the Omnethoth attack unit slid away. The Doctor's lips curled in disgust. His face had been burnt away, leaving behind a steaming skull, jawbone hanging open in a death's-head grin.

Zendaak may have been belligerent, driven and blinkered, but he'd saved the Doctor's life on two occasions. He was an intelligent creature. There might have been some basis for negotiation. Too late now.

As for the Omnethoth The attack unit billowed upwards, spreading its smoky arms wide, its black centre bulging towards the Doctor.

No basis for negotiation here.

The Doctor backed away towards the flight deck. A seventh sense made him whirl round and there was another attack unit, its limbs curling towards him. Screams from the flight deck told him that there were more of the creatures on the Argusia Argusia. How they'd got on board he had no idea. Perhaps there were weaknesses in the hull through which they had insinuated themselves. Perhaps the Omnethoth he'd trapped in the airlock had reproduced.

It really didn't matter, anyway, because he was trapped.

The deck shuddered beneath him and he fell to his knees.

A smoky tentacle caressed his face.

The Doctor screamed.

Compa.s.sion opened the hatch of the shuttle, and stepped down on to the boarding ladder. The s.p.a.cedock was deserted: just a few handling droids standing idle, a couple of other s.h.i.+ps, but no troopers. That was good, that was how she'd planned things. They wouldn't have detected her presence on the shuttle. She wouldn't have registered as a life sign.

She descended, opened herself up and deposited Fitz on the oil-stained grating in front of her. He'd found a bathroom she never knew she had, and had scrubbed himself until his skin positively glowed with pink, perky health. He'd then found a wardrobe she never knew she had, and kitted himself out in black leather trousers and a baggy black s.h.i.+rt. As he came out of her he grabbed her shoulder for support.