Part 9 (1/2)

'Sergeant, stay here on guard, I must see the Commander.

The rest of you, follow me.'

The Myrka advanced.

Instinctively the Doctor stepped back, half stumbling over something on the ground. He looked down. It was a blaster-rifle dropped by one of the dead guards. The Doctor picked it up, and examined it thoughtfully.

'That won't do you much good,' said Tegan.

The Doctor's hands were busy with the rifle, extracting a gleaming black cylinder from the b.u.t.t.'Get ready, Tegan!' he said.

The Myrka was very close now. It was poised, coiled as if to spring.

'Cover your eyes!' shouted the Doctor.

Obediently Tegan threw her arm over her face.

The Doctor bowled the cylinder like a cricket ball, striking the monster right between the eyes. He closed his own eyes tightly, and sensed rather than saw the blinding flash that followed.

The Myrka reeled back, roaring and cras.h.i.+ng against the steel wall of the corridor.

Tegan opened her eyes. 'What did you do to it?'

'Simple enough,' said the Doctor opening his eyes. 'The Myrka's body carries a charge of electricity. It exploded the blaster's power-pack.'

'So it's blinded?'

The Myrka was swinging its great head to and fro, as if trying to locate them. Once the effect of the flash faded...

'Temporarily,' said the Doctor.

Turlough hared along corridors, up staircases and through the now-open door to the Bridge. Guards and technicians alike were distracted by the drama of the attack, and before anyone realised what was happening, Turlough was at Nilson's side.

'The master control to bulkhead one where is it?'

Nilson stared at him in astonishment. 'Right here. But the Commander's orders are to keep that bulkhead closed.'

Turlough covered him with his blaster-rifle. 'I know what the Commander's orders are. Now I'm giving you mine: open that bulkhead, or I'll kill you.'

Nilson stared at him for a moment.

Wild-eyed and panting, Turlough looked quite capable of carrying out his threat.

Nilson had no wish to die in defence of the Base he was working to destroy. 'Very well.'

He operated the controls, The Myrka, recovered by now, had resumed its advance on Tegan and the Doctor. They retreated till there was nowhere else to go, until their backs were pressed against the bulkhead door. There was a sudden hiss of hydraulic power and the door began to open...

The moment the gap was wide enough, the Doctor shoved Tegan through, squeezing himself through after her. They pushed past Bulic's astonished sergeant, still waiting on guard. At the sight of the Myrka looming in the widening gap, the sergeant sprang forwards, raising his blaster.

.'Look out!' shouted the Doctor, but it was too late. The Myrka lashed out, the sergeant's body glowed and he fell dead to the ground.

The thick bulkhead door stopped moving. It reversed its direction, starting to close again. With an angry roar, the Myrka flung itself forwards, trying to widen the narrowing gap. There was a screech of protest and the door juddered to a halt, the mechanism jammed. There was still a gap, though fortunately it was too small for the Myrka to pa.s.s through. Again the Myrka roared, hurling its weight against the edge of the door in an attempt to force it open.

It was an interesting contest, thought the Doctor monster against machinery but he didn't think he'd wait for the result. Grabbing Tegan's hand, he dragged her along the corridor.

On the Bridge, Nilson was stabbing frantically at the door controls. 'The hydraulic valves have blown!'

Turlough gave him a suspicious look. 'The bulkhead opened though?'

'It opened all right. But I'm not so sure it closed.'

Turlough was thinking hard. There was some hope that the Doctor and Tegan had escaped from the airlock. But if the door hadn't closed behind them, the monster would still be on their heels.

Surprising himself by his own bravery, Turlough turned and ran from the Bridge.

A quick examination had shown the Doctor that Tegan's ankle wasn't seriously hurt. But it was badly bruised, and her limp slowed their progress along the corridor.

'What will you do if the Myrka manages to break through?' she asked.

'Try to stop it before it does too much damage.'

Tegan stopped to rest for a moment, rubbing her ankle.

'That thing's practically indestructible, you said so yourself.'

'True enough, Tegan. But we all have our Achilles' heel and that includes the Myrka. Can you go on now? I've got to talk to Commander Vorshak.'

Doctor Solow came onto the Bridge, and caught Nilson's eye. After a moment, he moved un.o.btrusively towards her.

'Well?'

'I've hidden Karina's body in an empty locker in the computer bay,' she whispered. 'It shouldn't be found for quite a while.' Her voice was dull, almost lifeless. By now Doctor Solow was becoming used to murder and treachery.

Nilson gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

'Well done. The escape pod is ready for us. We can leave as soon as Maddox finishes his work.' He moved back towards the command console.

With a final t.i.tanic heave, the Myrka forced the door back, just far enough for its giant body to pa.s.s through. It set off down the corridor. Panic spread through the Base at the news of its coming.

Turning the corner, the Myrka overtook a fleeing crowd of Base technicians. Some ran desperately on. Others flattened themselves against the wall hoping the Myrka would pa.s.s them by. It pa.s.sed, but as it did so its tail lashed to and fro, sending out great surges of electrical power. Bodies glowed and twisted and fell dead behind it.

The Myrka moved on, impervious to the terror it inspired all around.