Part 12 (1/2)

'No, no. Can't do that. Work to do. Got to help the Doctor...' Suddenly he gripped her arm. 'Victoria, don't move. There's a Yeti-'

Victoria sighed. 'I know, Professor, it brought us here.'

Taking her by the hand, Travers began backing slowly away. The Yeti didn't move. They turned to run, and found themselves facing the second Yeti. It growled menacingly.

Travers and Victoria moved back to the bench. Hopelessly, they sat down to wait.

The sphere was thudding against the laboratory door, as if trying to make a hole in it. Already the wood was beginning to splinter. 'It'll smash through in a minute,' said Anne.

The Doctor made a last adjustment to the control device. In its final form it was a small black box packed with electronics, controls set into the lid. The Doctor snapped the lid shut, 'Let's see if it works.'

He adjusted the controls. The sphere continued to slam against the door. Anne looked worried, 'Is it on full power?'

The Doctor nodded, readjusting the controls. Still the sphere thudded mindlessly into the door. Anne shook her head. 'It's no good. We've failed.'

The Doctor moved slowly around the room, holding the control box in different positions. He came nearer and nearer the sphere. When he was little more than a yard away, the sphere stopped moving. 'Ah-ha!' he said triumphantly. 'It does does work-but only at very short range. Better than nothing, though.' work-but only at very short range. Better than nothing, though.'

'What next, Doctor?'

The Doctor rubbed his chin. 'We can stop a Yeti with this thing-but that isn't enough. We've got to reprogramme the sphere to obey our commands. How long have we got?'

Anne looked at her watch. 'About half-an-hour!'

Victoria and Travers were talking in low whispers.

'You're sure Anne is all right?' Travers asked anxiously.

Victoria nodded. 'She's with the Doctor. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find the answer.' Travers was still very confused and Victoria felt she had to keep his spirits up.

Strangely enough this had the effect of making her feel better herself.

There came a bleeping sound, and the nearest Yeti moved away down the platform, disappearing into the tunnel.

Travers stared after it puzzled, but Victoria was looking in the other direction. She pulled at the Professor's sleeve. 'Look!'

Sergeant Arnold was stumbling along the track; his forehead was gashed, his uniform tattered. He moved nearer. The remaining Yeti seemed oblivious of his presence.

Travers hissed, 'Arnold! Yeti! Hide!' He pointed to the nearby Yeti. A look of understanding came over Arnold's face and he ducked below the platform. Travers and Victoria edged slowly towards him, taking care not to alarm the Yeti.

'Arnold!' muttered Travers again. 'Can you make it back to H.Q.?'

'Think so, sir.' Arnold's voice was faint below them.

'Get back and tell the Doctor where we are.' 'What about you two?'

'We can't move, or the Yeti will attack. But it's guarding us-it doesn't know about you. Off you go, man.'

Arnold crept along the track and disappeared into the tunnel.

Jamie and the Colonel moved cautiously along.

Suddenly Jamie stopped. 'Look here!' He picked up a sc.r.a.p of white linen, edged with lace. 'Victoria's hand-kerchief. At least we know we're on the right track.' The Colonel said, 'Listen!'

They could hear the sound of footsteps stumbling towards them.

'Donna' sound sound like a Yeti; whispered Jamie. It wasn't. like a Yeti; whispered Jamie. It wasn't.

Sergeant Arnold stumbled into view. He saw the Colonel and tried to come to attention, but he reeled and almost fell.

Lethbridge-Stewart caught hold of him.

'Sorry about this, sir,' Arnold muttered faintly.

'What happened to you, Sergeant? We'd given you up for dead.'

'Don't really know, sir. I was pus.h.i.+ng the trolley into the Web and I blacked out. When I came to, I was wandering around the tunnels. Listen, sir, I've seen Victoria and Professor Travers.'

'Where are they?' asked Jamie excitedly.

Arnold gestured behind him..'Just back there...

Piccadilly. Yeti was guarding them. They said get back to H.Q.... warn Doctor...'

'And that's exactly what we'll do,' decided Lethbridge-Stewart. 'Come on, Jamie, at least we know where Victoria is now. There's nothing we can do till the Doctor gets his box of tricks working.'

Supporting Arnold between them, they began to move slowly back the way they had come.

Private Evans sat in the empty Operations Room, rifle across his knees. He was uncomfortably aware that he was one of the few remaining survivors among all the soldiers who had manned the Fortress. He was wondering how long it would be before his luck ran out. When the little silver sphere rolled through the door and across the floor towards him, he jumped straight on to his chair, like a girl frightened by a mouse. Lifting his rifle he took aim at the sphere.

The Doctor appeared. 'No, don't shoot!' He looked at the sphere and said, 'Stop!' To Evans's astonishment, the sphere obeyed. 'Sorry if it frightened you,' the Doctor apologised.

Evans climbed down from the chair. 'I wasn't frightened frightened...