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Doctor Williams?
Petra shrugged. It s hard to say. I ll have to re-route the
entire electrical system before I can boost the power.
Well, just do the best you can.
Elizabeth Shaw returned from her reconnaissance.
Everything seems clear. What about the Brigade-Leader and
me? Can we do anything?
I m afraid not, said the Doctor gently. You d better
wait here. He turned to Sutton. We ll need tools and a lot of
heavy-duty cable.
Riggers store, said Sutton. We pass it on the way to
your hut
Let s get with it then.
Suddenly there was a distant rumble and for a moment
the whole building seemed to shake.
Elizabeth Shaw looked worriedly at the Doctor. What s
happening?
It s an earthquake a whole chain of earthquakes.
Getting nearer, said Petra.
Come on, shouted the Doctor, and he and Sutton ran
from the building. They jumped into Bessie, and the Doctor
drove away.
The Stahlman mutant came to the doorway of central
control. It paused for moment, as if testing the temperature.
Then it moved outside. Others followed.
In the main switch room Petra Williams worked
desperately on the controls. The Brigade-Leader and Section-
Leader Shaw stood looking on, all the more impatient because
there was nothing they could do to help.
Elizabeth Shaw said thoughtfully, I wonder if those
creatures are venturing out of the control area yet?
Quite possible, said the Brigade-Leader gloomily. It s
getting hotter all the time. He looked irritably at Petra. How
long is all that going to take you?
I don t know, said Petra calmly. She went on working.
Can t you hurry it up?
Not if I m to do it properly.
You must hurry! We are running very short of time.
Petra looked up. Brigade-Leader, I am trying to carry
out complex scientific task under almost impossible
conditions. You will not help matters by bullying me.
You are insolent, Doctor Williams!
Am I, Brigade-Leader? Perhaps it s time you learned
that some problems are not solvable by brute force and
terror.
Elizabeth Shaw drew the Brigade-Leader away. Better
let her get on with it. We re in her hands.
He nodded. We ve got to get the power through to that
hut. It s our only chance to escape.
But the Doctor said he couldn t take anyone else.
Naturally, Section-Leader. Do you think he wants to
help us? He s only concerned with his own safety.
Elizabeth Shaw shook her head. I think he was telling
the truth just as he has been all along.
The Brigade-Leader rested a hand on his revolver.
When the time comes, he will take us, Section-Leader. He will
have no choice.
12
Doomsday
Greg Sutton opened the doors to the Doctor s hut and
the Doctor drove Bessie inside, parking the little car in its
usual place before the console. He jumped out and began
examining the controls.
Sutton staring at the console in amazement. So this is
the contraption, is it? I thought it would be a be more
impressive than that.
What did you expect? Some sort of space rocket with
Batman at the controls?
Sutton grinned. Maybe. And that thing brought you
here, did it?
It wasn t exactly a journey in your sense of the word. It
sort of slipped me sideways into your dimension.
And now it s going to take you back?
Well, theoretically, said the Doctor. Just fix the cable to
that connection down there for me would you?
Sutton examined the connection point and then looked
up. I hate to tell you but we re never going to get enough
juice through this. It ll blow in the first few seconds. The
Doctor said gently. A few seconds, Mr Sutton, is all I need.
The Brigade-Leader strode up and down the main
switch-room, occasionally glancing worriedly at Petra Williams
who seemed to have taken most of the power console to
pieces.
Are you making any progress, Doctor Williams?
Some. But I m worried about the relay circuits. They
don t seem to be operating properly. I m trying to rig up a by-
pass. The reactor is still functioning, but it could go at any
moment.
I am well aware of that. You must hurry!
I ve already told you I m hurrying as much as I can.
There was another earthquake tremor, much nearer this
time. Once again the room shook. The Brigade-Leader
clutched at the door frame, visibly terrified.
It s all right, Brigade-Leader, said Elizabeth Shaw
almost mockingly. We re still here.
I don t like your tone, Section-Leader. These
earthquakes are getting closer. I m thinking of the safety of us
all.
Yes, of course.
There was another rumble and the whole building
shuddered.
The Brigade-Leader s voice was panicky. We ve got to
get out of here.
I shall leave when the work is finished, said Petra
calmly. You may leave now if you wish.
He glared angrily at her. Silence! Carry on with your
work.
Elizabeth Shaw said quietly, Wouldn t it be better for us
to leave now?
He shook his head. That craft of the Doctor s is our only
chance. It works you saw for yourself .
Do you really think you can force him to take as with
him? He s not the sort of man you can frighten.
Once the thing s working we ll just take it over.
We don t know how to work it.
The Brigade-Leader was deaf to all objections. Doctor
Williams operate it then, she s a scientist.
That device is beyond all our comprehension. No one
but the Doctor can operate it. I m sure of that.
Then we shall have to persuade him to operate it for
us.
And if he refuses?
If the Doctor tries to leave us here to die, Section-
Leader, I shall make sure that he dies first!
In the hut the Doctor and Sutton were working busily.
If we do get you back, Doctor, said Sutton grimly,
you d better make darned sure your people do stop drilling.
I d hate to think I was doing all this work for nothing.
I shall do my best, I assure you! We can connect up the
cable now.
Then cross our fingers and trust to luck?
We are relying on skill, Mr Sutton, not luck, said the
Doctor reproachfully. But he crossed his fingers all the same.
Wearily Petra straightened up.
Finished? asked Elizabeth Shaw.
I think so. I just have to switch on and preset the power
controls.
How do we know when the Doctor s ready for the
power?
It doesn t matter. The power won t flow until the
Doctor switches on.
At which point we may all go up in smoke, said the
Brigade-Leader acidly.
Petra Williams gave the console a final check. I ve done
all I can now. We ll just have to see. She pulled the main
switch. Nothing happened.
What s happened? demanded the Brigade-Leader.
Nothing. There must still be a fault.
So, you ve been wasting our time.
Petra ignored him. I ll just have to check all the wiring
again.
The Doctor and Sutton were waiting for the power that
did not come.
Maybe something s happened to them? said Sutton
uneasily.
We must try to be patient, Mr Sutton.
If those explosions reach the nuclear reactor...
I know, said the Doctor gently. I know.
There was another colossal explosion, different in
character, and nearer this time.
That s coming from the drill shaft, gasped the Brigade-
Leader.
Elizabeth Shaw said calmly. The shaft must be splitting
open.
Look out! shouted the Brigade-Leader suddenly.
Both girls looked up. A mutant stood in the doorway
the mutant that had once been Stahhnan.
The Brigade-Leader snatched up a fire-extinguisher
and pulled the lever. The extinguisher was empty. He drew
his revolver and stepped in front of the mutant. It lashed out
at him screeching angrily.
He backed away, luring it from the doorway. Get out,
you two, he called. Just get out!
The two girls ran to the door, the mutant swung
round and the Brigade-Leader emptied the contents of his
revolver into it at point-blank range. Screeching, the mutant
fell to the ground. Leaping over the body, the Brigade-
Leader ran from the room.
Sutton was peering into the explosion-wrecked
landscape outside the hut. No sign of them nothing. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]