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.The breathing became more stertorous and the two arms flexed and braced to tip the body into the makeshift cage.rolling it on top of the corpses of the electrocuted Edwardes and the guard who had found him.Its ghoulish task completed, the creature stretched to full height.Walking upright, the biped’s head was sculpted like a closed ivory brown bud.It had sunken cheeks that projected forward an o-shaped, rubbery mouth.Curling, transparent sepals shielded ear-slits.Neither eyebrows nor lashes framed the lidless, staring eyes in the grotesque, noseless face.Noseless because, like plants, it breathed through its waxy leaves.As it advanced, shuffling, it gazed approvingly at the makeshift cage, then patted its green arms with congratulatory fervour.The only sound was the rustling of the leaves that grew all over its body and from the arms and legs.This was a Vervoid.One of the creatures that had been able to emerge from the giant shucks after the impact of high intensity light.Approvingly, it crushed the three humans together as though making room for more, before shufflling away again along the narrow duct leading from the bulkhead and the cage.‘A grim picture, Doctor.’An apt comment from the Commodore who had just been given a description of the mutant in the isolation room.‘I’ve no reason to lie, Commodore.’‘And I’m not questioning your honesty.Simply your methods.However, I’m left with little alternative but to begin to cooperate.’‘Begin? I take it you mean, begin overtly to cooperate.’‘This could be the shortest alliance on record! You’d do well to remember I’m in command here!’‘Commodore, you’ve been using me.I would never have been allowed to run free if you hadn’t condoned it!’The Commodore’s eyes twinkled as he met the Doctor’s gaze.‘Fair comment.So shall we dispense with the fencing?’‘Agreed.’ But the Doctor wasn’t finished.‘Frankly, I think you should report the death of the investigator Hallet to the authorities on Earth and insist on being given details of his mission.’ The Time Lord knew if they could discover what Hallet was meant to be investigating on the ship, they would have a lead to the murderer.and to any other mystery aboard.‘You underestimate me to that extent, do you?’‘Sorry.They refused?’‘Top secret.By the time they’ve gone through channels, we’ll probably have docked!’‘That can’t happen!’ Instinct told the Doctor that whatever evil existed must be confined to the Hyperion III.‘No-one will be allowed to disembark.The murderer won’t escape.’‘The murderer.yes.’ Abruptly he turned to leave.Second thoughts.‘You’ll tell me as soon as you get a reply, Commodore?’‘Certainly, Doctor.I’ll match you for candour.’The ambiguity of the reply did not miss the Doctor as he departed.Robbed even of his pomposity, Rudge’s ambience would have suited Uriah Heep rather than that of a superior officer as he came into the lounge.‘Did you find Mister Kimber?’ Janet kept her voice low.Atza and Ortezo, although some distance away, were seated at a table.‘Not a sign.You?’She shook her head.‘I’ll have to report we’ve lost another passenger.That’ll improve the Commodore’s temper, I’ll guarantee!’ he said and made for the exit.Atza rose from his recliner.‘Mister Rudge!’‘Later.’ Rudge did not pause.‘Come here!’ This was not a request from Atza: it was an order! Made in such a peremptory fashion that the Security Officer should have objected.He did not.Instead, he hesitated, then diverted to where the two Mogarians waited.‘We want to know what is happening,’ Atza said.‘Yes.Where was the fire?’ Ortezo joined in.‘It was a false alarm.Nothing to worry about.You’ll have to excuse me.I’ve urgent things to do.’‘Sit down, Rudge! There is only one thing you have got to do!’‘That is to tell us exactly what is going on!’ Ortezo commanded.Before sitting, Rudge self-consciously checked to see if Janet had overheard the telling exchange.Ignoring this, Atza delivered the final mandate.‘And I suggest you begin telling us right now!’Fear is a contagion; an emotional virus.Imperceptibly, with enervating stealth, it spreads, eroding the fortitude of even the most stalwart.Infected by the insiduous malaise, the sentry outside the isolation room shifted uneasily.An irresistible combination of sounds was undermining his resolve.In sequence they were a metallic clinking, a vague shuffling, and a door hinge creaking.He had to know the cause.Therefore, risking reprimand, the sentry abandoned his post and sauntered to the corner.No one was in the corridor.But an air duct grille was unlatched.and swinging gently on the recycled currents of air.Little did he know it was the duct from which Mel had heard eerie murmurs while the Doctor was concocting his deceptive fire alarm caper.Intrigued, the sentry took the fateful steps to inspect the grille.But before he could peer in – a Vervoid shuffled from the adjacent cabin.Awestricken by this grotesque apparition, the man’s training took over.Frantically tapping in a code, he raised the communicator to his lips to summon help – a waxy, olive, leaf-veined hand darted from the air duct and shot a stinging thorn into his cheek.‘ Yes? ’ The Commodore’s voice echoed through the communicator.No reply to the question was received on the bridge.Only the wheezing gasps of choking came back.‘ What is it? ’ Perplexed, the Commander leant closer to the intercom.‘ State your position! ’ The disembodied instruction filtering from the communicator fell on dead ears.Poisoned by the lethal thorn, the sentry had collapsed to the floor.‘Quickly,’ the attacking Vervoid called to its cohort.‘Help me with this.’ The voice, in a minor key, was dominated by a hissing since consonants took preference over vowels.Between them, the Vervoids gathered up the dead sentry and bundled him into the duct, treading on the communicator in the process.Static crackled discordantly on the bridge as the communicator broke.‘What the blazes was that?’ The Commodore flicked off the intercom [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]