FIC: Tin Men - Chapter 7
May. 15th, 2010 09:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nentariTitle: Tin Men - Chapter 7
Author: Me
Beta-Reader:alouzon
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3440
Disclaimer: Doctor Who and all its characters belong to the BBC. I own nothing - not even the Fourteenth Doctor.
Summary: Someone is kidnapping the Doctor's former companions. Who is behind all this... and why?
Author's Note: A scene featured in this chapter was inspired byalouzon's amazing fic Nerves. Go read it.
Chapter 7
"Ah, Packer," said Vaughn genially. "I'm glad you have joined us again. I trust our young friends are on their way?"
Packer was still rubbing his head, though Harry suspected that it was for show. This Packer fellow looked rather tough-skulled to him. "Yes, Mr. Vaughn. They're still on level 4, but I'm sure they'll find the exit in no time."
"Or that they'll bump into the two gentlemen, perhaps? Excellent." Vaughn turned his gaze on the Doctor, an empty smile on his face. "As you see, they are unharmed and well. You have nothing to worry about."
Harry was not convinced. There was something quite fishy in the whole business. Allowing the girls to believe they had escaped when it was easier and simpler to deliver them to him and the Doctor, or at least escort them outside... It just didn't make sense.
The Doctor didn't seem convinced, either. Without replying to Vaughn's words, she looked straight into the man's eyes and said instead, "All right, Vaughn, let's get to the point. You know I have people searching the premises. What are you planning to do with them?"
Vaughn smiled, all innocence. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" asked Harry incredulously.
"My dear Lieutenant, those young men are here to recover your friends. And now that I have you, Doctor, I have no further use for them."
The Doctor looked at Vaughn with clear scepticism. "Why do I find this hard to believe?"
"To quote you, Doctor, because you 'know me'."
Vaughn's mocking smile was beginning to grate on Harry's nerves, but he knew better than to try to antagonize him. "So you admit you have an ulterior reason for capturing them," he said flatly.
"You are putting words into my mouth, Lieutenant. I said no such thing."
"But-"
"What I said is the truth. My only objective in kidnapping those young ladies was to attract the Doctor's attention, and now that my goal has been achieved they are free to go." He paused.
"But there's something else, isn't there?" the Doctor asked, a hardness once again present in her voice.
"I'm afraid so. You see, the ladies have fulfilled their purpose in my part of the plan, but I'm afraid my associate is looking forward to talking to them - and to those young men as well."
Harry was starting to understand. "So now it's time for your mysterious associate's part of the plan, and he still needs them around."
"I don't know the particulars, Lieutenant, but that is indeed the case. I set the... shall we say, the 'trap', and now he has the task of getting what we need out of our good Doctor here."
"And what exactly do you need?" Harry insisted. Vaughn's train of thought seemed extremely confusing to him (but then again, that was true of almost any madman he encountered ever since meeting the Doctor), and he was trying his best to make sense of out it.
"We both have different requirements, as you can imagine." He looked at the Doctor. "I want that extraordinary spaceship of yours..."
"Why am I not surprised?" The Doctor sounded torn between amusement and exasperation. "Let me guess - you want it to go after the Cybermen, isn't that so?"
"Yes." Vaughn's face hardened. Harry looked up at Packer, standing behind his boss, and saw that he was sporting the same expression of distaste and loathing. "I do not forgive, and I do not forget - and whatever happens, I shall have my revenge."
The Doctor sighed. "I see." She paused. "You do realize, of course, that even with the remote possibility of you ever managing to pilot the TARDIS - and her allowing you to do so, obviously - it will be impossible for you to achieve such a task."
Vaughn waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing is impossible."
"And what of your associate?" she asked. "What does he want in return?"
Vaughn smiled. "Why, you, of course."
The Doctor rolled her eyes. "How very surprising."
***
"Are you feeling ready to walk a bit more now?"
"I think so."
Victoria cautiously peeked out the door. With Polly in her current condition, it was impossible for them to make a run for it all the way; and besides, they had no idea where Packer or the Cybermen were in this industrial maze, and running into them was definitely not a desired goal. As soon as they found an unlocked door (and looked inside carefully to see if anyone - or anything - was there), they ducked inside to take a short break. The room in question was a relatively large broom closet - bereft of security cameras or occupants, and with a stool where Polly could sit down for a few minutes.
"All right," Victoria said, "the way seems to be clear." She quickly grabbed a couple of brooms and handed one to Polly. "You'd better take this."
"Not much of a weapon, is it?" Polly asked, though from her tone Victoria knew she wasn't really complaining; from what Jamie had told her, she had the feeling her new friend was already trying to figure out a way to put her broom to good use against Packer.
Victoria, however, had a different idea. "It could be more useful than you think."
"What do you mean?"
"I managed to strike the Cybermen that invaded my home. I hit it with a wooden statue - and it snapped its head off."
Polly looked at her in disbelief. "With something made of wood? That's impossible!"
"I know, but it happened." She looked at the broom. "It could be that that particular Cyberman had some sort of defect, but it could also be that these are weaker than the ones I've met before." She remembered that the horrible thing had still managed to grab and restrain her even without its head, and shuddered. Maybe they were more fragile in some aspects, but stronger in others.
"Let's hope so," said Polly. She stood to follow Victoria, who was peering out of a crack in the door before stepping out into the hallway, but suddenly stopped. "Wait. I just remembered something."
"What?"
Polly turned to a wooden shelf where an assortment of detergents and other chemicals were languished in the dust. "Just to be on the safe side..."
***
"Come along!" Strachan shouted impatiently, as he stormed down the corridor.
Jamie reached him at a run. "Quist your noise!" he said in an angry whisper. Was the fellow completely insane? "D'you want to attract every Cyberman in the place?"
"If that'll mean we find Victoria, then aye, I do," Strachan replied, without bothering to lower his voice.
Jamie grumbled. The Brigadier hired this idiot? And Victoria married him? "Try to see sense, man. We dinnae know how many of those fake Cybermen there are, how strong they might be, and if there's anyone else with them. It'll not help the lassies if we die because you wilnae shut up."
Strachan glared at him, annoyed with Jamie's logic, but nodded. "All right. So what's your plan?" he asked in a satisfactory whisper.
"What we're doing right now is fine," Jamie said, trying to control his temper. "We keep on searching. Just try not to attract attention. Surely they taught you about it in your training, did they not?" he added with an evil grin. The Lieutenant turned his back on him and kept on walking. Jamie followed, secretly beaming at the fact that he had managed to rile him up.
"A couple more doors over there," Strachan finally said, having regained his temper. "You check that one, and I'll check the other."
"Aye." Jamie rushed to the left-side door. It was unlocked. Carefully, he peeked inside (though he knew that, if he could open it without difficulty, it was unlikely to be the lassies' cell) and saw that it was an old office, where nobody had ever stepped foot since Vaughn's days. "Nothing here," he said.
"Hey, McCrimmon, look here," was the hissed reply. Jamie joined Strachan, and saw that the room the Lieutenant was checking had a bunk bed, and had a tray and some food scattered all over the floor.
"This is probably where the lassies were," Jamie commented as he inspected the room for any lingering clues.
"Aye, and they seem to be gone." Strachan entered, and opened another door inside the cell. "The bathroom," he said quietly. "And it's empty."
Jamie heard a faint noise echoing down the long corridor they had just left. Now that Strachan was making an effort at stealth, the building was quiet as a tomb, and sound carried. "Strachan..."
But Strachan wasn't listening. "Maybe they escaped... or maybe they were taken away."
"Strachan..."
"With some luck, they're with the Doctor and Sullivan now. But if not..."
"Strachan, will you not shut up and listen?"
"What?"
Jamie put his finger to his lips in a hushing gesture. "Just listen."
Strachan paused, and heard it too. "What is it?" He watched Jamie's expression as the faint sound became more audible, and saw the blood drain from his face as realization set in. "What is it, McCrimmon?"
"I know that sound." He grabbed Strachan's arm, intent on dragging him along, all animosity momentarily forgotten. "Come on! We need to find the lassies and get out of here!"
"But..." Strachan trailed off and nodded. Jamie realized how panicked he must have looked, but he seemed to have impressed the Lieutenant with his urgency. "All right. What's your plan?"
He turned back to Strachan. "The sound is coming from the direction we just came from, right?"
"Aye."
"And we have not seen the lassies yet."
Strachan was beginning to understand. "So we keep on going until we find them."
"Aye, and hope that those things dinnae find us first."
"But what are those things?"
Jamie looked outside. No man or beastie in sight, and the sound, although quite clear, was still distant. The long empty corridor was casting echoes down from the far end. Those things were probably around the corner, so they had to be quick. And quiet: the corridor would just as likely send echoes of their footsteps back to the other end.
"I'll explain on the way. Now come on."
And with this, he grabbed Strachan by the sleeve again and the two of them left the cell and crept quickly down the corridor.
***
Victoria and Polly had found the stairs and were on the lower floor, checking to see if the coast was clear. Victoria still clutched her broom, but Polly now held a plastic container filled with the more powerful solvents they had found in the cupboard. The mixture wasn't as strong as the one Polly had once made, she explained, but hopefully it would still do the trick.
"Nobody in sight," Victoria said.
"Let's go, then."
This corridor was smaller than the one on the upper floor. Victoria guessed that they would have to cross a large room to reach the set of stairs leading down - perhaps a laboratory, or another sort of working area. Behind them, they could see the doors to a lift, but they both agreed it was best to avoid anything that could attract undesired attention. To the left, they found two more doors.
Carefully, they advanced towards them, and opened the first - another broom cupboard, with almost the same contents as the one above. Shaking their heads, they advanced to the second door and looked inside. As Victoria expected, it was a large, long room that appeared to be a long-unused laboratory, bare apart from some empty tables. An upturned nameplate could be seen on the table nearest to the door, with the name "Philip Gregory" written in it in white letters. Slowly, the two women entered the room and walked through it. At the other end was another door, where Victoria was sure they'd find the stairs.
And it was then that Victoria heard it: a soft, almost merry bleeping sound, which made her blood run cold.
"What is that... Victoria?" Polly asked. "Victoria, what is the matter?"
"Oh no," Victoria moaned, desperation in her voice. "Oh no, oh no..." And then she saw the source of the noise: a silver sphere, lying quite immobile underneath a table.
"Victoria?" Polly gazed at the silver sphere that seemed to have petrified her friend, but saw nothing alarming.
Victoria turned to Polly, and saw her concern. Trying to keep her wits, she asked in a faint voice, "Do you know anything about meditation? Buddhism?"
Polly looked at her, confused. "I've read about it. Why?"
"Do you know something called the..." She struggled to remember what Thonmi had once taught her. "The Jewel of the Lotus prayer?"
"What?"
"You know, 'Om mane padme...'"
"Yeah, I've heard about it. Why?"
"This sound - I've heard it before." She struggled to control her panic. "There's something... something terrible, worse than the Cybermen. If we're lucky, it won't know we're here. But if you feel like your feet or your arms are not obeying you..." Her voice choked a little, but she carried on. "Repeat that prayer, or do something else that might help you concentrate."
Polly nodded. It was clear she didn't fully understand what Victoria meant, but as a former travelling companion of the Doctor she knew this was a situation where questions would have to wait until they were safe.
However, a malevolent hissing voice soon crushed any hope Victoria had of escaping.
"Wise advice," it said. "I am so glad to see you remember how things were the first time we met..."
"Oh no," Victoria said in a whisper. She gave her friend a nervous push. "Polly, run."
"I... I can't," Polly said. Victoria tried to move as well, and found that her legs felt unnaturally heavy.
"Remember what I told you," she urged. "Om mane padme om..."
"Om mane padme om..." Polly repeated. "Om mane padme om..."
"But if you remember, my dear," the voice went on, "things didn't go so well back then, did they?"
I am stronger now, Victoria thought. I can defeat you.
"Om mane padme om..." she repeated - and to her utter relief she took a step forward and grabbed Polly's hand. The two of them kept repeating the old Buddhist mantra to themselves, focusing their minds on it.
"Very good," the voice said, teasingly. "But not good enough, I'm afraid..."
Suddenly, Victoria heard another voice:
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
She stopped, mid-mantra. It was her voice. But she had never said that... had she?
"You don't remember? Oh dear."
"It's... a trick," Victoria muttered, trying to focus her mind back on the prayer. "Om mane..."
"Let me refresh your memory, then..."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"...padme om," Victoria insisted, squeezing Polly's hand and taking another step forward.
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"Om mane padme om..."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"Victoria?"
"Keep... going, Polly."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
By now, Polly was a couple of steps ahead of her. Realizing that she was slowing her down, Victoria let go of her hand.
"Victoria!"
"Don't stop. Keep going!"
"I'm not leaving you."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"GO!"
She felt Polly grabbing her arm, all the while shouting the Jewel of the Lotus prayer at the top of her voice, as much to her friend's benefit as to her own. Victoria tried to shout it alongside her, but her concentration was faltering. And...
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
...she fell into darkness.
***
"All right, men, let's check in here."
Benton was doing his best to look as professional and competent as always before the two Privates accompanying him, though deep inside he was grumbling. Why did the Doctor always associate with girls who had the tendency to sneak out into the most dangerous places and situations? Miss Shaw was one of the most level-headed of the lot, but even she jumped into the lion's den from time to time; Miss Smith was a reporter, so with her it was unsurprising; and the less said about Miss Grant, the better. But worst of all was the time he had been duped by Miss Heriot and Miss Watkins into driving them and McCrimmon to the Cybermen-infested sewers; seven years later, and his ears were still ringing from the lecture the Brig gave him afterwards for being so gullible.
And now Miss Moon had decided to wander off after the others to a place where, according to the Brigadier, something that made those fake Cybermen look like string puppets was on the loose. Something Benton had only known about from reading old reports, and which he was glad never to have seen up close.
"Wouldn't it be quicker if we were to split up, Sarge?" Murgatroyd asked. "Each of us checking a different wagon?"
"Safety in numbers, Muggs," Benton replied. "You remember the briefing." They made for the wagon he had pointed out. There were some nasty scratch marks by the door, so he surmised that was the place where Lieutenant Jackson and Miss Chaplet were attacked; with any luck, that would be where they'd find Miss Moon snooping around as well.
As they stepped inside, they realized that this was indeed the place. Their radio was smashed into pieces on the floor, and an open crate revealed the headless body of a Cybermen. But not a living soul around, though.
Benton reached for his radio. "Trap Four to Greyhound. Do you read-"
"Oh, it's you," a voice exclaimed. All three men turned (Murgatroyd and Gardner pointing their guns in the direction of the voice) to find Miss Moon's face outside the door with an expression of relief.
"At ease, men," Benton said. As they lowered their guns, the girl approached them. "We didn't see you," he said.
"I come from a war zone," she replied. "I got pretty good at hiding."
Benton was annoyed at her calm demeanour. He wanted to shout at her about the stupidity of gallivanting around the compound, especially after what they heard over the radio, but the presence of the two privates reminded him of the need for professionalism. Instead of an impassioned lecture, he settled for, "You shouldn't have left the tent, you know."
"I know," she said contritely. "I wasn't thinking."
"You're right you weren't thinking," he grumbled. "Now, we're going back to-"
"Greyhound to Trap Four," the Brigadier's clipped voice emanated from the radio. "What's going on? Over."
"Sorry, Greyhound," Benton replied. "We've just located Miss Moon."
"Is she unharmed? Over."
"Affirmative, sir, she's fine." Except for her common sense, he thought. "We also found the Cyberman's body. Over."
"What about Lieutenant Jackson and Miss Chaplet? Over."
"The other wagons are empty," Miss Moon informed Benton in a low voice.
"Negative," he told the Brig. "Their radio is smashed to pieces but there's no other signs of them." He thought with some relief that, if they had been harmed, blood marks would be visible.
"Return to base straight away, then, Trap Four."
"Yes, sir. Over and out." He looked at Miss Moon, giving her the stern look he usually saved for his kid sister whenever they disagreed on something. "And you're coming with us."
"Yeah," she started, "but-"
"Muggs, Gardner, back to base." He slung his gun down and made ready to leave. With a sigh, Miss Moon followed.
"Wait," Gardner said. "D'you hear that?"
"What?" Benton asked.
"I hear it too," Miss Moon said. "It's the same sound we heard when..." She trailed off, but Benton did not need to hear the rest of the sentence to know what she meant. He could now hear the bleeping noise as well, and knew very well what it was.
"Grenades at the ready," he told the Privates. "It's coming back."
Instinctively, he pulled Miss Moon behind the crate where the Cyberman's body was lying and, grabbing a hand-grenade as well, he positioned himself between Murgatroyd and Gardner and waited.
The sound became louder and louder, and suddenly a gigantic, shaggy form filled the wagon door, blocking their exit. It emitted an ear-shattering roar. They were face to face with a Yeti.
Author: Me
Beta-Reader:
alouzonFandom: Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3440
Disclaimer: Doctor Who and all its characters belong to the BBC. I own nothing - not even the Fourteenth Doctor.
Summary: Someone is kidnapping the Doctor's former companions. Who is behind all this... and why?
Author's Note: A scene featured in this chapter was inspired by
alouzon's amazing fic Nerves. Go read it."Ah, Packer," said Vaughn genially. "I'm glad you have joined us again. I trust our young friends are on their way?"
Packer was still rubbing his head, though Harry suspected that it was for show. This Packer fellow looked rather tough-skulled to him. "Yes, Mr. Vaughn. They're still on level 4, but I'm sure they'll find the exit in no time."
"Or that they'll bump into the two gentlemen, perhaps? Excellent." Vaughn turned his gaze on the Doctor, an empty smile on his face. "As you see, they are unharmed and well. You have nothing to worry about."
Harry was not convinced. There was something quite fishy in the whole business. Allowing the girls to believe they had escaped when it was easier and simpler to deliver them to him and the Doctor, or at least escort them outside... It just didn't make sense.
The Doctor didn't seem convinced, either. Without replying to Vaughn's words, she looked straight into the man's eyes and said instead, "All right, Vaughn, let's get to the point. You know I have people searching the premises. What are you planning to do with them?"
Vaughn smiled, all innocence. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" asked Harry incredulously.
"My dear Lieutenant, those young men are here to recover your friends. And now that I have you, Doctor, I have no further use for them."
The Doctor looked at Vaughn with clear scepticism. "Why do I find this hard to believe?"
"To quote you, Doctor, because you 'know me'."
Vaughn's mocking smile was beginning to grate on Harry's nerves, but he knew better than to try to antagonize him. "So you admit you have an ulterior reason for capturing them," he said flatly.
"You are putting words into my mouth, Lieutenant. I said no such thing."
"But-"
"What I said is the truth. My only objective in kidnapping those young ladies was to attract the Doctor's attention, and now that my goal has been achieved they are free to go." He paused.
"But there's something else, isn't there?" the Doctor asked, a hardness once again present in her voice.
"I'm afraid so. You see, the ladies have fulfilled their purpose in my part of the plan, but I'm afraid my associate is looking forward to talking to them - and to those young men as well."
Harry was starting to understand. "So now it's time for your mysterious associate's part of the plan, and he still needs them around."
"I don't know the particulars, Lieutenant, but that is indeed the case. I set the... shall we say, the 'trap', and now he has the task of getting what we need out of our good Doctor here."
"And what exactly do you need?" Harry insisted. Vaughn's train of thought seemed extremely confusing to him (but then again, that was true of almost any madman he encountered ever since meeting the Doctor), and he was trying his best to make sense of out it.
"We both have different requirements, as you can imagine." He looked at the Doctor. "I want that extraordinary spaceship of yours..."
"Why am I not surprised?" The Doctor sounded torn between amusement and exasperation. "Let me guess - you want it to go after the Cybermen, isn't that so?"
"Yes." Vaughn's face hardened. Harry looked up at Packer, standing behind his boss, and saw that he was sporting the same expression of distaste and loathing. "I do not forgive, and I do not forget - and whatever happens, I shall have my revenge."
The Doctor sighed. "I see." She paused. "You do realize, of course, that even with the remote possibility of you ever managing to pilot the TARDIS - and her allowing you to do so, obviously - it will be impossible for you to achieve such a task."
Vaughn waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing is impossible."
"And what of your associate?" she asked. "What does he want in return?"
Vaughn smiled. "Why, you, of course."
The Doctor rolled her eyes. "How very surprising."
"Are you feeling ready to walk a bit more now?"
"I think so."
Victoria cautiously peeked out the door. With Polly in her current condition, it was impossible for them to make a run for it all the way; and besides, they had no idea where Packer or the Cybermen were in this industrial maze, and running into them was definitely not a desired goal. As soon as they found an unlocked door (and looked inside carefully to see if anyone - or anything - was there), they ducked inside to take a short break. The room in question was a relatively large broom closet - bereft of security cameras or occupants, and with a stool where Polly could sit down for a few minutes.
"All right," Victoria said, "the way seems to be clear." She quickly grabbed a couple of brooms and handed one to Polly. "You'd better take this."
"Not much of a weapon, is it?" Polly asked, though from her tone Victoria knew she wasn't really complaining; from what Jamie had told her, she had the feeling her new friend was already trying to figure out a way to put her broom to good use against Packer.
Victoria, however, had a different idea. "It could be more useful than you think."
"What do you mean?"
"I managed to strike the Cybermen that invaded my home. I hit it with a wooden statue - and it snapped its head off."
Polly looked at her in disbelief. "With something made of wood? That's impossible!"
"I know, but it happened." She looked at the broom. "It could be that that particular Cyberman had some sort of defect, but it could also be that these are weaker than the ones I've met before." She remembered that the horrible thing had still managed to grab and restrain her even without its head, and shuddered. Maybe they were more fragile in some aspects, but stronger in others.
"Let's hope so," said Polly. She stood to follow Victoria, who was peering out of a crack in the door before stepping out into the hallway, but suddenly stopped. "Wait. I just remembered something."
"What?"
Polly turned to a wooden shelf where an assortment of detergents and other chemicals were languished in the dust. "Just to be on the safe side..."
"Come along!" Strachan shouted impatiently, as he stormed down the corridor.
Jamie reached him at a run. "Quist your noise!" he said in an angry whisper. Was the fellow completely insane? "D'you want to attract every Cyberman in the place?"
"If that'll mean we find Victoria, then aye, I do," Strachan replied, without bothering to lower his voice.
Jamie grumbled. The Brigadier hired this idiot? And Victoria married him? "Try to see sense, man. We dinnae know how many of those fake Cybermen there are, how strong they might be, and if there's anyone else with them. It'll not help the lassies if we die because you wilnae shut up."
Strachan glared at him, annoyed with Jamie's logic, but nodded. "All right. So what's your plan?" he asked in a satisfactory whisper.
"What we're doing right now is fine," Jamie said, trying to control his temper. "We keep on searching. Just try not to attract attention. Surely they taught you about it in your training, did they not?" he added with an evil grin. The Lieutenant turned his back on him and kept on walking. Jamie followed, secretly beaming at the fact that he had managed to rile him up.
"A couple more doors over there," Strachan finally said, having regained his temper. "You check that one, and I'll check the other."
"Aye." Jamie rushed to the left-side door. It was unlocked. Carefully, he peeked inside (though he knew that, if he could open it without difficulty, it was unlikely to be the lassies' cell) and saw that it was an old office, where nobody had ever stepped foot since Vaughn's days. "Nothing here," he said.
"Hey, McCrimmon, look here," was the hissed reply. Jamie joined Strachan, and saw that the room the Lieutenant was checking had a bunk bed, and had a tray and some food scattered all over the floor.
"This is probably where the lassies were," Jamie commented as he inspected the room for any lingering clues.
"Aye, and they seem to be gone." Strachan entered, and opened another door inside the cell. "The bathroom," he said quietly. "And it's empty."
Jamie heard a faint noise echoing down the long corridor they had just left. Now that Strachan was making an effort at stealth, the building was quiet as a tomb, and sound carried. "Strachan..."
But Strachan wasn't listening. "Maybe they escaped... or maybe they were taken away."
"Strachan..."
"With some luck, they're with the Doctor and Sullivan now. But if not..."
"Strachan, will you not shut up and listen?"
"What?"
Jamie put his finger to his lips in a hushing gesture. "Just listen."
Strachan paused, and heard it too. "What is it?" He watched Jamie's expression as the faint sound became more audible, and saw the blood drain from his face as realization set in. "What is it, McCrimmon?"
"I know that sound." He grabbed Strachan's arm, intent on dragging him along, all animosity momentarily forgotten. "Come on! We need to find the lassies and get out of here!"
"But..." Strachan trailed off and nodded. Jamie realized how panicked he must have looked, but he seemed to have impressed the Lieutenant with his urgency. "All right. What's your plan?"
He turned back to Strachan. "The sound is coming from the direction we just came from, right?"
"Aye."
"And we have not seen the lassies yet."
Strachan was beginning to understand. "So we keep on going until we find them."
"Aye, and hope that those things dinnae find us first."
"But what are those things?"
Jamie looked outside. No man or beastie in sight, and the sound, although quite clear, was still distant. The long empty corridor was casting echoes down from the far end. Those things were probably around the corner, so they had to be quick. And quiet: the corridor would just as likely send echoes of their footsteps back to the other end.
"I'll explain on the way. Now come on."
And with this, he grabbed Strachan by the sleeve again and the two of them left the cell and crept quickly down the corridor.
Victoria and Polly had found the stairs and were on the lower floor, checking to see if the coast was clear. Victoria still clutched her broom, but Polly now held a plastic container filled with the more powerful solvents they had found in the cupboard. The mixture wasn't as strong as the one Polly had once made, she explained, but hopefully it would still do the trick.
"Nobody in sight," Victoria said.
"Let's go, then."
This corridor was smaller than the one on the upper floor. Victoria guessed that they would have to cross a large room to reach the set of stairs leading down - perhaps a laboratory, or another sort of working area. Behind them, they could see the doors to a lift, but they both agreed it was best to avoid anything that could attract undesired attention. To the left, they found two more doors.
Carefully, they advanced towards them, and opened the first - another broom cupboard, with almost the same contents as the one above. Shaking their heads, they advanced to the second door and looked inside. As Victoria expected, it was a large, long room that appeared to be a long-unused laboratory, bare apart from some empty tables. An upturned nameplate could be seen on the table nearest to the door, with the name "Philip Gregory" written in it in white letters. Slowly, the two women entered the room and walked through it. At the other end was another door, where Victoria was sure they'd find the stairs.
And it was then that Victoria heard it: a soft, almost merry bleeping sound, which made her blood run cold.
"What is that... Victoria?" Polly asked. "Victoria, what is the matter?"
"Oh no," Victoria moaned, desperation in her voice. "Oh no, oh no..." And then she saw the source of the noise: a silver sphere, lying quite immobile underneath a table.
"Victoria?" Polly gazed at the silver sphere that seemed to have petrified her friend, but saw nothing alarming.
Victoria turned to Polly, and saw her concern. Trying to keep her wits, she asked in a faint voice, "Do you know anything about meditation? Buddhism?"
Polly looked at her, confused. "I've read about it. Why?"
"Do you know something called the..." She struggled to remember what Thonmi had once taught her. "The Jewel of the Lotus prayer?"
"What?"
"You know, 'Om mane padme...'"
"Yeah, I've heard about it. Why?"
"This sound - I've heard it before." She struggled to control her panic. "There's something... something terrible, worse than the Cybermen. If we're lucky, it won't know we're here. But if you feel like your feet or your arms are not obeying you..." Her voice choked a little, but she carried on. "Repeat that prayer, or do something else that might help you concentrate."
Polly nodded. It was clear she didn't fully understand what Victoria meant, but as a former travelling companion of the Doctor she knew this was a situation where questions would have to wait until they were safe.
However, a malevolent hissing voice soon crushed any hope Victoria had of escaping.
"Wise advice," it said. "I am so glad to see you remember how things were the first time we met..."
"Oh no," Victoria said in a whisper. She gave her friend a nervous push. "Polly, run."
"I... I can't," Polly said. Victoria tried to move as well, and found that her legs felt unnaturally heavy.
"Remember what I told you," she urged. "Om mane padme om..."
"Om mane padme om..." Polly repeated. "Om mane padme om..."
"But if you remember, my dear," the voice went on, "things didn't go so well back then, did they?"
I am stronger now, Victoria thought. I can defeat you.
"Om mane padme om..." she repeated - and to her utter relief she took a step forward and grabbed Polly's hand. The two of them kept repeating the old Buddhist mantra to themselves, focusing their minds on it.
"Very good," the voice said, teasingly. "But not good enough, I'm afraid..."
Suddenly, Victoria heard another voice:
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
She stopped, mid-mantra. It was her voice. But she had never said that... had she?
"You don't remember? Oh dear."
"It's... a trick," Victoria muttered, trying to focus her mind back on the prayer. "Om mane..."
"Let me refresh your memory, then..."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"...padme om," Victoria insisted, squeezing Polly's hand and taking another step forward.
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"Om mane padme om..."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"Victoria?"
"Keep... going, Polly."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
By now, Polly was a couple of steps ahead of her. Realizing that she was slowing her down, Victoria let go of her hand.
"Victoria!"
"Don't stop. Keep going!"
"I'm not leaving you."
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
"GO!"
She felt Polly grabbing her arm, all the while shouting the Jewel of the Lotus prayer at the top of her voice, as much to her friend's benefit as to her own. Victoria tried to shout it alongside her, but her concentration was faltering. And...
Doctor! There is great danger. You must take me away! Take me away! Take me away!
...she fell into darkness.
"All right, men, let's check in here."
Benton was doing his best to look as professional and competent as always before the two Privates accompanying him, though deep inside he was grumbling. Why did the Doctor always associate with girls who had the tendency to sneak out into the most dangerous places and situations? Miss Shaw was one of the most level-headed of the lot, but even she jumped into the lion's den from time to time; Miss Smith was a reporter, so with her it was unsurprising; and the less said about Miss Grant, the better. But worst of all was the time he had been duped by Miss Heriot and Miss Watkins into driving them and McCrimmon to the Cybermen-infested sewers; seven years later, and his ears were still ringing from the lecture the Brig gave him afterwards for being so gullible.
And now Miss Moon had decided to wander off after the others to a place where, according to the Brigadier, something that made those fake Cybermen look like string puppets was on the loose. Something Benton had only known about from reading old reports, and which he was glad never to have seen up close.
"Wouldn't it be quicker if we were to split up, Sarge?" Murgatroyd asked. "Each of us checking a different wagon?"
"Safety in numbers, Muggs," Benton replied. "You remember the briefing." They made for the wagon he had pointed out. There were some nasty scratch marks by the door, so he surmised that was the place where Lieutenant Jackson and Miss Chaplet were attacked; with any luck, that would be where they'd find Miss Moon snooping around as well.
As they stepped inside, they realized that this was indeed the place. Their radio was smashed into pieces on the floor, and an open crate revealed the headless body of a Cybermen. But not a living soul around, though.
Benton reached for his radio. "Trap Four to Greyhound. Do you read-"
"Oh, it's you," a voice exclaimed. All three men turned (Murgatroyd and Gardner pointing their guns in the direction of the voice) to find Miss Moon's face outside the door with an expression of relief.
"At ease, men," Benton said. As they lowered their guns, the girl approached them. "We didn't see you," he said.
"I come from a war zone," she replied. "I got pretty good at hiding."
Benton was annoyed at her calm demeanour. He wanted to shout at her about the stupidity of gallivanting around the compound, especially after what they heard over the radio, but the presence of the two privates reminded him of the need for professionalism. Instead of an impassioned lecture, he settled for, "You shouldn't have left the tent, you know."
"I know," she said contritely. "I wasn't thinking."
"You're right you weren't thinking," he grumbled. "Now, we're going back to-"
"Greyhound to Trap Four," the Brigadier's clipped voice emanated from the radio. "What's going on? Over."
"Sorry, Greyhound," Benton replied. "We've just located Miss Moon."
"Is she unharmed? Over."
"Affirmative, sir, she's fine." Except for her common sense, he thought. "We also found the Cyberman's body. Over."
"What about Lieutenant Jackson and Miss Chaplet? Over."
"The other wagons are empty," Miss Moon informed Benton in a low voice.
"Negative," he told the Brig. "Their radio is smashed to pieces but there's no other signs of them." He thought with some relief that, if they had been harmed, blood marks would be visible.
"Return to base straight away, then, Trap Four."
"Yes, sir. Over and out." He looked at Miss Moon, giving her the stern look he usually saved for his kid sister whenever they disagreed on something. "And you're coming with us."
"Yeah," she started, "but-"
"Muggs, Gardner, back to base." He slung his gun down and made ready to leave. With a sigh, Miss Moon followed.
"Wait," Gardner said. "D'you hear that?"
"What?" Benton asked.
"I hear it too," Miss Moon said. "It's the same sound we heard when..." She trailed off, but Benton did not need to hear the rest of the sentence to know what she meant. He could now hear the bleeping noise as well, and knew very well what it was.
"Grenades at the ready," he told the Privates. "It's coming back."
Instinctively, he pulled Miss Moon behind the crate where the Cyberman's body was lying and, grabbing a hand-grenade as well, he positioned himself between Murgatroyd and Gardner and waited.
The sound became louder and louder, and suddenly a gigantic, shaggy form filled the wagon door, blocking their exit. It emitted an ear-shattering roar. They were face to face with a Yeti.
