'And still here,' Stoker said. She turned on Oldeman.

'You d.a.m.n fool, what have you done? Your stupid experiment has cost the lives of two of my men!'

'But the experiment was a success,' Nyssa said. 'In one way,' she added, when everyone looked at her sharply.

'Define success,' Stoker ordered. 'Without forgetting Vega Jaal and Nik.'

'I mean, this specimen was created in this laboratory one hundred and sixty years ago,' Nyssa went on. 'It killed the scientists responsible.' but it has had nothing to feed on since then. And yet it has survived.'

Stoker said, 'I can't say I'm thrilled.'

'It's a good point, though,' said the Doctor. As a life-form capable of autonomous self-stasis, it certainly seems to work.

But I can't help feeling that we're missing something...'

Stoker made an angrily dismissive noise. 'Sod that. It's still out there somewhere. What are we going to do about it?'

Bunny had almost reached the area where the comms unit had been left. He had slowed his pace because he was now certain something was following him through the cavern. At one point Bunny thought he had seen a pale shape in the gloom at the end of the tunnel, moving quickly, glimpsed only out of the corner of his eye. He stopped to stare, but saw only shadows. Swallowing hard, he had moved swiftly on.

He hadn't actually seen anything else or heard anything else since, but Bunny was certain it hadn't been his imagination. Something Something was here in the caves with him, he knew that for a fact. After all, was here in the caves with him, he knew that for a fact. After all, something something had killed Vega Jaal and then Nik. The thought of that same something killing had killed Vega Jaal and then Nik. The thought of that same something killing him him made Bunny's heart pound with dread. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing his daughter again. He couldn't bear the thought of Rosie never seeing made Bunny's heart pound with dread. He couldn't bear the thought of never seeing his daughter again. He couldn't bear the thought of Rosie never seeing him again. him again. But the images of Vega Jaal's and Nik's shrivelled-up bodies kept coming horribly to mind. But the images of Vega Jaal's and Nik's shrivelled-up bodies kept coming horribly to mind.

At last he reached the comms area. He felt a ridiculous sense of relief when he saw the comms unit with its control lights still blinking.

'What are you up to?' asked a voice behind him.

Bunny whipped around, his legs almost buckling. Tegan!

You frightened the life out of me, girl!'

Tegan stepped forward. She looked serious. 'What d'you think you're doing, creeping up here on your own, Bunny?

Don't you realise how dangerous it is?'

Bunny almost laughed. 'That's precisely why I have come up here. Because there's something I have to do - and I can only do it alone. Speaking of which, did you come up here on your own too?'

'No,' said Tegan. Jim's with me.'

'Where?'

Tegan looked behind her, but Jim wasn't there. 'I don't understand. He was right behind me a minute ago.'

She looked back at Bunny then, her eyes wide and fearful. The scream that tore through the air was long and terrible.

'Jim!' Bunny snarled, leaping forward. Bunny snarled, leaping forward.

He ran with Tegan towards the cry, but the awful screeching had already stopped. A hideous, final gurgle took its place as they rounded the corner and saw - Jim thrashing on the ground with something bent over him, something squat, dwarf-like and the colour of an earthworm. A tangle ofglistening tubes connected its bulbous head to Jim's body; Jim was shuddering now as the thing sucked the blood out of him with terrifying speed. Even as they watched, Bunny and Tegan could see Jim physically shrinking beneath the creature.

The thing, alerted somehow, twisted around as they approached. A cl.u.s.ter of blood-red eyes stared out from the centre of its head, just above the nest of writhing tubers. The tubes squirmed and retracted, squirting fluid into the air, and then the thing was gone, moving away swiftly, ape-like, into the shadows.

'He's still alive!' Tegan gasped suddenly.

Galvanised from his state of shock, Bunny lunged forward and helped Jim sit up. Thick, dark blood ran freely from puncture wounds all over his shrivelled body. Bunny felt something warm and wet on his hand as he held Jim's head, and he knew there and then that the man was as good as dead: everything inside that mattered was gone, or was leaking out right now between his fingers. Jim's eyes were closed and wrinkled and shrunk right back into their sockets.

His mouth hung open and dry, his last breath already slipping free.

'Too late,' Bunny said hoa.r.s.ely. He lay Jim's body down gently on the ground and stood up. He was shaking with rage. 'This has gone far enough.'

PART TWO.

CRASH AND BURN.

The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interr'd with their bones. The good is oft interr'd with their bones.

- William Shakespeare William Shakespeare

Chapter Ten.

Captain Lawrence surveyed the bridge of his ship with an exacting eye for detail. He was an imposing figure, and he knew it. The crew respected him, and he had earned that respect, but there was no harm in maintaining the image.

He was tall, with black hair cut short in the regulation manner. Sharp eyes glittered above a straight nose and a straight mouth. He stood straight too, boots slightly apart, slate-grey uniform neat and well pressed, hands clasped behind his back. Stomach in, chest out, he reminded himself.

Maintain the image.

One of the younger crewmen glanced up at him from the helm controls. Lawrence caught the flicker of movement and looked down at him, instantly recalling the recruit's name: Jenks.

Jenks paled as he realised the captain was looking straight at him and returned his attention to the flight controls.

'Problem, Jenks?' Lawrence asked tersely.

'No, sir!'

It was all Jenks could do not to quiver under his captain's steely gaze. Lawrence sighed. He could have flown this ship by himself if required: the comtech was sophisticated enough to allow just one qualified man to act as pilot.

The Adamantium Adamantium was a Consortium Survey Vessel outbound from the Antares system, on a routine deployment to the galactic fringe. There were few navigational hazards in this region of s.p.a.ce, apart from one minor asteroid cl.u.s.ter and a high-density binary star of which the was a Consortium Survey Vessel outbound from the Antares system, on a routine deployment to the galactic fringe. There were few navigational hazards in this region of s.p.a.ce, apart from one minor asteroid cl.u.s.ter and a high-density binary star of which the Adamantium Adamantium would steer well clear. Another three months of regulation survey scans would find them right back at Earth Central. would steer well clear. Another three months of regulation survey scans would find them right back at Earth Central.

Captain Lawrence was happy with this projected flight plan, and he didn't see any reason to alter it.

But something was nagging at Jenks, and that irritated Lawrence.

'Come on, Jenks! Spit it out!'

Jenks swallowed hard. 'Nothing, sir, really. I just wondered if we were ever going to pick up a decent scan result.'

Lawrence nodded, satisfied. 'This is your first posting to this sector, isn't it, Jenks?'

'Sir.'

And you're bored.

'No, sir, Jenks said, a little too quickly.'

'There are very few explored worlds in this sector, Jenks,'

Lawrence said with a knowing smile. 'We could find anything, at any moment. Or nothing at all. If all you want is an active life in the Consortium, you should have signed up for a load lifter on the Betelgeuse run. But if you want the chance to see uncharted stars, and the opportunity to discover new and valuable sources of mineral wealth, you could do worse than to employ a little patience. Patience is our watchword, Jenks.

Patience and method.'

'Sir,' Jenks said, although it was difficult to tell if he had been inspired or simply had his worst fears confirmed.

Lawrence made a mental note to keep an eye on his performance.

The door to the bridge hissed open and Silas Cadwell entered. Lawrence regarded him with some suspicion; Cadwell was new to the crew of the Adamantium, Adamantium, although he was an experienced 21C. He certainly didn't seem to be in awe of Lawrence, but it wasn't that which bothered the captain. Rather it was the way in which Cadwell cut an even more imposing figure than he did: whip thin, taller than Lawrence by several inches, his hair shaven down to the skin. His eyes were the coldest grey Lawrence had ever seen, like little chips of ice. The creases in his uniform looked to be razor sharp. although he was an experienced 21C. He certainly didn't seem to be in awe of Lawrence, but it wasn't that which bothered the captain. Rather it was the way in which Cadwell cut an even more imposing figure than he did: whip thin, taller than Lawrence by several inches, his hair shaven down to the skin. His eyes were the coldest grey Lawrence had ever seen, like little chips of ice. The creases in his uniform looked to be razor sharp.

'Captain,' acknowledged Cadwell, as he stepped up to the command podium. He all but saluted. 'We have a priority cla.s.s 1-A distress call on the signals scan, sir.'

Lawrence frowned. 'A mayday?'

'Interstellar beamcast,' Cadwell said. 'Originating in the Akoshemon system.'

'Akoshemon?' Lawrence raised an eyebrow.

Cadwell handed him a data card. 'I thought you might like to see it first, sir.'

Lawrence read the card. One name leapt out at him from all the information, causing his jaw to tighten. He distinctly felt a facial muscle jump. 'Jyl Stoker,' he said tonelessly.

'Sir.'

Lawrence looked up into Cadwell's clear grey eyes but the 2IC's expression was unreadable. Perhaps Lawrence had misjudged the man; perhaps he wasn't as heartless as he had first believed. 'Thank you, Cadwell. You may proceed.'

'Sir.' Cadwell swivelled on his heel and addressed the helm. 'Jenks, set a course for the Akoshemon system, maximum speed.'

'You've done what?' Jyl Stoker asked, teeth clenched and face blanched with fury.

Bunny stood solemnly before her, his giant hands clasped in front of him, almost in prayer. He could barely meet Stoker's gaze, so Tegan decided to answer for him.

'He's done what he should have done a lot sooner. He's sent a mayday call out.'

Her voice rang out in the brittle silence of the lab.

Stoker's eyes didn't flicker from Bunny.

'We need help,' Tegan added desperately. 'Can't you see that?'

'This has nothing to do with you,' hissed Stoker.

'But -'

'Nothing.'

Bunny said, 'Jim's dead. How many more have to die before we admit we've lost, Jyl?'

Stoker simply stared at him, rendered speechless by anger. There were tears of frustration glinting in her eyes.

'It's got out of hand,' Tegan insisted, looking to the Doctor for some moral support.

The Doctor was leaning against one of the benches, looking contemplative as he observed the exchange. Nyssa sat on the bench beside him, her face pale and serious, but her mind clearly elsewhere. On the Doctor's other side, in a chair, sat Ravus Oldeman, also watching the argument carefully.

'We're finished here, Jyl,' Bunny said sadly.

'You're so right,' Stoker replied. Her tone was as cold as the rock that surrounded the lab complex.

'Personally,' said Ravus Oldeman, 'I think you've done the right thing Mr Cheung. I've been waiting to escape from this moon for one hundred and sixty years.

No one smiled at the joke, but Stoker leapt to her feet and bunched her fists.

'I think we all need to calm down,' the Doctor said. He addressed Stoker specifically. 'What's done is done. Perhaps it will be for the best.'

Stoker glared at him for a second and then slumped back down into a seat. She closed her eyes and began to ma.s.sage the side of her skull with one hand. The knuckles showed white.