'I'm sorry, Jyl,' Bunny said.

She regarded him venomously from beneath hooded lids. 'Forget it. You and I are finished.'

'The Akoshemon system,' Silas Cadwell announced. 'One M46 type star, three planets: an airless rock, a gas giant and then Akoshemon itself.'

'Ugly-looking place,' Lawrence commented. The planet was up on the forward viewscreen, a big disc of steaming black and red mud. Lawrence felt as though he was peering into a cauldron of bubbling poison.

'The mayday signal originates from the moon of Akoshemon,' Cadwell said. 'A routine survey scan conducted seven years ago indicated the moon to be a low-grade planetoid coded NWP.'

NWP: not worth pursuit. not worth pursuit. Lawrence stared at the pulsating orb on the screen, mesmerised by the swirling, b.l.o.o.d.y colours. Silhouetted against the scarlet ma.s.s was a tiny circle of black: the moon. Lawrence stared at the pulsating orb on the screen, mesmerised by the swirling, b.l.o.o.d.y colours. Silhouetted against the scarlet ma.s.s was a tiny circle of black: the moon.

'And yet Jyl Stoker is there,' Lawrence said quietly. 'How very intriguing.'

Cadwell looked up at the captain. 'You think the original scan result may require an update?'

It doesn't matter,' Lawrence said after a momentary pause. 'We can't ignore a cry for help.'

Stoker sat in the corner of the lab, smoking a cigar with some aggression, and glaring sourly at everyone else in the room.

She felt distinctly outnumbered. Everyone seemed to be on Bunny's side. The Doctor was still fussing around Oldeman, having administered a second dose of neurolectrin. In hushed tones they were now discussing the experiments Oldeman had conducted one hundred and sixty years ago - the same experiments that had led directly to the present situation. Stoker could barely look at the old fool without wanting to kill him.

The Doctor's a.s.sistants were both behaving oddly, if it could be said that anyone left alive here could behave normally Nyssa was sitting primly on a bench, listening to the Doctor's conversation with Oldeman. She appeared to be paying great attention, but there was something in her eyes, something flat and unfathomable, that made Stoker think that she was in fact concentrating on something else entirely. It crossed Stoker's mind that the girl might have sustained some kind of brain damage as a result of oxygen starvation when she had arrested earlier. Stoker felt a wave of pity. You poor little cow, she thought, you were as good as dead.

Stoker stiffened slightly as she saw Tegan Jovanka coming over. The woman was giving her a strange look.

'You've got to deal with your anger,' Tegan told her bluntly. 'Otherwise it'll just eat you up. Take it from one who knows.'

'Don't patronise me,' Stoker said.

'I'm only trying to help'

'Go and help Bunny. He might need a hand rolling out the red carpet for the next Consortium ship that responds to his mayday.'

'You don't know it will be a Consortium ship.'

Stoker took a long drag on her cigar. 'There are only two types of starship patrolling this sector of s.p.a.ce: cut-throat mineral pirates and mining survey vessels belonging to the Consortium. The pirates won't answer a mayday.'

'How do you know?'

'Cos I'm one of them.' Stoker flashed a mirthless smile.

'I think we'd be better off with a Consortium ship, then,'

Tegan said.

'You might be. I won't. Any Consortium ship that lands here will whip this claim right out from under me, before I can say "shafted by my best friend".'

'That's not why Bunny did it,' Tegan said. 'We need help here. Unless we get help, we could all be killed.'

Stoker looked bored. 'Oh yeah, that.'

'Aren't you scared?'

'I'm too angry to be scared'

Tegan seemed to consider this. 'Funny, but I think that's what happened to me. When I first joined up with the Doctor.

I was too angry to be really scared.'

Stoker was intrigued despite herself. 'But that's changed?'

'I think so'

'Now you're just scared?'

'No. I mean yes, I'm scared, but I sort of take that for granted. Being with the Doctor means you're going to be scared. He fights scary things.'

Stoker gave her a sardonic look. 'He's in his element here then.'

Tegan looked across the lab at the pale, blond figure in the cricket clothes. He was talking earnestly to both Oldeman and Nyssa. 'Oh yes, he's in his element all right.'

Lawrence shut the door of his private cabin aboard the Adamantium and sat down at his desk. He laid down the mayday report and stared at it for a minute before activating his computer terminal. The puter was command-access only, and not linked to the ship's main system.

'Standing by,' said the puter.

Lawrence said, 'Access Consortium data record for Stoker, Jyl'

The puter buzzed. 'Stoker, 'Jyl. Female. Height: six foot.

Hair: blonde. Eyes: amber. Born 2341 Earth Colony E5150.

Transferred to Earth Central Academy of Science 2359.

Studied Exogeology. Failed to graduate. Departed Earth Central 2363. Last known whereabouts: Kaltros Prime.

Occupation: rogue trader.'

Lawrence snorted. There was little here he didn't know already, of course, but it was in his nature to check. In fact it was surprising how little information there was; he felt sure Stoker would appreciate that. Rogue traders - the puter's euphemism for pirates - didn't like too much information about them in databanks of any kind, let alone those of the Consortium.

The cabin door chimed and Lawrence switched the puter off. 'Come.'

The door slid open and Silas Cadwell stepped into the cabin. 'You asked to see me, Captain.'

'Are you bored, Cadwell?' Lawrence asked without preamble.

'No, sir.'

'Liar. You're bored rigid, man. Everyone on this ship is bored. It's all very well being patient, but this is ridiculous.

Small wonder Jenks is feeling disgruntled. We've found absolutely nothing out here on the rim, and no indication that we will find anything in the near future.' Lawrence paused for effect. 'Until now.'

'Sir?'

'This mayday signal,' Lawrence said abruptly. 'What do you make of it, Cadwell?'

Cadwell did his best to shrug, but he was not a shrugging person. To Lawrence it looked strangely affected, almost rehea.r.s.ed. Trust him to have antic.i.p.ated the query. 'Standard signal generator, sir. According to the regulations we have to investigate.'

Lawrence nodded. 'We have to help, help, Cadwell, not just investigate.' Cadwell, not just investigate.'

'Sir.'

'And what about this Stoker woman?' Lawrence said.

There was the briefest hesitation. 'I thought you might be interested, Captain.'

'Yes, that's what you said on the bridge.'

Cadwell said, 'If Stoker's there, sir, then it must be for a reason. I can't see her wasting time on a low-grade planetoid like that moon unless there's something there for her.'

'That's what I thought. But it appears she might have bitten off more than even she can chew this time.'

'Sir?'

'Jyl Stoker wouldn't issue a mayday unless she absolutely had to, Cadwell. I know that for a fact. Pirates like her don't give claims up that easily?'

'Unless it is is just a low-grade planetoid.' just a low-grade planetoid.'

Lawrence's eyes narrowed. 'Believe me, it won't be. Not if Stoker's there.'

There was a silence during which Lawrence realised his 2IC had more to say. 'Go on, Cadwell: out with it.'

'There is something else, sir' Cadwell held out a data pod. 'I backtracked through the hypernet transmissions to and from the Akoshemon system. I found this simcord message on a narrow bandwidth spurt from Earth Central yesterday. It had been relayed through the Karula Koza comnet in an obvious attempt to avoid detection.'

Lawrence raised an eyebrow. This was above and beyond the call of duty. Impressed, and very slightly unnerved, Lawrence took the pod. 'OK, let's see what it is.'

He plugged it into the puter and played the recording. A bright 3D image of a human girl aged five or six coalesced on the desktop. Lawrence and Cadwell watched Rosie Cheung's message in its entirety before Cadwell hit the mute.

'Careless,' said Lawrence, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Cadwell agreed. 'Could be useful. This Cheung person clearly misses his family. A weak spot in Stoker's armour, perhaps.'

Lawrence was about to say that Stoker didn't have any weak spots, but held his tongue. It wasn't true. 'We'll keep it in mind,' he said instead.

The cabin intercom blipped and Jenks's voice came through from the bridge. 'The Adamantium Adamantium is entering orbit around the moon of Akoshemon, Captain. You asked to be informed.' is entering orbit around the moon of Akoshemon, Captain. You asked to be informed.'

Lawrence acknowledged the call and turned back to Silas Cadwell with the faintest of smiles. 'The moment of truth, Cadwell. This could be our lucky day.'

A short-range comms scan picked out the precise location from which the subs.p.a.ce distress signal had been broadcast, and Jenks brought the Adamantium into land on a narrow rock shelf adjacent to a natural cave system. The ship touched down less than fifteen minutes after breaking orbit, a cloud of sand dusting the hull silver-green as it came to rest on its landing fins.

Captain Lawrence congratulated Jenks and invited his helmsman to join him, Cadwell and three other crewmen in the initial excursion party. Lawrence authorised the issue of small firearms to himself and Cadwell only. He didn't want to look as though the Consortium was coming in with all guns blazing.

The caves were silent and apparently deserted.

Lawrence maintained a brisk, businesslike att.i.tude and hoped his men would emulate him. Cadwell appeared calm but alert, as always, and Lawrence envied the man's inscrutable manner. Privately Lawrence felt that there was something about this place that set the nerves on edge.

Beneath his otherwise unflappable demeanour, the captain felt distinctly uneasy.

They met Stoker's party in the main cavern as agreed: there was a lot of cheap a.n.a.lysing equipment and samplers lying around, evidence of the rough-and-ready approach these rogues took to the job. If they had discovered anything of value on this rock with such rudimentary sensor tools then it wouldn't take the Adamantium long to find out what it was.

Stoker herself was not present at this first meeting; Lawrence didn't know whether he felt disappointed or not. It was Cadwell who pointed out that she could be injured or even dead. This was a possibility that had simply not crossed Lawrence's mind until that moment.

Representing Stoker was a giant of a man with brooding eyes and thick stubble.

'Cheung,' the big man growled. Lawrence exchanged a glance with Cadwell: they both knew this must be the father of the girl in the hologram message.

Cheung didn't extend his hand, simply glowered at the uniforms. He was evidently disappointed, but that was only to be expected. The arrival of a Consortium ship had to be the worst kind of help these people would want. But beggars can't be choosers, Lawrence reminded himself with satisfaction.

Lawrence introduced himself and Cadwell. Standing with Cheung were a strange couple: a very attractive young woman who didn't look dressed for mining operations of any kind, and a youngish, fair-haired man in light, casual clothes.

Lawrence felt his attention drawn irresistibly to this man, who introduced himself as simply the Doctor.

'I didn't think your kind of operation had room for medical staff,' Lawrence said to Cheung.

'He's a specialist,' Cheung replied.