'Is it alive?' she asked.
Johnson didn't hear her and instead began to mutter to himself. 'I think it's a bit more potent than an electrical storm.' He shook himself visibly and once more reached downwards for his communicator. 'I'll inform my men that it's coming.'
'If you want,' Renshaw shrugged.
Johnson took several steps backwards and found himself in a small niche. He felt exposed and this cavity gave him the protection he wanted, a minor form of sanctuary that put him more at ease. He watched as the Doctor and Renshaw moved closer together to obtain a clearer view of the energy form. He knew that the Doctor was no longer a danger by the way that he looked off guard as if he had finally met a brick wall that was too high for him to climb. Johnson presented a button and began to speak.
Renshaw leaned outwards. 'It's fantastic!' she exclaimed, balancing herself precariously over the edge. The Doctor reached forward and pulled her back. She stumbled backwards and then returned to the hole in the wall once more. 'I'd never believe it myself if I hadn't seen it,' she continued dreamily and then stopped, a puzzled frown of realisation settling over her petite features. 'I find it difficult to come to terms with now!' she laughed. 'Have you seen anything like it?'
The Doctor shook his head and replied, 'Not for several hundred years.' Renshaw stopped staring at the energy form and rounded on the Doctor.
'Several hundred years?' she protested.
The Doctor shrugged. 'Or there bouts,' he said.
Renshaw pressed him further.
'I think it was near the Axel Nebula,' the Doctor sighed, 'It was a bit of a let down though. It just turned out to be the local coronation fireworks going up in a premature puff of smoke. I never saw so many heads roll!'
Johnson had finished his conference over the intercom and now was making his way back with interest in the Doctor's story. Renshaw was far from satisfied with the answer she had received.
'But several hundred years ago?'
'Relative time scale,' the Doctor continued with a yawn, 'In real time, I'd place it around some time next year. Yes, that's probably right. You should go and see it, young lady.'
'That's nonsense!' Renshaw snapped back, laughing. 'How old are you anyway?'
Johnson was becoming increasingly tired of this ridiculous chatter. The Doctor 'ummed' and 'arred' a bit saying, 'Nine hundred and ...er...about...'
'Never mind this fool!' Johnson interrupted 'Look!'
The energy form was lifting off the ground as he spoke, like a cobra ready to strike easy prey. Lightening bolts streaked across the sky, giving the ground below a yellow tint which gave the scene a feeling of ominous power. As the form raised itself higher still, the clouds began to darken and rain began to fall for the first time in many years. The soil below gulped in the moisture, leaving barely a trace of the fact that water had touched its surface. The clouds came lower, chocking the distant mountains with their clinging mounds.
The form disappeared above them. They turned black within a few seconds and the energy form above could still be traced by the white glow which emanated from above and through them, a poor circle of white, looking down like the eye of a god.
It did not disappear but instead, the radius of the circle increased in size until it filled the sky above the next hill. A great thunderclap cracked across the sky, reverberating against the base and sending shock waves down into the lower levels. Tremors continued for several seconds. Then, like a black demon, the sky spat fire. Lightening flashed downwards over the hill, transforming it into a furnace built from the fires of hell. All across the hill's surface it was laced with bold needles of light, which crackled like hot pokers on pallid flesh. A maelstrom of dancing devils lit the sky and then the heavens finally gave way, unleashing a storm of almost unimaginable magnitude upon the surface.
Rain lashed the surface with pent-up fury colliding with the dead earth which crumbled and whisked itself away through streams which formed the cracks on the aging face of the plane. Dissolving like dust the surface began to disintegrate like wax in the direct path of vast heat.
Water gushed into the corridor, soaking the three who were then forced to step back out of the way. Outside looked devastating, like a pathway into chaos. The gash in the side of the base groaned in protest and was giving clear indication that it could give way any second.
'It's getting closer!' Johnson yelled above the roar pointing at the monster in the sky. A support strut buckled inwards and flew out of the ceiling towards them. It bounced unevenly to one side and into the wall next to them, and then it rolled still in abstinence.
'Yes,' the Doctor answered, 'It will!'
Another thunderclap rocked them aside for a moment and this time others followed, smashing the sound barriers with fists of noise and hate and sending continuing and endless barrages of shock waves down within the base once more.
'I only hope this thing isn't planning a repeat performance of what it got up to when the Daleks were here,' the Doctor shouted, although he was barely heard. 'If it is, we're not likely to get out of here alive!'
Brilliant white light flooded the corridor almost blinding them and the floor was quaking. The Doctor shouted louder still into Johnson's ear. 'Where are your men?'
'I told them to move into the lower areas, they should be safe there. That is,' Johnson yelled in reply as he was tossed to the ground. '...unless they're all buried alive!' He tried to get to his feet but was sent down once more. 'We're not going to make it!'
'Just cross your fingers and pray!' Renshaw retorted.
The energy form was now directly above the base. The clouds were no protection and the pure white fire washed over the base making it appear whiter than light. As it came closer centralising over the base, it began to lower itself downwards until its centre was touching the spire which jabbed upwards from the summit of the building. A thick column of power stabbed down out of the form and ran through the base. From here, it bled downwards as the thickness of the ferocity of the discharge increased, the size of the form diminished visibly.
The whole object was pouring down into the base, like tea from an urn. The base was screaming. Metals twisted round upon themselves or dislodged themselves and clattered uselessly to the ground below. The structure was crumbling once more into a pile of scrap metal, to lie untouched and forgotten on an obscure planet. The Doctor was all too aware of the effects being wreaked internally on the building.
'Even a DCLC isn't like this!' he exclaimed.
The ceiling was collapsing in on top of them and the light around them was now so bright that it bleached all but a very few shadows. It seemed as though it was the last place in time for a few seconds, as all three lost hope for survival. But then the chaos subsided slightly as the light diminished. Free to open his eyes at last, the Doctor felt his way towards the wall and relied on its support to clamber to his feet. He took deep breathes as he took stock of the situation. The storm outside was settling down into an ordinary thunder storm, the rain stopped driving downwards like a wet fist and instead fell sedately feeding all of the long-dry underground streams.
Outside, the form had gone. It had disappeared from sight, only the melted spire on top of the base left any trace of it once having been. The building itself looked very much as it had before, but was now crumpled further and more disfigured. A hollow wind mocked the change, laughing at explanations and defying reasons. It was over. Now, the storm was left merely to subside and die until the spirit of the planet returned once more.
Inside the floor was trembling. The Doctor could feel his feet shaking in their shoes and one of his spats had come undone.He bent down to fasten it. The tremor stayed present. The corridor darkened and Renshaw found herself having to switch on the torch once more.
'It's gone.' she remarked.
'Where to?' Johnson required. He was badly shaken, looking like a fox having escaped the hunt.
The Doctor finished fastening his spat and walked a short distance away from them. He was unnerved by the trembling continuing and the low rumble which swept in waves through the corridors which felt like a spirit searching for its soul. He pointed downwards.
'Whatever it is, it's now where you just sent your men, Captain,' the Doctor said, slowly, almost afraid. 'It is in the lower levels or in the ground beneath them.'
The rumble slowly fell away and then was heard no more. The silence jabbed their ears coldly and it seemed as though deafness had come to them. The rain beat emptily outside, the thunder had ceased. It seemed the world briefly returned to life and then had died a second death.
'How can you be sure it's down there?' Renshaw asked.
'Where else would it be?' replied the Doctor, 'Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. QED. Therefore, it cannot vanish. The only place it can go without us seeing it, is underground somewhere. We should try and find it.'
Johnson beckoned Renshaw and led her away. He had something for her to do and as far as he was concerned it was best that the Doctor was none the wiser about it. He had stopped trusting the alien.
'I want you to get back to the ship and prepare for lift off,' he mumbled into her ear. 'If we're not back by the evening of tomorrow, get out of here and give the fleet a full report. Got that?'
Renshaw nodded her ascent. 'They maybe able to do something if we can't.'
Johnson gave her a hefty shove saying, 'Go on then! Get out of here!'
Renshaw ran as fast as her feet could carry. Johnson turned around and straight into the Doctor, who had been listening to the conversation intently.
'Wise decision, Captain.'
Johnson was sick of trying to find answers to what the Doctor had said. He decided that it was time for him to be giving the orders around here.
'What you have to say is of no importance,' he stated. 'Let's get down below and move everyone to one place. Then we can decide what to do.'
The Doctor stared at Johnson. For a moment they gazed at each other and neither were going to concede to the other. They stood like animals waiting for the opportunity to pounce and flight, weighing each other up and looking for a gap in the other's defence.
A noise came to them and they suddenly turned to find themselves facing the Dalek. A look of shock and surprise fell over them. The Dalek fired a shot. It cracked the air and struck the floor at their feet, driving them back. They stumbled over each other trying to get away and eventually the Dalek became too close for them to run any further.
'It's going to kill us!'
END OF PART TWO
written by
NEIL HUNTER
copyright 2009
artwork by
COLIN JOHN
copyright 2020
