Doctor Who: Hunter's Moon by Paul Finch

Author:Paul Finch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Doctor Who, Published Fiction
ISBN: 1446416747
Publisher: BBC Digital
Published: 2011-04-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter

24

Rory and Harry were staggered by what lay in front of them.

They’d emerged from a series of gutted rooms, only to find themselves teetering on the edge of a titanic gorge criss-crossed at various levels by metal skywalks. Some of these looked to be bearing railway lines – like ‘mineral lines’ on Earth – though many of their supports had rotted away, and they were sagging or, in some cases, had collapsed completely. The floor of the gorge was dotted with the rusted relics of digging machinery and the shells of burned-out works buildings; the walls were pockmarked with what looked like manmade tunnel entrances.

They stood in respectful silence. Only Dora seemed unimpressed. She was pale as milk and shaking, as she leaned against a stone buttress. Harry finally noticed.

‘You all right?’ he asked.

She mumbled inaudibly.

‘Rory… Something’s wrong with Dora!’

Rory looked her over. ‘Delayed shock,’ he said. ‘She needs rest. But not here.’ He pointed to the far side of the gorge, where, perched on a parapet, there was something that looked like a medieval castle, though it had been made from plates of riveted steel. ‘If that’s where the inmates were billeted. We might be able to make it secure. Just till help arrives.’

‘You’re sure help will arrive?’

‘I’m certain,’ Rory said. He turned to the door behind them, took the lump of charcoal from his pocket and again inscribed a jagged mouth.

‘What is that sign?’ Harry asked. ‘You’ve made it several times now.’

‘It might just be our salvation. Let’s find a way over there.’

They’d emerged onto a narrow ledge. It had a safety barrier, though in parts this had broken away, so they stayed well clear of the parapet, beyond which there was a drop of several hundred metres. They moved in single file, Dora stumbling between the two men. Every so often they came to a doorway. Glancing through, they saw the interiors of old machine houses or storage areas – bare and damp, with broken hinges hanging from walls, struts of metal jutting up where appliances had once been connected. In one, there was a line of hooks with what looked like biohazard suits hanging from them, alongside a row of upright steel containers.

‘Lockers,’ Harry said, entering and opening a couple, only to find them empty. ‘Damn! Thought there might be something we could use.’

They went back outside – and stopped dead.

Down on the canyon floor, there was a scurrying motion. Neither man said a word as he focused on a fast-moving, insect-like object. It had six jointed legs, which moved in a blur. Even from this distance, they could see light glinting from its shiny, red and black striped carapace.

‘What on earth…?’ Harry said slowly.

‘Nothing on Earth,’ Rory replied. ‘But it must be the size of a tank.’

‘It moves like one, too. Only faster.’

Whatever the insect was – and it was an insect, for they could now see its antennae twitching – it raced along the gorge at astonishing speed, scampering over obstacles with no difficulty.

‘Is it my imagination or is it coming this way?’ Harry said.

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