Doctor Who: Target - Novelisations [078] - Earthshock by Ian Marter

Author:Ian Marter
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426193777
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1983-11-30T23:00:00+00:00

6

Monstrous Awakenings

The Cyberleader had watched the capture of Adric and the Doctor with fascinated concentration as it was revealed in vivid detail on the holovisor disc.

‘Even under threat of death the Doctor displays all the arrogance characteristic of a Time Lord,’ he exclaimed, leaning forward, the faint mechanical and electronic sounds beginning to speed up inside him. ‘The Doctor must remain alive so that he can suffer for all our past humiliations…’ he concluded with chilling deliberation.

‘It is time to secure the freighter,’ the Deputy announced, moving round the module to the main panel and waiting expectantly for instructions.

The Cyberleader switched off the holovisor as Adric and the Doctor were marched away. ‘It is time. Activate the first taskforce,’ he ordered. ‘The crew is small. They will offer little resistance.’

The Deputy keyed a series of commands into the module. ‘Condensors maximum charge, Leader.’

‘Excellent. Stabilise and activate.’

The Deputy gave a master key a half-turn. A faint, subterranean grinding noise suddenly rumbled through the freighter. The Deputy turned sharply. ‘The commander of the freighter will know that his electrical reserves are being tapped,’ he warned.

The Leader rasped menacingly. ‘Why did you not jam their instruments?’ he demanded.

The Deputy hesitated, staring blankly at the instruments clustered on the module. ‘Our drain on the supply is excessive, Leader. The freighter’s computers will be alerted.’

Inside the Cyberleader the circuits flashed faster and faster with increasing precision. ‘Then we shall take the bridge at once,’ he ordered. ‘Accelerate reactivation to optimum immediately. This time there must be no failure.’

Again the Deputy hesitated. A low, angry buzzing sound suddenly began to issue from the Cyberleader’s enormous silver head. Slowly and reluctantly the Deputy completed the full turn of the master key…

Not far away, in another silo, huge cocoon-like objects were ranged motionless in the darkness. Beneath manifold layers of transparent plastic wrapping, enormous silver forms stood erect and silent. In the vast tomb-like space the creatures waited. They were not living, they were not dead. They were waiting to be born.

At last there began a faint crackle, as if a chrysalis were starting to split open and release the imprisoned glory of some beautiful butterfly. Something flickered and tore through the protective layers: first a powerful, stubby finger and then a ripping, shredding hand. Then an arm jerked spasmodically and with a vicious slicing movement carved the plastic shroud asunder.

Laboured gurgling sounds gradually settled into a rhythmic hissing breathing and eerie electronic clicks developed into a relentlessly logical chattering. The silo echoed with the savage infant movements as the Cybermen burst out of the chrysalids and took their first uncertain steps.

Subdued shudders rippled through the freighter, almost as if it knew it was giving birth to the silver horror concealed in its bowels…

‘Reaction levels normal, Leader,’ the Deputy reported in a strangely hushed tone, the module instruments reflecting in a sinister pattern on his metallic face.

‘Excellent. Prepare to engage autonomous control mode.’ The Cyberleader watched as the Deputy slowly moved a sliding switch, his ventilator emitting a constant hiss of anticipation.

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