Doctor Who: Target - Novelisations [089] - Inferno by Terrance Dicks

Author:Terrance Dicks
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780491031431
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1984-09-14T22:00:00+00:00

9

Penetration-Zero

‘Zero!’ boomed the countdown voice. ‘We have penetration-zero.’

Somewhere deep inside the drill-head there was a colossal explosion. The control room shuddered so violently that most of those inside were thrown off their feet, including Stahlman himself. For a moment there was total confusion. The air was filled with the screams of terrified technicians, the wailing of alarm systems and, underneath everything, the deep menacing roar that came from the drill-head.

Stahlman had lost the revolver in his fall, but he made no attempt to look for it. His desire to kill the Doctor was as nothing beside his obsessive concern for his project. ‘Get back!’ he screamed at the fleeing technicians. ‘Get back to your posts!’

It was the Brigade-Leader who recovered the revolver.

He advanced determinedly on Sutton as if determined to avenge the assault on his dignity.

Sutton himself just climbed to his feet and was immediately grabbed by a couple of the Brigade-Leader’s men. Angrily he shook them off. ‘Do you mind? I’ve got a job to do here!’ He ran to a wall-locker, pulled out a spare disaster-suit, and began climbing into it.

‘All right, never mind him for now,’ ordered the Brigade-Leader. ‘Cover all the doors – and get those technicians back to their posts!’

Petra Williams hurried over to Stahlman, who was studying one of the power consoles. ‘Are you all right, Director?’

‘Yes, yes,’ he said impatiently. ‘Check the other control stations.’

After being very much the centre of attention, the Doctor suddenly found himself ignored. He made his way over to Sutton, who was zipping up his disaster-suit.

The Doctor pointed towards the tunnel. ‘You’re not thinking of going in there, are you?’ he shouted.

‘Don’t worry! I’ve never seen a drill bore I couldn’t cap.’

‘There’s never been a bore like this one!’

‘First thing to do is have a look in there and get the coolant reserve flowing.’

Stahlman moved past them, obviously heading for the drill-head.

Sutton reached out and grabbed his arm. ‘If you’re going in there, Director, you’d better put one of these suits on.’

Stahlman glared wildly at him, snatched his arm free and ran into the tunnel.

‘Somehow I don’t think he feels the heat as much as we do,’ said the Doctor drily.

They headed for the tunnel.

Section-Leader Shaw saw them from the other side of central control. She turned to Petra Williams, who was checking readings on nearby console. ‘Can’t they control the emergency from here?’

Petra shook her head. ‘They’ll have to go into the actual drill-head for that.’

The Doctor and Sutton paused at the threshold of the tunnel. There was a fiery glow at the far end. It felt rather like jumping into a furnace.

The Doctor adjusted his helmet. ‘Well, here goes!’

They plunged into the tunnel, staggered along it fighting the overpowering heat, and emerged into the drill-head area. The Doctor’s first thought was that it really was an inferno. The heat was so great that the air shimmered in front of them. The drill-shaft tube was buckled and smoke was pouring our – smoke and flame and an ooze of glowing green slime.

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