Doctor Who: Virgin Missing Adventures [021] - The Eye of the Giant by Christopher Bulis

Author:Christopher Bulis
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426204695
Publisher: Doctor Who Books
Published: 1996-05-13T22:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Heat. Warmth. Life. Brokk slowly revived as energy coursed once more through the intricate crystalline structure of his eye-brain. Solid state synapses began to function, releasing the memories frozen within by years of terrible cold.

He remembered.

His craft began to malfunction as he entered the lower atmosphere.

Cabin pseudo-gravity failed, and he felt the heavy world tug him back into his control chair. It was an effort to move his arms, despite the bracing of his suit. He was losing altitude, but all he could see below him through the murky atmosphere was a freezing ocean of hydrogen oxide. Was there no solid land on this world? Then his long range scanner detected an island ahead. Upon it the infra-red sensor indicated one point of tolerable warmth. Could he reach it? He did, but just barely. Still losing altitude, he crossed the oddly formed shoreline and found himself flying over a strange landscape of dark, low-spreading, cold-adapted vegetation, somehow drawing sustenance from the feeble light of the planet’s distant sun. The heat source grew stronger and he pinpointed its location. On his vision plate he saw a hot spring issuing from a crater in the summit of a sharply angled hill.

Good. It would provide a site both of power and concealment from any native life forms. He had detected virtually no electromagnetic radiation from the planet that would indicate significant technology, so there was little possibility of local assistance in his repairs, and he wanted no contact with primitive beings in his present circumstances.

But even as he made his landing approach the overstrained hull creaked and split open. Freezing air rushed in, chilling him dangerously before he could close the visor of his insulating suit. Warning lights lit up across his control panel.

There was a lurch as a thruster unit failed. He dropped lower over the crater, fighting for control, bringing his ship in under the shelter of the cliff, the remaining thrusters on overload as they compensated for the heavy gravity. There was a bump and grating on the hull, the ship settled, and then was still. He was down safely.

Savage joy surged through him. He had made it, despite the Semquess’ interference. He might be temporarily marooned on a hostile world, but he would survive. And, when the time came, make his escape back to civilization again.

He adjusted the power system of his suit to compensate for the high gravity and climbed awkwardly to his feet. Not comfortable, but he would get used to it. He would have to.

Then he saw the case of ampules was lying open on the floor. The jolting that the ship had received on the approach run must have shaken it loose and the high gravity had done the rest. Anxiously he gathered up the ampules, checking to see if they were damaged. Two he found easily enough, for there was little floor space in the ship’s single cabin. But the third was nowhere to be seen. Instead his eye fell upon a rent in

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