Doctor Who: MacRa Terror by Ian Stuart Black

Author:Ian Stuart Black
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Science-Fiction:Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780426203070
Publisher: Target Books
Published: 1988-01-15T10:00:00+00:00

7 Down the Pit

The pit head was like nothing Jamie had imagined. A great mass of glittering equipment, surrounded by banks of dials, computers, indicators, calculators, hummed and throbbed with a rhythm that overwhelmed him. A huge pump dominated the mechanism, moving slowly, continuously, like the beat of some fantastic heart.

In the background a dynamo hummed. Panels of equipment were given over to a range of communications. Mankind was dwarfed amongst it all.

Over and above the mechanical noise could be heard a human voice, transmitted from many points in the pit head itself, and down every passageway and shaft. It sang encouragingly: ‘We all are happy at our work, We are all happy at our toil, For the good of the Colony, Is the good of all.’

The Doctor winced. ‘Ow!’

‘What’s the matter, Doctor?’ asked Polly.

‘Did you hear that?’ The Doctor began to mimic the voice: ‘... happy in toil... for the good of all.’ He turned to Ola. ‘What a rhyme! The man who wrote that should be sent to the Danger Gang, not us.’

‘Be quiet,’ ordered Ola. He found it hard to understand this man who appeared to take nothing seriously, not even when his own life was threatened.

One wall was occupied by the usual huge screen, but it was blank. Lights flickered on and off, carrying a hundred different messages, fed into the calculators.

The Doctor noted the series of metal doors and the signs Gas Mixing Station and Gas Shift Nos One and Two.

Ola called to the man in charge. ‘You have had your instructions, Officia?’

The man addressed as Officia nodded. ‘Yes, sir. These are the three strangers?’

The Doctor joined in the conversation. ‘I suppose you might call us that.’

Ola ignored him. ‘They are to be allotted to 176 Shift.’

‘I will recall the leader immediately.’ Officia crossed to the communication panel and began sending his message.

The Doctor did not stand on ceremony. Showing no concern for what was in store for them, he appeared delighted by all he saw, scampering from instrument to instrument, nodding and smiling with appreciation.

‘Ah, yes... excellent... I see. So that works like that... and that does this...’ he turned to Officia. ‘What amazing efficiency. Whatever do you make?’

‘I thought this was a mine,’ said Jamie. ‘Ye ken, the sort of place where you dig coal.’

‘You might as well explain,’ said Ola. ‘It could motivate their work.’

Officia nodded. ‘The rock foundation of this part of the planet is a type of salt. At depths it has generated gases for millions of years. These gases have become very valuable and we have gone deep into the earth to locate and recover them.’

‘Now get to work,’ said Ola.

‘You don’t send a girl and an old man to dig in a pit!’ said Jamie in disgust.

The Doctor was indignant. ‘Old! what do you mean, “old”? I’m not old!’

‘You will do as you are instructed,’ said Ola.

A man arrived through one of the passages leading to the pit. He was dressed in overalls from head to foot, and wore a helmet over his head with a pair of goggles.

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