24
DARK ANGEL
Neil Davies 2008
It felt like you could reach out and pluck a star as easily as plucking an apple from a tree. Stood in the transparent blister at the very nose of the ship with only inches separating her from the vacuum of space Angela felt at total peace like this was where she had always been meant to come, it was inconceivable stood hovering amidst the stars that she could ever be anywhere else that she could ever be ordered back home, her commission revoked, her permit cancelled and her time as a member of the crew brought to an end.
Wiping a tear from her cheek she pressed both palms against the skin of the blister as if trying to push through it and drank in the wonder of space the beauty of it all, this she thought will be the last time I see it as someone who travels through it in a few days time…but no she couldn't let herself dwell on that it was too painful to think about returning home in shame; a failure unwanted by a service she had devoted most of her life to.
Since the age of nine years when her training began all she'd ever dreamt of was being part of a deep exploration crew and travelling out into the unknown to make amazing discoveries. She couldn't think of a more exciting life or a better way of spending her time, and then there was her father a difficult man to impress but she had seen the tears of joy in his eyes on the day she won this commission the pride bursting out of him. He had said nothing after the ceremony as he hugged her, no words were needed.
She wondered what his reaction would be when she got back stripped of her rank that commission rescinded; grounded basically for good.
Letting go of the glass she stepped back momentarily startled by a movement in space ahead and a very odd one, not the flight of a comet or the convulsion of a nebula but a curious explosion of dark purple light of a sort she was totally unfamiliar with. The light formed a kind of huge flower the petals of which were on fire, petals many miles across and much bigger than the ship.
From the centre of the flower something ejected at great speed, she couldn't tell what it was but the burning red light frightened her it was something hostile, something dangerous and it was heading her way.
Scampering back out of the blister she reached some controls, the emergency alarm was the third button down but when she pressed it nothing happened, so she tried again with the same result when she hit the other buttons the effect was the same – there didn't seem to be any power.
Eyes darting to the blister she saw the incoming red seed of fire moving faster than any missile; the ship was under attack and nobody but her knew about it, she couldn't even raise the alarm. There was just one other thing she could do and gripping her gold bracelet she gave a command, "JC detach the forward blister and seal the nose cone."
Her link to the ship's central computer hissed and fizzed, then the glass bubble she'd been stood in moments ago clunked free of the ship and flew off into space to meet the approaching storm, she watched it as long as she could – just before a culvert of metal sealed the gap between her and space.
Dashing to a window she peered out but she couldn't see anything due to the red glare of the missile, it was going to hit the nose of the ship where she was and destroy it utterly which meant she'd die instantly.
Is this bad thing Angela thought to herself to die in action, it sounds a lot better than dishonourable dismissal?
But at the last moment the missile veered off course away from the portion of ship she was stood in, it went under it flashing across its belly as it made for another target; it wasn't going to kill her after all there would be no heroic sacrifice to gladden her father's heart.
"What are you doing Powers," the voice made her jump with shock and turning from the window she gazed at Logan both relieved and dismayed to see the man who'd reported her grievous dereliction of duty and begun the sequence of events.
No time to dwell on that now though her duty was clear, "We're under attack," she said making in plain she wasn't joking, "Some kind of alien weapon a type of plasma."
Logan had a way of looking at Angela that made her feel like a stupid, misbehaving kid and he was giving her that look now oh yeah right said his eyes what do you take me for?
"I mean it I had to detach the forward blister," she said.
Lips compressing Logan took a step toward her, "You did what," he barked like she'd committed a terrible crime and yet again she realised she'd overstepped the mark with her galloping enthusiasm.
"I thought it would explode the plasma or deflect it in some way," the words sounded pathetic as she said them and it was clear Logan wasn't impressed at all. Going to the window himself the second-officer peered out, naturally he didn't see anything well he wouldn't would he?
Turning back to her with a sneer he said, "You're confined to quarters."
Angela wasn't sure she'd heard him properly what was he talking about, "Sorry," she squeaked?
"At once," taking her by the arm his huge fist encircling her upper arm totally Logan wrenched her towards a connecting door, he was squeezing her and it really hurt. He was a big man and she was – well just a trainee.
The ship rocked – suddenly, violently and totally; the lighting turned red the same shade of red as the missile. Logan let go of her at once to grip the wall for support, Angela fell onto a table and bruised her side. The red light washed around her swimming across floor and walls painting everything crimson, it was eerily alive in someway.
She heard Logan gasp and say something but she couldn't make out what it was, then he was screaming in fear and pain, screaming at the top of his voice in a way no man should; Angela covered her ears and wished it would stop but when it did the silence was worse because in the silence was another sound and even though it was softer it was somehow much worse.
They were both frowning but for different reasons, he because he sensed some kind of danger she because the readings didn't make any sense so she must be doing something wrong. Neck muscles bunched Jane felt a headache starting behind her eyes, blinking them several times she took them off the screen to look up at Hicks. The captain was shaking his head, "First the power failure," he said, "Now this."
He was linking the two events, Jane wondered if this was wise after all they might not have anything to do with each other. The odd thing was hovering in space directly above them, it was quite small and an odd shape it didn't look like a space craft but was artificial, something constructed although for what reason she couldn't begin to guess.
"Nothing that small could cause us to come out of warp and veer off course sir," she said. I do know that his glare responded, after all I have been warping through space a bit longer than you.
"Nevertheless helmsman we felt a definite impact, something struck us and is now corrupting our power systems." Hicks pointed at the box spinning away madly at high speed, "And our friend out there appeared at exactly the same time, not before or after but simultaneously," he sighed, "Bit of a coincidence wouldn't you say?"
Jane thumbed her temples anxiously, the box was keeping its distance and posed no obvious threat that she could see but Hicks had a point, "Would you like me to use the scoop sir?"
"I'll let you know what if any action I want taken," came the growl, "If that thing is hostile I don't see any point in bringing it aboard, it might be better to blast it."
Turning to Royce the captain nodded once and slim fingers brought weaponry online, this at least was working albeit at reduced capacity, Hicks cocked one finger to mean one short burst of fire; no more would be needed for some flimsy an opponent.
"Its gone sir," cried Royce his thin boyish face blanching, Jane checked her screen and saw he was right the tiny box had vanished there wasn't a trace of it anywhere. Hicks looked furious as well as confused such things just couldn't happen, "Track," he ordered but Jane was already doing it exploring the outside of the ship aft and stern, nothing was visible.
"Negative," she whispered just before her screen died and her terminal went offline and one second after that a creepy red ambience began to fill the bridge.
Angela was fit she used the ship's gymnasium on a daily basis to ensure she didn't become sluggish; very easy on a long mission that involved very little planet-fall like this one. But fit though she was she found it very hard to clamber off the table, it was like her arms and legs were full of quick drying cement they were so sluggish and unresponsive.
Yet she had to move to get away from what was happening or she knew she'd suffer the same fate as Logan, bits of whom were scattered on the floor around her bubbling and smoking in separate piles. Whatever had killed him was beginning to assemble itself in the air to her left; she could see strands, cords and threads of material weaving themselves together interlacing and interlinking at high speed to form a large shape or mass which looked anything but pleasant.
Move, Angela told herself get out of here now while you can because once this thing or entity is whole you won't be able to; you'll die instead. Rolling onto the floor and landing on all fours she crawled like a dog towards the nearest exit, yet even this was extremely hard work like moving through heavy gravity or being underwater.
No quitter Angela gritted her teeth, if she had one quality at all it was determination she knew how to push herself; it was how she'd survived the academy and passed all those exams despite relentless bullying and a protracted illness.
You'll never make it several people had told her, but this only made her try harder. I can do anything, she had told herself, if I believe in myself. She needed that kind of iron will now as her muscles screamed at her to stop; not wanting to go on.
Reaching the exit at last she gripped its cold metal edge with her left hand and pulled. Behind her the bizarre organic puzzle continued to assemble itself in some prearranged pattern like it had done so many times in the past. Angela still couldn't make out what it was apart from exotic and alien, monstrous and malevolent. She gripped the bulkhead with her other hand then used both to pull her head and shoulders out of the swirling crimson field.
At once the pressure left her scalp, cheeks and jaw she was able to unclench her teeth and swallow hard. Now for the rest of her inch by painful inch – shoulders, upper arms, chest it grew easier. The more of her that was outside the field the weaker its grip became, with her hands she snagged a stanchion and pulled even harder soon she had most of herself free except for her legs below the knees. Knowing that to give up now wasn't an option she rested her burning muscles a little then tried again.
Behind her air was sucked into lungs then slowly expelled in a low rush of sound, it was an ominous noise that meant only one thing. Angela squirmed her entire body and her sore biceps gave one last tug…she was free oh god she was out of it. Stumbling to her feet she sucked in great gulps of much needed air and staggered to the exit.
As it wouldn't open automatically she turned the manual release wheel, but before going through the doorway she risked a look back. This was a huge mistake and she soon wished she hadn't done it, because the thing the creature or whatever it was now virtually complete. She could see what it was now or what it appeared to be and her mind almost snapped with the horror of it, oh no anything but that.
Sobbing and gagging she ran into the belly of the craft.
To be honest it was a miracle that materialisation had taken place at all given how rushed it had been, how insane the controls had reacted and how close the ray from the large ship had come. Normally emergency landings went askew or didn't happen at all or bumped the tardis several parsecs in the wrong direction, not to mention a few decades wide in terms of time. But on this occasion she was in the right place on the right ship and roughly the part of it she'd been aimed at.
It wasn't all roses though because this time the blue police box exterior shell was fused to a wall, literally welded to the inner bulkhead. One half of it the rear portion bulged into darkness, not the bleak void of space but the gap between the ship's inner and outer skins where a guts of pipes, cables and wires could be seen. The front half which included the door blistered out into a corridor and when the tardis door creaked open arthritically the Doctor hung onto it breathing hard, a sheen of perspiration dampening his lean, pale face.
Remaining where he was for a few seconds heedless of his surroundings he just stood there willing his mind to stop spinning and his respiration to normalise, at least he was breathing oxygen and not some noxious gas that was a relief. Blinking a few times he let his gaze play over the corridor relieved by its blandness its ordinariness; he needed some stability in his life after almost being shot down as a hostile intruder.
Something wasn't right though for one thing an alarm klaxon was going off somewhere in the distance for another he could hear approaching footsteps; someone was running hell for leather towards him and gasping with panic. Nothing I've done surely he thought easing away from the tardis door and shoving it to behind him, glad to hear it lock automatically despite the divisive nature of the outer shell.
Placing himself carefully to one side he watched as a figure hared towards him in some kind of uniform it was a woman well a girl really, she was slim and wiry with long legs and a slender neck her hair mussed up and eyes wide with fear. She didn't see him at first in fact it was unlikely she would have noticed Father Christmas in her current mental state, it was only when she lost her footing and fell at his feet that the Doctor made his presence known.
He touched her gently on the arm the reaction was what he expected a jerk, a shudder, a sharp cry and then she tried to kick him. He had to jump to avoid the kick and the leg went right under him causing the girl to spin on her behind almost 180 degrees. Landing behind her the Doctor parted her hands; no more touching he decided the tactile approach probably wasn't a good idea in her agitated state. She looked at him blinked, showed her teeth and tried to kick him again this time with her other leg. He had to jump again backwards this time and he bumped into a wall banging his head on it which hurt.
The girl didn't stand up she squirmed back away from him using her buttocks and feet a sort of reverse crawl, which ended when she collided with the tardis something that should definitely not have been there. Looking at it annoyed and confused she used it to haul herself upright.
"That's mine," said the Doctor massaging the back of his head and the girl gave him a different kind of look, less hostile.
"You don't belong here," she accused still gripping the blue wooden side of the police box.
"You obviously do," he replied and offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
"I have to get to the bridge right now."
"Perhaps we could go together," the Doctor offered, "How do we get there?"
Looking left and right anxiously the girl shrugged her shoulders, "There's no way through the red stuff it's everywhere!"
"Red stuff," the Doctor repeated.
"The energy field that's invaded the ship, the stuff the angel is inside."
Repeating the word 'angel' to himself several times the time lord mulled it over for a moment then said, "Show me this red stuff."
Head shaking violently the girl began to breathe raggedly again she was plainly terrified of the energy field and what was inside it.
The Doctor opted for a compromise, "Okay let's find a safe way to the bridge first, it's probably best to involve your captain anyway after all this is his ship. Now you were heading in this direction so why don't we continue." Walking up to her he offered another smile but remembered not to try any touching, pausing only briefly the girl nodded.
"I'm the Doctor by the way, what's your name?"
Angela told him including her rank and then found herself following him oddly emboldened by his presence, her panic levels dropping rapidly as desperation gave way to fearful expectation.
Jane blinked and began to touch her body amazed to find that it still seemed to be intact it was better than she could have hoped for especially after what had happened to Hicks and the other two, why she had been spared she had no idea but she was grateful maybe she was alive because she hadn't tried to resist like the rest. The red light which had filled the bridge earlier was thinner now it had receded quite a bit, in fact around the edges it was more a pinkish orange than anything.
The things inside the light were smaller, less solid as though breaking down or dissolving, maybe they couldn't hold solid form for long here especially not after feeding – if that was the correct term for their particular brand of slaughter. Jane thought about trying to move to edge towards an exit, she might make it if the aliens were tired or weak.
Easing sideways out of her chair she kept it between her and them hoping they didn't look over; but of course they did or one of them did the biggest one, his eyes swung in her direction and narrowed just as they had before he'd torn Hicks to pieces. Freezing for several seconds Jane decided not to return to her seat if she was going to survive this her only hope was escape.
She kept moving slowly and cautiously her knees bent and body hunched over, there was six meters between her and freedom not much in the normal course of events after all how often had she walked it, now it seemed like miles? The large alien parted its lips like it was smiling only it wasn't they didn't look capable of humour, and there was nothing funny about the way they killed.
Jane reached the edge of her terminal then she straightened her legs, she couldn't run bent over like a crab she'd trip over and if she did that they'd be on her in a second. Making herself not look at the aliens she turned to the exit, it was made mostly of glass and because it was she was able to see the man and girl appear on the other side of it. The girl was Angela Powers; she didn't know who the man was she'd never seen anyone like him before he was a civilian dressed in outdated clothing.
"Oh my God it's Jane," said Angela reaching for the door-open control, slender fingers stopped her and the Doctor first shook his head then used it to nod towards the red field and the things inside it.
Angels he mimed then shook his head I don't think so.
"I can't see any of the others," said Angela.
"I can," the Doctor replied with a frown his gaze playing over the floor of the bridge to take in the body parts.
"We must get Jane out of there," Angela implored Jane had been her only real friend on this mission like a big sister really encouraging her.
"I need to understand what's going on here first," said the Doctor. Taking something from his jacket pocket he fumbled with it as though trying to find the right setting then he played the object over the door. Very slowly the door began to move sliding silently aside. Beyond it the red light moved to it expanded, darkened grew redder and richer.
Jane looked back over her shoulder her eyes bugging with fear get me out of here please they implored.
Needing no further encouragement Angela made to squeeze past the Doctor, she had to help her friend she couldn't just abandon her. But the time lord formed a barrier, no said his eyes not yet trust me. Oddly she found she did.
Jane opened her mouth to speak but before she could a hand, a talon came to rest on her shoulder it was heavy veined and scaled painted crimson by the light and clearly not human. Fascinated the Doctor just watched; all the time busy scanning the contents of the room.
Then he looked up with a nod, "Right," he said and with a sudden bound he was inside the room causing Jane to gaze at him as did the thing behind her clearly caught completely off-guard by the intrusion.
The Doctor offered one of his famous smiles which said I'm here now so things have changed. The talon left Jane to move in his direction, it wasn't an attack as such more of a gesture. Making one of his own the Doctor waved then looking at Jane he nodded his head just slightly giving her permission to move towards him albeit slowly. She began to do so, the alien did not try to stop her it seemed more interested in the Doctor.
"This," he said crisply and calmly indicating the body parts on the floor, "Must stop," he was no longer smiling, "Right now."
It sounded very impressive Angela felt her mouth open in surprise at the audaciousness of it all, she'd never have dared confront one of the angels.
Reaching her saviour Jane gripped his arm, "Outside now," he whispered to her through the side of his mouth; with a nod Jane squeezed his arm in thanks and headed for the door beckoned on by Angela.
The angel looked at her its features unreadable, a slow low hiss escaping those lips.
"Enough," said the Doctor sharply, warningly like he had some power to punish any offence. The creature rose to its full height and an impressive size it was to, taller than him by half a meter and wider to especially with those wings.
"Nobody else must die," said the time lord, "And you must to return to wherever you come from."
Alien eyes narrowed cruel and denying.
"I mean it," said the Doctor.
That was when a second angel attacked him.
With a scream Angela yanked the door open even further, pulled Jane to safety then committed suicide at least this was what it seemed on the surface as she ran into the room where the monsters were; the things she'd been trying to avoid – the murderers of her crewmates.
But the Doctor didn't need her help, moving with a speed so blinding as to be impossible he got out of the way of the alien scooped Angela up in one arm and dashed to the exit, a sonic tune beginning to close its door before they reached it.
Somehow, and she never know how, they got through the door before it closed and the monsters didn't; their talons slamming against the glass so hard they created stains. "Well that was useful," the time lord said to his growing bunch of friends, "But I think we should take ourselves to somewhere safer somewhere that provides liquid refreshment. I don't know about you two but I'm parched."
Placing two cups before Jane and Angela the Doctor sipped from his own, as canteens went this one was quite impressive being spacious and reasonably bright. Food and drink were dispensed from wall-mounted machines and even those these were offline somehow the Doctor extracted tea from them.
"Thank you," said Jane shivering, "For my life."
You're more than welcome said the twinkle in those blue eyes, "So Angela why do you call these intruders angels, I assume it isn't just some colloquialism?"
Swapping a look the two women seemed surprised by this question, it was Jane who answered.
"Surely you can see they're angels, the dark angels of legend; the bringers of chaos and retribution."
Not seeing that at all, the Doctor shrugged, "Which legend is this then, only there are so many of them?"
Angela let out a gasp, "The creation story of home world."
"Your home world being," he prompted?
"Neo Terra of course; the home of the entire human race."
He frowned, "What all of them, what about earth?"
Both women laughed as though he'd made a joke.
"Earth," said Jane, "Is just a myth – the lost planet of the ancients and all that; nobody believes such a thing beyond primary school."
Letting that pass the Doctor said, "But you believe in angels."
"Of course we do," said Angela, "They exist they visit us all the time."
He showed his surprise, "Oh you've met them before have you, it's a regular occurrence like tax, rain and losing at tennis?"
"Not regular," said Jane, "But it is documented, the last time was when I was a child and the time before that was when my mother was young. Each time there is death and destruction, the dark angels inflict terror."
Looking very thoughtful the Doctor took a pew, he wasn't sat so much as perched. "Do they always look like our friends back there – talons, wings, huge expanding heads with slanted eyes and so on?"
Jane looked down at her hands as if not wanting to dwell on the memory, it was left to Angela to reply which she did with a low voice.
"These ones seem worse."
"In what way?"
"The red light that's new and the ferocity of their killing, the ripping of bodies and cannibalism."
She placed a hand supportively around Jane who had tears on her cheeks, slowly she added. "I saw them arrive in our reality there was this huge purple flower in space."
Jumping on this the Doctor nodded as though not surprised, "Dimensional transference, what you saw sounds like an interstitial corridor opening and this red light that surrounds them is interstitial matter, the fact that it isn't dispersing means they have polarity problems. By that I mean anchoring themselves in this…" he cut off with widening eyes and a smile of near triumph as though he'd just made a significant breakthrough.
Taking a sheet of paper from his inside pocket he laid it out on the table virtually covering the top of the table, the paper was blank at least at first it was but as Angela watched lines, dots and whorls appeared on it and very soon she was looking at a star chart. With a black marker pen the Doctor placed a dot on the map,
"Now we are here," he said offering the pen to Angela, "Whereabouts did the purple flower appear?"
She had to think about it, not an easy question to answer but eventually she drew an X just ahead of the dot, "Here," she said, "I think."
"Would your home world fit onto this map," the Doctor asked? Jane had a look and nodded that it would; taking the pen she drew the letters NT on it for Neo Terra.
"Right," said the time lord, "Now can either of you pinpoint where these angel manifestations have taken place over the years?"
Angela couldn't so she looked at Jane who still held the pen; cautiously Jane drew some further X's on the map covering two planets and a moon. "That's all I know," she said but the Doctor was hardly listening as he traced a line between the X's with his finger.
"This must be the fault line," he said.
"What fault line," Jane wanted to know?
"The dimensional rift these aliens are using to penetrate this reality, they aren't angels at all you must have worked that out by now; I mean why would angels need to eat human flesh?"
It was a good question and Angela wondered why she hadn't asked it herself?
"But if they are aliens, why come here is it just to feed?"
Her enquiry was met with a smile from the Doctor but no answer, maybe he hadn't worked that out yet.
Jane had a question, "Is there any way of sending them back and sealing the rift?"
The Doctor's smile widened turning into a beam of almost sublime joy, "Engine room," he said taking his map and folding it up just before he did all the images on it faded away as if by magic; it was like they'd never been there in the first place.
Knowing where the engine room was Angela stood up, "I can show you."
"I thought you might," the Doctor replied but Jane was not as excited as the other two.
"What if there are more of these aliens there," she asked?
Shaking his head the Doctor said, "Oh I don't think so not if my theory is right, of course we may encounter them on the way," he shrugged, "Cross that bridge when we come to it, come on then."
"I'd rather stay here if you don't mind," Jane's response surprised and disappointed Angela.
"Best if we stick together," the Doctor's warning made sense but Jane didn't move to follow and Angela said,
"Let me talk to her," not waiting for permission she jogged back to her only friend unsettled by her resistance. "We have to do something," she said, "At least this Doctor seems to have a plan even if he is a bit weird," she whispered that last bit but the time lord must have overheard it.
"Oi," he shouted but in a friendly sort of way like he didn't mind; he lingered near the canteen exit kicking his heels.
Angela ignored him, "Come on Jane this isn't like you, don't you want to get back at these things for killing the crew?"
Giving her a surprisingly calm and dispassionate look the helm officer shrugged, "What surprises me is your enthusiasm, this crew were about to black ball you out of the service you don't owe them anything."
Maybe I do Angela mused perhaps I can yet redeem myself, "I'm also doing this to save my own skin," she pointed out.
"If we get out of this Angie – if," said Jane, "I'll be the only person who knows about your discommendation; you do realise that don't you and if I keep my mouth shut you'll be in the clear, the power cut will have wiped all logs."
Having not even thought about that after all that had happened Angela stared at her friend quizzically, what was Jane talking about?
"You'll owe me," said Jane, "For a long time," the smile was a shade less than pleasant, "If I ask for a favour you'll have to grant it."
Angela frowned, why was Jane behaving like this? "I think we should deal with one problem at a time," she said not wanting to think of the future in case she didn't have one.
"Of course said," the other woman, "But remember what I've said."
Oh I will mused Angela, how could I forget it?
Amazingly there were no barriers between the canteen and the engine room, no sign of any red light or the homicidal occupants of it Angela was perplexed and so was the Doctor if his expression was anything to go by, although he didn't say anything. Jane remained quiet to but now in her eyes was a look of smug triumph that Angie didn't like one bit. The conversation had left her upset and a little depressed, previously open and welcoming Jane had now assuming a darker, more menacing air she was thought Angie turning into another Logan.
Striding into the engine room like he expected a round of applause the Doctor gazed around impressed by its size and scope, not bad his eyes appeared to gleam better than I'd expected then he froze – a haze of blood red could be seen at the far end of the chamber and this was expanding ever so slightly.
"They anticipated us," Angela said with dismay.
"Actually I expected them to be here," the Doctor replied, "This is after all their only weakness so it makes sense to protect it, to assume someone would figure out how to stop their jaunts into this reality."
Jane looked at him hard, "Is that what you can do stop them coming here permanently?"
The only reply was a lob-sided smile from the strange man and a harder gleam in his eye.
"Let's just do it," Angie said keen to take some action any action that would stop her feeling so afraid. She pointed over to their right to a row of high grey boxes welded to the wall from which came the soft music of anti-matter containment, there were eight of them each with winking lights on top and symbols warning people to keep away from their heavily insulated outer skins.
Ignoring this totally the Doctor went over to study each box in turn, as he was doing this Angie kept her eye on the encroaching red light hoping that he would hurry and that he would succeed. For her part Jane appeared indifferent now, oddly detached like she didn't even care if the time lord succeeded or not.
A sharp sonic note filled the air and the side of one of the boxes popped open to expose glistening innards, a complex web of fine wires that the Doctor began to tinker with. Angie went to him curious to know what he intended to do, "How is this going to help?"
He smiled at her as though appreciating the question but he didn't stop working for a second and as he worked he chatted his tone genial if a little strained and she could see the moisture on his top lip, like her he was scared only he knew how to hide it a little better.
"I'm going to reopen the dimensional rift, send these aliens back through and seal the fault line for good." He said it quick to make it seem routine but a slight quiver in his voice betrayed him.
"What if it doesn't work?"
"The rift will split wide open and we'll have thousands of these things to contend with."
Well she had asked, "You do know what you're doing don't you Doctor?"
He gave what could have been a reassuring grin but it didn't come out right.
"I'm worried about Jane," she admitted turning to glance at her friend.
Jane had walked right up to the red cloud; she was stood staring into it as though fascinated. Oh my god thought Angie, what is she doing surely she isn't going to….?
One second later Jane reached out with both hands and plunged them into the redness, Angie gave a scream of shock that caused Jane to look back at her but on Jane's face there was no fear or shock just a look of malign contempt.
"Interesting," said the Doctor but he kept working.
"What is she doing?"
Before the time lord could answer the lights in the box he was tinkering with flashed and went out, "Oh dear," he said, "That shouldn't have happened I wonder why it did?"
Another sonic note was heard and some but not all of the lights returned, they were different colours now though with more blue and green, from the walls of the engine room came something like a sigh and Angie felt a vibration rise up into her from the floor.
The ship was moving it had changed course, she knew this without having to check any flight computers because after a while in space you developed this instinct, a kind of sixth sense. "We're moving Doctor."
He nodded, "Bit fast but we should slow down just in time."
Angie looked for Jane but now there was no sign of her as though she'd stepped right into the red haze and become part of it.
Opening another box up the Doctor set to work on this, it was amazing how a man who hadn't been to the academy or gone through service training, who wasn't even part of the crew could so blithely tinker with complex anti-matter engines like they were toys. "This," he said, "Is the tricky bit."
What did he meant, the whole operation was extremely dangerous he was playing around with anti-matter and dimensional transference.
"I can't see Jane," said Angie.
"Probably a good thing for now," he muttered.
"She's so changed so different we used to be like sisters."
Pausing reluctantly the tall man fixed her with a look that was not unkind but it did hold a note of caution.
"I may have to ask you do something Angie and you're not going to like it, in fact you'll probably think I've lost my marbles but when I ask you to do this thing you must do it without hesitation or it could be curtains for all of us – is that clear?"
No it wasn't, what the hell was he going on about? The ship lurched again, Angie felt like it was tipping over. Going to a port hole she saw space ahead distort and reconfigure as a huge purple flower blossomed into existence. This is it she thought the dimensional rift is opening but will we be able to close it again, no not we this odd man from who knew where?
"It's working Doctor," she said with a dry mouth noticing that the red haze now filled half the engine room and within it figures were moving, gathering strength, spreading their wings and fixing their beady eyes on her and her companion. It's feeding time at the zoo she thought and we're on the menu – live bait.
Next instant she was grabbed from behind by what felt like claws, wrenched back off balance and thrown across the room until she collided with a table. It wasn't one of the angels it was Jane and Jane's eyes were two blazing red orbs, slanted and slitted. She seemed bigger somehow, more powerful and less human. She's possessed thought Angie; somehow the aliens have made her one of them.
"Leave her alone," Having turned to see what was going on the Doctor moved towards Jane or whatever she had become, "I'm the threat I'm the one sending you back – deal with me."
With a snarl Jane did so and from out of the red haze came one of the angels to join her, its wings unfolding and expanding its jaws parting to reveal terrible fangs.
"Oh very impressive," said the Doctor, "But I'm not mere food and neither is my friend here, you…" he pointed at the dark angel, "Are going home and this time you're going to stay there."
Advancing on the time lord Jane picked up a crow bar and held it in front of her as a crude weapon, a blunt instrument. He was caught in a pincer movement between her and the alien, both looked deadly.
Lurching, the ship did a quarter turn it was almost right up to the rift now, the great purple flower was magnificent as it swelled and pulsated. Angie could feel this pull on her a kind of pressure or suction drawing her towards the outer hull, it was affecting Jane and the alien to she could see from their expressions and postures that they were fighting to remain upright.
"It's too late to try and kill me," said the Doctor, "Just go home where you belong."
Rising off its feet with a beat of those huge wings the angel flew at him with a scream, talons extended and jaws wide open. There was nowhere for the Doctor to go so he didn't move he just stood there as if accepting his death, Angie had never seen anyone so calm.
Nodding his head the time lord turned to the approaching angel, reaching back he flicked something she couldn't see what it was but a portion of the hull bulged inwards and seemed to split open, at its heart was a spinning vortex a whirlpool of colours and shapes.
Jane gave a cry of warning but it was too late, pulled into the vortex the angel was sucked right along it and ejected out into space; out towards the great purple flower.
Spinning around towards Angie, Jane advanced on her with a look of fury.
"What's wrong with you," the younger woman cried, "Why are you behaving like this?"
"Can't you see the red light," called the Doctor and Angie could - it was obvious now as a faint aura around Jane's head and shoulders. "She's one of them."
No thought Angie that can't be true Jane is my friend she's helped me so many times, but now Jane was reaching for her with both hands; hands more like talons, changing in other ways Jane no longer looked like a woman but some kind of scaled, winged, fanged creature.
Reaching back the Doctor made another adjustment and the vortex bulging through the hull expanded, Jane's progress was arrested then she began to move backwards sucked towards the rift which gulped greedily as though demanding another morsel. Screaming Jane widened her eyes as she looked at the vortex then in a normal voice she said, "Angie, help me."
Angie wanted to she even extended her hands until she saw the Doctor shaking his head, too late said the look on his face she's one of them now your friend no longer exists. With a cry Jane flew into the vortex and like the angel before her she was propelled along it and out across space towards the purple flower.
Eyes closed Angie shook her head; she couldn't bear to watch it was too horrible.
Then she felt a hand on her arm, having come over to her - the Doctor was nodding at the red haze across the room and the other angels they were breaking up, losing cohesion, dissolving into fragments of tissue.
"It's working," he said and he sounded mildly surprised like there was a chance it wouldn't, "They're being drawn back into their own dimension."
Angie found she couldn't feel delighted or even mildly relieved; this had cost the entire crew of the ship including Logan and Jane she was alone, abandoned; what was she going to do now?
Reading her expression the thin man licked his lips, "You can't pilot this ship can you?"
No she thought I can't.
"I could give you a lift home in my ship," he offered, "Once I unjam it from that bulk head of course." His tone indicated it might not be that simple, the unjamming or the trip home but Angie found she didn't care after all she could hardly stay here alone. Her reply to him was a simple nod and muted thanks.
"Such enthusiasm," he remarked off-handedly, "Anyone would think I was taking you the long way around with various distractions and dangers," he smiled, "As if."