18
LIZARD SKULLS
Twilight was painting the sky a dull orange like burnt copper and it was starting to rain again, everyone had left the site apart from Sage and he'd hung around because he had nothing to go home for. On all fours he peered into the hole produced by his trowel, the curved grey blade had hit something solid and the resulting clang was too hollow for a stone. Using his stubby fingers Sage peeled away another layer of stone, knowing it would soon be black slime after another downpour.
Stunned by what was revealed he reared back as though threatened and hugged himself, long unspoken prayers jumped to his lips but he didn't say them; the boy who had with such reverse was long gone buried under many strata of cynicism. Bloodshot eyes rising Sage saw a tiny figure at the edge of his vision, a narrow opaque thing moving around the dig site in a clockwise pattern with delicate steps.
The perfume hit him first rich and minty, it was only Sky; she'd hung around after all maybe out of sympathy because she was the nicest person here by a long way.
Sage waved a 'join me' and stood up peering down at his find wishing now he hadn't made it that he'd gone back to the dwelling units with the others.
Reaching him after a short jog Sky offered a smile of encouragement then followed his gaze, the smile died on her face and hugging her middle she took a step back.
"Is it," she began to ask but couldn't complete the question so Sage did rubbing his almost hairless scalp with a calloused palm.
"One of them," he said?
They gazed at each other as droplets of moisture fell to dampen their uniforms.
"We must report this," said the lean dark haired girl, half Sage's age at least maybe more yet he felt an odd kinship.
"To Laurel," he said bitterly and she caught his meaning, how the devil did they trust someone like Laurel?
"He is the site leader," she said in a small voice.
"Let me quote you his final report," said Sage, "It'll say how he made this find, how it was him alone who realised its significance and without his inspired sense of judgement this mission would be a total failure."
Having worked for men like Laurel before, Sage was under no illusions as to how accurate this assessment was. He and Sky were just grunts just passengers along for the ride, their esteemed leader was the star of the show and he wanted everyone to know it.
Sky said, "Is there just one, are you sure there aren't more; I mean didn't they travel in packs of three?"
Grasping a larger shovel Sage held it in both fists for a moment before offering it, you look he said I don't think I can.
Shovel poised over the dark earth Sky thrusted hard, she overturned soil digging around the first find and within moments had exposed a second larger shape. It was long and snouted, the fangs in tact, the sloping eye sockets a hint of menace and cruelty. After over a month of searching they had found what they'd come for, Laurel's public rantings and protestations to the committee were justified.
"Two of them," Sage said hoarsely meaning there would be a third not far away to complete the triad.
"We can't not tell anyone," objected the girl a second-year student on work experience still in awe of men like Laurel, who for all his faults was charismatic and success.
"Let's just get them out of the ground," said Sage.
"Then what," Sky demanded? Not knowing the plump man shrugged he hadn't thought that far ahead. Sky dug on in the rain getting wetter and colder but after several minutes there was no sign of the third skull, "It's not here," she said giving up. It has to be glowed Sage's tired eyes they always travelled in threes.
"Okay," he conceded taking out some towels, "Let's remove these two and hide them."
Knowing they were breaking the law and defying their own code of practice Sky held back, how could they make a find like this and conceal it; for Sage it might mean the end of his career even prison for her…she didn't even want to think about being kicked off her course.
"Help me," the short man grunted wrapping one skull in a towel and hoisting the heavy mass. Sky saw a motorised cart abandoned close by, scooting over she revved it up and parked it as close to the site as possible then she helped Sage load the two skulls trying as hard as she could not to touch them. After all this time they radiated evil, even in death they seemed to reach out and contaminate her.
"Where are we going to hide them Sage, we can hardly take them back to the dwelling?"
Having an idea he got into the cart's passenger seat, his own hands shaking too much to risk driving.
"Go east," he said and the girl realised what he was going to do.
They reached the old mine in ten minutes it had hardly been examined in years as it was deemed to hold nothing of any interest, the original entry tunnel was fine as was the central shaft but the equipment was badly rotted. Knowing it would be unwise to drive inside (even though the tunnel was wide enough); she parked and tried to gather her wits if anyone had seen them, if anyone checked up on their movements.
"I know you're scared," said the veteran digger he was himself.
Way beyond that Sky hugged herself, "I feel sick," she said.
"Just help me conceal the skulls; they're too heavy for me to do it alone." Summoning a grin that he hoped would reassure her Sage got out sure he was doing the right thing, this time history would not be hijacked by some glory seeking opportunist and turned into a freak show; some tacky best seller to be chatted over on channel 9 by aimless overpaid idiots.
They got the first skull inside the tunnel with few problems, the odd slip and stumble but they were just hoisting the second when a voice made their hearts lurch with dismay.
"Can I help," it said coming from somewhere deeper in the mine?
Still holding their prize the two people froze in their tracks and gazed at each other wild eyed with fear. Dear god had one of the others found them out, concealing himself to wait and then jump out at them with a video pack?
Sage shook his head 'don't move or say anything' said the gesture, but Sky didn't need telling. She made a gesture of her own, 'let's put this down right now'; they did so quickly dropping the bundle into a shadow.
But when the man appeared he was a stranger, definitely not one of the team or part of security he didn't even look like one of the journalists – he was just too odd looking too out of place; even more eccentric in appearance than Laurel. He held a torch and this picked out the wrapped skull with alarming ease, "That looks interesting," he said without any trace of rancour it wasn't an accusation nor was their any hint of got you!
Sky didn't know what to do apart from burst into tears, Sage tried a bluff.
"This area is off-limits to civilians, there's a heavy fine if you get caught."
Oh nice try said the man's face but it takes more than that to scare me, dimming the torch he strode over on long, purposeful legs not tripping or sliding once it was most impressive. Smiling warmly at them he bent down over the towel and carefully unwrapped it to expose the skull, showing neither surprise nor revulsion at the vast snapping jaws, the long eye holes, the extensive brain casing or the tiny vicious horns.
"Reptilian," he said curiously, "Large brain cavity so it wasn't a dinosaur," he counted the teeth with a speed Sky found impressive, "Probably a biped," straightening up the man licked his lips, "Third era most likely."
Sage frowned at this last point, "No that's too recent," he said quickly then censured himself.
"I'm sure these remains aren't prehistoric," said the man with an assurance Sky found very reassuring, he spoke with such certainty such calmness.
"They must be," she heard herself say, "The native life forms on this planet died out ten million years ago."
"Maybe," the man conceded, "But that skull didn't," his big brilliant eyes were almost as luminous as the torch, "What makes you think the skull is native to Perax," he asked?
Sage was taciturn, fearful to say anything that might incriminate him but Sky found she trusted this man, "It was found at a dig site in a level of strata consistent with the Saurian period."
Don't say anymore Sage's quick look told her, but it was too late.
"Ah you must be part of the dig team," the stranger smiled with pleasure, "Working late," he added, "In the rain to I'm most impressed." Then the smile faded, "I don't believe this skull is from the Saurian period."
Then how thought Sky did it get buried in that plot of earth, she asked, "Why not?"
"How many skulls did you find," the man asked evading the question with accomplished skill? "Oh come on," he urged, "I'm not likely to tell anyone," he sighed, "This is your second trip into the tunnel so am I right in thinking you found only two, two and not three?"
This astute observation impressed Sky even more; he was no fool - this oddly dressed curly haired beanpole of a man.
"Ancient reptiles travelled in packs of threes," She said.
"No just ancient reptiles," the man said quickly.
Sage could remain silent no longer he was bursting with impatience, "What makes you so sure these skulls are recent in nature?"
In response the large eyed man shone his torch on the skull at their feet, around the sides of the brain pan was a glistening red line damp and moist, and it looked to Sky like….blood. Taking out a small tissue the stranger dabbed at the red line and lifted his hanky which was now smeared with small scarlet dots.
"Yes," he said, "This is blood and if I were to crack open that skull I'm sure we find brain tissue forming inside it; take a closer look."
Before there had been no vertebrae attached to the back of the skull now there, six of the circular bones creating a definite spinal column and in the formerly vacant eye sockets Sky saw glistening, yellowish globules with vivid black gashes across them. Oh my god she thought the skull is regenerating it's coming back to life.
Shaking his head Sage stepped back the sheer impossibility of what was happening too much for him, no he cried out several times. Quick as a flash the stranger lunged and seized him by the arm to arrest any possible dash, "We've got to stop this," he said, "I need your help."
Before Sky could ask how the man took something from his coat pocket, slim and bronze coloured the metal peg had a wide flat base and oval head. "This is a proximity sensor I found it deeper in the cave - it was put there by a shifty looking dark-haired man with round shoulders."
"Laurel," said Sky in amazement, "He's our team leader but why would he put a sensor inside this cave?"
Turning the sensor over the tall man thumbed open its base, "It's not just a sensor," he said, "This is broadcasting some kind of biogenic signal," he moved the sensor nearer to the skull and as he did so the eyes in the sockets shuddered and swelled, the teeth seemed to glisten with saliva and patches of skin formed. The regeneration was accelerating under the influence of the biogenic signal.
Confused Sage came back towards the skull, "This doesn't make any sense."
It didn't to Sky either but she could see suspicion and calculation in the eyes of the stranger as his mind worked at incredible speed seeking patterns and reasons.
"Who are you," she asked him?
Brenda was the deputy team leader, a plump, sour faced woman in her mid forties she seemed to wear an expression of permanent disaffection with life or maybe it was the company she kept. The man sat before her was in a bad mood, nothing new there but now he seemed to be taking it out on her.
"There are two members of staff missing, in a few minutes they'll be in breach of the curfew. One of them is that old fool Sage, I've had just about enough of him as I can take."
Laurel had a palm pilot in his left hand upon which were staff records, he brought up Sage's details. "Sage is getting passed it Brenda, I think bringing him on this job was a mistake; the only solution is a transfer."
Brenda was appalled, transfer was a euphemism for the sack and if Sage got sacked again he might never work again.
"Bit harsh," she said defensively hoping to mollify this man's rage.
"I know he's an old friend of yours but he's been nothing but a pain since we got here, questioning my authority at every turn like he knows better."
Sage could be difficult he was an individual with his own way of doing things and it was true he didn't like laurel; but then who did the man's ego could be insufferable?
"Wait until tomorrow at least," Brenda negotiated in a voice that bore a slight whine/
"What for, I want Sage out of my hair and off my team he's got nothing to offer?"
A single finger pressed a red button turning the whole file red.
Brenda almost reached out with her left hand to try and stop the transfer order but there was nothing she could do, and she didn't want to annoy Laurel too much in case he demanded her transfer; something he was more than capable of.
"Now let's move onto the girl," he said meaning the work experience student Sky whom Brenda had quite taken to with her earnest desire to please, her sharp intelligence and willingness to muck in. Laurel sighed, "She showed such promise at the interview," he said, "But this lapse of discipline is unacceptable."
Intervening Brenda said quickly, "Let me speak to her, see if I can get to the bottom of it; I'm sure this is just a blip." Her look became appealing, she's a good kid cut her some slack after all you were young once to.
Face unreadable the team leader studied his deputy for a long moment, "The daughter you wished you'd had," he said knowingly and Brenda felt her cheeks burn? Once again this man's phenomenal memory was asserting itself; he had an almost total knowledge of those he worked with nobody escaped scrutiny.
Brenda couldn't have children something that had caused her no end of suffering as a young woman, she told herself now that she was over it that her successful career was more than adequate compensation – and she almost believed it, almost.
Trust Laurel to expose this raw nerve this one weakness in her mental defences, he was very good at it.
"She's young and has a lot of potential," said the deputy, "Why besmirch her record with a demerit that could retard future progress?"
He chuckled at this, "You're a soft centre inside a tough shell aren't you Dr Crosby," the mockery was sharp edged then he said, "Here's the deal, you talk to her if she fails again it's not only her neck it's yours to; does that seem fair?"
Brenda was too old a hand to object, to point out the harsh unfairness of this attitude she knew that appealing to this man's good side was a forlorn hope but before she could give her assent the unit in his hands began to pulse a deep violet and warning neon's came on.
"There are intruders in the mine," on his feet at once Laurel went over to a map of the mine on the wall, he pressed some keys and a small rash of blips appeared in a peripheral tunnel – three of them. "Well now we know where Sage and Sky are," he said through gritted teeth, "Their personal ident badges confirm it."
"I see three blips, who's the other one?"
Brenda's question was ignored as her boss called security and ordered a detail to rendezvous with him at the mine. Why the heavy-handed approach Brenda mused, the mine was low priority containing nothing of value?
"Let me handle this," she offered but the fierce expression of outrage on Laurel's face scared her; his eyes were gleaming with almost manic loathing. Striding past her he went over to a wall locker, from this he took a hand blaster of a type she hadn't seen before it wasn't standard issue and looked much more powerful than what they'd brought with them for self-defence.
"There's no need to over react," she objected then found the snub nose of the blaster pointed at her; for one terrible moment it looked as though Laurel was going to fire it. Then shoving it into his belt he strode out without another word, his teeth clenched and shoulder muscles tight; he looked ready to kill.
Sky and Sage led the Doctor to the first skull they'd concealed, once he'd uncovered this they discovered that this to was regenerating it had a full covering of scaly skin over the jaw and scalp. Sky had to admit it didn't look like any prehistoric species on file, it looked intelligent, hostile and utterly alien.
Fiddling inside the proximity sensor the Doctor attacked the biogenic wave chip, if he could switch it off then that should stop these creatures from reforming, which was clearly what they were doing. It looked to Sky like he knew what he was doing, he had an engineering background and it was pretty advanced.
Finally the big eyes jumped up full of determined humour, the chip lay in his palm; he'd done it. A glance at the lizard head showed no increase in skin mass, indeed the flesh formed appeared to be darkening and receding.
"It worked," Sky heard herself exclaim even Sage was impressed.
"This technology is very exotic Doctor, how come you're so familiar with it?"
The curly haired man just chuckled at this like it was an oft-asked question; he dropped the biogenic chip into a coat pocket then hoisted the proximity sensor.
"Tell me about this chap Laurel," he said interestedly. Swapping a look with her cohort Sky shrugged, there wasn't much to say.
"He's our boss, this expedition was his idea."
"But why this planet," asked the Doctor, "What makes it so special?"
Having never thought to ask the girl parted her hands, "What Laurel wants Laurel gets, he's something of a celebrity in the field he can charm cash out of anyone. He's made some amazing finds over the years in the most unpromising locations he just has an instinct a nose for the unusual."
"Yes," the Doctor drawled this word imbuing it with a wealth of meaning.
"He can be ruthless," said Sage as if from personal experience, "And people have been known to die on some of his jaunts."
"This one," the Doctor queried?
"No," said Sky, "But he has been running a very tight ship this time, the curfew, we can only dig in certain areas and we have to keep out of…" she waved around at the mine.
"He ordered you to stay out of here specifically," said the tall man?
"Told us it held nothing of value," said Sage then paused to mull this over. "Which does beg a rather obvious question," he added.
Eyes gleaming the Doctor cocked a thumb, "Come and have a look at what I found further in," spinning around on his heels he marched deeper into the cave leaving man and girl stood in surprised silence.
Is he a lunatic, said Sage's look? Sky wasn't sure but the trick with the biogenic chip had convinced her she needed to know more about what Laurel was up to. It was as if Laurel had known about the lizard skulls all along and if he had maybe he knew they weren't inert fossils, that they could be revived. The big question was why do it, what did he have to gain by restoring such alien creatures to life?
Sky jogged to catch up with the tall man in the long coat. Peering down at her he gave a toothy grin as if pleased by her trust in him her courage and curiosity.
"Are you an archaeologist," he asked?
"I hope to be, one day."
"Is this your first dig," the Doctor enquired? Huffing and puffing Sage caught them up red cheeked with the effort of running.
"I thought I heard something outside a noise not unlike an engine."
Sky experienced an icy clutch of fear at the thought it might be security or even Brenda come to check up on them, surely it wouldn't be the great man himself.
With renewed urgency the Doctor led them further into the mine, very soon Sky noticed a source of light and it was coming from the walls the stone was glowing, casting off a faint at first then much brighter sheen of orange.
"Is this phosphor," she asked sure a survey had indicated no trace of this element on the planet?
"No," said the tall man, "A residue thrown off by the object buried here."
Sage gazed at him as though he were simple minded, "Object," the veteran repeated in disbelief?
Oh yes said the big eyes and wait until you see it.
When Sky did see it she felt her jaw sag, at first its skin was so well camouflaged that it was difficult to tell the object from the rock wall around it, the cavern looked burned into existence by super light laser cutters.
Eight sided and dome topped the craft had a flat base and was all angles as though faceted giving it a rough rather than smooth appearance. There were no windows that she could see but when the Doctor led her around to the far side she came across an entrance, more of a split than an airlock.
Within was a definite cockpit – one seat for the pilot, one for the navigator and a third further back underneath come kind of complex head set.
"A three man pod," she said and the Doctor smiled.
"Except they weren't men, look at the controls."
She could see what he meant these were designed for three fingered reptilian claws, "The alien lizards," she gasped and brilliant teeth flashed at her.
"Tachyon drive, anti-gravity buffers, heuristic computers; all fairly standard kit," the Doctor impressed her with his observation.
"Don't the fact that they're reptiles narrow it down," Sage complained but the man with the curly hair sighed, replying that reptilian civilisations were as common as mammalian ones. You must be widely travelled thought Sky to have that kind of certainty.
The Doctor though was far from certain, "You found two skulls yet there are three seats so where is the third crew member? If we assume the other two entered some kind of dormant hibernatory state then what did their colleague do, how did he survive here alone?"
Of more concern to Sky was Laurel's involvement in all of this, he was an archaeologist like her, a glory seeker, a man who dug up the past so why would he be interested in these aliens? The fact that he'd made the mine off-limits was highly suspect to her, as was the placing of proximity sensors.
She glanced at Sage and it was clear he was thinking along similar lines, "The presence of this pod," he said, "Changes everything, the dig must be suspended."
But a voice rang out clear and confident, accusing and denying, "I don't think so," said Laurel stood only yards away with a gun in his hand behind him were a bunch of hatchet faced men in dark blue combats, they were also armed but with clubs not guns only Laurel possessed a blaster and interestingly it was aimed at the tall man.
"You must be the expedition leader," the Doctor didn't sound remotely concerned indeed he hadn't even lost his smile, "You can put that away," he nodded at the blaster like it couldn't harm him, "Fire that this close to a tachyon reactor and we're all dead."
Having positioned himself to the rear of the pod the tall man leaned on it and crossed his arms in an open act of defiance, his confident poise one of studied detachment. You're used to guns been pointed at you to thought Sky, who wasn't and felt very scared.
Laurel didn't lower his weapon indeed he stepped further into the cavern, "You two," he nodded first at Sage then at Sky, "Are finished on this dig, you can collect your things and leave on the next available shuttle."
No the girl wanted to scream you can't do that we haven't done anything wrong, "You're the one who should be thrown off this planet," she spat, "You knew this pod was here all along and you knew about the skulls."
Not denying it the team leader chose to ignore this outburst, "Who are you," he demanded looking right at the Doctor, "And what are you doing here?"
Casually the tall man took the bio chip from his pocket, "This was activated the moment your colleagues here found the skulls, it began to revive them; you see the skulls aren't dead they're some kind of hibernation process."
Laurel was frowning Sky noticed, his features creased with alarm and confusion like this was news to him. Having also noticed this the doctor held the chip out in an extended palm, "This was welded to your proximity sensor," he studied Laurel intently, "Interesting," he added after a pause, "You haven't seen it before."
Now Laurel's gun went down a notch and he chewed his teeth, "I wanted people out of the mine because it's structurally unsound not because of this," he nodded at the craft, "It's probably your ship whoever you are, and you still haven't told me."
Gazing at each other like two warriors the Doctor and Laurel seemed still and poised as if about to engage in a duel, Sky was bewildered why was her boss denying all knowledge of chip and pod why keep up this pretence when he had the upper hand?
"Who are you," The Doctor threw back at his opponent, "Are you what seem or something else hiding in human form I wonder?"
The chip was returned by the Doctor to the base of the sensor he'd picked up, he slotted it in place then ran some kind of instrument over it, the sensor gave out a hum as the biogenic wave was resumed.
"Stop," cried Sky, "You'll revive the skulls."
I know that said the big bright eyes, "And expose the third crew member, he won't be able to retain his human disguise this close to the cave."
"No," said a new voice, "I won't," entering the cavern via another route Brenda aimed her gun at Laurel waving for him to drop his own.
When he swung around and raised his blaster, Brenda fired a short burst. With a cry Laurel spun around and sank to his knees clutching one bloody arm, then his deputy moved further into the light and Sky was horrified to see scales on her throat and cheeks, yellow eyes with elliptical pupils, a receding hairline and swollen green tinted hands possessing abnormally large nails.
Brenda was the third lizard and had been all along, no wonder she'd been here when the team arrived claiming to have used the northern hyperlink instead of a planetary shuttle.
"Give that to me," Brenda snapped indicating the sensor in the Doctor's hands, "It is time my crew and I were reunited."
Keeping hold of the sensor the time lord turned it over in his hands, "What did you come here for," he asked calmly, "You're not archaeologists I take it?"
"Oh but we are," Brenda countered, "You see aeons ago this was our world, the fossils buried here are our ancestors."
Nodding the Doctor said, "But that isn't what brought you here is it, fossils?"
"You're very astute," Brenda replied as Laurel gazed at her with undisguised loathing, his bloody arm stiff and pale from nerve damage. Ignoring him she moved in on the pod, a definite stoop to her posture now; a split in the back of her tunic through which a thick ridge of green scales bulged.
"When we evacuated our home long ago we didn't realise that elements unique to it gave us our vitality and strength, our race has become sterile, the seed has thinned; we must find that vital substance and restore ourselves with it."
Voice thick and guttural, jaw extending Brenda now had the aspect of a crocodile.
"That's all well and good," said the Doctor, "But what do you plan to do to these people," he waved around, "They're no threat to your plans."
The look this earned him was scorching, "They have defiled our tribal lands, desecrated sacred terrain."
"Poppycock," came the sharp response, "This isn't about native land customs, it's more fundamental than that more primeval," he gave a cold knowing smile; "They're mammals, inferiors."
Brenda gave a rasping almost serpentine sound and her now almost lizard-like head nodded it reminded Sky of a vast Iguana.
Brenda and her colleagues were going to kill everyone here she thought, once they're all revived we've had it.
"We're not inferior," she protested throwing the Doctor a pleading look, surely he could do something; nobody else seemed willing to try.
"Yes you are," Brenda snarled hardly any of the woman she had been was left now, "Utterly inferior like all warm blooded creatures, no better than farmyard animals."
The gun jabbed the Doctor's chest and a green scaly claw wagged, "Give me the biogenic chip or I'll take it from your body."
"There's no need for this," he said meeting those cold, unfeeling yellow eyes with a stern glance of his own. The gun moved away from him around in a leftward arc until it fixed on Sky choosing the youngest possible target, the only female one.
"Will you watch her die first," asked the reptilian commander.
"No," came the whisper and the proximity sensor was brought from around the Doctor's back in apparent defeat.
Yet as a claw made to snatch it the Doctor flung the sensor as hard as he could into the alien craft, aiming for and finding the tachyon generator which erupted into a corona of bright blue sparks. The generator bled power into the sensor, right into the biogenic chip which glowed a brilliant gold before starting to melt.
Brenda's cry was the pain-filled snarl of a giant reptile, gun discarded she staggered away from the fire gripping her chest and neck. Running to Laurel and scooping him in his arms, the Doctor ordered everyone out of the mine. Nobody argued not when two other large bipedal lizards entered also clutching themselves, they were identical to their colleague just as ugly, just as dangerous but now just as gripped by searing pain.
Due to her youth Sky was out of the mine first helping Sage along, red faced and panting he sank to his knees as the security people poured out around them. Sky looked about at the guards, counting them then she saw Laurel lying on a flat rock still nursing his bloody arm.
Where was the Doctor, she couldn't see him anywhere but he must have come out of the mine because of Laurel.
Sky ran over to her boss who looked up anxiously to say, "He ran back inside."
Sky couldn't believe it why would the tall man do that?
"Said he had another way out," Laurel shook his head as this craziness.
Then there heard it a strange rumbling, piercing noise like something fighting for breath.
Just before the mine entrance collapsed preventing anyone else from going back inside or the Doctor getting out.