Note: This story takes place immediately after "Mawdryn Undead".
"Doctor Who" is, of course, the property of the BBC. I'm just borrowing…
The corridor seemed interminable, twisting off in all directions like a rambling maze. Oh, he was certain that there was really some logical order behind the whole design, but at the moment he could not discern it. All he saw were white walls with odd circular insets and immaculately clean floors. He wondered for an instant how his surroundings could remain so clean. Perhaps those girls did a bit of tidying up from time to time. Somehow he could not picture the Doctor swishing a mop through the hallways. The entire thing was irrelevant, anyway, since he planned to leave the three other travelers as soon as he possibly could.
He walked slowly toward a door, holding a book securely under his arm. He kept his steps light and even so that his feet made almost no sound. He paused to listen then glanced sharply to either side. The corridor was quiet. Pressing his fingers against the door, he pushed it slightly inward then stood motionless for a moment. Satisfied, he opened the door half-way and slipped inside, his jacket brushing against the doorjamb as he moved. A small thud seemed to reverberate against the walls; he bit back a curse and placed his hand over the crystal in his pocket.
With a final assessment to assure himself that the hallway was still quiet, Turlough stepped into the empty console room.
The Doctor strolled along the corridor, his hands clasped lightly behind his back. His head was bent forward in thought; he appeared to know his path with unconscious automaticity, having little need to look about. However, his steps slowed as he passed a partially open door. He turned to look back then walked quickly toward the room. He pushed the door fully open.
"Ah, Turlough," he said cheerfully. "How are you settling in?"
The young man sat on the bed flipping through a geology text. He seemed to flinch slightly in surprise when he heard the Time Lord's voice. Hastily setting the book face-down on the mattress, he looked up with a forced smile.
"Fine, Doctor, thanks."
"Are you finding your way around? Some of my companions have found these corridors rather confusing initially."
Turlough nodded. "I suppose they would."
"But you do know where the console room is?"
Turlough looked toward the door. "It's that way, isn't it?" He pointed to the left.
"No." The Doctor gestured toward the right. "It is down that hallway."
Turlough nodded. "All right. I'll try to remember that—"
His words were interrupted by a high-pitched beeping that echoed through the corridors. The Doctor immediately straightened, and his expression became serious.
"What is it?" asked Turlough, standing.
The Doctor was already hurrying out the door. Turlough hesitated for a moment then followed behind him to the console room. The Doctor entered a few seconds before Turlough did. By the time the former schoolboy had reached the room, the Time Lord stood looking at one of the panels on the console. A red light flashed in unison with the strident beeping.
"Doctor! What's going on? What's that horrible noise?" Tegan's voice sounded even more grating than usual to Turlough as she rushed into the room. Nyssa was close at her heels.
Without looking up, the Doctor replied, "It's a distress call."
"Where is it from?" asked Tegan.
"Beta 8," he responded, already typing on one of the keyboards.
"Which is what?" Tegan pressed.
Nyssa had moved quietly to the Doctor's side and now looked down at the computer screen. "It's an uninhabited planet in the Otoro System."
"If it's uninhabited, how can someone be sending a distress call?" Tegan asked.
The Doctor's eyes had moved rapidly over the screen. Now his fingers tapped against some more keys. "There are no permanent humanoid inhabitants. However, there was a research station established there some years ago by scientists from Kureleon."
"Kureleon? I've never heard of it," Tegan said.
"I'm sure there are a lot of planets you've never heard of," Turlough muttered.
Tegan opened her mouth to protest this mild insult, but the Doctor spoke before she could. "Kureleon is the closet planet to Beta 8."
"Then they'll send someone to answer the call, right?" Tegan asked.
The Doctor was still studying the screen. "Hmm? Oh, no, I don't think they will, at least not for some time."
"And why not?" inquired the Australian.
He replied, "Kureleon is over 200,000 kilometers away. With their technology, a trip to Beta 8 would require several weeks."
"Then we must go and try to help them," said Nyssa.
The Doctor nodded. "I agree." His fingers moved rapidly over the keys on the console. A few moments later, he held a hand toward the view screen. "Here we are."
Tegan and Nyssa turned quickly to look at the screen. "Is this it?" asked Tegan, her eyes roaming over the landscape.
She saw that they had landed on high ground, providing an excellent vista of the land below. Hills covered in patchy brush rose to the sides, and a plain stretched out below them. Tegan could see narrow valleys and a wide river that seemed to fracture the expanse stretching beneath the hills. Several small structures dotted the edge of the river bank.
"It looks nice enough," she commented. "I'm surprised it hasn't been colonized."
As she and Nyssa continued to look over the plain, a white plume shot up into the air, forming a snowy column that rapidly faded away.
"Oh!" Nyssa gasped. "Is that a geyser?"
The Doctor now stood facing the screen, too. "Yes. And that, Tegan, is the reason that Beta 8 has not been colonized. What you see before you is a caldera."
"A collapsed volcanic crater?" asked Nyssa.
The Doctor responded with a nod. "Yes. In fact, we are on the upper edge of the volcano."
Tegan turned to look at him with considerable alarm, but he quickly reassured her, "There's no danger up here."
"And down there?" asked Tegan with some trepidation.
"Oh, it should be safe enough. We can avoid the geysers by staying away from any areas in which we see deposits of silica or lime carbonate."
Turlough had been surveying the landscape with a slight smile. He turned toward the Doctor and said, "Those are left by the water eruptions, aren't they?"
"Yes," answered the Doctor. "Are you familiar with those mineral formations?"
"I've seen them before," Turlough said, then added quickly, "in my science courses."
Tegan shook her head as another geyser rose from the plain. "So that's why no one's settled here?"
"Yes," said the Doctor, placing his hand on the lever which opened the door. "The geysers are interspersed throughout the plains, with insufficient space between them to accommodate settlements safely. Volcanoes cover a good deal of the planet."
Tegan opened her mouth in alarm, but once again the Time Lord quelled her initial panic. "They are currently inactive. Oh, there is of course magma some seventy or eighty kilometers below the surface of the planet, but the only danger that poses is geyser formation."
"You're certain it's safe?" Tegan asked. Her tone implied a substantial degree of doubt.
"I imagine so," responded the Doctor. "And we won't be here long. The research station lies just down there," he pointed toward the structures on the river bank. "The distress signal must be coming from there."
"Doctor," said Nyssa, leaning in toward the screen, "there are some more buildings over here." She held her hand toward the edge of the screen.
The Doctor squinted momentarily. "Indeed there are."
"So we'll have to go to both?" Tegan asked.
"It appears that we will; I couldn't isolate the distress call precisely." The Doctor took his hat from the rack and stepped out the door. "Come along. Someone needs our help."
Nyssa and Tegan followed him closely.
"Turlough," Nyssa called back, "aren't you coming?"
Turlough had reached into his pocket, but he withdrew his hand quickly. "I'm just getting the door," he said. Before touching the red lever, however, he gripped his pocket tightly, feeling the sharp edges of the crystal dig into his palm. "I hope this is what you want," he murmured, then he hurried out the door toward the deserted research station below.
The climb down the steep hill had proven something of a challenge to the Doctor's three companions. While the Time Lord seemed to move with the skill of a mountain goat over the rocky earth and through the tangled brush, Tegan and Nyssa found that their high heels were less than ideal for the terrain. They had finally resorted to simply digging their heels into the dirt firmly with each step, which seemed to prevent some of the stumbles their initial efforts had yielded.
While Turlough's shoes were more suited to the task, he did not possess the Doctor's natural athletic grace or stamina, and the short journey left him winded. However, he did not complain; instead, he moved along stoically, resolute in reaching the plain below.
When the group was near the base of the hill ("More like a mountain, if you ask me," Tegan grumbled more than once), the Doctor paused to look over the land. He had watched the plain carefully during their descent, noting the location and timing of the geyser eruptions. He possessed insufficient evidence to determine a precise pattern, but he was certain that further observation would reveal some sort of rhythm. With a few final steps, he placed his feet on the flat land and waited somewhat impatiently for his young friends to join him. When they were only a few meters away, he said, "The two research stations are approximately five kilometers apart. From here, each appears to be about two kilometers away. Nyssa, you and I will go to that one," he pointed toward the small cluster of buildings to his right, "and Turlough, you and Tegan will check the one next to the river."
"Wait a minute," Tegan said, looking up from the ground to address the Doctor, "why are he and I going together?" Her voice did not hide her mistrust in her new travelling companion.
"Because Turlough and I can recognize silica and lime carbonate formations. Do you know what they look like, Nyssa?"
The Traken young woman shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not."
"And do you, Tegan?" the Doctor asked.
"No, but I—" She had taken a step without looking, and her heel hit the edge of a rather large hole. Tegan's foot slipped out from under her, sending her quite suddenly to the ground with a cry.
"Tegan!" Nyssa exclaimed, stepping carefully toward her friend.
The Doctor sighed and climbed a few meters up to Tegan. He held out a hand to her. "Are you all right?"
Her cheeks were red. "I'm fine," she replied tartly, shaking her head at the hand offered her.
"You might reconsider your choice of shoes next time," the Doctor suggested chidingly.
Tegan pushed herself up with her hands, then winced as she placed her weight on her right leg.
Nyssa had arrived at her side, and she rested her hand on Tegan's arm. "Are you hurt?" she asked with concern.
Tegan's eyes swept over the three faces that watched her. Nyssa's expression showed worry, and Turlough's implied vague annoyance. The Doctor's face reflected faint disapprobation. Tegan lifted her chin and said firmly, "No." She looked at the hole then asked, "What made that, anyway? Are there animals here?"
The Doctor studied the hole for a moment. "It seems to have been dug by something—it doesn't appear to be a natural consequence of soil movement. This planet has ample oxygen and vegetation to sustain life forms. I imagine that some type of animal dug this."
Tegan backed away from the hole.
"Watch your footing," the Doctor cautioned as the young women moved down the last few meters of the hill. He had turned back to look toward the buildings and did not see that Tegan bit her lip with each step she took.
When she and Nyssa stood beside him, he said, "Keep an eye out for those formations, Turlough. The geysers here are somewhat atypical; there is little water around them. The formations are the only sign you'll have that one is active. Avoid any areas in which you see them."
"All right," agreed the Trion. "What should we do if we find the person who sent the distress call?"
"We'll meet back here as soon as we've checked the buildings. If you find anyone who is able to travel, bring him or her back here with you. If the person is hurt or ill, start a fire so we'll know to come to you. We'll do the same if we find someone who has been incapacitated." He handed Turlough a book of matches.
The Doctor and Nyssa began to walk away, and Turlough took a few steps. Tegan hesitated; she stood on the ball of her foot, keeping her heel off of the ground. Slowly she lowered her foot until it touched the dirt. Her knee sent a spark of pain through her entire leg, but as she made herself walk several steps the pain subsided somewhat.
Turlough looked back at her once. Her limp was obvious to him, but he remained silent. He tried to keep his pace slow, though, so that she could keep up. At least she wasn't talking very much; he was glad for a few minutes of silence from her.
After a time, she spoke. "Do you see any of those formations the Doctor warned us about?"
Turlough gazed along the ground for a few moments. "Over there," he said, pointing. Tegan followed his finger to a small mound.
"So that's a geyser?" she asked.
Turlough shrugged. "It may not be active now, but it was at one time."
"But it could still be active, couldn't it?"
"Yes."
Tegan hobbled quickly away. Her knee still hurt, but it was not unbearable. In the distance, another geyser shot up toward the deep blue sky. She watched it for a moment then continued walking. Turlough's attention seemed focused on the landscape, so she remained quiet. If he could tell her which areas to avoid, a period of silence would be quite worthwhile. Besides, she really did not know what to say to him. There was something about his expression and his eyes that warned her to be cautious. The way he would glance sideways, almost furtively—
A few meters away, something moved quickly across the ground. Tegan turned to watch, but all she managed to catch was a glimpse of a narrow leg or perhaps a tail disappearing into a hole.
"Did you see that?" she asked.
Turlough paused to look back. "What?"
Tegan pointed. "Something ran into that hole over there."
"It's just an animal, Tegan. The Doctor said that there are living creatures here."
"But what do you think it was?"
"How should I know? I've never been here before. I'm sure it's not dangerous, though, whatever it is."
"And how can you be so sure of that?"
Turlough crossed his arms over his chest. "Aside from the geysers, does this look like a dangerous place to you?"
Tegan watched the hole into which the creature had disappeared. "You can't tell just by looking around." She turned back to him then added with some emotion, "The most beautiful places can hide terrible things."
"If you say so," he replied laconically. "Let's go. The sooner we check out that research station, the sooner we can get back to the TARDIS."
They began walking again. "How do we know that the distress call wasn't caused by whatever's in that hole?" she asked somewhat accusatorily.
"I guess we really don't." He quickened his pace.
With a glance back at the hole, Tegan hurried after him.
Nyssa and the Doctor had made better time than their companions, and the three buildings that comprised the research pod were only half a kilometer away from them. Their walk had been a pleasant one filled with amiable conversation about the planet's geology and ecology. The Doctor had also watched the geysers that seemed to flare up nearly randomly across the plain. He could almost determine a pattern, but he still required more observation.
They had also noticed several holes similar to the one Tegan had seen. The Doctor had examined one closely to note that it had most certainly been created by a moderately large organism with powerful front legs for digging.
As they neared the buildings, Nyssa found some tracks in the dirt. She and the Doctor studied them for a few moments, then he commented, "It appears to have six legs, so it is likely an insect."
"But the spacing of the tracks would mean that its front and back legs are nearly a meter apart."
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, you're right. Perhaps this is what the researchers came here to study."
"Do you think it could be predatory?"
The Doctor thought briefly before responding. "It's unlikely. We've been out here in the open for nearly an hour, and we've seen no signs of these creatures. My guess is that, like most insects, they eat plant matter and possibly other insects. Watch your step, Nyssa."
Nyssa looked down to see that she stood nearly on top of one of the mineral mounds. She quickly moved to the side. "Thank you."
"I think that the geysers present more danger to us than do any indigenous species."
"How so?"
"The eruptions are becoming more frequent, even in the short time that we've been here. At the rate their activity is increasing, we should still have ample time to check these buildings and return to the TARDIS, but we should try to hurry."
They walked quickly toward the first building. As they approached the small complex, they watched and listened carefully for any indicators of potential danger, but all remained quiet. They stood for a moment outside the door of the closest structure as the Doctor called out, "Hello!"
There was no response, so he grasped the door handle. "It's stuck," he told Nyssa. "It's probably rusted due to the high concentration of water vapor in the air."
"So there's no one here," said Nyssa.
"Probably not, but let's check just the same." He placed both hands on the handle and gave it a hard downward thrust. With a crackling sound, the door popped open. As it did, they heard a rustling noise from behind the building. Nyssa gasped involuntarily as a large creature scuttled around the edge of the pod, moving past them quickly and disappearing into a fissure some twenty meters away.
The animal had moved rapidly, but they had seen that it resembled an insect, with six legs and a body comprised of a head, thorax, and abdomen. Nyssa thought it might have wings folded over its back, and she had noticed short antennae bobbing on its head. The creature was grey, and its exoskeleton appeared glossy, nearly iridescent. The body was at least a meter long.
Nyssa had stepped back toward the Doctor as the insect skittered past them. Now she moved forward a few steps in curiosity. "How strange," she commented. "Why would it go into a vent? That one is active, isn't it?" She pointed toward the mineral deposits surrounding the fissure; they sparkled yellow and blue in the sunlight.
"Possibly," responded the Doctor. "It must have felt threatened by us, or by the noise that our actions produced. At any rate, its behavior indicates that is poses no danger to us." He pushed the door open and stepped inside the structure. Nyssa followed closely behind him.
The inside of the pod was dusky. They noticed immediately that there were no windows. The only illumination came from the open door and one small skylight on the roof. The building consisted of a single room under the dome. A dusty table and two chairs sat in the center, and two cots lay against one wall. The others walls were lined with counters, and a few remnants of research equipment remained. The Doctor noticed several nonfunctional lamps, a rusted tray with some dissection instruments, and various bottles with a few drops of liquid remaining in them. He removed the stopper from one to give it a brief sniff, then recoiled slightly, saying, "Formaldehyde."
"So they were trying to preserve something," Nyssa finished.
The Doctor nodded. "I believe I was right about the insects being the subject of the research." He stepped back toward the door. "This complex seems deserted, but I'll check the other two buildings just in case."
Nyssa continued looking about inside the small edifice, but she found little else of interest. After a few minutes she stepped outside to join the Doctor in his search of the other buildings. As she walked toward the adjacent structure, she saw another insect scurrying over the ground. This was different from the first one she had seen. It was longer by perhaps half a meter, and its coloring was brighter, with streaks of green and purple over its back. It moved too quickly for her to observe more, but as she watched she saw that it slowed then stopped next to the vent into which the first insect had disappeared several minutes ago. Its head dipped toward the opening, antennae twitching, then it suddenly leaped back and ran toward some heavy brush a short distance away. Nyssa gasped in surprise as a thick spray of water shot up suddenly from the fissure.
As she watched the geyser recede, the Doctor joined her. "They're really quite magnificent, aren't they?" he commented.
She nodded. "Yes," she said somewhat regretfully.
"What's the matter?" asked the Time Lord, noting her tone of voice.
"I think that the insect we saw was still in there. It must have been killed by the geyser."
"It may have left the refuge before the eruption."
"Perhaps. Another insect ran up to the vent then dashed away just before the eruption. I wonder if they can sense when it's about to happen?"
"I imagine that they can. They definitely appear to be the subject of the researchers' study. I found similar equipment in the other two buildings."
"But no people?"
"No. This entire complex appears to have been abandoned for some time."
"Then the distress call must have come from the other set of buildings. I wonder what Tegan and Turlough have found?"
The Doctor took her elbow lightly and began to walk. "I'm sure we'll know soon enough. In the meantime, let's keep our eyes open for smoke in case they're trying to signal us. Once we reach the fork, we can head back in their direction if necessary."
As they sauntered along, Nyssa said, "I hope they're getting along all right."
The Doctor had been studying the landscape, still noting the frequency with which the geysers were erupting. Her comment barely registered with him. "Hmm?" he responded distractedly.
"Turlough and Tegan," she explained. "I hope they're not arguing. She doesn't seem to like him very well."
"No?" asked the Doctor.
"No, I don't think so. She told me she doesn't trust him entirely."
"Oh," he said noncommittally. His attention had shifted again to the stretch of land before them. He had noted three eruptions within the last five minutes. Their frequency was most certainly increasing. He quickened his pace, urging Nyssa along with a hand at her back. "We need to hurry," he told her. "I'm afraid that this area is facing an impending geologic event."
"What type of event?"
The Doctor frowned and shook his head. "I'm not certain. The geyser activity is intensifying, which could precipitate a volcanic eruption. It shows that the groundwater is heating, most likely due to an influx of magma into the chamber. At best the area will see widespread geyser activity. At worst there could be a massive eruption, with lava flow accompanied by toxic gases."
"Oh dear! What about Turlough and Tegan?"
"They should be fine, as long as they don't remain at the complex any longer than necessary. But just in case, we'll head in their direction once we've reached the fork. At the very least, we can encourage them to hurry along."
They walked rapidly as another geyser burst from the ground only a few dozen meters away from them.
