The Uncharted Dark

By Vanya

Part 3

"...They've found us"

There was silence as Hugo's words hung ominously in the air. It was inevitable of course, an attack like that was always going to provoke a response but each person in the room had hoped that they would have more time.

"Our engineer's incapacitated," Jack said, "Doctor, you're our only hope of getting moving again, what do you need?"

The Doctor paused for a moment, "Gordon was optimistic but it's not going to be easy. I'm not sure if there's anything else we can do from in here, the only option left is to work on the engines from the outside."

The Captain nodded, "We're equipped with spacesuits and the soldiers all are have zero gravity training."

"Good, I'll need one or two to assist me."

"You're kidding right?" Haze exclaimed. "You want to go out and spacewalk with a potential killer?"

"I don't have a choice," the Doctor replied, placing a calming hand on her shoulder, "time's running out and this is the only way we can get the ship running. Besides, this might be a good way to flush them out. If they try to make a move out there I'll be ready."

xxxx

Sergeant Arnold Bedford (not that the rank held much meaning any more) paced back and forth in his quarters. The silence was agitating him. Once the unhappy chore of storing AJ's body had been completed the crew had once again been ordered back to their quarters to await further instructions. He didn't know what was going on but what he'd seen didn't bode well. Two fatal accidents and an accidental weapons discharge could barely be coincidence, there had to be something more to the situation.

When his pacing didn't help he sighed and collapsed into a chair. He had served his time on the front line, he had seen friends and comrades fall before but this was different. AJ was a good man and a brave soldier, he deserved better than to die in a stupid accident. Although Bedford had doubts that it had been an accident, the situations felt more like some kind of cowardly trap. Even a day ago the thought that someone on that ship could be a killer was ridiculous but two dead bodies said otherwise.

He'd been serving with AJ and Selway from the start of their respective careers, working their way up the ranks together. The fourth man, Kreigler, had only joined their unit for the current mission. Even though he didn't have their history and their years of shared service he was still one of them.

When Captain Jordan had been killed they had all expected AJ to get a promotion and command of the unit, instead it was handed to a stranger, the man they had found floating in space. As if adding insult to injury they had all been assigned to the Raven project. Command had made it sound like some kind of honour but they had all felt as if they were being swept aside. And now Jack was barely maintaining order so they had to stick together, take care of themselves.

"Bedford, Selway," Jack's voice boomed out over the intercom, "Report to airlock two immediately, you're going outside."

Bedford rose to his feet, Some action at last.

xxxx

"OK men, here's the situation," the two soldiers suited up Jack briefed them on their task. "As you're probably aware the hypercharger device malfunctioned when we tried to use it causing serious damage to the engines. In addition our chief engineer was blinded, which means there's only one man on board qualified to repair the engines, the Doctor. From this point on you're to follow his orders to the letter."

"Sir, yes sir," they replied in unison.

"Oh stop saluting," the Doctor said as he stepped forward, in response both men dropped their arms. "Right then, I'm about to attempt a pretty impressive feat of engineering to get this ship moving again and I need your assistance. Basically we space walk out, I fix the engines, and we go back, easy. For you anyway, my job's actually pretty complicated. Any questions? No, good."

The Doctor removed his pinstripe jacket and handed it to Jack before stepping into his spacesuit. Once humans actually got the hang of space travel the suits themselves almost stopped changing. They were all human shaped with a helmet and an oxygen supply and once you got rid of the unnecessary bulk there was very little you could actually do with it. The biggest difference between eras of space travel, one the Doctor could never understand, was the colour of the suits and right now the fashion seemed to be silver.

With their helmets tucked under their arms the three men walked towards the airlock the Doctor turned back and said, "I am just going outside and may be some time.."

xxxx

As the air slowly drained away from the airlock the Doctor and the soldiers performed a last minute check on the seals, doubly thorough as a climate of mistrust and the threat of sabotage hung over them.

"You do this sort of thing often?" the Doctor asked idly.

"No," the response came from Selway.

"Chatty bunch aren't you," muttered the Doctor.

The light above the external door turned green, signalling that it was time to leave.

"OK then men," he added brightly, "Allons-y."

xxxx

The Doctor edged his way across the outside of the ship along the walkway that had been constructed for this very purpose. His hand gripped the safety rail and his magnetised boots thudded heavily against the narrow platform. Back in the Captain's cabin everything had seemed so easy but now he was spacewalking of with a pair of soldiers, one or both of whom could be a psychotic killer, things seemed less straightforward. Focusing on his target, the massive engines at the aft of the ship he edged further along, No time for second thoughts now.

xxxx

Silence.

Hugo tried again, searching all known frequencies, listening for something, anything coming from Velitrax.

Nothing.

Even though he was working from his cabin the communications officer was feeling oddly focused. Ever since his student days he had attempted to keep his work and recreations spaces separate to avoid distraction. A lot of effort had gone into ensuring the crew would be comfortable and entertained on their prolonged mission but Hugo had never found this conducive to a productive working environment. Instead he had always preferred to work from the Raven's communication hub, located beneath the antenna array at the top of the ship. Ever since they had discovered Velitrax that was where he had spent most of his time, it was only the current crisis and the Captain's orders that were forcing him to work from his quarters. Having a task to focus on was providing a welcome distraction but the silence made him uneasy. It hadn't been long since he'd intercepted their coordinates and now he was starved for data. The situation made perfect sense of course, on Earth radio silence would be standard procedure at a time like that and he was sure this was true for Velitrax as well. They had been attacked, unprovoked, by an unknown, unseen enemy and were probably worried about their communications being intercepted and rightly so as that was exactly what he was doing. He let out an angry grunt and half-heartedly kicked his desk. He wasn't a soldier with a great tactical mind, he wasn't an engineer who would fix the ship and he wasn't even a diplomat who could resolve the situation. He was the communications officer, all he could do was listen and interpret. And now he had lost his ability to do that he felt completely useless.

He looked up from his station in response to a knock on the door. He quickly jumped to his feet and stepped over to open it, expecting Jack to be there, ready to question him. He was surprised when the door slip open to reveal Clem standing there holding two ration trays.

"Hi," she said, smiling warmly, "mind if I come in?"

"Of course, have a seat," he said, beckoning her inside.

"I brought dinner," she added as she sat down.

"Thank you," Hugo pulled the lid off his tray, filling the cabin with the aroma of steak in peppercorn sauce. In the interests of crew welfare startling advances had been made in the area of food science. Gourmet meals could be made, stored and reconstituted with almost no loss in quality.

"I thought we were all confined to quarters," Hugo said between mouthfuls, "or at last the infirmary. Didn't realise Jack had given you free reign of the ship."

"Oh yes," Clem looked up from her own tray, which contained seafood pasta, "you can't keep your medic locked up at a time like this."

Hugo shook his head, "You're lying."

"No, really, I..."

"Look, I didn't just study linguistics, I studied communication and everything that goes with it, I can read every expression, every twitch and your face tells me you're lying."

"Is that how you did so well at the poker last time?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you win then?"

"I can spot a bluff, but I have to do the best with the cards I have. You're changing the subject, why are you here? And how are you here?"

"OK, I broke out, I got Caroline to show me how to do it months ago."

"But why?"

"I came to check on you, see how you're holding up. I was worried about you."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not and if I believed you were I'd be even more concerned. Helena's dead Hugo, so is AJ. Somebody on board killed them, sabotaged the ship, fired on that planet and god only knows what else. I appreciate the brave face but it isn't necessary, especially while you're with me. If you're not saddened and scared by this then there's something seriously wrong with you."

"I haven't got time for all that now."

Clem paused in surprise, slowly repeating Hugo's words back to him, "You haven't got time for all that?"

"No. Don't you see Clem, I have one job on this ship, just one job. I monitor communications, I have to be able to do that, the Captain ineeds/i me to be able to do that. I haven't got time to be depressed or scared because I have to do my job."

Clem just sat there, in shock from what she had heard. Hugo had been recruited straight out of university, he was the youngest member of the crew and didn't have the same military or even life experience as the rest of them. She'd expected him to take the current events badly but she never dreamed that he would shut down emotionally.

"Hugo," she said, gently reaching over and touching his arm, "It's OK to grieve, no one's going to think any less of you. You don't have to prove anything."

He angrily withdrew his arm, "You don't have to worry about me, I'm not a liability and I'm not going to have a breakdown at an inconvenient moment."

"It's not like that..."

"Yes it is. I see the way you all treat me, like I'm the baby of the crew. I don't need you to take care of me."

"I know that Hugo, I was worried..."

"Well don't be, I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."

"But..."

Good bye Clem, I have work to do."

Hugo rose to his feet and began to push Clem towards the door. With her safely in the corridor he returned to his desk and once again began to scrutinise the silence.

xxxx

"OK men, hold position," the Doctor' voice crackled over the radio, "We're here."

The three spacesuited figures came to a halt at the aft of the Raven. From his vantage point the Doctor surveyed the planet, straining his eyes trying to make out any signs of mobilisation in the darkness. Nothing seemed to be moving but he knew they were on borrowed time. Sooner rather than later the forces of Velitrax, whoever they were, were going to retaliate with all of their might. They needed to get the ship moving again and they needed to do it quickly. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Right, let's get to work," he continued, "Selway my good man, hand me the replacement power couplings and my screwdriver."

xxxx

He's coping, Clem told herself as she walked slowly back toward the infirmary, at least that's something. She wasn't happy with his chosen method but in this time of crisis they all had to get through it however they could.

Gordon was lying where she had left him, still unconscious with his eyes bandaged and Rennes sitting attentively at his bedside.

"There's nothing more you can do for him now Joseph," Clem said gently, "You're better off going back to your cabin."

"Are you trying to keep me out the way?" he replied, smiling feebly as he tried to make a joke out of it.

"Of course not."

"It's OK, I know where I fit in on this ship. I'm not even supposed to be here anyway, I just needed to make sure Gordon was OK."

"Take care," Clem called after him as he left. Once he was gone she began her duties checking Gordon's vitals and changing his dressings.

xxxx

"Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry."

Almost as soon as he was out of the infirmary Rennes almost collided with Caroline walking briskly down the corridor.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" He asked.

"I need to see the Captain," she replied curtly.

"Why?"

"None of your business. Now, out of my way."

Rennes stood there, stunned as Caroline continued on.

xxxx

"You shouldn't be out here alone."

Haze jumped at the voice behind her. She spun round to find herself face to face with Kreigler, the fourth soldier.

"I'm fine, I can take care of myself."

"Of course you can. AJ, Helena, Gordon, they could all take care of themselves too, we can all take care of ourselves out here."

"What do you want? And does the phrase 'confined to quarters' actually mean anything on this ship? You all seem to be wandering around."

"I just want what you want, to find out who's behind this. As for not staying put, I'm sorry but I don't agree with Jack on this one. If I can get out anyone can, we're just sitting ducks if we stay in out quarters like good little soldier boys."

"You're no safer out here you know."

"Maybe, but at least I'm not waiting for death to come to me."

"So where are you heading?"

"Engine room, I hear there was an incident there. I've already examined the weapons locker and I was on the flight deck when Helena was killed, if the killer left any kind of clue as to their identity that's where I'll find it."

"There's somewhere else you know, another part of the ship you haven't checked yet."

"Oh?"

"Weapons bay, the Doctor thinks that whoever's behind this must have manually reprogrammed the missile, that's where he'd have to work from."

Kreigler nodded, "Makes sense."

"Well, are you going to tell me where that is?"

xxxx

Kreigler knelt down and began to to unscrew the wingnuts that an access panel in place. Haze looked on and began to contemplate the situation. Two possibilities, she thought, either he's the killer or he isn't. If he is, best outcome: he tries to kill me, I escape and he's unmasked. Worst outcome: he kills me. If he isn't, best outcome: we find incriminating evidence of the real killer. Worst outcome: we find nothing. Putting things in those terms she suddenly realised that maybe inviting Kreigler into the bowels of the ship hadn't been the smartest move, doubly so as neither the Doctor nor Jack knew she would be down there. It wasn't too late to back out, but one way or another she was going to get some answers. Besides, someone who wore such a loud shirt couldn't be a psychotic killer could he?

Haze shook the doubts from her mind as Kreigler gestured to the open access panel and said "Ladies first."

xxxx

Jack looked up startled as the door to his cabin slid open, revealing the figure of Caroline Nash in the doorway.

"You were confined to quarters..." he began.

"Oh please, you think I couldn't leave any time I wanted? I'm insulted."

"What do you want, this really isn't a good time for a chat."

"I know, I realise how serious the situation is here. After what just happened with AJ I think it's best to come clean."

"So this is a confession?" suddenly she had Jack's full attention.

"Yes, but not for what you think, it's time you knew the truth so you don't waste any more time an me and find the person really responsible."

"Go on."

Caroline took a deep breath and said, "Industrial espionage. There was a six month gap in my records because I was in a government prison brought up on charges of industrial espionage."

"Right," Jack said sceptically, "you expect me to believe you were selling secrets? You were estimated to be one of the richest people in the Empire, was what Daltronics were paying you really not enough?"

"I wasn't selling them," she replied hanging her head in shame, "I was buying them. While I was still at Cambridge I was branded a genius, head hunted for a top level job as soon as I graduated..."

"That much is in your file."

"Well what it didn't say was after a few years I hit a dry spell. My first breakthroughs had made the company and myself a small fortune and there was huge pressure for the next one. But when the ideas didn't come I resorted to desperate measures, paying a mercenary to steal from one of our rivals, prototypes, blueprint that sort of thing. Of course when my product hit the market it was better in every way, but still, the basis wasn't mine. After that I should have stopped, but I got lazy, and then I got sloppy..."

"And you got caught," Jack said, picking up where her voice trailed off.

Caroline shuddered as she recalled her arrest. The investigation had been going on for a while, agents had been in and out for months searching her home, her office, her lab. But she was smarter than them, or so she thought, and she had covered her tracks and vowed to never delve into these shady dealing again. But somehow they found their proof and one night they came for her, there was nothing she could do. For fear of their part in the whole affair Daltronics's CEO, her boss and someone who she may even have called a friend, cooperated fully, agreeing to say nothing about her illegal detention and helping to circulate the cover story.

"They kept details of my arrest quiet, but I spent six months in a detention facility. During that time I was visited by General Emerson."

Jack nodded, Emerson had been instrumental to his own recruitment the project. He hadn't been able to find out much but Emerson's name had become synonymous with clandestine operations. He always had a knack for finding the right people for the job and finding ways to make them comply with his wishes.

"He offered me a choice," Caroline continued, "I could either spend years in prison and lose everything, or I could accept a placement on the Raven project and reclaim my money and live in enforced retirement when I returned. It was a no brainer really. So here I am."

"I see," Jack contemplated her story. It was certainly plausible, more plausible than the idea of her being a saboteur and a murder at any rate. There was one more avenue that he wanted to pursue, "When Emerson recruited you did he ask you to make anything for him? Maybe a device or a computer program that could be responsible for what's happening?"

"No he didn't, sorry."

"Did he say anything else?" Jack was getting desperate. "Any other orders, anything about wanting to start a war."

"No, I'm sorry Jack I really am, but that's all I know."

Jack's slumped forward, his head resting in his hands, "Thank you," he said finally, "You can go now."

As she stepped through the door she turned back for a moment, "I'm sorry I didn't come forward sooner. It was the shame of it I suppose."

xxxx

Walking back to her cabin Caroline felt like a weight had been lifted, but at the same time she felt apprehensive. There was still something going on, she didn't know what it was and she didn't like it. As she stepped through her doorway she noticed the room was bathed in a low light of her desk lamp and a figure sat in front of her computer terminal.

"What are you doing here?" she asked harshly.

"I heard what you said to Jack," the figure replied, "That was a very foolish thing to do. You were providing a nice little diversion but now I don't need you any more."

xxxx

"Almost there." The Doctor triumphantly.

With the threat of impending death from Velitrax looming over them the Doctor, along with Bedford and Selway, had been working at record speed to complete the repairs. The sonic screwdriver was clutched in his bulky gloved hand as he began the final task of putting everything back. With all the components either replaced or rerouted all that remained was making sure the ship was sealed up again.

"Rear panel please."

Bedford handed over the final piece which he had been patiently holding the entire operation. He had to admit, the Doctor had done a good job. If he did what he said he would do then they were getting closer to getting away.

"OK, excellent work people," the Doctor said finally. "Time to head back in and fire them up."

Taking a moment to admire his handiwork he ran his hand over the engines, recoiling with horror as he felt them vibrate, something was very wrong.

xxxx

This wasn't the first time Haze had been inside the bowels of a spaceship, when travelling with the Doctor every trip ended up going somewhere that should be off limits. Danger with the chance of death were nothing new either but being in a confined space with someone who maybe a psychotic killer was an exciting first for her.

"Chivalry is all very well," she called back over her shoulder, "but maybe you should have gone first, I have no idea where I'm going."

They on their hands and knees, crawling through a duct towards the missile launchers. Haze slipped through easily, aided by her small stature, while Kreigler struggled along behind her.

"Keep going straight ahead," the soldier replied loudly, "don't deviate for anything."

Soon they found the way blocked by a metal grille. "Here," Kreigler said, sliding his penknife forward, "use this."

Haze flicked out the screwdriver attachment and raised her hand towards the corner of the panel. But as she made contact with the head of the screw the grille wobbled then fell forward and clattered noisily to the floor. With the barrier out if the way she tumbled out, followed shortly by Kreigler.

"Interesting," he muttered, picking up the grille and examining the edges, "the screws seem to have been sheered, maybe with and arc welder. Seems a bit odd."

"Maybe he just was in a hurry?"

"The hypercharger alone would have taken a long time to set up, and sabotaging the weapons locker and reprogramming the missile would be no easy feat either. The person responsible could have set all this up months, maybe years in advance and yet didn't have time to undo a couple of screws?"

"So if it's not time then it's convenience? He doesn't have a screwdriver but he happens to have a welding tool in his pocket so he uses that instead?"

Kreigler contemplated it for a second seemed unlikely, but it was the only solution that fitted the evidence.

"You know," Haze continued, "this does fit. the Doctor said that the hypercharger hadn't been physically tampered with..."

"... And neither had the weapons locker."

"So we're dealing with someone who can sabotage some of the most sophisticated pieces of equipment in the galaxy without a trace and yet is stuck when confronted with a couple of screws?"

"So it would seem."

"Weird."

Having learned all he could from it Kreigler discarded the grille and focused his attention in the rest of the room. It was small, not really designed to hold people so Kreigler had to stoop slightly as he moved round. They were illuminated by the dull glow of a red light, casting ominous shadows all around. The centrepiece was the launch mechanism, two missiles sat in parallel chutes ready to go and a whole rack of warheads were behind them waiting to be loaded. As Kreigler studied the racks Haze became more intrigued by his movements, his earlier deductions and the way he investigated reminded her less of other soldier she's met and more of the Doctor.

"Who are you?" she said at last as Kreigler moved on to study a computer terminal which had been installed for diagnostic purposes.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, it's obvious you're more than just a soldier, you have a bigger role here."

"I don't know what..."

He was cut off as the ship lurched forward.

"What was that?" Haze asked, grabbing hold of a missile to steady herself.

"Engines firing."

"That was quick, I didn't think the Doctor was back in yet."

"I don't think he was." Kreigler replied, consulting the terminal.

Turning pale Haze turned and dived back into the duct.

xxxx

"Oh that's not good," the Doctor muttered, before raising his voice to yell, "Move!"

He quickly powered down his boots and with a blast of compressed air from his suit he pushed himself straight upwards. Bedford and Selway responded moments later, but too slowly. As they each tried to move sideways they were bit by the wave of energy from the engine coming to life. The suits were never designed to withstand such a blast, oxygen tanks ruptures, helmets shattered, cabals snapped and the two bodies floated off into the never ending blackness of space.

xxxx

Stepping over Caroline's body and out of her cabin the killer strode down the corridor of the Raven. Time to move things along, he thought. Like the rest of the crew had had become board of waiting, he had his own job to do and was happy to finally be doing it.

Standing in front of the Captain's quarters he raised his hand and ran it over the door controls, which responded to his touch and slid aside. Jack rose from his desk in reaction to his intruder, opening his mouth to protest. Lightning crackled between the killer's fingers and bolt of energy shot from his hand, striking Jack square in the chest, carrying him off his feet and slamming him into the wall. The Captain collapsed to the floor, a large smoking hole in his chest. Satisfied the killer turned and left, the door sliding shut behind him.

xxxx

Her heart pounding and her mind racing Haze crawled through the duct system as fast as she could go, she had no idea what to do when she got out the other end, but she had to do something. How do you get a stranded man back inside the ship? Would he even still be alive?But for the moment she focused her energy on getting to the Doctor.

xxxx

The Doctor's body jerked as his safety line reached the end of its tether. He looked down helplessly at the two soldiers as they drifted further and further away from the ship. His own suit was badly damaged, he was alive for now, but everything would only hold together for so long. Hand over hand he began to pull himself back toward the ship and behind him the sonic screwdriver floated away.

The airlock drew closer and closer, the outer door still open, ready for the return of the three who went out. With one final effort the Doctor hauled himself inside and was roughly pulled to the floor as the artificial gravity kicked in. With his last ounce of strength he reached up and pressed the button to seal the airlock door then allowed himself to limply lie on the cold hard floor.

xxxx

"Doctor!" Haze called out, running to the airlock. She relieved to see him inside but her initial relief was replaced with a wave of concern as she stared at his unmoving body.

"Come on, come on," she muttered as she hammered on the 'open' button. After what felt like forever the door slid open revealing the Doctor sprawled on the floor. She knelt down by his unconscious body, her hands trembling as she undid the seals on his space suit.

"Clem!" she yelled loudly, hoping the intercom would pick her up. "I needed a medic in here now!"

The Doctor gasped as his helmet was slowly lifted off, gulping down his first lungful of air.

"Dead," he muttered. "They're both dead."

"Oh god, what happened?"

"I failed them, I failed them all, I failed you."

"No, don't talk like that. Come one, Clem will be here in a minute, we'll get you to medical and then work on the next plan OK?"

The Doctor was about to answer, but his were cut off by a metallic clang. At once they both looked round to see the airlock door had slid shut. Haze leapt to her feet, dashing over to the door. Once again she pressed the open button aggressively but with no effect.

"Hey!" she yelled, abandoning the control panel and hammering on the glass. "Hey! We're still in here!"

A moment later Clem appeared on the other side. Haze watched, worriedly, as she went through the same motions of working the door controls but with no success. Dr Goscinny's lips moved but Haze was unable to make out what she was saying, realising at that moment the futility of her shouting.

The silence was broken by a crackling voice over the intercom, "You won't escape this time."

Haze, looked around, panicked as an ominous hissing sound filled the room, they were venting air...

End of Part 3