Chapter Four

Adric stood on a cliff-top, looking down at the sea crashing against the rocks below. He had no idea where he was or even which planet this was, but it seemed he was alone here - no sign of the Doctor, Tegan or Nyssa. But something - the sound of movement, perhaps - made him turn to find himself facing someone he had never imagined he would see again. A youth, dark-haired like Adric was and bearing a clear physical resemblance, albeit with a slightly harder edge to his features, stood there silently.

"Varsh?" Adric whispered. But it couldn't possibly be Varsh. Varsh was dead; Adric had seen him being dragged to his doom by a Marshman, remembered kneeling beside his body. Nonetheless, there was no denying that the youth standing just a few feet away looked exactly like the brother Adric had lost shortly before he stowed away on the TARDIS and became one of the Doctor's travelling companions. Tentatively, he stepped forward . . .

Abruptly, the youth's features began to melt until all resemblance to Varsh was gone. In his place was a creature with scaly skin, a head marked by very prominent veins, gills through which the creature breathed . . . A Marshman, one of the creatures that had emerged from the marshes of Alzarius every Mistfall to attack Adric's people. Instinctively, Adric tried to run, only to find that he couldn't - he couldn't move at all. Still the Marshman which, moments before, had seemed to be Varsh advanced, arms outstretched ready to strike.

"No . . ." Adric's voice trembled as the Marshman moved in for the killing blow. "No, don't . . ."


"Adric." Somehow, Nyssa's voice managed to penetrate the deep fog of delirium. "Adric, it's all right - it's only a fever dream."

Adric managed to open his eyes for a moment, just long enough to register the fact that Nyssa was beside him, applying a cool damp cloth to his forehead. Following Dorika's instructions, she was trying to keep his temperature down in the hope that doing so might buy them enough time for the Doctor and his party to obtain the antidote and get back to the Last City. But the toxin in the spores Adric had inhaled would not relinquish its hold so easily.

Nyssa looked down at Adric and thought for a moment of how obstinate he could be, constantly pushing the Doctor's patience to the limit with his misguided attempts to prove himself. She reached out her hand and placed it on top of Adric's, feeling the heat but maintaining her hold. As she did so, she glanced at the orange patch on Adric's shirt where he normally wore his star-shaped badge. That badge, awarded to him in recognition of his mathematical talents, meant a great deal to the boy and he was rarely seen without it; indeed, it and the belt he had inherited from Varsh were the only personal possessions Adric had brought with him from Alzarius. But Dorika had taken the precaution of removing it and was now keeping it safe until . . .

The sound of the door opening distracted Nyssa from her thoughts and she looked up to see Dorika and Kerez entering the room. The expressions on the faces of both Kylonians were unreadable, though Nyssa thought she saw a glimpse of sorrow in Kerez's eyes and guessed that he was thinking of the son he had lost as a result of the spores. Dorika had told her a little of what had happened to Pergon, how, though he had managed to get clear of the spores, he had quickly succumbed to their effects, how the experience had left Kerez broken in spirit. To see someone else fall victim to the spores must be almost more than the man could bear.

"Is there any news of the Doctor and the others?" Nyssa asked, trying to maintain her usual calm facade, which wasn't easy while Adric was in this condition.

"I'm afraid not," Dorika replied, shaking her head as she moved to check on Adric. So far, the boy was managing to hold his own, but the poison contained in the spores of the Jara Pods was capable of killing its victim in less than a day. That was what had happened to Pergon, who had been perfectly fine until his ill-advised trip into the jungle but was dead by the following dawn. "But," she added, seeing the anxious look on Nyssa's face, "it hasn't been long since they set out - we can't give up yet."

"You're right - I hope." Nyssa looked down at Adric, who seemed to have fallen into a fitful sleep, and promised herself that she would not leave his side for any reason. There was a chance, just a tiny chance, that the presence of a friend might help him hang on until the Doctor and the others returned.


Marena and Jound were using a brief break during the journey into Gark's territory to fill the Doctor and Tegan in on the history of their planet. "There was a time when Kylon was famed throughout the galaxy for its technology," Jound was saying. "Our people had dedicated themselves to the sciences in the belief that this would enable them to prosper. Only . . ." He paused.

"What's so bad about that?" asked Tegan, who knew from personal experience that pauses like that were generally followed by a piece of less-than-pleasant news. But, as she had said, what was so bad about an entire race dedicating itself to scientific advancements? Surely that was a good thing; after all, if it hadn't been for science, the human race would not have made even the limited progress into space that they had made in her time. Like many Earthlings from her generation, one of her most vivid childhood memories of a major event was the first moon landing in 1969, though, had anyone told the nine-year-old tomboy she was then that she would one day find herself travelling not only in space but also in time . . .

"They prospered a little too much," Marena said, picking up the thread of Jound's story and interupting Tegan's train of thought. "So they became . . . I suppose the word would be "decadent". Anyway, they lost sight of reason, became convinced the mere fact something was scientifically possible justified it. Some even went as far as to tinker with the very building blocks of life . . ."

At this, the Doctor turned his head sharply in Marena's direction. In his experience, attempting to play God in this way invariably led to trouble. Genetic manipulation was all very well if it was done for the right reasons, such as finding a cure for previously fatal diseases, but there were those who were prepared to use such technology for less altruistic reasons. Such as Davros, who had tinkered with the genetic structure of the Daleks, removing all emotions except hate and turning them into the greatest menace the Universe had ever known. And, even if you started out with the best of intentions, there was always the risk that one of your experiments could have unforeseen consequences, consequences that could spell disaster for you and your people.

"So," Marena was saying, "our people thought they could manipulate living matter, alter it to suit their purposes. And, for a time, they managed to get away with it."

"Until one of their experiments went badly wrong," added Jound. "A scientist named Jara was experimenting with one of the plants which grow on this planet; she hoped it might provide a cheap source of food . . . At least that's what the surviving records say. But, somewhere down the line, a mutation occurred and the plant's spores became toxic."

The Doctor and Tegan exchanged uneasy glances as they realised Jound must be talking about the Jara Pods, the same pods they had encountered and whose spores were responsible for Adric's condition. Why, the Doctor asked himself for the umpteenth time, couldn't people (of any race) learn that there were times when the best course of action was to leave well alone?

"So what happened?" asked Tegan.

"When the plant's pods burst, the spores were released into the atmosphere," Marena replied. "And everyone who inhaled them fell fatally ill within hours. The few who weren't exposed searched for an antidote and, eventually, they found one. But, by then, it was too late; the spores had virtually wiped out our people and that led to the fall of our civilization."

"We call that period "the Collapse"," added Jound. "And, since then, we've been taught to avoid the Jara Pods when they're spreading their spores."


Marena and Jound would probably have said a whole lot more, had Tegan not reminded them of one important fact. "Excuse me," she said, adopting her "don't try to argue with me" look. "But aren't we forgetting something?" When no-one replied, she hurried on. "Adric. While we're busy discussing Kylonian history, he's fighting for his life." And, she added silently, it was a fight he was going to lose, unless they were able to obtain the antidote and return to the Last City with it. Provided they could get past Gark and his Bandits first . . .

The Doctor turned round at the sound of her voice. Not long ago, she had been nagging him to get her back to Heathrow, berating him for yet another failed attempt. But, since their encounter with the Jara Pods and Adric's subsequent collapse, he had not heard her mention the subject once. Was she finally starting to sort out her priorities? To learn that some things were more important than her career as an air hostess? He did not know and there was no time to ponder the question; Adric's life was in danger and, every second they stayed here wasted precious time.

But, just as the Doctor was about to tell the rest of the party that it was time to continue their journey, a movement in the bushes caught his attention. Moments later, half-a-dozen of the spiked creatures he and his companions had encountered earlier emerged and stood shoulder-to-shoulder, directly in the path the Doctor and the others wanted to take. "Oh, rabbits!" muttered Tegan, recognising the creatures, creatures she had hoped never to see again.

"Quiloks," said Jound, who had no idea what rabbits were. "Primitive creatures, but very territorial. Once they start chasing you, they never give up."

"Unless you run right into the middle of the Jara Pods," the Doctor added. Then, seeing that Marena and Jound were looking at him questioningly, he filled them in. "We - my companions and I - encountered some of these Quiloks earlier. They chased us and . . . Of course!" He felt a small surge of guilt, though it was nothing compared to the guilt he would feel after the tragic outcome of one of his later adventures, as the realisation hit him. "Why didn't I realise?"

"Realise what, Doctor?" asked Tegan, warily eyeing the nearest Quilok.

"That there was danger in that clearing. The Quiloks must have known, or at least sensed it. But . . ." He broke off as he recalled how curious he had been about the pods and what the result of that curiosity had been. He had always had a habit of letting his curiosity, his fascination for unfamiliar things, get the better of him; indeed, his tutors at Prydon Academy had warned him on many occasions that curiosity without caution invariably led to trouble.


Meanwhile, Marena and Jound reached into their packs and each pulled out something which looked like an ordinary rock - until they were turned round to reveal that one surface was reflective. "Kylonite," Jound explained for the benefit of the Doctor and Tegan. "Comes in handy when you've got a band of Quiloks in your way."

"Doesn't do much good if you're faced with a whole crowd of them," Marena added. "But for small groups like this . . ." She held up her piece of Kylonite and pointed it in the direction of her planet's sun, as Jound did likewise.

"What are they doing?" Tegan whispered to the Doctor, as the two time-travellers stood watching the Kylonians. For the life of her, she could not see what good holding rocks up to the sun would do when you were faced with creatures like the Quiloks. Still, Marena and Jound seemed to know what they were doing, so she decided the best course of action would be to wait and see what happened next. She did not have long to wait; slowly, Marena and Jound, their eyes tightly closed, lowered the rocks Jound had refered to as Kylonite and pointed them in the direction of the Quiloks.

"Close your eyes!" Marena warned the Doctor and Tegan. "Otherwise, the flash could permanently damage your sight."

Catching the urgency in her voice, the Doctor and Tegan did as she instructed. Seconds later, they heard what sounded like a small explosion, followed by the screeching of the Quiloks. "Come on!" called Marena's voice. "Before they have time to recover. And you can open your eyes now," she added.

The Doctor and Tegan did so, to see the Quiloks blundering around, rubbing their eyes and seeming totally oblivious to the fact that there were four people within attacking distance. Indeed, none of the spiked creatures moved as the small party slipped past them as easily as if they had been inanimate stones. "How did you do that?" Tegan asked Marena, impressed that the Kylonians had been able to neutralise the Quiloks so easily. She had thought they were going to have to run and that would have cost them time Adric could ill afford to lose.

"We used our Kylonite," Marena replied. "It's one of this planet's minerals - and it's got some pretty special properties," she added, putting her piece of Kylonite back in her pack.

The Doctor looked at her thoughtfully. "Let me guess," he said in the tone of voice which said he didn't need to guess because he had already worked out the answer himself. "It absorbs the light of your sun, right?"

"And concentrates that light into a strong beam," added Marena, nodding to acknowledge that what the Doctor had said was correct. "So Jound and I used it to blind those Quiloks for a while. It'll wear off shortly - Quilok eyes have a mechanism which protects them from damage - but, if humanoid eyes were exposed to such intense light, it could lead to permanent blindness."

"Thanks for the warning," the Doctor said, recalling two occasions where one of his companions had suffered flash blindness. The first had been Sarah Jane, whose eyes had been affected by a ray from the ring worn by Maren, the woman who had led the Sisterhood of Karn before her suicide. Later, Leela had glanced back as the lighthouse the Doctor had converted into a laser beam shot down a Rutan spacecraft . . . Fortunately, in both cases, the damage had not been permanent, though there had been an interesting side-effect in Leela's case; for some reason the Doctor had never been able to fathom, the flash had caused what he had termed "pigmentation dispersal", changing her eyes from brown to blue.

But both women were now gone from the TARDIS; Sarah Jane was back on Earth and Leela was on Gallifrey, married to Commander Andred. Right now, the Doctor had to deal with a crisis that was affecting a member of the current TARDIS crew. Adric had been poisoned and, unless the Doctor was able to obtain the antidote in time . . .


Back in the Last City, Adric's condition was still giving Nyssa and Dorika cause for concern. They were doing everything they could to make him comfortable and help him to hang on until the Doctor and the others returned. But it was a battle in which they had little hope of a successful outcome; the poison from the spores had taken a firm grip on the boy and, though his body tried to fight off the effects, even his innate healing ability was not enough.

Nyssa gently dabbed a wet cloth over Adric's face, hoping the cool water might ease his fever. It wasn't much, but it was the only thing she could do for him. And, though Dorika was a Healer, she too could do little for the young Alzarian, except hope that the Doctor and his party returned in time and that they brought the antidote with them. At least it was more than she had been able to do for Pergon; in some ways, she felt she owed it to the Kylonian youth to make sure this boy was able to hang on, to make sure the Doctor's trip into Gark's territory would not be in vain.

Just for a moment, Adric stirred, opening his eyes and turning his head in Nyssa's direction. "Nyssa?" he whispered, unable to speak any louder. "Is the Doctor back yet?"

Nyssa shook her head slowly. "Try not to worry about it," she said, trying to disguise her own anxiety. But it wasn't easy, not when a friend's life was in danger and all she could do was wait and hope that help would arrive in time. "You need to rest," she added, knowing how agitated Adric could get. The last thing he needed right now was to make his already serious condition worse through worrying about things beyond his control.

Under normal circumstances, Adric responded to any attempt to tell him what to do with defiance, peevish complaining or what could only be described as outright sullenness. After more than one of his frequent arguments with the Doctor, he had stormed off to his quarters and slammed the door behind him, a sound which the Doctor and Tegan suspected would, had Adric been a Earth boy from at least the second half of the 20th Century, have been followed by the pounding beat of a stereo system turned up full blast. But there were still aspects of human culture that meant little to the young Alzarian.

At present, however, Adric lacked the strength to argue and he quickly fell asleep once more. But it was a restless sleep, troubled by fever-induced nightmares about Marshmen, the Great Vampire, the Master . . . Nyssa, watching her friend and hearing him mumbling incoherently, could do nothing beyond offer him the reassurance of her presence.


Meanwhile, the Doctor and his party had found their path blocked once again. This time, it was not Quiloks but a group of male humanoids who were impeding their progress. Tegan, keeping a wary distance, quickly eyed them up; all of them had the unkempt appearance that came from living rough, including several battle scars. In addition, the two who appeared to be in charge were both carrying guns that looked as though they dated from before the "Collapse" Jound had mentioned, held, the Doctor and Tegan noted, upside down.

The Doctor turned to Tegan and the two Kylonians. "Let me do the talking," he said, keeping his voice low to avoid being overheard. Then, he turned his attention to the two leaders. "Ah, good afternoon, gentlemen. I wonder if you'd mind stepping aside and letting us . . ."

He got no further before the taller of the men he was addressing cut him off in mid-sentence. "Silence, stranger! Take one more step and . . ." With slow deliberation, he pretended to cut his own throat.

The Doctor and Tegan exchanged glances, realising that an already difficult situation was about to be complicated further.