Surgery
It was not the first time that Lockwood had called on the use of a specialist such as Yvonne Krieger. The last time he had needed her help was when he had found two alien specimens on the moors of Scotland. Granted, it was not in Yvonne's interest to ask too many questions, so she had done her job as she had been hired to do and moved on, aware that the tissue-healing enzyme that had been discovered in the alien's blood would be developed for public use over the next several years and that Yvonne, as a reward for her services, would share in a healthy cut of the profits such a thing would make. It would certainly make for more of a monetary reward than what she was making now, at the research institute where she was currently working.
She was a woman of thirty-four, tall and slim, with light brown hair that was tied back in a bunch and a set of glasses that gave her a serious, but certainly intelligent, appearance. Arriving at the fortress, she was immediately doubtful of the state of the facilities here, but when she saw the large tent beyond the fortress' outer walls she found that her doubts were alleviated somewhat. Lockwood came out to greet her, along with some archaeologist named Ridgefield, who uttered a few words in greeting while Lockwood did most of the talking.
"Doctor Krieger, so glad you could make it," Lockwood said. They stood within the walls of the fortress, in the muddy open courtyard between the outer wall and the inner keep. "I knew you wouldn't pass up this opportunity."
"Of course not, Captain," Krieger replied. "You found actual humanoid reptiles underground? I wouldn't believe it, had anyone else told me."
"You can always trust me, doctor," Lockwood said. He gestured to the large green tent near the inner keep. "Follow me. I'll show you to our facilities. Temporary as they are, I think they are more than adequate."
The large green tent had been converted into a laboratory environment, complete with a simple decontamination chamber before the entrance. Passing through a spray of sterilising white smoke that smelled of antiseptic, Lockwood took Krieger into the tent. Here, all manner of medical equipment had been set up, with a proper metal floor in place and a guard standing at one corner. This was probably necessary, given the creature that was strapped to the surgical table. Tall and broad-shouldered, it had been stripped of its armour, which lay bundled up in one corner. The creature itself was alive and awake, it large yellow eyes looking to the pair as they came in. The angry snarl it gave seemed to be directed at Lockwood, who only smiled in response.
"He's a bit talkative, this one," Lockwood commented. "A fine specimen if I ever saw it. None of the damage that was on the last one."
"And how is the other one?" Krieger asked.
"He's fine. He helps around the house. Rather grateful for it, I'd say."
Krieger put her bag aside and found a blue surgical gurney hanging at the wall. She knew the drill by now, and she placed it over her front before finding a surgical mask on a table nearby that she placed over her chin. Lockwood retained his smile as he stopped next to the very conscious specimen, and it visibly tried to force its way through the straps to get to him. Its fingers each had a short claw at the end, and it appeared likely that it would be able to slash up anyone it did not like, and so far Lockwood seemed to be the one it hated the most.
"He's full of energy," Lockwood said, looking down at it. "He talks as well. Go on, say something. Show the good doctor here what you're made of."
"I will kill you," it hissed. Judging from the look of it, Krieger assumed it was male. A closer inspection revealed as much, although the sexual organs in this case were behind a protective pouch of sorts. Its skin was rough and ridged in places, more akin to a fish than a land reptile. At its neck she took note of the gills visible there, classing the creature as an 'amphibian' of sorts.
"You found this underground?" She asked Lockwood.
"Indeed. There are hundreds of them down there, in suspended animation." Lockwood turned to face her. "This one, I believe, is their leader. The first one to be woken up."
"Hundreds, you say?" Krieger had a bit of difficulty accepting this claim. That many intelligent walking lizards sounded like it would be trouble. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"They're all in suspended animation," Lockwood answered. "There isn't enough power down there to wake them all up, certainly not without sacrificing a large percentage of their number. We simply stumbled onto this fellow by pure chance." He paused, mulling over the topic for a moment, all the while the creature glared at him. Krieger wondered how it felt, tied up and naked, likely the most vulnerable it had ever been. Then again, she was not being paid to feel anything for it, and why should she? She could hardly have sympathy for a non-human creature like this. Then again, she did not have much sympathy for any of the creatures she cut open as part of her job, and this was what this was, after all; just another job for her, a better paid one at that.
"So, the whole situation is under control, I take it?" Krieger stepped over to the trolley at the end of the surgical table. There was the usual assortment of implements here, including scalpels, a small cutting tool with a circular blade, a pair of sleek looking scissors and so on. She took up one of the scalpels, pleased to see that it had recently been washed thoroughly and sterilised. Lockwood had prepared everything, and he was the sort of man who liked to cover all his bases, thereby limiting the potential for something to take him off-guard. It was probably the reason why he had been so successful in his ventures, and it was only by luck that Krieger had caught his eye in the first place.
"No anaesthetic, I take it?" She asked, glancing at him.
"There's no telling what that might do to this fellow's physiology," Lockwood said. "Still, you are the expert on these matters, so I'll leave the final decision to you."
"You're right, of course," Krieger said, looking back down at the creature. It was watching her now, its yellow eyes blazing with what she could only assume was hatred. Did it know what was coming? Most certainly. If it was smart enough to talk, it was smart enough to know what she was about to do.
"I'll leave you to it, then," Lockwood said. "Be sure to report everything you find. And, if possible, try to keep this fellow alive for as long as you can. A dead specimen is hardly helpful, is it?"
"I'll do what I can." Krieger could not guarantee anything, when working on something this far from human. She knew her way around a human body, it was her job to, but for something like this there would be a fair amount of poking and prodding, all the while she would attempt to map out its anatomy. There were computers here to help her do so. It was practically an honour, to be the first to dissect a creature such as this, recently discovered as it was. She put aside any thoughts of potential fame and set her mind on the task at hand, lifting the surgical mask over her nose and mouth as she did so. Looking down, the creature began to press against its binds again, but to no avail. She had no doubt that it carried a great deal of strength in its body, but not enough to free it. She wondered, briefly, how long it would stay conscious before the shock became too much and it practically shut down? Very few living creatures could survive a vivisection for long.
Lockwood strode out of the room, leaving Krieger alone with the creature, with a single guard for company. He stood in the far corner near the entrance, watching her as she put the scalpel down to the creature's chest. As soon as the blade began to cut through the flesh, the creature began to snarl, attempting to thrash about. It could hardly move as it was, and Krieger found that she had to saw through a thick layer of skin to reach the more sensitive tissue underneath. Dark red blood seeped out around the scalpel, as she gradually drew the incision down across the creature's chest. It began to shout, its guttural voice a mix of English and some bizarre alien tongue. As such, she could only catch a few words here and there, mainly ones telling her that she would "die" for what she was doing. It even called her "cattle" at one point, which struck her as a bit strange, but after a few minutes the creature's energy seemed to dissipate and it fell back, head lulling to one side while its eyes rolled back into its head. By now she had cut a line down the front of its torso, blood trickling off to either side and smearing all over her gloved hands. Adding a few extra lengths to the main incision, she gradually pried open the flaps of flesh, revealing the creature's rib-cage and the still pulsing organs underneath. Even at a glance, she was surprised by its similarity to human anatomy. Granted, there were a few notable differences, but overall the layout was very similar.
Lockwood had not cleared her to remove any organs, so for now she would content herself with simply mapping out what anatomy she could. It was by far the most fascinating creature she had seen so far, and back at the research centre she had cut open all sorts of Earthly creatures. This one was new, though perhaps not as exotic as the alien that Lockwood had brought her in to cut open some months ago. There was much to learn from this one, if what she was seeing was any indication.
Someone like her could not afford any emotional attachment. As such, some would have labelled Krieger as 'cold'. Perhaps she was, she would certainly admit as much, but it was a requirement for the sort of research she did. Some would have considered it 'inhumane'. She had no time for such labels, she had worked hard to get to where she was now and she had learned so much about all manner of creatures on Earth, knowledge that would only benefit humanity. That was what she had always wanted to do, and by finding out everything she could about this potentially dangerous specimen before her, she would only be further benefiting the human race in general. Inhumane or not, someone had to do it and she was more than content to be that someone.
The computers and scanners dotted about the room recorded what she did, all the while gradually building a three-dimensional model of the creature and its anatomy. It took a load off of Krieger's shoulders, and ensured that she would not require any assistants to do it for her. Computer technology had come a long way, and someone like Lockwood could afford the more sophisticated stuff. It took her a little while, but she felt she had managed to get a good idea of what kind of anatomy this creature had, all the while its heart continued to beat. A hardy specimen for sure, and she resisted the urge to pull out anything that looked important.
"A number of the alternate exits have caved in," Havartiss said. He regarded the display in front of him, while Gasrava and one other of his brethren stood a few paces behind him. The whole facility was gradually falling apart, which was to be expected given how long they had slept. The computer systems had done their best to keep things running, but there was only so much that it could do on a dwindling power supply. Now there were hundreds of their own still in stasis, requiring a jump-start to awake. Others had perished during their sleep, their pods life support systems having failed completely. At least, in that sense, it made for a painless and peaceful death.
The female standing behind him, slimly built with less pronounced fins, spoke next.
"We should send out scouting parties," she replied. Her name was Livakresh, and she was one of the few female warriors who had been placed in stasis in the facility. They were a rare breed, usually relegated to support roles in combat. One issue Havartiss had discovered, after running some diagnostics with Gasrava, was the lack of females in general that were in stasis. If they expected to propagate their species and repopulate the Earth, then females were very much a necessity. Contacting any other facility was out of the question. Their communications systems had long ceased to function and it was unlikely any facilities in broadcasting range would reply. Some might have been long buried, or had been destroyed in natural disasters. The Earth's continents had shifted during the time they had been asleep, which would explain some of the damage the facility had received over the years. Parts of the floor had shifted entirely, causing great gashes through the metal framework and severing power conduits. They had never been intended to be in use for so long, and Havartiss knew that the fault lay at the ones who had programmed the computers and designed the machines.
They had miscalculated, and as a result many of their own had died and the world above was no longer theirs. He turned to Gasrava, who had been attempting to get some of the other equipment working. Judging from the frustrated huffing noises he was making, it appeared that he was having very little success.
"Tell me, oh great scientist," Havartiss said, as he turned to Gasrava. He made his disdain clear in his voice. "How did it happen?"
"How did what happen?" Gasrava looked up warily, as if he knew what was coming.
"How did we oversleep so long?"
"From what I can gather, there was an oversight."
"An oversight?" Havartiss practically spat the words, his anger exploding out of him at that moment. Gasrava visibly winced and took a step back from the fuming Commander. "You can hardly call this an oversight! We have been asleep for millions of years! The fact that the apes found us down here is through pure chance. By all accounts we should be dead, this whole place decayed into a rusty hollow."
"Our engineers clearly knew what they were doing…"
Havartiss stepped forwards, suddenly closing in on the anxious scientist. He grabbed him by the neck, before throwing him against the nearest wall and pinning him there. Livakresh watched, the Sea Devil equivalent of a smile appearing on her face.
"You fool," Havartiss said. "No wonder it all went wrong, because we entrusted ones such as yourself to ensure the future of our people. Now the apes rule the surface, and we are reduced to a mere handful. Is this what you wanted for us, Gasrava? You and your scientists, is this what you all wanted?"
"I'm sorry," Gasrava rasped, struggling to get a breath past Havartiss' vice-like grip. "There was nothing we could have done…"
Havartiss let go of him, allowing Gasrava to drop to the floor gasping for air. He turned to Livakresh, who twitched her head fins eagerly. She had no doubt been entertained by Havartiss' display of authority. It was one way to catch the attention of a female.
"What do we do now, Commander?" She asked him. "Do you have a plan? After all, in the Field Marshall's absence, you are in command."
"We will scout the surface," Havartiss said. "There is an alternate exit further north. As for the structure above us, I believe that is where the apes may have taken the Field Marshall. It would be dangerous to launch a head-on rescue mission."
"It almost sounds as if you don't want to rescue the Field Marshall."
"I am as loyal to the Field Marshall as you are, Livakresh," Havartiss countered. He kept his tone level, careful to prevent any such accusation from having an audible effect on his demeanour. He did not know just how loyal Livakresh and the others were, but as the second-in-command he was supposed to be supportive of whatever the Field Marshall wanted. "But we simply do not have the numbers as yet to launch a rescue mission. There is no telling what the apes might have built in terms of weaponry, and just how intelligent they may be. They know about us now, and that means we may only have a short time before they decide to come back down here. As a result, we must conduct our next course of action very carefully."
"Indeed, Commander," Livakresh said. "We would not want the apes to strike us now, when we are at our most vulnerable."
Havartiss turned to Gasrava, who had risen to his feet and was trying to compose himself after the chokehold.
"Tell me, scientist," Havartiss said, with some disdain in his voice. "How many of our people can we raise from suspended animation?"
"With our current power levels?" Gasrava slowly shook his head. "Very few. A sudden awakening can provide enough of a shock to the system to kill one of our own, and what little power we have is only able to keep our people alive in the barest sense of the term. I can probably attempt some limited number of revivals, but that will drain our power reserves and may affect the rest of our brethren still in their pods."
"We need soldiers. Bring out those you can, and if the power reserves do begin to dwindle any more than they have, cease doing so."
Gasrava nodded slowly. He went to the main control panel and began to tap away at the keys. The display across the viewport flickered sporadically, a symptom of the failing power. Havartiss turned to Livakresh.
"Gather those who are awake," Havartiss ordered. "We will commence with the scouting operation. We must find out everything we can about the apes and how much they have evolved."
Livakresh snapped off a quick salute before turning around and leaving the room. There was only a handful of them awake now, perhaps seven in total including Gasrava. Of course, Havartiss had no intention of bringing the scientist along on any scouting mission. He would have to stay here and keep the facility working, while Havartiss sought another source of power they could utilise to wake up their brethren. They could very well be the last of their kind, and so their actions today could determine the future of their race. If Havartiss was to lead them in this new, uncertain era, he would do just that and he would do everything he could to ensure the survival of his people. It was his duty, what he had been raised to do ever since he was a mere fledgling.
"Oh, no, no, no."
There was a suspiciously square-shaped impression in the mud where the TARDIS had been. There was also a set of tire tracks going away from it, and a number of boot-prints around them. The Doctor stood looking at all this, with a mix of shock and annoyance on his face. Someone had snatched up the TARDIS, and very recently. He did not have to guess as to who. It became obvious where he would have to go to rectify the situation.
Just how much did Lockwood know about him? A man like that, with the money to do what he wanted, had probably bought all the information he could get about the Doctor. That meant he could very well have access to everything UNIT might have on him, which was more information than most humans ever found about the Doctor. It was a worrisome thought, but the disappearance of the TARDIS did make a cruel sort of sense. Lockwood would know that he would need his machine, and had taken it likely with the intention of luring the Doctor back to him. Well, it was going to work like a charm, and it would not be the first time the Doctor had willingly walked into a trap.
If Lockwood wanted him, he would get him, but on his terms. The Doctor would confront the man again, and he would do whatever he could to correct the mistake he had made. Had he taken the time to learn more about Lockwood he might have thought twice about opening the way into the Sea Devil base. As it stood, there was a situation brewing that could very well turn into a disaster, and the least he could do was attempt to prevent it from getting to such a point. Also, Lockwood had something of his that he wanted back.
As for Spartus, the alien prisoner would have to wait. The Doctor knew he could deactivate the charge in his head, even with just a sonic screwdriver. He simply needed to get that tool back as well. Just what had he gotten himself into, getting involved with Lockwood? It was as if the man knew everything about him, and not just in the annoying and somewhat creepy way UNIT did.
"All right, Lockwood," the Doctor said aloud, to no one in particular. He turned around and started back across the muddy plain, heading for the nearby road. "If you want to play a game, I'll play. I'll play it right back at you."
