Chapter 3
In the Control Room, Carolyn glanced up in alarm from the console. "Nita! The sensors are picking up an electromagnetic disturbance – approaching the Doctor's position."
"Analysis?"
"A variable induction field… possibly a life-form."
"How close is it to the Doctor?"
"The field is erratic – appearing and disappearing – but it seems to be moving toward him."
"Attacking?"
Carolyn's look at Nita told her that is was a reasonable assumption.
In the clearing there was another roar – and a strange low crackling. The Doctor and the Terraberserker both were facing toward the still unseen source. The alien turned to the Doctor, gravely offering him the dagger. "Temba. His arms wide," Winfield said urgently.
"I'll go along with that." The Doctor grabbed the weapon and both turned in time to see a humanoid blur appearing on a ridge. It was at this point just a distortion in the air – kicking up dust and brush.
"How close are we on the materialization circuit?"
"About two hours – maybe three."
"I want the Doctor out of there now."
Carolyn and Nita shared a look.
"That's not…. Likely, Nita."
"I don't want to hear that, Carolyn."
"What's the resonance frequency?"
"Point three four over standard."
"I want a resolution of point five three at the very least. I'll need two more minutes, Nita. But there's a good chance this isn't going to work."
Nita and Carolyn looked at each other – the dynamic was more like two generals discussing strategy than two travelling companions.
"If it fails…"
"I know. We'll have tipped our hand to the Terraberserkers. But that's a chance we've got to take."
Carolyn nodded. "Agreed."
"Proceed."
"On it."
The creature was now across the clearing, an almost imperceptible ripple in the air, a low electrical crackling sound coming from it. The Doctor indicated they should retreat. The Terraberserker shrugged him off – as if he knew better.
"Mirab – his sails unfurled?"
The Doctor started to move away from the distortion. Again motioning for Winfield to follow. "Come on."
Winfield hung back. "Shaka. When the walls fell." Winfield indicated the blur in the air. A beat and it suddenly crackled loudly and disappeared. A silent beat. Suddenly it reappeared with a loud crackle, much closer, cutting off the path the Doctor would have taken – almost as if to demonstrate its prowess. There was clearly no way to out run it.
"Shaka. When the walls fell," Winfield said hopelessly, observing the creature's speed.
"Shaka… You said that before. When I couldn't build a fire. A failure? An inability to do something?"
The Terraberserker squared off toward the creature, weapon ready. The Doctor did the same.
"Doman and Jalad-"
"-at Tanagra."
The alien looked surprised.
"I remember the words. But I don't understand…"
The creature crackled loudly, threateningly. The Doctor and the Terraberserker awaited its attack…
Carolyn and Nita worked furiously at the console.
"Matrix levels."
"Annular convergence holding at four three nine point two zero five. Confinement resolution at point five two seven."
"That isn't gonna do it. Increase thermal input coefficient to one hundred and fifty percent."
"Increasing now…"
"How's that?"
Carolyn kept working without missing a beat. "We're almost there, Nita. Shunt the overload to the phase transition sequencers in dematerialization circuit one."
"Ok." Nita's fingers flew over the console.
"Confirm phase sequencer linkage."
Nita touched the panel. "Link confirmed. Ready whenever you are, Carolyn."
The creature roared and moved toward them, a distortion in the air…
The alien captain motioned the Doctor away, indicating there should be more distance between them, using his hands to indicate the split.
The creature was still hovering near, its blur wavering in the air, the low electrical noise around it.
"Uzani. His army at Lashmir."
The Doctor stared at him in the heat of the moment, trying desperately to understand – their lives depended on it. "At Lashmir. Was it like this at Lashmir? Similar to what we're facing now?"
The creature crackled loudly, and disappeared. Silence. The Doctor and Winfield tensed up, anticipating the creature's next location. They urgently tried to connect with each other.
"Uzani…" The Terraberserker took another step to the side – again indicating more distance between the Doctor and himself. "His army. With fist open."
The Doctor became excited. "A strategy? With fist open…" The Doctor opened his hand. "With fist open. Why…? To lure the enemy…"
"His army. With fist closed."
The Doctor closed his fist. "With fist closed. An army. Open… to lure the enemy. Then closed… To attack. That's how you communicate, isn't it? By citing example. By metaphor. Uzani's army. With fist closed!"
"Sokath. His eyes uncovered!"
A violent crackling roar. Both turned toward the sound. The creature was directly in front of them, wavering between the two, divided about which to attack. It chose the Doctor – suddenly becoming visible – and lunged toward him. It was a horrifying creature surrounded with a shimmering electrical field.
The Doctor moved sideways, slashing out with his dagger as he went. The dagger contacted the field (not flesh); the creature shrieked angrily in response.
The Terraberserker leaped in from the creature's blind side, slashing it with his weapon – also contacting the field around it. Sparks flew, the creature again shrieked, whipping around to the new source of attack, leaving the Doctor alone.
The Doctor executed the same move the Terraberserker just made, attacking from the creature's blindside, distracting it from the Terraberserker.
The Terraberserker again attacked, and as the creature turned toward him… the TARDIS began to materialize around the Doctor! The Doctor reacted – struggling to get back outside the TARDIS before it dematerialized again, not wanting to abandon his comrade. "No!"
But the word was fritzed, the Doctor was silenced by the sound of the TARDIS dematerializing.
The Doctor's image semi-materialized in the control room, flickering between more- and then less – solid states.
Carolyn was at the controls. "I've got a piece of him, Nita. But that's all…"
Nita came around the console. "Carolyn, boost the confinement beam!"
"One fifty-seven over standard. It's as solid as it'll go, Nita.
The Terraberserker was hurled violently across the clearing – burn marks slashed across his chest. The creature leaped upon him.
The TARDIS continued to materialize in and out.
Without the Doctor to distract it, the creature was all over the Terraberserker. He desperately tried to roll away from it, but nothing worked – he was at its complete mercy, being battered and slashed by claws and electrical charge.
Carolyn looked up from her controls. "The Terraberserker and the entity are in close proximity. The Terraberserker's lifesigns are fluctuating."
Nita glanced at the instrument panel over the shoulder of the other woman. "The scattering field is still in full force." She indicated the screen. "What the hell is wrong with them? Their sensors can read what's going on as well as ours can."
Carolyn worked the controls as the Doctor continued to materialize in and out – only it was getting weaker. "The field's still deflecting the signal. There just isn't enough of him, Nita."
"Open a channel to the Terraberserker ship."
Carolyn touched the controls. "All right."
The Terraberserker bridge appeared on the viewscreen, the First Officer looking frustrated and angry.
Nita addressed the screen. "Your captain is under attack. Drop your particle field."
The First Officer stared at Nita for a hard beat, then turned to his tactical officer. "Kailash…" He faced Nita. "When it rises…"
The screen went dead.
"They have closed the channel."
The Doctor's image began to completely dematerialize.
"I can't hold him, Nita."
On the planet, the TARDIS dematerialized and the Doctor appeared in its place, just in time to see the creature blur out and disappear in a crackling snarl, leaving the fallen Terraberserker behind. The Doctor ran to him, and crouched down at his side. The Terraberserker was still conscious, but seriously injured. Burned, slashed, white blood appearing at open wounds. Winfield stealed himself against the pain – a heroic warrior. "Shaka…"
The Doctor nodded, remembered the phrase, and completed it. "…when the walls fell."
The Terraberserker gave him a weak smile – and slumped into unconsciousness.