Chapter 9
Nyssa had succeeded in moving about half of the eggs into the tunnel, where Tegan placed them carefully along the wall. They had worked quickly, and Nyssa had shielded some eggs from falling chunks of earth with her own body. Still, several had been crushed as heavier clumps fell.
The room continued to shake intermittently. Bits of dirt fell upon Tegan in the smaller tunnel, too. However, this area seemed slightly more stable than the large chamber.
"Hurry, Nyssa!" Tegan encouraged, holding out her arms for another egg.
Nyssa placed the sphere in her friend's waiting hands. A soft thud in the chamber caused both young women to peer out into the room. They saw a pile of dirt near the center of the cavern. Dust rose from it, stirred by its fall.
"The whole room is about to collapse!" Tegan wailed. She grasped Nyssa's arm and pulled her into the tunnel. "Come on. We have to get away from here."
"But the eggs—" Nyssa protested.
"You have to leave them."
Another mass of dirt fell from the ceiling, burying several of the remaining eggs.
"Come on," Tegan urged again.
With a final glance back, Nyssa nodded and helped Tegan move further into the tunnel. The eggs against the wall provided some illumination, but ahead the tunnel remained dark.
Somewhat breathlessly, Tegan said, "I hope the Doctor gets here soon."
"If the other tunnel is caving in, he might not be able to reach us," Nyssa replied softly.
"Cripes." Tegan was staring ahead, squinting slightly. "That may be the least of our problems."
"What?"
Tegan pointed. "That glow," she said. "The insects are returning."
The Doctor's right hand lay at his side. His fingers clutched the bit of webbing that had covered his face. Slowly his chest rose and fell, then he gasped, eyes flying open to dart around the room. He took another great breath then sat up. At first he thought that he was still dizzy, since the floor seemed to rock beneath him. But as he watched, he saw Turlough's body roll to the side. Something was causing the TARDIS to move.
The Doctor scrambled to his feet. In fact, he was still somewhat woozy, but he managed to stumble to the console and punch in some hasty coordinates. The TARDIS shuddered slightly, and he nodded in relief.
He waited a few seconds to be certain that the floor was stable, then he pulled the shears from his pocket and knelt next to Turlough. Bits of lava clung to the web that encased his head. If the lava had penetrated the webbing and touched his skin… The Doctor shook his head. That would be the least of Turlough's problems if he had inhaled the gases.
Quickly he cut away the webbing from Turlough's face, pulling the sticky material back to reveal the Trion's pallid skin.
"Turlough," the Doctor said, lightly slapping the young man's cheek.
This elicited no response. The Doctor snipped at the web, removing it from Turlough's head and neck. With considerable relief, he saw that there were no burns on the Trion's scalp or face. He pressed his fingers against the boy's neck to feel a slow pulse beat.
"Come on, Turlough," he encouraged, "you can breathe now. The air is fine." He quickly cut and tore the web away from Turlough's arms and torso then rested his hand over his companion's chest. The Trion's breathing was very shallow, and his skin was still dreadfully pale.
The Doctor stood, hurrying toward the hallway to fetch an oxygen canister. A small cough stopped him, however. He turned to look back at Turlough.
"Doctor?" the Trion said weakly, blinking in the artificial light of the console room.
"Yes, Turlough, I'm right here."
Turlough lifted his head slightly, surveying the web that still wrapped his hips and legs. "What happened?"
The Doctor pulled Turlough toward the wall, lifting his shoulders so that he sat upright. Without responding to the question, he asked, "How do you feel? Does your chest hurt when you breathe?"
Turlough took a moment to assess his condition as the Doctor cut the web from his legs. Finally he replied, "I think I'm all right."
The Doctor nodded. "Good." He pulled the last of the web from Turlough's ankles, studying it briefly. "Amazing stuff," he murmured.
"Pardon?"
The Doctor dropped the piece of web to the floor. "Oh—the web. It's really quite an intriguing material. It protected you from the gases and the lava."
"Really? So the insects ended up saving me, not killing me as they'd planned."
"I am not entirely sure that killing you was their plan." He plucked a bit of webbing from Turlough's hair. "You'll need to shower to remove the rest of the web. It seems to have a slight toxicity that may affect you adversely. You'll need to use shampoo—"
Turlough held up his hands. "That might present a problem."
"Yes. Well, I can help you. But I wonder…" He touched the web that was wrapped around Turlough's hand then cut through it with the shears.
"Thanks. I haven't enjoyed having that on."
The Doctor pulled the web away to reveal pink, healing skin. "Hmm. Just as I thought."
Turlough studied his hand. "It's nearly healed! How is that possible?"
"The web must contain chemicals that facilitate healing. This makes quite a bit of sense, actually. If the insects are burned by the geysers, this would enhance their healing abilities."
"But you said it was toxic."
"For humans, it may be. It seemed to affect Tegan rather seriously. However, your biochemistry is slightly different from hers—still, it would be a good idea to remove all traces of the web as soon as possible. The water and shampoo won't harm this hand. Try to keep the other one dry, though."
The Time Lord stood and walked toward the console. Turlough rose, too. Through the view screen he saw dark, empty space. "Have we left the planet?" he asked with surprise.
"For the moment. Lava was beginning to surround the TARDIS, so I had to move her. However," he tapped at the keys, "we need to return. Nyssa and Tegan are not safe where they are."
"No?"
"No. The insects present a threat, and the tunnels are becoming unstable. The one in which I found you was near collapse when I pulled you out."
"You came back for me—"
The Doctor held up a hand. "Sshh." He bent toward the control panel to study the screen, tracing an image on it with his finger. He shook his head.
"Doctor?"
"Quiet, Turlough. Determining the precise coordinates for the egg chamber is rather tricky—I need to think…"
Turlough felt slightly light-headed; he leaned against the wall.
"Do it now."
He started, looking around quickly. The Doctor was still immersed in thought; he had not spoken. He was hunched over the console, preoccupied with his task. Turlough rested his hand against the crystal. The numbness had finally left his fingers, and for a moment he thought he felt heat radiating from his pocket.
He straightened, but the movement caused his vision to blur.
"Now, boy!"
Turlough recognized the deep, imperious voice. He blinked and gripped the crystal. "But he saved me," he whispered.
A dark shadow passed just at the edge of Turlough's line of sight. He thought he felt a hand push him forward, and he stumbled away from the support of the wall. The coat rack was near him. Tentatively he extended his hand toward it then gripped the sturdy stock and moved with stealthy steps toward the Doctor.
Tegan and Nyssa stood frozen near the tunnel entrance as the insects approached them. The animals' wings rose, and their antennae slashed from side to side. Clearly they now viewed the intruders as their enemy.
Nyssa took a breath then extended her hands toward the eggs piled against the wall. "Look. We've moved them in here to keep them safe," she said, focusing her eyes on the insects.
Those in the lead paused, seeming to look at the eggs then at Nyssa. They made several squeaking noises accompanied by head movements.
"What do you think they're saying?" Tegan whispered.
Nyssa shook her head. "I don't know."
A large clump of dirt fell near Tegan's shoulder, and she stumbled back, her feet treading dangerously near several of the eggs. The insects watched her movements then squealed and opened their jaws.
"Sorry!" Tegan exclaimed. "I didn't mean—"
"It's no use, Tegan. They don't understand. They just see us as a threat to their young."
The insects moved forward now, undeterred by the shaking of the passageway. A steady shower of dirt rained from the ceiling.
"It's not going to hold much longer," Tegan said, eyes moving up for a moment then back to the advancing insects.
Nyssa had taken a step toward the chamber and glanced into the room. "The entire ceiling is about to give out," she said. She reached for Tegan's hand, clasping it firmly.
"Nyssa?" Tegan entwined her fingers with her friend's. "I'm glad to have known you."
Nyssa squeezed the Australian's hand gently. "Me too."
The insects stood directly before them, rearing up and snapping, mandibles only centimeters from the women's throats. Squeezing her eyes shut, Tegan lifted her arm to try to block the strike, though she knew without a doubt that this motion would not deter the livid insects for long.
The wall shook behind her back, and the rumbling seemed to increase. The sound grew louder, sharper somehow, and vaguely familiar.
The Doctor turned from the console as the TARDIS materialized. Turlough stood less than a meter form him, holding the coat rack in his hand.
"What are you doing?" asked the Time Lord.
Turlough glanced hastily at the view screen then lowered his impromptu weapon. "If the insects try to attack, it might prove useful."
The Doctor reached for the lever to open the door. "Hopefully that won't be necessary. We seem to have made it to the right place, though I had some difficulty setting the coordinates. I think there may be a lose wire somewhere…" His voice trailed off distractedly for a moment, then he said, "Come on."
He stepped out into the chamber amid a shower of dirt and small rocks. It was difficult to see through the dust. "Tegan! Nyssa!" he called.
"Doctor!" Tegan's frantic voice responded. "In here!"
The Doctor hurried toward the tunnel, calling back, "Turlough! Bring that rack!"
Turlough followed closely behind the Time Lord, carrying the coat rack in one hand. Just inside the tunnel they found Tegan and Nyssa surrounded by insects. Both young women were pressed against the wall, and the insects were snapping at them. The Doctor took the coat rack from Turlough and thrust it toward the animals, striking several across their backs. They hissed and stepped backward to stare at him briefly before rearing and lunging at him.
"Quickly!" he told Nyssa and Tegan, motioning for them to slip behind him and out of the tunnel.
Nyssa helped Tegan to hobble past the Doctor. Turlough stood just outside the tunnel now, and to their tremendous relief they saw the TARDIS near the center of the chamber. They ran through the falling dirt toward the door. Turlough was right behind them. Once inside the TARDIS, he brushed past them to place his hand on the door lever.
"Turlough! Wait!" cried Nyssa. "The Doctor is still out there!"
"The chamber is collapsing. We have to leave now," Turlough said firmly, moving the lever.
"No!" Nyssa ran toward him. "Not without the Doctor!"
She pushed Turlough away from the lever and opened the door.
"Close it! Now!" The Doctor's voice startled the three travelers. He stood panting just inside the door, still grasping the coat rack in one hand.
Nyssa quickly moved the lever. The door closed, but not before several chunks of dirt and rock bounced inside. Falling debris pummeled the roof. The Doctor set the coat rack back in its usual place then hurried to the console. The TARDIS had begun to shake, and Tegan, unable to balance successfully on one leg, fell to the ground.
"We can leave any time now," she suggested wryly, struggling to maintain some semblance of dignity while sprawled upon the floor.
With a wheeze, the TARDIS faded from the chamber as the hard earthen ceiling split open, quickly filling the room with countless tons of dirt and rock.
