Chapter Four

Both men had changed into spacesuits and were walking into the main hanger where the pod was held, it was shaped like a walnut and a had one long observational windscreen. It was made of dark grey metal which looked slightly scorched. It was mounted on a massive platform there was a long hole in one side, which was open. The Two of them walked up a small ladder and climbed inside. Around them a band of scientists and technicians working at a vast arrays of consoles.

There were two seats in the pod. Ranger who had clambered in first was on the right where all the main controls were, The Doctor was sitting on the left. He wished he had his sonic screwdriver but the spacesuit had no pockets. Ranger buckled in and didn't say a word. The Doctor had made attempts but to engage in conversation but to no avail.

After a few minutes Ranger reached up and twisted a dial (One of many of the console in front of them) and a robotic voice began to speak "Countdown to ignition ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one." Just then the whole pod began to vibrate extremely violently.

Outside the scientist and G.I.N. personnel watched in amazement as the pod lifted from the ground and took off through the hanger doors and rocketed up into the air.

As they sawed high into the atmosphere, Commander Lyons was standing at his window, just then one of the telephones on his desk rang, and he turned and answered it "Commander Lyons… Yes Minister… He is co-operating with us Minister… Well he is travelling with a young lady named Miss Ringstead, Yes the Same Miss Ringstead… I know perhaps she may be of use to us Minister… I shall" and with that he hung up.

Soon the pod came into contact with the larger spaceship. It was a long silver cylinder, and the pod manage to dock in what looked like the emergency pod dock. There was a brief loud hiss as the passageway that bridged the gap between the pod and main ship pressurised both men put on space helmets and Ranger opened the hatch and clambered out. The Doctor followed, inside the ship there was hardly any bright lights, only bright red emergency lighting could be seen. Armed with a large torch, Ranger led the way.

Both men could communicate with each other, via a radio unit in their spacesuits, "Right" The Doctor said "If Commander Lyons wants to know more about this craft, we need to head to the bridge."

There was a rasping noise and Ranger's voice could be heard "Which is the bridge?"

Ranger walked past and exposed a control panel in the wall of the passage. "I need to input the code we managed to find inside the pod to release the locks."

Whilst Ranger typed the code into the panel The Doctor saw something out of the corner of his eye, he turned suddenly sending the light back down the passage, but there was nothing there. The Doctor two things straight away, firstly he and Ranger were not alone and secondly and whatever it was, appeared to be either shy or possibly dangerous.

The Door slide open and they proceeded onwards. Soon they reached the control room, which was a large round room with a massive console running the length of the room.

It was to this console that Ranger went, "I have to report what we have found to Commander Lyons" he said over the radio. The Doctor's attention however was drawn to what appeared to be some sort of secret door which was embedded into the wall, only the small outline

"Look at this?" The Doctor said. Ranger turned and shone his torch onto it "See if we can find a way of getting it open."

Back on Earth Commander Lyons was in his office when the telephone rang again, It was Commander Lyons' Private Secretary "I have Detective-Inspector Kyle on the phone sir. She wishes to speak to you and he says it sounds very urgent."

"Very Well" replied Commander Lyons "Put him through."

There was a click and a woman's voice could be heard "Detective-Inspector Jaclyn Kyle, am I speaking to the commanding officer?"

"I'm Commander John Lyons, senior officer in charge of the General Intelligence Network. How may I help you?"

"We've had several serious cases come to us in the last twenty-four hours, Many have been stalking cases but we have had a few serious assault cases. Three people have ended up in hospital with serious lacerations, No-one has died, yet. But we need to be on guard."

"I see" replied Lyons "What do you want me to do?"

"You have a lot of men and I'm saying that if you could tell them to be on their guard." Detective-Inspector Kyle said "It'll keep us all safe and will you keep me informed"

"I will" responded Commander Lyons and he hung up. He had a nasty feeling that whatever came with that pod maybe responsible for this, he picked up the phone again "Technical Labs… Get me full contact with the pod, Ranger and The Doctor."

Back on the spaceship The Doctor was trying to get into the hidden room. Whilst Ranger was examining the navigational circuits, Just then another voice came across the radio "G.I.N. Central calling G.I.N. pod, G.I.N. Central calling G.I.N. pod, come in G.I.N. pod. Over"

Then Ranger's voice could be heard "Ranger here, receiving you loud and clear G.I.N. Central. Over"

The Doctor sighed he hated all we he called 'Military Pomp and Circumstance' all this 'come in' and 'over'. Losing interest in the conversation The Doctor turned his attention back to the sealed door. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something again, again he wheeled around and flashed his torch on the corner of the room, whatever it was, was gone in a second but The Doctor could have sworn he had seen something green and alive vanish into the shadows.

"Doctor? Doctor?" it took The Doctor a few minutes to realise that Ranger was addressing him

"Yes?" he said out loud

"Commander Lyons and the group at G.I.N. Central want to know if we have found anything yet?" Ranger explained then added "calling G.I.N. Central, come in G.I.N. Central. We haven't found much"

"On the contrary" The Doctor interrupted "We may not have found much, but we know a tremendous amount more."

There was another rasping noise. "Static interference" explained Ranger "What do we know?"

"Firstly, there is something behind this sealed door and secondly the gravitational pull of the Earth is what keeping this spacecraft in permanent orbit."

"What's the third thing?" Ranger asked

Just then there was a loud bang the whole structure shook so fiercely that both The Doctor and Ranger were knocked of their feet, "What on Earth was that!" came what sounded like Commander Lyons' voice.

"Ah welcome to the party" The Doctor said "Did you feel that?"

"Felt it, we are recording all you say down here. Now what is the third thing." Lyons asked

"The third and most important thing Commander" The Doctor said "Is that both Ranger and I aren't alone aboard this vessel"

The Doctor looked out of the mainframe screen, "Look" he said Ranger joined him and slowly they saw the pod drifting out through the vast blackness of space "Not only are not alone" The Doctor said "We are stranded"