Chapter Five
The Control room of the General Intelligence Network was full of people. Commander Lyons, Pip O'Niell and Jess Ringstead were just three of them. Lyons had come down from his office and had asked both Pip and Jess to join him in the control room. They could here both The Doctor and Ranger talking. Ranger had told them that they had safely docked and what the ship looked like. Commander Lyons had a large microphone which was attached to a pair of headphones. There were wireless and connected him to the men in space. They had heard the loud noise and The Doctor saying that they were not alone.
Jess had let her hands drop to her side and felt Pip's close in and hold it tightly.
Back in space The Doctor was looking around for whatever it was he had seen. Ranger's voice came through loud and clear "Unable to access navigational aid Commander, power cells to low." Meanwhile The Doctor had noticed something else. Leaving Ranger alone he walked back to the sealed door, where there was another panel in the wall, pulling it off he found a cluster of wires and cables. As he needed two hands to carry out the tasks, he called Ranger over.
Ranger joined him and picked up his torch and held it level with the hole. The light showed a jumble of cables but in the middle were two large pipes. The Doctor reached through and gave one of the pipes a massive tug. There was a loud clank and the sealed door opened. Revealing a smaller room with a futuristic looking chair in the middle, But hanging above the chair was a large cylinder which was made of metal stands with metal mesh in-between them. "What is that?" Ranger asked "it looks like a giant tea-strainer"
"Or a cage?" The Doctor replied "designed to be lowered over the chair to restrain the occupant"
"What is this place?" Ranger questioned
"I have no idea" The Doctor admitted "but there is something sinister. Better tell the Commander" Ranger walked back into the bridge to report to the Commander, The Doctor was walking around the chair.
Just then he felt something pulling hard at his leg. Down on the ground everyone heard The Doctor's voice shouting "Ranger!"
"What the hell is going on up there?" Shouted Commander Lyons into the microphone.
"You know I said we were not alone" The Doctor said "Well I think we have established contact."
Ranger arrived and helped whatever it was that was holding onto The Doctor. It was an alien, yet it had two arms, legs and one head, but with a giant bulbous head and bright greens skin with vivid yellow eyes. What was surprised what that he appeared to be wearing a uniform which consisted of a blue jacket and trousers, black shoes, white shirt and black ties though there were vicious looking cuts on his arm, as if he had been attacked by a bladed weapon.
Together they got him into the bridge "Who are you?" asked the alien
"We are members of the General Intelligence Network" The Doctor said "We mean you know harm" they said the alien on the floor,
Ranger stood up quickly "Back away Doctor, we don't know if he can be trusted yet?"
"Don't be stupid Ranger" The Doctor replied "Isn't it obvious that this being is badly injured. I'm a Doctor, I'll do my best but we are in need of some much needed information. What is your name?"
"My name is Clodax, Chief Escort Officer of USLO." The alien explained
"USLO?" said Ranger "What is USLO?"
"Universal Society for Law and Order, in the 22nd Century, Earth will a similar organization called ESLO!"
The Doctor made a bandage out of the Clodax's shirt. "Universal Society for Law and Order?" Ranger said "What were you doing?"
"A prisoner and escort, this is what makes things more interesting. You were transporting a prisoner?"
Clodax nodded "We were"
"What sort of Prisoner?" came Lyons' voice
Ranger posed the question "A hostile alien, which has a bloodthirsty reputation" just then another loud bang was heard and the whole structure shook violently again, "What is going on!" Shouted Lyons' back on earth.
"The Gravitational Hold is weakening and quite badly too" The Doctor explained
Just then The Doctor wheeled around and this time he saw something that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, in the light of his torch was a small creature about a foot long, with four bend legs like those of a lizard, a mouth full of a little pointed teeth and a triangular-shaped head, looked at The Doctor with a pair of dark black eyes, Just then there was a blinding flash of light and the creature lay still. The Doctor spun round again, Ranger was standing behind him a blaster pistol in his hand "You didn't have to kill it!" The Doctor shouted
"It's only stunned, not dead" Ranger explained, just then a scanner screen on the console began to spark into life, Ranger walked over "Doctor, it's ok we can remove our helmets as the atmosphere is breathable" The Doctor took off his helmet and inhaled deeply, Ranger also removed his helmet and turned his attention back to the scanner screen.
Just then a regular beeping sound began to sound and the screen was flashing, Ranger hurried to it. "Right we can't escape because the pod has been disengaged, the reading aren't goo either. Power cells dropped to 30%. Gravitational hold 45%. We can't stay here long, if the power drops any more Doctor, we're going to crash into the Earth."