The forest was illuminated by a blinding flash of blue light. Rippling out from the centre were bands of electricity which lashed & bounced off tree trunks & branches alike. Likewise was the ground affected, the whip-like cords of energy slashing into the ground as two forms became discernible. The Doctor & Nyssa slowly came into focus, some feet above the ground, as the energy dissipated as quickly as it had arrived. The two fell to the ground with a gasp, the foot long box the Doctor had been holding flinging out from him & tumbling some feet away. For a few moments, quiet returned to the forest, before the grumbling of the two travellers filled the air.
"And that Nyssa...is why you never time-travel without a capsule." said the Doctor, clenching & un-clenching his hands. "Even if it is a short hop."
Beside him, Nyssa pulled herself up into a seated position & rubbed her temple with both hands.
"I think this is the only time in my life where I'll be able to say that I don't know whether I'm coming or going & really mean it."
"Yes." replied the Doctor, crawling over to the box. "Close your eyes & take some deep breaths, that should help."
"I thought the device was only programmed for spacial transmission?" Nyssa winced.
"I got a little bit of jiggery-pokery done in the last few minutes, but I'd hoped for a longer jump back."
"How far back have we gone?" she asked breathing deeply.
"Not far." the Doctor was now examining the box. "10 minutes to be precise & just short of a hundred or two miles south. We're probably a mile or so out from Crow's Dell...botherment!"
The Doctor was seated on his knees & slapped one of them in annoyance. Nyssa crawled over to where he sat.
"What's the matter?"
"That blasted Dalek! I'd hoped it had shot at us too late, but it's death ray must have collided with the Temporal Shift for a brief moment."
"Can you fix it?"
"No...but I can perhaps...salvage some of it." replied the Doctor as he tinkered inside the box, pulling out a small crystal with some effort. "Artificial Kronostalthite & some of the tech, it might just come in handy."
Standing up, the Doctor pocketed his salvage & offered Nyssa his hand, which she took. They both dusted themselves off & looked about them. They were standing in a large copse of trees & little could be seen except the heavy trunks & a variety of bushes. The distant caw of crows echoed among the branches & far above the treetops, Nyssa could just make out the birds wheeling in the sky. Beside her, the Doctor fished into his inside pocket & took out a small, cracked plastic compass. Spinning around, he suddenly stopped, looking off to the left.
"South's that way, come on!" he said. "If I know the Daleks, that one will be after us before long & we don't want to be here when it gets out."
"You said not many people on Gallifrey put much stock in the Mariner, what did you mean?"
They had been tramping through the darkling wood for three quarters of an hour when Nyssa spoke up. Stopping at a gentle incline devoid of trees, the Doctor answered without looking, his gaze fixed on the forest below. Nyssa could just see the Colony's radar dish & the cooling tower in the distance above the treetops, a small red light glinting somewhere near the centre of the radar dish.
"There's a keen disparity between the normal Gallifreyan & the average Timelord, Nyssa. Nothing racial, mind you, more along the lines of class. The average Gallifreyan view the Timelords as arrogant, effete snobs sequestered away in their ivory towers. In turn, the Timelords, generally, view your average Gallifreyan as some lower class louts not worth thinking about unless they need new inductees into the academy. As such, Timelord society reveres & appreciates Timelord's with little attention given to the fact that they're also Gallifreyan. The Mariner is about the only non-Timelord looked upon with respect, grudging though it may be. That said, most tutors & historians would, if they deigned it of any importance, talk of the Mariner for his discovering of Kronostalthite, rather than his equally valuable journeys through space."
As the Doctor spoke, the two slowly descended the incline, finding themselves back in the woods. The trees here proved more desolate & unwelcoming. Many were grey twisted & gnarled, the branches reaching out like skeletal fingers towards anyone passing under them. The forest floor was devoid of leaf or grass & extended out before the two travellers in a seemingly eternal expanse of brown, pockmarked by the occasional mossy green & grey stone. Tramping through, Nyssa observed the light beginning to dwindle. As her eyes drifted among the warped & jagged bones that made up the upper branches of the bare canopy, her eyes alighted on a familiar sight.
"It's that crow again, the big one."
Stopping, the Doctor followed the direction of Nyssa's gaze & saw for himself the familiar, over-large crow. It was sitting on the dead branch of a tree some 15 feet from the two, it's head tilted so that it's right eye, black as coal, could remain fixed on them. It remained unnervingly still, no cawing nor the usual movement natural to birds, forever wary of predators. It simply stared at the two of them.
Nyssa took a few steps forward to stand level with the Doctor. As she did, she jumped as he suddenly raised his voice.
"What do you want?"
The crow remained motionless, it's black gaze boring into the two travellers from it's eerie perch.
"You need something, so why don't you explain?"
Suddenly, the crow lurched upward & fled through the spindly branches of the trees, disappearing above the canopy.
"What was that about?" asked Nyssa.
Taking Nyssa's arm, the Doctor pulled her along gently & began to talk quickly as they walked.
"I'm rapidly forming an opinion, or perhaps theory would be better, about our situation. You've heard me talk about Zeta Minor, haven't you?"
"You said it was an edge-world like this, though much more alien."Nyssa nodded. "There was an entity of some kind which resided on the planet."
"Exactly, it was tied to a particular material that had been found & refused to let anyone leave with it. I'm still not 100% certain, so I'm keeping a few cards to my chest, but I do wonder..."
"You can't mean the crows are some kind of...alien entity, do you?" said Nyssa incredulously.
"You know as well as I do, Nyssa, that life comes in many forms, some familiar, some not so. That said, what if the crows, or that particularly large specimen, were not the being itself, but an avatar, an extension if you will, of it's will."
"That would explain why it just seems to watch & not do anything." Nyssa said. "But for what purpose?"
The two were now marching through the forest at quicker speeds, Nyssa struggling to keep up with the Doctor as they did. Far ahead, they could see iron & steel walls through the dark grey trunks of the trees.
"There's still too much we don't know, but I think this entity is tied to those alien parasites the Dalek discovered. It'll have to wait though, we're here."
Catching up to the Doctor, Nyssa squinted her eyes through the last of the trees & beheld the Colony of Crow's Dell once again. The rusted brown corrugated gates stood wide open & at their feet lay the bloodied & mutilated bodies of many guards.
"They've all been killed in a variety of different ways." said the Doctor. "This one's had his face torn off by something & the one next to him has a three inch hole in his chest & back, more than likely bled to death, poor devil."
The Doctor stood above the discarded remains of two guards, their faces, or what was left of them, a paroxysm of pain & terror, Nyssa standing some distance away. No stranger to horror, she was making sure their surroundings were clear however. Three other bodies were scattered over the ground leading into the Colony in varying stages of mutilation, but apart from this, the interior road leading further into Crow's Dell was deserted. The various modular homes & container-like shelters that lined the road & extended for a short time further left & right remained silent & empty in the desolation. A chill, silent wind past through & caused a door in the distance to slam. The source could not be seen. The Doctor fished into one of the dead guards various pockets, seemingly looking for something, before he pulled out a small square card.
"Security card, just in case we need it to enter anywhere." he said, beckoning Nyssa to follow him.
The sky above had shifted into a dark, burnt orange colour, and in the distance, black clouds could be seen. Whether the oncoming threat of snow or rain, Nyssa was unsure but certain that it did little to improve the rising dread within her. They walked for some time in silence, their heads twisting this way & that, but nothing revealed itself. The houses & containers remained stubbornly devoid of life, as did the road. The yawning emptiness of the buildings unnerved Nyssa & made her wonder if they were really empty, if some malicious enemy now watched them unseen from the windows. Ahead, the two travellers could see the main building of Crow's Dell, the satellite array looming high, the dark clouds now rolling ominously above, but from the various darkened windows there was no sign of movement. They soon found themselves at the entrance, which stood closed.
"Which sector are we in?" Nyssa asked, looking about her furtively.
"Must be the North Sector, wasn't that the Board's personal little kingdom?" replied the Doctor, his voice lower than normal.
"No." whispered Nyssa, unsure of whether they really needed to, but inclined nonetheless by some unknown & skittish urge. "North was the Science Groups area, it was the West Sector that belonged to the Board."
The Doctor made a face of understanding as he slipped the card he had pillaged into a slot at the side of the door. Slowly, the doors slid open, thankfully with little to no sound. Entering, the Doctor & Nyssa found themselves in something akin to a reception area, minus a desk & receptionist. Various potted plants that had once decorated the area had been smashed as if involved in some violent struggle, the leaves & wet mud spread across the dark blue concrete floor. A few chairs had been toppled & a pillar had been smeared with dried blood.
"From here on out." whispered the Doctor. "Keep close to me & don't wander off."
Nyssa nodded & the two made their way across the messy reception floor. Approaching another door, the Doctor slipped the card into another reader & the two passed through into the Colony.
Somewhere, deep inside the Colony of Crow's Dell, it awoke. The spinning fan to it's left, studiously continuing it's appointed task of ventilating the colonies air-flow, had not been the contributory factor in it's awakening. It's slumber had been broken by a scent, a familiar scent. Lifting it's head, it slowly travelled the immediate area, but found nothing. The ventilation shaft was empty but for it's large, lithe frame, though it sat hunched in repose. The scent had wafted in from somewhere else, courtesy of the fan, but it could not discern where, thanks both to it's location & a weak olfactory sense. The scent had been enough, however, & slowly it unfurled, like a demonic, wingless dragon. It's ridged tail stretching & twisting in the cramped confines of the shaft, clattering on that side & this, it's long dark arms & legs positioning themselves. The vent groaned & creaked in protest, but quietened as it stood motionless on all fours.
They had come, as it knew they would.
The Drone opened it's mouth & let copious amounts of saliva drop & drip from it's silvery maw. Slowly, starting as a low hiss & rising to a wailing crescendo, it let loose an ominous howl. None but it's kind knew it as a cry of exultant anticipation.
The hunt could begin.
The northern sector of the colony proved a dismal place. Room after room proved devoid of anyone, the only signs of life being the chaotic state many had been left in. One room showed clear signs of damage from the planet quake, a rent in the floor where it had been forcibly separated by the tumult, items hurled from shelves. Another room proved more ominous, the signs of some kind of battle, the computers torn to pieces by gun fire or brute force, the tables dashed & smashed in a terrible struggle. Rooms such as this bore more often signs of violent death, blood splatter & the occasional body part, but rarely bodies. Nyssa had found the route through the corridors & even the slow & jumpy search of the rooms difficult. The colony, thanks to it's seeming abandonment, had become something of a ghost house. Often the sudden bang of an errant ventilator, coming to life with their entry into it's room, would make her jump. Other times, there would be eerie sounds & unidentifiable noises, from the long drawn out screeches of machinery whirring back to life, the distant wailing of contracting metal as the cold set in to the disturbing howl they had heard leaving the reception area, which the Doctor had suggested was something powering on. Nyssa could tell, however, by the Doctor's expression that he had not been all that sure himself.
Now in Professor Brett's laboratory, they found it like the rest of the colony, empty & in disarray. No message or clue could be found to his or anyone else's location & it was as they were about to move on that the Doctor stopped.
"I wonder...do you think Brett might have had facilities for tracking the colonists?"
"It's possible, I suppose, but why would he have such a thing?" replied Nyssa.
"Hmmm...if this had been a colony full of company employees they'd likely have trackers, either injected into their systems or as devices to wear, but I expect the only ones likely to have such a thing would be the Board."
The Doctor had taken his rolled-up Panama hat out of his inside pocket & was idly tapping it on his lips. Nyssa looked out into the corridor which stood silent & desolate, before turning back to the Doctor, still lost in thought.
"You've got an idea?" she asked.
"A small one. Brett might not have had clearance or the facilities for what I have in mind, but if we can find a security station of some kind..."
"There was one a few corridors up from here. I remember from when I was wandering about the colony. It's just a small booth, more or less, but it might have what you need."
The Doctor ceased tapping his mouth with his hat, quickly pocketed it & moved over to Nyssa.
"Excellent, lead on."
Back out in the corridor, the two crept along the passage slowly. They had gotten to the end & were turning into the next when a muffled clatter sounded from somewhere at the opposite end of the corridor they had just left. Peering his head around the corner, the Doctor watched for a few moments, but the sound did not repeat.
"Just the colony settling in...I hope."
Nyssa, tugging on the Doctor's coat sleeve, indicated for him to follow & they returned to their creeping journey up the corridor.
The corridor they worked through had been the stage for a vicious battle. Explosive damage, walls blown out, roofs partially collapsed, the only thing missing were barricades. It was the sight of a jagged, melting hole in the ground which attracted the Doctor & Nyssa's full attention.
"They must have killed one of the creatures." said Nyssa. "The blood would have spurted out & at a wide range but the rest's melted through the floor."
They both peered into the black pit, the creatures blood having melted the concrete of the floor & had bled through & then stopped after devouring it's way partially into the rock the building had been built over.
"So, do we only have two to look forward to or am I living in a fool's paradise?" said the Doctor idly.
"The latter I shouldn't wonder." replied Nyssa. "I can't see just three of them turning this colony into a ghost town, especially if they managed to kill one."
"You think they've been able to multiply?"
Nyssa shivered at the thought.
"I hope not."
The Doctor stood up & indicated for Nyssa to continue showing the way. Stepping over the hole, a sudden metallic straining sound from somewhere behind & above her made Nyssa turn around. The Doctor looked up, his face a mask of grim intensity. Moments passed & there was no repeat of the sound, but the two remained rooted to the spot. The silence of the colony oppressed them as they strained their ears for further sound. The Doctor slowly turned & repeated his indication for Nyssa to continue, but with the added motion of his pointing finger pressed to his lips. Nyssa nodded, a worried look upon her face, & continued. Her steps measured & her tread as light as she could make it, Nyssa was now extremely on edge. As they walked on, the Doctor kept his ears pricked for any repetition of the disturbance, but none came.
Arriving at the security station, it had the appearance of an office. A sliding glass window bled light into the small room which contained a desk & chair, pressed hard against the window wall & a two seated settee further behind it. A double-locker separated the furniture, standing on the left wall. The room could be, at worst, described as cramped &, at best, cosy. There was enough room for two or three people, but that was it. Entering, the Doctor sat at the desk & immediately began to rattle away on the keyboard.
"What is it you want to do?" whispered Nyssa.
"There should be a basic AI installed on the system. This should also be linked up to the security cameras we saw along the way, if I can configure the AI to search with the help of census records & footage, it should be able to give us a rough idea of how many people are still...well, alive. If we're in luck, It might even be able to tell us where any survivors are."
"Wouldn't it be easier to look through the live camera footage?" asked Nyssa."And tell us what happened."
"No, too many cameras & too much footage to sift through. I don't even know where to start. As to the last question, we already know what happened. Keep an eye out." added the Doctor, a concerned look on his face.
Nyssa did as such, but could only bring herself to peek her head out of the security room door. The corridor remained peaceful & Nyssa found her gaze wandering. To the right of the security station, there was a gaping vent positioned directly above the door leading to the Central Sector. Curiously, water seemed to be leaking copiously from the aperture. Nyssa continued to stare at it for some time, but it was only when the repeated clacking of the Doctor's fingers on the keyboard became a background sound that she was aware of it. Her eyes widened at the horror of her realisation.
It was the sound of deep, hiss-like breathing.
Whatever it was, though she had a good idea, it sucked in great lungfuls of air before laboriously exhaling, occasional puffs of vapour spreading about as the liquid continued to spill out of the vent opening. Nyssa backed fully & slowly into the security room, her eyes wide with terror & nudged the Doctor with her hand. Looking up, he saw the look on her face & followed the direction of her gaze through the sliding glass window. It was as they both stared that the liquid stopped & hefty clattering could be heard from the vent. Reacting quickly, the Doctor grabbed Nyssa, flung open the nearest locker's door & shut her in it. Closing the security room door, the Doctor crammed himself under the desk & listened.
To his ears came the muffled sound of something dropping to the floor, a grunt of exertion & thudding footsteps making their way slowly up the corridor. The Doctor silently prayed that the creature would stride past the security room, but a sudden cessation in noise outside the door crushed those hopes. Though he could not see, the Doctor knew the thing was standing at the door. As if to confirm this, he heard the swish of the sliding door moving aside, the now clear as a bell sound of the creature snorting at the movement & it's thudding steps as it entered. The Doctor watched as a pair of obsidian black legs stepped in front of the desk, but facing the locker.
Inside, Nyssa pressed herself back as far into the locker as she could. Through three slits which made up the vent, Nyssa watched in horror as the Drone stood to it's full height, it's head twisting this way & that.
The studies that she & the Dalek had done were limited to visual observation on the fully grown specimens, as such, Nyssa was unsure of how they perceived the world around them. One thing she was certain of, however, was as soon as this creature had entered, she knew it to be the Drone. It had come for them.
Nyssa continued to press herself into the back of the locker, almost willing herself to pass through it. Below, the Doctor watched from his hiding spot as the creature turned, seemingly to leave, it's long, ridged tail whipping around & dragging on the floor as it did.
All of a sudden, a ping from the desktop computer rang in the air. Despite the relative low volume of the alert, it was like a gunshot in the enclosed space. The Drone, with a snorting grunt, snapped around & moved over to the desk, it's feet stopping some inches away from the Doctor's head.
"AI must have completed the task I gave it, idiotic thing!" he thought. "I hate computers."
The creature stood for some minutes at the desk before it turned &, slowly moving forward, began to peer into the locker.
Inside, Nyssa raised her hand & clasped it firmly over her mouth. Desperately, she tried to calm her breathing as the Drone's head came right up to the vent & gently bobbed in front of it, as if searching the darkness within. Nyssa held her breath & soon could hear her heart pounding in her ears & feel it thumping in her chest.
"Go away." she willed it. "Go away."
Still the Drone stared, still Nyssa held her breath. Seconds ticked by & Nyssa could feel that tingling desperate feeling welling up. Her lungs screamed for air but she refused, the Drone continued to stare into the depths of the locker.
Just as the need for air became too much, the Drone turned around once more &, this time, swiftly exited the security room. It stopped just outside the door, looked left then right & thudded up the corridor to the left, the sound receding as it did.
Sucking in lungfuls of air, Nyssa had to stop herself from coughing. A movement caught her eye & she saw the Doctor now at the computer, his head twitching from the door to the computer screen, a look of desperate worry etched on his features.
"Stay in there!" he hissed as Nyssa attempted to open the door.
"Can't get out anyway, you'll have to unlock it." she whispered back.
"All in good time-come on you stupid machine!" he groaned in frustration.
The AI had finished it's task, but the machine was working at an infuriatingly slow rate. A few more minutes of heart pounding, dread-ridden anticipation, it finished it's task of transferring data to a small data pad to the right of the monitor. As the Doctor picked up the pad, the sound of advancing thuds signalled the Drone's return. Ducking back under the desk, the Doctor waited.
The footfalls by-passed the office & there was a brief moment of quiet before an almighty racket sounded. The Drone had reentered the vent & had made no secret of it's departure from the scene, the vents rattling & creaking as it made it's way elsewhere, a distant howl dwindling to silence signalled the owners full departure.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the Doctor emerged from his hiding spot & opened up the locker. Nyssa emerged slowly & hugged the Doctor.
"Are you alright?" he asked, resting his chin on her head.
"I thought for a moment there..." she trailed off.
"I know."
"It's the Drone, the one the Dalek had locked up." Nyssa said, stepping back.
"It wouldn't surprise me, that one's a nasty of piece work." replied the Doctor. "Anyway, it's gone for now. I've got a location on a group of colonists, somewhere in the Eastern Sector."
Showing Nyssa the data pad, she watched as the screen zoomed in on a pulsating red dot in the East Sector.
"It's not too far but still way to go." she said.
"Then no time like the present." said the Doctor