Again like Josh, Filer walked around the mound, returning eventually to his starting point. He stood looking at the mound, scratching his head. He had a swift mental picture of the way they"d react in Washington if he came back with a report that the British had been invaded by a giant pumpkin from outer s.p.a.ce. The roar of vehicles interrupted his thoughts-UNIT was right on his tail.
Instinctively he flung himself to the ground and wriggled into cover of the trees.
p.r.o.ne behind a tree-trunk, Filer watched the arrival of the UNIT convoy. No sooner had the lorries stopped moving than armed troops jumped down and began spreading out in a cordon, encircling the entire area. Filer saw Yates and Sergeant Benton directing the men into their positions.
Two more vehicles drove up and parked near the convoy. The first was ultra-modern, a huge gleaming vehicle about the size and shape of an outsize furniture van, with a forest of aerials projecting from its roof. Some kind of Mobile H.Q., guessed Filer. Probably a portable laboratory packed with electronic scanning devices. By contrast, the second vehicle was small and very old fashioned. It was a vintage Edwardian roadster, and from it descended the Doctor and Jo Grant. They surveyed the busy scene around them for a moment, then made for the mobile H.Q.
Last vehicle to arrive was a huge, gleaming staff car. The doors opened and Chinn, the Brigadier, a man in a dark suit and another in sports jacket and flannels jumped out, all arguing furiously. Chinn ushered them towards the Mobile H.Q. and they too disappeared inside.
Filer lay flattened in his hiding place, wondering what to do next. There seemed little chance of learning very much more where he was now. And he"d feel distinctly foolish if one of the UNIT
soldiers found him hiding behind a tree. But if he went to the Mobile H.Q. Chinn would have him arrested...
Before Filer could make up his mind, the decision was taken for him. The tentacle had been creeping nearer for some time. In a final lunge it wrapped itself round Filer"s body and dragged him towards the mound...
Seconds later, Filer, like Josh before him, lay pinioned and helpless in the heart of Axos. "The single eye on its long stalk hovered horribly above him, and multi-coloured lights played over his face. But this time the cold whispering voice reached a different conclusion. "Subject intelligent, aggressive, possibly dangerous. Hold for further a.n.a.lysis and investigation."
There was a crackle of energy and Filer felt consciousness slipping away...
3.
The Voice of Axos Inside the Mobile H.Q., technicians were busily scanning the mysterious mound nearby. The Doctor, clipboard in hand, was studying instrument-readings, jotting down notes with a frown of concentration on his face. He didn"t look up when the Brigadier and his party bustled in. Formal as ever, the Brigadier made introductions. "Doctor, this is Sir George Hardiman, Administrative Head of the Nuton Power Complex. This is Doctor Winser, Head of Research." The Doctor gave a brief nod, and went on working. The Brigadier coughed. "The Doctor is our Scientific Adviser." Hardiman and Winser looked politely baffled. They were two very different types, thought Jo. The first, immaculate in his dark suit, was very much the administrator, a man at home in board rooms and Government offices. Winser was more casually dressed. Tall and thin, he looked surprisingly young for his eminent position. He had a keen, beaky-nosed face, and untidy fair hair.
As if continuing a previous argument, Winser spoke urgently to the Brigadier. "You must see that any form of military attack so close to the labs could be extremely dangerous."
Hardiman joined in to support his colleague. "And as well as the research laboratories, most of Britain"s nuclear energy resources are concentrated less than half a mile from this spot! "
The Brigadier snapped, "At the moment we"ve no idea what we"re up against. We are merely taking necessary precautions. I"ve been in touch with the Regular Army-they"ll be bringing up some artillery support."
"Artillery! " The Doctor"s voice was scornful. "Your missiles weren"t much use, were they? What chance have your bazookas?"
Suddenly he changed the subject. "Winser, did you say? I read a copy of your paper, "Relativity Phenomena in Particle Acceleration". Most Most interesting." The gratified smile on Winser"s face slipped as the Doctor added kindly, "Basic, mind you-but interesting. We must have a good long chat later on." The Doctor waved a hand at the rows of dials. "Now then, gentlemen... As far as I can establish with these rather primitive instruments, the device or whatever has buried itself deep beneath the ground. That mound you saw represents the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. For the moment there"s not much we can do about it." interesting." The gratified smile on Winser"s face slipped as the Doctor added kindly, "Basic, mind you-but interesting. We must have a good long chat later on." The Doctor waved a hand at the rows of dials. "Now then, gentlemen... As far as I can establish with these rather primitive instruments, the device or whatever has buried itself deep beneath the ground. That mound you saw represents the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. For the moment there"s not much we can do about it."
Jo saw Hardiman look meaningfully at Winser. Clearly he was wondering if this eccentric-looking character"s conclusions could be relied upon. Winser stepped forward. "Perhaps I could check your calculations, Doctor?"
For a moment the Doctor frowned. Jo held her breath, fearing an explosion. Then, to her relief, he gave one of his sudden charming smiles. "Please do, my dear fellow." He handed the clipboard to Winser. "As you can see, the thing appears to be some kind of vehicle. Only there doesn"t seem to be any trace of life on board-not life in the conventional sense... Just listen to this." The Doctor began adjusting the controls. A deep throb, throb, throb, filled the little control room, and a regular light-trace flashed across a monitor screen.
Winser said slowly, "It sounds like..." His voice trailed away as if he was unable to believe his own thoughts.
"That"s right," said the Doctor. "It sounds like a giant heartbeat..."
On the other side of the control room a head-phoned technician said excitedly. "There"s something coming through on the audio circuits. I"ll put it on full amplification."
Seconds later a sibilant voice filled the air. "Axos calling Earth, Axos calling Earth..." The whispering voice was weak and erratic as if the speaker was using the last of his energy. "Fuel system exhausted... request immediate a.s.sistance... Axos calling... request a.s.sistance..." The pleading voice faded away.
The Doctor rubbed his chin. "Doesn"t sound very like a threat, does it? More of a call for help."
Chinn grasped the Brigadier"s arm. "If they are are weak, Brigadier, now"s the time to attack, before they can organise their defences!" weak, Brigadier, now"s the time to attack, before they can organise their defences!"
The Doctor said, "Before you have another go at annihilating the thing, Brigadier, may I make a suggestion?"
"Well, Doctor?"
"Why don"t we just go and take a look at it?" The Doctor made for the door. As Jo started to follow him, he said, "I"m sorry, Jo, not you."
The Brigadier nodded. "Quite agree. Captain Yates, you will stay here as liaison officer. Look after Miss Grant. Sergeant Benton, you check the perimeter guard."
The control room emptied rapidly as everyone began to leave.
Chinn hung around indecisively, clearly reluctant to leave the safety of the control room. The Brigadier paused in the doorway. "Well, Mr Chinn, aren"t you going to join us? You are our Co-ordinator, you know."
Reluctantly Chinn followed the Brigadier, and Jo was left alone with the technician and Mike Yates. Giving him an appealing smile, she started for the door. "Mike, couldn"t I just..."
Yates stepped quickly in front of her. "No you couldn"t! You heard the Brigadier."
Jo glared mutinously at him. If there was one thing she hated it was being looked after, particularly when there was something exciting going on. She was about to start arguing when Benton reappeared in the doorway. "Sir, we"ve found a body!"
"Where?"
"In the trees, behind that mound thing. There"s a car, too. Big American job."
"All right, Sergeant. I"ll come and take a look."
As Jo started to follow them out of the control room, Benton stopped her. "Better stay here, Miss Grant. It"s not too pleasant to look at."
Benton too, thought Jo indignantly. It was a conspiracy! She opened her mouth to protest-then closed it and sat meekly on a stool. "All right, I"ll wait here."
Jo stayed on her stool just long enough to allow Yates and Benton to get clear, then nipped smartly out of the door.
On the steps of the Mobile H.Q. she paused, looking around.
Should she follow Yates and Benton and take a look at the mysterious corpse, or try to catch up with the Doctor and his party?
Deciding that an alien s.p.a.ceship was a bigger attraction than a dead body, Jo started running quickly towards the mound.
At the edge of the clump of trees Yates was gazing incredulously at the wizened body of a bearded old man. It lay on its back, stiff hands raised clawlike to fend off some approaching horror. But it was the condition condition of the body that was so extraordinary. It was dried up, completely mummified, as if it had lain for years under the desert sun. Yates knelt down and touched the leathery skin. To his horror the face crumbled away beneath his fingers... of the body that was so extraordinary. It was dried up, completely mummified, as if it had lain for years under the desert sun. Yates knelt down and touched the leathery skin. To his horror the face crumbled away beneath his fingers...
Not far away, on the other side of the mound, a heated argument was going on amongst the Doctor"s group. Their inspection of the mound had revealed precisely nothing. Chinn wanted the thing bombed or at least sh.e.l.led immediately, and for all his dislike of the man, the Brigadier tended to agree with him. Hardiman and Winser were opposed to this, fearing that such an attack might cause an explosion large enough to damage the Nuton Complex. The Doctor took no part in the debate. He stood staring absorbedly at the mound, running his hand along the strange gourd-like surface, wishing they"d all go away and let him take a really good look at it.
Suddenly the Doctor felt a violent throbbing. He jumped back as a s.p.a.ce appeared before him. The hole grew and grew until it resembled an arched opening. Through it a glowing corridor led downwards, deep into the heart of the mound.
The little group was stunned. The Doctor was the first to recover. Waving a hand towards the opening he said cheerily, "An open door, gentlemen-which presumably means an invitation to go in. Shall we take a look?"
Without waiting for their agreement, the Doctor stepped inside, and slowly the others followed. Jo Grant came running up just in time to see them all disappear through the opening. She hesitated for a moment. She"d wanted to see see the mound, but she hadn"t reckoned on going inside it. And suppose the door closed again? the mound, but she hadn"t reckoned on going inside it. And suppose the door closed again?
Deciding she"d better risk it, Jo dashed inside.
She found herself in a kind of tunnel, leading downwards, its walls aglow with light. Just ahead of her she could hear the voices of the others. Jo crept along quietly behind them, not wanting to be seen.
Ahead of her, the Doctor and his companions came to an archway. It seemed to lead into a large chamber. One by one they stepped through. The Doctor waited until last, watching as the others went by. He noticed that as each one stepped through the archway multi-coloured lights played over their faces and there was a faint crackle of energy. Clearly they were pa.s.sing through some kind of scanning system. When the others were all through, the Doctor himself stepped under the archway. Immediately he felt his mind gripped by an immensely powerful force. It seemed to be trying to tear the knowledge from his brain. Strange lights and patterns whirled before his eyes, and he felt the tentacles of alien thought groping within his mind. Only with a mighty effort was he able to break free of their grip and force himself through the archway. Half-collapsing, he staggered into the chamber beyond.
(Deep inside Axos the Doctor"s a.n.a.lysis pattern appeared on a screen before the glowing eye. The voice whispered, "a.n.a.lysis pattern indicates subject non-typical. High intelligence, possibly of extra-terrestrial origin. Investigate!") The Doctor became aware that someone was holding him up and a blurred voice was speaking. "Doctor, what"s happened to you?
Are you all right?" Suddenly everything came back into focus and he saw the worried face of the Brigadier. "Thought you"d fainted for a moment," said the Brigadier gruffly. "Felt a bit dizzy myself going through that arch. Nothing like so bad as you, though..."
The Doctor straightened up. "I"m all right now. Full of surprises, this place."
From the corridor, Jo Grant had watched the Doctor"s struggle in the archway. Worried, she peeped through and saw him, apparently unharmed, talking to the Brigadier. Jo decided not to risk going through the arch. It seemed to hold some kind of alarm system which might detect her as an intruder. If she explored further down the corridor, perhaps she could steal a march on the others by discovering the secrets of this strange place before they did. That would teach them to try and keep her out of things! Jo crept cautiously on her way.
Meanwhile the Doctor and his companions were examining their surroundings. They were in a large oval chamber, walls, floor and ceiling all composed of the same strange glowing substance.
They looked at each other in puzzlement. The chamber although impressive was completely empty. "What do we do now?" whispered the Brigadier.
"Wait. We"ve been brought here for some reason..." The Doctor pointed. "Look, over there!"
On the far side of the chamber, part of the wall was becoming transparent. Light flooded from behind it, and they saw a group of figures standing in an alcove. The dividing wall simply melted away, and the figures could be seen more clearly. The group of visitors was frozen in sheer astonishment. None of them, not even the Doctor, had imagined anything like the creatures before them.
There were four of them. They were humanoid in appearance, and incredibly beautiful. They wore one-piece silvery garments of simple design, and their skins were a pale gleaming gold.
They seemed to be a family. There was a man, a woman, a boy and a girl. All four stood still for a moment, looking like golden statues. Then the man stepped forward and the others followed him.
He held up his hand in greeting, and began to speak. His voice was clear, resonant, and hypnotically compelling. "Our worlds are uncountable light-years away on the far rim of the galaxy. Our planetary system has been crippled by solar flare activity. By now, no doubt, all of our worlds are totally and permanently entropised."
The Brigadier shot the Doctor an agonised glance of enquiry.
The Doctor whispered, "Drained of all life and energy!"
The Brigadier nodded his understanding. The golden man waved an expressive hand around him. "We are the Axons. You stand in the heart of Axos, all that is left of our culture."
Winser said incredulously, "Then this is is some kind of s.p.a.ceship? You built it for your journey?" some kind of s.p.a.ceship? You built it for your journey?"
The Axon shook his head. "Not built. As you see our technology has taken a different path from yours. The ship was grown grown, from a single cell. Now its nutrient is all but exhausted. We should like to stay here, to replenish our energy and nutrition cycles.
In return we offer you a gift... a payment." He lifted a hand and a low pedestal rose up before them. On it rested a small golden casket. The golden man said simply, "Axonite!"
He lifted the lid and the visitors cl.u.s.tered round. Inside the casket lay a formless blob that shimmered and pulsed with light, like some exotic jewel. It blurred and shifted beneath their eyes.
The Axon smiled at their puzzlement. "Axonite is the source of all our technology. Axonite can absorb, convert, transmit and programme all other forms of energy."
"Even radiation?" said the Doctor suddenly. "Even solar radiation?"
The Brigadier realised that the Doctor was pointing out an inconsistency in the Axon"s story. With this wonder-working substance at their command, why hadn"t the Axons been able to solve their own problems?
Sadly the Axon bowed his head. "Axonite can only control energy that exists exists. By the time we realised our danger, it was already too late."
Chinn glared reproachfully at the Doctor, indicating that his scepticism was in thoroughly bad taste. He turned back to the Axon.
"If you could explain what this substance is, what it does..."
"Axonite is the chameleon of the elements. It uses the energy it absorbs not only to copy but to restructure and re-create any given substance, if necessary improving on the original..."
Chinn looked thoroughly bewildered. Clearly the Axon"s explanation left him no wiser.
The Doctor interrupted again. "Yet you still ran out of fuel?"
Again the Axon bowed his head. "The fault was ours. At the lowest ebb of our energy cycle, even Axonite cannot help us. There is no energy left with which it can work."
Winser was studying the glowing substance. "The principle?"
he demanded. "What is the principle of Axonite?"
"Axonite can be called a thinking molecule. Its sub-atomic particles behave in an ordered rather than a random manner. They can be programmed so that every molecule acts as a micro-computer, linked in turn to every other molecule..