The Doctor stopped in front of the cabin door and tripped the lock.
The door hissed open and he went in. Silas Cadwell sat on the small, narrow bunk opposite and eyed him blearily.
"It"s polite to knock first," he said.
"I was rather hoping you"d still be unconscious," replied the Doctor.
Cadwell smiled. "I told you - I"m made of pretty stern stuff, Doctor. It takes more than a stun beam to keep me down.
And my congratulations, by the way: you caught me off guard for a second there on the bridge. Well done. Never knew you had it in you."
"You"ll find I"m full of surprises."
"I"ll take it this is a social call, then."
"Sorry," said the Doctor. "I"m particular about the company I keep" Ah, pity. Only I"m confined to quarters so there"s little else for me to do but entertain visitors."
"I"m afraid we"ve run out of time for a chat, Cadwell. The ship is almost ready for blast-off."
"Judging by the sound of the engines, we could be leaving any minute," Cadwell said. "What do you want?"
"I want to know how to stop the Dark."
Cadwell laughed out loud. "You can"t! I"ve already told you that. Are you deaf as well as wet?"
"It"s been stopped before," argued the Doctor. "Your ancestors defeated it on Akoshemon, or so you say. They used fire."
"Oh, yes! "A very old remedy for a very old illness", I think you said. Very poetic!"
"We could stop it again. I"ll help you."
A grey cloud gathered in Cadwell"s eyes. "You? Help me? It"s a bit late for that, Doctor!"
The Doctor grabbed Cadwell"s arm and pulled him to his feet. "There isn"t any time for recriminations, Cadwell! The Dark has has to be stopped." to be stopped."
"Using fire?" Cadwell yanked his arm free and sneered.
"Don"t be ridiculous. The Dark is cunning and hungry for life. It won"t be caught the same way twice."
"But if it could be weakened in some way first ..."
"That was what I I was trying to do, if you care to remember." Cadwell shook his head. "It"s was trying to do, if you care to remember." Cadwell shook his head. "It"s unstoppable, unstoppable, Doctor. It"s more than just a force of nature; it"s Doctor. It"s more than just a force of nature; it"s unnatural. unnatural.
That"s the whole point. It"s not even from our universe. It isn"t bound by the same laws of physics that we are There"s nothing we can do that can affect it. The best we can hope for is to escape with our lives, which is what we"re doing now."
The sound of the Adamantium"s Adamantium"s primary engines had reached maximum pitch; the deck plates were vibrating beneath their feet Cadwell lay back down on his bunk and put his hands behind his head. primary engines had reached maximum pitch; the deck plates were vibrating beneath their feet Cadwell lay back down on his bunk and put his hands behind his head.
"I"m not proud of what I"ve done here, Doctor. My mission has been a failure and I"ve betrayed the trust of my ancestors in allowing the Dark to live again." He stared blankly at the ceiling. "I could have stopped it, but it"s too late now."
The Doctor turned on his heel and left without another word.
Tegan and Nyssa went to the bridge to witness the blast-off.
Tegan smiled at Stoker when she saw her standing close to Lawrence. Stoker gave her a thumbs-up and grinned back.
"Prepare launch sequence," said Lawrence calmly. The computer bleeped in response and a number of indicator lights flashed.
Lawrence turned to the others. "You"re just in time: we lift off in sixty seconds."
Everyone on deck could feel the antic.i.p.atory throb of the ship"s engines. "I wonder where the Doctor"s got to?" said Tegan. "He"ll be here soon," said Lawrence.
Tegan turned to Nyssa. "I don"t like the thought of him being on his own right now. From what you"ve told me he seemed pretty stressed."
"I"m sure he"s fine," Lawrence insisted. "Stop worrying. I"d take a seat if I were you."
They lowered themselves into the padded chairs, uncomfortably aware that they belonged to dead men.
Stoker slipped into Silas Cadwell"s seat with a nervous smile. "Can"t wait to get away from this place."
Lawrence smiled at her but remained standing. The deck shuddered as the primary engines directed power to the take-off thrusters and the Adamantium Adamantium rose into the air. rose into the air.
"I don"t like this," Nyssa whispered to Tegan, reaching out to her. Tegan squeezed her hand gently. "No worries. Take-offs all right. I love this bit!"
The ship thrummed with power and floated gently upwards, with none of the sudden acceleration and heart-stopping lurching into the air that Tegan vividly remembered from her airline days.
On the viewport they could all see the jagged, gla.s.sy surface of the moon lowering beneath a plume of green dust.
The engines rumbled and slowly the Adamantium Adamantium began to turn. The horizon disappeared from view to be replaced by empty s.p.a.ce; empty save for the bright specks of distant stars. began to turn. The horizon disappeared from view to be replaced by empty s.p.a.ce; empty save for the bright specks of distant stars.
"Twenty degrees to starboard," ordered Lawrence confidently.
Akoshemon swung into view as the ship turned, glowing red and black like a lump of burning coal. Nyssa closed her eyes.
The planet rolled smoothly out of sight as the ship continued to turn.
Eventually the Adamantium Adamantium faced nothing but the open blackness of intergalactic s.p.a.ce: the abyss, Tegan recalled, between Stars systems. faced nothing but the open blackness of intergalactic s.p.a.ce: the abyss, Tegan recalled, between Stars systems.
The sight of the endless darkness made her shiver.
Lawrence was staring at the viewport, his blue eyes intense. It was almost as if he could see something out there in the void. "Something"s wrong," Tegan announced.
The Doctor stepped cautiously into the laboratory complex.
Even here, deep beneath the surface of the moon, he could sense the heavy beat of the Adamantium"s Adamantium"s thrusters on the rock above. thrusters on the rock above.
The equipment around the lab rattled as the vessel took flight, and a tiny shower of dust rained down on the Doctor"s shoulders. For a few moments he thought that he could actually hear the ship"s powerful engines, but he knew that was impossible down here.
The Doctor let out a sigh of relief when he was sure the Adamantium Adamantium had blasted off safely. At least he could be certain that Tegan and Nyssa were now out of danger. This was not for them: had blasted off safely. At least he could be certain that Tegan and Nyssa were now out of danger. This was not for them: this this was something he had to face alone. was something he had to face alone.
Adric"s death was still the sharpest thorn in his memory: he could not bear the thought of having to endure a loss so tragic and foolish again. Nearly losing Nyssa here had filled him with the deep, heavy dread of a pain from which he knew he would never recover.
Alone, he could take the risks that might prove necessary. He did not want to die here, but he was ready to, now, if it finally came to that. The terror he had felt when he had connected with the Dark through Nyssa, the apparitions of his own mortal life being ripped out time after time, death upon death, had been so powerful that it still felt like a physical injury in his brain. The scar was fresh in his mind, still tender to the touch. But if Vega Jaal"s chillingly accurate vision of his death after death death after death was to be his destiny, then the Doctor could face it in the knowledge that he would, at least, not be taking anyone else with him. Apart from his possible future selves of course. Best not to think about was to be his destiny, then the Doctor could face it in the knowledge that he would, at least, not be taking anyone else with him. Apart from his possible future selves of course. Best not to think about that. that.
The lab complex was still brightly lit, and it was quiet.
The Doctor was glad that the generator was still functioning, but he wondered what the Dark was up to. It appeared to have given up hurling itself against the lab door, but it was unlikely to have gone into retreat. More likely it was planning something else.
The Doctor crossed over to the door that led to the caverns. It was buckled and dented but still sealed. He reached out to touch it, resting only the tips of his fingers against the metal. It was cold, as cold as the rock he had felt outside the crypt: a deep, internal chill that made him shiver.
He pressed the flat of his hand against the door.
Somewhere on the other side of that a monster waited for him. Well, I"m here now, he thought. I"ve made my walk from the shelter of the pavilion and I"m standing at the crease, bat in hand. Let"s see what you can throw at me.
"Where"s the Doctor?" demanded Tegan, rising from her seat.
"He should be here, with us."
"I haven"t seen him for a while," confessed Stoker, turning to Lawrence. "Do you know where he is?"
Lawrence didn"t reply, he was still concentrating on the blank rectangle of the viewport. Stoker reached out and touched his hand, but his skin was as cold as stone.
Stoker got to her feet. "Hey, what"s up?"
Lawrence ignored her. He stepped down from the command deck to the helm and began to operate the controls. He was frowning now, fiercely, and they could see the sweat standing out on his forehead.
"What"s he doing?" Tegan asked.
Lawrence hit a switch and a metallic voice said, "Computer off-line."
Nyssa stood up. "He"s disengaging the autopilot!"
Lawrence twisted his head around and scowled at the women. His lips were coated in spit. "You simple-minded wretches! Did you think you"d get away from me?" me?"
He turned back and ran his hands across the navigation board.
Bright warning lights flashed beneath his fingers and he clawed at the controls and the ship gave a sudden, sickening lurch.
Tegan, Nyssa and Stoker sprawled as the vessel listed dramatically. The engines howled as the Adamantium Adamantium dipped its heavy nose back down towards the moon. dipped its heavy nose back down towards the moon.
Stoker crawled back towards Lawrence. "What are you doing? You"ll kill us all!"
He lashed out with his boot and kicked her away. Tegan helped to catch her and together they watched the jagged surface of Akoshemon"s moon fill the viewport.
Lawrence pulled out a blaster and aimed it at the women.
He was laughing.
"What"s happened to him?" wailed Stoker.
"It must be the Dark!" cried Nyssa. "Controlling him!"
"Lawrence," screamed Tegan. "Stop this! Fight it! You must!"
Stoker crawled back towards him, holding out her hand.
"Please!
Please, Lawrence! Don"t do this! Not now!"
The surface of the moon began to rise up towards them on the viewport. The ship"s engines seemed to be snarling with anger as they pushed the vessel downwards.
Stoker held onto the helm control panel, pulling herself up.
"Lawrence, don"t do this! It"s the Dark! It"s in your head!"
Lawrence sneered at her. "You pathetic little cow."
Then he turned and fired his blaster pistol point-blank into the helm controls. There was a blinding flash and an eruption of flame. The Adamantium Adamantium gave a groan of agony and tipped further forward, almost standing on its nose as it fell towards the ground below. gave a groan of agony and tipped further forward, almost standing on its nose as it fell towards the ground below.
Tegan and Nyssa grabbed hold of each other just before it hit.