The Doctor stepped forward. "Let me go to airlock one.
I know the Silurians. If I can talk to them, we may still be able to avoid bloodshed."
Vorshak hesitated. "All right, you can try. But remember, Doctor, we have no reason to trust you. Watch him closely, Bulic. At the first sign of treachery kill him."
Collecting guards on his way, Bulic strode off. The Doctor followed, and so did Tegan and Turlough, a.s.suming, correctly it seemed, that Vorshak"s words applied to them as well.
They arrived at airlock one to find guards already on duty, staring nervously at an alarm light flashing above the door.
"Any change?" asked Bulic.
One of the guards shook his head. "Nothing since we first reported."
Suddenly there was the screech of an alarm and an instrument panel by the airlock door exploded in a shower of sparks.
Bulic said tensely. "They"ve blown the magnetic locks on the outer door."
There was a m.u.f.fled clang, followed by a low, thudding, pulsing sound.
Bulic leaned forward, listening. "They"re in the airlock."
"How can you tell?" whispered Tegan.
"Hear that noise? The automatic pumps have started up."
"Look!" screamed Turlough. He pointed.
The ma.s.sive pressure wheel on the airlock door was beginning to turn.
Lieutenant Preston"s voice came from the intercom. "I"m at airlock five, Commander. It"s under attack as well."
"Right," snapped Vorshak. "I"ll come down. Lieutenant Karina, put all the reserve teams on combat alert. Maddox, stand by for synch-up. We may have to contact Sea Base Command after all."
Maddox looked appalled. "But Commander, the orders..."
"Perhaps the Doctor knows what he"s talking about. If he does, these creatures are a threat to all mankind."
As Vorshak ran from the Bridge, Doctor Solow entered and made her way towards Nilson, who was busy at his console. "Nilson, we must speak."
"All right. No need for panic." Glancing round, Nilson moved to her side.
"This is our opportunity, Doctor Solow. The Base is on war alert and while Vorshak is busy, I"m in command on the Bridge."
"You will activate Maddox?"
"Yes."
"What about the invaders? If they manage to break in."
"We shall neutralise the Sea Base whatever happens.
With the help of Maddox we"ll destroy all vital missile and communications circuitry."
Like the true fanatic he was, Nilson was determined to carry out his mission even at the risk of his own life.
Bulic and his guards had bolted the main doors of airlock one from the inside.
Now they watched in fascinated horror as the heavy metal of the hatchway began bulging outwards under some enormous pressure.
"Take up defensive positions," ordered Bulic.
The guards fell back a little, levelling their blaster-rifles.
"Will the door hold?" asked Tegan.
"I wouldn"t count on it," said Bulic grimly.
They waited, their eyes fixed on the distorted metal of the airlock door.
6.
The Myrka The atmosphere on the Bridge was more tense than ever.
Everyone was studying monitor screens and instrument dials, waiting for more news of the mysterious attackers.
Doctor Solow and Controller Nilson watched Maddox fiddling nervously with the controls of his computer console. Un.o.bserved by the rest of his colleagues Nilson slipped a small control-device from his pocket. It gave out a series of signals so faint and so high-pitched, that no one in the room seemed to hear themno one but Maddox. To him the signals were loud and clear. They seemed to reverberate inside his confused and frightened brain.
Maddox rose to his feet, swaying a little.
Karina glanced at him in concern. "Maddox, are you all right?"
Maddox didn"t reply.
Controller Nilson raised his voice. "Doctor Solow, Mr Maddox is unwell. Get him off the Bridge."
"But he"s needed here," protested Karina.
"I"m afraid he"s useless in his present condition."
Nilson nodded to Solow and she took Maddox"s arm, leading him off through the door that led to the computer bay.
Worriedly, Karina watched them go. "Shall I inform the Commander, sir?"
"No," said Nilson quickly. "I"ll see to it. Return to your post. I"m sure Doctor Solow will have Maddox back on duty very soon."
The door of airlock one was buckling inwards before their eyes, shaken by a series of incredibly heavy blows. It looked as if the door would give at any moment.
Bulic and his guards levelled their blasters.
The Doctor and his companions were standing a little ahead of the guards. The Doctor moved them to one side, out of the line of fire.
"Suppose these Silurians don"t want to listen to you, Doctor?" asked Tegan uneasily.
The Doctor winced as the door was shaken by another tremendous thump. "Try to look on the bright side, Tegan."
Suddenly the top edge of the door broke away completely, crashing to the ground. A savage roar of triumph echoed through the corridor.
"It"s some kind of animal," gasped Turlough.
Part of a hideous face could be seen through the gap at the top of the door. They caught a glimpse of glowing eyes, corrugated green skin and savage fangs. "Oh dear," said the Doctor softly.
Tegan stared at him. "What is it?"
"The Myrka."
"Great," said Turlough bitterly. "And what"s the Myrka?"
"A kind of sea dragon specially bred and adapted by the Silurians."
"Adapted?"
"It"s a kind of cyborg really part animal, part machine.
A sort of living weapon almost invincible, I"m afraid."
The airlock door shuddered under another tremendous blow.
The attack on airlock five was well under way by the time Vorshak arrived.
"They"re inside the airlock, Commander," reported Lieutenant Preston.
"That didn"t take long."
Vorshak studied the door.
The edge of the door seal was beginning to blacken, giving off wisps of smoke.
Lieutenant Karina was worried. Maddox had been in the computer bay for some time now. While he was absent the Base was helpless.
And why had Doctor Solow taken him to the computer bay at all? Why not give emergency first aid on the spot?
That was standard procedure during an attack. Or if the problem was too serious, why not take him back to the PS unit where he could be properly treated? She looked for Controller Nilson, and saw that he was in Vorshak"s command chair, studying the main monitor screen.
Karina rose and moved silently towards the computer bay. She reached the door un.o.bserved, slipped inside and stopped, staring in disbelief at what she saw.
A number of wall panel covers had been removed, exposing a ma.s.s of computer circuitry. Maddox was busy at one of the exposed panels, his fingers moving with almost superhuman speed, removing some circuits, transposing others, severing and re-making connections. It was quite clear that what was going on here was not repair but destruction Maddox was rendering the computer useless the all-important computer on which the security of the Base depended.
"Maddox, what are you doing?" she cried.
"His duty as I dictate it," said another voice.
It was Doctor Solow. She was watching Maddox at his work of destruction with an air of quiet satisfaction.
"It"s sabotage," said Karina horrified. "Stop it, Maddox.
Stop it at once!"
It was as if Maddox could not hear her. He worked on at tremendous speed, face blank, as if under some kind of remote control.
Karina turned to run, to give the alarm. Nilson was blocking the doorway, a small control-device in his hands.
He operated it, and it gave out faint high-pitched signals.
Immediately Maddox stopped what he was doing. He turned and came over towards Karina. His hands shot out, gripping her about the throat.
"Now kill her, Maddox!" ordered Nilson.
"No!" gasped Karina. "No!" She struggled wildly, but Maddox seemed to have superhuman strength.
Maddox knew in some part of his mind that Karina was his friend. She had helped him, listened to his worries, tried to calm his fears. But Nilson had given the order, and for Maddox disobedience was literally impossible. As if of their own accord, his hands tightened about Karina"s throat.
Nilson looked on calmly as Maddox completed his dreadful task. When it was quite clear that Karina was dead, Nilson adjusted the control device.
Immediately Maddox opened his hands, letting Karina"s body drop as if it no longer existed for him. Stepping over the body, he returned to the computer circuits and resumed his task of destruction as if nothing had happened.
Doctor Solow was horrified. "What are we going to do?"
she sobbed.
"We are going to remain calm," said Nilson icily.
"But once the body is discovered..."