The Missing Adventures - Evolution Part 15

Standing on the headland close to Breckinridge's factory, Ross surveyed the bay through his collapsible binoculars. 'It's hard to see clearly in this light,' he commented, 'but that small fis.h.i.+ng smack down there has three people aboard. One of them is definitely this Doctor, and the other two are probably Miss Smith and that Doctor Doyle from the whaler.'

'So what?' asked Abercrombie, munching on a cheese and chutney sandwich he'd liberated on the way there.

'I wonder how much they know about our business, that's what.'

Abercrombie shrugged. 'What's the difference?' he asked. 'If they're out there in the bleeding bay, they don't know much. And they won't be alive long enough to learn more, will they?'

Ross sighed. 'It's a pity, Abercrombie,' he said, 'but I fear you are quite correct. Sadly, the Doctor and his friends are likely to have a very lethal boating accident this evening.'

Once the Doctor decided that they were far enough out in the bay, he and Doyle dropped the sail and let out the water anchor. 'Now we just wait,' he said.

'So who brought the cards?' asked Sarah.

Doyle couldn't resist a smile at her easy manner. 'Do you two do this kind of thing often?' he enquired.

'Too blooming often,' Sarah answered.

'We do have a knack of walking into trouble,' the Doctor admitted.

'Walking?' Sarah laughed. 'Running headlong, more like.' She grinned at the medical man. 'You really wouldn't believe some of the adventures we've had.'

'Try me,' suggested Doyle.

Sarah shook her head. 'No, I mean it: you really wouldn't believe them. If you think the idea that we might be from another time is hard to accept, you should try taking the Doctor's pulse sometime.'

'I should?'

'No, you shouldn't,' the Doctor snapped. 'I'm in perfect health, as you can see. Sarah, stop trying to cause trouble.'

'Me cause trouble?' she asked in mock innocence. She simply couldn't resist baiting the Doctor at times. 'I suppose sitting out here in a tiny boat at night with an unknown killer is playing it safe?'

'It's as safe as I could make it,' the Doctor answered. 'But I need some answers to too many questions. And this is the only place to get them.'

Sarah stared over the surface of the sea. The sun had gone down now, and the Doctor had vetoed the idea of burning a lantern, wanting to stay out of sight of possible observers. Stars sprinkled across the blackness were also reflected choppily in the waters below. They were the only lights visible, and it was like being afloat in s.p.a.ce.

And then 'Doctor!' she hissed, not wanting to raise her voice too loudly. Both doctors joined her in the bows, and they all stared out into the depths.

Far below the boat, lights were visible in the water that were definitely not stars. There was a greenish tint to them, though that could be nothing more than the water casting a hue to white lights. There were hundreds of these lights, spread in a gigantic cartwheel-like shape. The hub of this wheel was several hundred yards to the left port! of the small boat. As Sarah stared in awe and astonishment at the shape, she could see that it was slowly turning.

'What is that?' she asked, spellbound.

'I've heard about phenomena like this,' Doyle answered her, just as gently. 'It's phosph.o.r.escence of some kind, as I understand it. There are minute sea creatures that glow in the night and live in colonies of thousands of individuals.'

'And they're all big fans of Wagon Train Wagon Train,' the Doctor scoffed. 'Doyle, those minute sea animals live in much warmer waters than these, and they certainly aren't organized in regular battalions. That's not a natural phenomenon.'

'Then what is it?' asked Doyle, somewhat peevishly.

'I'm not entirely sure,' the Doctor replied evasively.

'Then be a little uncertain!'

'Offhand, I'd say it was some kind of activity taking place on the sea bed.' The Doctor frowned. 'And one controlled by considerable intelligence.'

Sarah snorted. 'Oh, right. Davy Jones is a little restless tonight, so he's holding a dance.'

The Doctor shook his head. 'Sarah, Sarah,' he chided. 'I expect incredulity from Doyle; after all, he's a rational man.

But I had hoped for better from you; after all, you're a journalist.'

'Thanks a heap.' Sarah couldn't take her eyes from the slow, majestic movement of lights. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was. 'Are you suggesting that there's somebody down there right now doing that? In 1880?'

'Yes.'

'But how? The submarine hasn't been invented yet.'

'Actually, it has,' the Doctor contradicted her. 'Simply not developed yet. But I don't think that what we're seeing is native to this time. Or, perhaps, native to this world.'

Doyle gave an inarticulate cry. 'This is getting too preposterous,' he protested. 'That's the second time you've mentioned some kind of intrusion from another era, and now you also imply that this anomalous phenomenon might be the product of some otherworldly forces?'

'Forget your preconceived notions, Doyle!' thundered the Doctor. He gestured over the bows of the boat. 'Use your rationality to explain that if you can! If not, shut up and listen to wiser heads than yours.'

Doyle subsided, but Sarah could tell that he wasn't at all happy at whatever thoughts were pa.s.sing through his mind. She could hardly blame them: the notion of time travel and alien intruders must be horribly far-fetched to him. Even his character of Professor Challenger hadn't faced quite this kind of puzzle, and he wouldn't create that irritable man of science for years yet.

Sarah stared out at the waters, and smiled. 'I don't know what is causing it,' she admitted, 'but it's very pretty.' There was also something vaguely familiar about the lights, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

' " Pretty" isn't a scientific term,' the Doctor said softly. Then he grinned. 'But it is accurate. It's like a Christmas tree underwater, isn't it?'

'Perhaps we should be a little more cautious,' Doyle suggested, 'in leaning out to observe those lights. After all, Tolliver was obviously looking over the side of the boat when he was attacked.'

The Doctor appeared astonished at the thought. 'My dear chap,' he cried. 'Of course! That's exactly what must have happened. He saw these lights, then leaned over for a better look and '

Sarah and Doyle both dragged the Doctor away from the gunwale as he looked set to re-enact the accident. 'We may be safer here,' Sarah said, with a thankful nod at Doyle. 'Smart thinking.'

'I knew what I was doing,' the Doctor said peevishly. 'There was no need for that.'

'Whatever you say,' Sarah agreed. She could still see the wheel turning slowly below the water, though not as clearly.

The surface of the water was starting to get choppy, breaking up the image.

'This is all very ' Doyle began.

The boat gave a shudder as something slammed into it from below. It heaved in the water, and twisted, falling back with a crash. Sarah, caught completely off-guard, skidded across the small deck and into the gunwale. She barely had time to yelp from the pain to her s.h.i.+ns when the boat was rammed a second time from underneath and it gave another lurch. Arms failing wildly, Sarah attempted unsuccessfully to regain her balance. She heard the Doctor cry out, and then she was falling.

The water was cold and hard as she splashed down into it. The force of the impact stunned her, and she felt herself going under. At least she'd taken a gulp of air as she'd fallen, and she held her breath as she sank into the inky, frozen depths. As soon as she could move, she started to stroke with her hands, slowing her descent.

Her clothing was thoroughly wet. The Victorian dress, long and flowing, had been so impractical on the surface; here, waterlogged, she was afraid it would drag her down to her death. Frantically, she tried to stroke back toward the surface, but it was too hard. It felt as if an icy hand was dragging her down to her doom.

'My G.o.d!' exclaimed Doyle, badly shaken but managing to retain his grip on the mast, 'what the devil was that?'

'Something rammed us from below,' the Doctor growled, fighting to stay on his feet. 'Sarah! Sarah!'

Doyle's eyes whipped around. 'She must have gone overboard!' he exclaimed. He started to move toward the side.

'No!' the Doctor ordered. 'That's what those creatures want us to do! Then they'll attack.'

'Let them,' Doyle growled. He picked up his harpoon and hefted it. 'They'll get a taste of cold steel if they attack me.

But what about your friend?'

The Doctor appeared ashen. 'They're most likely going after her.' He shucked off the cape coat and tossed the deerstalker on it. 'I'm going after her.'

'They'll kill you!' Doyle said in horror.

'They can try,' the Doctor growled. 'But I'm harder to kill than I look.' Before Doyle could say anything else, the Doctor sprang onto the gunwale, and then executed a clean dive into the darkness beyond.

Doyle shook his head, and staggered across to the side. The harpoon was cold and familiar in his hand. If any of those monsters came after him, they'd get a fight. And if, somehow, the Doctor or Miss Smith survived, Doyle could help them regain the boat.

Slowly sinking, Sarah struggled with her enc.u.mbering clothing, trying to either shed it or rip it free. But it was no use at all.

She couldn't manage, and her lungs were almost bursting.

Then there was a sudden movement in the water. She felt something like a pressure wave slam into her. A dark shape grazed her, and she felt fire in her left hand as something raked across it. She could barely restrain a scream of pain, and the attacker was gone. She'd caught only a glimpse of it, but it had seemed to be some huge seal.

And it had to be coming back.

There was agony in her hand, and she knew that the beast had been toying with her. It could have killed her, but had instead just bitten her. The next time it might go for the kill, or for another wounding.

She saw movement again, as something approached her. It was hard to make out, between the darkness and the blotches in her eyes from the strain and pain, but this shape appeared to be very different. She could make out a tail, and what seemed to be hands. Struggling to get out of the way of this fresh attack, she flailed about without much effect. Then the creature came in closer.

It was incredible. This was not her attacker. It looked like a young girl, perhaps twelve or so, with long, light hair floating like a halo around her head. She smiled encouragingly, and gripped Sarah's uninjured arm. Sarah, struggling to stay conscious, was too astounded to know what to do. The girl seemed quite at ease if she were real, and not some nightmare of the deeps! and she gripped Sarah's skirt. She bent her head, and bit at the fabric. Her teeth must have been made of steel or something similar because they cut through the skirt without effort, and the girl ripped the rest of it free.

A huge weight fell away from Sarah, and she stroked out with her hands. She felt herself rising at last, and then the gentle pressure of the girl's arms helping her. Sarah wondered what had happened to the monster that had attacked her, but concentrated on heading for the surface. As she did so, she saw another form close in suddenly. She had no energy left to fight it off, and then she felt the Doctor grab her arm tightly, and saw his face close beside hers. He smiled encouragingly.

The girl was gone in a flicker of motion. Sarah wasn't certain, but it looked like the girl had left by flicking a tail and charging away at an incredible speed. She had no strength left to wonder, though, and all she could concentrate on was reaching the surface once again.

And then she was there, bursting back out of the icy water into the cold night air. She emptied her lungs in a single burst and whooped in a fresh breath. She choked a little, but the fire in her head and chest started to die down.

The Doctor still supported her, and Sarah could see as she took another gulp of air that they were quite close to the boat.

'Chin up, Sarah,' the Doctor gasped encouragingly. 'Almost there.'

She nodded, and put her strength into stroking out toward the boat. The pain in her left hand was almost unbearable, but she had to get out of the water as soon as possible before There was a wake in the water as something threw itself toward her and the Doctor. It was the creature that had attacked her before, sleek, dark and deadly, coming in for the kill. Sarah didn't have the strength to fight it off, but she freed herself from the Doctor's grip so that he might have a chance.

And something whipped past her head, missing her by only feet. Belatedly she realized it had been the harpoon. Doyle must have thrown it. The slim blade whipped through the air and slammed into the approaching creature. The beast's own speed helped drive the weapon home. Sarah heard a scream and a thras.h.i.+ng in the water, and the rope almost sang as it went taut.

'Got it!' she heard Doyle yell.

'And I've got Sarah,' the Doctor called up to Doyle. 'Haul that thing in!'

Sarah managed to make it back to the boat. The Doctor was floating there, holding onto a rope. She managed a small smile at him as he helped her up from the water to the side of the boat. It was a fight, but she managed to struggle aboard.

She could barely use her left hand, and saw that it was badly skinned and still bleeding. Ignoring it, she turned to help the Doctor back aboard.

Doyle was concentrating on reeling in his catch. The harpoon was sticking up from the water at an angle, glittering in the light of a lantern Doyle had blazing. Sarah could see he had pierced some dark beast, very seal-like, but huge. As she bent to offer the Doctor her good hand to help him aboard, she saw an explosion of water close to the monster. A second creature leaped from the sea, and its large, teeth-packed snout ripped at the line to the harpoon.

Doyle gave a cry, falling backwards as the line parted. There was a splash as the second beast fell back into the cold waters, and the dead creature sank beneath the waves. Sarah felt the Doctor grab her hand and he hauled himself over the side.

There was another shock as something hit the boat right where he had been.

'Thank you, Sarah,' the Doctor gasped, regaining his feet. 'That thing almost had me.'

Doyle staggered across the small deck to them. 'It got away,' he howled angrily.

The Doctor grinned. 'I think you've lost your deposit on the harpoon,' he agreed. 'And I trust this attack is over. Would you mind taking a look at Sarah? I think she's injured her hand.'

Sarah was propped up against the side of the boat. She was s.h.i.+vering, partly from shock, partly from the soaking and partly from the fact that she had no clothing left from a foot below her waist. She looked at her left hand, which still bled very badly, and then up at Doyle.

'Oh dear,' she gasped, and lost consciousness completely.

Interlude 2 Lucy he Guards ushered them all into the dormitory, then locked the door as they left. The children were all excited, scared Tand confused. They crowded about Lucy, all of them talking and asking questions.

'Settle down,' she ordered, taking control of them. 'Calm down. We have to be quiet, or the Guards may come back.'

'I doubt it,' Joshua said, his face split by a huge grin. 'They're too busy panicking.'

Vicki tugged at Lucy's arm. 'Are you gonna get into trouble for what you did?'

'That was very brave,' added Lizzy. 'I wish I had the courage you do.'

'It wasn't bravery,' Lucy replied. She swam over to help two of the younger ones into their sleeping berths. 'I just couldn't let them drown that lady.'

'She was from Topside, wasn't she?' asked Vicki.

'Yes,' Lucy answered. 'We were all from Topside once. But we can't ever go back now.'

'Do you want to go back?' asked Joshua.

'It doesn't matter what I want,' Lucy told him. 'We can't go back.'

'But would you, if you could?' he persisted.