‘Incredible! Absolutely incredible!’
The Doctor gyrated angrily, glaring at the stowaway.
‘What in the universe are
you
doing here!’
Herbert, too impressed and elated by his fascinating experience, only offered a rapturous grimace.
‘Are we travelling below or above water?’
Whisked aside, the master of the TARDIS soon admonished his ‘guest’, removing his gleeful expression, after a severe reprimand.
Herbert retreated into a corner with his tail between his legs. ‘I promise I won’t get in the way, Doctor,’ he bleated sheepishly.
Nevertheless, the new time-traveller pulled out his pocket notebook and began furiously compiling notes.
Sketches and diagrams were quickly lined in thick pencil as if he were professionally surveying his surroundings.
The TARDIS walls began to tremble. The Doctor shouted to his new companions to brace themselves, and with the accompanying cacophony that alarmed Vena, the time-machine approached the vortex in space.
The TARDIS once more appeared as a blip on the Timelash’s tracker screen, and was quickly spotted by Tekker’s hawk-eyes.
‘You see,’ he squealed, entirely pleased with events, ‘I told you he’d return.’
Kendron made no reply, and bowed his head over the controls. Soon the faint outline of the TARDIS grew to fuller form in the main chamber as its silhouette materialised fully like a blue monolith.
‘He can’t do this,’ the councillor complained. ‘He gave his word, I heard him.’
Brunner, less naïve, scowled at Kendron’s weak nature.
‘Say much more and you’ll be joining the Doctor and his friends in the Timelash. Now get the vortex ready. You heard our Maylin - he wants them all despatched.’
Kendron did as he was bid and the humming of the Timelash gently took its place in the relative silence of the Inner Sanctum. Within minute it was primed to send more victims into the depths of oblivion.
7
The Doctor could hardly wait for the TARDIS doors to open, bowling out like a flash of lightning into the Inner Sanctum with Herbert hot on his heels.
The ‘welcoming committee’ of Karfelons and guardoliers, spearheaded by the Maylin Tekker, closed ranks. Their faces of gloom contrasted with the last occasion the TARDIS had arrived. Tekker outstretched his long hand and directed his interest to the amulet in the Time Lord’s grip.
‘I’ll take that, Doctor.’
Vena looked daggers at the Karfelon she and her father once trusted. ‘Who pulls your strings now, Tekker?’ she asked.
The Doctor had other priorities. ‘Where’s Peri?’
No direct answer was forthcoming.
Herbert, in a world of his own, continued to make endless notes in his pocket book as if he were part of some scientific expedition.
Tekker stood fast and wiggled the ends of his fingers.
‘No amulet, no Peri.’
With a sigh of disgust the Doctor sharply ejected the amulet and chain into his adversary’s hand, then once more enquired after his companion.
With a single curt wave from the Maylin, the room’s lighting dimmed as if all power was being diverted elsewhere. The Timelash doors gradually opened revealing a bright swirling tornado within. The Inner Sanctum doors swung open allowing Mykros, Sezon and Katz to be brought in, each neck-looped to a guardolier. Seven rebels in all faced the fate of uncertainty: the Timelash.
The Doctor turned crimson at such treachery. ‘You gave me your word - you microcephalic apostate!’
Tekker merely tendered a sickening grin of satisfaction.
He had received precisely what he wanted, completing the Borad’s explicit instructions.
‘You are all to be subjected to the Timelash,’ the Maylin gloated, in a high-pitched cackle. ‘You first, Doctor. It appears the great Time Lord has actually run out of time.’
A single android strode forward and gripped the back of the Doctor’s neck without warning, slowly manipulating him towards the dazzling void of the Timelash. Mykros and Vena exchanged fearful glances. It seemed their joyous reunion was to be shortlived. Sezon and Katz boiled over with bitter emotion, powerless to help their ally who was now at the mouth of the time corridor. Within seconds he would be hurled into the vortex to endure an unknown future - if he were to survive the trip at all.
Some distance away, Peri puffed as she was marched to a scientific laboratory displaying a vast array of technical paraphernalia. An elderly Karfelon approached her guardolier and commanded him to release his hold on the prisoner. The Karfelon, whom Peri took for a scientist, produced a small metal canister and body strap which he fitted to her without explanation.
Neck-looped once more, Peri was removed in another direction with the light cylinder firmly in place. Its purpose and content remained a mystery. Peri was undeniably anxious - not only for herself, but for the Doctor too.
The android relentlessly pushed its metal claw into the Doctor’s neck, forcing him forward. Oblivion was but a step away. The Time Lord dug deep into his bulging pockets and produced the mirror he had borrowed from Herbert’s cabin. Angling a reflection directly into the android’s eyes, it shone more than enough light to temporarily blind the creature which automatically released its death grip and allowed the Doctor to break free.
Within seconds the room turned into a war zone as rebels liberated themselves to grapple fiercely with the guardoliers. Tekker diplomatically took his leave at this point, reluctant for further involvement, retreating swiftly out of the chamber. Vena and Herbert smashed the spy camera in the chamber, allowing Sezon to seal the doors and destroy its mechanism, and making the area temporarily impenetrable.
Once more the Doctor found himself on the brink of the Timelash, battling for his life with Brunner and an android. Mykros, who had won his fight, bounded over to assist, and managed to lever first the android and then Brunner into the tunnel that spanned time and space.
There was a moment available for a quick handshake and hurried introduction before Mykros raced to aid Katz. The Doctor attended to more technical matters and made his way to the controls of the Timelash itself.
Soon the spacious chamber was littered with guardoliers who had temporarily lost their struggle. Their unconscious bodies were dragged unceremoniously into an antechamber where they were securely incarcerated.
‘What is this Timelash, Doctor?’ Herbert was soon eyeing the controls with excitement.
‘Not now, Herbert, there’s too much to do.’
Vena was also interested in what the Doctor was planning, and was surprised to learn of his intention.
‘I’m going into the Timelash,’ he announced.
The Borad snarled at Tekker’s incompetence, issuing him with a stern warning of what would happen if he continued to fail in his duty. The leader’s mechanical chair whirled as it carried its gross load around the damp vault. Tekker, pleased to be alive, stepped aside, awaiting further instructions.
‘Take the time-web acceleration beam and break into the Inner Sanctum. Dispose of all rebels within, and then bring the Doctor to me. I want him to observe his assistant’s fate before I dispose of him personally.’
Tekker smiled; but dared not utter a word. He simply withdrew meekly, bowing his head as he departed, and relishing his duty to challenge the Doctor once more.
Mykros spun some rope around the Doctor’s waist securely. ‘Can’t I go, Doctor?’ pleaded Herbert who also stepped forward for a chance to be chosen.
‘I’m not going to perform some sort of sporting event!’
bellowed the Time Lord, knowing full well the good intentions of Herbert and Mykros. ‘I’ve got to go in on my own. Releasing Kontron crystals is a tricky operation.
They require skilful manipulation. Anything less would cause instability and the Timelash could implode!’
Vena wasn’t quite sure of the need for these crystals, and so the Doctor reminded her of their strange and powerful properties. They were the only things likely to be of any use against their enemies.
Sezon and Katz hooked up the other end of the line to a pillar, and then they took the strain as the Doctor eased himself into the Timelash opening. Layer upon layer of shimmering light streaked out of the vortex, giving a hypnotic effect to any attracted viewer. Vena was far from happy about the Doctor’s plan, but helped him all the same, wishing him luck and success.
Peri felt like crying, though she had experienced a lot worse in her lifetime - especially alongside the Doctor. She thus restrained herself from doing anything that would undermine her ability and affect her self-respect. Gazing around at the gloomy cell that imprisoned her she once again tried to remove the grey canister that was securely fastened about her middle.
Then a thought hit her like a knife stabbing through butter. Could the cylinder be explosive? Did they expect her to organise her own demise? She stopped fingering the device instantly and treated it with extreme caution.
Resigned, and unable to do much more, Peri took a seat against a damp wall. She had already shouted for help without any response, and needed to recuperate before trying another line of action. One thing was certain, she could not give up.
The Timelash entrance was the first step into the unknown. The Doctor had never been inside a corridor like this before without the TARDIS to protect him. He squinted below, spying a mass of projecting lithoids. On the end of each he knew would be a Kontron crystal, and two were needed for his purposes. Calling to the others to release more slack on the line, the Doctor began to stretch for the crystal nearest to him.
He could sense the powerful attraction force taking effect as he pushed his way on to one stem. Gingerly, he manoeuvred himself towards the fist-shaped sparkling nugget. There were now only inches to go, but the line prevented him from going any further.
‘Let me have more slack!’ he shouted, and again he was able to move forward. The Doctor’s fingers brushed its target, eventually coming to rest around the crystal itself.
He gently manipulated its position, looking back to see his precarious situation. Concentric rings of the vortex swirled endlessly into the depths of the bottomless pit. Finally a multi-crystalline-like structure was firmly in the Time Lord’s grasp. ‘One down,’ he sighed. ’One to go.’
Tekker ordered an android detachment to set up the time-acceleration web outside the Inner Sanctum. The beam was set to disintegrate the doors, and a squad of crack guardoliers stood ready as a mini-attack force. Tekker was becoming edgy. He began to recall the Borad’s threat of what would happen to him if he failed. Kendron, who had also fled from the chamber, stood by his side. Tekker mused for a moment. Perhaps he would survive, successful or not.
The vortex attraction forces were rapidly taking effect on the foreign body that fought the flow of the corridor’s power and was now about to seize a second crystal.
Unfortunately for the Doctor, the second Kontron crystal was proving too elusive and difficult to uncouple from the pentagonal lithoid stretching out to oblivion.
‘Can’t I come down and help?’ cried Herbert from the opening of the Timelash above.
‘You stay where you are! I’ve nearly got the second one.’
An alarming tornado motion then swirled all the projectiles. The Doctor clung on as best he could, finally chancing his arm and grabbing the other prism-like structure. Whipping it into his large coat pocket, the only thing left on his mind was escape, and quickly. An unnatural source of turbulent energy impacted the area taking the weight off the Time Lord’s body and suspending him in mid-air. It was merely Mykros’s knot around his middle that prevented him from being cast through the eye of the corridor with a one-way ticket.
Sezon and Katz and the others sweated as Herbert watched the events below. He knew something had to be done - and fast. As the Doctor tried his best to regain control on the lashing, Herbert swiftly moved into the corridor and grabbed the line tightly. Then, foolhardy in action, he began making his way down to the Doctor, who shouted at his rescuer’s impetuous act of bravery.
‘Get back, Herbert! You’ll be swept away!’
Mykros then also climbed inside, mainly to keep a hold on Herbert, and a body chain was established. After several close encounters with failure, Herbert eventually grabbed the Doctor’s sweating hands and began pulling him up to safety. The group above tugged madly to pull the entire chain out of the Timelash, and after a few anxious moments from Vena’s standpoint, Mykros, Herbert and eventually the Doctor, emerged, quite shaken by their experience, but thankfully all in one piece.
A joyous reunion was cut short by an impatient Time Lord. The Doctor reminded them of the many tasks they had yet to accomplish. This was underlined when Katz spotted an invasion force on the planet’s tracker screens.
Mykros eyed the armada with deep concern.
‘Doctor?’
The Time Lord had little to say and continued to work against the clock. He had to convert his spoils of the Timelash into effective instruments of defence if they were to stand any hope of survival.
Peri had nodded off in her cell, and was rudely awoken by the cold touch of the noose device once more introduced about her slender neck. She yelled abuse at the unfeeling guardolier who hauled her upwards like a sack of potatoes.
Without explanation the soldier released her from the bars and frogmarched her out.
It wasn’t long before Peri’s blood chilled with fear. She could detect that smell again. The one she associated with the cave creature. To her horror, the guardolier was leading her out of the Citadel to confront the monster for a second time.
The Doctor fumbled with a collection of pieces from the Timelash. He particularly worked with the Kontron crystals, making one into a hand-held weapon and the second into a device he placed about his neck with a chain.
Putting down his screwdriver, he shone his pocket penlight into the crystals and waited. Herbert, entirely fascinated, watched the events with undivided attention, making notes in his pocketbook. After ten seconds the crystalline neckpiece returned the light almost as if it signalled a response.