“Maybe that Cyberman could help us,” said Dunjan, indicating the metal man sat in the corner.
Dennington crossed over to the heap and checked it. “Nah, it’s useless. The thing’s dead.”
“It’s mechanical, isn’t it?”
“Well, it’s partly robotic, but I don’t see how that would help.”
“Perhaps you could cause an explosion. Maybe blow up the wall using something from the Cyberman.”
“It’s a possibility. The thing might have enough power in it to cause a small explosion.”
Dennington bent down and prised open the chest panel on the dead Cyberman revealing a number of circuits and wires. He pulled out a few cables and examined them carefully.
“Well?” asked Dunjan.
“I think I can do something.”
Dennington twisted a few wires together and the chest panel began to emit a high pitched whine. He placed another chunk of gold from Dunjan’s necklace into the circuit board and the whining got higher.
“Okay, get back!”
The two backed away to the far wall as the chest panel glowed a hot orange colour and then exploded. When the smoke cleared a large hole could be seen in the wall.
Dunjan turned and smiled at Dennington. “Well done, boy.”
“Oh, it was nothing,” said Dennington, coughing and peering into the darkness.
“It looks extremely dark.”
“Yes.”
Dennington kicked the remains of the Cyberman to the side and slowly went through the hole. They appeared to be in a corridor which was just as dark as the previous room. A laugh could be heard in the distance.
“Do you think he’s watching us?’” asked Dennington.
“Undoubtedly,” said Dunjan, gazing upwards.
“Then why’s he letting us continue?”
“To test us. To see if we can make it all the way.”
The laugh came again.
“He must have had many visitors,” said Dennington, edging forward.
“Oh, he has. They’ve all been here and they’ve all failed.”
“Then why are we getting so far?”
“It’s like I said; he’s testing us. Many have gotten this far, but then failed. Or maybe it’s something else…”
A blast of wind shot down the corridor knocking the two men backwards. A roar accompanied the howling wind and they both had to hold their hands to their ears to block out the deafening sound. Eventually the wind died down.
“What did we do to deserve that?” said Dennington.
“Hmm…I wonder.” Dunjan chuckled to himself and then led Dennington further down the corridor.
“Welcome, children, and the, erm, lizard.”
Caroline, Ivy and Grasp where sat on the floor rubbing their heads.
“Oooh, what happened?” groaned Caroline.
“Not your average transmat system, that’s for sure,” said Ivy, shaking her head. “And if I get another headache today I’m off to live on a farm and milk cows. At least that will be peaceful. I’m sick of waking up with a pounding in my head.”
“Where are we?” asked Caroline, squinting into the sub-darkness.
Ivy looked around and noticed a light glowing not far off in the shape of an eye. “By the looks of that glowing eye I’d say we’re in Tressure’s stronghold.”
“Congratulations, Miss Coldstone,” came a familiar voice from the darkness.
“Oh no,” said Caroline, shaking her head in disbelief.
Danny walked into view of the three of them, grinning.
“What is going on?” growled Grasp.
“You’re right smack in the centre of the lair of God - Tressure.”
“What are you on about, Danny?”
“He seems delirious, Caroline.”
“I shall tear him limb from limb!” said Grasp, getting to his feet. He reached for his blaster to find it had gone.
A laugh came from near to the glowing Eye light.
“Please, I mean you no harm. We mean you no harm,” said Danny.
“You could have fooled me,” said Ivy, continuing to rub her head. “What exactly has happened to you?”
“Come with me and you shall be told everything.”
Danny held out his hand and helped Caroline and Ivy to their feet. Grasp reluctantly followed behind them. He brought them towards the glowing Eye.
Sat in a ornate chair was a fairly young, but withered looking man. He sat, looking at the three of them and nodded his head.
“Welcome, children.”
“Three guesses for who you are,” said Ivy.
Grasp obviously didn’t understand the joke and was about to answer when Danny slapped Ivy across the face.
“What the hell are you doing, Danny?” said Caroline.
“Thanks a lot, Danny,” said Ivy, rubbing her sore cheek.
“You will show respect to our Lord.”
Danny advanced on the two women but Tressure rose from his chair. “Stop, Danny!”
Danny obeyed without a second thought.
“We must try and understand our…guests.”
“I’m glad to see you have a bit of sense,” said Ivy.
“Do not trust it,” growled Grasp. “It’s a false God and I shall not worship it.”
Danny advanced on Grasp, but the lizard knocked him to the floor.
“What have you done to Danny?” asked Caroline, daring to step towards the strange, tired man.
“You should be asking what he has done to himself?”
“I’ve surrendered my mind to the Lord Tressure,” said Danny, rubbing his bruised jaw.
Grasp decided enough was enough and leapt towards Tressure.
The man was too fast and a wave of nothingness seemed to shoot out of Tressure like a shockwave and knock the lizard-man back.
Danny was back on his feet in seconds and beside his God.
“Why are you doing this?” shouted Caroline.
“Don’t worry, you will find out eventually, and when you do -”
Tressure’s words were cut off with a slam into his back. Danny whirled around to see who the attackers were. Mark Dennington stood in the shadows with a wooden staff in his hand and a little old man standing beside him. Tressure flailed and fell on the floor, out of breath.
“Some God,” said Dennington with a grin on his face.
Danny’s eyes shone yellow-green and he let out a grey vapour from his mouth.
Dennington, Dunjan, Ivy, Caroline and Grasp ran for the exit of the chamber before Danny’s vapour could catch them.
Meanwhile, outside, Captain Nivere and the Doctor had walked through the remainder of the jungle in silence until Nivere decided it was time for a quick break. They sat down beside a small, sandy area in a clearing amongst the trees.
The Doctor sat crossed legged and opened one of the rucksacks. Inside was a flask with a hot drink that resembled something like tea, but not quite. Inside a small box were thin strips of space rations. He eyed them wearily and then took a bite into the dark coloured strip. After a few chomps his face contorted and he quickly took a drink of the liquid. It wasn’t nice but at least it washed away the disgusting taste.
“Don’t like them, eh?” asked Nivere, happily munching away.
“They are truly disgusting.”
“You’ll get used to them,” said Nivere.
“Assuming I have to get used to them. I don’t intend on staying in space forever.”
“You lost your craft you say? Well it’s a long way back to Earth if you come back with me on my ship. You’ll have to live off these things. Normal food is very scarce.”
“Yes. Maybe I should have listened to Caroline and tried to get the TARDIS out of that swamp rather than coming on this stupid expedition.”
Nivere gave him a sideways glance. “And why exactly is this a stupid expedition?”
“Well look at what’s happened. Deaths, one disappearance and the kidnapping of Caroline, Ivy and Grasp. Not to mention my friend, Danny, walking off.”
“Minor problems, Doctor,” laughed Nivere.
“You may call the death of two innocents minor, but I don’t!”
Nivere didn’t reply and carried on eating.
The Doctor felt at a loss until he noticed the glint of metal at the bottom of the rucksack. He checked Nivere wasn’t watching him and slowly put his hand in the bag. He could feel a gun shape, cold in his hand. His hand froze and he could feel his pulse racing. He didn’t want to use a gun, but perhaps he could threaten Nivere, change her mind about this mission.
But he had delayed too long. The Doctor felt the barrel of a blaster pressed against his left temple. He turned his head and saw Nivere pointing her weapon at him.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Getting more rations?” attempted the Doctor.
“You fool. I forgot there was a gun in that bag. What would you have done if you’d got it?”
“Tried to make you see reason,” said the Doctor, letting go of the gun.
“Reason? I have been offered the power of a God. There is no reasoning to make me see,” she growled insanely.
“You have been offered nothing!” snapped the Doctor. “You’re a fool to trust Tressure. If he wanted you to share in his power he’d just transport you there himself.”
“He wants to see if I can make it there on my own. He wants to see if I’m worthy of the power. And I will show him that I am.”
“What about me then? He said I was worthy as well.”
“Then we shall see.” Nivere smiled and withdrew the gun from the Doctors temple. She then snatched the bag from him and made sure it wasn’t in his reach and carried on eating and drinking.
The Doctor flopped onto his back and looked up at the high sun. “Well, if we’re supposed to be tested, where are the tests?”
There was a low rumbling and the Doctor sat bolt upright. The Doctor and Nivere turned to face each other, a look of worry on their faces, as the ground began to shake.
“I think that answers your question.”
Yentob felt his head burning with fury, but there was something wrong, something not quite right. It didn’t feel like his fury. Something was inhabiting his mind. A power so strong it would be impossible to dislodge it. His God was in there. In his own mind. And he could see the escapees in front of him. And they had spotted him.
‘Run!’
He could hear the people shouting and running as fast as they could through the corridors and hallways of the fortress. Something told him to run and stop them and his legs moved him on against his will.
Caroline turned around and realised she was alone. Where she had been running was now a wall blocking the way back. How could a wall suddenly appear out of nowhere? A face pushed through the wall forming from the bricks.
“What the hell are you?”
“Just another servant of Tressure!” it said excitedly.
“Well let me get back to my friends.”
“Answer my three riddles.”
“This isn’t a game show! Do I look like a dungeoneer?” she shouted, and booted the face in it’s nose. It wailed with pain and Caroline dived through it’s gaping mouth and onto the other side of the wall were Ivy and the others were waiting.
“Where did you go?” asked Ivy.
“It’s Tressure setting up traps for us.”
The wall suddenly changed. The face had switched to the other side and was watching them with thunder in it's face.
“Yentob! Yentob they are here!” it shouted, it’s voice ringing through the castle walls.
“You stupid wall!” shouted Caroline.
It continued to shout until Dennington picked up a loose brick and smashed it’s nose off. It yelled in pain and the group made their escape.
Dennington turned to Dunjan. “Can’t you use that power of yours yet?”
“Tressure’s is too great. It’s blocking me still.”
“If we could only divert his power,” said Ivy.
“And how do we do that?” asked Caroline.
“He’s inhabiting your friend, Danny, as well as Yentob and himself,” said Dunjan.
“Then what we need to do is attack them all,” growled Grasp.
“That’d be suicide. And besides, Tressure wants us alive,” said Caroline.
“And how do we know he’d keep his promise?” said Ivy.
“We don’t,” said Dunjan.
“Then our best bet is to get out of here,” said Dennington.
“No,” said Grasp, “we fight!”
The others turned to Grasp and said in unison “No!”
A terrible howl came from behind them and Yentob appeared, running faster than them, and looking like a caged animal. He advanced on them and threw his spear. It landed in the back of Grasps thigh and he fell to the floor in pain.
The others turned back, but Grasp, amazingly, urged them to leave him.
“We can’t leave him!” shouted Caroline.
“We have to,” said Dennington sadly.
As the others disappeared around the corner, Yentob jumped on top of Grasp and pulled the spear from his leg. “Did you really think you could get away?” he growled.
“Get off!” shouted Grasp.
“You’re going back to our God.” Yentob closed his eyes and a green mist formed around Grasp and then he was gone.
Yentob laughed and then carried on his pursuit of the others.
Caroline and the others turned a corner and walked straight into…nothing. No wall, no ceiling.
No floor.
The four of them tumbled through the blackness, screaming as they fell.
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