Doctor Who: The Seeds of Doom Read Online Free
Author: Philip Hinchcliffe
Tags: Science-Fiction:Doctor Who
the rifle. ‘Ready!’
The Doctor eyed the weapon. ‘I hope that’s the answer,’ he said quietly, and led the way out.
Keeler turned anxiously on Scorby as the door slammed. ‘What the devil’s going on?’
‘I don’t know. They’re not going to build a snowman, that’s for sure.’ He stepped over to the door. ‘Come on. Now’s our chance.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘To find the pod.’ He opened the door gently and, checking the corridor was clear, beckoned Keeler to follow.
Outside, it was very dark and a heavy snow was falling. Sarah noticed that although they had only travelled a few hundred yards the lights of the camp behind them were no longer visible. She shivered. The cold was already unbearable and constant flurries of snow prevented her from seeing more than a few feet ahead. She stumbled on behind the Doctor. He seemed oblivious to the conditions, pausing only once in a while to secure his hat. All the time he was scanning the endless expanse of snow.
‘No sign of any tracks,’ yelled Sarah.
Stevenson shook his head. ‘The wind covers everything in a matter of minutes.’
Suddenly the Doctor pointed. ‘What’s that over there?’ They had reached a high ridge and he was gazing at something below.
Stevenson peered into the gloom. ‘That’s our Power Unit.’ A small metal building lay half-buried in the snow, several hundred yards distant. Only the Doctor’s superhuman eyesight could have picked it out from such a range.
‘Why is it so far from the camp?’ he shouted.
‘Safety measure. It’s a new Fuel-Cell system. Being tested out here for the first time.’
‘Let’s take a look!’
They scrambled down the ice-covered slope and approached the Power Unit. The snow seemed undisturbed.
‘This door can’t have been opened for weeks,’ remarked Sarah. ‘It’s iced solid.’
‘It’s as well to be sure,’ said the Doctor and he started to yank it open. ‘He’d try to find shelter in this weather.’ Stevenson slipped the safety catch on his rifle. After a couple of hefty pulls from the Doctor the ice cracked away and the three of them stepped inside.
The walls and floor of the Power Unit were bare, but in the centre stood a large complicated structure, about ten feet across, giving out a soft glow of heat. This was the experimental Fuel Cell. One or two large pipes and cables ran off to the walls and then underground to the rest of the camp, to supply the power and electricity needed. There was very little scope for concealment.
‘No cactus spines or puddles of snow,’ said Sarah. ‘Doesn’t look like he’s been here.’
‘Is there anywhere else he could hide?’ the Doctor asked Stevenson.
‘Not outside the camp itself.’
‘He wouldn’t last long, would he... outside?’ ventured Sarah.
‘Not without special clothing,’ replied Stevenson.’No, I’m, afraid Charles must have collapsed somewhere.’
‘You keep forgetting, Stevenson—he isn’t a man any more. Not of flesh and blood.’
‘Well, if he’s a plant, Doctor—or a vegetable, whatever he is—he’d have even less resistance to cold, wouldn’t he?’ argued Sarah.
‘Perhaps. On the other hand, the Krynoid might come from a planet where this would be considered glorious summer.’
Stevenson frowned. ‘You know, I still find this hard to take. You’re trying to tell me these things are an alien plant species?’
‘And lethal to all human and animal life.’
‘But how do you know?’
‘Never mind how I know, it’s fact. On every planet where the Krynoid
The Doctor eyed the weapon. ‘I hope that’s the answer,’ he said quietly, and led the way out.
Keeler turned anxiously on Scorby as the door slammed. ‘What the devil’s going on?’
‘I don’t know. They’re not going to build a snowman, that’s for sure.’ He stepped over to the door. ‘Come on. Now’s our chance.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘To find the pod.’ He opened the door gently and, checking the corridor was clear, beckoned Keeler to follow.
Outside, it was very dark and a heavy snow was falling. Sarah noticed that although they had only travelled a few hundred yards the lights of the camp behind them were no longer visible. She shivered. The cold was already unbearable and constant flurries of snow prevented her from seeing more than a few feet ahead. She stumbled on behind the Doctor. He seemed oblivious to the conditions, pausing only once in a while to secure his hat. All the time he was scanning the endless expanse of snow.
‘No sign of any tracks,’ yelled Sarah.
Stevenson shook his head. ‘The wind covers everything in a matter of minutes.’
Suddenly the Doctor pointed. ‘What’s that over there?’ They had reached a high ridge and he was gazing at something below.
Stevenson peered into the gloom. ‘That’s our Power Unit.’ A small metal building lay half-buried in the snow, several hundred yards distant. Only the Doctor’s superhuman eyesight could have picked it out from such a range.
‘Why is it so far from the camp?’ he shouted.
‘Safety measure. It’s a new Fuel-Cell system. Being tested out here for the first time.’
‘Let’s take a look!’
They scrambled down the ice-covered slope and approached the Power Unit. The snow seemed undisturbed.
‘This door can’t have been opened for weeks,’ remarked Sarah. ‘It’s iced solid.’
‘It’s as well to be sure,’ said the Doctor and he started to yank it open. ‘He’d try to find shelter in this weather.’ Stevenson slipped the safety catch on his rifle. After a couple of hefty pulls from the Doctor the ice cracked away and the three of them stepped inside.
The walls and floor of the Power Unit were bare, but in the centre stood a large complicated structure, about ten feet across, giving out a soft glow of heat. This was the experimental Fuel Cell. One or two large pipes and cables ran off to the walls and then underground to the rest of the camp, to supply the power and electricity needed. There was very little scope for concealment.
‘No cactus spines or puddles of snow,’ said Sarah. ‘Doesn’t look like he’s been here.’
‘Is there anywhere else he could hide?’ the Doctor asked Stevenson.
‘Not outside the camp itself.’
‘He wouldn’t last long, would he... outside?’ ventured Sarah.
‘Not without special clothing,’ replied Stevenson.’No, I’m, afraid Charles must have collapsed somewhere.’
‘You keep forgetting, Stevenson—he isn’t a man any more. Not of flesh and blood.’
‘Well, if he’s a plant, Doctor—or a vegetable, whatever he is—he’d have even less resistance to cold, wouldn’t he?’ argued Sarah.
‘Perhaps. On the other hand, the Krynoid might come from a planet where this would be considered glorious summer.’
Stevenson frowned. ‘You know, I still find this hard to take. You’re trying to tell me these things are an alien plant species?’
‘And lethal to all human and animal life.’
‘But how do you know?’
‘Never mind how I know, it’s fact. On every planet where the Krynoid
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