The TARDIS hauled itself out of the time/space vortex, wheezing and groaning in protest. It materialised in a brightly lit corridor with a thunk of relief.
Jamie was first out, ready to protect his travelling companions from danger. This time, there was no danger, so the dark haired, kilted Scottish lad stepped aside.
Victoria stepped out of the TARDIS, regarding their surroundings with great interest. Like her name suggested, she was from Earth's Victorian era, so any trip into the future was a new and exciting experience for her.
Finally, the Doctor appeared, pulling the TARDIS door closed behind him. This caught one of his black coat tails in the door, so he had to extract it before locking the door. Jamie and Victoria tried not to snigger in amusement. The Doctor tried to ignore them.
Turning from his craft, the dark haired, impish figure of the Doctor clapped his hands together with glee.
"Well, this is very impressive," he stated, looking down the stark, white, bright corridor.
"Impressive?" echoed Jamie. "It's a corridor, Doctor. The only thing impressing me is that we're not being chased down it by Cybermen!"
The Doctor frowned at the young Scot. "This corridor is clean and functional. It is the product of an enlightened culture. In short, civilisation."
"Are we far in the future, Doctor?" asked Victoria.
"Well, the TARDIS instruments indicated that we were in the 23rd Century. Probably an Earth colony world."
"Aye, if you can believe the instruments," said Jamie. He knew how unreliable the TARDIS could be, especially under the Doctor's expert guidance.
"Now that's very unfair, Jamie," the Doctor replied, looking hurt. "If you were as old as the TARDIS, you would do well to get things right all the time." He patted the side of his ship affectionately.
"Occasionally would be nice," Jamie retorted.
"Are you two going to stop bickering, so we can explore?" Victoria inquired. The Doctor and Jamie stopped arguing.
Together, the three friends set off down the corridor.
They were soon met by a tall man with greying hair and a smiling, lined face. He introduced himself.
"I'm Graham Paxton, senior research scientist at Monek base."
"Ah, I'm the Doctor, and these are my friends, Jamie and Victoria."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Doctor. Now, what have you come to study?"
This caught the Doctor out a little. "Oh, well, nothing in particular. We're interested in all that you do here."
Paxton beamed. "It's so nice to have a visitor that's interested in everything," he said.
"Do you get many visitors?" Jamie asked.
"Yes, we get our share. Researchers, Professors, Academic parties. That sort of thing. We specialise in plant species."
"Well, that sounds fascinating," the Doctor commented. "Have you anything interesting at the moment, plant wise?"
"A very interesting specimen arrived this week," Paxton told them. "If you'd like to come with me?"
They followed him into a side laboratory. On the bench was a rough dark green globe, protected by the slight shimmer of a force field.
"Now, this one is fascinating. It was found on an ice moon further out in the Monek system. Some of the local races have had dealings with this species before. They call it a Krynoid!"
"So, what's special about it?" asked Victoria.
Paxton smiled slightly. "The Krynoid is a killer."
"It chokes other plants?" inquired the Doctor.
"No," Paxton replied, "the Krynoid has a liking for animal flesh. It latches onto the nearest live creature and re-writes it's DNA, taking it over completely. Sentient or not, it doesn't mind. It then dominates all the animal and plant life around, gradually taking over the planet."
"Oach, I don't like the sound of that," Jamie decided. "Are ye sure it's safe there?"
"Oh, it's quite safe, I can assure you. It's kept behind a force field at all times."
"Aye, well, that's alright then. Isn't it, Doctor?"
The scruffy little man was frowning, deep in thought. He looked up when he realised his name had been spoken.
"Yes, Jamie," he said, distractedly. He bit the nail of his thumb thoughtfully.
"Now, is there anything else you would like to see?" Paxton asked.
***
Later, the three friends were sat together in the visitors restaurant. Paxton had directed them here and said if they needed anything, just ask for him again.
"I loved the rainbow orchids," Victoria enthused around her glass of chilled lemonade.
"Yes, they were spectacular, weren't they?" the Doctor agreed, sipping his tea. He had been delighted to find the restaurant stocked a variety of teas, imported directly from Earth.
"Aye, well I'm still worried about that Krynoid thing," said Jamie. He was tucking into a meat pie and chips and, by the look of him, enjoying every mouthful.
The Doctor nodded. "It does seem a rather nasty species. But I'm sure the security arrangements are more than adequate to keep it safe."
"Well, I hope so," Jamie said, shovelling more chips down.
"Can we stay a while, Doctor?" asked Victoria. "It would be nice to have a proper look around. This place is so big!"
The Doctor smiled at her. "I don't see why not. I'll have a word with Professor Paxton about some rooms. It will make a change from staying in the TARDIS all the time."
***
Paxton was more than happy to find them accommodation for the night. The Doctor and Jamie shared a room, while Victoria had one to herself. Jamie and Victoria were soon asleep. The Doctor, who didn't need as much sleep as his young companions, sat in a chair and read a book that Paxton had found for him.
While the Monek Research Station was state of the art, even state of the art was liable to the occasional problem. So it was when the main generator failed.
It was only a burnt out relay, but it put the power out all over the base. It took just under a minute for the back up generator to kick in. But it was enough.
Freed from its force field, the Krynoid pod cracked open. A tendril shot out, hooked itself around an electrol microscope and pulled itself clear of the force field perimeter. And not a moment too soon, as the back up generator pumped power back through the base.
But it was too late, really. The Krynoid was free!
***
Despite himself, the Doctor had been dozing in the chair, his book laid open across his stomach. However, some seventh sense told him all was not well and he woke with a start, to find himself in pitch darkness.
His eyes adjusted quicker than a humans would, taking in the darkened room. Jamie was sleeping, peacefully unaware. Carefully, the Doctor rose from his chair, placing the book on a low table in front of him.
He was about to set off to investigate the problem, when the lamp on the table flickered back into life. A faint hum confirmed that the power was back on in other parts of the complex too. The Doctor smiled to himself, settled back in the chair and picked up his book again.
Now, he thought, where was I?
***
Now free of its force field, the Krynoid was able to explore it's surroundings. The tendril slithered about on the workbench, looking for a warm host to inhabit. Reaching out, it found the access port of the computer terminal.
As electricity coursed along the green tentacle, the basic intelligence of the Krynoid thought it was about to be destroyed. But no. Evolution had made the species hardy and the jolt of power was quickly absorbed. Along with a lot more.
The tendril pushed itself further into the port, plant fibres interfacing with memory wafers, organic and synthetic intelligence bonding to form a common union.
The computer screen spluttered into static then an image formed, filling the screen. The image was dark green and pulsed with alien life.
A small dark box appeared in the top right hand corner of the screen. A beeping sounded from the speakers. After half a minute, the box illuminated, showing the weary face of a human.
"Yes, Professor, what can I do for you?"
The voice that replied was a perfect reproduction of Professor Paxton's. "Please bring the second Krynoid pod to the laboratory, Doctor Bond."
Bond yawned, then nodded. "Very well, Professor. You're working late, by the way."
"Yes," came the reply. "When you're on the verge of a breakthrough, sleep becomes meaningless. Now, quickly, Doctor Bond."
"On my way, Professor," Bond replied, severing the connection.
A thought flashed across the organic/synthetic mind. This was going to be so easy.
***
Doctor Bond opened the door of the laboratory, to find it in darkness. He carried the force field container, with it's dangerous plant cargo, carefully beside him.
"Hello? Professor Paxton?"
"Come in," said the familiar voice. "Put the canister down." Bond complied, using the faint light spilling in from the corridor to find the workbench.
Then that light vanished as the door swished shut behind him. He spun round, but could see nothing in the total darkness.
Meanwhile, a second tendril was tapping the access code to deactive the force field container. The code had been easy to find in the computer memory.
Bond gulped. "Are you there, Professor?" he said into the darkness. The only reply was a raspy chuckle, like dry leaves on a dusty path.
The computer screen flickered into life, showing the pulsing mass of green. Bond tried to back away, but something grasped his arm, pulling him into the room. In the green light from the screen, he saw it was a green stem, reaching out from the open container he had brought with him.
Bond screamed as the Krynoid bit into his flesh.
***
"Good morning, Professor Paxton," said the Doctor cheerily.
"And a good morning to you, Doctor. Did you sleep well?"
"Oh, I don't need as much sleep as my young friends do," the Doctor replied. "But your accommodation is excellent."
"Aye, well if you don't need to sleep, who was it snoring in the chair in the middle of the night?"
"I wasn't snoring, Jamie, those were breathing exercises," said the Doctor, flushing slightly.
"Well, they were rather loud breathing exercises if ya ask me. And you had your eyes shut while you were doing them."
"I was meditating. Now, I suppose you'll be wanting breakfast, Jamie?"
"Oh aye, I'm famished."
"Good. Victoria?"
"Actually, I am quite hungry, I must admit."
"Well, then you two run along, while I have a chat with the Professor here."
Victoria looked concerned. "Don't you want anything, Doctor?"
The Doctor smiled gently at the young woman. She was so compassionate, for one so young. "You could bring me a cup of tea, when you're finished."
Her smile lit up the corridor. "Of course. Come on, Jamie." The young Scot followed her, eager to get to his breakfast.
"Now, Professor, tell me about this Krynoid."
"Well, Doctor, it's like I told you yesterday, the Krynoid is a highly developed parasite. The pods are always found in pairs, for some reason, possibly in case one fails to germinate."
"And they latch onto the nearest form of animal life?"
"That's correct. They are very tough. The outer skin of the pod must be able to stand up to the harsh radiations of space for thousands, maybe millions of years."
The Doctor's pleasant face creased in concern. "If the Krynoids are so dangerous, why have you got one here? If it escaped, it could consume this world."
"Relax, Doctor. As I explained to your young friend, the Krynoids are kept behind force fields at all times. We have them here to study them, in the hope of finding new ways to combat their spread."
"Them? You have more than one here?"
Paxton nodded. "We have a matching pair, found together on the ice moon I told you about."
They had been walking steadily towards the Professors laboratory, where they had first seen the Krynoid. As they approached, the door swished open and a figure emerged.
It's name had been Bond. Joe Bond. But now Joe was no more. Only his basic humanoid shape remained. His skin had become coarse and green, his fingers and toes were now slim tendrils. The former Bond swayed briefly in the doorway. Then it seemed to sense the Doctor and Paxton.
The two men stood, rooted to the spot, as the creature started to lurch towards them.
Paxton let out a gasp of surprise. "What is it? What's happened?"
The Doctor turned towards him, his expression grim. "I rather think your Krynoid has escaped!"
***
Jamie and Victoria had left the restaurant. Jamie had had the full breakfast menu, with extra toast. Victoria was carrying a mug of steaming tea carefully.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the planetarium," she said enthusiastically.
"Aye, well I think if you want to see stars, go out at night and look up."
Victoria grinned. "You have no sense of style."
They rounded a corner and came across a terrifying sight. The Doctor and Professor Paxton were being menaced by a man-shaped mass of green foliage.
As she took in the scene, Victoria dropped the mug. It smashed on the floor in an explosion of hot tea and broken pottery. Victoria screamed.
***
The Doctor heard a familiar scream from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, to see Jamie putting a protective arm around the frightened girl.
He and Paxton were backing away from the green monster lurching towards them.
The Doctor glanced at the Professor. "When I say run, run." He looked back at the Krynoid, seemingly satisfied. "Right, run!"
The two of them hared along the corridor, collecting Jamie and Victoria on the way.
Paxton indicated a room. "My office," he told them breathlessly.
The four of them piled inside. Quickly, the Doctor and Jamie dragged a heavy bookcase across the doorway, blocking the entrance.
Behind them the computer screen flickered into life. The Doctor noticed it and pointed.
On the screen was a green, pulsating mass. A voice, like wind rustling in high branches, issued from the speakers.
"We are Krynoid. You will feed us. Resist and you will perish."
"And if we don't resist, you'll spare us?" the Doctor inquired, though he already knew the answer.
"No, but your deaths will be less painful."
The Doctor frowned. "That's unacceptable, I'm afraid."
The green mass pulsed silently for a while. Then the voice came again. "You will die. You cannot avoid this fate. Come to us and your death will be easier."
"Not today, thank you," the Doctor replied, reaching out to switch off the monitor. Instead, he got an electric shock.
"Ouch!" He pulled his hand away quickly, sucking his singed fingers. He glared at the screen.
"We control this base and it's systems. You need a demonstration of our power."
Suddenly, the lights dimmed. A slight background hum, which had been virtually unnoticeable before, stopped completely.
"What's going on?" Victoria asked, her voice wavering slightly.
The Doctor took a breath to reply, then coughed. He looked sharply at the screen.
"It's cut off the oxygen supply. There's no need for that," he addressed the computer. "No need at all!"
The hum returned and the lights brightened. "We control all. You will feed us," the Krynoid voice whispered.
"We won't give in!" the Doctor shouted at it. He pulled his companions and Professor Paxton away from the computer.
"What are we going to do, Doctor?" asked Jamie.
The Doctor looked at him mournfully. "I'm afraid I really don't know." He looked around himself, trying to find some sort of inspiration. His eyes travelled upwards and fixed upon an object attached to the ceiling.
"What sort of safety systems do you have?" he asked Professor Paxton urgently.
"Well, standard emergency evacuation procedures, sprinkler systems, force fields and bulkheads. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, just an idea. Where are they controlled from?"
"Well, the main control station is in the generator room, in an underground chamber."
The Doctor's face creased into a smile. "I think I have a plan."
For a few minutes, the four of them whispered together, out of range of the microphone pick-up for the computer. The Doctor stepped forward and addressed the Krynoid on the screen.
"We have decided to submit to you, if you make our deaths quick."
"You have chosen wisely," rustled the voice.
"However, humans are a deeply religious people. We require a little time to prepare ourselves for our fate."
For a few seconds, there was no reply. Then the voice returned. "That is acceptable."
The Doctor beamed, rubbing his hands together. "Excellent."
"Do not move against us," warned the Krynoid voice. "Resistance is useless!"
The Doctors face crumpled into a frown. "Quite," he agreed, ushering his friends out of the office.
***
A little later, Paxton and Jamie were in the chemical stores. Jamie was collecting samples as Paxton consulted the Doctor's list.
"Do you think he knows what he's doing?" Paxton asked the young Scot.
"The Doctor? Aye, he does this sort of thing all the time."
Paxton frowned slightly. "I hope you're right, or we're all dead!"
***
The Doctor and Victoria were climbing down a ladder into a darkened basement. The Doctor stepped off the ladder and felt about for a light switch.
A dim strip of light illuminated the underground corridor as the Doctor helped Victoria down from the ladder.
The Doctor paused at the bottom, looking both ways. He seemed undecided. He pulled a coin from his trouser pocket, flipped it, studied the result and returned the double headed penny to his pocket.
"This way, I think," he said, leading her towards a door.
"Will Jamie be alright?" she asked as the door swished open onto a darkened room humming with power.
"I hope so," the Doctor replied, finding the light switch once again. "His role is crucial to the survival of us all!"
***
Jamie and Professor Paxton carried half a dozen plastic bottles full of a mixture of the chemicals the Doctor had requested. They approached the corner leading to the laboratory.
Jamie handed Paxton a two-way radio the Doctor had found in the TARDIS. As the Krynoid was no doubt monitoring the communications system, this was the only way the two parties could communicate.
"Hello, Doctor, are you there? Over." asked Paxton.
There was a crackle of static from the other end. Just when it seemed the Doctor wasn't going to answer, a voice came from the radio.
"Hello, Professor, this is the Doctor. Did you get everything?" A pause. "Oh, er, over."
Paxton nodded, then realised how futile the gesture was. "Yes, Doctor," he said into the radio, feeling rather sheepish. "How is your part going? Over."
Another pause. "Oh, it's all coming along quite well. I assume you're ready?"
"We are when you are. Over." Paxton told him.
"Right, I'll call you again when we are ready. Over and about!"
Paxton sighed, looking worriedly at the radio in his hand. "I hope he knows what he's doing."
***
Down in the basement, the Doctor was busy rewiring. Victoria stood back, watching him work.
Finally, the Doctor stood back too. He beamed at his young companion.
"That should do it. I hope." He crossed his fingers. "Hello, Professor," he spoke into the radio. "We're ready here. Time for part two of the plan." Paxton acknowledged and the Doctor put away the radio.
He glanced at Victoria. "Come along, my dear. We don't want Jamie having all the fun, now do we?"
***
Outside Paxton's laboratory, Jamie and Paxton came face to face with the Krynoid monster. It was no longer man shaped. It was now an eight foot high blob, with waving tentacles.
"Are you ready to submit?" came the rustling voice over the speakers.
"Almost," replied Paxton. He was just waiting for the Doctor's signal.
The Doctor and Victoria ran up behind them, breathless with the exertion. As he caught his breath, the Doctor pulled the radio from his pocket and pressed a button.
A roaring screech came over the speakers. In the corridor, the Krynoid creature thrashed about, as if blinded.
Jamie and Paxton quickly lit the wicks on the bottles they carried and hurled them into the laboratory. They repeated it until they ran out of bottles, using the last two on the vegetable creature.
As the makeshift firebombs exploded in the laboratory, Paxton turned to the Doctor.
"I hope you managed to unhook the sprinkler system from the laboratory," he said.
"Well, I managed to create the overload that hurt the hybrid, didn't I?"
The Krynoid creature lashed about, blazing like a torch. There was a smell of burning vegetation. Victoria buried her face in the Doctor's shoulder. He patted the back of her head gently.
The scream from the speaker system died slowly as the laboratory burned fiercely.
The Doctor looked over at Professor Paxton. "Looks like your Krynoid problem is solved." He glanced at Jamie. "I think it's time we were going."
He led the still upset Victoria away, Jamie following. The three of them made their way back to the TARDIS.
