Night Of The Humans Read online

  Each time he set the coordinates to fly east, towards the human city, the ship would bank sharply to the left or right, as if it was being rebounded by a magnetic force.

  To make matters worse, lumps of smouldering rock were raining from the sky.

  One of the comet's fragments had clipped a tail fin, though not enough to compromise the ship. The Captain had been lucky. This time.

  Speed was the thing, he had decided. He simply couldn't get enough velocity on his approach to punch through whatever force was affecting the ship's systems. He needed more of a run-up, but that would mean flying away from the city and even the Gyre itself.

  After his fifth attempt had failed, he realised it was his only choice.

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  Of course, he didn't have to go to the human city at all. He could leave the Gyre, right there and then. He could steer away from the salt plains and the distant city, and set a course for his home world. The journey might take a month or two, but he'd be free of this place once and for all.

  Except his son was down there, somewhere.

  When he'd first sat at this ship's controls he'd felt what he thought might be fear for the first time in his life; but it wasn't a fear of the humans, or what they were capable of. It wasn't a fear for his personal safety. It was fear for his son. He had fought long and hard to get him a job in the IEA. He had fought for his son's place on the Beagle XXI's mission to the Gyre. His son was only here, on this terrible, barren world, because of him.

  He wasn't going home alone.

  The Captain steered the ship away from the city one last time, so that now all he could see ahead was the dark blue sky and the twinkling of distant stars. He hit the boosters, and was pinned back in his seat by the sudden thrust of acceleration, and he watched the sky grow darker still as the Golden Bough left the Gyre's thin and almost imperceptible atmosphere.

  When he was a hundred miles out, he turned the ship around in a long and graceful arc, and now the Gyre lay before him; a vast and jagged disc of gnarled grey metal, fused together over aeons. He

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  saw it in its entirety, from edge to edge. He saw the light from the nearest stars glittering on its crooked metal mountains, and he saw the vast white void of the salt plains near the human city. Looking up, he saw the blazing inferno of Schuler-Khan, now perilously close to the Gyre; pieces of it falling away like drops of burning rain.

  This was it. This was his chance.

  Captain Jamal pushed the control column forward, and began his descent.

  'Manco, old chap... I thought you were showing us the way out of here?' said Slipstream, his voice laced with disdain.

  Charlie nudged him with the rifle. 'Hey... Do us all a favour and shut up,' he snapped.

  'This is the way out,' said Manco, mindless of the bitter exchange between Charlie and Slipstream. 'It's the only way out.'

  They were back inside one of the buildings in the human city, creeping along a low passage, the walls of which were fashioned from beaten panels bearing the logos of long-forgotten companies. Some of them were logos Amy recognised, brands that had existed in her time, back home.

  Seeing them like this - tarnished and faded - made her feel sad, though she couldn't quite fathom why.

  Maybe it was the thought that all the effort that people put into their lives, all that time working

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  hard to buy things, could be reduced to nothing more than junk. Or the fact that everything looked so old. No, not just old.

  Everything looked ancient. The adverts for sportswear and soft drinks that lined the passage looked as weathered, as ancient and otherworldly, as Egyptian hieroglyphs and Roman mosaics.

  Eventually they left the passage and found themselves at the entrance to a large, almost church-like space, where dozens of humans sat before a large canvas sheet. At the back of the chamber an ancient projector clicked and whirred. Its single lens cast a prism of multicoloured light onto the sheet, on which two Wild West gunslingers stood at opposite ends of a dusty street lined with clapboard shop fronts and saloons. One wore a white cowboy hat, the other black. Their hands were poised above six shooters in leather holsters, and the man in black scrutinised his foe with narrow, vulpine eyes. Amy was sure she had seen the film somewhere before, maybe on TV on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Why were these humans, in the year 250,339 watching it?

  Standing beside the sheet, holding a rusted length of pipe like a staff, was the Elder - a human in dark black robes, his long, matted grey beard reaching all the way down his chest.

  His voice echoed out over the otherwise silent chamber, and Amy, the Doctor and the others stopped in the 183

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  narrow entrance and listened to him.

  'And the Bad travelled to El Paso, where he met with Zasquez, son of Gobo. And he said to him, "Where have you taken mankind? I wish to destroy them, for I hate them all." And Zasquez said, "My father, Gobo, has taken mankind far away from this world, to a place called Earth, so that they may be safe..."'

  Amy turned to the Doctor.

  'What is this?' she whispered. 'Why are they watching Westerns?'

  'My guess?' the Doctor replied. 'Somebody on the ship had a big collection of Westerns. They've developed an entire culture based around the scraps of what survived the crash. Old Westerns... a cartoon clown...'

  'But surely this film's got nothing to do with Gobo?'

  'No. It hasn't,' said the Doctor.

  His face suddenly lit up with a smile.

  'You... are a genius.'

  Without another word, he walked out into the room, making no effort to conceal his presence. The bearded man in black robes stopped talking and looked at the Doctor, his mouth opening and closing but failing to form words. One by one the humans sitting before the screen turned around, and they looked at the Doctor with the same expressions of shock and confusion.

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  'Who... who are you?' asked the Elder.

  'I'm the Doctor. And you, my friend, are talking rubbish.

  Eighteen-carat, unadulterated rubbish.'

  The Doctor produced his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, and pointed it back across the room at the projector. Its tip burned with a glowing emerald light, and the image on the screen flickered and shuddered, freezing for a few seconds before starting again. Now they heard the character of the man in black, the Bad as they called him, speaking with his own husky voice.

  'You know you can't win this, Shane. Whyn't ya just get on your horse and ride out of here while you still have the chance?'

  Then the man in the white hat spoke.

  'Not today, Ramirez. You killed my brother.'

  The room erupted into excited chattering, and from the narrow entrance Amy watched on, confused. What was the Doctor playing at? They had to get out of this place, and quickly, and there he was fixing their projector. Was he mad?

  'They speak!' cried one of the humans. 'I can hear them!

  The Olden Ones! They speak!'

  As the Chamber of Stories descended into chaos, Dirk Slipstream began backing away from the small party who were still hiding in the passage, moving as silently as he could. He had made it no more than five paces when Charlie wheeled around and aimed his gun at him.

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  'Yeah... Nice try, Slipstream,' he growled. 'Now get back here.'

  Slipstream cursed under his breath and joined them once more, and this time Charlie didn't take his eyes off him.

  'OK!' shouted the Doctor, rushing to the front of the room.

  'Right... Listen up. This story, the one you're watching. It's a film. If I remember rightly it's a film called The 8:10 To El Paso.

  It's got nothing to do with Gobo, nothing to do with the star with the green tail. It's a Western. See... That guy there? His name isn't Zasquez. It's Shane. Zachary Ve
lasquez was the captain of a ship that crashed here thousands of years ago.

  He's not in this film. And him? He's not the Bad... His name is Ramirez. And they're both actors. But that star... the one that's in the sky right now... that star is very real. And when it comes here, when it hits this place, it will destroy everything.

  Now... I think I can help you. No... I know I can help you... But you have to follow me. We are leaving this city, and we're going to my ship. And then we're leaving this place. For good. There's no coming back.'

  The room fell silent. The Doctor looked at them all, his expression one of hope and quiet desperation.

  'Well... Are you with me?' he asked, but still there was silence.

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  him, glowering at the Doctor. 'Leave this place! he said.

  'I'm sorry...' said the Doctor. 'Didn't you hear what I just said?' He pointed at the screen. 'Didn't you hear what they said? They're not talking about Gobo. They're not talking about this place, or about the Olden Ones. It's just a film. You have to believe me. You are all in great danger.'

  The Doctor looked to the audience, but none of them spoke.

  Not one of them even moved. Amy now knew what the Doctor was at least trying to do, but she also knew it was hopeless. She and the others stepped out from the tunnel and into the room, making their way gingerly towards the Doctor, as if they were treading across a minefield.

  'Doctor! she said. 'We have to go.'

  The Doctor started shaking his head.

  'No...' he said, still talking to the audience. 'You have to believe me. Please. I'm trying to save you.'

  Manco placed one hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

  They never listen! he said quietly. 'We must go now.'

  'Come on! said Charlie more forcefully. 'We haven't got time.'

  He grabbed the Doctor roughly by the arm, pulling him out of the room, away from the screen and the silent audience, and the Doctor struggled in his grasp, still facing the humans.

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  'Please!' he shouted. 'If you stay here you are all going to die'

  He was still calling out to them when he was far away from that room and the humans, too far away for them to hear him.

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  18

  In the short time she had known him, Amy had never seen the Doctor like this. She had seen him angry, and thoughtful, and upset, but this was different. He hadn't spoken since they had reached the south gate of the city and made their way out onto the salt plain. He looked pale and drawn, and so much older, his boyish enthusiasm nowhere to be seen.

  She could understand why. There had been children in the crowd watching the old film. Children who were now doomed, whichever way you looked at it. She had half expected the Doctor to come up with some last-minute solution, something which would solve everything, but the expression on his face told her that wasn't about to happen.

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  They were about a hundred metres away from the human city when Manco stopped walking. The Doctor turned around to face him.

  'What's up?' he asked.

  'I'm not coming! said Manco. I'm staying here.'

  The Doctor blinked twice and started shaking his head.

  'No, Manco, listen... We can get you out of here. We can take you far away from here.'

  I know, Doctor. But I'm staying.'

  'But why? You know what's about to happen.'

  'Yes.'

  'So come with us.'

  I can't. Where will you take me, Doctor? Earth? The real Earth? What would I do there? Would the humans there accept me? Would they treat me as their own? I doubt that. I'm like those... those fish that we saw... inside the tower. You said yourself, that's the only place where they exist. And the key... the one we found there. You said it belonged here, that there was no other place for it. Well that's me. There is no other place. We aren't like the humans on Earth, Doctor. We've been here too long.'

  'But, Manco, please...'

  'No, Doctor. I'm staying.'

  Charlie moved to the Doctor's side. 'Come on... We have to go. If I know my Dad he'll have programmed the bomb by now. We don't have any time.'

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  The Doctor turned to Slipstream.

  'The Key! he said. 'You still have it.'

  Slipstream huffed indignantly, reaching into his pocket and lifting out the polished, golden orb.

  'Yes.'

  'Give it to me.'

  With another petulant huff, Slipstream handed the key to the Doctor, who in turn gave it to Manco.

  'Take this with you,' he said. 'It belongs here.'

  'Yes, Doctor,' said Manco, with a sad smile. 'And so do I.'

  He nodded at each of them in turn, but said nothing more, and then he walked back towards the human city, still holding the Mymon Key in his hand.

  'Let's go! said Charlie. 'There's nothing you can do, Doctor.'

  They walked on across the salt plain, with Amy at the Doctor's side. She looked up at him, trying to find the right words, but it was no use. What could she say that would make him feel better? Everything seemed so hopeless. The only thing she could do was reach out and hold his hand, and she was grateful, if just a little surprised, when he squeezed it in return and kept on holding it as they walked.

  Charlie and Slipstream were in front, with Charlie's gun still trained on the prisoner.

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  'So! drawled Slipstream, 'Do any of you bright sparks know how we're getting back to my ship? The bridge is out, and that swamp is infested with man-eating slugs. Any suggestions? Anybody?'

  'We'll take Bird! said Charlie.

  'And what, pray tell, is Bird?'

  'The helipod. I left it on the edge of the swamp.'

  'But wait! said Amy. "There was barely enough room in that thing for two of us, let alone four.'

  Slipstream laughed incredulously. 'Oh, well isn't that marvellous? Alien Boy's plan involves squeezing four fully grown adults in a flying shoebox. That's just spiffing.'

  Charlie scowled at him. 'We could always leave you here!

  he snapped. 'That would suit me right down to the ground.'

  'Yes, I'm sure you'd like that, wouldn't you?'

  The Doctor let go of Amy's hand, and he took several long strides so that he was now standing between Charlie and Slipstream.

  'Play nice, children! he said, then pointed at the sky. 'Look!'

  The four of them had stopped walking and now, looking up, they saw something hurtling towards them. It started as just a tiny, yellow dot hovering above the horizon, but gradually it grew bigger, swaying from side to side and juddering violently.

  'That's my bloody ship!' shouted Slipstream.

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  'Why of all the-'

  'But who's flying it?' asked Amy. 'I mean... You're here.

  Charlie's here.'

  'It's my Dad! said Charlie, smiling. 'It has to be!

  Just then, as all four of them were about to breathe a collective sigh of relief, three chunks of comet came streaking out of the sky, screaming like fireworks. The Golden Bough swooped and dived between the missiles with the fleetness of an insect, dodging each of them, but now the fragments were bearing down towards the salt plain.

  They slammed into the surface of the Gyre, only a few hundred metres away from where they stood, and there was but a second's pause before the deafening triple boom knocked them to the ground. They scrambled to their feet as quickly as they could, and started running.

  The Golden Bough was getting closer now, still jerking about in the sky. It passed over the distant swamp, the tall plastic tubes swaying wildly in its wake, and it came out over the salt plain, its thrusters stirring up great clouds of powdered salt.

  Amy tripped and fell as she ran, gr
azing her hands on the rough ground. She cried out in pain, but the Doctor lifted her to her feet with his arm around her waist, and he half carried her as they ran on, ever closer to where the Golden Bough now 193

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  hovered over the salt plain, only a short distance away.

  As they drew closer, they could see Captain Jamal at the ship's controls. He looked angry, or frustrated, and the ship lurched turbulently, as if it was bouncing on waves. Each time it lowered it would get to within a few feet of the surface before being launched back up into the air thirty metres or more.

  They heard the Captain's voice, amplified by speakers in the ship's hull.

  'It's no use!' he shouted. This thing won't land. The systems are all shot. It's this place... the Gyre...'

  In the distance another fragment of the comet came crashing down with a thunderous boom, and the ground beneath them convulsed.

  Everybody turned to the Doctor.

  'Why's everyone looking at me?'

  Amy's eyes grew wider and she hunched her shoulders.

  'Er... Because you usually have all the answers?'

  'Oh. Right. Yes. Charlie!'

  Charlie nodded.

  'The helipod... Where is it?'

  Above them, the Golden Bough bucked and shuddered again, its thrusters howling and kicking up swirling tornadoes of dust. Charlie had to shout

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  just to be heard above the noise.

  'It's at the edge of the swamp!' he said, pointing into the distance. 'Over there!'

  'Right!' the Doctor yelled in return. He looked up at the ship, and at Captain Jamal, gesturing wildly with his arms and pointing at the sky.

  'What are you saying?' shouted Captain Jamal, his voice still booming from the speakers. 'I don't understand!'

  'GO UP!' yelled the Doctor. 'GO! UP!'

  Captain Jamal looked down at his son, and Charlie nodded. There was a moment's unspoken communication between them, when Amy saw just how deeply afraid they both were. And Charlie had told her the Sittuun had no fear...