Free Doctor Who: Sontaran Experiment by Ian Marter Page B

back in the pile of jumble.
    ‘It is formed inside the crusts of planetary bodies by the action of stellar radiation,’ the Doctor answered.
    ‘By neutrinos and things...’ Harry suggested.
    ‘Exactly, Harry,’ the Doctor said warmly. ‘But it is not found in this galaxy...’ The Doctor broke off, staring at Harry with piercing eyes. He snatched the scrap of Terullian out of the hat. ‘Of course...’ he cried, ‘the Solar Flares. It’s just possible that the Sontarans are prospecting for Terullian here on Earth.’
    Harry told the Doctor about his encounter with Styr in the subterranean cavern. The Doctor listened eagerly, nodding as the details began to fit into place in his mind.
    ‘The Sontarans have made many enemies by monopolising the exploitation of Terullian deposits in several galaxies,’ he murmured when Harry had finished.
     
    He put the fragment carefully away.
    ‘A most useful clue, Harry,’ the Doctor continued cheerfully. ‘Never throw anything away... you never know when such bits and pieces are going to come in handy.’
    At that moment, Styr’s heavy tread and laboured breath were heard nearby. The Doctor and Harry remained utterly still. Gradually the sounds died away as the Sontaran strode into the distance. The Doctor jammed on his emptied hat and darted out of the crevice, where he and Harry had been hiding, into the gully.
    ‘I’m going to follow our cumbersome friend and see what else I can discover,’ the Doctor whispered. ‘Harry, you’d better do whatever you can for poor Sarah Jane,’ and before Harry could reply, he had set off along the ravine, zig-zagging from crevice to crevice in pursuit of the Sontaran.
    When Harry eventually located the crevasse where he had discovered Sarah, he approached the entrance extremely cautiously. To his surprise he found that he was able to enter quite easily: the invisible force-field had gone. He was even more surprised to find the alcove deserted: Sarah was nowhere to be seen.
    ‘Humpty Dumpty must have taken her,’ he muttered disconsolately, going over to search the deep shadows around the base of the towering granite walls. All of a sudden he felt very dizzy.
    ‘What on earth... ?’ he began, clutching his reeling head as he caught sight of the molten bunches of coloured filaments festooning the sides of the dungeon. Everything around him began to spin faster and faster and he flung himself backwards as something flew hissing and spitting out of the shadows like an angry wildcat. He rubbed his eyes and found himself staring down at the crouched figure of Sarah, a metre in front of him.
    ‘It’s... it’s only me... old thing...’ Harry stuttered, managing a faint smile of greeting. But the smile instantly faded and Harry went white as chalk. Sarah’s teeth were bared like fangs, and her eyes were glaring crazily. She tensed her body as if preparing to spring at him.
    Slowly Harry backed away, shaking his head in confusion. ‘Sarah... it’s me... Harry...’ he protested. Sarah’s only response was to raise her arms threateningly. In each hand she wielded an ugly flint, roughly shaped like a blade with sharp serrated edges. Unearthly, guttural snarls issued from her foaming mouth as she began to edge towards him.
    ‘Sarah... you mustn’t... you’re obviously not well after...
    after your...’ Harry gasped, pressing himself against the rock as he tried to shake the dizziness out of his head.
    With a sudden shriek, Sarah pounced. Harry reeled aside just in time and staggered into the middle of the chamber.
    Sarah was clinging to the twisted wires sprouting from the wall, her hair wildly tangled like a nest of snakes.
    Unable to move, Harry stared up at the grotesquely hissing spider-like creature poised above him.
    ‘No...’ he screamed. ‘... No...’ and flung his arms up in protection as the creature sprang at him again. This time he did not escape. The loathsome thing clung to his shoulders, slashing at his face