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Sterne frantically began to run towards the ladder leading up to the platform, his thoughts were now on getting back to the safety of the base than the whereabouts of Brent. His bots were caked in mud and so running was virtually impossible, with each step he took his legs ached.
He suddenly slipped. His torch slipped from his hand and as it hit a rock protruding from the muddy ground the light went out. He felt around him in vain to retrieve it and came across the figure he had earlier caught site of, lying face down in the mud.
It was Brent.
‘Brent, Brent! Are you okay?’ Sterne's hands moved across Brent's body feeling for any signs of life. His hands fell upon Brent's mask. It had been removed and split virtually in two. ‘Oh my God!’ he gasped. With his mask removed Brent had very little chance of being alive. His hands frantically searched the muddy ground for his torch. Thankfully he found it. It didn't work straightaway so he hit it several times into the palm of his hand until it emitted a pale beam of light.
As he turned his body over, Sterne brought the beam of light directly onto Brent's face. The sight that greeted him made Sterne move back with a start. Bret's face had virtually been ripped away. What remained was virtually unrecognisable. Sterne dropped the torch and frantically crawled his way across the surface in the direction of the ladder. He desperately wanted to get away from this place, so much so that he lost his footing several times as he climbed the ladder.
Suddenly something touched his foot. He momentarily looked back and gave a yell filled with fear. Sterne couldn't see anything at all. He would have to run for it, he thought. Without a second thought, Sterne ran across the platform in the direction from which he and Brent had come. As he reached the edge of the platform he tripped and slipped across the mud towards the airlock. The mud felt cold between his fingers as he frantically scrambled and crawled towards the airlock door. He wanted to give up, his legs ached, his whole body ached but he had to get inside and to safety. Whatever it was that was out there, back there in the darkness, that had killed Brent, whatever it was wasn't going to get him, he thought.
He struggled to his feet and instinctively went to operate the control panel to the airlock but the door was already open. Sterne scrambled inside and hit a panel to close the door behind him. Air began to fill the chamber and he quickly removed his oxygen mask; sweat poured down his face as he slowly began to regain a more easier, natural intake of air, his heart still pumping hard.
Sterne leaned against the metallic door for support, he felt as thou he could sleep forever, but first things were first, he had to warn the others of the danger outside. He began to unbuckle his side packs and oxygen mask and let them fall to the floor. He turned top operate the inner airlock door to re-enter the base when what greeted him was quick and sudden.
A large, three clawed hand cut through the air striking him across the face, which sent him back across the airlock, hitting the other side. The force of hitting the wall winded him and he almost fell into unconsciousness. A roar echoed the chamber as the creature moved towards Sterne's helpless body and picked him up.
Its jaw opened wide, saliva dripped down from between its teeth. Sterne began to stir and frantically waved his arms about him trying to force the creature to drop him and with every successful blow he managed to achieve, but to no avail. The creature lunged at Sterne's throat and ripped it open with great ease. The last thought that ran through Sterne's mind was that of his family back home on Earth at which point his life ended.
Blood. The creature needed blood.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 ce held the crystal* up to the light. It was beautiful, she thought. She wasn't sure as to its purpose, if it had one, but the intricate pattern of electronics within its centre seemed to suggest that it did. The crystal intrigued her but she didn't want the Doctor to see or he too might take a fancy to it himself. So it was no surprise that she quickly put the crystal back into her jacket pocket as the Doctor entered the console room.
The Doctor was aware that Ace was up to something but he didn't immediately acknowledge the fact. He walked over to the console and ran his hands over the various dials and switches everything seemed to be in order, so what was Ace up to?
‘Well?’ he asked, not looking at her while she fumbled with her jacket.
‘Well what?’ she asked in return, moving over to the Doctor's side. The tone in her voice made it quite clear to the Doctor that she wasn't going to give him an easy time. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and moved around the console to the opposite side.
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