The Lost Series (A Doctor Who fanfiction) - 'Episodes '1-4

'Episode' 4 - Europa-part 6

They trudged along in their suits, lamp and torch light casting shimmering rainbows from the icy looking spires of rocky crystal. 

Kitty could hear her own breathing far too loudly in the stuffy suit. Her forehead and chest felt damp from perspiration. Heat seemed to be a tangible force that forced itself in on her but the squeaky rubbery suit remained somewhat cool with the intermittent Hissss of what she discovered was cooling steam and water that  sprayed over her at her wrists, neck and back. Helping her body regulate her temperature.  

It felt like they'd been walking forever, a dull march through an eternity of stark caves. 

Suddenly the group stopped and accidentally Kitty waked into the Doctor, slipping a little on the uneven surface.

Darren, at the head of the group turned around addressing them all. His strong voice slightly muffled. 

"Right, We've covered a lot of ground-Marie-are we anywhere near where you last saw Marcus?" 

"I-I don't know." came her again, hesitant reply. 

Lyra spoke up she had been focusing her attention completely on a little device she held. It had a little 3D screen that projected an image upwards, it seemed to be of the terrain around them with hovering pointers and markers. "This is the Edge of the area we've chartered-any further and we'll be going into the unknown." 

"Do you remember the route you took Marie?" 

The suited figure of Marie shook her head. 

Darren sighed irritably. "Alright then-we carry on."

"But- we haven't been this far before. I have very little data past here. Besides we agreed we would not go into the old mines. They are too unstable."

"I'm not abandoning anyone out here. Marie does anything look at all familiar?"

Ahead of them, darkness stretched out vague impressions in the shadows made it look like there were some narrow pathways and perhaps a tunnel. 

Marie stepped forward, shining her torch around. "I'm sorry. I don't remember." the beam of her torchlight dropped. 

"Lyra-which way is the most direct to the Mines?"

"We can't go in there!" she breathed.

"Maybe-uh-it was this way...." Marie suddenly seemed a little more certain as she approached a narrow crevice. 

"Right, let's go." Darren waved an arm, striding forward. The crew slowly followed. 

"Stay close." The doctor sternly reminded Kitty as he briefly turned to her.

She really did not have any intention of wandering off and exploring-not this time, anyway. 

With their backs pressed against the alternating smooth and rough rock they inched through the crevice, sideways, little by little. The adjacent rock face no more than an arms length away.

Finally with an involuntary sigh of relief Kitty slid out of the crevice and into a a huge domed area. 

Unlike elsewhere the rock seemed perfectly smooth. 

"I'm picking something up....." Lyra said suddenly. "It's....it's...it can't be..." She fiddled with her device for  a moment. "It is!" Excitement creeped into her voice as she stared down at the holographic image that reflected off her visor.  "It's....equipment-a-a storage vault by the look of it and it's...it's FULL." she gasped.

"FULL!?" Darren exclaimed marching up to her, "let me see that!"

Together they glared down at the image until he began chuckle. He wrapped his arms around Lyra's shoulder and squeezed her. 

"There's some riches here yet! I knew it!" he cleared his throat stripping his voice of excitement "Right- Lyra-mark that location. We'll head a bit further but the we'll round back."

Together the crew,The Doctor and Kitty went deeper into the seemingly well constructed tunnel branching of the domed cavern. Occasionally rusted blackened pieces of metal scattered the ground, glass crunched underfoot and objects lay haphazardly in the shadows, escaping the torchlight. 

Kitty heard Darren whisper to Marie "Did you know this route led into the mines?"

"I...uh..." her hesitant answer was cut short when they exited the Tunnel. the metal clad walls were black with ash. A few smashed in screens revealing various dusty wiring behind them. Thick columns of metal stood in the centre, their sides blackened. Kitty craned her head back to try and see the ceiling but was met with blackness. She noted that all but one of the 7 metal columns had seemingly just snapped in half, their remains laying scattered around the immense room. The last column, closest to them was bent in at an impossibly sharp angle. Old wires and thick metal rope dangled from the blackness above them. 

Ahead of them was a colossal opening that sloped steadily  downwards into the ever present darkness. 

Kitty noted that beneath her feet set deep into the rock were bronze coloured metal tracks, very thin and narrow tracks and they peppered the floor. 

"We need to turn back." Lyra stated caution edging into her voice. 

"For once I agree with you." Darren replied quietly. 

A deep howling groan echoed faintly up from the depths of the pitch black opening. A dull crash followed. 

"Marcus!" Breathed Lyra 

"The stupid idiot! If he's down there I swear I'll-" Darren gruffly mumbled as he marched forward, shining his torch light ahead of him. "MARCUS! MARCUS!" He shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls around them, filling the empty space. 

A sudden blast of hot wind shot up from it's depths, strong enough to nearly blow them off their feet. The Howling groan sounded again. 

"Oh no...." Lyra squeaked her hands shaking as she looked at the device in her hands. A warning triangle symbol flashed heavily as it floated above the screen. "Oh No...."

"Kitty! RUN!" The Doctor suddenly shouted  turning to face her. 

"Finn! go!" Dr Asper screamed as she turned heel herself, running towards them. 

"GO! GO! GO! RUN!" Darren shouted as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing his torch. 

Kitty turned, swallowing her sudden panic and tried to run, the smooth rock not allowing her much grip. She thanked her earlier caution that she had not ventured too far into the cavern. 

The ground beneath her started to vibrate making running all the more difficult. The vibration turned to a shake, throwing the figure in front of her off their feet. The sound of metal bending, creaking, alerted her to the fact the distorted metal column was about to give way. She scrambled to the figure, tugging them to their feet as they practically bounced off the floor. Vaguely she heard the Doctor shouting her name. 

Somehow, with the crew member she managed to reach the entrance. A deafening cracking sound high high above resonated downwards causing more shaking and vibrations. The metal column gave way, smashing down into the rock. Something else metal crashed to the ground in front of them. Kitty watched, horrified as the figures of the crew did their best to run to them. The Doctor was an arms reach away before boulders and dust obscured his figure and blocking up the entrance. 

"Doctor!!"