Doctor Who BBCN10 - The Nightmare of Black Island by Doctor Who

Bronwyn suddenly scrambled back into view, pointing down towards the shore.
    She struggled to the Doctor’s side, breathless and frightened.
    He caught her arm, steadying her. ‘What is it? What have you found?’
    ‘Down there. In Pillbox Hole.’
    ‘Pillbox Hole?’
    ‘A cave. By the shore. It wasn’t there before. Been here hundreds of times, I have.’
    ‘Show me!’
    63

    He caught hold of the old lady’s hand and the two of them made their way carefully over the wet rocks. They reached the top of a narrow set of crude steps that had been hacked out and Bronwyn pointed down to a narrow crevice at the bottom.
    ‘In there.’
    ‘OK. Wait here a moment.’
    The Doctor released her hand and scampered down the stairs. At the shoreline they flattened out, leading through a sea-worn gash in the side of the island. He slipped through the gap carefully, emerging on to a narrow ledge in the side of a tall cave where the wind and waves echoed mournfully, eerily.
    The Doctor stared into the cave and grinned. ‘Hah! I knew it!’
    Floating in the black water in front of him, rising and falling with the swell, was a spacecraft.
    Rose had crept through the tunnel for what seemed like an age and was on the verge of giving up and heading back to Ali and her friends when she felt cold air across her face.
    She could still see nothing – the light from the entrance had long since gone as the tunnel had curved slightly and Rose had edged her way forward by feel alone. But now the breeze told her that she was nearly through.
    She gave a sigh of relief and tried to rub the crick out of her neck.
    Being unable to stand was starting to get painful and she wished she could be Ali’s height – for the next few minutes at least.
    She was about to continue when a noise from behind made her freeze. She held her breath, concentrating on listening, trying to convince herself that it was just her imagination.
    The noise came again. A soft scraping on the brickwork. There was something in the tunnel with her! Rose strained to see through the oppressive blackness, suddenly aware of what a stupid idea it had been to head into the tunnel without any form of light.
    She could hear something approaching from behind. And there!
    Lights flickering. Green and red and blue lights, dancing across the 64

    wet brick. Rose pressed herself against the wall, aware of how pointless it was.
    ‘Rose?’
    Ali’s voice was thunderously loud in the confined space. Rose nearly screamed.
    ‘Rose, is that you?’
    Ali emerged from the shadows, a tiny torch in her hand. The LEDs in its tip were cycling through the primary colours.
    ‘Ali, you’re gonna be the death of me!’ Rose could hear the cracks in her voice. ‘You’ve just taken years off my life! What are you doing in here?’
    ‘Sian remembered she had a torch on a keyring. It was free with a magazine.’ She held it out to Rose. ‘I thought it might help.’
    Rose hugged her. ‘Thank you. But you shouldn’t have come down here. It could be dangerous.’
    ‘None of the others would do it,’ Ali said, extricating herself from Rose’s grip. She looked embarrassed.
    Rose took the little torch from her. The LEDs were bright enough to see the way ahead. She couldn’t send Ali back without it and she’d certainly make better time in the remainder of the tunnel with it.
    She caught the girl by the hand. ‘OK, you can come with me. But you’ve gotta promise me that you’ll do exactly as I tell you, right?’
    Ali nodded.
    Torch held out in front of them, the two girls headed forward.
    The Doctor hopped from rock to rock, dancing out of the way of waves, examining the spacecraft. It was small and cigar-shaped, about twelve metres long, with ugly, powerful-looking engines hanging from fins at the rear. The surface was a dull silver-grey, etched with alien hieroglyphics. There were no windows visible, but thick black cables arced from underneath the ship and wound their way up the cave walls,