had visited earlier.
Quickly, the Doctor pushed Hugo and Peri into a deep alcove leading off the passageway.
They were no sooner in place then through the silence they heard the faint mooing and slithering of two gastropods.
As Hugo silently drew his gun, the Doctor gripped his arm and indicated that he should not use it. The risk was too great as there were bound to be armed guards nearby.
As they pressed deeper into the dark shadows which shared the alcove with them, the two gastropods slithered by. The stench which emanated from them was so overpowering that Peri started to retch. Quickly, the Doctor placed his hand on his young companion's mouth to silence her.
With gastropods gone and their sickly smell beginning to clear, Hugo decided to take his chance. Unnoticed by the Doctor and Peri, he slipped into the main passageway, his intention to find the twins and get back to the TARDIS while the Doctor was dealing with Mestor.
Cautiously, he started to make his way along the passage, but suddenly became aware that something was dragging at his feet.
Looking down, he saw that his boots were covered by a dense, sticky mucus.
As he tried to move on, Hugo realised that the mucus was beginning to set hard. Seconds later, he was stuck fast, as though someone had glued him to the floor.
'Doctor!' he called in a loud, hoarse whisper. 'I'm stuck!'
The Doctor and Peri peered into the passage and immediately saw the literal mess the pilot had got himself into.
That's what you get for wandering off!'
'Spare me the lecture. Doctor!' Then softening his tone, he added,
'Please get me out of here!'
'Can't.'
'Why not?'
'Gastropod slime trails set like concrete.'
'You can't abandon him!' pleaded Peri.
The Time Lord prodded the thick, hard slime with the toe of his shoe. There's nothing I can do.'
A look of horror spread across Hugo's face. 'You can't leave me here!'
'I can and I must. I have more important matters to attend to.'
'If those gastropods come back, they'll kill me!'
'You should have thought about that when you tried to sneak away.'
Hugo levelled his gun and took careful aim at the Doctor. 'Leave me here and I'll kill you.'
The Doctor smiled. 'Then how would you get home?'
Hugo didn't reply.
‘I saw the way you were watching me when I was operating the TARDIS's controls. Looked simple, didn't it? But you'll find there is more to flying the TARDIS than pressing a few switches.'
'I'll take my chance,' growled Hugo.
'Then you'll take it alone,' interrupted Peri. 'If you kill the Doctor, I won't help you.'
Hugo considered the situation for a moment, then lowered his gun.
'I'm sorry,' he said, trying to sound like a little boy caught doing something naughty. T panicked. I wasn't thinking.'
'You should try it sometime,' snapped the Doctor. 'You'll find it useful. Now try pointing that gun at your feet.'
Uncertain whether the Doctor was cracking some sort of Gallifreyan joke, the young pilot looked down at his trapped boots.
'If you set your laser gun to its lowest setting you might be able to cut yourself free.'
Hugo instantly obeyed, cursing for not having thought of the idea himself. Carefully he lined the gun up with the edge of his boot and squeezed the trigger. A thin, red, perfect beam of light shot from the weapon, and slowly the hardened mucus began to buckle under the high temperature of the ray.
As Hugo worked, the Doctor whispered to Peri, 'I'm wasting valuable time.' His voice was now tense and irritable. 'I sense that something terrible is about to happen.'
Peri gazed at the strained features of the Time Lord, concerned by his sudden change of mood. 'I'm sure he won't be long.'
'But will he be quick enough?'
Peri didn't understand. Neither was she given the chance to.
'I'm off,' snapped the Doctor, and he started off along the passage, Peri following.
'Do you think it wise to go off alone when you're so agitated!' she asked.
'I am not agitated!'
Suddenly the Doctor stopped
Quickly, the Doctor pushed Hugo and Peri into a deep alcove leading off the passageway.
They were no sooner in place then through the silence they heard the faint mooing and slithering of two gastropods.
As Hugo silently drew his gun, the Doctor gripped his arm and indicated that he should not use it. The risk was too great as there were bound to be armed guards nearby.
As they pressed deeper into the dark shadows which shared the alcove with them, the two gastropods slithered by. The stench which emanated from them was so overpowering that Peri started to retch. Quickly, the Doctor placed his hand on his young companion's mouth to silence her.
With gastropods gone and their sickly smell beginning to clear, Hugo decided to take his chance. Unnoticed by the Doctor and Peri, he slipped into the main passageway, his intention to find the twins and get back to the TARDIS while the Doctor was dealing with Mestor.
Cautiously, he started to make his way along the passage, but suddenly became aware that something was dragging at his feet.
Looking down, he saw that his boots were covered by a dense, sticky mucus.
As he tried to move on, Hugo realised that the mucus was beginning to set hard. Seconds later, he was stuck fast, as though someone had glued him to the floor.
'Doctor!' he called in a loud, hoarse whisper. 'I'm stuck!'
The Doctor and Peri peered into the passage and immediately saw the literal mess the pilot had got himself into.
That's what you get for wandering off!'
'Spare me the lecture. Doctor!' Then softening his tone, he added,
'Please get me out of here!'
'Can't.'
'Why not?'
'Gastropod slime trails set like concrete.'
'You can't abandon him!' pleaded Peri.
The Time Lord prodded the thick, hard slime with the toe of his shoe. There's nothing I can do.'
A look of horror spread across Hugo's face. 'You can't leave me here!'
'I can and I must. I have more important matters to attend to.'
'If those gastropods come back, they'll kill me!'
'You should have thought about that when you tried to sneak away.'
Hugo levelled his gun and took careful aim at the Doctor. 'Leave me here and I'll kill you.'
The Doctor smiled. 'Then how would you get home?'
Hugo didn't reply.
‘I saw the way you were watching me when I was operating the TARDIS's controls. Looked simple, didn't it? But you'll find there is more to flying the TARDIS than pressing a few switches.'
'I'll take my chance,' growled Hugo.
'Then you'll take it alone,' interrupted Peri. 'If you kill the Doctor, I won't help you.'
Hugo considered the situation for a moment, then lowered his gun.
'I'm sorry,' he said, trying to sound like a little boy caught doing something naughty. T panicked. I wasn't thinking.'
'You should try it sometime,' snapped the Doctor. 'You'll find it useful. Now try pointing that gun at your feet.'
Uncertain whether the Doctor was cracking some sort of Gallifreyan joke, the young pilot looked down at his trapped boots.
'If you set your laser gun to its lowest setting you might be able to cut yourself free.'
Hugo instantly obeyed, cursing for not having thought of the idea himself. Carefully he lined the gun up with the edge of his boot and squeezed the trigger. A thin, red, perfect beam of light shot from the weapon, and slowly the hardened mucus began to buckle under the high temperature of the ray.
As Hugo worked, the Doctor whispered to Peri, 'I'm wasting valuable time.' His voice was now tense and irritable. 'I sense that something terrible is about to happen.'
Peri gazed at the strained features of the Time Lord, concerned by his sudden change of mood. 'I'm sure he won't be long.'
'But will he be quick enough?'
Peri didn't understand. Neither was she given the chance to.
'I'm off,' snapped the Doctor, and he started off along the passage, Peri following.
'Do you think it wise to go off alone when you're so agitated!' she asked.
'I am not agitated!'
Suddenly the Doctor stopped
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