Storm Warning (audio Drama) - Part 2

Part 2

The Doctor and Charley hear Rathbone's cries and rush to investigate. Weeks has arrived with Rathbone's coffee, but he is unable to break through the locked door until the Doctor arrives and helps. Inside, Rathbone is struggling with a vortisaur, which has its head through the porthole and its teeth in Rathbone's arm. The Doctor throws coffee over it, driving it away, and somewhat blistering Rathbone's already injured arm. He realises that the vortisaur must have followed the trail of the TARDIS as it made its emergency materialisation, and it'll be back now that it's tasted blood; but for the moment he's more interested in the passenger. Why is he, or she, or it, sealed inside a deep-sea diver's suit? Rathbone, despite the pain from his arm, pulls a gun on the Doctor and forces him away, but Charley speaks soothingly to the passenger, calming it down. Rathbone thus permits her to remain while the Doctor and Weeks go off to deal with the vortisaur; when they return they'll discuss why Rathbone shouldn't have the Doctor and Charley thrown off the airship. The Doctor goes, taking some of the passenger's morphine and leaving Charley in somewhat dubious company. She's always wanted adventure, but not the kind that Rathbone has to offer. She spurns his advances, and he backs off, but that might just be because his arm is paining him. The Doctor had better return soon...

The Doctor forces Weeks to help him throw a table through the promenade window, shattering it and causing the airship to list badly to port. However, the gap is now large enough for the vortisaur to get through, and the Doctor attracts it to him by cutting his arm on a shard of glass and giving it the scent of his blood. Much to Weeks' amazement, once the vortisaur is through the window it simply starts lapping peacefully at the Doctor's arm, attracted by the scent of Time in his blood, and as gentle as a lamb once it's away from the pack. The Doctor has Weeks administer the morphine to it, knocking it out cold; now all he has to do is get it back to its natural habitat. But that requires getting back to the TARDIS, and first he has to deal with Charley and Rathbone, the mysterious passenger, and this broken window. First things first; he and Weeks lock the vortisaur in the galley, and go to the lounge to speak with Lord Tamworth. The Doctor knows him by reputation -- as will everyone when this day is done.

Concerned by the buffeting his ship is taking, Frayling urges Tamworth once again to abort the flight; however, Tamworth refuses and threatens to have Frayling arrested if he continues to obstruct the mission. When the Doctor arrives, claiming that he's just locked a monster in the galley, Tamworth is rather taken aback and demands to know if he's a spy. Without really giving the Doctor a chance to answer properly, Tamworth claims that he would have been rather insulted if the Germans hadn't tried to sneak a spy on board; and if the Doctor were an English civilian, Tamworth would have to have him executed, as they can't risk word of this mission getting out back home. The Doctor plays along, claiming to be an agent of the Zeppelin company, and while he's at it he offers to help see to the health of the passenger in 43 -- for he believes that the passenger is ill, and that Tamworth has a vested interest in keeping it alive. Tamworth agrees to escort the Doctor back to 43, but first gives Frayling another bizarre order; at 0030 hours, he is to ascend to 5000 feet, nearly three times higher than the R101 was ever designed to go. This is why Tamworth insisted upon the modifications last summer, but he still refuses to give his reasons. Frayling has no choice but to obey.

When the Doctor arrives at cabin 43 he pointedly informs "Fraulein" Pollard that their cover has been blown. Charley plays along. Rathbone's arm still aches, which isn't surprising; it was bitten by a five-dimensional predator and is now thirty years older than the rest of his body. But the passenger is in even worse condition, and something of its anxiety seems to be conveying itself to Charley, and even Tamworth. Part of their light-headedness can be put down to the changing air pressure as the R101 rises -- and the Doctor guesses that the passenger is even more sensitive to the changes. The precise oxygen mix required to keep it alive at ground level is killing it at this altitude. While Rathbone holds a gun to Charley's head, ready to shoot at the least sign of misconduct, the Doctor removes the passenger's helmet... to reveal that, as he'd suspected, it's anything but human. Rathbone is as revolted as ever by its alien appearance, but Charley finds it oddly beautiful; it reminds her of the dolphins at Regent's Park Zoo. The alien senses her kindness and reaches out to her, speaking her name -- but then an alarm goes off, indicating that they've reached the rendezvous point. Tamworth tells the Doctor and Charley to escort the passenger to the lounge; they've proven their usefulness, and while Rathbone may object, Tamworth's in charge. The Doctor and Charley wrap up the passenger in a warm blanket and place it in an invalid chair, watched by the suspicious Rathbone -- who is clearly far more than a mere valet.

Tamworth enters the passenger lounge first, to address the VIPs and explain that this is far more than a simple flight to India. They have all been selected as the best of the British, to represent their country as ambassadors to a very strange and wonderful power. The Doctor and Charley wheel in the passenger, to the amazement of the VIPs... and then something even more amazing happens. A blinding light appears outside the window, as something descends from the heavens to meet them. High above the storm clouds over northern France, the R101 is keeping its rendezvous... with a flying saucer.