Forged in Ice (Doctor Who AU Novel)

Chapter 2 The End of The Beginning

The helicopter flew through the cold, cloudless night with seven men in black combat fatigues on-board. Jake, Harry, Ewan, Bryce and Elliot were all veterans of the bizarre now, but the two new members of the team were nervous. Neither had ever actually faced an alien. Their training involved pop-up cut outs on the firing range and instructions in computer programming mixed with indoctrination in weird languages. But this was their shakedown cruise. Jake looked over at the gutsy woman and the young man named Jones that London had sent up just three days ago. They were both ex-military, but facing an alien was a bit different than a terrorist from some rogue nation. Craig Millar piloted the copter, as he always did on night missions. Usually, the team nattered on about football scores and dates, but tonight, headed to the home of one of their own, no one said a word. Jake half expected to find Daniel's house a burnt out shell. The lights gave way to blackness below, with just an occasional glimmer of light from a farm, and then the pilot flew over An Gearsadan.

"We're six minutes out, Jake," the pilot said through his mic.  

"Got ya, gear up boys. The minute we're on the ground, Ewan, you, Bryce and Elliot hit the equipment we set up at the shed, and then track the tree line. Take David with you. Do not let this turn into your first mission. Susie, you're with me and Harry. Getting the hard drives from those computers, damaged or undamaged, is our mission."

"What if the house is gone, Jake?" Harry asked.

"Then we're in for a long, cold night. We're not leaving without his computers. There are five, one on his desk, three on the long wall and one on his lab table. I'll say it again, we are not leaving without them."

Seconds later, the searchlight under the belly of the ship lit up the night below. They all craned their hands in an attempt to spot Daniel's house. The pilot skimmed the trees, hunting for the break that would show them the clearing. "Yes,"Jake whooped when they finally spotted the house, still standing safe, tucked against the hillside. Craig set the helicopter down, sending a shower of snow swirling around them from the backwash of the blades. As soon the rotors stopped, Jake slid the door back and the team exited the helicopter. Harry, Jake and Susie headed for a dark house. 

"Where's the security lights? I thought you said the motion detectors would light this place up like the Presidential palace," Susie asked.

"That ball lightning must have fried the electrics," Jake fussed as he shone the torch on the keyless lock, while Harry applied the code descrambler. Seconds later the door creaked open. The three eased into the dark, cold house, not sure what to expect. It was uncomfortable walking across the lounge as if they were trespassing in a cemetery. A quick check of the lights proved the power had indeed shorted out. The torchlight beam made the lounge feel like the set of a creepy, grade b vampire movie as odd shadows bounced around the walls and up the staircase."Harry, you and Susie take the upstairs while I check everything out down here," he said, moving toward the kitchen. "Make sure you check every room upstairs before we hit his office. I don't smell smoke, but electrical fires can be tricky. Use the heat detector to check the walls for hot spots."  

Jake made his way to the kitchen and then to Addie's suite. The whole place felt lonely and scared. He wondered if it were possible for a structure to have some sort of soul. He scanned the walls, looking for any signs of heat, then retraced his steps through the kitchen, checking each wall as he went. When he was satisfied that half of the house was safe, he made his way back to the stairs, methodically checking every wall. He hit the button his mic, "Talk to me, Ewan," he ordered. 

"So far, there's nothing out here, Boss -- except...."

"Except what?" Jake replied.

"Everything is fried. The electricity sparked off the first sensor and then cascaded. I've pulled the cameras to see if anything came through, but there's not a footprint or even a broken twig out here: just fried electrics. I sent Bryce to check the generator. Whatever came through had to be massive. I don't understand why nothing burnt."