Why do you come now?
The doctor's speaking to someone.
Why can't we hear what he's saying?
Who are you?
We come in peace.
Peace?
Is that why you attack?
Where is your main force?
We are alone.
We have strayed from our astral plane.
When will your invasion fleet arrive?
What is its weaponry?
We are peaceful travelers from Earth.
You lie.
You are the Minotaur.
Our detectors show you are messing in space to attack.
Speak.
I know nothing of these, Minotaur.
We shall show you the fate which awaits all your ships, all your people.
Please listen to me.
I have not finished my explanation.
Stand still.
Look at that, Doctor.
Look at them!
What happened?
It's unbelievable!
Unbelievable!
What did you do in the ship, child?
What controls did you touch?
Well, I got thrown against the control panel and I just pressed any switches I could see
in.
It suddenly became alive.
I couldn't help it.
You have performed a miracle, my dear.
You have realigned the fluid link.
The power is back.
If only Barbara were here, we could go.
Trying to destroy my ship, you will achieve nothing.
Nothing!
I have great secrets in my ship.
If your ship is proof against our weapons, remember you are not.
Tell us the secret of its armour.
Impossible!
I cannot tell you why my ship withstood the fire of that gun unless you tell me the principle
it's built on.
You demand my secrets.
Yield yours.
What do you think the Doctor is saying?
I don't know.
I hope he's asking where Barbara is.
The great secrets you speak of in your ship must be used against the invaders.
In return, I offer you your freedom.
Where is the fourth member of our party?
Hmm?
Well?
She has been taken to the Crater of Needles beyond my great web.
Will your secrets look into the stars?
I don't know what you mean, but I have an astral map, if that answers your question.
Will it show where the Minotaur Massif, where they will land?
I see.
So it's the Minotaur that are invading your planet, hmm?
Somewhere in space, beyond the range of our locators, they are grouping.
They scatter false trails to mislead us.
Their numbers are great.
I am aware only of movement.
And you are not aware of their position?
Yes, you must do.
I shall need assistance.
Bring your astral map out of your ship.
I shall need help even to do that.
Now it is their turn to receive instructions.
Tell us, Doctor, what happened?
Let us go back into the TARDIS.
I think they must want to keep me here as a hostage.
You go in.
I'll be all right.
Ah, that's easier.
No message from Barbara?
Nothing.
I'm just beginning to relax, my boy.
Yes, do you think that kid will be all right out there?
Yes, I think so.
Yes, I must do something about this face of yours.
Those beasties are keeping their distance this time.
Yes, it seems they've learned their lesson.
Here, dab some of that on your face, some cotton wool there.
Thanks.
What do you think they are, Doctor?
Those things out there.
Well, to use the term of earth, I suppose we should call them insects.
Ants?
I've seen a colony of ants eat their way right through a house.
That size, they could eat their way through a mountain.
Why are they that big?
Size is only relative.
In this rarefied atmosphere, it appears that evolution has chosen that particular form
of life on this planet.
Ants.
Yes.
So relentless, indestructible.
What are we going to do?
Have you got any ideas?
Well, it's this voice, it's this, this, this, this queen of the ants, you might say.
If I can only trick her into neutralizing this section of this area, I want you to try
and track down Barbara.
Hmm?
Ah.
All right.
Did you find out where she was?
Well, it has something to do with this crater of needles.
Crater of needles?
Where's that?
The only clue I can give you, dear boy, it's behind a great web.
That's not much help, is it?
Yeah, it isn't.
Come on, give me a hand.
Oh, and by the way, I want you to take a couple of these.
They'll be very good for your breathing in this rarefied atmosphere.
What about Barbara and Vicki?
You leave Vicki to me, but when you do finally catch up with Barbara, see that she takes some.
She's probably had the same experience with breathing as we have.
Hold on a minute.
No, no, no, no.
Don't unplug it.
You must never do that.
You must never break the time and relative dimension link.
Come on.
Don't worry, Victor.
The doctor's got something up his sleeve.
It's useless.
Come along, put me through, will you?
Come along, drop this hair dryer or whatever it is.
You have the information?
No, good gracious me, no.
Some kind of force of yours has jammed my instruments and whilst it continues, I cannot use them.
I cannot suspend my functions for your experiments.
Very well, very well.
Take this thing away.
I'm afraid we can't help you to locate your invader.
I will withhold certain forces near your instruments.
If you take advantage of this, you will die.
Well, it appears, my boy, they've obliged.
They've neutralized and completely immobilized this section.
There's one made quite sure, doctor.
Here.
You've done it.
It's time you left.
Where are you going?
I'm going to find Barbara.
Now you look after the doctor.
I'll be back.
Come along.
Cheer up, cheer up, my child.
It's all right.
Yes, here.
Have a piece of chocolate.
I don't feel like that.
Oh, come, come, come, come.
You don't have to worry about him.
He's very good at this sort of thing.
Yes, he'll be back.
He'll be back.
What are you doing, doctor?
Oh, I'm trying to discover a little more about this invasion fleet, my child.
The more we know, the safer it will be for us.
Is that the Minoctrus speaking?
Just turn up this booster, will you?
Minot Pathfinder to a leader one.
Range to Fortis one four oh.
Just turn up the recorder.
Leader to spearhead.
Lock course on bearing two six five.
Speed point oh one.
We jettison craft at altitude five above Crater of Needles.
Individual descent to Sao Prato North Crater.
Do you understand any of that?
Crater of Needles.
Yes.
Something.
We're taking Barbara.
No.
It's Ian, I know it is. They've caught him.
You have tried to escape. Why?
I am still here.
Where is the third?
Why question me? Surely you can see our movements.
You will no longer be trusted.
Were we ever?
I can kill you all.
Yes, you can. But to what end?
The information I have will die with me.
The information of the Minotaur invasion. Speak.
I am still collating the various readings of my instruments.
You lie. It is another of your tricks.
That is for you to decide.
Am I really lying or do I have this information?
Oh, Doctor. That thing made me go to sleep.
Yes, I know, my dear, I know. I think I have earned ourselves a little breathing space.
What did you tell them?
Nothing, nothing.
Are you going to tell them about the Minotaur?
Not as much as I ever want to. We'll see. Come, let's look busy.
Now, I want you to nip into the ship and bring me back a little red box.
And in it is a recording compound.
You'll find it on the left near the first aid kit.
Yes, and come back immediately.
Is this it, Doctor?
I said a white box, child.
Near the sink. This is one of my specimens. Look.
Now, dig it back.
Doctor, look. It's frightened, I'm sure it is.
It's frightened.
Heron, do you still intend to go to the crater of needles?
Yes, I do.
Many of my friends are enslaved there.
They tear off our wings so that we may not escape.
What do you expect when you invade a planet?
Invade a planet?
Vortis is ours.
We, the Minotaur, are reclaiming it.
Vortis is your planet?
Of course.
We are returning to the Carzanome.
They do not search for long.
Those things invaded your planet.
You do not know our story?
No, I don't. Tell me.
The Zabi are not an intelligent species.
But they were essential to the life pattern here.
We lived at peace with them until they were made militant by the dark power.
The dark power? What's that?
The Animus.
At that time, the Carzanome appeared, cruel like a fungus.
We had no weapons, we had not had the need.
And by the time we sensed the danger, the Zabi were too strong.
So you left the planet?
We had no choice.
Where did you go?
At that time, these strange moons appeared.
One of them became our home.
Those of us who could reach it.
Do you live up there?
It is a dim half-world, and our wings grow weaker.
We must return to Vortis.
For when the Carzanome encircles the planet, it will be too late.
And now you are ready to attack?
No, we are not ready.
But we must try.
We'll see.
And what's your part in all this?
Three of us were sent here to prepare the way for the invasion force.
Now I am alone.
I do not know...
What happened to the other two?
Uh...
They were killed.
One is dead.
The other was taken to the crater... Crater of Needles.
Friend Abara?
Yes.
Like friend Barbara.
Preston, we've both lost friends.
Come with me to the crater, you know the country.
We can collect your friend and mine.
There are many of my friends in the crater of Needles.
All the more reason to go.
Yes, Heron.
We will do as you say.
Good.
Come on.
This is the way to the crater of Needles.
How far?
You can not fly.
It will take two hours.
Preston, quickly, this way.
Preston, quickly, here.
Get back, the ground is getting heavy.
Here, take my hand.
Let go.
Beautiful ground, Preston.
Thank you.