Domain

Kate managed to smile again. Tes, when we first arrived. It helped me.'

'Me too. Want to try again?'

She blinked, and he guessed it was to clear the moistness in her vision. "We're both wanted elsewhere,'

she told him.

He raised his eyebrows.

'Alex Dealey wants to see you in the Operations Room.'

'So he's already set up a company command.'

This place is more surprising than you think. Even the engineers who worked here on a day-to-day basis had no

idea what the shelter comprised, exactly. Apparently much of the complex was out of bounds even to them.'

'Yeah, that makes sense. The authorities wouldn't want the word to get around that such underground bunkers existed. People might have read something into it and become frightened.' He grinned. "You mean I can get out of this goddam bed without the doc slapping my bottom?'

'She won't condone any more malingering.'

He shook his head once, still grinning. 'She's changed her tune. One problem: do I go naked or do I make a toga out of this sheet?'

'I'll get your things.'

Kate quickly walked to a small door at the other end of the sick bay, glancing at the prone figures lying in the other bunkbeds as she did so. She disappeared through the door and Culver heard the sound of what must have been a locker opening then closing. She returned with some familiar items of clothing.

'Cleaned, but not pressed,' she announced, dumping them in his lap. 'Oh, and I did my best with the hole in your jeans. It doesn't look too good, but at least it's stitched.'

‘You've been busy.'

There hasn't been much else to do.'

He separated the clothing. 'Er, do you want to wait outside?'

She surprised him again by laughing, for there was genuine humour in the sound. 'Culver, I've washed you and wiped you and seen anything you've got to offer. It's too late to be coy.'

His feet Touched the floor, but the sheet remained over his nakedness. He flushed red. This is different.'

Kate turned away, still smiling. 'Okay, I promise not to

peek; but I won't step outside. You may not be quite as strong as you think.'

When he stood, Culver understood what she meant. Dizziness hit him and he grabbed the top bunk.

She was at his side instantly.

'Easy, Steve,' she said. 'It'll take a little while.'

He waited for his vision to clear, one hand on her shoulder, locks of her hair brushing against his fingers. He was conscious of her body's natural scent, its freshness, and the arm she had around him, the warmth of the hand on his hip.

Thanks,' he mumbled. 'I should have listened. I'm coming together, though. If you could just hang on to me for a minute.'

She did, and was glad to.

‘You could easily get lost in this place,' Culver remarked as Kate led him through the grey corridors.

His legs still felt weak, his head still light, but there was a swift-returning vitality to his senses that made Culver wonder just what Dr Reynolds had been dosing him with.

'It's quite a complex,' said Kate. 'I don't pretend to understand any of their machinery, but apparently this place is a repeater station, according to the technician - sorry, engineer - who gave me a guided

‘Your. I'm afraid intermediate distribution frames and motor driven uni-selectors don't do much for me.'

Kate glanced at him. 'It's eerie seeing all this electronic equipment which isn't actually doing anything. I mean, you can feel it's alive, the current is still running through, but it's like some slumbering dinosaur, just waiting for something to rouse it.'

'Maybe it's already become extinct. This kind of technology may not play much part in our immediate future.'

'I don't think I could survive winter without my electric blanket.'

Try a hot-water bottle. Or another warm body.'

She avoided his eyes and he suddenly felt foolish. Stupid remark, he scolded himself. He quickly went on: 'I take it they haven't managed to contact anybody yet?'

'No. They've even used a continuous punched tape on a telex machine, but nothing's come back.

We've no way of knowing what's going on out there.'

That could be for the best right now.'

The corridor opened out and they almost bumped into a small but broad-shouldered figure emerging from behind a ceiling-high row of apparatus. Unlike many of the men inside the complex, he was clean shaven and his light yellow hair neatly combed.

'Hiya,' the man said almost cheerfully. 'How you doing? Feeling better?'

‘Yeah, okay.'

'Good. Catch you later.'

He passed them and strolled down the corridor, hands tucked into overall pockets and whistling tunelessly.

'He seems cheerful enough,' Culver said, watching the man's back.

'His name is Fairbank. He's one of the happier souls down here. Nothing appears to bother him. He's either supremely well-adjusted or crazy.'

'How about the others? From what I saw last time they didn't look too good.'

'Moods change all the time. It's contagious. One day the atmosphere's charged with an unnatural optimism, the next

day you can feel the deep depression hanging in the air like a black fug. You've seen how disturbed some are in the sick bay. One or two others have been treated in there that you wouldn't know about -

you were having your own problems.'

They were in a corridor again and he noticed a heavy-looking door with a small glass slit at face level.

Built into the wall over the door was a red warning light, the light itself switched off. Kate saw him look through the glass.

Would you believe they have their own broadcasting studio?' she said.

He rejoined her. 'Nothing surprises me any more.'

Through here.' She caught his arm and wheeled him into a corridor on their right. That's the repeater standby plant ahead. Not much use when no phone calls are going through.'

They passed a room where rows of batteries sat in long tanks, with rectangular copper shapes above them which he assumed carried the current. Then they found themselves in a large open area which Kate told him was the main frame room. Identical racks of complicated switches and machinery stood in rows, forming narrow corridors; here and there monitors that he recognized as oscilloscopes stood by on trolleys, fault detectors made redundant because nothing was coming into the complex. Culver glanced up and saw masses of cables held aloft by a grid network, filling the ceiling area, an occasional metal ladder leading up to them.

'How much further?'

'Nearly there.'

They finally reached a closed metal door.

'HQ,' she said, pushing through.

The people gathered in the room were facing away from Culver, studying a wall-mounted map. He noticed other maps around the room, mostly of the UK, coloured pins decorating each one. One was marked with a gridwork of thick black lines.

Dealey was pointing at something on the chart before them, stubbing a chubby finger against the plastic-coated paper as if emphasizing a point. Culver couldn't quite register what was different about the man until Dealey turned to face him.

'No bandages,' Culver said. *You can see?'

'As well as ever.' He pointed to a chair. 'I'm glad you're on your feet, but I shouldn't overdo it. Rest.'

Clare Reynolds came around from the desk they had all gathered behind. ‘You look so much better, Steve. You had us worried for a while.'

Thanks for taking care of me.' He was glad to sink into a seat.

'Kate became a dedicated nurse.'

He did not reply, but stared at Dealey instead. The Ministry man had shed his jacket but still wore a tie knotted up to the neck. Others in the room - Bryce, the ROC officer, and several others that Culver didn't know by name - were less formal in shirt sleeves and open collars. Only Farraday matched Dealey for neatness.