Dorothy frowned. She’d encountered bio-mechanical technology before – the dragon from Iceworld, Zygons, Axos, to name but three – but this was subtly different to all of them. There was still something frighteningly familiar about it all, though. Something that hovered right on the edge of her conscious memory. ‘It feels as though it’s something that I should recognise …’ She shook her head in frustration. ‘Every time I think I remember something, it goes again.’

‘Then stop trying to remember. It’ll come to you.’

‘OK.’ Dorothy gave his arm a squeeze. ‘Have you seen the atmosphere readings?’

Will checked the screen in his helmet, cocking an eyebrow in surprise at the readout. ‘Breathable …’ He shot her a nervous glance. ‘I suppose you want to risk it and open our visors?’

Dorothy shrugged. ‘It’ll save our oxygen reserve, and at least I won’t keep worrying about chucking up in my helmet.’

‘Charming …’ He sighed. ‘OK. But me first, this time …’

Without giving her a chance to argue, Will reached up and unclasped the seals on his visor, sliding it back and drawing in a tentative breath. Dorothy watched him carefully, ready to reseal his helmet at the first signs of any adverse reaction.

Will exhaled. ‘It’s fine. Smells damp … like a forest after a rain shower.’

Dorothy unsealed her own helmet and sniffed the air, Will was right. It did have that wet soil smell, but other than reminding her of the fields around Kirkwood Farm, the smell triggered no useful memory.

Will disconnected his helmet and swung into its harness on the back of the suit. Dorothy did the same.

‘Shall we take a proper look around?’

Will gave a mock bow and gestured down the passageway. ‘After you.’

The two of them made their way deeper into the interior of the ship. To Dorothy’s concern the passageway didn’t widen out or lead to any open areas as she had hoped; if anything it seemed to get narrower, with openings to even smaller shafts appearing either side of them with increasing frequency. After a minute or two of walking they reached a T-junction, the tunnels to the left and right of them seemingly identical to the one they had just traversed. Dorothy was beginning to get the impression that the ship might not have been built to carry passengers at all.

Will was obviously having the same thoughts. ‘It feels almost as though we’re inside some kind of machine …’ he mused.

Dorothy had to agree. The passages did seem to be laid out like cable runs, or circuit lines …

A sudden chill ran down her spine again and she shivered.

Will looked at her curiously. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Yeah, there’s just something about this place … déjà vu kind of thing.’ She shook her head. ‘I’m just getting spooked, that’s all. Come on, which way do you think we should go?’