The Doctor operated the scanner control and frowned slightly.
"What's wrong, Doctor?" asked Jo, seeing his perplexed expression. She could see a busy street on the scanner but nothing that seemed out of place.
"I think we're a little adrift, Jo," the Doctor confessed.
"But it looks fine. I'm sure that's London."
The Doctor nodded. "Oh, it's London alright. But we're not quite in your time."
Jo looked at the scanner again. Come to think of it, the people passing did seem to be dressed a little old fashioned.
"How far are we out?" she inquired.
The Doctor studied his instruments. "Not far, Jo. As far as I can work out it's 1959. The TARDIS should blend in nicely for once." He grinned.
Jo couldn't help grinning back. "Are we going to explore?"
"Why not? We shouldn't be able to get into any trouble." So saying he pulled the door release mechanism and they stepped out into the past.
***
Jo smiled. It was like being a little girl again. She would be about eight years old in '59, and all of a sudden the memories came flooding back. The clothes, the cars, the sounds and the smells of late 50's London were all there for her to sample again.
"Look over there, Jo," the Doctor exclaimed, pointing. She followed his finger and read a plaque on the wall across the street. It read British Rocket Group.
"So?" Jo asked. She had not been very interested in space when she was eight.
The Doctor sighed. "Without the BRG and the pioneering work of Bernard Quatermass man would not have set foot on Mars until the next century. I've always wanted to visit them."
"Well, let's go then," said Jo, leading the way across the street.
***
The Doctor bluffed his way past the ground floor receptionist and he and Jo entered a lift. The lift opened on the top floor and the Doctor and Jo exited. A young woman sat behind a desk.
"Hello, my dear. We're here to see Professor Quatermass."
"I'm sorry, he's busy. Some sort of crisis."
"Well, that's why we're here," the Doctor improvised. "We're here to help."
The young woman looked unsure. At that moment the door behind her opened and a man stepped out.
He was dressed in a smart suit, his hair was greying and he had a distinguished air about him. The Doctor stepped forward immediately.
"Professor Quatermass, how nice to meet you," he said, offering his hand.
"Eh, who are you?" Quatermass inquired.
"They said they were here to help," the young woman supplied.
"I'm Doctor John Smith," the Doctor announced, using his UNIT alias, "and this is my assistant Jo. I hear you've got a crisis on."
Quatermass nodded, leading them through into the room behind. It was full of monitoring equipment and transmitters. Half a dozen people were in the room.
"We have a network of artificial satellites in orbit above the Earth," Quatermass explained. "A couple of hours ago one of them picked up a contact."
"A spaceship?" Jo asked.
"Well, we don't have anything up there at the moment. We thought it might be a mistake, but now we've picked it up on another two."
The Doctor was studying some figures on a printout. He was frowning, which Jo knew was not a good sign.
"You had better get the best china out, Professor. We're about to have company."
"But what can it be, Doctor?" asked Quatermass.
"You said you have nothing up there at the moment. What about the Americans?"
"I've been on the telephone to them and they say it's not one of theirs."
"What about the Russians?" Jo asked.
"The same as far as we know."
"Then I would have to say it's extra-terrestrial," the Doctor concluded. "Do you have any idea where it's heading?"
The Professor checked another printout.
"At the moment it seems to be on it's way to a landing in the countryside north of London."
"When?"
"Within the hour," came the reply.
The Doctor nodded. "Any chance of intercepting it?"
"Yes," Quatermass replied. "There is an RAF fighter on its way. It should intercept shortly."
At that moment a technician called from across the room.
"Professor, I have Flight Sergeant Gilmore on the radio now, sir."
They crossed to the man's side and the Professor took a microphone.
"This is Professor Quatermass. Anything to report?"
"I have a radar contact now. It's coming in at some speed."
"Can you see it?"
"Not yet. No, wait. There's something making the clouds above me glow. What..."
The radio gave a burst of static.
"Gilmore? Are you there man?"
A breathless voice came on. "It shot past me heading for the ground. Caught in its wake. Can't get the plane back under control. Have to make a forced landing."
"Did you get a good look at it?"
The radio gave only static. The technician looked up at the Professor.
"We've lost him, sir. He must have come down."
The Professor hung his head. "I hope he's alright."
"So do we all," the Doctor said. "Now, Professor, I think we had better investigate this mystery visitor, don't you?"
***
The Doctor and Jo sat in the back of the Professor's car as it sped out of London. In the front passenger seat sat one of the Professor's assistants, a woman Jo was pleased to note in this last real decade of male domination.
Ahead of them was an army truck. In the back were half a dozen soldiers, another one of the Professor's assistants (a man this time) and a large radar. This was directing them to the site where the strange craft had come down.
"What do you think it is, Doctor?" asked Jo.
The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "I'm not really sure, Jo. It seems it's reasonably small, so I doubt it's an invasion fleet. It could be a scout ship or an automatic probe of some kind."
"What made you say it was extra-terrestrial?" asked the dark haired woman in the front of the car, who had introduced herself as Rachel.
"Well, my dear, it was altering course subtly as it entered the stratosphere, to compensate for turbulence in the upper atmosphere. A natural object couldn't do that."
"Do you think it could be hostile?" Rachel inquired.
"Not necessarily. You can't believe everything you read in the science fiction magazines, you know." He grinned at her.
She smiled back as the army truck in front of them came to a halt.
Quatermass and his friends got out of the car. George, his other assistant, came running up from the truck.
"They say it's in the field over there, sir," George told them, indicating the field by the side of the road.
Sergeant Harris, in command of the soldiers, led the two scientists into the field, followed by their assistants and the rest of the troops. A smoking crater could be seen near the centre of the field.
On closer inspection the object had ploughed a twenty-foot long furrow on landing, coming to rest against a bank of smoking mud. There was a faint hissing noise as steam rose from the site.
"What do you make of it, Doctor?" Quatermass asked, keen for the opinion of a fellow scientist.
The Doctor's face looked grim. "What I make of it, Professor, is that we are in a great deal of trouble!"
"Trouble, Doctor?" inquired Quatermass.
The Doctor nodded. "This looks to me like a Velgorn probe ship."
Jo frowned. "Who are the Velgorns?"
"A race of reptilian conquerors," the Doctor replied. "At least they are at this time. Eventually they underestimate a race they attack and end up being almost wiped out. The remains of their leadership see the error of their ways and eventually they are accepted into the Galactic Federation. Much as the Ice Warriors were."
"You seem to know a lot about these things," said Rachel.
"I travel a lot. It broadens the mind," the Doctor told her with a smile.
Suddenly there was a scraping sound from the probe. The soldiers cocked their rifles.
"Looks like we've got company," Quatermass said. A hatch in the probe was opening.
"Sergeant Harris, ask your men to hold their fire," the Doctor instructed. "There will only be one occupant of the probe. When he sees he is surrounded, he will probably give himself up."
"You heard him," Harris told his men. "Hold you fire."
The hatch was now fully open. From it the Velgorn emerged.
It was eight feet high and covered in green scales. It's snout was pointed, like the beak of a bird. It's four digit hands and feet were webbed. In one hand it held a device.
The Velgorn looked up, seeing the humans gathered around the crater. It swung the device to cover them.
A single gunshot rang out and the Velgorn fell.
"I said don't fire," the Doctor shouted.
"Hold fire!" Sergeant Harris ordered. "Sorry, sir," he told the Doctor. "It won't happen again."
"It had better not," the Doctor snapped as he dropped into the crater to examine the Velgorn.
"Well, Doctor?" asked Jo after a short time.
"The bullet grazed the skull plating. No damage but the shock knocked it cold."
"Let's get it back to London," Quatermass suggested. The Doctor concurred and the soldiers started restraining the Velgorn for the journey.
***
Back at the headquarters of the British Rocket Group, the Doctor and Professor Quatermass were discussing the next move.
"There's bound to be a Velgorn invasion fleet waiting for the scout to report back," the Doctor was saying.
"What if he doesn't report back?" asked Quatermass.
"They'll come anyway," the Doctor replied. "They only turn away from worlds where they get a negative report."
Across the room, Jo and Rachel were making coffee.
"Any word on that pilot?" Jo asked.
Rachel nodded. "They told me his fighter came down in a reservoir. He escaped with a broken leg and a few minor fractures."
"We owe that young man a debt of gratitude," the Doctor said, coming over to collect his coffee. "While the backwash from his encounter with the probe sent his plane off course, it did the same with the probe. If it hadn't, we never would have found it."
"How so?" asked Rachel.
"Because once it had got under your radar, it would have changed course and landed normally. The near miss caused it to crash land."
At that moment George came running in. He paused to catch his breath.
"Sir, the alien. I think it's dead."
***
The Doctor and Professor Quatermass were the first to arrive at the infirmary, where the Velgorn had been restrained on an operating table. The Doctor quickly checked the alien's vital signs.
"Is it dead, Doctor?" asked Quatermass.
The Doctor straightened up. "No, it's just gone into a deep healing coma. That wound must have been worse than I thought."
"Well, that's a relief," Jo exclaimed.
"Why a relief?" George asked. "I thought these things were going to invade us."
"That doesn't mean we have to wish them harm," Jo told him.
The Doctor put a hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Jo's right," he said. "We can't go around imposing our justice on other species just because they look and think differently to us."
George looked at his feet. The Professor broke the ensuing silence.
"What do you propose we do about the Velgorns?"
The Doctor scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not sure. I think I can build a transmitter powerful enough to reach their fleet from your equipment, but what then? Ask them politely not to invade?"
"You'll think of something," Jo told him. "You always do."
The Doctor found himself smiling at her faith in him.
Rachel came into the room and handed the Professor a piece of paper. He read it and sighed.
"The Minister is on the phone. I had better take it in my office. Doctor?"
He nodded and followed Quatermass out of the room with Jo behind him. George looked at the alien one last time, then he closed the door.
***
The Doctor and Jo were waiting with George and Rachel when Professor Quatermass stormed out of his office, his face red with fury.
"The idiot!" he exclaimed.
"Problem, Professor?" the Doctor asked calmly.
"They want to take the Velgorn to a government facility for study."
"Well, you can't let that happen. We need to keep it here, to see if we can find out what the invasion plans are."
Quatermass held up his hands. "I know that and you know that, but try telling the Minister."
"Right, I will," the Doctor promised, heading for the office.
"He will too," Jo told Rachel. "I think he enjoys bullying officials sometimes."
They were all interrupted by a loud crash from down the hallway. The Doctor and Quatermass looked at each other.
"The Velgorn!" they both said together, heading for the door.
They ran into the infirmary to find a scene of chaos. The operating table was on its side and empty and instruments were scattered all over the floor. The far window was broken and the two scientists made for it.
"What can you see, Doctor?" asked Jo as he and Quatermass stared out of the window.
The Doctor turned, frowning. "Not much, Jo," he replied. "A flat roof and not much else."
"What about the Velgorn?" Rachel inquired.
The Doctor's frown deepened. "It's escaped, my dear. Our Velgorn friend is now loose in London."
"What do we do now?" asked Jo.
"We find it, of course," Quatermass declared. He turned to the Doctor. "Where do you think it will have gone?"
The Doctor rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, there is only one thing it will be interested in and that is it's ship. That's where the Velgorn will be heading."
"That's good," said Quatermass. "The Minister told me they've moved it to a government warehouse. Our scaly friend will never find it."
"Right then," said the Doctor, "let's get going."
***
The journey to the site of the crash did not take nearly as long the second time, mainly as the Professor knew where he was going. He pulled the car up in the lane beside the field and the Doctor stepped out.
He raised a pair of binoculars and scanned the field and the surrounding countryside.
"Anything?" Rachel inquired from the back of the car, where she was sat beside Jo.
"Not yet," replied the Time Lord, sweeping the field again with his eyes. "It's travelling on foot remember. We have the advantage of motorised transport."
They waited over an hour before the Doctor spotted movement.
"Here he comes now," he announced quietly. He passed the binoculars over to Quatermass who was standing next to him.
"He's being very careful," the Professor reported as he watched the alien creep cautiously towards the crater.
"Then I must be too," the Doctor replied as he climbed the fence. "Everybody stay here," he instructed.
"But you can't face it on your own," Jo protested.
"I must, Jo. Too many people may scare it into running and we may never find it then."
"At least let me come with you," offered Quatermass.
The Doctor sighed. "Very well, but just you." The Professor handed the binoculars to Jo and climbed the fence after the Doctor.
The Velgorn had now disappeared into the hole made by it's ship.
"Let me do the talking, Professor," the Doctor advised as they reached the lip of the crater.
"By all means," came the reply.
***
"What's going on?" asked Rachel as Jo followed their progress with the binoculars.
"They've reached the edge of the crater. The Doctor seems to be talking to the Velgorn, but I can't see it. The Professor is with him."
"I hope the Doctor knows what he's doing," Rachel commented.
Jo smiled and lowered the binoculars. "I've never met anybody who knew what they were doing more than the Doctor," she said confidently.
***
The Velgorn was looking about in dismay when the Doctor and Quatermass reached the edge of the crater. The Doctor cleared his throat to get the alien's attention.
"I'm afraid we've removed your ship, old chap," the Doctor began.
The alien hissed at him. "You steal the property of the glorious Velgorn Empire."
"Well, technically it's salvage, as you did crash on this planet. And you are planning an invasion, which is the same as stealing Earth from its rightful owners."
The Velgorn was standing directly below the Doctor now. It glared at him. "What do you know of our invasion plans?"
"I have seen the Velgorns in operation before. I know your methods."
"Then you must die." So saying the Velgorn launched itself at the Doctor, claws outstretched.
The Doctor easily dodged the lunge and as the Velgorn sprawled at his feet he applied pressure to a point at the top of it's spine. The Velgorn collapsed, unconscious.
"What did you do?" asked Quatermass.
"Venusian Aikido," the Doctor replied. When the Professor looked blank he explained. "It's a form of martial art."
The Professor nodded, though he still didn't know what the Doctor was talking about. "So, now what?"
"Do you know where this warehouse is that they've taken the scout ship to?"
"Yes. It's not far from our offices."
"Then if you would give me a hand with our friend here, I think it's time we stopped the invasion, don't you?"
***
The warehouse looked much like all the others nearby, as Jo commented.
"Well, it would hardly have a sign up saying 'alien spacecraft stored inside', now would it?" asked the Doctor.
"No, I suppose not."
The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to unlock a side door and the three humans, one Time Lord and one Velgorn entered. The alien was just coming round, supported between the Doctor and Quatermass.
The two men sat the alien down on the floor as it recovered its wits. It hissed at its captors as it found that it's hands and feet were bound.
"Why have you not killed me already?" it asked.
"Now why would we want to do an uncivilized thing like that, my dear chap?" the Doctor inquired.
"Because that's what I would do in your position."
The Doctor smiled. "Then I'm glad you're not in my position."
"So, you're going to torture me."
"Not at all. I'm going to let you go." He switched on an overhead light, illuminating the Velgorn's ship.
The alien could not hide its surprise. "Why?"
"Because humans are a civilized species and you're going to report back that the planet is not worth conquering."
The Velgorn hissed slightly as it considered the Doctor's words. "I could easily betray you."
"But you won't," the Doctor told him. "Your much-famed Velgorn sense of honour would not let you. An enemy who spares your life must be respected, am I right?"
The alien bowed it's head. "You are correct. How do you know so much about our ways?"
"As I said, I've encountered your people before. I'm not of this world, I travel the vortex."
"Then you have indeed earned my respect. I will make a negative report on this world."
"Thank you. Now, Professor, would you untie our guest?"
"Can we trust him?" Rachel whispered.
The Doctor turned to her. "Once a Velgorn gives its word, it's as good as a blood oath. Now, let's see how badly damaged this ship is."
***
The scout ship turned out to be almost fully functional. The Doctor and Quatermass heaved the large double doors open as the Velgorn brought his anti-gravity engines online. Within a minute the ship was a dwindling speck in the twilight sky.
"Do you think the Velgorn will keep his word?" asked Jo.
"Of course, " the Doctor replied. "It's a matter of honour."
***
The Doctor unhooked his monitoring equipment as the room celebrated. It had shown that the Velgorn invasion fleet was leaving the solar system. The Velgorn scout had kept his promise.
"You were right, Doctor," Quatermass said, shaking the Time Lord's hand.
The Doctor nodded. "All in a day's work, Professor." As Quatermass went over to celebrate with his friends the Doctor moved over to stand beside Jo.
"I think it's time we were going," he said. Jo smiled at him.
"Okay, Doctor." Quietly they slipped out of the offices and headed back for the TARDIS.
***
Rachel strode into the hospital, brown paper bag in hand. After making an enquiry at the desk she headed for a particular ward.
She swiftly found the bed she required. The man in it looked up in surprise.
He had clipped dark hair, a handsome, clean-shaven face and a strong physique. Rachel found her heart rate increasing.
"Flight Sergeant Gilmore?" she enquired. He nodded.
She offered her hand. "Professor Quatermass sent me to thank you. I'm Rachel Jensen."
