The Moon. To some a thing of beauty, for others a beacon breaking soft white light through the darkness of night. For some it's just a big ball of dust.
In the year two thousand and fifteen it's still hard to find your way on the moon, all the holes look the same, and no colonies have yet been built by mankind. But in this particular place there is a landmark. A pole, holding a rag which bears some stars patterned by some simple colours. A few metres from the flag there is suddenly a buzz, a flash of green light and a lone figure appears. He begins to walk slowly across this barren desert, finally stopping at a particular patch. He kneels down in the sand and begins to scratch and beat at it.
The suit the man wears cannot carry sound, and so he does not notice when a blue Police box appears behind him. Nor does he notice the two figures that emerge from it.
"I used to dream of coming here when I was a little girl."
"Yes, quite beautiful isn't it?"
"Nah, its just dirt Professor, but it meant a lot to me once."
It took a moment for the visitors to notice the figure up ahead.
"Hey! There's someone up there!" The girl ran forward as fast as her suit would allow her.
"Careful Ace, this wasn't a fashionable time to be here for humans. We don't know who or what that is!" The Doctor raced after Ace.
***
The man only noticed the two figures when one placed a hand on his shoulder, finally he stopped his assault on the soil. He didn't resist as they pulled him away.
***
The Doctor eased off the helmet to reveal an old man. He laughed, then his laugh became a cough. He looked at the two new faces.
"You don't look like the lab authorities..."
The Doctor answered. "We are not."
He laughed again.
"You ... an explanation?"
"I got a job as a janitor in the Baswell labs when I heard what they were carrying out Tele travel experiments. I knew it was only a matter of time before they set their sites here, and I was ready when they did." He looked around the strangers' ship. It seemed bigger from the inside. "Tonight I achieved what they stole from me all those years ago. I finally got here. To the moon."
"They stole the moon from you?" asked Ace.
"Not quite. I was going to be on the mission back in '69. But in my youth I'd attended a few communist meetings and when that surfaced, I was out." He paused. "Man finally had the freedom to go to the moon, but my great nation prejudiced me for having some free thought."
"But what were you doing out there?"
"I destroyed the footprint. By rights it should have been mine. It meant nothing to them anymore anyway. When they have their colonies all this will be forgotten."
Ace looked angry for a moment, but the look faded when she saw the Doctor nod in agreement.
"Are you going to take me back to the authorities?"
"No, we weren't going to go by Earth for a while."
"Then I'd like you to leave me here."
Again the Doctor nodded and the man got to his feet. The Doctor held out the man's helmet but he shook his head. He walked to the door, looked back briefly, then was gone.
Ace watched the Doctor reprogram the TARDIS when she realised the astronaut hadn't even told them his name.
