COMPROMISE
He stared at the hexagonal control unit. "What the blazes it that?"
The Doctor looked up. "That, Brigadier, is the central console from the TARDIS."
Lethbridge Stewart looked at the console, then to the TARDIS. "But how can something that size fit into your Police Box?"
"Trans-dimensional engineering, if you must know!" The Doctor's manner was off-hand. "Now, leave me alone."
The Brigadier had expected a frosty reception. It had been the same for weeks, ever since that business with the Silurians. Closing down the shelters with explosives had, in his mind, been the only way to contain a potential threat to Earth's future. But the Doctor hadn't seen it like that.
The trouble was, the Brigadier had lied to the Doctor, assuring him that the shelters would remain untouched until he had been able to investigate the Silurian origins and their technology. If the Doctor's car hadn't broken down on the moors, he would have been none the wiser. Well, not immediately. Since then, the two men had barely spoken, with Liz Shaw forced to act as an unwilling go-between. This time, with just the two of them in the lab, Lethbridge Stewart was determined to break the silence. "Doctor, I was hoping for a word . . . "
"Not now, Brigadier."
"Doctor . . . "
The Doctor turned on him. "I said no! Now go away."
The Brigadier stood his ground. "Dammit man, this has gone on long enough!"
The Doctor put down the piece of circuitry he had been working on and faced the Brigadier. "Lethbridge Stewart, how dare you take the moral high ground with me! It was your actions that buried the Silurians, possibly forever. Actions of a jumped-up official with no regard for the bigger picture!"
"Doctor, I had my duty . . . "
"Duty?" The Doctor exclaimed. "Brigadier, you had no right!"
Lethbridge Stewart met the Doctor's indignant stare. "And what am I to do - choose your needs against the whole population? Let me be quite clear, Doctor. You are on my staff, albeit in an informal capacity. You talk about the 'bigger picture'. You may have your ideals, but then so do I. They may not meet with your approval, but I can't justify myself purely on your scientific whims! Do I make myself clear?"
In that outburst the Brigadier had just come to the brink of losing his self-control, and the Doctor was stunned. He had only seen it happen once before, in the London Underground against the Yeti. It was at a time when there seemed no hope, and Lethbridge Stewart had allowed the circumstances to briefly overcome him. Seeing the mask slip again, the Doctor felt a pang of guilt. He had placed his thirst for knowledge about the Silurians above all else, and he knew that such irresponsibility would have to be tempered.
"You are right, Brigadier. I apologise." Before Lethbridge Stewart could reply, the Doctor continued. "My curiosity has got the better of me on many occasions, and I realise now that I was putting the people of Earth at risk. I can do no more other than promise that such a thing will not happen again."
"That's all very well, Doctor, but . . . "
"Please, Brigadier. This isn't easy for me, you know." The Doctor paused. "I've never felt I had to defend my actions, because I always thought I knew better. But now I'm stranded here on Earth, and I have to accept that I must consider those other than myself. I . . . I'm like a fish out of water, stuck in one place and one time. And for the first time in my life I feel completely lost." The Doctor surprised himself at how open he had been. If Liz had been there, such things would have remained unsaid for a long time.
For his part, Lethbridge Stewart coughed, a trifle embarrassed at the Doctor's candid admissions. "Yes, well . . . perhaps the fault doesn't lie entirely with you. We're all in a unique situation here, and tempers are bound to become frayed sometimes." The Time Lord nodded his acquiescence. "Perhaps we can try again - find some common ground?"
"I sincerely hope so, Brigadier," the Doctor replied. "Hopefully we can reach some form of compromise."
"Of course, Doctor." Both the Doctor and Lethbridge Stewart visibly relaxed. After the tension of recent weeks, it was as though a huge weight had been lifted. Both men had given vent to their feelings, and possibly a new understanding could be reached. But as with all things it would take time.
The Brigadier became his old self again. "Well, time I wasn't here."
"Oh?" The Doctor was curious. "Where are you off to?"
"The Space Centre," Lethbridge Stewart replied. "Something going on with Mars Probe 7. Didn't you read the reports?" He shook his head, his attention returning to the circuitry.
The Brigadier sighed, exasperated. "Honestly, Doctor. Sometimes I don't think you can see past the end of your nose!" He paused. "Still, it's big enough."
The Doctor looked up, about to remonstrate with him, when he saw Lethbridge Stewart smile.
And the Doctor returned the smile as the Brigadier turned and walked out of the lab.
Yes, a new understanding.
He stared at the hexagonal control unit. "What the blazes it that?"
The Doctor looked up. "That, Brigadier, is the central console from the TARDIS."
Lethbridge Stewart looked at the console, then to the TARDIS. "But how can something that size fit into your Police Box?"
"Trans-dimensional engineering, if you must know!" The Doctor's manner was off-hand. "Now, leave me alone."
The Brigadier had expected a frosty reception. It had been the same for weeks, ever since that business with the Silurians. Closing down the shelters with explosives had, in his mind, been the only way to contain a potential threat to Earth's future. But the Doctor hadn't seen it like that.
The trouble was, the Brigadier had lied to the Doctor, assuring him that the shelters would remain untouched until he had been able to investigate the Silurian origins and their technology. If the Doctor's car hadn't broken down on the moors, he would have been none the wiser. Well, not immediately. Since then, the two men had barely spoken, with Liz Shaw forced to act as an unwilling go-between. This time, with just the two of them in the lab, Lethbridge Stewart was determined to break the silence. "Doctor, I was hoping for a word . . . "
"Not now, Brigadier."
"Doctor . . . "
The Doctor turned on him. "I said no! Now go away."
The Brigadier stood his ground. "Dammit man, this has gone on long enough!"
The Doctor put down the piece of circuitry he had been working on and faced the Brigadier. "Lethbridge Stewart, how dare you take the moral high ground with me! It was your actions that buried the Silurians, possibly forever. Actions of a jumped-up official with no regard for the bigger picture!"
"Doctor, I had my duty . . . "
"Duty?" The Doctor exclaimed. "Brigadier, you had no right!"
Lethbridge Stewart met the Doctor's indignant stare. "And what am I to do - choose your needs against the whole population? Let me be quite clear, Doctor. You are on my staff, albeit in an informal capacity. You talk about the 'bigger picture'. You may have your ideals, but then so do I. They may not meet with your approval, but I can't justify myself purely on your scientific whims! Do I make myself clear?"
In that outburst the Brigadier had just come to the brink of losing his self-control, and the Doctor was stunned. He had only seen it happen once before, in the London Underground against the Yeti. It was at a time when there seemed no hope, and Lethbridge Stewart had allowed the circumstances to briefly overcome him. Seeing the mask slip again, the Doctor felt a pang of guilt. He had placed his thirst for knowledge about the Silurians above all else, and he knew that such irresponsibility would have to be tempered.
"You are right, Brigadier. I apologise." Before Lethbridge Stewart could reply, the Doctor continued. "My curiosity has got the better of me on many occasions, and I realise now that I was putting the people of Earth at risk. I can do no more other than promise that such a thing will not happen again."
"That's all very well, Doctor, but . . . "
"Please, Brigadier. This isn't easy for me, you know." The Doctor paused. "I've never felt I had to defend my actions, because I always thought I knew better. But now I'm stranded here on Earth, and I have to accept that I must consider those other than myself. I . . . I'm like a fish out of water, stuck in one place and one time. And for the first time in my life I feel completely lost." The Doctor surprised himself at how open he had been. If Liz had been there, such things would have remained unsaid for a long time.
For his part, Lethbridge Stewart coughed, a trifle embarrassed at the Doctor's candid admissions. "Yes, well . . . perhaps the fault doesn't lie entirely with you. We're all in a unique situation here, and tempers are bound to become frayed sometimes." The Time Lord nodded his acquiescence. "Perhaps we can try again - find some common ground?"
"I sincerely hope so, Brigadier," the Doctor replied. "Hopefully we can reach some form of compromise."
"Of course, Doctor." Both the Doctor and Lethbridge Stewart visibly relaxed. After the tension of recent weeks, it was as though a huge weight had been lifted. Both men had given vent to their feelings, and possibly a new understanding could be reached. But as with all things it would take time.
The Brigadier became his old self again. "Well, time I wasn't here."
"Oh?" The Doctor was curious. "Where are you off to?"
"The Space Centre," Lethbridge Stewart replied. "Something going on with Mars Probe 7. Didn't you read the reports?" He shook his head, his attention returning to the circuitry.
The Brigadier sighed, exasperated. "Honestly, Doctor. Sometimes I don't think you can see past the end of your nose!" He paused. "Still, it's big enough."
The Doctor looked up, about to remonstrate with him, when he saw Lethbridge Stewart smile.
And the Doctor returned the smile as the Brigadier turned and walked out of the lab.
Yes, a new understanding.