Chapter 3

The Doctor, Coe and Carolyn entered the TARDIS.

"Welcome to the TARDIS, Chancellor. And yes, it's bigger on the inside. It shocks a lot of people when they first see it."

"Your fortitude is impressive, Chancellor, my knees buckled the moment I entered for the first time."

Coe was always thinking ahead, reserved, not showing his own hand, fishing for as much information as he could get. "It sounds as though you have done this quite often."

"Personally, I have been involved with four first contact missions."

"And what happened to those other four planets?"

The Doctor grinned knowingly. "They're still there, Chancellor."

They entered the Cloister Room. "This is their source of power, called the Eye of Harmony, Chancellor. Do you believe it?"

Coe studied the impressive technology, calmly nodded, and without looking at the Doctor… "I can only imagine the sort of armaments your vessel carries, Doctor."

"I never carry weapons, Chancellor. This is not a warship. The Time Lords are dedicated to the peaceful exploration of space."

Coe looked at the Doctor in the eye now, and measured him. He walked away. "And do you expect all the worlds you contact to become members of your alliance?"

"Not at all, Chancellor. Some desire membership. Some do not. And in some cases the philosophical differences are so great, it is not even a consideration."

They returned to the Control Room.

"This is the Control Room."

Carolyn was staring at the viewscreen, smiling. "Chancellor."

He glanced over and she indicated the screen, which showed the planet. Coe couldn't completely suppress his wonder. "Doctor. Is there somewhere we might speak together? Without distraction?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Chancellor, with your permission, I will return outside." She glanced toward the Doctor, thinking about Nita. "I have several matters to attend to."

Coe nodded. "Not a word to anyone about this, Carolyn."

"Of course."

As the Doctor moved over to the door to open it for her, Carolyn asked him quietly… "Has there still been no communication from your Nita, Doctor?"

"No, Minister. She has not returned to our designated meeting coordinates. I have continued to scan the capital city without success."

Carolyn exited the TARDIS.

The Doctor led Coe into his study, and poured two glasses from his bottle of Chateau Lungbarrow. "I've been saving this for a special occasion. My brother on Galiifrey produces fruit known as grapes which he turns into wine. He's really quite good at it."

He raised the two glasses and offered one to Coe. "The Humans have a tradition, Chancellor, called a toast, a drink to salute one's friends and good fortune. I propose a toast to a new friendship."

They drank.

Coe was surprised, recognizing the taste. "We have something very much like this here on Malcor Three."

"I am sure we will find much in common."

"And much that is not in common."

"An opportunity to learn from one another."

Coe studied the Doctor thoughtfully and stood. "You speak the language of diplomacy very well, Doctor, it is a language I appreciate and understand, but I have learned to not always trust it."

"Trust requires time and experience."

"My world's history has recorded that conquerors often arrived with the words, 'we are your friends.'"

"Chancellor, we are not here to conquer."

"What do you want?"

"Today, all I wish to have is a drink between friends."

Coe smiled.

"A beginning. How we proceed is entirely up to you…"

"And if my wishes conflict with yours?"

"There will be no conflict."

"And if I were to tell you to leave and never return to my world?"

"We would leave and never return. We are only here to help guide you, into a new era. I assure you we will not interfere with the natural development of your planet, that is, in fact, our own philosophy of non-interference."

"I could infer from that philosophy that you do not intend to share all this extraordinary technology with us."

"That is not the whole meaning, but it is part of it."

"Is that your way of maintaining superiority?"

"To instantly transform a society with technology would be harmful and destructive."

Coe nodded slowly. "You're right of course. I am overwhelmed, Doctor. Quite overwhelmed. I come home each night to a loving wife and two beautiful daughters, we eat the evening meal together as a family, I feel that's important, and they always ask me if I've had a good day."

"How shall you answer them tonight, Chancellor?"

Coe turned, "Well, I'll have to say, this morning, I was the leader of the universe as I knew it, this afternoon, I am only a voice in a chorus." He nodded. "But I think it was a good day."

He exchanged a solid look with the Doctor, and the first brick of the new foundation was in place. The Doctor was pleased.

In Nita's hospital room that night, Nita was on her feet, battling the pain in her head and dizziness. She looked in the closet and found the clothes she wore when she was brought in, and started to get dressed.

She examined the window. It was sealed shut. As she began to look for something she could use to break it, a nurse named Bebe entered the room. She stopped short as she saw Nita at the window, but instead of crying out for help, she glanced out toward the guard and allowed the door to close with her inside. She was quite nervous. "There are guards out there. You'll never escape that way."

Nita was curious about suddenly having an ally.

"I'm not afraid of you," Bebe said tentatively.

"Good. Because there's nothing to be afraid of."

"We shouldn't fear the unknown. We should embrace it."

"Can you help me get out of here?"

"Are you really an alien? It's all right to tell me."

"No, I'm not an alien."

"I don't believe you. You are an alien."

"Listen, I really have to leave."

"I could divert the guard's attention. You might have a chance if you took the service exit down the hall to the left."

"To the left. All right. Let's do it."

"Why should I?"

Nita took a deep breath, moved closer to her, and with dramatic flair… "You know why. Because I don't belong here. Because I have to get back to my ship."

She looked into her eyes. "I believe you."

"Now, will you help me?"

"If you'll be my friend."

"What?"

"I've always wanted to be friends with an alien."

"Listen, Miss…"

"Bebe."

"I really have to get going, all the… other aliens are expecting me."

She moved closer to her. "It's not so much to ask. Promise you'll be my friend, and then I'll help you escape."

"I'll not be hanging around to spend time with you."

"That's ok."

"But…"

"It's your only way out of here, alien," Bebe said firmly.

She agreed to be her friend.

A guard was stationed outside Nita's room. Bebe rushed out, apparently upset. "Something's happened to her, I think she's dead, hurry, go get help!"

The guard rushed down the hallway to the right. After a beat, she opened the door for Nita. "Okay."

She moved out quickly, glanced in both directions. She started to move, Bebe moved with her a few steps. "Will I ever see you again?"

"I'll call you next time I'm passing through your star system." And she rushed quickly down the hallway as Bebe watched her go with a sad smile."

Anderson and another physician turned the corner walking toward her, and reacted as they saw her. "Hey!"

Nita reacted, saw her escape was blocked, froze, and turned. Anderson and the other man ran toward her. "Stop her! Somebody stop her! She's escaping! The alien's escaping!"

Nita looked the other way and now a dozen others were arriving from other directions. People yelled, somebody screamed. "She's loose! Get her! Don't let her get away! Kill her! Stop her! Where's she going? She's dangerous! Block the exits! Knock her down! Kill her!"

"Leave her alone!" Bebe shouted.

People were grabbing things, chairs, and bottles and, it was funny but not so funny, as this was turning into a mob scene. Nita took her best shot at the doctor with Anderson, downed him with a solid blow to the chin and that lead to more noise, yells, screams. She tried to get to the service exit, as Anderson jumped on her back, Nita threw him off, but the others have arrived and overwhelm her, pummel her, and she could very likely be dead if it weren't for the arrival of Hearn and Sachi.

"Stop it! All of you! Stop it now!"

His booming voice of authority got their attention slowly, and as they released Nita, she looked in worse shape than before. She fell slowly to the ground.

"Have you all lost your minds?" He kneeled down and looked at Nita's wounds.

"They've aggravated the injury to her telencephalin, she's bleeding internally."

Hearn addressed the orderlies. "Get her into a surgical cubical." He turned to a nurse. "And call Central Security. This has gone too far."

The mob dissipated.