Chapter 4

Nita was in surgery, they were working on her forehead below her hair line. Hearn, dressed in surgical clothes, worked carefully but quickly, but was confused by what he was encountering. Sachi assisted, and two other medical assistants were present. There was an air of urgency.

"Recommendation?"

"I don't know, it doesn't match anything…"

"Forget your training. What do you see?"

"The ichor pooling under the cranial bone, it seems to be exerting abnormal pressure. Ordinarily, I'd say we have to drill to relieve it."

"Agreed. Suction."

The nurse put an instrument into the wound that sucked out the blood.

"Three-point-six aspiration drill."

Hearn sighed as the nurse handed him a drill. He studied Nita. "I wonder what her own kind would do for her? I have to believe it'd be better than this."

He started the drill and moved toward Nita's head and the drill met bone. Standing at the window watching was Ensign. In his hand was a phaser. He glanced at it.

In Coe's office the next day, the cabinet, including Carolyn and Ensign, had just been told the facts of life by Coe. Coe was on his feet, the others were seated. "Their leader, the Doctor, has made it clear that how we proceed is entirely our own decision."

"You cannot possibly be suggesting surrender, Chancellor."

"They are not hostile."

"Carolyn, you are incredibly naïve. Can you be so enraptured with the notion of space travellers that you are blind to the threat they represent?"

"I have seen their vessel, Ensign. If they chose to be hostile, I don't think we would be standing here now."

"Why should they use force when we are ready to lay down in fear."

"I do not lay down in fear," Coe objected angrily. "To them or to you, Ensign."

"Chancellor, I mean no disrespect," Ensign replied sincerely. "But I have repeatedly warned you about your policies, taking us so quickly where we had no business going in the first place. New philosophies, new economics, new technologies. There are many people who still value our traditional way of life, and I for one am willing to die to defend it."

"Open your eyes, Ensign. We are part of a greater community now. We cannot ignore it."

"You would ignore them, as they infiltrate and spy on us."

Carolyn sat up in her chair at the sound of that, did he know about Nita?"

"What are you saying, Ensign?"

"We have captured one of their spies."

"Chancellor, she is the Doctor's wife, Nita."

"You knew about this?"

"She has been missing for two days. I told the Doctor not to discuss it because I was afraid this is exactly what would happen."

Coe was furious and disappointed with her, and expressed it with his eyes. "What else do you know, Carolyn? Everything."

"They've been on our planet, observing us for several years."

"Years. Imagine what they have done, influenced our young, stirred up dissent."

"They were collecting information…"

Coe held up his hand to silence her. Softly controlled, he addressed Ensign… "Where is this Nita now?"

Ensign didn't immediately answer, stared at Carolyn and the message was clear, he didn't trust her to know.

Off the look, Coe turned to Carolyn and in his softest voice… "You will not discuss this with the Doctor or the other aliens. If you are not comfortable with that, Carolyn, you may leave now."

She swallowed hard, and remained. Coe turned back to Ensign, and nodded go ahead.

"She is at the Sikla Medical facility, recovering from surgery. She suffered head injuries in an attempt to escape. She will recover consciousness in a few hours."

Nita was attached to monitoring equipment, still unconscious. Ensign entered with Hearn.

"Will she survive?"

"I didn't think she would have survived the injuries. The real question is can she survive the treatment."

"I have to interrogate her before she dies."

"At least give her time to regain some strength. Come back tomorrow."

"It cannot wait until tomorrow."

Carolyn entered, reacted as she saw her. "Ensign, we can get help from her ship. With its medical technology, she might recover."

"We're not giving her back. She is the one advantage we have now." Ensign addressed Hearn. "Use your drugs to revive her."

"Those drugs increase cardial rate and vascular pressure," Hearn replied reluctantly. "That's the last thing we want to do to her right now."

"It will probably be enough to kill her, you can't do it."

"Revive him."

Hearn was not a forceful man but he was a decent one. He sort of scratched his cheek and cleared his throat as he took a moment to think. "I'm just a physician, Minister. I don't know much about affairs of state. But she is a living, intelligent being. I don't care if the Chancellor himself called down here. I have sworn an oath to do no harm. And I will not."

"Then I will find someone to replace you." Furious, he wheeled and left. Carolyn looked at Hearn with great admiration.

"He won't have any trouble finding someone, you know."

Carolyn nodded, moved closer to Nita, studied her, her conscience struggling.

Coe was silhouetted against the tall window of his office as he looked out, his hands folded behind his back, a thoughtful pose. He turned to the sound of the TARDIS materializing.

The Doctor stepped out. "Chancellor."

"You are punctual, Doctor."

"I know how busy you are."

"Do you?"

It was an odd response and the Doctor reacted curiously. Coe sat down and the Doctor followed.

"I think you know a great deal more about me than I know about you."

"In what respect?"

"I can't know what motivates you, how you make decisions, what value you place on life. You speak of trust and peace and working together to enter a new era. At the same time you conduct secret surveillance, posing as Malcorians."

The Doctor finally understood. "My Nita."

"Your Nita."

"Carolyn felt it would be a mistake to discuss…"

"Yes, she's tried to accept the responsibility."

The Doctor took a long, thoughtful beat, then nodded. Cut your losses and start to rebuild. "You're right. It was my error, not hers."

The Doctor rose. "Chancellor, no mission is more dangerous than first contact. We never know what we face when we open the door to a new world. How will we be greeted. What are the dangers? Centuries ago, a disastrous first contact with one empire led to decades of war. It was decided then that we must do surveillance before making contact. But I believe it prevents more problems than it creates."

Coe leaned back, more comfortable with what the Doctor was saying, but still not satisfied. "I appreciate the logic of your position, Doctor. But it would seem a full disclosure after contact would have been in order."

The Doctor nodded. "In time, there would have been full disclosure. I know I can only ask you to believe that. On some worlds, it is not even an issue. But here, everything our observers reported suggested the people of this world would almost certainly react negatively to our arrival. We could see our surveillance might even be interpreted as an act of aggression. I was hoping that I would find Nita before you did, so the matter would not complicate our introduction. And it was a mistake."

A more open expression appeared on Coe's face, he almost smiled. "A mistake I might have made in your place. I rather like it actually."

"Like it?"

"That you make mistakes like any man."

"Oh, I've made some fine ones in my time."

There was another connection between the two men that went a long way toward healing this rift.

"Will you release my wife?"

Coe never changed expression and his eyes never left the Doctor's. "We'll talk again later, Doctor."

That was the best the Doctor could do for now. He acknowledged. He returned to the TARDIS and dematerialized. Coe stared a beat at the empty space and thought.

That night in Nita's room, Hearn was on a telephone-like device. "Yes I understand." He hung up. He turned to Anderson who was standing with Carolyn and Ensign. In an even voice… "I've been relieved of my duties, as I'm sure you already know. You are acting director of the facility, Anderson."

Anderson avoided Hearn's look. Hearn left.

"Revive him."

After a beat, Carolyn left, frustrated and alarmed. Anderson prepared a syringe.