DISCLAIMER: Anything you recognise- the Doctor, the Brigadier, the TARDIS-
belongs to the BBC. Anything you don't recognise- Time Scales, the Stranger-
belongs to me. Nina, Chris, Matteo and Natalie belong to themselves, and I
use their names here with their permission. Enjoy.
FEEDBACK: Feel free to give it.
Chapter One
Cortez Away
February 24th 2003
"Honestly," Nina groaned to herself, looking over the papers in front of her. "An entire universe of aliens, and the most exciting thing that's happened to me since joining is that brief problem with the Kraals and that conference, and that doesn't make up for the rest of it..."
Nina Spencer, scientific advisor to UNIT-UK since almost 1999, was bored. Many people, when they first saw her, thought she looked slightly Chinese, but a few more regarded her as looking a little Portuguese. Her hair was long and dark, but was known to look slightly brown if the light hit it the right way, and it had a few streaks of dark red hair in the centre. Her eyes were brown, she had soft moist- looking lips, and, whenever she smiled, or someone looked into her eyes, it often struck an observer that she was incredibly beautiful. Currently, she was wearing a purple silk blouse, dark trousers, black shoes, and her white lab coat was hanging off the back of her chair. She also wore two silver rings, one on each hand. She was almost twenty-five, but felt like she was nearer a hundred, with all the burdens she felt she was dealing with.
So much paperwork, so little time to do it, she'd been late in today after her car ran out of petrol and then got caught in a traffic jam, and to crown it all off, there was nothing interesting to look forward to on the horizon, and almost nothing interesting to reminisce about. The only real bright point in this job had been that UN conference last year, when those Kraals attacked the building. Not only had it been interesting, but it had given her a chance to work beside a living legend at UNIT. UNIT-UK's oldest and most brilliant Scientific Advisor. The Doctor...
Nina smiled a little as she remembered that affair. UNIT had been asked to provide security for a secret conference over that recent difficulty with the Fourth Reich (Fourth Reich? She still couldn't believe that.) and the Doctor had been called in to assist the problem. Nina had been hired to inform the Doctor and his assistant Mel, called to the conference by the equally legendary Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, about what had happened to the Fourth Reich crisis since the Doctor was involved, and give them any help if they needed it. True, Nina reflected, the Doctor could do with a new fashion designer- who created that frock coat of his anyway? Yellow and pink lapels? Yikes!- but Nina still couldn't help feeling proud of working with him. All those threats he'd stopped- Cybermen, Vampires, Zygons, Waro- at times it seemed endless.
And then the Kraals had replaced the delegate from UNIT-SEA with one of their androids. Nina still recalled, vividly, what had happened at the conference, even through it was over a year ago. Those Kraals had almost managed to set up everything so that the UNIT-SEA delegate android would send out weapons that could have annihilated all of UNIT, or at least crippled it. A bit of work on Nina's mobile phone on the part of the Doctor had lead to the android delegate shorting out when the Doctor used the phone to hack into the android's CPU and trick it into accidentally activating the weapons while they were still on board the Kraal ship. He and Mel had than departed, leaving Nina to deal with all the required explanations of what had happened, not to mention all the paperwork required. Still, Nina hadn't really minded that much- the paperwork may have been boring, but it gave her a chance to reorganize herself and get back down to the more typical normality of life after all that. For a while there she'd thought that she was going to die, and she needed something nice and easy to get herself back down to Earth, figuratively speaking. Still, she had to admit, even though it had been dangerous, she'd give anything to have that kind of experience happen to her again.
Can't complain, I suppose, she thought to herself, flipping through some paperwork idly, trying to pass the time. Some soldiers in UNIT spend years on the job and do nothing. Now, what have we got here...? Nina pulled out the next file, and froze the second she saw the heading.
ATTACK OF THE NEDENAH?
Nina stared. Nedenah attacking innocent civilians? The notion was simply ridiculous. She knew all about the Nedenah, her uncle had served in UNIT as a Captain when they found the Nedenah being held in the CIA bunker. They were harmless, a very peaceful race, and she still recalled the description that he gave. He'd never seen them himself, but Brigadier Lethbridge- Stewart had given a good description of them to his troops after the crisis had been dealt with, the way he always did. Her uncle had told it to her with the perfect detail that kept him going in his one-time job as a journalist. These days he spent most of his time in a Buddhist meditation centre. Good old Mike...
...The Nedenah were about your size, maybe a bit bigger or smaller, really hard to say. They had grey, wrinkly skin, large green eyes, and were very slender and hairless, with barrel-like chests, and slightly protruding mouths. A very peaceful race, they provided the key to victory that we needed to save the Earth and outwit the Waro...
Ever since that time, Nina had wanted to join UNIT and meet creatures like those Nedenah. She had sometimes wondered if she would meet the Nedenah themselves, but she'd never imagined the meeting would be like this.
She began to read through the file instantly. She had to know the details.
ATTACK OF THE NEDENAH?
On February 21st, 2003, in between 2010 and 2045 hours, a Nedenah, a race that little is officially known about barring what was told to us by the CIA man known to UNIT only as Control, brutally attacked an innocent civilian while he was out walking around his farm.
The man in question, Mr Paul Edwards Fink, was out for a walk around his farm. He had finished milking the cows, and his wife, Anne, had rounded up all the sheep and the pigs. Anne had gone to bed at 2000, having finished everything, but Paul felt that he should take a look around just to make sure everything was taken care of. Anne looked out of her window at 2010 and saw him walking towards the barn, presumably to look over the cows.
After 15 minutes, Paul still had not returned from his walk, and Anne decided that she'd have to go and look for him. She went out the door after taking five minutes to change, and eventually located her husband behind the pigsty. Standing over him was am alien that, from the description given to us, we are certain was a Nedenah. It was standing over Paul, who was missing his left arm from below the elbow and whose right leg from below the knee was horribly ripped. From the description given to us, it appears that the Nedenah was holding an energy sword while it stood over Paul's body, a weapon they have been known on occasion to wield. However, the sword appeared to have run out of power when Anne arrived, given that it was only the hilt to be seen, and not the blade itself. Realizing that it was defenceless when facing her, the Nedenah ran off to a nearby pigsty. Ann tried to chase after it, but when she arrived at the sty the Nedenah had dived into a Police Box, the kind used as a disguise for the ship belonging to the rogue Time Lord acquainted with UNIT, known only as 'The Doctor.' No sooner had the Nedenah gotten into the Police Box, then it disappeared.
Shaken, frightened, and concerned for her husband's life, Anne ran back to her house and called the ambulance and the police, who diverted their call to UNIT after hearing her story. She then gave us these details, and we intend to act on them accordingly to protect the public from any danger. This state of affairs shall not be allowed to continue. From this point on, UNIT operatives are authorised to shoot on sight at any sign of the Doctor, whichever version of him it is.
Nina stared at the report in her hands.
"I don't believe it..." she said, in a very shocked-sounding voice. Which she was, come to think of it. None of the information in the report made sense, from where they claimed that the Nedenah were well known for using energy swords. They'd never used any kind of hand-held weapons, not even to try and defend themselves from attackers. And the part about the Doctor helping attacking aliens was even more absurd! He simply didn't do that sort of thing! And besides, actually assuming more of this sort of thing was going to happen again after only one time was just too paranoid for UNIT. What was going on with this thing?
Nina stood up, brushing down her purple blouse and white lab coat. She had to give her boss a piece of her mind about letting this file even get written in the first place. I mean, all those inaccuracies! she thought to herself
Nina walked out of the lab door and turned right, heading directly towards her commander's office. Brigadier Winifred Bambera had been in the job for some time now, and Nina knew she could be relied upon to believe her story.
And get whoever wrote that report fired on the spot, Nina thought to herself. I mean, anyone who goes around claiming that the Nedenah use energy swords shouldn't be in UNIT in the first place, if they've never even looked at the data on the Waro invasion!
Arriving at the door, Nina opened the door. "Sorry to burst in on you like this, Brigadier, but-" she began, and then suddenly stopping in mid- sentence.
Because the person behind the desk was not the familiar form of Brigadier Bambera, dressed in her usual khaki military outfit. Instead it was a man with blond hair and brown eyes, with a deep tan and wearing a business suit. That was the main thing that informed Nina something was wrong- UNIT commanders traditionally always wore a fighting uniform in case of a crisis. Even before he opened his mouth, Nina guessed that this man would be the kind of person who sent others to do his work for him while he did nothing at all.
"Ah, Miss Spencer, " the man said, smiling at her in a way that gave Nina the unnerving impression that he was about to bite her neck. "I gather, from the way you charged into my office and started apologising to Miss Bambera, that you are unaware of the present situation here at UNIT?"
"Situation?" Nina asked. "What situation? I was late in today, and, well..."
"Ah, I see," the man smiled. "You missed the announcement then. Let me introduce myself- I am Colonel James Disch, currently serving as temporary commander of UNIT-UK."
"Temporary? What was wrong with the permanent one, and how temporary is temporary?" Nina asked.
"Until the end of the recent alien crisis," Disch replied, giving Nina that same unnerving smile again.
"Crisis? You mean that situation with the Nedenah?" Nina asked. "Talking of which, about that file on the situation-"
"Inaccurate?" Disch asked politely. "We thought it would be. That's why we didn't bother replacing you- you do know the most about the threats faced by UNIT over the years, after all. I've always found it's the Scientific Advisors that have access to that sort of information-"
"Wait a minute, did you say replaced?" Nina asked, interrupting. Disch looked at Nina with a hard glare in his eyes, but compared to his smile it was like a calm breeze in the air.
"Yes, Miss Spencer. The Cortez Project runs things at UNIT HQ now," Disch replied.
"Really?" Nina said, as she rapidly wracked her brains for any reference to the Cortez Project.
Then it occurred to her. A file, telling of an incident that UNIT- SEA had dealt with in Hong Kong, two years before she officially joined UNIT. Dealt with by the Doctor and his old friend Sarah Jane Smith, the Cortez Project was a branch of UNIT that operated within UNIT without the knowledge of the main council. Their view on protecting the Earth was simply 'If it's alien, kill it,' even if the aliens were on Earth by accident and only wanted to leave.
Nina hated that kind of people.
Trying to remain casual, Nina replied, as casually as possible, "So, you're in charge, huh? Can I ask why?"
"The Nedenah, Miss Spencer," Disch replied simply.
"What has that got to do with anything?" Nina asked.
"They were thought to be peaceful, and now look at that recent occurrence- a man has lost his livelihood because of them," Disch explained, scratching the back of his neck in a casual way. "Some people think it's only a temporary thing, or only limited to a few Nedenah. Still, those in the Cortez Project believe otherwise- that finally, proof of the benefits of the Cortez Factor has been obtained. As a result, our head has taken command of UNIT. The Project has been dispatched to all UNIT facilities, replacing the main command personnel for the duration of this emergency. Harper's holding a party in a few days to explain the crisis to those lower personnel, from the original command," Disch said, suddenly opening a desk drawer and passing a piece of paper to Nina. "There's your invitation, by the way. Feel free to bring a few friends, but you'll have to leave them in the main hall while we fill you and your friends in on the new command."
"My invitation?" Nina asked, looking at it. It had gold writing on it with a silver surrounding, which Nina supposed was to try and make her think they meant well, given that there were a few fancy gold designs on it. However, Nina didn't buy that for a second.
"What makes you think I'm interested in becoming a full-time member of your little group?" Nina asked.
"Why wouldn't you be?" Disch asked, sitting up and looking at her. "You're dedicated to protecting Earth. You've proved on several occasions that you're very resourceful. Besides, you've read the file- so far, you're the only non- Project member to have seen that."
"Really?" Nina said. At the same time, she was flashing through her options in her mind. If she claimed that she would only get involved with the Cortez Project when it stopped being so damn paranoid about everything and actually found out what the aliens they were trying to kill were here to do, she'd have the life expectancy of a Cyberman in Fort Knox. On the other hand, if she accepted, she'd get an inside look at the Project, and manage to report it eventually. "Well, in that case," she said, having managed to reach her decision, "I'd be delighted to accept this invitation."
"Excellent," Disch smiled. Nina wondered what he meant by that 'excellent.' "Well, the date's on the invitation. I'll see you tomorrow at work."
"All right," Nina smiled. Turning away from him, she left the room, shutting the door. She maintained a cool, calm composure right up until she reached her lab. Then, after shutting the door, she finally let rip.
"Those xenophobic JERKS!" she yelled, throwing the invitation onto the floor. "What gives them the bloody RIGHT to just TAKE OVER?! We're doing FINE!!"
Nina almost tore the invitation in two in her anger, but even in her current temper, she knew that doing that would instantly ruin her attempt to infiltrate the Project.
"OK then, Nina," she said to herself, putting the invitation down onto her desk. "Breathe. Be calm, be calm, be calm."
She sat down in her chair, and began to think. What were her options now, with the current situation?
Of course, they were obvious. Nina would have to try and find someone who would believe her story, and would be as opposed to the Project as she was. Now, who fit those requirements?
UNIT command was out of the question, obviously. If the Cortez Project had taken over back at Geneva, then most likely they'd replaced several key figures in the command structure with their own personnel. Her chances of getting any help from other soldiers were slim as well- some of them may have remained in UNIT because they wanted to attempt the strategy she was trying, but how would she know which ones those were?
No, as far as Nina could see, there was only one person who could help her now. Reaching for her mobile phone, she dialled a number known to all UNIT- UK personnel.
"Hello?" a female voice said, on the other end of the phone.
"Who's that?" Nina asked, just to make sure.
"Doris Lethbridge- Stewart. This is?" the voice said. Nina grinned.
"Nina Spencer, UNIT Scientific Advisor. I need to talk to your husband, Mrs Lethbridge- Stewart," she said.
"I'm afraid Alistair isn't really available now, Mrs Spencer-"Doris began.
"Just Miss, Mrs Lethbridge- Stewart," Nina said. "I wouldn't call him if I had any other choice, I know he values his privacy, but this is important. Something is rotten at the very heart of UNIT!"
"Ah," Doris said. "Well, I'll see if I can get him. Please hold, Miss Spencer." "Of course," Nina said. As she waited, she heard a few brief strains of the conversation over the phone line; "...call later...heart of UNIT...someone else...is important..."
Just then, someone else finally picked up the phone. "Lethbridge- Stewart speaking, Miss Spencer. Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't we met before?"
"Yes, Brigadier, that's right," Nina said, relieved he'd taken the call. "We met briefly during that affair with the Fourth Reich aftermath conference, when you called the Doctor. Anyway, the important thing is, I need your help."
*****
"I gathered that from what my wife told me," the Brigadier said from the other end of the phone. He'd officially retired from UNIT in 1976, on the hypnotic suggestion of the Seventh Doctor, although he didn't know it, but still got involved in UNIT at times, and had rejoined UNIT in an advisory capacity six years ago.
"Yes, well, shall I start from the beginning?" Nina asked from the other end of the phone.
"Oh, of course, absolutely," the Brigadier smiled.
Nina explained the situation to him as fast as she could. After it was over, the Brigadier just stared at the receiver with a dazed look on his face.
"Say that again?" he asked.
"The Cortez Project has taken-" Nina began.
"All right, all right, no need for that," the Brigadier said. "I heard you the first time, I just couldn't quite believe it."
"Well, that I can understand," Nina said. "I can't believe it myself, and I've seen the situation down here. So, will you help?"
"Of course," the Brigadier said. "I've just got some loose ends to tie up here, and then I'll be right with you. McGregor's Tavern at four all right with you?"
"Fine. I'll be there," Nina said, sounding relieved at the confirmation.
Terminating the call, he went back to the kitchen, where Doris was waiting.
"Well, what was that about?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Emergency, dear. I have to help Miss Spencer handle it. It could be dangerous, so I need you to go off for a bit," the Brigadier explained.
"Leave? I need to leave for you to handle this? Why? You know I can look after myself," Doris said, looking at her husband.
"I know that, dear, but I have to sure you're safe," the Brigadier explained. "If you don't leave, I'll just worry that you'll be captured to be used as a hostage to ensure my cooperation, or things like that. I can't risk that."
"All right," Doris said. She knew when to argue with her husband, and when not to. This was one of the latter. "I'll head over to Lucy's house in France. Nobody will expect me to go there, I haven't seen her for a while."
"Perfect. I'll see you once this is over," the Brigadier said. He briefly kissed Doris, and then she headed up to her room.
Heading off to the study and locking the door, the Brigadier opened a drawer in the desk and took out his UNIT outfit and his gun.
"Time to play the hero again," he said grimly.
FEEDBACK: Feel free to give it.
Chapter One
Cortez Away
February 24th 2003
"Honestly," Nina groaned to herself, looking over the papers in front of her. "An entire universe of aliens, and the most exciting thing that's happened to me since joining is that brief problem with the Kraals and that conference, and that doesn't make up for the rest of it..."
Nina Spencer, scientific advisor to UNIT-UK since almost 1999, was bored. Many people, when they first saw her, thought she looked slightly Chinese, but a few more regarded her as looking a little Portuguese. Her hair was long and dark, but was known to look slightly brown if the light hit it the right way, and it had a few streaks of dark red hair in the centre. Her eyes were brown, she had soft moist- looking lips, and, whenever she smiled, or someone looked into her eyes, it often struck an observer that she was incredibly beautiful. Currently, she was wearing a purple silk blouse, dark trousers, black shoes, and her white lab coat was hanging off the back of her chair. She also wore two silver rings, one on each hand. She was almost twenty-five, but felt like she was nearer a hundred, with all the burdens she felt she was dealing with.
So much paperwork, so little time to do it, she'd been late in today after her car ran out of petrol and then got caught in a traffic jam, and to crown it all off, there was nothing interesting to look forward to on the horizon, and almost nothing interesting to reminisce about. The only real bright point in this job had been that UN conference last year, when those Kraals attacked the building. Not only had it been interesting, but it had given her a chance to work beside a living legend at UNIT. UNIT-UK's oldest and most brilliant Scientific Advisor. The Doctor...
Nina smiled a little as she remembered that affair. UNIT had been asked to provide security for a secret conference over that recent difficulty with the Fourth Reich (Fourth Reich? She still couldn't believe that.) and the Doctor had been called in to assist the problem. Nina had been hired to inform the Doctor and his assistant Mel, called to the conference by the equally legendary Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, about what had happened to the Fourth Reich crisis since the Doctor was involved, and give them any help if they needed it. True, Nina reflected, the Doctor could do with a new fashion designer- who created that frock coat of his anyway? Yellow and pink lapels? Yikes!- but Nina still couldn't help feeling proud of working with him. All those threats he'd stopped- Cybermen, Vampires, Zygons, Waro- at times it seemed endless.
And then the Kraals had replaced the delegate from UNIT-SEA with one of their androids. Nina still recalled, vividly, what had happened at the conference, even through it was over a year ago. Those Kraals had almost managed to set up everything so that the UNIT-SEA delegate android would send out weapons that could have annihilated all of UNIT, or at least crippled it. A bit of work on Nina's mobile phone on the part of the Doctor had lead to the android delegate shorting out when the Doctor used the phone to hack into the android's CPU and trick it into accidentally activating the weapons while they were still on board the Kraal ship. He and Mel had than departed, leaving Nina to deal with all the required explanations of what had happened, not to mention all the paperwork required. Still, Nina hadn't really minded that much- the paperwork may have been boring, but it gave her a chance to reorganize herself and get back down to the more typical normality of life after all that. For a while there she'd thought that she was going to die, and she needed something nice and easy to get herself back down to Earth, figuratively speaking. Still, she had to admit, even though it had been dangerous, she'd give anything to have that kind of experience happen to her again.
Can't complain, I suppose, she thought to herself, flipping through some paperwork idly, trying to pass the time. Some soldiers in UNIT spend years on the job and do nothing. Now, what have we got here...? Nina pulled out the next file, and froze the second she saw the heading.
ATTACK OF THE NEDENAH?
Nina stared. Nedenah attacking innocent civilians? The notion was simply ridiculous. She knew all about the Nedenah, her uncle had served in UNIT as a Captain when they found the Nedenah being held in the CIA bunker. They were harmless, a very peaceful race, and she still recalled the description that he gave. He'd never seen them himself, but Brigadier Lethbridge- Stewart had given a good description of them to his troops after the crisis had been dealt with, the way he always did. Her uncle had told it to her with the perfect detail that kept him going in his one-time job as a journalist. These days he spent most of his time in a Buddhist meditation centre. Good old Mike...
...The Nedenah were about your size, maybe a bit bigger or smaller, really hard to say. They had grey, wrinkly skin, large green eyes, and were very slender and hairless, with barrel-like chests, and slightly protruding mouths. A very peaceful race, they provided the key to victory that we needed to save the Earth and outwit the Waro...
Ever since that time, Nina had wanted to join UNIT and meet creatures like those Nedenah. She had sometimes wondered if she would meet the Nedenah themselves, but she'd never imagined the meeting would be like this.
She began to read through the file instantly. She had to know the details.
ATTACK OF THE NEDENAH?
On February 21st, 2003, in between 2010 and 2045 hours, a Nedenah, a race that little is officially known about barring what was told to us by the CIA man known to UNIT only as Control, brutally attacked an innocent civilian while he was out walking around his farm.
The man in question, Mr Paul Edwards Fink, was out for a walk around his farm. He had finished milking the cows, and his wife, Anne, had rounded up all the sheep and the pigs. Anne had gone to bed at 2000, having finished everything, but Paul felt that he should take a look around just to make sure everything was taken care of. Anne looked out of her window at 2010 and saw him walking towards the barn, presumably to look over the cows.
After 15 minutes, Paul still had not returned from his walk, and Anne decided that she'd have to go and look for him. She went out the door after taking five minutes to change, and eventually located her husband behind the pigsty. Standing over him was am alien that, from the description given to us, we are certain was a Nedenah. It was standing over Paul, who was missing his left arm from below the elbow and whose right leg from below the knee was horribly ripped. From the description given to us, it appears that the Nedenah was holding an energy sword while it stood over Paul's body, a weapon they have been known on occasion to wield. However, the sword appeared to have run out of power when Anne arrived, given that it was only the hilt to be seen, and not the blade itself. Realizing that it was defenceless when facing her, the Nedenah ran off to a nearby pigsty. Ann tried to chase after it, but when she arrived at the sty the Nedenah had dived into a Police Box, the kind used as a disguise for the ship belonging to the rogue Time Lord acquainted with UNIT, known only as 'The Doctor.' No sooner had the Nedenah gotten into the Police Box, then it disappeared.
Shaken, frightened, and concerned for her husband's life, Anne ran back to her house and called the ambulance and the police, who diverted their call to UNIT after hearing her story. She then gave us these details, and we intend to act on them accordingly to protect the public from any danger. This state of affairs shall not be allowed to continue. From this point on, UNIT operatives are authorised to shoot on sight at any sign of the Doctor, whichever version of him it is.
Nina stared at the report in her hands.
"I don't believe it..." she said, in a very shocked-sounding voice. Which she was, come to think of it. None of the information in the report made sense, from where they claimed that the Nedenah were well known for using energy swords. They'd never used any kind of hand-held weapons, not even to try and defend themselves from attackers. And the part about the Doctor helping attacking aliens was even more absurd! He simply didn't do that sort of thing! And besides, actually assuming more of this sort of thing was going to happen again after only one time was just too paranoid for UNIT. What was going on with this thing?
Nina stood up, brushing down her purple blouse and white lab coat. She had to give her boss a piece of her mind about letting this file even get written in the first place. I mean, all those inaccuracies! she thought to herself
Nina walked out of the lab door and turned right, heading directly towards her commander's office. Brigadier Winifred Bambera had been in the job for some time now, and Nina knew she could be relied upon to believe her story.
And get whoever wrote that report fired on the spot, Nina thought to herself. I mean, anyone who goes around claiming that the Nedenah use energy swords shouldn't be in UNIT in the first place, if they've never even looked at the data on the Waro invasion!
Arriving at the door, Nina opened the door. "Sorry to burst in on you like this, Brigadier, but-" she began, and then suddenly stopping in mid- sentence.
Because the person behind the desk was not the familiar form of Brigadier Bambera, dressed in her usual khaki military outfit. Instead it was a man with blond hair and brown eyes, with a deep tan and wearing a business suit. That was the main thing that informed Nina something was wrong- UNIT commanders traditionally always wore a fighting uniform in case of a crisis. Even before he opened his mouth, Nina guessed that this man would be the kind of person who sent others to do his work for him while he did nothing at all.
"Ah, Miss Spencer, " the man said, smiling at her in a way that gave Nina the unnerving impression that he was about to bite her neck. "I gather, from the way you charged into my office and started apologising to Miss Bambera, that you are unaware of the present situation here at UNIT?"
"Situation?" Nina asked. "What situation? I was late in today, and, well..."
"Ah, I see," the man smiled. "You missed the announcement then. Let me introduce myself- I am Colonel James Disch, currently serving as temporary commander of UNIT-UK."
"Temporary? What was wrong with the permanent one, and how temporary is temporary?" Nina asked.
"Until the end of the recent alien crisis," Disch replied, giving Nina that same unnerving smile again.
"Crisis? You mean that situation with the Nedenah?" Nina asked. "Talking of which, about that file on the situation-"
"Inaccurate?" Disch asked politely. "We thought it would be. That's why we didn't bother replacing you- you do know the most about the threats faced by UNIT over the years, after all. I've always found it's the Scientific Advisors that have access to that sort of information-"
"Wait a minute, did you say replaced?" Nina asked, interrupting. Disch looked at Nina with a hard glare in his eyes, but compared to his smile it was like a calm breeze in the air.
"Yes, Miss Spencer. The Cortez Project runs things at UNIT HQ now," Disch replied.
"Really?" Nina said, as she rapidly wracked her brains for any reference to the Cortez Project.
Then it occurred to her. A file, telling of an incident that UNIT- SEA had dealt with in Hong Kong, two years before she officially joined UNIT. Dealt with by the Doctor and his old friend Sarah Jane Smith, the Cortez Project was a branch of UNIT that operated within UNIT without the knowledge of the main council. Their view on protecting the Earth was simply 'If it's alien, kill it,' even if the aliens were on Earth by accident and only wanted to leave.
Nina hated that kind of people.
Trying to remain casual, Nina replied, as casually as possible, "So, you're in charge, huh? Can I ask why?"
"The Nedenah, Miss Spencer," Disch replied simply.
"What has that got to do with anything?" Nina asked.
"They were thought to be peaceful, and now look at that recent occurrence- a man has lost his livelihood because of them," Disch explained, scratching the back of his neck in a casual way. "Some people think it's only a temporary thing, or only limited to a few Nedenah. Still, those in the Cortez Project believe otherwise- that finally, proof of the benefits of the Cortez Factor has been obtained. As a result, our head has taken command of UNIT. The Project has been dispatched to all UNIT facilities, replacing the main command personnel for the duration of this emergency. Harper's holding a party in a few days to explain the crisis to those lower personnel, from the original command," Disch said, suddenly opening a desk drawer and passing a piece of paper to Nina. "There's your invitation, by the way. Feel free to bring a few friends, but you'll have to leave them in the main hall while we fill you and your friends in on the new command."
"My invitation?" Nina asked, looking at it. It had gold writing on it with a silver surrounding, which Nina supposed was to try and make her think they meant well, given that there were a few fancy gold designs on it. However, Nina didn't buy that for a second.
"What makes you think I'm interested in becoming a full-time member of your little group?" Nina asked.
"Why wouldn't you be?" Disch asked, sitting up and looking at her. "You're dedicated to protecting Earth. You've proved on several occasions that you're very resourceful. Besides, you've read the file- so far, you're the only non- Project member to have seen that."
"Really?" Nina said. At the same time, she was flashing through her options in her mind. If she claimed that she would only get involved with the Cortez Project when it stopped being so damn paranoid about everything and actually found out what the aliens they were trying to kill were here to do, she'd have the life expectancy of a Cyberman in Fort Knox. On the other hand, if she accepted, she'd get an inside look at the Project, and manage to report it eventually. "Well, in that case," she said, having managed to reach her decision, "I'd be delighted to accept this invitation."
"Excellent," Disch smiled. Nina wondered what he meant by that 'excellent.' "Well, the date's on the invitation. I'll see you tomorrow at work."
"All right," Nina smiled. Turning away from him, she left the room, shutting the door. She maintained a cool, calm composure right up until she reached her lab. Then, after shutting the door, she finally let rip.
"Those xenophobic JERKS!" she yelled, throwing the invitation onto the floor. "What gives them the bloody RIGHT to just TAKE OVER?! We're doing FINE!!"
Nina almost tore the invitation in two in her anger, but even in her current temper, she knew that doing that would instantly ruin her attempt to infiltrate the Project.
"OK then, Nina," she said to herself, putting the invitation down onto her desk. "Breathe. Be calm, be calm, be calm."
She sat down in her chair, and began to think. What were her options now, with the current situation?
Of course, they were obvious. Nina would have to try and find someone who would believe her story, and would be as opposed to the Project as she was. Now, who fit those requirements?
UNIT command was out of the question, obviously. If the Cortez Project had taken over back at Geneva, then most likely they'd replaced several key figures in the command structure with their own personnel. Her chances of getting any help from other soldiers were slim as well- some of them may have remained in UNIT because they wanted to attempt the strategy she was trying, but how would she know which ones those were?
No, as far as Nina could see, there was only one person who could help her now. Reaching for her mobile phone, she dialled a number known to all UNIT- UK personnel.
"Hello?" a female voice said, on the other end of the phone.
"Who's that?" Nina asked, just to make sure.
"Doris Lethbridge- Stewart. This is?" the voice said. Nina grinned.
"Nina Spencer, UNIT Scientific Advisor. I need to talk to your husband, Mrs Lethbridge- Stewart," she said.
"I'm afraid Alistair isn't really available now, Mrs Spencer-"Doris began.
"Just Miss, Mrs Lethbridge- Stewart," Nina said. "I wouldn't call him if I had any other choice, I know he values his privacy, but this is important. Something is rotten at the very heart of UNIT!"
"Ah," Doris said. "Well, I'll see if I can get him. Please hold, Miss Spencer." "Of course," Nina said. As she waited, she heard a few brief strains of the conversation over the phone line; "...call later...heart of UNIT...someone else...is important..."
Just then, someone else finally picked up the phone. "Lethbridge- Stewart speaking, Miss Spencer. Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't we met before?"
"Yes, Brigadier, that's right," Nina said, relieved he'd taken the call. "We met briefly during that affair with the Fourth Reich aftermath conference, when you called the Doctor. Anyway, the important thing is, I need your help."
*****
"I gathered that from what my wife told me," the Brigadier said from the other end of the phone. He'd officially retired from UNIT in 1976, on the hypnotic suggestion of the Seventh Doctor, although he didn't know it, but still got involved in UNIT at times, and had rejoined UNIT in an advisory capacity six years ago.
"Yes, well, shall I start from the beginning?" Nina asked from the other end of the phone.
"Oh, of course, absolutely," the Brigadier smiled.
Nina explained the situation to him as fast as she could. After it was over, the Brigadier just stared at the receiver with a dazed look on his face.
"Say that again?" he asked.
"The Cortez Project has taken-" Nina began.
"All right, all right, no need for that," the Brigadier said. "I heard you the first time, I just couldn't quite believe it."
"Well, that I can understand," Nina said. "I can't believe it myself, and I've seen the situation down here. So, will you help?"
"Of course," the Brigadier said. "I've just got some loose ends to tie up here, and then I'll be right with you. McGregor's Tavern at four all right with you?"
"Fine. I'll be there," Nina said, sounding relieved at the confirmation.
Terminating the call, he went back to the kitchen, where Doris was waiting.
"Well, what was that about?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Emergency, dear. I have to help Miss Spencer handle it. It could be dangerous, so I need you to go off for a bit," the Brigadier explained.
"Leave? I need to leave for you to handle this? Why? You know I can look after myself," Doris said, looking at her husband.
"I know that, dear, but I have to sure you're safe," the Brigadier explained. "If you don't leave, I'll just worry that you'll be captured to be used as a hostage to ensure my cooperation, or things like that. I can't risk that."
"All right," Doris said. She knew when to argue with her husband, and when not to. This was one of the latter. "I'll head over to Lucy's house in France. Nobody will expect me to go there, I haven't seen her for a while."
"Perfect. I'll see you once this is over," the Brigadier said. He briefly kissed Doris, and then she headed up to her room.
Heading off to the study and locking the door, the Brigadier opened a drawer in the desk and took out his UNIT outfit and his gun.
"Time to play the hero again," he said grimly.
