The final report of what had taken place in the New Forest over the past thirty-six hours would not be completed for at least another seven weeks.
Salvage teams needed to be sent down into the flooded cave to retrieve what remained of the creature's ship. Only then could it and the body of one of the alien's be examined by scores of scientists, officials and experts UNIT would summon so that some sense could be made concerning this deadly race.
Until then, a firsthand account was going to be the only source of any viable information.
Writing it up by hand, Peter Argent had only managed to commit less than half of the operation's summarisation to paper before he finally gave in to the fatigue that had been plaguing him half the night. Falling asleep at this desk, he was snoring softly with his head resting on the crook of his arm, the pen he had been using still sitting between his fingers.
He did not wake even when a small breeze picked up and began to whirl around the tent, disturbing the neatened piles of paperwork Kensington had organised so well.
But it wasn't coming from outside.
The poor weather had finally dispersed and the sun was now managing to penetrate through thinning clouds. Also with the flap covering the doorway of the tent pulled down, the sudden flurry of air shouldn't have been able to make its way in.
Then the wind got stronger as a faint whooshing sound could be heard. Taking over as the gust finally died down, the TARDIS began to materialise.
Only just short enough to fit into the tent, the very top of the light on its roof a few inches away from the canvas roof, the time machine had not made its usual noisy arrival this time. Engines which normally clanked and groaned as though in protest of being used had fallen uncharacteristically quiet as it landed.
The Doctor understood why the moment he stepped out of his ship.
Peter's sleep had not been disturbed by the Time Lord's arrival and the TARDIS had seemed to have sensed the importance of this before coming here.
As he walked over to the desk, the Doctor could see that the lieutenant had scrubbed himself clean and put on a fresh uniform, having not forgotten to wear a jacket this time. But the layers of grime had hidden how tired he was and the hardened look of a seasoned soldier had been washed away along with it.
The formidable wolf was now a slumbering cub.
Carefully sitting himself down opposite him, the Doctor winced as the chair creaked underneath his weight. Still, Peter did not wake up and it was clear that he wasn't going to without further prompt. But before he did that, the Doctor had noticed the unfinished mission report lying tucked beneath Peter's arm. Reaching out for it, he slowly and carefully tried to take it out from under him.
The soldier shuffled in his sleep, allowing the paperwork to come away unhindered.
Pausing for a moment to make sure that he had gotten away with it, the Doctor smiled at him before looking down at what had already been written down. Certain elements had been cleverly worded whilst others had been left out entirely, concealing what Peter had decided UNIT shouldn't know about.
But with the lieutenant sleeping like a log, there wasn't going to be much else added to it anytime soon. Stealing the pen out of his limp hand, the Doctor thought for a moment as he twirled the plastic biro around his fingers. Then, setting down the report in front of him, he began to write.
Ten minutes later and Major Harrison was going to have nothing to complain about as the completed and comprehensive summary of the operation was set down back next to its supposed author.
Now it was time for him to wake up.
Knowing exactly how he was going to achieve this, the Doctor swung his legs up onto the desk just as he had done the previous night. He had deliberately kept on the same pair of trainers he had been wearing in the cave, and the damp and muddied material stunk.
Just a few inches away from Peter's nose, the smell quickly brought him out of his deep slumber.
The Doctor caught sight of a brief flickering of yellow light in his eyes as they fluttered open. The Nimarian groaned and lifted up his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked up and saw the Time Lord sitting opposite him.
"Oh," he winced. "Doctor?"
"You looked worn out." The Doctor told him. "Rough night?"
Peter let out a small laugh.
"Yeah, not exactly a smooth ride." He admitted. "Feet off my desk."
Grinning back as he obeyed the order, the Doctor waited as Peter sat himself up properly in his seat. The soldier's eyes briefly looked over at the TARDIS, the sight of the large blue box didn't seem to be of any surprise to him.
"How's Rose?" He asked. "She seemed pretty tired herself."
"Oh, she's fine." The Time Lord replied, pointing over his shoulder at his ship. "Fast asleep in there."
"Good. I'm glad to hear it."
"What about you, lieutenant? How are you feeling?"
Peter smiled at him and drew in a deep breath.
The mission had been challenging and full of danger, death and destruction. Possessing both physical and mental prowess did not guarantee that such an experience could easily be cast aside. But rigorous training and past experiences went a long way in helping him to do that.
"We got Jane out of there alive and well. There were no fatalities or serious injuries to report." He replied. "Knowing that is good enough for me, Doctor."
"But we never found out where they came from, did we?" The Doctor pointed out. "Giant bats from outer space, from the far future…. You're not disappointed about that?"
"A little, but it wouldn't have helped us in the end. Whatever they were and wherever they came from doesn't matter when they chose to define themselves by hurting and killing innocent people."
The Doctor couldn't argue against this.
Karina, Karugon, Kalagan… Their very existence depended on stealing the lives of others and, rather than finding a peaceful solution in which to do this, they had chosen a bloodied and ruthless path that had ultimately led to their demise.
"You gave them more than enough chances." He replied. "No doubt your report will reflect that. Speaking of which, how's it coming along?"
Peter quickly realised something was amiss and an unconscious touch of his hand told him that his report was no longer where it had been. Looking down and seeing the piece of paper was now sitting just to the left of him, it was immediately clear that there were a lot more lines of writing than he remembered it having.
"Tell me you didn't!?" He growled, picking it up. "Doctor, that is really…. What the hell did you write?"
To his astonishment, Peter saw that the Time Lord had managed to replicate his handwriting perfectly. But as he quickly skimmed through the additions, he also found himself both reassured and impressed by how the latter part of the mission's narrative had been portrayed.
"Satisfied?" The Doctor questioned. "I could always change one or two…"
"No, no it's good," Peter muttered. "Really, it's… perfect. Since when could you write up a military report?"
"You should see the one I came up with for the Battle of Trafalgar."
"Don't tell me, you and Nelson were mates?"
"Well, now that you mention it…"
Shaking his head with disbelief, Peter put the report down and studied the remarkable man he was sitting across from.
"I thought I had you all figured out." He said. "That'll teach me to judge someone from records alone."
"Yes, speaking of which," the Doctor replied. "I've been doing a little reading myself."
He then pulled an A4 sized folder out from the folds of his coat.
Made of thick brown paper, the front cover bore UNIT's winged logo and had TOP SECRET stamped across it in bright scarlet ink. The rank and full name of the individual it concerned was printed neatly on a white label that was stuck down onto the dividing tab.
"You looked at my file?" Peter asked. "Why?"
"It's only fair. You've seen mine."
"True." Peter agreed. "So, did you find anything interesting?"
"Oh, several things." The Time Lord said. "Some of which I already knew, of course."
Aware of what was written down in his file, Peter frowned at him curiously.
"What did you already know?" He asked. "That's just a record of my previous assignments."
The Doctor responded with a faint smile.
He had only needed to read the pages contained within the folder once before he had instantly committed them to memory. But every reread of the information inside his own head had left the Time Lord even more impressed with the man the profile presented.
Stefan hadn't been joking about his friend's multilingual skills.
Peter had been recruited by UNIT aged just eighteen was accepted into Sandhurst only a year later. In the years that followed he had forged a distinguishable career and come across some of the universe's worst inhabitants, including the aliens which had owned the giant stingers.
Austria had been just over eight months ago and it had only strengthened the soldier's reputation as an operative UNIT could rely on time and time again to complete operations many others would not come back from.
The weapons and hand-to-hand combat section hadn't come as a surprise, but the Doctor had pleased to learn that Peter was proficient in several sports and showed more than an above-average aptitude for intelligence work.
Personal details were limited. His home address in Kent was listed, as were the details of his next of kin. David and Elizabeth Johnson were presumably his adoptive parents, but no further information on them had been added.
"Yes, but even if I had gone off this alone…" The Time Lord replied. indicating the file. "I would have already known that you were someone remarkably brave, and smart. You don't hesitate to risk your own life to protect people from things which make nightmares look like a daydream."
Pausing as he leaned back in his chair, the Doctor folded his arms. "Most importantly, Peter." He continued. "You have a good heart."
"That isn't written in my file." Peter countered.
"Doesn't mean it isn't true."
The lieutenant considered this and chose his next words carefully.
"I might not be human, Doctor." He said. "But that doesn't mean I'm inhuman either, despite the temper."
"Yes, well I think some of that today was my fault." The Doctor admitted. "Still, I dare say you more than qualify to step in through that door."
Peter barked out a small laugh as the Doctor once again pointed back over his shoulder at the TARDIS.
"I didn't realise you were hiring?" He asked. "Also, I don't recall applying for it?"
"It's like I said, I only take the best." The Doctor reiterated. "That's you, Peter."
"Sure it's got nothing to do with you obsessing over me going to Valerus?" Peter checked. "A puzzle in need of solving?"
The Doctor smiled at him and shook his head quite adamantly.
"Forget that for now." He said. "I want you to come and see what's out there. Think of it as your next assignment, a consultancy job. You can report to UNIT about what you've seen and learned when you get back. They'll be much better prepared for the future and this file of yours might have a different rank on it soon enough."
Peter looked as though he couldn't decide whether or not the Doctor was being entirely serious.
"I thought you didn't like people with guns?" He pointed out. "Why would you want a soldier travelling with you?"
"I don't like the people who use them." The Doctor corrected. "But you're different. It's the last resort, and I'm not talking about relying on what you are either. Even when pushed to the point where you might pull that trigger, you proved yourself capable of stopping and listening to others and then look for another solution."
"Several grenades for one alien," Peter remarked. "That was a bit excessive, even for me."
"Even so, you know the difference. Besides, you wouldn't be the first from UNIT to come aboard."
"The brigadier, you had quite a few adventures with him. All of which were on Earth, weren't they?"
"Yes, well. I was kind of… grounded." The Time Lord explained. "But please, Peter. Just come for a little while and see it. You won't even be gone ten seconds if you don't want to be, perks of having a time machine."
"Did you say that to Rose before she vanished for a year?" Peter asked. "If I'm even going to consider this, Doctor. You have to remember that I'm not new to the life you represent. I work in it day in and day out, up until now without you being here. I won't be fooled by enticing promises of glamorous space travel and little green men from Mars, I know both don't exist and I have dealt with the dangers of what does and I understand them for what they are."
"Good. So does that mean you're coming?"
Even as he asked one final time, the Doctor couldn't decide what his answer was going to be.
He had done everything possible to persuade Peter that coming with him and Rose in the TARDIS was the best thing for him. Despite Stefan's advice, the main reason couldn't be revealed until they got to Valerus. Regardless of this, however, the Time Lord knew that he wasn't going to regret having the soldier join them. But that wasn't up to him, and it was entirely out of his hands now.
Yes or No. The decision rested with Peter and him alone.
"Damn me for a fool." He breathed. "Fine. You have yourself a deal."
The Doctor could barely believe what he was hearing as the lieutenant held out his hand for him to shake. Taking it enthusiastically, he beamed at the younger man and was unable to hold back both his relief and happiness over his agreement.
"You won't regret it!" He exclaimed. "Oh, just you wait, Peter. Well, why wait? We could -"
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Doctor," Peter told him. "There are details which need to be worked out. Unlike those before me, I can't just up and leave. UNIT need to give it their blessing first of all, and decide how long I'm going to be away for."
"Well, that won't be a problem."
Knowing the Time Lord as he did, Peter only interpreted this one way.
"You've already spoken to them?" He realised. "When… How…?"
But then, as though to answer his question, Peter heard a pair of boots squelching in the mud as someone approached the tent. The footsteps stopped just on the other side of the rolled down flap, which was pushed aside a moment later as Major Harrison stepped inside. Rather sensibly, the officer had changed into combat gear and had put on his red beret, somehow looking even more domineering than he had done before.
He didn't even blink at the sight of the TARDIS as he made his way over to the desk. Standing to attention, Peter didn't need to be told this time why he was here.
"At ease, lieutenant," Harrison said by way of greeting. "I can see that the Doctor couldn't wait to tell you in person?"
"Sir," Peter stated, relaxing his stance. "I wasn't quite -"
"We haven't discussed it completely yet, major." The Doctor intervened, smiling. "But maybe you'd like to explain the finer points of my offer?"
"Very well." The officer agreed. "Argent, I won't beat around the bush. This is highly irregular, and I almost didn't agree to it. But the Doctor has told me of how grateful he is to you and Amell for your work last night. Especially after you saved his and his companion's life."
"Yes, sir." Peter acknowledged. "But for the record, it was an overall team effort."
"Regardless, he's asked to borrow you in an official capacity," Harrison told him. "It's been referred up and a short term, experimental collaboration has been agreed of no more than six months. During this period you will act as our eyes and ears, reporting back intelligence on species and artefacts currently unknown to us upon your return. Additionally, should we require the Doctor's assistance, you will act as a liaison and bring him back to Earth."
"It'll broaden your horizons a bit." The Doctor added. "Might prove useful for your future?"
Peter was beginning to regret agreeing to it so quickly.
"It might." He said. "Major Harrison, sir. When would I be expected to depart?"
Harrison considered this for a moment.
"Yes, I would like you to have at least forty-eight hours to recuperate before you depart. Also, I am aware this is putting you on the spot a little." He said understandingly. "Even amongst our ranks, this is something not to be taken lightly."
"No, sir." Peter agreed. "I'm fully aware of what's expected of me."
His commanding officer nodded approvingly.
"Very good, lieutenant." He told him. "I shall leave you to make arrangements with the Doctor. You'll return to base as scheduled and notify us before you leave in the TARDIS. Your team will be informed of your new assignment and -"
"If that's okay, sir. I'd rather tell them myself."
"Well, then. I dare say, good luck to you, Argent."
"Thank you, sir," Peter replied. "I'll see you on my return."
He then stood to attention and saluted Major Harrison as the senior officer did the same for him. Then, waiting until he had left the tent, Peter turned his attention back to the Doctor and made sure the Time Lord knew exactly how irritated he was.
"What?" The Doctor asked, seeing his scowl. "You wanted to come."
"Yes, but you also presumed that I would." He retaliated. "It was already set in stone even before you came to ask me."
Sitting back down in his chair, Peter considered for a moment before deciding that it wasn't worth the argument. The Doctor liked to show-off and sometimes that meant being more than a few steps ahead of someone.
"Nothing is set in stone, not even time." The Doctor said. "Speaking of which, I suppose you'll be wanting those two days before we go?"
"Yes, I will. In fact, I'm going to extend it by another twenty-four hours. I need time at home, with my parents and Stefan and Emma. They need to know the truth of why I'm going. Call it a condition of me coming."
"Of course." The Doctor agreed. "Just as long as I'm allowed one of my own?"
Peter looked surprised by this and frowned at him.
"I thought you were trying to persuade me to come?" He asked. "But, fair is fair. What do you…"
He suddenly knew what it was without having to be told. This wasn't showing off, it was downright manipulation and somehow Peter couldn't find it within himself to be mad at the Doctor. If anything, he was rather impressed and intrigued by how the Time Lord had managed to bring his argument around full circle.
"Yes, I want you to go to Valerus." The Doctor said, reading his mind. "Just once. When you're ready, that is."
"Only when I am ready." Peter insisted. "No tricks or surprise landings."
"I promise." He agreed. "Also, just one other thing. The gun, that stays behind."
Unsurprisingly, the soldier didn't like the idea of this.
"No, I won't. It's dangerous out there and I'm not going unprotected, Doctor." He affirmed. "Besides, I thought you trusted me with it?"
"Peter, you're a Nimarian wolf who can bite through bone! You don't need it."
"I'll be the judge of that, Doctor. Also, according to you, it's the last resort, isn't it?"
It was a valid point.
The Doctor really didn't like guns. but sometimes there was no getting around people that did use them. Yet Peter wasn't like the others he had met, and he had shown respect in using the weapon, only resorting to firing it when it had been absolutely necessary.
"Okay," he agreed. "But if I say it stays behind on the TARDIS, it stays behind. I don't want some poor caveman discovering firearms ten thousand years too early."
"Yes, because that's a perfectly normal possibility," Peter remarked. "Fine, as per your approval. Anything else?"
"Nope, unless you have anything else?"
"No." The soldier replied. "Three days, Doctor. You have my address in that file, which you will return to UNIT straight away."
"Yes, right." He said, standing up. "Good. I'll see you then."
"You will." Peter agreed. "Now go on, get out of here before I change my mind."
The Doctor smiled as he looked straight into the Nimarian's silver eyes.
"Oh, Peter Alexander Agent. You're not going to regret this."
Peter said nothing as he watched the Time Lord turn on his heel and walk over to the TARDIS. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside and vanished.
A few moments later, Peter was forced to hold down the papers on his desk as a wind kicked up from nowhere.
Having only ever seen the incredible machine in old photographs contained within the notorious Code Nine file, the lieutenant watched in awe as the spaceship began to vanish before his very eyes as its whirring engines powered it back into the depths of time and space.