7.
Having found the small sick-room empty and the nurse completely at a loss to explain it, the two uniformed men came into the Doctor's lab so hastily they bumped shoulders getting through the door.
The Doctor was there, but he gave no welcoming greeting. Alistair abruptly stopped, Benton almost colliding with him as he rocked back on his heels. Their advisor was looking not only awake, hale and whole, he was looking at them with narrowed eyes, coming to his feet with one arm protectively around Jo's shoulders, and pointing a small blinking device in their direction with the other.
"What…" the Brigadier started to say just as the device gave a small chime.
The Doctor immediately relaxed, stuffing it back into his pocket. "It's them, Jo. The real ones, I mean."
She responded to this with relief, jumping forward to take the Brigadier's hand and to give Benton a brief one-armed embrace as they both tried to express their confusion. "I'm so glad! Have you caught him yet?"
"Caught him? Caught who?" asked the Brigadier.
"Why, that look-alike thing, the one that was looking like you!"
"What?"
"We've a very serious incursion here on UNIT property, Brigadier," interrupted the Doctor. "And we don't know yet if it's operating alone or if it has help."
"But she said…" started Benton.
"An incursion?" demanded the Brigadier. "When?"
"Yes, it looked like you and it managed to fool us for a few moments. I stepped into the TARDIS to run back the readings I'd gotten earlier on something in the area - to find out what we were dealing with - but it attacked Miss Grant and ran off before I could finish. I think it's wounded."
"Good job, Miss Grant," said the Brigadier.
"Oh no, I didn't hurt it," said Jo. "Except maybe its hand. I did bite, I admit. It was already acting hurt."
Benton's brow furrowed. "On its side?"
"Yes," the Doctor said. "And what's more, it made up some ridiculous story about you shooting it."
They all looked at Benton. He was suddenly smiling. "So it was an alien intruder! I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that I didn't shoot you, Doctor. Really!"
"Shoot me?" the Doctor said.
"It looked like you when I first saw it," he explained. "So after I shot it, we had it brought inside, of course."
"You shot the Doctor?" Jo said in disbelief. "I mean, even if it wasn't…"
"I didn't see the resemblance until I was right up to it," he said, embarrassed.
"Yes, well, we'll iron all that out later," the Brigadier announced. "Doctor! What do can we do to catch this thing, and is it armed?"
"I don't think so. The piece it stole from my lab could be used for communication, but not as a weapon. It's weapon is a talent for apparent similitude."
"A what?"
"Camouflage. It could appear as any one of us and I expect it's probably trying to get back off the property."
"Looked like me, did it?" the Brigadier mused. "How does it know who to look like?"
"Most likely using a minor psychic connection," the Doctor brushed it off. "Picking it up from other people's minds in the nearby area."
"I don't like that," Jo noted uncomfortably.
"Oh, it doesn't hurt."
"That's not what I meant."
Lethbridge-Stewart tapped his heels together. "You know what it is, then?"
The Doctor made an impatient gesture. "Any one of a half-dozen races, I've narrowed it to four. This," and he drew the small object back out of his pocket, "is set to a frequency that tests for variable shape-shifting abilities."
"An alien-detector," the Brigadier said with satisfaction. "What are we waiting for then?" Ignoring the Doctor's annoyance at this over-simplification, he turned to the lab phone and punched in a number. "This is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. No one is to leave this property until further orders. That's right, not even myself. No one. We have an alien incursion. I want all the exits sealed, interior and exterior. The Doctor is helping us track it down. Yes, that's right. All."
--
"Sorry, no passage," the gate-keeper said sternly.
"I'll be coming right back," Yates said. "You need this?" He unfolded his ID and held it up.
"Sorry sir, I meant no one is to leave the premises. Brigadier's orders."
"But this is Miss Grant. You know her. She's been hurt, and she needs to go home!"
"Sorry, sir. Orders are orders. I'm sorry she isn't feeling well, but there's a medic inside if she needs it."
"But…" Yates started, then stopped and blew out his cheeks with annoyance. The gate-keepers expressions were firm and one of them reached for a rifle.
Irritated, Mike set the car into reverse and backed it into an empty parking space. He turned to Jo. "I'm sorry you had to be caught up in this. It probably won't be too long; I mean, last time we had this happen it turned out to be a stray dog. You know how it is."
"But what if it really is an alien this time?" she said. "The Sergeant wasn't acting himself at all. What if it wasn't really him?" She hugged herself and winced. "What if he tries to shoot me again?"
"He won't hurt you again, not as long as I'm here," Mike assured her.
She didn't seem to be listening to him. "I don't want to be caught sitting here in a car," she said suddenly and opened her door, causing Yates to scramble out his own side and come around to help her out. She began nervously walking along the perimeter of the wall, so after a moment's hesitation he walked with her.
--