Jamie was still trying to grasp the Doctor's words as he suddenly became aware of the Brigadier speaking up now, addressing the Master and Salamander with an unashamedly accusatory tone.
"Do you mean to tell me that even after an entire night working nonstop, you are no closer than where we were yesterday!?" he demanded. "I half-wonder if you're giving a sincere effort!"
"I am certain the Master is," Victoria said. "He already pointed out that his life is in danger, as well."
"Och, that doesnae mean that he's nae holding oot on some idea that could save us!" Jamie said. "Ye're so quick to come t' his defense, aren't ye!?"
"Jamie, I thought we were past all this!" Victoria said. "We all need to work together and trust each other in order to succeed!"
"Work together, aye!" Jamie said, as the Doctor tried, in vain, to calm him down. "But we don' have t' blindly trust those who have stabbed us in the back!"
"And what's your story?" the Brigadier now asked Salamander, turning to him next. "You're the one who built that machine in the first place. Why haven't you come up with anything?"
The former dictator gave him a piercing glare.
"¡Te quedas ahí como un pavo real y demandas respuestas!" he retorted. "I suppose you think you can do better, huh? If you cannot try to help instead of standing there with your gun pointed at us, then keep quiet and let us work!"
Again, the argument broke out even louder, and, again, Zoe had to yell for quiet to get everyone to stop.
"Are we going to stand here and argue for the rest of the 48 hours, or can we at least try to come up with some fresh approaches to our problem!?" she asked, glaring at everyone. Seeing that they had stopped fighting, she calmed down. "Doctor, you've been rather quiet. Is the situation truly beyond hope?"
"Not yet, by any means," the Doctor assured her. "We may have exhausted our current bag of tricks, but we still have two more days with which to find some more tricks to try. And that means that we must continue trying to solve this problem together."
"Si, but some of us here are helping considerably less than others," Salamander pointed out.
It was the Brigadier's turn to give him a glare, but he did have to silently agree that, aside from standing guard, there was little that he, Benton, and Yates were able to do at the moment. But, perhaps, that could change.
"Captain Yates," he said, now turning to his men. "I want you to keep an eye on things here. In the meantime, I intend to return to UNIT Headquarters and return with some of our scientists to see what they can do."
"I have seen your scientists; there is nothing they can do to help us," the Master said, dully, before Yates could reply.
"I'm afraid he's probably right, Brigadier," Zoe admitted. "The programming used here is very advanced. I doubt that any scientist from this time period could make sense out of this coding."
"Oh, very well," the Brigadier sighed. "Am I to presume, then, that chances are highly probable that the worst will happen, and that I should instruct my men to prepare for a mass evacuation of the British populace?"
"Where to?" the Master asked, incredulously. "I am highly curious, Brigadier, as to where you think is the best place to go in the event of an explosion that will have an effect on the entire universe. I do so hate to disillusion you, but there is nothing that you can do for your men or your species."
The Brigadier gave the Master a long stare.
"We shall have to see about that," he declared, at last. "Captain Yates, you are in charge here until I return. Keep me informed of any developments. I'll see to it that you and Benton are provided breakfast and a rest period."
"Yes, Sir," the captain replied. "…What shall I tell the men here, Sir? In regards to the current situation?"
"I shall inform you of what to say once I figure out what to tell the men back at Headquarters."
"Yes, I imagine it must be difficult to find the proper way to inform people to face their deaths with dignity," the Master said.
The Doctor now quipped something at him in Gallifreyan.
"Death is a fate that awaits us all," the Master replied, in English. "Neither you nor I are immune to it."
"Yes, but you, I know, are no seeker of death," the Doctor said. "Now stop with all that taunting; it's not helping things." He turned to the Brigadier. "Take care with that storm; if there's anything you can do, we shall let you know. There is still hope, you know. Don't give up on things just yet."
The Brigadier nodded. Taking one last look at Yates and Benton, he departed the Master's TARDIS.
Zoe sighed.
"Shall we get back to work?" she said.
"You simply must have some breakfast, Zoe," the Doctor said, kindly. "In fact, I think some calories will be good for our mental processing capabilities. Wouldn't you agree, Kosch—Master?"
The Master didn't look amused.
"Er, perhaps not all of us need calories," the Doctor said. "You see, I've had this problem ever since I'd been partially converted into an Androgum. The residual effects have included an increased appetite—"
"I don't need to hear of your escapades; I've heard of them already," the Master interrupted. "And I hope you don't expect me to continue to provide nourishment for you and the humans."
"Ah. Of course," the Doctor said. "Jamie, can you do us a favor and please get some food from UNIT so that we don't have to bother the Master again to get us something? I think that would be best."
"Aye, but will ye be alright withoot me here?" Jamie asked.
"I'll be quite alright," he promised, with a smile. "I am sorry for sending you out in the rain—"
"I've been through worse," Jamie assured him, smiling back. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Jamie gave the Doctor's arm a squeeze before exiting the Master's TARDIS and climbing down the trunk of the TARDIS's tree form. It was as he approached the UNIT vehicle that he heard the Brigadier's voice over the rain, sounding furious.
"Do you mean to tell me that this is the only UNIT vehicle left!?" the Brigadier was demanding. "Where did the other three go?"
"I don't know, Sir," a young corporal replied, nervously standing at attention beside the remaining soldiers. "The other three left just before dawn—something about receiving orders from Captain Yates, Sir. I didn't question them."
"It's impossible for Captain Yates to have given any orders; he was with me, standing guard over Salamander and the Master!" the Brigadier said. "Sergeant Benton can also confirm that!"
Jamie stepped closer, looking around, as though trying to find any clues as to how any orders could have been transmitted, but he wasn't quite sure as to what he was looking for.
The other UNIT soldiers were also at a loss to explain what was going on, and the Brigadier soon calmed down.
"Very well," he said to the soldiers who were present. "I thank you for staying here at your posts, and you are hereby instructed to continue doing so until you hear otherwise—from me."
The soldiers agreed, saluting.
"Brigadier," Jamie said, speaking now.
"Yes, McCrimmon?"
"Do ye suppose the missing soldiers were scared off because they sensed something verra wrong with the storm?"
"I should hope not," the Brigadier said. "And until I find out exactly what happened, I should prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt. More than likely, there was some miscommunication; I'll attempt to decipher what happened when I return to Headquarters. I shall have to take this vehicle, though; I'll have some more sent here, along with more men and provisions."
"Aye, but can I take the food to the others in the TARDIS before ye go?"
"Yes, of course; leave some for the soldiers here and take some for Benton and Yates, too, won't you? I promised them something to eat before this confusion started." He turned to the corporal and the soldier standing beside him. "After you two eat, I'd like you to relieve Benton and Yates for a while; don't trust anything the Master says, and be doubtful of Salamander, as well. Just make sure that neither of them attacks any of the others in that room. Oh, and McCrimmon? Can you do me a favor and explain to Yates about what's been happening here?"
"Aye, I'll try," Jamie said, as he started placing the covered food trays in a small blanket to create a carry-able bundle. "What are ye hoping t' accomplish back at Headquarters?"
"Something," the Brigadier replied. "I can't believe that I have to remain completely useless in this endeavor. There are people in direct danger—my men among them—and I simply cannot be satisfied until I am certain I've done everything in my power to have attempted to help them."
"Aye, I know," Jamie sighed. "I feel rather useless right now, too."
"Hopefully, you and I can both prove to be of some assistance before this is all over," the Brigadier said, as Jamie and the corporal finished up handing out the rations to the present soldiers. "You've got everything?"
"Aye. Ye be careful; I'm sure there'll be some flooding on the roads after all this rain."
"This vehicle should be able to handle it," the Brigadier assured him. "Oh, there's one other thing…"
The Brigadier retrieved a piece of paper and wrote something on it. After signing it, he slid the piece of paper inside a plastic sleeve to protect it from the rain and then handed it to Jamie.
"What's this?" the piper inquired.
"Because you're a civilian, you would be restricted from accessing the UNIT equipment unsupervised, and no one here would have to answer to you," the Brigadier explained. "That paper is a pass that says that I have given you access to anything you or the Doctor would need, as well as given you the authority to question any of the UNIT personnel if need be. I know you'll be fetching food and other items for the others while they work, but I would like you to see if you can help Captain Yates find out about the miscommunications that have been going on. Perhaps that will help you feel like you're able to help with something, rather than just wishing you could."
"Aye, thanks," Jamie said. "And I hope ye find something t' do, too."
The Brigadier thanked him and soon drove off in the UNIT vehicle. Jamie pondered over the pass that the Brigadier had given him, grateful that the Brigadier placed that much trust in him.
Reminding himself that he had to deliver food to the others, Jamie placed the pass in his sporran and carried the bundle of food to the Master's TARDIS, trying a long piece of twine to the bundle and carrying the other end of the twine in his teeth as he climbed up the tree again. Once on the upper branches, Jamie pulled the food up and carried it inside.
"Breakfast!" he announced, with a smile.
"Oh, that's lovely, Jamie," the Doctor said, genuinely grateful as the piper handed the food over to him. "Yes, I believe that this will be exactly what we need. Though I think we ought to eat while we work, don't you agree, Zoe?"
"Yes, it would seem like the most efficient way to handle this," she agreed.
"Just don't get crumbs on my console," the Master ordered, not hungry enough to bother with the food.
Salamander took his food without so much as a word, prompting Jamie to roll his eyes and then hand a tray of food to Victoria, who thanked him.
It was as he handed the food to Benton and Yates that Jamie brought up what the Brigadier had asked him to.
"Ye'll have two people here t' relieve ye for a while," Jamie concluded, after describing the situation as best he could. "We're nae quite sure what caused the confusion, or why they thought ye gave any orders."
"I can't imagine why they would think I gave any orders," Yates agreed, thoroughly baffled.
"Aye, the Brigadier e'en said that ye were here all night and ne'er left," Jamie agreed.
"And there's no word on where I supposedly told them to go?" Yates asked.
Jamie shrugged.
"The Brigadier was thinking after yer replacements get here, I could help ye find oot some things," Jamie said. "If it's alright with the Doctor, I'd like to, since there isnae much I can do here."
Yates nodded.
"I'll admit that the problems here take precedence, but, as you say, there isn't much we can do. Very well; you go see if the Doctor is alright with it, and we'll go ask around after breakfast."
Jamie nodded and wandered back to the Doctor, hoping that he could be of some use.