Outside of Paris, a thunderstorm was raging. Loud crashes of thunder were interrupted by brilliant flashes of lightning. Inside a car driving along the back roads, the faces of its passengers were illuminated by one such flash. Peret winced at the glare, and shielded his eyes. Lacey didn't seem to notice.

 "The, ah...,`ambassadors', should be landing soon?", Peret asked.

 They had received notice that the aliens had reached Earth thirty minutes earlier. They were presently on their way to an airfield which, by all accounts, didn't exist. There was no one nearby to question its presence, and only a long barbed wire fence marked its perimeter.

 "In about ten minutes," Lacey said without looking at his watch.

 The two men lapsed into silence again, and their car soon arrived at a nondescript gate. A guard got out of the car, and went to open it. The driver drove the car through the gap, and waited for the guard to close the gate again. The car continued along a pitted track which looked like it hadn't been driven for years.

 Lacey turned to smile at Peret. "Soon, Peret," he said. "Soon we shall meet our destiny."

 Peret shivered, and he was sure it wasn't from the cold.

 The lead alien turned to the others and said, "These appear to be the peripheral parts of the biological weapons system we were informed about." The others nodded in agreement, and the lead alien began to give out orders.

 "You," it said, pointing at one of the other aliens, "inform the other scout ship that at least half the weapons system is in our possession. Tell them to get the information about the location of the central parts. If they are here, then tell them to join us as soon as possible." The second being nodded slightly, and returned to the ship.

 The leader then turned to the other aliens. "Prepare these for examination," it said, gesturing at the villagers. "I will contact the controller of the experiment," it continued, and pulled a communicator seemingly out of nowhere.

 "Oh, come now,...", he began to say before he trailed off, a bemused look appearing on his face. "Excuse me, but in all that's happened, I don't believe I've ever caught your name." "Names are unimportant, Doctor," the Matralan said. "Not important?", the Doctor said, slightly amused. "Of course they're important! If we're going to work together, I'd like us all to be on a friendly, first name basis." He indicated himself and the others. "I'm the Doctor, as you already know. This is Leela, and that is Rakshan." He stared intently at the Matralan. "So what's your name?"

 The Matralan still seemed unwilling to say it, but then Rakshan suddenly spoke up. "It's name," Rakshan said, bitterness evident in its voice, "I believe, is Z'viska'hl." The Matralan's mount began to sway slightly. A sure sign that Z'viska'hl is nervous, thought the Doctor.

 "How...?", the Matralan said, its voice getting shakier, less sure of itself.

 "Did you think we would not find out who was responsible for stealing our own?", Rakshan asked, still cradling its damaged weapon.

 "Well, Z'viska'hl," the Doctor said, holding out his hand, "why don't you give me that beam emitter, hmm?"

 "No, Doctor!", Z'viska'hl said, trying to put more bravado back into its voice. "I intend to get that weapon back, and I need your help. And if I have to kill this Ajare to get it, then I will."

 "And what if you need Rakshan's help? Would you kill me to get it?", the Doctor asked.

 The Matralan thought for a moment. "No, because I don't need the help of Ajare!", it said, and tightened its grip on the emitter.

 Before the Doctor could do anything, the communications console began to broadcast a message. "We," a voice said, "are here to collect the biological weapons system constructed for our people. *Now*."

 Rakshan's skin went a darker red, and it stared even harder at Z'viska'hl. "Constructed FOR them?", it said, and Rakshan pulled itself up to its full height. "You may very well kill me with that emitter, Z'viska'hl. But I promise I shall take you with me." It took out the rod it had pocketed earlier. "I have here a device capable of obliterating you, me, the Doctor, your employers, and the surrounding area!"

 Z'viska'hl's mount really began to tremble. It's panicking, the Doctor thought. "You wouldn't really do that," Z'viska'hl said. "You wouldn't kill the Doctor, too."

 Rakshan's voice kept its hard edge. "I could care less if the Doctor dies, Z'viska'hl. He can tell you that I've threatened to kill him myself on several occasions. I also want this abominable infestation wiped out. So you tell me, Matralan. Wouldn't I destroy us all?"

 Leela whispered to the Doctor, "Does it speak the truth?" The Doctor shrugged. "Maybe," he whispered back," maybe not. But look at the effect Rakshan's having on Z'viska'hl. It's teetering on the brink. I think it's about time to push it over the edge," he said. He turned back to face the Matralan.

 "You know, Z'viska'hl, I'm noticing that you seem to have two sets of choices," the Doctor said, putting on his most disarming smile. "You can either give me the emitter and help, or get blasted by Rakshan. Or," he continued, "you could kill all three of us, and then go up and explain to your nice friends that the experimental weapon got away from you." He slapped Rakshan's shoulder, who flinched at the contact. "I'm sure they'd be very understanding, don't you, Rakshan?"

 Rakshan never said a word, or took its eyes off Z'viska'hl. That seemed to convince the Matralan more than the Doctor's words. The Doctor stepped forward again with his hand out, and the Matralan gave the emitter to him, almost dropping it because its tentacles were shaking.

 "I'm glad you're finally seeing sense, Z'viska'hl," the Doctor said. He then turned to look at Rakshan. "What about you, Rakshan? They," he said, pointing above his head, "aren't here to solve your problem. They are here to take possession of the weapon. That leaves you with an interesting dilemma as well, I think. You could try and do it all yourself, end up killing us all and still be unsure whether your sacrifice was worth it."

 The Doctor then stepped closer to Rakshan. "On the other hand, you could trust me to help sort this mess out, while I keep the Earth from being obliterated. What's it to be, Rakshan?", he asked.

 Rakshan again looked unsure. This was supposed to have been a simple sterilization and arrest mission, but it had gotten much, much worse. Are the Matralan and the Time Lord working together? Part of its mind wanted to believe that they were. It wanted to desperately believe that the Ajare were alone against the Universe, that no one was willing to help them. It thought a while longer, looking at the damaged weapon in its hands. The weapon lay there, not responding to Rakshan's thoughts. The Doctor's companion was responsible for the damage, of that there was little doubt. But should I blame the Doctor, when it was likely the result of the savage nature of human beings, it asked itself. Finally, after several minutes of hard thought, Rakshan looked directly at the Doctor.

 "I think, Doctor," it said, "that humanity might be better off destroyed, if they are capable of savage acts of violence such as what your companion did to my weapon."

 The Doctor stuck his hands in his pockets. "You may very well think that, Rakshan, but I know that humanity has the potential to grow beyond that nature. And I also know that I won't let you or anyone destroy that potential. I'm willing to help you, but only if you agree that humanity shouldn't suffer for the crimes of others."

 Rakshan thought for several more minutes. Finally it said, "Alright, Doctor. My chief goal is the destruction of this weapon. I'll work with you. For now."

 The Doctor beamed his smile again. "I'm glad everyone is finally in agreement," he said. He began pacing. "Now, we need a plan."

 "They are five minutes late, Monsieur Lacey," he said.

 Lacey just smiled and lit a cigarette. "They'll be here." He tapped it against the side of the table, letting the ashes drop onto the ground. You know what your problem is, Peret?"

 Peret inwardly sighed. "Non, Monsieur Lacey. What is my problem?"

 "Your problem is you don't know how to relax. They've come halfway across the galaxy to Earth, and you're worried about them being five minutes late. You should be revelling in the fact that we are the first humans these beings will have ever seen."

 Before Peret could say anything in response, Lacey angled his head slightly, and he raced to the window. At first Peret heard nothing other than the crash of thunder, but then he heard a sound different from any that he ever heard before. He joined Lacey at the window, and he couldn't help and be awed by the sight before him. A silver craft appeared, illuminated by a lightning strike, and Lacey motioned for the hangar doors to be opened. Peret watched as the craft came through the rain and, after an initial hesitation, it proceeded into the hangar.

 Lacey smiled at Peret. "You see? I told you they'd be here," he said, and he walked over to the now landed craft. A ramp extended from a door which appeared in the ship, and Lacey eagerly waited at its base. Peret held back, preferring to keep his distance for the time being. After a few moments, the aliens stepped out from the ship's hatch onto the ramp. There were five of them, and they all surveyed the interior of the hangar. One of them walked down the ramp towards Lacey.

 At last my life will have meaning, Lacey thought as he stared in amazement at the bizarre looking alien in front of him. He cleared his throat. "I am Deuan Lacey, and it is my privilege to welcome you to Earth. On behalf of humanity, I...," he attempted to continue, but the alien cut him off.

 "You are the creatures which allowed the Matralan to conduct its experiments on this planet?", it asked.

 Lacey nodded, slightly annoyed at being cut off. The alien resumed talking.

 "Is the organic weapons system here?", it asked.

 Lacey shook his head. "No. The weapons system is presently still at the testing site," he said. He wasn't about to admit that he didn't know if the weapon was even operational.

 The leader turned to one of the other aliens, and motioned for it to re-enter the ship. It then turned back to Lacey.

 "You have none of the system components here?", it asked again. Again Lacey shook his head no. The second alien came back out of the ship, and the leader looked back to get a confirmation. The second alien nodded. The leader then turned and began to head back into the ship. Lacey could not believe his eyes. They came all this way, and now they're leaving?

 "Where are you going?", he asked, following the leader up the ramp. The leader ignored him. "Don't go! We had an agreement!", he said, and he reached out to grab the alien leader. The response was immediate. One of the other aliens pulled a gun out of nowhere, and fired a blast at Lacey's chest. He flew back halfway across the hangar, a look of surprise permanently frozen on his face. The other men in the hangar began to run for cover, but the aliens continued firing. Their aim was eerily accurate, and soon the screams of the men faded into deathly silence. The aliens then re-entered the ship, and the ramp slowly began to retract. The ship almost immediately began to take off. Soon, the craft pulled out of the hangar, and back out into the storm.

 Shortly after the ship left, a shadow fell across the dead face of Lacey. Peret stood over the former head of the project, a smirk on his face. Peret took pride in his ability to sense potential danger. One very rarely survived life in the Shadow Directory without it.

 "Au revoir, Monsieur Lacey," he said. "You should have all the time now to relax." He lit his own cigarette, and looked around. With Lacey dead, the project was finished. Almost finished, Peret corrected himself. Now all that remains is to clean up, he thought, a task which he looked forward to. He headed for the nearest door, and disappeared into the rain.

 "I believe so, Doctor," Z'viska'hl said. "Why?", it asked.

 "To cure the villagers of the Ajare infection," he said. "It cured Leela, didn't it?", he said, not expecting an answer. "Of course, the radiation output would have to be significantly higher, since the villagers are further along in the infection." The Doctor then turned to look at the Z'viska'hl's mounts. "These creatures are fascinating. Are they intelligent?", he asked.

 "Semi-intelligent," the Matralan said with just a hint of pride. "They can obey simple instructions."

 "Perfect!", the Doctor said. "Can they distinguish between different species?"

 "Of course. Provided I download sufficient information about the species into them."

 "Download all the information you have on humans into them," the Doctor said, "which I've heard must be quite a lot. Then equip them with the beam emitters."

 The Matralan's voice now seemed to take on a puzzled tone. "What do you need them for?", it asked.

 "I think the best approach to the problem is a two-fold one," the Doctor said. "Your weapons system was an impressive piece of engineering, Z'viska'hl, but it has an inherent flaw."

 "Flaw!?", Z'viska'hl said. "What flaw?"

 Before the Doctor could answer, Rakshan spoke up.

 "Together, the weapon is powerful. On an individual basis, however, both components are vulnerable to radiation," Rakshan said, and the look on the Doctor's face told Rakshan that it was on the right track. "The Doctor intends to use your mounts, Z'viska'hl, to cure the infected villagers," it said, a look of satisfaction on its face.

 "Right," the Doctor said. "And I shall take care of the Primus."

 "I would like to go with you, Doctor," Rakshan said. "I want to see that thing destroyed myself." The Doctor nodded. "I'll be glad for the help," he said.

 "And what shall I be doing while you're risking your necks in this suicidal effort?", Z'viska'hl asked. The Doctor smiled.

 "You're going to be keeping our friends upstairs busy," the Doctor said, and he tossed the rod that Rakshan had been using to Leela, who quickly caught it. "And Leela shall be keeping an eye on you, so you don't try anything."

 Leela smiled her most evil-looking smile, and the Matralan, despite the apparent lack of a throat, gulped.

 She came close to running into one of the aliens, but she kept herself silent and still. The alien then began to move on, when all of a sudden, the rod Leela was holding began to beep. The alien stopped, and immediately turned around. Leela looked up to see the alien looking right back at her. The time for stealth is over, she thought to herself, and so she stood up.

 The alien watched her for a moment, then pulled out its gun and aimed it directly at her. "You do not fit the schematics for the weapons system," it said. Leela did not fully understand what it meant, but she knew it was not good. It continued speaking.

 "If you do not fit the schematics, you are unnecessary. Therefore, it is necessary to remove you," it concluded, and prepared to fire.

 "Now if I were a Primus, where would I be?", the Doctor asked. Before Rakshan could answer, a voice came from behind them.

 "I'm afraid the Primus isn't available just yet," it said. They turned around. An orangutan was speaking to them.

 "How wonderfully surreal," the Doctor said to no one in particular. "Well, could you tell us where the Primus is, then?", he asked.

 The orangutan seemed to sneer at them. "The Primus will soon be dead, and you will be there to greet it!", it said. "Kill the intruders!", it continued, and pointed at the Doctor and Rakshan.

 "I don't like this," the Doctor said, as a creature moved rapidly towards them out of the dark recesses of the cellar....

 To be continued....