The Numinn Institute Research Laboratories. 22:27h.

Coleen and Jake found the file they were looking for. It contained everything they had suspected and so much more besides. The Numinn Institute was a massive front for illegal research into biological research and other antisocial activities.

Alarm bells rang in the security block, a dozen large burly men and women donned state of the art security armour and loaded their weaponry. D-wing was code five after all.

"Footsteps Jake, lots of them." Coleen started towards the exit. The last thing she saw was a flash of metal and then something hit her hard on the head.

U.N.I.T. Headquarters. 09:18h.

Jo was reading the newspaper in the mess hall while she had her first cup of coffee. She was supposed to have breakfast at seven but she usually had a lie in on Thursdays. Corporal Fallow made sure a cup was waiting for her though. One of the perks of being the Doctor's assistant, she mused. She could forego some of the more militaristic rituals, usually.

"Ah, Miss Grant." Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was standing behind her.

She stood up. "Brigadier."

"You're technically a civilian member of U.N.I.T. Miss Grant but is it too much to expect a little dedication now and again? Perhaps you would like to do a little bit of shopping while the Cybermen invade? Maybe have a light snooze while the Master escapes?"

"I'm sorry Brigadier. I promise to take my responsibilities more seriously." Jo waited until he had left before finishing off her coffee and the horoscopes page.

The Numinn Institute, E. T. Sarm's Office. 10:07h

Elliot Sarm watched the video footage of the two would-be thieves once more. He pulled on his thick Cuban cigar and chuckled. He turned to his security chief and his smile vanished. "They got all the way into D-Wing."

"I'm sorry sir. It won't happen again."

"I know." Sarm pointed a small device at the bumbling fool and activated it. The smile returned to his face. Picking up the telephone he dialled the personnel office. "New vacancy to advertise. Mr Davies has been fired." He pulled the middle desk drawer out and put the doll like corpse in it along with all the others.

The Doctor's Laboratory. 10:15h

Jo followed the Doctor into his lab. She had searched all over the base and had finally found him inside the car pool polishing Bessie. "Where to today, Doctor? Some where far away with lots of adventure and nice people who don't talk about regulations and duty."

"Good heavens, has Lethbridge-Stewart being giving you a talking down? Well nevermind Jo, its the military mind. Everything has to run like clockwork or the whole system comes crashing down."

"I'm sure he takes delight in pulling me up; and after I was up all night on the telephone trying to track down that tie. Did I tell you Lisa Pearson's chipping in on it? Real silk with his old regiment's logo on it. We can cut you in on it to, it's very expensive."

"Yes Jo, put me down for a couple of bars of Herinium. I know I have some in the TARDIS somewhere."

"What's Herinium Doctor?"

"It's one of the rarest trans-uranic elements. Highly unstable, very dangerous and very valuable. I'm not one for money as you know but there are worlds out there which makes human bureaucracy look like simple barter."

The Numinn Institute, E. T. Sarm's Office. 14:07h

"Now Mr. Keown I have a little proposition for you. Last night a couple of would-be thieves broke in. They belong to a small group who are opposed to one or two experiments we have running. Sometimes I wonder about people who don't wish for progress." Sarm took another long suck on his cigar. "Now I did a little digging and I found that an old friend of mine is a member. Josephine Grant. Here's where she works, she lives in the barracks on site so that will help you. Once the mission is complete, leave this message, listen very carefully to me..."

U.N.I.T. Headquarters. 22:35h

Jo yawned. After a late night last night she really could do without an early start tomorrow. Last thing she needed was Grumpy-Features-Stewart giving her another dressing down. "If only they stretched the budget to silk blankets," she said to the ceiling. "I'd be ever so grateful."

There was a sound like a shoe scuffing the floor. Jo jumped out of bed, switched the lights on and kneed the intruder where it hurt him most. Pulling her dressing gown on over her nightie she unlocked the door and shouted for the military police.

Ten seconds later two female MP's bustled the stranger off to the cells.

Caroline Bell, Jo's room-mate, managed to get off her nighshift so that she could be with Jo while she was still in shock.

The Numinn Institute, E. T. Sarm's Office. 00:07h

"That bungling imbecile. I'll have him fed to a Rectulian Bilebeast alive." Sarm paced around his office. Once more the simplest of tasks were beyond the capabilities of others. Time for him to take a direct hand in the situation. He lifted the desk top up and climbed inside it. There was a brief grinding sound and the desk faded out of the space/time continuum.

U.N.I.T. Headquarters. 01:02h

No one noticed the extra door appear on the wall. Anyone who did see it would just see it as another room. Elliot Sarm opened the door and closed it behind him. He was dressed in a plain black suit, with an expensive white silk shirt and cufflinks that had rare gems not found on Earth on the tips. Calmly he walked past the soldiers. Their minds were weak and feeble, a stare was all it took.

There was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Caroline Bell asked.

"I'm an old friend of Miss Grant's. I just heard what happened and I'd like to make sure for myself she's unharmed."

The door unlocked and Sarm went inside.

Jo was sleepy but she snapped back into wakefulness when she saw the Master. "You!"

"Yes, Miss Grant. May I say how delightful you look after such an unpleasant ordeal."

"What do you want? You're not going to kill the Doctor are you?"

"I merely wished to see how you are. It's so hard to get good staff. As for the Doctor, well I have all the time in the world. Somethings are best with a little anticipation don't you think?"

"It was you, you tried to kill me."

"Guilty as charged I'm afraid. You see two of your old friends broke into one of my concerns and almost stole a lot of very valuable research I'm doing for your government. I had to liquidate them unfortunately. Not my rules of course but I did so enjoy carrying them out. I did think about completing the job myself but It's really beneath someone like myself killing a mere child."

"You'd better go then."

"Please give this to your attacker. I promise it will eliminate him slowly and painfully." The Master handed Jo a small box. "I'd better be going, the security sweep passes this way in three minutes. Goodnight."

U.N.I.T. Headquarters. 07:35h

Jo had forgone breakfast and she went straight into the Doctor's lab. "Doctor? Are you in here?"

The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS carrying a large bowl of Mercury. "Can you believe I blew every single control link? I believe you had a bit of excitement last night."

"Yes, two men in my room in one night. Word does get round fast. The Master gave me this." She showed the box to the Doctor. "I think he wants me to kill the man who attacked me."

"Are you going to? After all he was going to kill you."

"No. I resent that implication. I'm not the kind of cold-blooded killer who preys on the weak and helpless."

"Good for you Jo. I'm glad to see your sense of right and wrong isn't clouded."

"No, Mike and John Benton are taking him up and down some flights of stairs for me."

"Jo, you didn't?"

"Just joking Doctor, although he deserves it. I guess it's just the better angels of my nature. I'll let the Brigadier court martial him instead."

"Come on Jo, how about I take you to the sun kissed shores of Pandetaria for a nice rest. I'll get the deckchairs."