She'd taken the hard road, of course.

Stoker could have settled for a comfortable career with the Consortium, but from an early age she had believed in making her own successes. She had firmly rejected the offer of corporate sponsorship during her training, and all the ties that went with it, and cut loose from Earth Central at the earliest opportunity. It had cost her an easy life, for sure, but all she had earned - her ship, her crew, and her reputation as one of the most formidable independent miners in the sector - she had achieved by her own rock-hard work and determination.

So she looked older than she was, she'd got a busted nose and a temper to match, but results were what mattered most to Jyl Stoker and she never compromised.

This moon was her reward, the end of her hard road.

'I a.s.sume congratulations are in order.'

Stoker opened her eyes and found the Doctor sitting down next to her. She stretched like a cat, freeing her shoulder and neck of the binding tension that had been building up over the last few days. 'You're not the least bit bothered about the lex, are you?'

The Doctor shrugged. 'I've never really seen the point of personal wealth. "There is nothing that makes men rich and strong but that which they carry inside of them".'

"'Wealth is of the heart, not of the hand",' responded Stoker, meeting his gaze. 'See, I know John Milton too.'

Ah, but I knew him personally.'

Stoker found herself laughing. 'You're really not not interested in the lex, are you?' interested in the lex, are you?'

'Perhaps I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. Tell me.'

Stoker raised her eyebrows, wondering how to begin.

'lexium is the the find; the rarest, most fashionable commodity an independent mining outfit like this could hope to come across.' the profits from this trip alone could make us all millionaires. Or if not actual millionaires, then pretty d.a.m.n comfortable. For the rest of our lives.' find; the rarest, most fashionable commodity an independent mining outfit like this could hope to come across.' the profits from this trip alone could make us all millionaires. Or if not actual millionaires, then pretty d.a.m.n comfortable. For the rest of our lives.'

'There's good money to be made out of s.p.a.ce mining, then,' remarked Nyssa.

'If you can get to the right place before anyone else, yeah' -'What made you come looking here? Akoshemon is is on the very edge of this galaxy, a long way from anywhere. on the very edge of this galaxy, a long way from anywhere.

Stoker blew out a ring of smoke, wondering how much she should reveal. The trouble was, she couldn't help wanting to trust the Doctor. 'The usual way,' she said eventually, gauging his reaction. 'A tip-off, that the Akoshemon moon could have some lexium, among other things.'

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. 'Black-market information, to which the large mining corporations may not have access.'

Stoker was careful not to confirm or deny the source, but the conclusion was sound. 'It's a race. There's a lot of folks out there looking for a way to get rich quick, and that includes the major operators like IMC and the Consortium. We're just the small guys, the independents. We have to use whatever methods we can to keep ahead. And they use whatever methods they can to do the same. The Consortium has got all the advantages, the best resources and equipment.

Sometimes they even tag onto an independent team and then s.n.a.t.c.h the claim right out from under it.'

'Hence the urgency.'

'It's our only advantage.' because we're small we can move fast. I arranged for my team and survey equipment to be dropped off here by a pa.s.sing hyperspeed freight cruiser, under the cover of an archaeological dig.'

'How will you get back?' asked Nyssa.

'My own ship is due here in two days. Just long enough to complete the survey and lay a claim. The Consortium won't even know we're here.'

A shout of laughter broke out from across the glowing heat generator. They turned to see Bunny Cheung entertaining some of the men by juggling tools and pieces of equipment. With great speed, he was keeping a torch, a bunch of sonic keys and a wrench moving through the air.

Some of the men were starting to clap and stamp their feet, marking time.

'Come on,' said Bunny. 'Throw me something else.'

Someone tossed a can of beer towards him, and with a deft movement he incorporated it into the juggling. 'Easy!

Only four items. Come on!'

Jim Boyd, standing with his arm around Tegan's waist, produced a flick-knife. He sprung the blade, and then threw it over.

Bunny caught it easily by the hilt and it joined the other items in a rapid spin. The men whooped and cheered.

'He's really very good,' said the Doctor, with genuine admiration.

'He's a d.a.m.n show-off,' said Stoker. 'He's always like this when he gets a drink inside him.'

'He's doing all that while inebriated?' asked Nyssa wonderingly.

'D'you think he'd try it sober?'

They watched the various objects whirling through the air, Bunny's hands a blur. The knife blade glinted red every so often in the light of the generator. The clapping had reached a driving crescendo.

'Come on!' challenged Bunny, his eyes never leaving the flashing arc. 'One more!'

'Try this,' called the Doctor. He lobbed a cricket ball over, and Bunny barely faltered.

'Amazing!' said the Doctor. 'Such dexterity!'

'More!' shouted someone. Then it became a chant.

'More! More! More!'

Bunny was grinning, the sweat glistening on his face. His shoulders dipped and swayed as he struggled to keep the objects moving. He was having to throw them a lot higher now to maintain the rhythm, still catching the flick-knife by the handle every time. 'More?'

'More!' everyone yelled.

'Here!' someone threw another can over, but it was empty and Bunny misjudged the weight. The whole act disintegrated with a clatter and a roar of sympathy from the audience. But Bunny simply laughed and bowed theatrically at the waist. Everyone was clapping and cheering.

Everyone except Vega Jaal.

The Doctor noticed him staring into the ruby glow of the heat generator, completely disinterested in the juggling. He didn't-even seem to have noticed it was over. Then the Vegan simply stood up and walked away, towards the back of the cavern.

'Interesting,' said the Doctor.

Nyssa had noticed the alien's strange behaviour too. 'I haven't seen him drinking or laughing or even talking anyone during the party' she told the Doctor.

'I wonder what's on his mind?' Frowning, the Doctor got to his feet and followed Jaal out of the cave as music started up again.

Nyssa watched him go. She wondered if she ought to follow, but something stopped her. Perhaps it was because Jaal had headed towards the darkest part of the cavern, away from the lights and the generator and the people.

And Nyssa really didn't want to go there.

She turned her attention back to the party. Tegan was still dancing with Jim; he was holding her very close, and Nyssa wondered what that must feel like. Sometimes she felt as though there was more to learn about life than could possibly be squeezed into just one lifetime.

She envied the Doctor his seemingly limitless knowledge and experience, and had tried to learn as much from him as she could.

Nyssa's gaze was drawn up to the febrile shadows of the dancers on the rock walls around her The shadows existed on the periphery of vision, almost lost in the gloom. They moved like ghosts, and, detached from the simple joy of the dancers, appeared to writhe in torment.

'Your friend's been watching us,' said Jim.

'The Doctor?' Tegan frowned and glanced across to where she had last seen him sitting, talking to Stoker.

'No, the girl.'

'Nyssa,' Tegan said. The Doctor had disappeared, and Nyssa was staring at the ceiling. 'She looks bored out of her mind. The Doctor's probably been trying to explain cricket to her again.'

'Cricket?'

'It's a sport, on Earth. Or so they say.' A thought struck Tegan. 'Hey, have you ever been to Earth?'

'I'm from Earth!'

'Oh, me too!' And then Tegan was laughing at the absurdity of it all. 'Thanks for a great time. I've enjoyed myself.'

'It doesn't have to end now.'

Tegan looked at him again, properly this time. He was tall and rather thin, with a studious expression. Tegan thought that maybe Nyssa would be more his type.

Academic. But he did seem interested in her, and he was good-looking, in a bookish kind of way.

'What year is this?' she asked.

He laughed nervously. 'What is this, a trick question?

Test my sanity?'

'You must be mad to come to a place like this,' said Tegan.

Jim looked into her eyes. 'I used to think that. Not any more.'

Tegan felt her pulse quickening. She glanced back to where Nyssa was sitting, but she was still watching the ceiling. She was looking pale and frightened again.

'Twenty-three eighty-two,' said Jim.

'What?'

'The year is 2382.You did ask.'

'Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me. I need to see my friend a minute.' Awkwardly Tegan broke away from him, although he wasn't wasn't even touching her now. She gave him a confused even touching her now. She gave him a confused smile, smile, and then left him standing there, sad and bewildered. and then left him standing there, sad and bewildered.

The Doctor caught up with Vega Jaal in one of the tunnels.

Several of the wall-fixed lamps had been deactivated to conserve power, and the shadows were thick. Jaal appeared as a ghostly apparition, arms tightly folded, chest heaving.

'Are you all right?' asked the Doctor.

Jaal didn't seem seem surprised that he had company. 'Do I look all right?' surprised that he had company. 'Do I look all right?'

'Well, er, no. That's why I followed you.

'I knew you would.'

'You did?'

Jaal nodded, 'I can sense these things. I sense that you are a good man, although you are not a human.'