Hurrying over, Lesterson beamed at the Doctor. 'You can see why I insisted on opening this capsule, Examiner.

That metal could completely revolutionize the construction of starships.'

'You cut this from the capsule, did you?' the Doctor asked.

'Cut it?' Lesterson snorted, good-naturedly. 'I haven't got anything that could cut through that stuff. Lasers just bounce right off it. No, the piece simply dropped off when we were cleaning the thing.'

'Dropped?' the Doctor echoed. It sounded to Ben like he didn't believe the story for some reason.

Not replying directly, Lesterson stressed: 'If that metal is so amazing, imagine what other wonders must lie inside this capsule, Examiner.'

Ben rubbed his chin. 'If you can't cut the metal, how are you going to get in?' he asked.

'Yes,' agreed Hensell, 'I didn't think you could open it, Lesterson.'

'I have a theory,' the scientist said excitedly. He hurried back to the capsule. The others in the room gathered around him. Lesterson showed them a thin line in the metal that had the appearance of a hatch. 'Hermetically sealed,' he explained. Then he tapped a point about halfway up, close to the left edge, and the same spot by the right edge. 'I have a theory that the opening mechanism on the other side of the door is located in one of these two spots.'

The Doctor looked at him with suspicion in his eyes.

'I'd be most interested to know how you arrived at that theory,' he said gently. For a moment, he locked eyes with the scientist. Lesterson looked away first and the Doctor smiled as if he'd won a small war. 'But for now the important thing is to open it up.'

'Open it?' Hensell echoed, as if that were the last thing he was expecting to hear. Ben gave him a thoughtful look.

It was as if he'd been hoping that the Examiner would insist on it staying closed.

'Yes,' the Doctor agreed.

Hensell shrugged. 'Very well,' he agreed.

Lesterson grinned like an idiot. 'That's the first piece of sense I've heard in ages.'

Ben saw the satisfied expression on the Doctor's face.

Something crystallized in the back of his mind. While the others were watching Lesterson work on the laser projector he'd set up by the capsule hatch, Ben plucked at Polly's sleeve and drew her aside.

'd.u.c.h.ess, I think I'm beginning to get his number now.'

'Well?' she prompted, giving the Doctor a thoughtful look. He didn't seem to have noticed them. He was staring hard at Lesterson's triangular sc.r.a.p of metal again.

'Suppose this bloke who's pretending to be the Doctor,'

Ben said conspiratorially, 'just suppose he's here on purpose.'

'Here?' Polly looked around the room. 'Whatever for?'

'To make it possible for that capsule to be opened.' Ben gestured at the artefact. 'The Governor looked like he expected the Examiner to sink the whole thing. Instead, the so-called Doctor wants it opened.'

Polly stared thoughtfully around the group. 'The capsule? You may be right, Ben.'

'Maybe we'd better keep an extra-careful eye on him, then?' Ben suggested, leading her back to the others as Lesterson straightened up and tapped the barrel of the laser projector.

'My theory,' Lesterson explained, 'is that the locking mechanism is light-activated. You'll observe there's no sign of an opening mechanism. But these two patches have a very faint luminescence at night, suggesting a sensitivity.

Now, if I fire a laser beam through the spots, I believe it will spread inside the lock and trigger the mechanism.'

Hensell frowned. Turning to the Doctor, he said: 'I shall have to make this your responsibility.'

'Yes, yes,' the Doctor agreed. Ben could hardly believe his nerve as if he had any right to take such a load! 'Carry on, please,' the Doctor called to Lesterson.

Nodding, Lesterson carefully aimed the barrel at the left-hand side of the probable doorway. Then he triggered the beam. A thin red light hissed out at the hatch.

Touching the metal, it spread in a small glowing web-like pattern, covering a patch of about six-inches across.

Nothing else happened, though.

The Doctor leaned forward slightly, looking rather pleased with himself for some reason. 'Why don't you try the other side?' he suggested gently. 'You may have better luck there.'

Lesterson nodded and then turned the laser on its mounting to point the beam at the other side of the hatch.

Again, the beam danced across the surface of the hatch in a spidery pattern. This time, the whole patch glowed.

With a sigh, the hatch slid open.

Ben held his breath. If there were bugs in there, they might all be dead in seconds. When nothing happened, he pressed forward with the others. Lesterson and the Doctor both moved to the entrance that had been uncovered. They seemed to be almost moving in unison as they stepped into the capsule. Ben peered into the opening.

It was only about four-feet deep. The walls were almost completely smooth. The only blemish inside was a groove of some kind. It was about six-inches long and very thin.

Ben had barely noticed it himself when the Doctor slid in front of it and turned back to face the others. Ben had the distinct impression that this was to make certain n.o.body else saw that ridge.

'Bit disappointing,' Lesterson commented, apparently absorbed in running his hands along the shiny metal surface.

'Not really,' the Doctor said. 'This must just be the entrance bay, mustn't it?'

'I suppose so, yes.'

Hensell snorted. He had a low opinion of the whole matter, obviously. 'This hasn't really got us very far, has it?'

'Getting into the rest of the capsule is going to take time, Governor,' the Doctor replied.

Ben was absolutely convinced that the Doctor was up to something. He was stalling. Well, time to muck up his little game. 'Can't you use that laser thing again?' he asked, gesturing to the projector. 'If that's an entrance, then it stands to reason that there must be an inner door as well, don't it?'

'I'd have to measure it up,' Lesterson said, quickly.

'Find the lock mechanism..' He gestured vaguely. To Ben it seemed that he, too, was stalling for some reason.

'Yes, yes, yes!' the Doctor agreed, a bit too quickly. He and Lesterson were starting to look like a music-hall double act. 'I think we'll leave it for tonight.'

'Leave it?' Hensell asked, aghast. 'What do you mean leave it? leave it? What are we here for if not to open the thing?' What are we here for if not to open the thing?'

The Doctor steepled his fingers and gave Hensell a long stare. 'That is my decision,' he announced, clearly defying Hensell to contradict him. The Governor gave him an annoyed look but said nothing. He wasn't willing to challenge the Examiner's authority quite yet, that much was clear. The Doctor turned back to Lesterson. 'Two hundred years you'd say this has been buried?' he asked.

'At the very least.' Lesterson led the way out of the compartment again. With one accord, everyone moved closer to the doors. Quinn glanced up at the quarantine light that was still flashing redly.

'Can't we cut that thing off?' he asked, gruffly.

Lesterson examined a series of read-outs on his instruments. 'Quite sterile,' he announced. 'No risk of infection at all.'

'Good.' Quinn hit the switch and the light died.

Looking back at the capsule, Lesterson announced: 'There must be something in the inner compartments.

When we get it open, we'll be able to discover where it came from originally.'

'It's nothing to do with this planet, Vulcan?' the Doctor prompted him.

'Oh, nothing.' Lesterson was obviously certain on that point. 'That metal is quite alien to this world.'

'Alien?' The Doctor rubbed his chin as he gazed at the artefact. 'Yes. Very alien' He glanced around as if suddenly aware that all eyes were on him. 'Well, goodnight.' He gave a cheery little wave and bolted out of the door.

Ben and Polly were just as startled by this sudden exit as anyone. They had been shown their rooms by Thane shortly before coming to the laboratory, and that was presumably where the Doctor was heading. Ben grabbed Polly's hand. 'Bet you he's up to something,' he muttered so that the others didn't hear.

'We'd better not let him out of our sight,' Polly agreed.

They dashed after the disappearing figure.

Once the trio had gone, Hensell turned furiously on Lesterson. 'Well, you got your way, Lesterson. Was it really worth sending for this idiotic Examiner?'

The scientist had been packing away the laser projector.

He looked up, puzzled. 'I didn't send for him,' he protested. 'I thought you did' To try and stop me To try and stop me, his accusing glance added.

'Why don't you let me talk to the Examiner, Hensell?'

Quinn asked. He smiled grimly. 'I can find out what he's really here for.'

'No,' the Governor ordered, 'you keep away from him.

Let him concentrate on working with Lesterson here.

We've all got enough work to do without having some amateur critic from Earth interfering with us.'

'But I can ' Quinn protested.

Hensel! cut him off with a slashing motion of his hand.

'You heard me, Quinn.' He favoured the scientist with one of his rare smiles. He looked like a cheap politician attempting to kiss a colicky baby. 'I'm sure you don't mind keeping the Examiner busy, Lesterson. He's on your side, after all.' He nodded in the direction of the capsule. 'I don't really care what you do with him just as long as you keep his nose out of our business.'

'All right,' Lesterson said agreeably.

Hensell indicated with his head for Bragen and Quinn to follow him out. The security guard fell in step behind them, silent as ever. Quinn looked as if he were about to start another barrage, but Hensell fixed him with a glare.

'We'll talk about it tomorrow,' Hensell said.

As they left the laboratory, Lesterson turned back to the capsule. He ran his hand down the smooth metal wall just inside the hatchway. A beatific smile illuminated his face.

Then he patted the artefact and crossed to his bench. The smile evaporated when he glanced down.

The triangular piece of metal was no longer there.

Frantically Lesterson looked around on the bench top, and on the floor. There was no sign of it. Slamming his fist on the table in anger, he thought back.

The last person he remembered seeing with the metal fragment was that meddlesome Examiner.

8.

Nothing Human, No Ben was half-dozing on his bed. It was a knack he'd learned at sea to get some rest without actually falling into a deep sleep. Came in handy on some of the longer night watches. There was a rap on the door connecting with Polly's room and she stuck her head inside.

'Ben!' she hissed.

Blinking, Ben struggled back to alertness. 'What?'

'Quiet!' Polly insisted. 'He's in the corridor. Let's follow him.'

Still foggy from lack of rest, Ben stood up. 'Who is?'

'The Doctor, you clot!' she snapped. 'Come on!'

Fully awake now, Ben let her lead the way into the corridor. Thane had mentioned something about the colony having a similar length day to Earth's, because Vulcan's period of rotation was only an hour or so shorter than Earth's. It must be about midnight, local time, Ben guessed. Everyone else had to be in bed. Sensible people.

Everyone but the Doctor, who was vanishing around the far corner of the corridor, heading back towards the hub.

'He's going towards Lesterson's lab,' Polly whispered.

'Of course he is,' Ben agreed. 'I told you he's after that capsule.' They trailed after him through the deserted city corridors to the science section. The Doctor never looked back, so they didn't have to hide. He seemed intent only on what lay ahead.