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Sergeant Benton grabbed his sub-machine gun and helmet and hurried out of the classroom.

Professor Whitaker looked up from the controls of the Timescoop. ‘Everything’s ready.’

Grover looked worried. ‘General Finch should be here.’

‘I hope you don’t propose to wait. The timing is crucial.’

‘He must be in the area,’ said Butler. ‘As long as he’s inside the protective field, he’ll be scooped up with us.’

‘That’s true,’ agreed Grover, and turned to Whitaker. ‘All right, Professor Whitaker. Let us now return to the Golden Age.’

Whitaker put his hand on the lever that would activate the Timescoop and roll back Time. ‘Just think of it, a moment from now I shall have achieved what everyone believed to be impossible.’

‘Indeed so,’ said Grover, glancing at his watch. ‘Would you like to get on with it?’

‘You just don’t want me to have my moment of glory, do you?’ Whitaker pouted. ‘All right, I’ll pull the lever.’

‘ Stop! We shall have no part of this! ’

The trio standing by the Timescoop swung round to see Adam entering the control room. He was followed by Ruth, Mark, Sarah, and a group of people dressed in blue denim tunics. Grover was the first to recover from the shock. He shouted at Whitaker. ‘Go ahead! Do it now!’

The bank manager and Mark pushed past Grover and pulled Whitaker away from the controls.

‘You’ve cheated us,’ Ruth accused. ‘We know all about you.’

Grover looked at the people who were now menacing him. ‘My dear friends, I haven’t cheated anyone. Let me pull that lever and you will have the Golden Age that I promised you.’

‘You’re going to destroy all the civilisations of Humankind,’ said Adam. ‘All the great literature of the ages, every work of art—everything will vanish. Leaving Earth for another planet was one thing, but this is evil.’

‘Civilisation has already destroyed Humanity,’ Grover replied. ‘It’s time to make a fresh start. If we take the Earth back in time, we can guide Humanity along a better path. Just think of it—we can give it a second chance!’

The bank manager moved away from the Timescoop. ‘That’s true, you know. Do we really want to keep the world as it is?’

Grover was grateful for an ally. ‘Now is our chance to build the world anew. Are we to let that opportunity slip through our fingers?’

‘He’s right,’ said Ruth. ‘And why should we lose our chance of personal happiness? This is what we all planned. I say that we complete the plan!’

‘No,’ protested Mark, ‘it’s criminal!’ He turned to face Ruth. ‘The only reason you want to go ahead now is because you can’t stand being made a fool of! You must never be wrong!’ He turned to the remainder of the group. ‘If we allow that lever to be pulled we shall become as evil and self-seeking, as the things we hate in this present world! ‘

‘Quite right,’ said the Doctor as he entered from the corridor that led to the lift shaft. His clothes were dusty after his climb down the rope ladder. ‘None of you will be fit to enter your so-called Golden Age if this is the means you intend to use to get there.’

‘Congratulations, Doctor,’ said Grover. ‘You are in time to be present at the most important moment in the world’s history.’

‘On the contrary,’ said the Doctor. ‘I am in time to prevent a crime.’ He looked over his shoulder. ‘And fortunately I am not alone.’

The Brigadier, Sergeant Benton, and half a dozen UNIT soldiers entered from the corridor, all as dusty as the Doctor from their climb down the lift shaft.

‘No one is to move,’ ordered the Brigadier. He pointed across the control room at Professor Whitaker. ‘Kindly stand away from those controls.’

Grover turned quickly to Whitaker. ‘Go ahead. Now! ’

Whitaker pushed Mark aside, and leapt for the lever that would activate Operation Golden Age. His hands grasped it firmly, and he pulled downwards with all his might.

Slowly the Brigadier, Benton, and the UNIT soldiers began to walk backwards into the corridor. Adam, Ruth, Mark, Sarah, and the group from the space ship went through all their most recent actions in slow-motion