Light Years Ahead prompt 3.3 How do I report this?
How do I report this?... Someone steals your top-secret test vehicle for a joyride while your back is turned.
Harry stood at attention, his eyes focused on a spot on the wall at the back of the Brigadier's office. He made sure not to look at the Brigadier, or Mr Benton, who was stood beside him, doing exactly the same thing.
"Well?" the Brigadier barked. "Would either of you care to tell me what happened?"
Frankly, Harry would rather not, but it wasn't as if he could say that. So instead he stayed silent.
Except that the Brigadier stood right in front of him and looked him in the eye. "Lieutenant?"
Being called by his rank was definitely not a good sign - if he hadn't already been able to work out that the Brigadier was angry with him. Harry envied Benton then, and wished he wasn't the officer of the two of them. "We lost Bessie, sir." Since he didn't know how much the Brigadier knew already, he didn't want to say too much and get the two of them in more trouble than they were already.
"Yes, I know." The Brigadier almost sighed as he spoke. "How did you lose her? It." He frowned.
"It was my fault, sir."
Both Harry and the Brigadier looked over to Benton, who had spoken. Harry shook his head a little, but either his message didn't get through, or Benton ignored it, because he carried on.
"I should have stayed with the car."
"Yes, you should. There's valuable equipment in that car, to say nothing of what the Doctor's done to it. Goodness knows how much alien technology is in it. I dread to think what would have happened if it had got into the hands of the general public."
Harry wasn't sure it would be that bad - most of them would probably assume it was some sort of new technology.
"To say nothing of what might have happened if that joyrider had crashed it. I can't imagine the Doctor being happy about the destruction of his precious car."
"Do you think he's coming back?" Harry asked, forgetting himself for a moment. Granted the Doctor came when he was called. Eventually. But he was always quick to leave again.
"I don't know," the Brigadier replied, his face softening for a just a second, and then he was back to giving them a dressing down. "And I think you two should give it a thorough clean."
Harry tensed. That couldn't be their only punishment.
"Well, go on then." The Brigadier gestured to the door with his swagger stick.
Harry and Benton gave each other a disbelieving look, and then got out of the Brigadier's office before he could change his mind.
They weren't fast enough, though, because before they were out of the door, the Brigadier said, "And I expect a full report from each of you on my desk before you leave."
They both said, "Yes, sir," but Harry sighed inside. He was supposed to be having dinner with Sarah in half an hour and he couldn't see how he could clean a car, write a report and still make it on time.
"That could have been worse," Benton said, as they got away from the Brigadier as fast as they could without running.
"Only because he hasn't seen the report yet," Harry pointed out.
"Is it too late to ask the Doctor to put in for a transfer last week?"
Harry smiled, in spite of himself. "Come on," he said. "We can work out our stories while we clean." He was just glad it had only ended up covered in mud and they'd managed to stop the lad before he set fire to it. It would have taken more than a bucket of soapy water to clean the car after that.
Harry stood at attention, his eyes focused on a spot on the wall at the back of the Brigadier's office. He made sure not to look at the Brigadier, or Mr Benton, who was stood beside him, doing exactly the same thing.
"Well?" the Brigadier barked. "Would either of you care to tell me what happened?"
Frankly, Harry would rather not, but it wasn't as if he could say that. So instead he stayed silent.
Except that the Brigadier stood right in front of him and looked him in the eye. "Lieutenant?"
Being called by his rank was definitely not a good sign - if he hadn't already been able to work out that the Brigadier was angry with him. Harry envied Benton then, and wished he wasn't the officer of the two of them. "We lost Bessie, sir." Since he didn't know how much the Brigadier knew already, he didn't want to say too much and get the two of them in more trouble than they were already.
"Yes, I know." The Brigadier almost sighed as he spoke. "How did you lose her? It." He frowned.
"It was my fault, sir."
Both Harry and the Brigadier looked over to Benton, who had spoken. Harry shook his head a little, but either his message didn't get through, or Benton ignored it, because he carried on.
"I should have stayed with the car."
"Yes, you should. There's valuable equipment in that car, to say nothing of what the Doctor's done to it. Goodness knows how much alien technology is in it. I dread to think what would have happened if it had got into the hands of the general public."
Harry wasn't sure it would be that bad - most of them would probably assume it was some sort of new technology.
"To say nothing of what might have happened if that joyrider had crashed it. I can't imagine the Doctor being happy about the destruction of his precious car."
"Do you think he's coming back?" Harry asked, forgetting himself for a moment. Granted the Doctor came when he was called. Eventually. But he was always quick to leave again.
"I don't know," the Brigadier replied, his face softening for a just a second, and then he was back to giving them a dressing down. "And I think you two should give it a thorough clean."
Harry tensed. That couldn't be their only punishment.
"Well, go on then." The Brigadier gestured to the door with his swagger stick.
Harry and Benton gave each other a disbelieving look, and then got out of the Brigadier's office before he could change his mind.
They weren't fast enough, though, because before they were out of the door, the Brigadier said, "And I expect a full report from each of you on my desk before you leave."
They both said, "Yes, sir," but Harry sighed inside. He was supposed to be having dinner with Sarah in half an hour and he couldn't see how he could clean a car, write a report and still make it on time.
"That could have been worse," Benton said, as they got away from the Brigadier as fast as they could without running.
"Only because he hasn't seen the report yet," Harry pointed out.
"Is it too late to ask the Doctor to put in for a transfer last week?"
Harry smiled, in spite of himself. "Come on," he said. "We can work out our stories while we clean." He was just glad it had only ended up covered in mud and they'd managed to stop the lad before he set fire to it. It would have taken more than a bucket of soapy water to clean the car after that.