"I'm sorry, Captain," said the Doctor, "but Padme and I must go immediately."
"What did you land on my ship for if you were only going to leave again?" Archer demanded.
"I can't tell you that." The Doctor reflected that perhaps he owed an apology to Captains Pike, Kirk, Picard, Sisko and Janeway for all the arguments he'd ever had with them over nonintervention.
Archer eyed the TARDIS up and down. "'Police Box'," he read off the time machine's disguised exterior. "What are you, some kind of galactic cop?"
"I can't tell you anything. Please, captain, before it's too late."
"Too late for what? Can't tell me that, right?" Archer got an awkward smile from the Doctor. "Can you tell me how you got onto my ship undetected?"
"Must've been a transporter, captain," said Tucker. "And one a lot farther along than ours."
"I'd really like to find out about your science, Doctor," Archer said. "This is exactly the kind of thing the Enterprise was built to seek out."
The Doctor winced as he said, "My people have a sort of prime directive against such intervention."
"You're kidding," said Archer. "What rubbish." When the Doctor didn't respond he turned back to his people. "Recommendation?" Archer asked the Vulcan woman, T'Pol.
"They appear to be concerned with our own best interests, captain," T'Pol observed. "And certainly if they were malevolent they could do us less harm off the ship than on it. I recommend you allow them to depart."
"Yah." Archer was still frowning at the time travelers, but he nodded. "On your way, Doctor."
"Thank you, captain. It's for the best." The Doctor led Padme to the TARDIS door.
"Right. But if I didn't have this Klingon courier mission on my plate -"
As smoothly as if he'd meant to, the Doctor turned at the TARDIS threshhold and went back to Archer. "Captain, you must allow me to assist you on your mission."
"What?!" Archer exploded. "Now you want to stick your nose in my business? Why?"
"I can't tell you that."