CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

POWER PLAY

Turlough’s mouth dropped open. “What?” he gasped, certain he had just gone mad. “You’re just going to march out there with no plan at all?”

“I’m taking a page from the Doctor’s book and improvising,” Jason replied calmly. “I just have to keep its attention until Dorian and the Major can get the Doctor safely back to the TARDIS.”

“Jason, that’s suicide!”

“I’m rather hoping it won’t get that far.”

“Jason!”

“Turlough, ” Jason snapped, “the Doctor is more important than I am.”

“I doubt he would agree,” the Major said sharply. “Everyone in this room owes you their lives at least twice over, myself included.”

“And everyone on your planet owes the Doctor their lives several times over,” Jason retorted. “Believe me, Major, the Doctor is far more important than I am. That’s why we have got to get him out of there.”

Before anyone could object further, Jason pulled the door lever and strode out the exterior doors.

* * *

Jason expected someone to sense his presence the instant he exited the TARDIS. To his surprise, the alien continued to work at the equipment, its back towards him, and the slug seemed oblivious. He drew a deep breath, throwing a quick glance in the Doctor’s direction.

The only thing that moved were the Time Lord’s eyes. Obviously, he was aware of the Alterran’s presence. The rest of his body, however, was either completely paralyzed by the equipment, or too weak to move.

Jason could feel his anger rising, but unlike the hundreds of other times when this happened, he did not attempt to control it. If he allowed himself to lose his temper, his energy level would soar. Perhaps it would cause his psychic energy level to rise to a point that the creature finally became aware of him. He moved slowly forward, making certain to stay slightly to one side so the Major would have a clear shot when he came out.

The alien finally turned to face him. “Well, if it isn’t the Prince come to save his friend,” he sneered. “What are you going to threaten me with this time?”

“Only myself.” Jason carelessly tossed the pocket dimension at the Doctor’s feet. The security grid came to life, triggering a cacophony of alarms. “Oops.”

The creature gave a low growl.

“Perhaps I should threaten you with…annihilation. How’s that sound?” Jason replied coldly.

The creature gave him a quizzical look before it burst out laughing. Then it turned to silence the alarms, oblivious to the threat the Alterran posed.

Good, you keep thinking I’m nobody important, Jason thought before calling out, “Major!”

Klaus was out of the TARDIS the instant the Alterran called, gun in hand. He crossed to stand in front of the Doctor and leveled his weapon at the computer. He heard the alien snarl a split second before he realized that he could not move.

Jason waited for the weapon to explode behind him and finally looked back at the officer in disbelief. Surely, he’s not having second thoughts? “Major, fire!”

Klaus had to force the words from his mouth. “I…can’t…move!”

Jason turned a horrified look in the alien’s direction, seeing a smug expression on its face. “Dammit!”

“Humans are so predictable,” the creature said dismissively.

“I’m not human, you moron!”

“I know. I’ve been waiting for you, Alterran,” the creature replied. “That’s what you’re called isn’t it? Alterran?”

Jason’s eyes narrowed.

“Major Eberbach’s mind is filled with fascinating images of you…changing. You have enormous power.” The creature turned to the paralyzed officer. “He fears you,” he said smugly. Then an odd look came to his face and he turned his gaze to the Doctor. “No… It’s the Time Lord who fears…” He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Magnificent!”

“What?” Jason turned a horrified look in the Doctor’s direction. This made more sense then he cared to admit. Are you still afraid of me, Doctor? Or afraid for me? “Oh, God…” He spun around, his eyes wide. “You lured us here. Why?”

“Power. The Doctor has power over Time. And you have…power.” The alien reached up a hand in the Alterran’s direction.

Jason felt a sudden drain on his energy reserves and immediately threw a forcefield around himself. He saw a bewildered expression come to the alien’s face when this happened. It had no way of knowing that he was one of the rare individuals who were in “the First Circle,” meaning he could combine the power of his true self with whatever form he happened to be in.

The alien gave a low hiss. It turned to the computer behind it and twisted a dial. The same instant, the Doctor gave a cry of pain and pulled at his bindings.

“What are you doing?” Jason demanded.

The alien gave him an innocent look. “Just finishing one job so I can start the next one.”

“The job of killing the Doctor,” Jason completed. He could feel his anger rising with each passing second. His body was already trembling, his breathing getting faster and faster.

“When I’ve done with him, I’ll start on the Major again.”

That was the last straw. Jason let out an enraged scream. “No, you won’t, you bastard!” A ball of energy suddenly appeared above his right hand. “I will not allow you to harm my friends again!” He threw the energy ball full force at the alien, knocking him backwards and breaking its hold on the Major.

“Klaus! Now!”

The Major did not need to be told twice. The Magnum exploded in his hand. He had to shield his eyes from the explosion that followed, backing away from the flames that erupted from the destroyed panel. He turned to the exhausted Time Lord, who was now slumped in his chair. Whatever he had just blown up had stopped the Doctor’s torment.

“Eroica, come out!” the Major called.

A mass of blond curls appeared from the pouch. “What took so bloody long?”

“Shut up and get to work. There isn’t much time.”

“Is the grid still up?” Eroica asked as he extracted himself from the impossibly small sack and got to his feet.

“Yes.”

Eroica looked in Jason’s direction and was stunned by what he saw. Diversion, indeed. The Alterran was surrounded by a bright blue glow, as was the alien. The two were hurling energy balls at one another. Just hold him off a few more minutes, he thought as he turned his attention to the Doctor. “Let’s get you out of this thing,” he said gently.

The Doctor gave Eroica an unfocused look. “Tell the Major to target the power source,” he said weakly. “It will deactivate this whole system.”

Eroica scowled. “Where is it?”

“Over there.” The Doctor glanced in the direction of the power source. “The gray box on the floor.”

“I heard,” the Major said and promptly fired a round into the box, turning it to so many fragments.

Eroica, in the meantime, was removing the Doctor’s bindings. The Major crossed the short distance to assist in releasing the Time Lord. “Can you walk?” he asked.

“Major, I doubt I can even stand,” the Doctor replied truthfully.

Jason did not even turn around. “Use the pocket dimension and get him out of here!” he commanded.

“No!” the alien snarled. “They won’t be able to leave. I control this world.”

The Major heard Eroica give a small gasp and turned to him. “Help me get the Doctor inside. Then you get in with him,” he ordered, holding the pouch open.

“Major, that thing…” Eroica said in a trembling voice.

“That thing is trying to frighten you.”

“It’s succeeding.”

The Major took the Earl’s arm in an iron grip, turning him to face him, and bringing him back to reality. He gave the startled man a steady look. “Fear clouds the mind, Lord Gloria. Ignore it.”

“Ignore it?”

“Yes, Ignore it.”

“Major, I’m not like you. I don’t think I can—” Eroica broke off when Klaus snapped, “Dorian! Ignore it and do your job!”

The Earl stared at the officer in blank astonishment. You called me Dorian! “Yes. Yes, alright.”

A ghost of a smile passed across the Major’s face. The bloody idiot was so easy to distract it was almost laughable.

In less than a minute, the Time Lord was safety within the pocket dimension and the thief was climbing in after him. “Major, don’t let Jason kill himself. Take the bastard out,” Eroica said before vanishing inside.

“That I will gladly do,” Klaus replied coldly. He went quickly to the TARDIS and only had to thump on the door once before Turlough opened it. “Mission completed,” he called from the threshold. When the Alterran did not reply, he called again. “Jason!”

“Shut the door!” Jason yelled. “I’m sending this thing to hell and I don’t want to take any of you with me.” So saying, he returned to his true form, sending another massive wave of energy across the room.

The Major stiffened slightly upon hearing this. There was a finality in the Alterran’s voice that spoke volumes to his experienced ear. Jason had no intention of returning, but it was something Klaus knew he would have to deal with after he made certain the Doctor was safe. He turned on his heel and strode into the console room. “Close the door,” he ordered the instant he was inside.

“But Jason…” Turlough began.

Klaus was in no mood for arguments. He hit the door lever himself before opening the pocket dimension. “Eroica, come out.”

“Major, I’m going to need your help,” Eroica called from within impossible depths of the pouch. “I had to let go of the key.”

“You idiot!”

“Not now, Major, just give me your bloody hand!” Eroica snapped impatiently. “The Doctor’s unconscious.”

The Major’s anger immediately evaporated. He reached into the pouch, and felt a hand take hold of his wrist. He took hold of the Earl’s wrist and pulled, drawing Eroica to the opening of the pouch. The thief had an arm wrapped around the Doctor’s chest. The Major helped him out and assisted in placing the unconscious Time Lord on the floor.

The Major put his fingers to the Doctor’s neck, the frown on his face deepening when he felt the Time Lord’s double heartbeat. He looked over at Turlough. “Do you know how to help him?”

Turlough shook his head helplessly. “All I know is the TARDIS is the best place for him when he’s ill.”

“Why?” Eroica wanted to know.

“I don’t know. But every time he’s ill, he comes here.”

Eroica turned his attention to the scanner screen and the continuing power struggle going on outside the TARDIS. “He’s gonna kill himself, isn’t he?” he said quietly, seeing the energy surrounding Jason suddenly swirl violently.

“He’s gone over the edge,” Turlough said knowingly. “The Doctor’s the only one who can talk him down when he loses his temper like that.”

Eroica turned back to the image on the scanner, his eyes wide. “That’s what happens when he loses his temper? Bloody hell…”

Eventually the systems behind the alien could take the assault no longer and started to overload. The creature shrieked in rage, turning away from Jason just as the computer erupted into flames.

Without a word, the Major rose to his feet, hit the door lever, and strode through the exterior doors. He stood on the threshold a moment, watching as the alien tried to stop the overload before its master was destroyed.

Jason’s sensors picked up the movement behind him. A quick scan verified the individual’s identity before he even spoke. “Major, get back in the TARDIS!”

“It’s over. The Doctor is safe,” Klaus announced. “You get back in the TARDIS.”

“I can’t. The only thing holding this thing back is me.”

As if to verify his words, the slug gave a terrifying streak, the end of its body opening to reveal a mouth full of jagged teeth. Then it started to writhe. The alien that had been dueling with Jason continued to fight a losing battle with the computer system.

The horrified Major was taken aback by all this. “What?”

“No time to explain,” Jason called back. “I can feel…the temporal energy drain. The damage. I was wrong! The Doctor was wrong! Now get back in the TARDIS and press that button.”

“Nein! ” came the defiant reply.

“Major, don’t make me order you.”

“I don’t just follow orders, remember? The only way to save Time is to destroy that thing, yes?”

“I don’t know anymore!”

The Major drew his Magnum and pointed it at the slug. “Then we’ll find out.” So saying, he pulled the trigger.

* * *