CHAPTER 8

WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON

As Ellis predicted, Lilith was very interested when she learned of Jason's attack on the hunters. She was also annoyed with them for having brought Willa, since she would not be able to use her for another three weeks. Ellis explained that he believed his captives were a mated pair, which might explain the unusually aggressive behavior in the male. He also reminded Lilith that she herself had been the one to give strict instructions that any possible pairs be brought to her, no matter what.

Jason started to come around just as his bonds were removed. He had not been strapped down and, not wanting to take any chances, Dr. Jordan injected him immediately. The disguised Alterran felt a strange warmth spreading throughout his body and wondered dazedly what was going on. Suddenly he found he could not move or speak, but was still fully conscious. His eyes snapped open and he looked around, zeroing in on the woman who had so willingly told him about her research projects. Now he was about to find out what was really going on, something he hadn't bargained on when he took on the Terrellian form.

"Blue eyes!" Lilith gasped, looking up in amazement. "He has blue eyes!" All true Terrellians had either dark brown or green eyes, and unfortunately for Jason, the only thing he could not change when he transmuted was his eye color.

"So?" Ellis said unenthusiastically. He had an even bigger shock for her. "If you'll notice, he has no ID number, either."

"What!"

Lilith looked at the right forearm and then the left. They were both clean and smooth. "This is incredible," she breathed. "How could you possibly have missed him after all this time?"

"I miss nobody," Ellis snorted indignantly. "I didn't get him because he wasn't there to get."

The lab techs were fastening the restraints on the helpless Alterran when he heard Willa whimper softly. She was trying very hard not to cry, secure in the knowledge that the whitecoats would not hurt her this time.

"What do you want us to do with F62, here?" Ellis asked, roughly grabbing Willa's bound hands. She let out a cry of sheer terror, cowering back on the table.

Jason's eyes grew wide and he tried desperately to turn his head to look at her. A reaction that did not go unnoticed by Dr. Jordan, who believed it confirmed Ellis' theory that he had captured a mated pair.

"Put her in the cage," Lilith ordered, indicating the barred enclosure just inside the door of the main lab. "And be sure to tranquilize her. I don't want her screaming and screeching while I'm trying to work on the male."

Higgins injected the appalled Willa with a tranquilizer before having one of the hunters take her into the lab. Jacoby came in with a clipboard and started making notations about their newest arrival. Lilith went excitedly over to him, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "I want to run every test on him, Jacoby. Do you hear me? Everything."

Ever since Jason left the settlement, Gordon Taylor had been uneasy, disturbed by his vague comments concerning Dr. Jordan's "unusual research techniques." Despite the fact that he was technically the Colony Leader, he really didn't want to get mixed up in something that was best left up to the experts. After all, the Research Center was only under his jurisdiction because of a technicality. It had been on the planet years before the colony was established.

With this in mind, Taylor went to the communications center and wrote a formal request to the galactic authority asking that they look into the work at the Research Center. Handing the message to one of the operators, he ordered, "Send this immediately. Top priority." He then strode from the building, content in the knowledge that he had done his duty. Now it was someone else's headache.

The operator smiled meekly and watched the Colony Leader leave. He then read the message, his eyes growing wider and wider as the full meaning and implications of the message sank in. Looking around to make certain he was alone, the operator picked up a telephone and dialed.

"Hello? This is Miller in the communication center. I need to speak to Dr. Jordan immediately."

The paralyzed Jason was wheeled into the laboratory he had walked through the evening before. He was examined from top to bottom; weighted, measured, poked, prodded, and then had numerous tissue samples taken. Hours of needles, scalpels, instruments—and pain. He was given a local anesthetic for some of the procedures, but not nearly enough. Tears rolled down the sides of his face, but he was prevented from crying out by the paralyzing drug, only able to manage an occasional strangled whimper. Through the blur of pain, he could hear Willa whimpering from time to time and wondered if she, too, was being subjected to the same inhuman treatment by the heartless technicians.

Unlike the other "subjects," Jason remained conscious throughout the entire agonizing experience. There were times when he felt his medical training to be more of a liability than an asset, he being familiar with all the equipment and exactly how it was used—and why. He listened to the comments made by the lab techs and scanned everyone who touched him, determined to remember them all. If he survived.

In the Terrellian village, the Doctor was again the center of attention. He was relieved that he had finally managed to convince more than just Marjora that he was not their enemy. Once the excitement over Iris and Dillon's amazing recoveries had died down, the assemblage returned to the main hall where the Doctor began asking questions, and this time he got answers from everyone.

The Time Lord learned in excruciating detail about the tests Dr. Jordan and her staff had been performing on the helpless villagers. He was appalled to learn that it had been going on undetected for years. In the early days, the hunters would raid the village, taking nearly everyone captive, only the very young and repeats being left behind.

While the settlement was being built, there was a brief period of time when the hunters stopped taking them, giving the Terrellians the opportunity to move underground. Thus far, their current location had not been discovered and many voiced their conviction that they would rather allow themselves to be captured than lead the hunters to the village again.

The Doctor wondered aloud why the villagers hadn't been tagged with radio devices, which would make them impossible to lose. He was told that this had been tried, but apparently there was something in the Terrellians' body chemistry that corroded the devices.

Impressed by the tenacity of the people surrounding him, the Doctor gave his solemn word that he would never divulge their location to anyone. Once he put a stop to Dr. Jordan's activities, the villagers could reveal themselves or remain in hiding, the decision being theirs alone.

Had the Doctor known his companion was, at that very moment, being subjected to the very same tests he had just learned about, he would have thrown caution to the wind and torn the lab apart with his bare hands in order to stop it.

Dr. Jordan was reading the preliminary results of the tests while Jason and Willa were being prepared for release. Jason could feel the paralyzing drug wearing off, but could not take advantage of it. He was having too much difficulty simply remaining conscious.

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing," Lilith was saying as she quickly scanned the report. "His blood has the highest concentration I've ever seen. And these trace elements!" Looking up, she said, "Do you know what we've got here, Jacoby? A hybrid! An honest to goodness hybrid. After all this time one of the specimens we rejected must've germinated."

Jacoby smiled villainously. "That'll look very impressive on a report, won't it?"

"Yes. That it will indeed," Lilith chuckled. "Y'know, I may even publish a paper—" She broke off when she saw the technicians removing the straps from the semi-conscious Alterran. "Make sure he's numbered," she snapped. "I want to keep track of that one."

A number was burned into Jason's right forearm and he let out a howl of pain before finally passing out. Fifteen minutes later, he and Willa were dumped at the release point. He moaned and tried to move but simply could not find the energy. Giving up, he lay back in the long grass, looking up at the branches high overhead. A light breeze rustled the leaves and he could see the sun peek through from time to time. A rainbow of colors sparkled down on him and he felt like he was floating lazily in the cool ocean water near his home on Tel-Shye…

Realizing he was losing his grip on reality, Jason got hold of himself and tried to concentrate his muddled brain to remain conscious. He suddenly felt very cold and shivered. Great. Now I'll go into shock, the Healer thought darkly. Nice going, Krystovan. Great plan.

Willa came over to him and smiled. "Don't worry. Someone will come for us," she said reassuringly.

Startled, Jason stared dazedly up at her. So you can talk, he thought. He had assumed as much when he scanned Dillon and Iris in the lab, having detected a fully developed, human-like larynx and vocal cords in both of them.

"Who…? Wh…what's…your name?" he asked faintly.

"I'm Willa."

Trying to keep his teeth from chattering, Jason inquired feebly, "Are you…alright, Willa? Did they…hurt you?"

The child shook her head. "No, not this time. It's too soon since I was last captured." Willa studied his face a moment, having been wary of him. She had overheard how fiercely he had fought the hunters and feared he might be unbalanced. Aggression had been unknown to her people until the humans arrived. Yet, in spite of his injuries, this stranger seemed calm, gentle, caring. Perhaps he was only trying to protect her as her brother did.

Jasmine came out of the forest at that moment, and moved cautiously over to the newly released pair. The green and gold beauty was one of the sentries who kept watch over the release point, which was really nothing more than a small clearing. It did have the distinction of being the only place the Terrellians could move openly without fear of attack. Since Dr. Jordan required them alive, there was a standing order that no captures were to be made when the released captives were being retrieved.

"Willa, are you alright?" Jasmine asked concernedly. "We were worried when you weren't released right away."

"They thought I was his mate," Willa replied, indicating the injured stranger.

Jasmine moved closer to Jason and he looked fuzzily up at her, smiling weakly. The sentry reacted just as Lilith had at the sight of his striking blue eyes. Collecting herself, she said gently, "I've sent for the others of our village. We'll do all we can to help you."

"Thank-you," Jason whispered. He shivered violently and closed his eyes, too weak to say more. A worried Jasmine put a hand on his shoulder and tried to reassure him that he would be all right, but inwardly she was not as convinced as she sounded.

"I'm…sssorry," the Alterran managed finally. "I'm just…ssso cold. They took…tttoo much blood. Much too much…"

"The others will be here soon. Just hold on to me," Jasmine soothed and squeezed his hand.

Jason squeezed her hand back, scanning her in the process. Then he looked at her in a way she found odd and told him her name, thinking he no longer had the power to ask, which was not all that far from the truth. Jason had been trying desperately to maintain his grip on reality, but his strength was failing him fast.

Shaking her head, Jasmine said sadly, "He shouldn't have fought them, Willa. All they do is hurt you more."

Jason blinked up at her in disbelief. "I'd do it again…in a heartbeat," he whispered defiantly. "Only with…claws!"

Jasmine and Willa exchanged a look of mutual shock, amazement and disbelief.

"Next time…I'll use…claws," Jason said firmly. Then his strength finally gave out and he slipped into unconsciousness.