CHAPTER 14
"ENLIGHTEN ME."
As the Doctor suspected, there was no one in the storage area. As he made his way to the power room, the voice of his adversary beckoning to him, encouraging him to venture further on. Eventually he found his way to the computer room, seeing Bryce Miller at the circular computer console.
"Welcome, Doctor," Bryce said urbanely as the Time Lord appeared at the door, "I'm glad you could make it."
"Bryce Miller, I presume," the Doctor acknowledged, stepping cautiously into the room.
"That would be me."
"Yes, I thought as much. Although, I must admit, I had been expecting to find Talbot in charge of all this. That is, until your little demonstration in the lobby."
"Really? That surprises me," Bryce replied. "I understand you've been annoying Talbot quite a bit of late."
"Oh, just a difference of opinion," the Doctor replied breezily. "He thought I should be killed. I disagreed."
Bryce laughed out loud. "There, you see? I knew we'd get along."
The door behind the Doctor suddenly closed and he turned slowly, seeing, without surprise, Azure covering him with a high-energy weapon. "Ah, there you are," he said mildly. "I was wondering when you'd turn up."
Azure responded with a dark look.
The Doctor returned his attention to Miller, dropping his casual manner at the same time, his voice taking on an almost threatening edge. "My companion. Where is he?
"Oh, he's safe," came the vague reply.
"Where?"
The man at the computer turned his gaze across the room and the Doctor followed it, seeing his companion standing motionless inside a clear chamber. At first the Doctor thought he might be in stasis, until he saw the control collar around his neck.
"There, you see?" Bryce said amiably. "The boy is unharmed."
"I'd like to verify that for myself, if you don't mind."
"You're hardly in a position to be making demands."
The Time Lord turned on him. "Oh, aren't I?" he snapped, controlling his anger with visible effort. "You've gone to an awful lot of trouble to get me down here. So whatever it is you want from me must be very important. So important, I suspect, that I'm no good to you dead. So let me have a look at Jason or I stop being so cooperative."
Bryce was taken aback by the forcefulness of this reply and stiffened involuntarily. Some how he had failed to instill the amount of fear or respect he had intended. In fact, the Doctor seemed to be taking control of the situation with conspicuous ease. He threw a quick look in Azure's direction and she crossed to the chamber, pushing several buttons before pulling the cover open. The Doctor watched in silence but did not move, standing his ground until Azure finally took the hint and moved away. Throwing a dark look in Miller's direction, the Doctor crossed the room to examine his captive companion.
"As you can see, Doctor, the boy is unharmed," Bryce said as Azure came to stand near the computer console.
"Yes," the Time Lord replied quietly. Keeping his back to the two of them, he put his dog whistle to his lips and gave it a several long blasts, praying K-9 was close at hand. At the same time, to his shock and delight, he saw Jason wince and close his seemingly glazed eyes in pain. When he opened them again, he gave the Doctor a clear, steady look.
Keeping his voice low, the Doctor said, "If we've any hope of stopping this, I need to get into that computer." He received an appalled and horrified look from his companion in reply. "Just you make sure I get out again." Seeing an argument starting in Jason's eyes, the Doctor snapped, "Just do it!"
"Well, Doctor?" Bryce said coolly.
Lowering his head in apparent resignation, the Doctor turned back to him. "Alright. What is it you want from me?" he asked as he moved toward the center of the room.
"Isn't it obvious?" Bryce taunted.
"Enlighten me. For example, how is it you were able to trap an entire race of telepaths? Surely they had time to warn each other about you."
It was Azure who replied, laughing cruelly as she did so. "Trap? They volunteered, the fools. It was their own greed and ambition that trapped them."
"What? And not yours?" the Time Lord chided. "Incidentally, I feel I should compliment you on your performance. I do so admire subtlety. How did you know where to find me, by the way?"
Now it was Bryce who replied, "The computer is powered by the psychic energies of those in stasis, Doctor. I know whatever they know."
"So much for privacy," the Doctor snorted. "But they couldn't've told you exactly who I was. There must be hundreds of doctors here."
"True," the man at the computer agreed. "But only one who got a little too curious about the control collars and then went on to annoy Captain Talbot."
"Ah, you'd've gotten that from my little confrontation with the good Captain, I would imagine."
"That provided the visual image. The main desk provided the rest," Bryce went on proudly.
"And the Captain and his crew? What of them? Did you add them to your little collection?"
"Certainly not. I simply downsized the ship's crew."
"Meaning you killed them," the Doctor said bluntly.
"All but Talbot." Bryce pushed a button and a monitor came to life, displaying the image of the captive Captain Talbot. He was trapped in a chamber similar to the one that held Jason. This one, however, was alive with electricity, the screaming Talbot writhing helplessly within.
"As you can see," Bryce said blandly, "the good Captain is learning the error of his ways."
The Doctor was grateful when the image was switched off. "And then what? Does he get added to the collection?"
"That weak minded fool?" Bryce snorted. "Certainly not. He wouldn't produce enough energy to light a single indicator."
The Doctor blinked and then looked around himself as a staggering realization came to him. "The whole system is powered by psychic energy?" he gasped. "Exclusively?"
"Yes," Bryce said proudly. "The Eldarians provide the power, the Dome provides the intellect."
The Doctor was completely thrown. "The Dome?"
"Where great minds meet under the sea," Bryce reminded. "Each guest speaker participates in what they believe is a survey comparing their brain patterns to others in their field. But instead of a data bank, the information goes here."
"But what good is it?" the Doctor demanded pointedly. "It's nothing more than a computer with a grotesque power source."
"No, Doctor, it's a brain. My brain. Once it's linked into the main system on the planet I can move outwards. Beyond this world. I will achieve a greatness never seen before."
The Doctor finally lost his temper. "Never seen before!" he scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I've seen more of your kind than I care to remember. You're not unique. You're nothing more than your basic, run-of-the-mill megalomaniac. Ruthless, cunning, out to control the universe—or at least his little corner of it."
"Have a care, Doctor," Bryce hissed angrily.
The Doctor ignored him. "Is that why you've brought me here? To add me to your little brain trust?"
The man at the computer gave Azure a look of mock surprise. "Have you been teaching him to mind read?"
"And if I refuse," the Time Lord went on, "you threaten my companion's life. Am I right? Not very original."
"No, but very effective," came the self-satisfied reply
"And after that, then what? Do you add him to your collection too?"
"That weak minded boy?" Azure scoffed. "He's useless."
A ghost of a smile came to the Doctor's face. "Oh, hardly that."
"Perhaps you're right," Bryce agreed. "Jason, restrain the Doctor," he then commanded.
Jason straightened as though coming awake. He walked slowly and deliberately toward the Doctor, who took a step back as he approached. Before the Time Lord realized what was happening, Jason had taken him by the wrist and then twisted his arm behind him, his free arm clamped in an iron grip.
"Easy, easy," the seemingly distressed Doctor said quickly. "We're friends, remember?"
"Save your breath, Doctor. He's under my control now," Bryce sneered. "Jason, take him to the stasis chamber."
The Alterran did not move.
"Perhaps you might tell him where it is," the Doctor suggested helpfully, "before he breaks my arm."
"I'll show him." Azure moved a panel that was a few feet from the computer console. She pushed a button and it slid aside, revealing the stasis chamber, which was simply a chair set in side the computer itself. "Bring him here," she ordered.
Again, Jason did not move.
"Very literal minded, your companion," Bryce observed blandly.
"Oh yes," the Doctor agreed. "He's very good at doing what he's told." He winced as Jason tightened his grip in response to this. It was obvious he was not in favor of his plan at all.
"Jason, take the Doctor to Azure and do as she instructs," Bryce Miller ordered.
The Doctor was unceremoniously thrust into the chair where Azure secured him in place with metal clamps. A clear dome bristling with contact points was then brought down on his head.
Looking pointedly at his companion, the Doctor asked, "How do I know you won't have Azure, or whatever her name is, just kill him once I'm inside your collection?"
"You don't," Bryce grinned. His hands moved swiftly over the controls and he looked up again. "Any last words, Doctor?"
"Several. But you'll only laugh. Just get on with it."
Bryce laughed anyway as he activated the machine.
The Doctor closed his eyes and tried to relax. He caught his breath as the chamber came to life, the powerful system pulling at his mind.
Azure glanced over to the statue-like Jason and asked, "Shall I kill him now?"
"No, this may not work the first time" Bryce replied without looking up. "Wait until the Doctor's fully processed. Then kill him."
