CHAPTER 24

TIME FOR THE TRUTH

Jason entered Alex's room to find him sleeping soundly. The Doctor and Frankie waited outside, not wanting to disturb the recovering Teggellan.

Jason scanned his patient and gave a grunt of satisfaction. Alex was doing much better than expected and would very likely be back on his feet in no time at all. The Healer went back into the corridor, pulling the door behind him. Turning pointedly to the Doctor, he asked, "How did you know all those things you said to Brogan?"

"Concerning the Epsilon circuits, or the Projector?" the Time Lord responded calmly.

Jason felt his heart in his throat and took a startled step back. Finding his voice at last, he said, "Both."

"You're not the only one with reference materials, you know." The Doctor held out a hand and then led the way down the corridor.

Her curiosity piqued, Frankie tagged along, finding herself inside the TARDIS' enormous library. The Doctor went to the historical section containing the amassed data of several hundred thousand planets. He slipped a clear sheet of plastic into a device Jason referred to as a reader and a view screen came to life displaying an image Frankie recognized instantly. "It's the Temple!" she gasped.

It was indeed. The surrounding area had altered dramatically over the centuries, but there was no doubting it was the same structure. The monolith as the base of the cliff seemed even more enormous, the passing centuries seeing its base buried beneath several feet of the sand.

Jason moved hesitantly to the reader, touching a button to activate the program. The image of the Temple was replaced by a series of symbols that scrolled up the screen. They meant nothing to Frankie, but she could see they meant a great deal to the Alterran, whose eyes were riveted to the dis play.

"What language is that?" she asked.

"Gallifreyan," the young man replied absently as he read the text. When the file finished running, the screen went dark, as did Jason's face. He stood thoughtfully a moment before turning haltingly to the Doctor. "Why didn't you tell me you knew?" he asked finally.

"Why didn't you tell me?" the Doctor countered, his voice more inquiring than accusatory.

"I…I…don't know. I couldn't," his companion stammered out helplessly. "I just—" Stopping he tried desperately to put his thoughts in order but could find no words to verbalize the contra dictions filling his head. How could he possibly tell the Doctor about the hatred he'd felt? The terrible delight over death and destruction?

Seeing the concerned and bewildered look on his friend's face, Jason shook his head and threw up his hands in frustration. "I'm sorry, Doctor, I don't know how to explain. It's just… ever since I got my memory back, I can't think straight."

The Doctor's growing concerns over his companion's mental stability were rekindled to the point where they were starting to really worry him. Originally he'd thought he was overreacting, brushing off the young man's odd behavior as just the after effects of his illness. Now he wasn't so sure. It wasn't like Jason to conceal something so vitally important. The scene in the Temple returned vividly to mind, as did the Alterran's semi-conscious remarks of the power being out of control. Was it possible the illness and subsequent bout of amnesia had seriously unbalanced the usually reliable young man?

"Maybe I'm pushing myself too hard," Jason sighed.

"I'm afraid I'm a bit lost," Frankie injected suddenly, startling the time travelers, who had completely forgotten she was present. The Doctor exchanged a quick glance with Jason and opened his mouth to explain.

"No, Doctor," the Alterran cut in. "I think Alex deserves to hear this, too."

Alex was awake when the trio returned to his room and upon hearing why they wanted to talk with him, he demanded they allow him to get out of bed. Despite the fact that he felt like a collection of cuts, bruises, and bandages, he insisted he was strong enough to stand, (well, perhaps with a little help) and was able to slowly cross the room. He reclined on one of the sofas where Frankie joined him.

The Doctor began the tale, explaining that the Temple of Jaka was in reality a device the Alter rans had constructed during a period of time when they were at war with the Time Lords. Its true designation was Epsilon Response And Emission Projector, the heart of the unit being the Epsilon circuits, the strange stone-like balls contained in the chest. Once the circuits were in place, they transformed the unit into the ultimate weapon.

Ironically, during the construction of the Projector, a truce had been reached and it seemed as if it would never be needed.

"Unfortunately, Jaka had other things in mind," Jason said darkly.

"You mean…?" Alex gasped. "He actually existed?"

"Yes, unfortunately," the Alterran replied, taking up the story. The real Jaka was the designer of the Epsilon Projector and had been sent, in secret, to complete its construction in the event that negotiations broke down and war resumed, which it did not. The Projector was ordered dismantled but Jaka refused, having become obsessed with the power his device could bring him. He killed those who were sent to deactivate the unit, proclaiming himself Emperor and threatening to destroy anyone who dared oppose him. Suddenly the old enemies of Alterrous and Gallifrey found themselves with a common foe and joined forces to stop him.

"Just as your myth states," the Doctor injected, "it was only through the combined forces of these two races that Jaka was finally stopped. The one good thing to come out of it was that the alliance of necessity eventually paved the way for what is now a permanent and long standing Alliance of choice."

"Yes…" Jason said softly. "But at such a price."

Frankie was confused. "If this Projector was so terrible, why wasn't it destroyed?"

"And why wasn't the power source destroyed along with it?" Alex injected.

"Apparently Jaka tipped his hand too soon and was betrayed before he could establish his stronghold," the Doctor explained. "Legend has it when he realized he couldn't fight the combined forces that were lined against him he hid the power source. Just as your own legend states, he laughed at his captors when they discovered it was beyond their reach."

"And Jaka himself?" Alex asked. "What happened to him?"

"According to my people's history," Jason injected, "the Time Lords cast him into the sea in his true form, although I'm not sure what difference that would've made. It wouldn't've harmed him at all."

"It would, however, explain how the myth of the Guardian got started," the Doctor injected thoughtfully.

Pulling the Epsilon circuit from her pocket, Frankie looked at it in amazement. "And this is the only one left."

"Yes," Jason replied. "And with it, we're going to fuse the controls in the computer room."

The Doctor turned sharply to him. "We are?"

"The Epsilon spheres aren't the only power source that computer will run off of, Doctor," his companion pointed out. "Brogan called it the ultimate weapon, and you know he was right. With the computer still intact—"

"Someone else might try to use it. Yes, I see your point."

"You're not going all the way back to the Temple again, are you?" Dr. Albert moaned.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "It's nearer than you think, thanks to Jason."

His companion lowered his eyes and said nothing. Suddenly the power from the sphere radiated through him and he looked up sharply, seeing Alex had taken it from Frankie.

"I still don't see how this little thing can do all the things you say it can," Alex remarked. "I mean, godlike powers? How can it?"

Rising to his feet, Jason went over to the injured man and placed a hand on the ball. Looking the puzzled Teggellan in the eye, he smiled and said softly, "Be healed, Alex."

The sphere flashed and Alex caught his breath as the energy flooded through him. His bruises vanished, his wounds healed over, and his body was strengthened. In less than a second, he was completely well, not to mention dressed in his own clothes. He sat bolt upright, looking down at himself and then up at Jason, his mouth agape.

"Is that godlike enough for you?"

"How…? How did you do that?" Alex asked, finding his voice at last.

Tapping the side of his head, Jason said simply, "Epsilon waves. I'm Alterran." He turned to Frankie and smiled affectionately. "May I heal you, too, Frankie? I can take away your nightmares."

"Jason…" the Doctor said in an almost threatening tone.

"I know, I know. Don't get carried away." Taking the circuit from the now healthy Alex, his companion requested, "Allow me this one indulgence as a minor deity. Once the computer's disabled, this'll be smashed into a thousand useless fragments and I'll be plain old Jason again."

With a conciliatory smile, the Doctor said, "Alright. But just this once."

A broad smile spread across the Healer's face and he turned back to Frankie. "Well?" he asked, holding out a hand.

The oceanographer consented, taking a deep breath as she took his outstretched hand. She expected to feel the flash of energy and was surprised when she felt nothing. Looking up, she saw Jason was equally puzzled. "Don't tell me I nullify the power when you try to use it on me, too?" she moaned.

"Of course, that's it! I must have to avoid physical contact with you to make it work." Releasing her hand, Jason tried again. Within seconds, she too was completely healed and able to move without pain for the first time in two days.

"And now for the computer," Jason said as he handed the sphere back to Frankie.