CHAPTER 28

GROUND ZERO

"I wouldn't try anything now, O Great One," the voice in the computer said triumphantly. "That's an invention from my time, and it has the unusual property of suppressing one's ability to trans­mute, which I assume you already know is the source of Epsilon waves."

Jaka howled with rage, pounding on the walls of his new prison. He made the mistake of hit­ting the energy barrier and was thrown back against the wall, momentarily stunned.

Alex got shakily to his feet. Only one thing that had been said was important to him. "You mean…he can't hurt us?"

"Not while the barrier is operating," the Doctor informed.

Frankie could stand it no longer and asked, "Jason, where are you?"

"He's in the computer," the Doctor replied.

"Correction. I am the computer," his companion rejoined.

"But…he said you were dead," Frankie stammered out, waving a hand in Jaka's direction.

"He's better off dead," the false god snorted from behind the energy barrier. "He's where I was. And that's where he'll stay."

"If you could get out, then so can he," Frankie countered fiercely.

The Doctor suspected the false god's words to be true when his companion did not respond right away. "Jason…?"

After a long pause, Jason admitted, "I'm afraid it's true. He crushed the component that would allow me to open the pathway from this end. Now the only way I can get out is for him to come back in."

"And that's not going to happen," Jaka stated categorically, going on to laugh at the stunned expressions this induced. "How does it feel to have a friend who's a computer, Time Lord? He can solve all your problems in a millisecond, but he can't solve his own."

"Shut up," Jason snapped angrily. "Just shut up or I'll—"

"Kill me?" came the amused reply. "That's the last thing you'd do. It's not a noble gesture, it's murder."

"No. It's suicide," Jason said startlingly. "And I have no qualms about sacrificing myself to save my friends."

It was more the tone than the statement that set off an alarm in the Doctor's head. His com­pan­ion was trying to get his attention to relay a message and he turned sharply to the main con­trol board, his body language telling Jason that he had understood his meaning.

"Two minds of a single thought," Jason said in a pleased tone. "Let's put this thing out of ac­tion, Doctor."

"No!" Frankie gasped. "Jason, if you do that, you'll be trapped forever."

"It's too late for me, Frankie. There's nothing you can do. But it's not too late for any of you. Not now."

The Doctor gave a resigned sigh. "I fear I must agree with him."

"Doctor, no!" Frankie wailed.

The Time Lord ignored her, calmly asking, "Jason, where do I start?"

"You can start by pulling the control boards from the panels over where you were sitting. That'll put the weapon system out of commission. I'm sure Alex won't mind giving you a hand smashing them to pieces."

"And what about me?" Dr. Albert asked.

After a long pause, Jason quietly replied, "I want you to pull the plug on the power source."

The Doctor took his time with the control circuits, wanting to make absolutely certain it could never be reactivated. Once this was done, he exchanged a quick glance with Alex and then turned to Frankie.

No one had spoken during the entire operation and it was Jaka who finally broke the silence. "They've finished, Jason!" he sing-songed. "Time to say goodbye."

"You'd better say goodbye yourself, then," Jason replied cryptically.

Frankie drew a deep breath and turned to the Epsilon spheres. "What do I do?" she asked shak­ily.

"Remove the smaller spheres first," came the calm reply from the computer. "Put them in the trays on the console, but don't pull the control sphere from the center until I tell you."

"Then what?"

"Throw the whole mess into the energy barrier and run like hell."

Jaka was horrified. "No, you fool! Don't you know what that will do?"

"Of course I do. That's why I'm having her do it."

The trapped false god continued to protest, causing Alex to say, "Maybe you should tell us what it'll do."

"It'll create an energy backlash," Jason replied calmly, "destroying the power source and Jaka at the same time."

"I wouldn't worry too much," the Doctor chimed in. "Confined in that small space, I should think he'll be vaporized almost immediately."

"And your friend will be trapped!" Jaka exclaimed in fear and anger. "Trapped for all eter­nity with no hope of escape!"

"At least I'll be alive," Jason taunted. "You won't. And you've only yourself to blame."

Frankie reached for the first sphere, stopping when Jaka yelled, "You're condemning him to an eternity of oblivion, female! Destroy those circuits, and he's as good as dead!"

"Do it, Frankie," Jason commanded. "Ignore him and just do it. Only you can keep the power completely shielded until the spheres are sealed in the box."

Frankie was still hesitant, not wanting to be the one to condemn Jason to an eternity of isola­tion.

"She can't do it, boy! She's too weak!" the false god cried triumphantly. "My power has been restored by you, my Guardian. No man alive has the might to return me to bondage."

"Oh, please," Jason moaned contemptuously. "As Frankie's already pointed out, she's not a man. And, thanks to you, I'm no longer alive in any real sense of the word."

The horrified expression on the face of the trapped Alterran renewed Frankie's resolve. She gritted her teeth and yanked the first ball from the console, ignoring Jaka's shouts of protest. When all but the control sphere were returned to the box, she said shakily, "I've finished."

The voice of the computer spoke for what he said would be the last time. Once the last of the circuits was removed, he would be cut off forever.

"Goodbye, Doctor," Jason said calmly. "Tell my father that…my brother should take my place."

A ghost of a smile crossed the Time Lord's face. His eyes sparkled and he shot a quick glance over to the captive Jaka. "This is hardly the time to think of that," he said reprovingly. "Your brother would've taken your place as soon as you left."

"Perhaps. But you know he's so completely helpless. I just hope my father's prepared to keep him healthy. You know how close to the end of his time he is."

"How very touching," Jaka spat. "Brotherly concern in your final hour. I may be sick."

"You'd better hurry," Jason snapped coldly. "You'll be dead soon enough." Before the false god could respond, Jason ordered, "Pull the circuit, Frankie."

In tears and shaking, Frankie obediently pulled the circuit. The computer immediately began powering down and she could no longer hold back the tears as she placed the sphere in the tray with the others and closed the container.

"Alex, take Frankie into the TARDIS," the Doctor ordered in a low voice.

Alex opened his mouth to protest, closing it again when the Time Lord turned to him with a stone-like expression on his face. It was obvious the Doctor was no mood to argue.

Turning back to the captive Jaka, the Doctor picked up the container of Epsilon circuits and walked purposefully across the room, his eyes blazing.

Jaka's arrogance suddenly evaporated and he pressed himself back against the wall. "Don't do it, Doctor!" he pleaded, calling the Time Lord by name for the first time. "Jason will be trapped forever. Destroy me, and he'll never get out!"

"Then he'll never get out," the Doctor stated categorically, and threw the container into the barrier. The explosion that followed hurled him from the room and into the Temple area where he landed in the open doorway of the TARDIS. Alex pulled the stunned Time Lord into the safety of the console room, Frankie shutting the door behind them.

The exploding Epsilon circuits sent sparks flying in all directions. The Temple shook to its foundations as the computer systems started to overload. Alex watched the holocaust on the scanner, wondering why they weren't vaporized along with Jaka as sheet after sheet of radiant energy enveloped the seemingly unprotected police box. He had no way of knowing that the TARDIS was acting as a lightning rod, deflecting the energy harmlessly into the atmosphere. Frankie stood beside him, turning away when the computer room seemed to melt, the ancient machinery becoming a twisted, fused mass of metal and plastic.

After several minutes the major explosions stopped to be followed by a series of smaller ones. Eventually these stopped as well, the glow of energy fading. It was then that they heard the agonizing screams from the trapped Alterran. Frankie covered her ears and closed her eyes, tears rolling down her face. No matter what, it was still Jason's body, and without it he was as good as dead himself. Alex put a consoling arm around her, but continued to watch the horrific scene on the viewer.

Through the clearing haze, Alex watched in horrified fascination as the body of the trapped Alterran distorted in shape several times, a shriek of agony erupting from the distorted form. He was amazed it didn't fall from the table as it continued to twist and flail. Fi­nally the glow of en­ergy dissipated and the horrific creature returned to a recognizable human shape. Alex stared in revulsion at the image on the viewer as a violent convulsion shook the Al­terran one last time be­fore he became deathly still, his back to the door. The Security Chief could not help but wonder what hideous form the face of this creature would have taken after suffering so hor­rible an end. Suddenly feeling overwhelmed, the big man turned to look at Frankie.

"Is it over?" she asked quietly.

Ashen faced and trembling, Alex nodded, turning to look at the scanner. Frankie followed his gaze, a small sob escaping her when she saw the motionless form. She pulled the door lever and walked slowly out. Alex wanted to stop her, but knew better than to try.

Frankie stood at the threshold of the exterior doors, looking around in amazement. After what she had just seen, she assumed the temple area would be unbearably hot and was startled to find it wasn't even warm. Looking into the computer room, she hesitated, afraid of what she might see if she got too close. Squaring her shoulders, she drew a deep breath and stepped away from the TARDIS, entering the twisted remains of the control room. She was close enough to touch the motionless Alterran when she stopped, afraid to go on. Suddenly she realized the breathing she could hear was not her own and she took a step back. "Alex, he's alive!" she cried in terror, her hands going to her mouth. "My God, he's still alive!"

Alex was immediately at her side. He turned the Alterran over and was stunned to see, not a grotesque death mask, but Jason's gentle face. His blue eyes had returned to normal and were staring sightlessly into space. His was breathing so heavily that it was as though he were gasping for each breath. Above his shoulder was Brogan's ornamental knife and Alex's eyes nar­rowed when he saw it.

"Oh, Alex, what are we going to do?" Frankie moaned. "How could anyone survive that?"

"I don't know," the Security Chief snarled, snatching up the knife. "And I'm not waiting to find out."

"No! Alex, you can't! It's murder!"

The figure on the table suddenly shuddered and took a sharp breath, the eyes closing a mo­ment and then reopening, looking around dazedly. After several tries, they finally focused on Alex, and then the blade in his hand.

Frankie looked into the gentle face and let out a small sob, which only served to further fuel Alex Grove's anger. He gritted his teeth and raised the blade, only to have Frankie grab his wrist. "Alex, please, you can't. You mustn't. It's murder."

Alex pulled his hand free "Frankie, he'd've killed us all if—" His words were cut off when the Doctor suddenly appeared out of nowhere and caught him by the arm, stripping the knife from his hand.

"No, you idiot, this is Jason," the Time Lord admonished, tossing the knife across the room. He pushed the astonished man aside and checked over the powerless Alterran. The blue eyes struggled to focus on the Doctor's face, but the effort proved too great and he lost consciousness.