Chapter 32

"This Can't Go On…"

Shadra hung despondently in her metal prison. She, too, was reliving the nightmare of events she had experienced. It was pointless to resist, she knew that now. If she fought back, the Master would just hurt her again. Or worse, he might bring harm to Jason. Disguised as the Doctor, he could so easily lure him into the Palace transmat and transport him to the computer center. Once there, and with the energy barrier operating, Jason would be at his mercy.

Shadra shuddered. The Master had made a lot of circuitry modifications to the transmat terminal, and had even gone so far as to add a padlock to the door, leading her to believe his threats against the Prince had not been made simply to frighten her. He was planning something very nasty for Jason, and there was absolutely nothing she could do to prevent it. Feeling isolated and completely powerless, she began sobbing quietly.

Out in the Crystal Cavern, the glowing multicolored crystals encrusting the walls started to pulse faintly in time with her weeping. The induced realignment of her molecular structure was very close to completion.

Turlough managed to find a cloak similar to the one Jason wore most of the time and gave it to the Doctor. It would provide him a minimal disguise, but from a distance, no one would know the difference. Hopefully. They had agreed that the Doctor should go to the TARDIS alone, his companion rendezvousing with him in the morning.

Turlough made a quick check outside before motioning the Time Lord out. The Doctor moved silently down the exterior stairs, being grateful he did not have to pass his own room. He made straight for the TARDIS, glancing back to his uneasy companion before vanishing inside.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Turlough turned and crept back to his room—and bed. If the events of the last few hours were anything to go by, he knew he would need all the rest he could get. He had a sneaking suspicion the worst was yet to come.

Tegan was furious when she discovered her key to the TARDIS was missing. "That brat!" she fumed. "I'll kill him!" She had deduced, correctly, that Turlough had just handed her a line in order to cover his tracks. Luckily for Turlough, he had already come and gone when Tegan arrived at breakfast. She resolved to hunt him down as soon as she had taken a tray up to the Doctor, who had sent his apologies for his absence, stating that he would not be fit company that morning. Tegan and Jason were encouraged by this, as it usually meant the Doctor was brooding and simply did not want to be bothered eating.

"I hope this means the Doctor's back to his old self again," Tegan was saying as she prepared the tray. "He's been acting so strange. You'd think he was a completely different person."

After his hasty breakfast, Turlough slipped unnoticed into the TARDIS. With the exception of the cloak hanging from the hat stand, the console room was empty. The Doctor appeared at the inner door several minutes later, greeting his perplexed yet willing companion, who immediately noticed that the Time Lord looked considerably more alert than the last time he had seen him.

The Doctor confirmed this observation, informing his companion that the TARDIS had been able to shield him against the waves of dizziness he had been experiencing. He went on to say that it probably would not last, as the instability would eventually grow to the point where it would overcome the protection of the TARDIS.

On the other hand, now that he was rested and the effects of the drugs had worn off, the Doctor's mind was clear, sharp, and in high gear. He had been trying to piece together all the bits of information he had been gathering. Unfortunately, they only formed an incomplete puzzle. The most curious piece, supplied by Turlough, was the Master's intention to return to Gallifrey to take the Doctor's place as Lord President. Since the Master had never had any use for the Time Lords or the High Council, it was an absolute certainty he was not after the prestige.

"He must be after the Matrix," the Doctor speculated. "As Lord President, you don't just have access to it, you become a part of it. And since I—well, my body, that is—has already had contact, it will save him the trouble of preparing himself." Turning to his companion, he added darkly, "Not the most pleasant of propositions, is it?"

Turlough felt a chill run down his spine. The Master's voice added an even more sinister edge to the Doctor's remark. "How does knowing this help us?" he wanted to know.

"It doesn't. At least, not at present. I'm not exactly in the position to go warning the High Council, now am I?"

The Doctor decided to go to the TARDIS library in the hopes that it might yield something that might help him. His companion stayed behind, feeling he might be in the way

The Master was deep in thought when he heard Tegan approaching with the breakfast tray. He took up a position in an easy chair, giving the appearance of reading a book with great interest. He looked up and smiled engagingly when she entered.

"Good morning, Doctor," Tegan said cheerily. "I brought you some breakfast."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Tegan. Thank-you."

"You've been up all night, haven't you?" she said suddenly, receiving a startled look in reply. "I thought as much. Doctor, you're supposed to be resting, not brooding. And don't give me any of that 'Time Lords don't require as much sleep as humans' stuff, either," Tegan scolded. She poured a cup of tea and handed it to the pretender.

"Yes, Mother," the Master said dryly, looking over the contents of the tray.

Tegan smiled self-consciously and decided to change the subject. "Have you seen Turlough this morning?"

The Master picked up the slight edge to her voice. "Only a fleeting glimpse. Why? Problems?"

"Nothing I can't handle," came the astringent reply.

The Master was intrigued. He knew of the friction that existed between Tegan and Turlough and decided it might be in his best interest to fan the flames. This human female had always proven easy to provoke, and if the Doctor's companions were busy fighting amongst themselves, they would leave him alone.

"Are you two at it again?" the bogus Doctor sighed. "Tegan, you really must try to get along with Turlough."

"Get along! You must be joking? That brat—"

"Now, Tegan," he interrupted calmly, "being disagreeable isn't going to help."

"Disagreeable!" Tegan was incredulous. "Doctor, you don't even know what that intergalactic juvenile delinquent's gone and done. He—"

"My dear Tegan, that's quite beside the point," the Master continued infuriatingly. "I'm sure you're just overreacting. We've all been under a great deal of stress. It's only natural." He took a sip of his tea, thoroughly enjoying the frustration he had induced in Tegan.

"Overreacting!" she cried, throwing up her hands in disgust. "I'll show you overreacting, Doctor. Because if I get my hands on him, I swear I'll kill him!"

"Well, please do it quietly," the Master suggested, reflecting on what an enjoyable sight this would be. A massive surge of instability suddenly swept over him, as the link grew more unmanageable. The cup fell from his hands and shattered as it hit the floor.

Tegan's anger with Turlough was immediately secondary. She rushed to the Time Lord's side. "Doctor, please, this can't go on. What's wrong? What's happening to you?"

The impostor gave her a weak smile as he tried to regain his composure, deciding to use the same tactic on her that had worked with Jason. "I'm alright, Tegan, honestly. You're going to have to trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"But what are you doing? Doctor, please—"

"Tegan, you must trust me. Just this once," he insisted, praying this would be sufficient to cause her to back down. The attack on his senses and the effort of staving off her inquiries were severely tapping his strength.

Tegan was now deeply troubled by this return to uncharacteristic evasiveness. The Doctor was usually compelled to seek out the assistance of his companions, even if it was only to act as a sounding board for his usually incomprehensible theories. A loner he was not. Then again, he also had the infuriating habit of being right most of the time. With this in mind, Tegan relented in the same reluctant manner as Jason the night before.

The Master had no idea he had just brushed aside the one clue that would have given him his enemy's exact location. Tegan had had every intention of telling him Turlough had stolen her TARDIS key. Fortunately for the Doctor, she was never given the chance.