Chapter 50
"This Has Been Altered!"
Inside the Matrix, the Doctor came across a tangled mass of connections unlike any he had encountered thus far. He knelt down to study them more thoroughly, being certain he had discovered the junction where the computer center was tied into the Matrix. His intense concentration was interrupted when a hand suddenly touched him on the shoulder. Startled, the Doctor spun around, falling over backwards in the process. He looked up to see Lady Tostine standing before him in her human form. He observed the latter without surprise, knowing of the Alterran predilection to concealing their true form.
"Shadra!" the Time Lord gasped, a hand going to his chest to keep his hearts from jumping out. "You gave me quite a turn."
"It is you, isn't it, Doctor?" she asked nervously. "I mean, it really is you this time, isn't it?"
"Of course it's me, my dear," the Doctor said as he got to his feet, explaining that it would be impossible for him to conceal his identity even if he chose to. Inside the Matrix, she was the one in control. He noticed that even though this seemed to allay some of her fears, the Baroness was still apprehensive and he took a small step back, which was all he needed to do verify his identity.
Shadra smiled self-consciously, lowering her eyes. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked sheepishly.
"I'm not entirely sure myself," the Doctor sighed, turning back to the connections. "I'm still trying to sort this lot out." He waved a hand at the tangle of wires flashing colorfully beside him.
To Shadra, they were just a meaningless jumble. "Do you know—?" She caught her breath when she saw the lights keeping time with her words, a phenomenon the Doctor observed with keen interest. It seemed to confirm his suspicions.
Recovering herself, the Baroness tried again. "Do you know what they're for?"
"I believe this is where you're connected into the Matrix," the Time Lord replied, returning his full attention to the junction.
Shadra gave way to an involuntary shudder, the tangle of wires taking on a whole new meaning. She jumped when the Doctor suddenly turned back to her and asked, "Tell me, did the Master tell you how he planned on using all this?"
"Oh, yes…" she responded grimly, telling of how her captor had taken great delight in laying out his scheme and then reminding her how powerless she was to stop him. Shadra told the Doctor all she could recall of the Master's plan to subvert the High Council of Gallifrey.
While the Doctor was busy in the Matrix, Jason was busy in the Crystal Cavern. He carefully removed the crystals from the sunburst console and returned them to their fitted case. At the same time, he explained the KaRoon-Tar to Turlough, who was the only one who did not know the full story.
Once the crystals were removed, Jason deactivated the console and was about to go back to the computer room when a sudden thought struck him. What if the console itself had been damaged? It had been the stabilizing factor from the time of the exchange and had very likely been subjected to the same roller coaster ride of instability while the Time Lords were linked together. The accelerated deterioration might have been just as stressful on the computer as it had been on them. The Prince crawled inside the unit and was relieved to find no signs of damage, which he reported to Turlough as he extracted himself from the small space.
"Jason, you said this wasn't your field," Turlough remarked, "but you seem to know awful lot about this place."
The Alterran gave an amused grunt. "I grew up around here, Turlough. I was weaned on the legend of the Crystal Cavern." He then admitted that, like his friend, he had always considered most legends to be so much superstitious nonsense. An attempt by the unenlightened to explain the mysteries of the universe. Now it seemed all too obvious that the Cavern legends had merely been a smoke screen to conceal the true nature of the place.
"The legend states that the Chamber of Balance is of paramount importance," Jason was saying. "But its exact location was lost." Turning to the secret passage, he added, "Until now, that is."
Turlough followed his gaze. "The computer center!"
"Yes," the Prince agreed blandly. Crossing to a panel beside the console, he pulled it open and looked inside. "That would mean the energy flowing through there, comes through here before—" Jason broke off and scowled into the opening.
"What's wrong?"
"That's odd. It looks different," the Alterran replied. He touched a button and a shelf slowly came out bearing a large oblong crystal set on a pedestal. Jason passed a hand slowly up and down the crystal's length, studying it with an intensity Turlough found unsettling. Something was very wrong, but he held off his inquiries until the Prince finished his examination, not wanting to break his concentration.
The gemstone throbbed with power as Jason moved his hand over its surface. Suddenly, he caught his breath and looked up in alarm. "This has been altered!"
"What is it?" Turlough wanted to know.
"The primary power filter to the Matrix. It's been altered in such a way that the power can be bled off." Wide-eyed, Jason looked over at his perplexed friend. "Turlough, this is serious!"
Turlough was not the only one unsettled by the sudden note of panic in Jason's voice. "How serious?" came the Doctor's voice from around them. Since he would never have described the Alterran as an alarmist, he braced himself for the reply.
Jason returned the crystal to its niche and closed the panel. "The crystal regulates and stabilizes the power generated by the Matrix. I used to think it directed it into the console. Now it seems more likely it's directed into the computer center. What the legend calls the Chamber of Balance. The thing is, the way it's been altered, if the power isn't restabilized as it's drawn off, there won't be any balance." He paused before stating gravely, "The entire Matrix will become a giant positive feedback circuit."
"The power will keep building to infinity," the Doctor concluded soberly. "You're right. This is serious. And you said it wasn't your field." He turned back to Shadra, seeing a horrified expression on her face. From what she had told him, the Doctor gathered the Master was planning to use his TARDIS as the relay for the power drawn from the Matrix. Had he also been using it as a stabilizer? If so, the Doctor feared the peremptory removal of the Master's TARDIS might have started an energy build up, putting the trapped Baroness in the most appalling danger. Something she already appeared to have concluded for herself.
"Shadra, I must return to the computer center," the Doctor said in a gentle, yet urgent tone, "and I shall require your assistance to get out of here quickly."
"Certainly, Doctor. What must I do?"
While the others were busy with their various tasks, Tegan kept watch over the Doctor's stone-like form. She could hear the conversation going on in the Matrix as well as the one at the other end of the tunnel. Upon hearing the Doctor express his desire to leave the Matrix, she wondered how quickly he meant, discovering he meant immediately when the living statue suddenly sprang to life and dashed over to the computer.
"Doctor! You nearly scared the life out of me," she scolded. "Are you alright?"
"No time for that now," the Time Lord snapped impatiently. He waved a hand at the cage in which Shadra seemed inextricably imprisoned. "We've got to get that monstrosity disconnected from the Matrix power source!" He looked around the enclosure, seeing several cables connected to the top. They ran along the ceiling and down the wall disappearing into the side of the computer at the end nearest the now demolished transmat.
"This thing has to be plugged in somewhere," the Doctor muttered, following the cables with his eyes. He snatched up a crow bar from the pile of discarded tools and wrenched the panel open.
"I'm afraid it was already plugged in when I got here," the Baroness informed, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "And I don't remember where you—he—turned it on."
The Doctor threw her a reassuring smile. "Don't you worry. We still have my TARDIS. We can always use her, if we need to." Looking back into the unfamiliar circuitry, he added under his breath, "And if there's time…"