Chapter Twelve

Betrayal

Peri was now at the conference table scrutinizing the image in wonder. "Another dimension? Leading where?"

"Ah, well…I'm afraid you've got me there," the Doctor admitted guiltily. "I might be able to tell you, if I could run the data through the TARDIS's computer." Turning to his old friend, he said, "I don't suppose it's possible to have her brought to closer quarters, is it?"

Jason flashed a knowing smile. "The TARDIS is closer than you think, Doctor. I took the lib erty—or more accurately, Lord Krystovan took the liberty—of having it brought down from Generator 4. It's in the throne room not ten metres away."

The Doctor could not have been more delighted. "I must remember to thank his lordship the next time I see him," he quipped.

Jason took advantage of the brief interlude to rest while the Doctor was busy verifying his findings. While playing a duel role appealed to the Alterran's flamboyant, if ofttimes overly dramatic nature, it was also very exhausting. He was grateful for any opportunity when he could let his guard down. Since it was the time of day that the old King usually took a nap, Jason had returned to his guise of the younger Lord Krystovan and was lounging in an easy chair chatting with Peri when Farrell and a contingent of armed guards suddenly burst into the room.

The Alterran was on his feet in a second. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"You're under arrest," Farrell announced blandly.

"What!" Jason was incredulous. "On what charge?"

"Conspiracy, treason, and murder. To name a few."

"What? Don't be an idiot, Farrell." Any further protests Jason might have made were cut off by an energy blast that dropped him like a stone. Peri wanted to scream but could not make a sound.

"Don't try anything foolish, girl. You won't survive a shot from this, even on the stun setting," Farrell hissed threateningly, indicating the Alterran weapon that had been used to subdue the King. Looking around the room, he suddenly realized the Doctor was not present. "Where's the Doctor?" he demanded, grabbing Peri by the arm.

"You're hurting me!" she protested, fighting against the painfully tight grip.

"I haven't begun hurting you, girl. Now, where is he?"

"He's in the TARDIS!" Peri cried. She succeeded in pulling her arm free at the same time and took a step back.

It was obvious to Farrell that Peri was telling the truth, but he had absolutely no idea what she meant. Unwilling to admit his ignorance, however, he made no reply, ordering a thorough search of the King's rooms. He then took his prisoners to the old prison area.

Peri was locked in a damp stone cell while the unconscious Jason was carried off in another direction. After pounding on the door for several minutes without success, Peri sat down on the only piece of furniture in the room, this being a cot that felt more like a padded table. It was there that she waited. And waited…

In the TARDIS console room, the Doctor had finished checking the results of his findings but had yet to return to inform his friend of the results. The computer's response deeply concerned him and for what seemed the hundredth time he ran his data through the system, inwardly hoping against logic that the results would be different. He had suspected a sinister reason behind a portal to another dimension being opened, but not the one the computer supplied. He eventually asked for information on the planet's history, hoping it would not be as disconcerting as the in formation about the portal.

The computer gave a loud beep, the information flashing up on the screen. The Doctor read the file, his face darkening as he did so. The more he learned of the planet's history, the more sinister the current events became, and the more dangerous for those involved. How am I go ing to break this to Jason?

The Doctor's findings were the least of Jason's worries. He regained consciousness to find himself strapped to a couch with a strange assortment of electronic hardware attached to his head. He heaved a resigned sigh, recognizing the device as a mind probe. He looked around fuzzily, his eyes falling on what looked a shadow box with a beam of blue light dancing across its opening. He tensed upon seeing it, as it meant escape was currently impossible.

"Yes, it's a barrier generator," Farrell confirmed as he stepped into the Alterran's limited line of vision. "How else could we keep you prisoner?"

"How else indeed?" Jason muttered darkly. As long as the tiny device was operating, he would be unable to escape his bonds either by transmuting or by simply snapping them, his strength having been diminished to human levels. "Alright, Farrell, now that you've got me here, what do you want?" he demanded.

"Knowledge," the Inquisitor purred mysteriously. "A very special kind of knowledge. Inter-dimensional spatial theory."

"What?" Jason breathed unbelievingly. "But I don't—"

"You can stop pretending, your Majesty, I know who you are," Farrell announced devastatingly. "Your masquerade was ingenious, but not entirely foolproof."

Jason followed his captor's gaze, seeing, to his horror, his own son standing stone-like in the far corner. "Juris…" he whispered, closing his eyes in abject sorrow. For a single frozen moment, he did not know which hurt him more, the loss of his son to the likes of Farrell, or his own son's betrayal. By being a party to this treasonous act Prince Juris had condemned himself to, at best, banishment, at worse, death.

Trapped in his energy prison on the other side of the spatial rift, the real Prince Juris was just as helpless as the King. He watched the entire distressing scene, his suffering increasing by the moment. Seeing the pained look on his father's face, a small moan of anguish escaped him. He knew exactly what he was thinking and could feel the pain of his betrayal.

Since his father's arrival, Juris had watched as Jason tried to come to terms with the fact that his son had apparently abandoned all his people's values. Now he was forced to watch as his father was betrayed and handed over to his enemies—seemingly, at his own hand.

Farrell ordered the mind probe activated and his prisoner caught his breath as the device stabbed at his brain. "Inter-dimensional spatial theory, your Majesty," he repeated. "Your son hasn't the complete knowledge, but I believe you do."

"My…" King Jason was horrified. "You put my son on this accursed machine!" Farrell laughed at this reaction and the volatile Alterran felt his rage swelling like a tidal wave and struggled against his bonds. "I'll kill you if I ever get out of this thing, Farrell! I swear I'll kill you!"

"The only way out is to give me the information I need. You know the drill. Just think the equations, and the machine will do the rest."

"What do you want them for?" the King demanded. Unfortunately, his anger had made him careless and his own thoughts betrayed him. The image of the Doctor's holographic simulation replayed itself on the monitor.

"Yes…" Farrell breathed maniacally. "Give it to me. Ormril awaits his return."

"Ormril?" The name left Jason momentarily stunned. "Now I know you're insane," he said at last, wincing as the power surging through his brain increased. "He'll destroy every living thing on this planet, including you."

"No. He promises to share his power."

"The only share you'll get is the one that kills you."

The Inquisitor snorted indignantly and waved a hand at the mind probe operator. "Increase the power. I want every scrape of information in his mind on inter-dimensional theory." Turning to his prisoner, he added coldly, "And don't bother telling me you don't remember any of it, either, because I also know you have total recall."

Jason winced as the device stabbed into his brain with greater force. "Maybe so," he said in a strained voice, "but just remember, total recall does not guarantee total understanding." So saying, he closed his eyes and concentrated with all his strength to clear his mind. A small smile came to his face as his mind, and then the monitor screen, went blank.

Farrell cursed under his breath. "Full power!"

"But, sir, that'll kill him," the operator protested.

"I said full power!"

As the order was obeyed, Farrell watched in sadistic delight as the Alterran's body started to twitch as he strained to fight back. The hum of power grew and Jason's face twisted in pain. As the operator announced they had reached full power, the Alterran started to writhe in torment, straining against his bonds as the powerful device clawed at his mind. After what seemed an eternity, a wail that was a combination of agony and frustration was torn from Jason's throat as numerous equations began flashing across the screen.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Farrell muttered, exchanging a look of satisfaction with the false Prince Juris.

The real Prince Juris, on the other hand, had an entirely different reaction.

"Turn it off! Turn it off! I can't stand it anymore," he screamed in anguish. "Asta, please, turn it off!"

Asta was puzzled and intrigued by his reaction. "This is as we planned—"

"No! It's as you planned," the captive Prince shouted. "You and that horrible Master of yours. Death and destruction, that's all you know!"

Another scream of agony came through the viewer and the trapped Juris moaned in torment. The energies generated in the mind probe room tore through him like a jagged knife, increasing the paralyzing effects of the energy field to the point where he was unable to move, making it impossible for him to turn away or cover his ears against his father's tortured screams.

"You generate such strong emotions, Juris. Explain them. I must understand," Asta said in so clinical a tone that it enraged the young man all the more.

"Understand! What's to understand? You're torturing my father to death!" Juris shouted. "I hate it! Can't you feel that? Isn't it violent enough for you? I hate it and I hate you. You and that abominable Master of yours."

"Your emotions were not violent until now," came the reply in the same clinical tone. "They were different. You suffer with him. I don't understand how this is possible."

Juris was incredulous. "What are you talking about? He's my father!"

At that moment the scene of torment ended as Jason went limp in his bonds, the mind probe screen going blank at the same time. The paralysis vanished the same instant, releasing the trembling Juris who fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Sobs of grief shook his body, tears staining his face.

"Your answer is not adequate," the entity stated blandly, oblivious to its captive's intense grief. "I have absorbed many fathers and sons who sought to destroy one another to gain my Master's favor."

Juris looked up sharply, a murderous look on his face. "You'll never understand!" he said bitterly, his voice shaking with emotion. "You'll never understand, because you have no conception of what it means to love someone."

The view screen suddenly went blank and to the Prince's astonishment his captor calmly said, "Then you will explain it to me."