Chapter Twenty-Four

Return To The Source

The hijacked TARDIS materialized in the Research Center not far from the extraction room. Turlough switched on the viewer, rotating the scanner to see absolutely no one. The place was deserted, not unlike the console room. Jason had disappeared into the depths of the time machine from almost the moment they took flight.

Crossing to the inner door, Turlough called, "Jason, come on! We've landed. It won't take them long to figure out where we've gone." There was an echoing reply he could not make out. A few minutes later, the Alterran appeared carrying a crate that he set on the floor beside the wall. He then pressed a button and a panel opened, a bed gliding out from behind.

"I hope you're not thinking of taking a nap," Turlough said sarcastically.

With an odd smile, the prince said, "Just being prepared."

"We're not trying for a merit badge. Let's go. There's no one about."

Looking over at the viewer, Jason nodded. "Don't be fooled by appearances," he warned. "Curtis murdered almost two dozen people here already. I wouldn't want to add to the tally."

The two had scarcely stepped through the doors when Jason vanished back into the TARDIS, calling, "Hold on. I almost forgot something." A minute later, he returned to the corridor.

"Are you sure you're ready?" came the caustic inquiry.

Not waiting for a reply, Turlough led the way to the computer room. Jason got as far as the door and stopped short. The memories of the horrors he had endured beyond it made him recoil and he paused a moment to collect himself.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Turlough asked concernedly.

Not even wanting to be near the building, Jason gave him a dark look. "What do you think?" he asked acidly. Drawing a deep breath, he pushed open the door and entered, seeing the room clearly for the first time. The sight of the extraction couch made him shudder and he tried to put it out of his mind, crossing to the main computer terminal. To his surprise he saw it was active and checked to see who was logged on, finding, to his added surprise, that it was Tolan, who was attempting to locate the file on Xandora Legrand. Jason severed the link, knowing this would very likely pinpoint his location. He went on to lock out all outside access before setting to work. Within a few minutes he had overridden the system's security protocol thus allowing himself unlimited access to all system files. He then downloaded the disk Amanda had prepared to aid him in his task. The next step was the one he dreaded. He went to the extraction couch and asked Turlough to strap him in. Reluctantly, his friend did as he was asked.

As the last of the bindings was secured, Jason asked mildly, "Turlough, why are you doing this?"

Since the Alterran had said almost nothing since entering the room, Turlough was startled by the sudden inquiry. "Yo…you asked me to," he stammered out nervously.

His reaction amused the prince. "No. I mean, why are you helping me? Seriously. I know everybody thinks Curtis succeeded in driving me insane. What makes you so positive I'm not?"

"Maybe I'm the one who's insane. Did you ever think of that?" his friend retorted as he fitted the extraction helmet into place. "I must be to go along with this. You could kill yourself with this stunt. You know that, don't you?"

"What difference does it make? If they catch us, they'll probably lock me up for the rest of my very long life. I think I'd rather fry my brains now than endure centuries of confinement completely sane."

Unable to think of a suitable response, Turlough activated the helmet. Jason caught his breath, his body going rigid as the connections were made. He exhaled slowly, his body relaxing at the same time.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Turlough muttered darkly. He went back to the main terminal and reached for the controls, adding in irony, "I hope I know what I'm doing."

The Doctor arrived at Constance's study to be informed that, as far as Tolan could tell, Amanda Spencer and Xandora Legrand were one and the same person. Quite naturally, the Time Lord was aghast. If the Commander's suspicions were true, then he had already tipped off the very person they were trying to catch. Before the Doctor could reveal this, however, Tolan said, "I'm trying to get an identity match from HH's memory extract, but the computer is having trouble locating it."

Inwardly, the officer hoped he was wrong. The last thing he wanted to learn was that he had entrusted the life of the Crown Prince of Tel-Shye to the daughter of his kidnapper. Especially after the prince had been so adamant in identifying her. Was she the one responsible for the three attempts on his life? Or worse, had she kidnapped him yet again?

After a lengthy search, the computer finally located the file, beeping in victory and then going blank, this being the exact moment Jason terminated the link at the Research Center.

Constance blinked. "What happened?"

"The link's been severed at the source," Tolan announced, looking up in horror.

"I'm a fool," the Doctor moaned, telling of his blunder in tipping off Amanda. "I should've listened to him."

"We all should have," the Commander injected darkly, adding, "We've got to find him."

"Oh, Tolan," Constance moaned helplessly. "Just because the link was severed there doesn't mean they're at the Center. They could be anywhere. And it took us weeks to find him before."

Having already thought of this, the officer gave her a sour look. "Doctor, how well can Turlough operate your TARDIS?"

Knowing where this was leading, the Time Lord told him that his companion could, to a limited degree, pilot the TARDIS, but was nowhere near as skilled as Jason, whose phenomenal memory had allowed him to master the skill.

"They both know how to operate it?" Tolan cursed under his breath. "We're going to need the locals—"

"Oh, no," Constance moaned. "We just got them out of here."

"I know," came the equally disheartened reply. "We'll have to start with the Center, and to do that, I have to contact those inept fools who call themselves a military force." Flashing an uncharacteristically devilish smile, Tolan added, "That doesn't mean I have to exclude my own people, though."

In the Research Center, Turlough started Jason's program running and after what seemed like forever, the console registered success. The Alterran had penetrated the computer system from within. What followed was an amazing display of flashing lights, clicking circuits and swirling images on terminals. This went on for more than an hour during which time Turlough tore apart the adjoining storerooms in an unsuccessful attempt to find the extraction disks the Doctor had left behind. From time to time he would look into the computer room to keep tabs on the prince's progress.

Turlough had just stepped back into the extraction room when the displays abruptly went blank. Across the room Jason drew a sharp breath, a clear sign that he had completed his task. The young man waited a moment longer to make sure the Alterran was out before closing down the system. As he went to disconnect his friend, he heard the implant prongs withdrawing with a snap as he crossed the room. He pushed the helmet away in distaste and reached for the restraints, only to hesitate. What if the trip inside the main frame actually did fry Jason's brains? Looking down at his unconscious friend in an agony of uncertainty, he wished he had never had his glimpse into the Alterran's future.