Chapter Twenty-Six

Rescue, Part 2

Jason was hoping no one would start shooting at him, either. The computer let out a beep and he looked down to see his program had run through its latest test without a hitch. Finally! Now all I need to do was transmit it. He reached for the button only to stop, his hand hovering in midair. Pressing it would mean the end of the invasion. It would also mean the end of thousands of lives. Did he have the right to make this decision? Angry with himself and his own morality, Jason slammed his fist on the console, cursing under his breath. There were millions living on Alterrous and their lives depended on his pushing that button. He had to do it.

The door suddenly opened and Jason looked up, leaning back in his chair as the newcomer entered.

The Doctor and Tolan were making their way towards the computer room when they heard gunfire further ahead. The Commander was instantly on the radio demanding to know what had happened.

Lieutenant Fane appeared as all units reported no contacts. The sound of running footsteps suddenly came from the opposite direction and the Imperial Guardsmen pulled their weapons in unison, almost scaring the life out of Turlough as he came out of the darkness.

The Doctor thought his companion might be running from a pursuer. "Turlough!" he gasped. "Are you alright?"

"I heard…shots," came the breathless reply.

"So did we," Tolan informed. "I think they came from the computer room."

"Oh no…" gasped the appalled Turlough. "I left Jason in there!" He tried to run but was prevented by Tolan, who had no intention of letting the unarmed youth out of his sight. As with the first rescue, he cautiously led the way toward the computer room.

"How did you get away?" the Doctor wanted to know.

His companion was completely baffled. "Away?"

"From Amanda?"

"Amanda? Doctor, what're you talking about?"

It was Tolan who replied. "We've reason to believe she's Xandora Legrand."

The Doctor and Tolan expected some kind of reaction, but not the one that they received. Turlough merely grunted. "She is. Jason told me already. We left her at the—" He broke off at the sound of another shot. This time there was no doubting it had come from the computer room.

Stopping just outside the door, the Commander looked over at Fane, who nodded, taking up a position on one side of the door while Tolan went to the other. On the count of three they burst into the room, weapons in hand.

It was empty.

Or so it at first appeared. There was blood splattered on the wall behind the main console and Tolan went cautiously over to it, the Doctor and his companion entering behind him.

"No…" Turlough moaned.

The Doctor followed after the Commander, finding the gravely injured Jason behind the console. He was lying in a pool of blood, his back against the wall. The Time Lord got down beside him and was relieved when he heard his labored breathing. "He's alive," he announced.

Turlough leaned over the top of the console and groaned. "I shouldn't've left him."

"Never mind that now. Where's the TARDIS?"

"Down the hall just outside."

The Doctor nodded approvingly. At least they didn't have far to go.

"He needs a—" Tolan turned sharply to his Lieutenant. "Fane, you're a medic."

The Lieutenant gave him a helpless look. "Commander, I have no supplies. We need to call for transport."

"No time," the Time Lord cut in sharply. "We'll use the TARDIS."

Commander Tolan nodded his agreement, contacting the others to let them know Prince Jason had been located and was being transported from the building. Fane did what he could to prepare the prince to be moved, his ministrations bringing the semi-conscious Jason back to his senses. He groaned in pain and opened his eyes to see the Doctor beside him. He took hold of the Time Lord's arm and whispered in an urgent tone, "Doctor…stop them. Must…stop them… thousands… Transmission…make transmission."

"Uncle Jay, please, don't talk," Fane said gently.

Jason did not seem to hear him, his eyes remaining fixed on the Doctor's face. "Doctor, please. Andy…in danger. He knows! Tell Andy…he knows!"

Turlough had no idea what this second message meant, but he knew what the first one did and looked down at the computer, seeing that the customized program had been completed but not transmitted. Why? he wondered. A horrifying thought struck him and he looked back at his critically injured friend. Had the person behind the invasion discovered Jason's attempt to sabotage it? Perhaps they had been watching the whole time and seized the opportunity to strike while the prince was alone. It seemed a strange coincidence that he should be struck down just as he was about to transmit his disruptive program.

As the wounded Prince Jason was gently lifted from the floor, Turlough stayed where he was, making as if to stay out of the way. Reaching across the console, he casually initiated the program before following the others to the TARDIS.

Jason was placed on the bed in the console room that he himself had prepared only a short time before.

"Do you want me to reverse—?" Turlough flinched away when the Doctor turned a murderous look in his direction.

"Close the doors," the Time Lord ordered. He strode over to the console, controlling his temper with visible effort. His companion was spared his wrath when the TARDIS abruptly dematerialized the moment the doors were closed.

"Jason must've preset the coordinates!" Turlough gasped. "So that's what he was doing." He took a step toward the navigational controls, backing away as the Doctor drew near.

"Those aren't the coordinates for the Foundation," the Time Lord observed in bewilderment, discovering at the same time that the controls had been locked.

"Great," Tolan moaned. "So where are we going?"

"Home," came the quiet answer.

They all turned in surprise to Prince Jason, who had said nothing since being brought into the TARDIS and they had all thought he was only semi-conscious.

"Uncle Jay, please, you mustn't talk," Fane said worriedly.

"Home," Jason repeated, squeezing Fane's hand. "I set…I set…" He shivered and a groan of pain escaped him, his grip tightening. Closing his eyes tightly, he licked his lips to try and moisten them. "Shock…dehydration… Not good. Bleeding…too fast…too fast…" the former Healer diagnosed weakly.

Looking at his commanding officer, the Lieutenant said helplessly, "I don't have what I need to stop the bleeding."

"Box…" the prince whispered. "Look in…box…"

The Doctor and Tolan exchanged a bewildered look, turning to the equally baffled Fane. Turlough, on the other hand, caught his breath, his eyes widening. "The box, of course!" He dove at the crate his friend had brought out, finding it filled with medical supplies, including several bottles of synthetic blood. Clearly impressed, he pulled one out, looking over at the prince. "You get your merit badge."

Jason gave him a weak smile. "Be prepared."

"This is too much," Tolan muttered.

Fane had already taken the blood from Turlough and immediately started the transfusion. He then began tending to the rest of the prince's wounds as best he could, being both relieved and disquieted at having his patient issue the instructions on how best to treat him. It was not until the Medic immobilized his badly broken forearm that Jason finally lost consciousness.

The journey "home," while not long, seemed endless to the worried occupants of the TARDIS. When the time machine finally materialized the Doctor activated the scanner to see an enormous mansion just outside. "Well, it's not the Royal Palace," he observed blandly.

"No. It's Starbridge House!" Fane gasped in amazement.

"Starbridge?" the Doctor repeated. Turning back to the viewer, he gave the house a closer look, recognizing the front entry of the house where Jason had been born and raised. "Good grief, he really did mean home." Pulling the door lever, he said, "Let's see who's about."

"Doctor, we've got to get Jason to a hospital!" Turlough objected, finding his voice at last.

"Turlough, Starbridge is a hospital," Fane said firmly. "There's always a Healer in residence. And because of its remote location it has its own operating theater."

"How on earth do you know that?" the Doctor asked in amazement.

"I practically grew up here, remember?" the Lieutenant reminded.

Fane lifted the unconscious Prince Jason into his arms and placed him on a stretcher that Turlough had discovered in the hall just outside the inner door. (Yet another of Jason's startling preparations.) Heading towards the door, the young officer said, "Shall we see who's on call?"