Chapter Thirty-One

Purified Energy

What had seemed like hours had actually been only minutes, the passage of time within the memory link being purely perceptual. For an untrained participant, such as Turlough, the temporal disturbance this creates can be incredibly draining, and as soon as the link was broken, he collapsed, completely exhausted by the experience. Having anticipated this reaction, the Doctor caught him as he fell, placing him in a nearby chair.

It took a minute for the dazed young man to regain his equilibrium. The Doctor brought him a glass of water and Turlough took a few sips, the cool liquid helping to bring him back to reality.

"I didn't realize the link would be so long," the Time Lord said apologetically. "Are you alright?"

His companion put a hand to his head. "I don't know. I think so. I'm so…dizzy."

Patting the young man's shoulder, the Doctor said simply, "Temporal imbalance. It'll pass in a bit."

Suddenly one of Jason's monitors started to squeal and the Doctor spun around just as Muriel exclaimed, "He's in cardiac arrest! We're too late!"

Hearing Healer Roxell and her staff thundering up the stairs, the Doctor ordered, "Start the energy transfer."

"I can't!" Muriel recoiled when he turned to her, a cold and angry look on his face. "If I try while he's unstable, I'll kill him."

The Doctor only just managed to unlock the door and pull it open before Roxell and the others burst in. There was a brief flurry of activity after which Jason's condition was stabilized. Once the invisible Mythryn was certain he would remain stable, she began the transfer. Closing her eyes, she concentrated, her body blurring momentarily. Then a cloud-like stream appeared and moved slowly from her body into that of the comatose Prince Jason.

The Doctor nodded his approval, turning his attention to Healer Roxell, who had just finished dismissing her staff. "Roxell, what are his chances? Realistically?" he asked.

The Healer looked at his set expression, the carefully rehearsed evasive speeches flashing through her mind, all of which she knew he would reject. "To be truthful," she said at last, "I didn't expect him to survive the surgery, much less through the night." Shaking her head, she admitted, "As far as I can tell, the only thing keeping him alive is that incredibly strong will of his." Glancing at the door, she said, "I'd better let those security people know about this."

"I'll tell them," the Doctor volunteered. "I have to talk to Tolan anyway." He waited until Roxell had gone before turning back to his visibly recovered companion. "Wait here. According to Muriel, that invasion force is the Daleks."

"Not again," Turlough moaned.

"Yes. And as you saw, Jason never got the chance to transmit his program."

"I know. I sent it," his companion informed startlingly.

The Doctor blinked. "You sent it? When?"

"After we found him." Holding up his hands, the young man said, "And before you get angry, I didn't tell you because I was afraid Jason had been shot to prevent its being sent. I didn't want them to know it went out anyway."

"Good thinking," the Doctor said approvingly, much to his companion's surprise. He turned to leave, only to stop and turn back. "I say, Turlough, that is everything, isn't it?" he asked mildly. "You're not holding anything else back?"

"No, that's everything." Glancing over at Muriel, Turlough asked, "How about you?"

The Time Lord straightened. "Yes, I did say I'd explain, didn't I?"

Turlough chose not to point out that the Doctor always promised to explain. Since this seemed one of those rare occasions when he actually seemed inclined to do so, he gave the Time Lord what he hoped was his best expectant look.

"You studied Earth mythology, I believe," the Doctor began calmly. "Well, in ancient times, our friend Muriel would've been thought to be a fairy or a sprite."

"What?" His companion turned in amazement to the silent Mythryn.

"You may recall these mischievous spirits liked to stir up trouble," the Doctor went on. "Whispering into the ear of one ruthless, ambitious individual and then warning the poor unfortunate they'd singled out as their hero. That's what Mythryn do, you see, manipulate lives and situations to make a legend come into being." He threw a scornful look in Muriel's direction. "Apparently Jason and the New Argonauts was too good an epic to pass up."

Turlough took all this in in an appalled silence. Just as the Doctor assumed, he was indeed familiar with the Earth myth of Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece. He was also familiar with the other epics of its time. Happy endings were not the order of the day. Usually the hero of the piece either died violently or continued in a life beset with tragedy. Now it seemed the newest Jason would suffer one of these fates as well.

Turlough looked up sharply when Muriel suddenly snapped, "No one can guarantee the future, Turlough. Would you rather I'd just let him die and not have to face it?"

"Oh, yes. They can also read minds," the Doctor informed belatedly. Shifting his gaze to the agitated Muriel, he said, "Jason seemed to know he was being manipulated. Did you tell him?"

"Yes. On Aegis," the Mythryn admitted. "I thought he should know outside forces were at work around him."

"Why? Doesn't that go against your code or something?"

Muriel gave the prince an affectionate look, saying only, "I owed him one."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. Was there a single female in the cosmos who had come in contact with Jason and not fallen under his spell? He kept this thought to himself, saying blandly, "You and a majority of the Argonauts, it seems." With that, he vanished through the door.

After an awkward silence, Turlough got to his feet, going over to the bed. He could see the stream of energy pouring into the Alterran's body, causing it to glow ever so slightly. "Just… what are you doing, exactly?" he asked hesitantly.

Muriel gave him a long, searching look before breaking into an amused smile. "You make yourself out to be a coward, yet you risked danger to protect PJ," she said quietly, startling the young man. This was not what he expected to hear. "He has a true friend in you, Turlough."

"I guess I owed him one, too."

Smiling again, Muriel held up the energy tube Turlough thought had been lost at the Center. She explained that she was able to filter its output to supply Jason with what Alterrans referred to as purified energy. Unlike other energy sources, this did not have to be converted; it could be stored or utilized immediately. Given Jason's present over-weakened condition, he would have to restore his energy reserves before his body could begin repairing itself. Even so, Muriel admitted that if she were not careful even the purified energy could burn him out.

The Doctor went to find Commander Tolan, only to be told he had already gone to join the Imperial forces, Lieutenant Fane having been left in charge during his absence. To the Doctor's surprise, the importance of the matter was never even questioned when he went to the Lieutenant and told him he needed to speak to Tolan immediately. Fane took him directly to the library and put in a call to his commanding officer.

"Doctor, I can't stay on Tel-Shye forever," Tolan objected. "That invasion force is picking up speed—"

"I'm not calling to get you back, Tolan," the Doctor broke in. "Quite the reverse. There's a great deal more going on than any of us realized." A sudden thought struck him and he asked, "Is this transmission secured?"

The Commander scowled. This was the last thing he expected to be asked. Touching a button, he informed, "It is now."

Lieutenant Fane did the same. "You're secure this end, too, Doctor."

The Doctor nodded approvingly, going on to tell the appalled Commander Tolan the identity of the invaders. He then went on to tell of his encounter with Muriel and the memory link. "If what I saw is what actually happened—and I've no reason to believe it did not—then Amanda, or Xandora, or whatever you want to call her, isn't lying. She was framed."

Tolan did not respond right away, his expression set. "If that's true, she's in as much danger as HH," he said at last.

"Considerably more so, I should think."

"Then for her own safety, she's better off right where she is, especially with the blackout in effect." Before the Doctor could reply, the Commander went on, "Fane will need your help if we're going to pull this off, Doctor. Amanda's best protection is for no one to know what you've just told me. If the real traitor thinks we're after Amanda, then perhaps they'll let their guard down and start making mistakes."

The Doctor was forced to agree that this was a solid plan. Unfortunately, it also meant keeping Amanda under lock and key.

"The Emperor ordered her held at Starbridge," Tolan said, and flashed a rare smile. "He didn't say she had to be kept in solitary confinement. I've already left standing orders that she be allowed as many visitors as wish to see her, so long as they go in one at a time."

Clearly impressed, the Time Lord gave the officer a sideways glance. "You never did believe she was involved, did you, Tolan?"

The Commander shook his head, admitting, "No. She's far too intelligent to be that obvious. And—as everyone keeps telling me—she could've killed HH as soon as we found him. Or easily arranged another abduction. Why she stayed is a mystery to me. Especially after Constance offered her that extended leave. Why come back? She had to've known HH would identify her as soon as he came to his senses."

"Well, I'm no expert," the Doctor remarked aridly, "but I do know Jason, and he has a way with the ladies, let me tell you. Amanda said they have a history, and that suggests—to me, anyway—that they were once romantically involved."

Tolan's reaction mirrored the Doctor's. He rolled his eyes and groaned, being all too familiar with the prince's affect on the opposite sex. Choosing to avoid the subject completely, he asked, "And what about this rouge Mythryn? How do we guard against her?"

"You let me worry about her," the Doctor said firmly. "Your weapons won't have any affect. You have to use mental force against them."

"I'll leave it to you, then." Tolan drew a deep breath and said seriously, "I don't know how long it'll be before that fleet reaches the Outer Boundary. And if that program fails…" He left the sentence unfinished knowing if the program failed, he might not return at all. Wishing them both luck, he signed off.

The Doctor turned to Lieutenant Fane, seeing a worried look on his usually cheerful face. Unlike his commanding officer, the young man's expressions were a great deal easier to read. "Worried about Tolan, or your assignment?" he asked.

The startled Lieutenant cleared his throat nervously before saying, "I'm worried about my family."

The Doctor wanted to kick himself for having forgotten that, as an Imperial Guard, Fane's family would have had the honor of being relocated to their home world of Alterrous, as the vast majority of the Alterran population was scattered throughout the Empire. Clearing his own throat, he quickly apologized.

Fane seemed to find the Time Lord's reaction amusing and grinned. "Should I be worried about my assignment, Doctor?"

"There is a very real danger, Lieutenant," came the deadly serious reply.

The smile vanished from Fane's face and he was suddenly completely serious. "Well, if anybody does try to get at Uncle Jay or Amanda, they'll have to go through me first."