CHAPTER TWENTY

REPORT

After a long silence, Reed asked, "If this works, and I really do have true self direction, will I be free to go wherever I chose?"

This unexpected inquiry threw Jason completely and he looked over at the Doctor, who seemed just as startled. "I'm afraid we…eh, haven't thought that far ahead yet," the Time Lord replied apologetically.

Before the android could inquire further, the central control column want quiet, as did the room. "We've landed," the Doctor announced.

"Where?" Reed wanted to know.

It was Jason who answered. "Alterrous. We have to report to the Lord Emperor." If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn the android blanched, an appalled expression coming to his face.

"It's nothing to do with you," the Doctor assured as he pulled the door lever.

"But, Doctor, I was the cause of it all," came the fearful reply. "Your civilizations almost destroyed each other because of what I did."

"Because of what you did under the direction of the Black Guardian," the Doctor corrected.

"But he's not here," Reed countered fearfully. "And as soon as you tell them it was me, they'll want to dismantle me."

"No one is going to lay a finger on you," Jason said firmly. "I won't allow it."

"You won't be able to stop your own Emperor!"

Prince Juris was already at the door and said, "Perhaps you should tell him you're more than just plain old Jason Krystovan, Father. It may make a difference."

Reed took an alarmed step back. "Father!" he gasped. "Yo…you're his father?"

Jason groaned, rolling his eyes. He had overlooked how his relationship with Juris would throw the already uneasy android in to a panic. "Juris, I told you not to call me Father," he moaned. "Look, just stay in the TARDIS and get to work on the program, okay? I'll tell you all about who I am when I get back."

"What happens if they come for me while you're gone?"

"They won't," the Prince said firmly. Suddenly a very clear telepathic message came through from his father telling him to stay behind to keep an eye on the unpredictable Reed. As far as Jason was concerned, he was a danger until proven otherwise and he did not want to leave him alone in the TARDIS with Ace.

"Anyway," Juris continued smoothly, "I'll stay, just to make sure."

The Doctor waved a hand in his companion's direction. "Don't worry. If things get out of hand, Ace can always create a diversion by blowing something up for you."

Reed gave the teenager a sideways look. She did not look any more pleased with the prospect of remaining in the TARDIS with him than he was at staying at all. Yet logic dictated the Doctor was right. He would be safe within the confines of the time machine. And even though he probably did not realize, Jason had ordered him to stay behind to work on the program. Until it was initiated, he had no choice but to do as he was told.

Jason looked around cautiously as he exited the TARDIS, not wanting to be arrested a second time. To his relief, he saw they had materialized very close to the Sanctum.

"Do you think we should put in a call to Tolan before we go in?" the Doctor asked as his royal friend headed for the door.

Turning back to face him, Jason smiling mischievously. "Only if we're caught," he grinned, receiving a disapproving scowl in reply. He held open the door, following the Doctor into the antechamber and changing to his true form.

"It was your idea for Juris to stay behind, wasn't it?" the Time Lord asked as he followed the Alterran into the Sanctum.

"Now how did you know that?" Jason asked in surprise.

The Doctor smiled broadly. "Your son gets a certain look on his face when he's receiving telepathically, and I saw that look just before he so graciously volunteered to stay behind."

As on their first visit, the Sanctum seemed deserted and the Doctor relaxed. It was only when they rounded the last corner that he tensed, seeing what appeared to be a guard outside the Emperor's room. Apparently sensing his ill ease, Jason said quietly, "It's alright, Doctor. It's Fane."

"Jason, he won't know who I am," the Doctor reminded softly.

"He will when I tell him," Jason replied amusedly. "And, by the way, it's Captain Fane now."

As it turned out introductions were unnecessary, the King's former ward having already been briefed on the Time Lord's clearance into the Sanctum. Fane greeted the pair warmly, going on to express his delight and relief at their success in averting the war that had seemed inevitable. He then informed them that the Emperor was not in his room. He was being checked by his own Healers, and having several tests run.

"Will he be up to seeing us, do you think?" Jason asked.

"Uncle Jay, I think he'd feel snubbed if you didn't stay," Fane replied, adding, "He's still quite weak, though."

"We'll try not to tire him out," the Doctor promised as he followed Jason in.

The first thing the Doctor noticed as he entered the room was the lights were slightly brighter than on his previous visit. The sounds in the room had not changed, but the Emperor's circular bed seemed to have grown slightly larger. Or was it an illusion caused by the absence of its occupant?

After a few minutes, the Doctor asked, "Jason, just how seriously ill is Emperor Quinton?"

The Alterran's crystalline sensors seemed to twinkle like stars, something the Doctor had learned to recognize as a sign of amusement. "He'll be alright," Jason replied. "It'll be a while before he's his old imposing self again, though."

"He's not going to die, then?"

"No. He was past the crisis stage before we arrived from Gallifrey. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I've been thinking about what you saw when you had contact with the Seal," came the thoughtful reply. "You weren't King then, but obviously the Seal was privy to your future. It's entirely possible the successor you saw was simply your own."

A ripple of color flashed across the Alterran's body as he took in this startling revelation, this thought having never occurred to him. "Oh, great," he moaned. "So who was the White Guardian talking about?"

"I don't know. As I recall, he simply said the life of the future Emperor was in jeopardy. He never actually indicated that he was on Teggell," the Doctor informed.

"Wonderful," Jason moaned again. "So who did he mean? One of my grandchildren?"

"Isn't it a bit premature to be talking of grandchildren?" asked a quiet voice from the door. "Juris is still only a boy."

The Doctor turned to see the Lord Emperor being brought in. He greeted him formally, bowing slightly. He knew the attendants were surprised, if not horrified to see him present but kept their thoughts to themselves out of respect for their sovereign, and the unmistakable presence of Captain Fane at the door.

Once the Lord Emperor was returned to his bed, and his attendants were gone, the Doctor and Jason filled him in on what had happened, including the startling developments concerning the android, Reed.

After a long pause, Quinton asked, "Do you trust him enough to give him self-direction?"

"No more than I trust anyone who already has it," Jason replied truthfully. "Although I would prefer we were sure he was completely free of the Black Guardian's influence before proceeding."

"And the only way to be sure of that," the Doctor injected, "is to run a thorough and independent check on all his programs. Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as that. We've already promised not to do anything contrary to his wishes."

"I still don't see the dilemma," the Emperor observed. "If, as you say, he wishes to be a free agent, won't he want to be free of the Black Guardian's influences, too?"

"I don't know," the Doctor replied hauntingly. "It all depends on his programming."

Juris had returned to the wicker chair and sat watching the android intently as he worked. Ace had gone to her room to rest. Or so she claimed. The Prince suspected it was simply to get away from Reed, who unnerved her more than she was willing to admit.

Reed stood silently at the TARDIS computer working with amazing speed, his fingers almost a blur as they flew over the keyboard. After several minutes he stopped, allowing his entries to process. He took a step back and scowled, turning to Juris. "What did you mean about your father being more than just plain old Jason Krystovan?" he asked suddenly.

Juris blinked, the question taking him completely off guard. He cleared his throat. "Well, you've probably already figured out he's Alterran," he said evasively.

"Yes, I have," Reed replied. "And that does not answer the question."

Heaving a resigned sigh, Juris said, "The long and the short of it is, my father is Emperor Quinton's Grand Nephew. He's also King of the planet Tel-Shye and I am Crown Prince. We haven't been getting on too well of late, but since you had me shot, I think that will probably change, don't you?"

"I'd say the odds are in your favor," Reed said mildly.

Juris scowled at him. "I hope you've put something in that ethics program about not frightening people to death."

"I'm afraid I don't know the parameters for that," came the truthful reply. "And to set the record straight, the reason I had you shot was because I couldn't do it myself. My programming prevents me from directly harming anyone."

"But you can still carry a weapon?"

"I'm sure the Doctor will be annoyed to hear this, but the gun wasn't loaded." To prove his point, he tossed the gun Alex had given to Ace over to the Prince. "Check for yourself."

Juris did, finding it exactly as he said. The idea of what Reed had done suddenly made the Alterran uneasy. Obviously he did have some sort of ethics program, but it was flawed. "You can't harm someone yourself, but you can order someone else to do it for you. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

"Without any conflict?"

"Yes. Ironic, isn't it?" Reed said calmly.

"No, it's a loophole in your programming. Question is, how did you find it?" A sudden thought struck him, and Juris asked, "Did the Black Guardian point that out to you?"

The android stiffened visibly. Obviously, the Prince had guessed correctly. "What are you suggesting?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. For him to be truly free of the evil being's influence, he was going to have to run a full analysis on his systems. And if he didn't find anything himself, he would probably have to verify it by running an independent analysis, which meant possible deactivation.

"You already know what I'm suggesting," the Alterran said calmly. "The real question is, are you willing to do it?"