CHAPTER 41

INCENTIVE

Jason contacted SorRell, informing her of the capture of the Gres-Fa-Raayn officer. He went on to tell of their plans to extract the precise location of the hostages from him, which would make implementing the Doctor's plan that much easier.

"Protocol forces me to protest your being personally involved in this, highness," SorRell replied, her voice sounding more admiring than reproachful.

"Your admonition is noted, Commander," Jason replied blandly. "What's the status on your clearing of the stairwell?"

"Uncertain without knowing their exact depth. We'll keep you informed."

"No, I'd like to maintain radio silence until we're ready."

There was a short pause as SorRell lodged her non-verbal protest. "Acknowledged. Be careful, sir. SorRell out."

"Thank you, Commander, I will. HRH out."

Jason explained his idea to extract the information from the captive Gres-Fa-Raayn officer. The Doctor could not help but admire the audacity of it, going on to make specific suggestions to assure its success.

As Jason placed the unconscious Buckley at the end of the corridor leading away from the reactors, the Doctor went over the plan one more time so everyone was clear on what they were to do.

"Jason, a suggestion," the Doctor said thoughtfully as his friend returned to his mutant spider persona. "Why not wrap him up a bit? More convincing, don't you think?"

"Agreed," the Alterran replied. He produced a thick sheet of webbing and wrapped it around the man's body, trapping his arms and already bound hands. He went on to wrap another sheet around his legs. When his captive stirred, he hurriedly took up his position further on down the corridor.

Buckley opened his eyes to see three ghastly gray faces looking down at him. He let out a cry of alarm and tried to squirm away, discovering at the same time that he could not move, his body trapped in a cocoon of webbing. Remembering what had happened in the room, he looked around wildly, seeing Jason apparently pacing several metres away.

"It wants the others," Pr'Ce'el said dully, causing his former commanding officer to jump.

"Others?" Buckley gave him a stricken look, thinking he meant the other mercenaries.

Pr'Ce'el was now sported the same apparent puncture wound in his neck as the Doctor and Grant, his dark skin a deathly shade of gray. His broken arm was secured across his abdomen, disguised by the same type of webbing that encased the officer. It was placed in such a way that it appeared as though he were simply wearing a shawl of the webbing that was draped over his arms.

Despite his discomfort at being at close quarters with the disguised Jason, Pr'Ce'el had agreed to act as the group's spokesman since he was more likely to be believed by Buckley. He nodded toward the pacing Alterran. "The Heladin wants the others. The hostages."

"What?" The captive officer was about to demand further information when Jason scuttled closer to the trapped figure, making some rather impressive clicking noises.

"The Heladin knows about the hostages," the Doctor chimed in dully, stepping in before Pr'Ce'el started to panic. "It wants them for its nest."

Buckley's eyes grew so wide they practically popped out of his head. Looking fearfully at the hovering Alterran, he asked, "How do you know all this?"

"It told us." Now Grant took his turn unnerving the Gres-Fa-Raayn. He moved in closer, giving his voice a musical quality. "We hear its voice…in our minds. It speaks to us. It speaks through him." He slowly turned his gaze to Pr'Ce'el, who took his cue magnificently.

"Surrender the hostages you hold for your masters and you will live, creature called Buckley." Pr'Ce'el's face turned cold and angry. "Refuse and you die."

Faced with this lack of a choice, Buckley agreed. In response Jason made another impressive succession of clicks and the Doctor and his companion seemed to come out of their trance at once. "Well done, Mr. Buckley," the Time Lord said in a grateful tone. He released the baffled man's legs from the cocoon of webbing with the knife he had used to threaten Grant. He did not release his arms, however, appearing to respond to a command from the agitated Alterran.

"What did I do?" Buckley wanted to know as he was lifted from the floor.

It was Grant who replied. "It's letting us go in exchange for whoever these hostages are." He tried to sound as pleased as possible at the bargain.

Looking nervously at the pacing Alterran, Buckley whispered, "Cut me loose and we can all make a break for it."

The Doctor shook his head. "You haven't seen how fast that thing can move. It has us beaten by fourteen legs." He nodded down the hall. "Best to just give it what it wants and beat a hasty retreat."

"And you're sure it'll let us go?"

"That's the impression I get in my mind, yes."

Buckley nodded and hesitantly started down the corridor, the Doctor and Grant on either side of him, Pr'Ce'el following at a slight distance with Jason. "You called it a Heladin. That's the name of this system," the Gres-Fa-Raayn officer said in a low voice.

Grant nodded, keeping his voice equally low. "It learned the name from us and decided it liked it." He threw a quick glance back at Jason, inwardly feeling sorry for Pr'Ce'el at having to be at such close quarters with the monstrous creature that his own words had created.

The Alterran was purposely keeping his distance. In this way he and Pr'Ce'el could communicate without Buckley overhearing them. It also allowed him to watch for the Doctor's hand signals. The Time Lord was walking with his hands behind his back and after a few minutes he wiggled his fingers. "There's the signal," Jason announced softly. "He's learned enough for the time being. Order them to stop talking—No, tell them…to cease all communication. That sounds suitably alien."

Pr'Ce'el was glad he was behind the others and hidden in the shadows as a broad smile came to his face, the irony of Jason's remark striking him as funny. He fought to stifle a laugh, and was only partially successful. It ended up coming out in a choke.

The Doctor spun around, sizing up the situation in a flash. He threw up his hands, covering for the young man in an inspired instant. "No, Percy, don't fight!" he said pleadingly. "You know what happens if you fight."

Buckley leaned close to Grant's ear. "What happens?" he asked in a whisper.

Knowing his companion had no clue how to respond, the Doctor turned back sharply. "We all get punished, that's what happens," he informed harshly.

By this time Pr'Ce'el had sufficiently gotten control of himself to say, "You will cease all communication." He paused as Jason whispered something else and then said, "Your concern for this host has been noted. Continue."

"Host?" the captive Buckley repeated in distaste.

Grant shuddered. "For the…eggs."

The Doctor turned Buckley around and said firmly, "Best do as it says. Let's go."

Seeing no way out of the present situation, the officer did as he was told. He hoped he might be able to find a way of escaping, perhaps lead the group into a particularly dark area of the building, or maybe lose them in some way. Unfortunately, it was soon very apparent that the creature calling itself a Heladin not only had a firm grip on the minds of the others, but also had some very impressive abilities, such as being able to see in the dark.

After a not so long walk they came upon the room where the Doctor and Grant had emerged from the tunnels. Buckley nodded at the opening. "You have to go down there."

"We've already been down there," the Doctor pointed out coldly. "It's completely deserted."

After whispering what to say, Jason made several angry clicks and hisses and Pr'Ce'el made his translation. "You have lied, creature called Buckley!" he stated angrily. He waved his free hand and the Doctor and Grant suddenly returned to their supposedly controlled state. They stiffened visibly, their faces blank, their eyes glassy and staring. "There are no others."

The terrified Buckley tried to back away but ended up tripping over his own feet. He fell onto his back and struggled unsuccessfully to free his arms from their cocoon.

"You have lied!" Grant chimed in, coming to stand over the terrified man. "Now you too will be a host."

"No!" came the horrified response.

Despite the fact that Grant's threat was not part of the original plan, Jason made the most of the situation, descending slowly and holding the struggling man down with all of his appendages.

"No! They're down there, I swear it!" Buckley screamed as his head was pushed to one side and his shirt pulled open, exposing his throat. "No, please, I'm telling the truth!"

"You are telling a lie to save yourself," the Doctor retorted. "The tunnels are empty."

"The entrance is hidden! Listen to me!" The squirming man started talking for his life. He gave the secret location of the hostages, where the hidden entrance was located and the exact procedure needed to open it. "They're all down there," he said enthusiastically. "All for you."

Jason stayed where he was, making as though he were thinking this over.

"If we follow these directions and no one is there…" the Doctor began threateningly.

Thinking an added incentive might be needed for this particular threat, Jason gave a low hiss, exposing his enormous fangs menacingly.

"They're there!" Buckley assured. He tried to turn but his head was forced back to the ground, a small whimper escaping him. "There are three hundred eighty-two prisoners, forty-five troops and twenty irregulars on the surface. The tunnel's the only way in or out."

After an agonizing pause the Doctor gave a satisfied grunt. He pulled a spotted handkerchief from his top pocket and started wiping the makeup from his face. "I think we have everything we need," he said in a normal tone.

"And then some," Jason replied, releasing his grip and scuttling back.

"It can talk!" the astonished officer gasped. Grant started to giggle, causing Buckley to frown. "I don't understand."

"You, Mr. Buckley, have been royally had," the Doctor replied matter of factly.

Now totally confused, Buckley looked from one to another. It was Jason who really got his attention. One second the enormous creature was standing over him and the next a dark haired man in his mid-thirties was kneeling beside him. The Alterran opened his eyes wide and quietly said, "Boo." To his astonishment, the man fainted dead away a second time. Jason raised his eyebrows and looked up.

"Well, at least you got to say it this time," the Time Lord remarked dryly.

Nodding, Jason rose to his feet and pulled out his communicator, relaying all they had learned to Commander SorRell. He signed off and turned to the others, seeing a disapproving look on the Doctor's face. "What's wrong now?"

"You rather enjoyed all that monster business, didn't you?"

Jason met his accusing gaze steadily. "Yes I did, actually. And before you start lecturing me about going too far, don't. I gave a bully a well deserved bloody nose, metaphorically speaking." He threw a quick glance in Grant's direction. "I only wish I could've done more. I didn't kill him. In fact, I didn't even hurt him. I just scared the hell out of him."

"That you most certainly did," the Doctor replied sharply. "With a vengeance."

Jason stiffened visibly and glared at the Doctor in silence for several seconds. He turned and crossed to the shaft leading to the tunnels, leaning in to look down toward the bottom. "Wow, that's a long way down," he observed quietly. "Oh well, best foot forward." Without so much as a backward glance he jumped in feet first, vanishing from sight.

"Jason!" Grant gasped, exchanging a horrified look with Pr'Ce'el.

The Doctor merely sighed heavily. "Jason is Alterran. A shape shifter," he reminded loudly as the youths ran toward the shaft. "He's gone to see how best to get everyone down the shaft."

"How can you be so sure?" Grant demanded, looking down into the darkness.

"Because I've known him a very long time. Right now, he's mad at himself for going over the top and me for pointing it out. He'll be alright when he gets back." The Doctor smiled reassuringly but to himself he added quietly, "I hope."