CHAPTER 48
REPAIRS and MANIPULATION
Nearly a week went by before the Doctor was able to return his Wieonol charges to their home world of Enol, the assembled summit delegates having caused the delay. They had insisted on interviewing the TARDIS crew extensively before finalizing the summit findings and submitting them to an Adjudicatorial tribunal.
Before the arrival on Enol, the Doctor stated that he needed l'X'el's assistance to repair and then operate the manipulator so that he could untangle his companions' timelines. This meant the boy would have to remain in the manipulator room until this task was accomplished. K'ell'k and Pr'Ce'el were determined to stay too, if for no other reason than to see how the Doctor would actually go about it. They therefore stated they would not leave without l'X'el. Grant was to remain in the console room to prevent his being exposed to a second dose of chronons. Not that this was a problem. A single scan of the room upon arrival showed that the abundance of chronons had long since dissipated.
As the group was preparing to leave the console room, a message came through on a secure channel. Jason raised an eyebrow when he read the security code. "Well, what do you know? It's actually for me," he said in an amazed tone and waved a hand at the others. "Go ahead. This shouldn't take too long."
The results of the scan had put the Doctor in a bad mood. He merely grunted, thrust a toolbox into K'ell'k's hands and herded the trio out the doors.
Jason threw an amused glance over at Grant, who was standing just inside the inner door. He activated the scanner and acknowledged the incoming transmission, a delighted smile spreading across his face when Emperor Quinton appeared on the screen. "Greetings, my Lord," he said with a slight bow. "To what do I owe this honor?"
"My, aren't we formal today," the Emperor replied playfully. "I thought you might like to know that the tribunal has made their final proclamation."
"Already? That was fast."
"Considering how much you gave them, I must confess to being surprised myself," Quinton replied. "It seems that after the incident on Enol, several claimants withdrew themselves from consideration." With an amused smile, he said, "I think the Doctor put the fear of God into them with his performance in the Grand Council chamber."
Jason responded with a laugh. "Do you ever wonder how he manages to do that?"
The Emperor grinned back. "You'll be pleased to hear the Adjudicators agreed unanimously with your recommendation and awarded sovereignty to the El'Li'Ono. They're drawing up the paperwork and a ceremony is to take place finalizing the decision and officially turning the planets over to their government."
"Sounds like everything's finally resolved," Jason said approvingly. His voice lowered in pitch as he asked, "Am I supposed to preside over this ceremony?"
The Emperor cleared his throat guiltily. "No, actually, I am." He held up a hand, adding quickly, "I know you put a lot of work into this, Jason, and that doesn't even include what you've been through since the…eh, incident on the SILVER TRIUMPH."
Jason shuddered but did not reply.
"I'll make it up to you somehow. You're the one who should be finalizing the El'Li'Ono accord, not me."
Jason's heart missed a beat. "The El'Li'Ono accord…" he whispered. Looking up, he said, "No, that's quite alright, Uncle. You know how I feel about playing diplomat. You can't foist this off on me as Imperial representative. This time you actually have to show up in person."
Quinton gave him a knowing look. "No need to be so smug about it."
"Well…I so rarely get the chance to get one up on you. I'm going to enjoy the moment."
"Just don't let all this good news go to your head. There's more."
Jason's eyebrows went up. "More?"
"The tribunal also agreed with your recommendation to declare Enol a fully protected planet. They've already broadcast it, but just incase I've sent a fleet to backup the troops that are there already."
"Really? You know something I don't? Or are you just being your usual cautious self?"
"I have…concerns when it comes to the Gres-Fa-Raayn. To be frank, I don't trust them."
"Neither do I, actually. I'm sure Commander SorRell will appreciate the backup." A sudden thought struck him and Jason straightened. "Which reminds me, I'd like to put Commander SorRell and Lieutenant Torr in for a commendation. You know how things get with the Doctor around, and we threw some pretty weird stuff at them. I could not have asked for a better pair of officers on Heladin Alpha or here on Enol."
The Emperor sat back in his chair, his eyebrows raised. "High praise coming from you," he remarked. "Put it in writing and I'll have it approved."
"We'll work out the details as soon as I get back." With that, Jason signed off and the screen went dark. He turned to see Grant studying him curiously from across the room. He cocked his head, studying him back. "Now what? Have I grown another head without realizing?"
Grant actually laughed at this. "Sorry. It's just…you're so different when you're—I can't say when you're yourself. I guess I mean when you're acting as Ambassador Krystovan, that's all."
Jason blinked. Grant had recognized and given voice to something that had been nagging at him for more than a week. He wasn't the Doctor's devil-may-care companion anymore and had to stop pretending he still was. He was Crown Prince of Tel-Shye with his own life, duties and responsibilities. A separate life. His own life.
"You should see me when I'm playing Crown Prince," Jason said finally. "That's when I really get into—" He broke off when the console beeped again and scowled down at it, activating the scanner. "That's the long range sensors," he observed in bewilderment. The image that appeared on the viewer made the frown on his face deepen. "There are an awful lot of ships heading this way," he said, throwing a quick glance in Grant's direction.
By this time the boy was beside him staring at the image in a mixture of bewilderment and surprise. "Am I reading this right? They look like they're coming from opposite directions."
Jason nodded absently as he adjusted the image. He pointed to the pulsing dots on one side of the screen. "Well, from its direction, that should be the reinforcements the Emperor just mentioned. I have no idea who that other lot are."
Grant gave him a steady look. "You'd better tell the Doctor."
After leaving the TARDIS the Doctor had gone straight to the damaged manipulator. "I'm not entirely sure if this is going to work after all this time," he confessed. He opened the podium that l'X'el had originally used and pulled out a fistful of wires. He waved a hand vaguely, telling K'ell'k to put down his toolbox and stay close in order to hand him what he needed. Pr'Ce'el intervened, volunteering to act as assistant. After all, he may have a broken arm but was still capable of finding and handing out tools.
l'X'el went to the podium that K'ell'k had been at when he was injured and opened the inspection hatch, examining its workings "I think this one is completely fried. It looks like it took the full force of the feedback."
"As did Kay," the Time Lord observed, throwing a quick glance in the boy's direction. "What's the chronon reading?"
l'X'el held up the detector that was in his hand. "Nothing, same as before. Not in this room, the TARDIS, any of us…"
"Dissipated," the Doctor hissed. He thumped the podium with his fist in frustration. "Blast, I waited too long!"
"Doctor…" This was K'ell'k, who had taken a seat at one of the undamaged podiums. He was the only one to notice that the globe had started to glow. Whether this was because of the Doctor's repair work or his striking the podium, the youth could not tell. What he could tell was it was now displaying an image of a large ship bristling with weapons orbiting a planet.
"Not now, Kay," the Time Lord snapped impatiently.
The boy was not to be put off. "Doctor, look at the globe."
"What?" The Doctor turned sharply to the globe, seeing what K'ell'k meant. "That's this planet!" Turning to l'X'el, he asked, "How do you determine the time frame of the image?"
l'X'el crossed to the podium the Time Lord had been repairing and looked at the computer display's shattered surface. "It's usually indicated here." He pointed at a section of the screen that was completely dark, a large crack running through it.
"This one's working, I think," his brother informed. "But the time frame says zero."
"What!" l'X'el gasped, dashing over to verify what his brother had said. When he saw he had been correct, he looked over at the Doctor in horror. "Doctor, that's not an image out of time. It's in real time. It's happening now!"
Before the equally horrified Time Lord could respond Jason exited the TARDIS with more bad news. "Doctor," he called the instant he was out the door, "the long range scanner's showing two large groups of ships heading this way." He explained about the reinforcements he had been told about and the unidentified fleet approaching in the opposite direction.
"They must be backup for them," the Doctor replied, pointing at the globe. "That's a real time image of a Gres-Fa-Raayn battle cruiser in orbit around this planet."
"What? What are they trying to do? Enol has officially been declared a fully protected planet. Are they that stupid that—?" A high-pitched whine suddenly blasted through the air stopping him in his tracks and causing everyone to cover their ears. Within a few seconds the sound changed in pitch and then seemed to stop. Everyone slowly lowered their hands, their ears ringing. Everyone, that is, except Jason, whose exceptional hearing still registered the incoming squeal.
"What was that?" Pr'Ce'el wanted to know, shaking his head to clear it.
"I've no idea," the Doctor replied. "l'X'el, is there a malfunction of the—" He broke off when he heard Jason groan and turned in time to see him stagger back toward the TARDIS, his hands still clasped over his ears. A loud cry of pain was suddenly torn from his throat as he sank to the floor. "Make it stop! Make it stop!" His was breathing heavily, his torment clearly evident.
"Jason!" The Doctor was instantly at his friend's side. Grant had also seen the Alterran's distress and had come out of the TARDIS to help, the warnings about altered timelines forgotten.
A scream of agony was wrenched from the struggling form on the floor. "It's tearing me apart! Please, make it stop!"
"Jason, look at me," the Doctor commanded. His friend's hands were still clasped firmly over his ears and he took him by the wrists. "Jason, look at me! Look at me!" He repeated this command, shaking him until he looked him in the eye. "What is happening? I can't help you if I don't know!"
"Can't you feel it?" Jason demanded, his face twisted in pain. "The noise! It's tearing me apart!" He could not go on, his body arching back as another scream of agony was torn from his throat.
"Noise?" The Doctor's eye's narrowed as he struggled to comprehend. Feel the noise? It was only then that he realized that the room was actually vibrating in response to some external force. "Ultrasonics?" He looked down, having to shake the Alterran to get him to look at him again. "Jason, is it ultrasonic vibrations you're feeling?"
"Yes!" By now Jason was screaming his replies in-between his cries of pain. "It's destroying the lattice holding my cells together. I'm being…shaken apart!"
Grant was amazed at how calmly the Doctor took this devastating announcement. Suddenly another announcement could be heard throughout the building, and very likely all over the planet.
"Attention members of the Wieonol race," a voice boomed out. "This is Commander Tre-Aal of the Gres-Fa-Raayn Elite. As it is already apparent to many of you, your Alterran protectors are no longer of any use to you."
As if to verify this Jason gave a mournful wail, his skin turning white the same instant.
"You are ordered to release General Roogg and his men and surrender immediately. If you do not, one city block will be destroyed at random for each minute you delay. You have five minutes to comply."