Down in the courtyard, the Doctor suddenly began blinking as he finally came out of his trance-like state. As he dazedly took in his surroundings, a familiar voice began calling out to him from a darkened archway nearby.
"Doctor? Where are you, Doctor? Doctor!"
The Doctor looked into the gloom of the archway and as his eyes adjusted, a familiar figure could be seen.
"Peri?" he said, still feeling somewhat confused.
"Doctor, is that you?" asked the figure in relief.
"Yes. Yes, of course it's me," replied the Doctor. "What are you doing in the Matrix?"
"Oh, never mind the questions for the moment," said Peri as she came over and urgently grabbed the Doctor's hand. "Right now, we've got to get you out of here before the Master or that Valeyard guy try any more dirty tricks."
Peri frantically pulled the Doctor into the darkened archway, where an opening could be vaguely seen in one of the walls. They stepped through and within the blink of an eye, they found themselves back in the reception area of the trial station, where a relieved figure was there to greet them.
"Doctor, thank goodness you're safe," sighed Mel happily. "Lucky that Peri was able to get you out of that unholy place."
"Hardly safe, Mel," said the Doctor seriously. "You two have brought me right back to the trial room."
"But the Valeyard and the High Council have been discredited now, haven't they?" pointed out Mel. "All you need to do is finish clearing your name, then you can call on your fellow Time Lords for help in apprehending the Valeyard."
"She's got a point, Doctor," said Peri. "I mean you haven't had much luck tracking him down alone, have you huh?"
The Doctor smiled. "Quite the pair of pragmatists, aren't you? You're quite right, of course. Let's get it over with."
With sudden resolve, the Doctor led the way through the double doors leading into the courtroom, where the Inquisitor and the members of the court were still seated.
"Doctor. You owe the court an apology for your rash behaviour," said the Inquisitor sternly.
"Well, if I do, then it is unreservedly offered, madam," said the Doctor humbly as he resumed his position in the dock.
"The charge of genocide is based on your own evidence," continued the Inquisitor, getting straight to the point of the matter.
"And refuted by the Doctor," pointed out Mel defensively.
The Inquisitor regarded Mel for a second, then turned her attention back to the Doctor. "It seems you have a champion in this young woman."
"I was there, remember?" asserted Mel.
"You've got to admit your Matrix screen isn't exactly reliable at the moment," added Peri. "I mean, you did see me get killed, yet here I am now."
The Inquisitor considered this for a second. "Would you accept these two ladies as impartial witnesses?" she asked the Doctor.
"I would trust Peri and Mel with my life," said the Doctor confidently.
"Good," said the Inquisitor. She gestured to the Keeper to activate the Matrix screen and a second later, the climatic battle with the Vervoids was replayed. As the scene played out, everyone in the court could clearly see the Doctor, Mel and the surviving crew of the starship Hyperion III using the mineral known as Vionesium to accelerate the rate of photosynthesis of the murderous plant creatures. One by one, the Vervoids collapsed to the ground in agony and withered away, effectively aged to death by the Vionesium.
"Is that a true record of what occurred?" the Inquisitor asked Mel as the tragic scene on the Matrix came to an end.
Looking a little unsure of herself, Mel turned to the Doctor. "What shall I say, Doctor?"
The Doctor gave a reassuring smile. "Just tell the truth," he said simply.
"Yes, but I don't want her to twist it like the Valeyard did," said Mel.
"The truth can't harm me," said the Doctor confidently.
Mel looked towards Peri, who gave an encouraging nod, before turning to face the Inquisitor again.
"That's what happened," she confirmed.
"Is it your contention that the Doctor was solely responsible for devising the scheme we are presently reviewing on the Matrix?" said the Inquisitor.
"Oh, absolutely," said Mel enthusiastically. "Without the Doctor, we'd all ended up on the Vervoids' revolting compost heap."
"A unique solution," remarked the Inquisitor.
"Out of this world," agreed Mel.
"An appropriate expression, wouldn't you say, my lords?" said the Inquisitor dryly to the members of the jury, who all gave a mutter of agreement.
Mel's face fell as she realised that something had gone badly wrong. "Appropriate? What do you mean by that?"
"Yeah, you guys are talking as if this is some kind of lynching party," added Peri in concern. She turned earnestly to the Doctor. "You told Mel that the truth couldn't hurt you. Tell them it's all a mistake, Doctor. Tell them you hadn't a choice!"
But the Doctor's expression was solemn and grave. "There's always a choice, Peri," he said quietly.
The Inquisitor rose to her feet and gave the Doctor a hardened look. "Doctor, you stand accused of genocide. The evidence is incontrovertible. The verdict is guilty. Your life is therefore forfeit." She gestured to the chancellery guards. "Take him from this court to the place of execution."
Peri and Mel looked horrified. "No, you can't be serious!" exclaimed Peri.
"You can't do this!" chimed in Mel. The two girls turned imploringly to the Doctor, but the Time Lord's face was resolute.
"Unless we are prepared to sacrifice our lives for the good of all, then evil and anarchy will spread like the plague. The rule of law must prevail," he told his two young companions gently before addressing the Inquisitor with a sad, but noble stance. "Madam, I accept your verdict."
As Peri and Mel looked on in dismay, the Doctor moved out of the dock and allowed his two guards to lead him out of the courtroom and back into the Matrix courtyard to meet his final end.
But all was not as it seemed. For at very moment, the events that had just taken place were being shown on the real Matrix screen in the real courtroom!
"The Doctor's been tricked into believing that that was the real trial room," exclaimed the bona fide Mel in alarm. "He thinks he's guilty and he's going to let himself be executed!"