PART FIVE
NOT QUITE A CONTINUANCE

CHAPTER 48

"I WAS HOPING TO AVOID THIS."

After spending the equivalent of two days in the Matrix room, Jason was of the opinion that time moved at a Time Lord's bidding. Somehow, the Doctor had managed to coordinate their exit with the exact time court was due to reconvene. Within minutes of leaving the Matrix archive, he was back in the prisoner's dock listening to the Doctor request a continuance. Since they had already explained their theory to Eustis, this was strictly a formality.

Or so they thought.

"If you could present your specifics," the Inquisitor replied calmly.

"There will be no continuance," a voice from the gallery announced.

Jason actually jumped and gave the Doctor a stricken look. "I don't like the sound of that," he muttered darkly.

"Nor I," the equally stunned Doctor replied.

All heads turned as the Chancellor rose from his seat. "This trail will not be delayed any further because of the Doctor's ridiculous theories," he announced.

Eustis was on his feet, beside himself with rage. "That's not your decision to make, Chancellor!" he snapped angrily.

The Prince tugged on the Doctor's sleeve. "Does he have the authority to do that?" he asked worriedly.

"I was wondering the same thing myself," his friend replied as he sat down. "Can you make out if he's our man or not?" he asked as the battle raged on.

"No," Jason replied regretfully, shaking his head. "And I can't alter for distance with the barrier operating."

"Here, try these."

Jason knew he should not be surprised when the Doctor abruptly handed him a pair of opera glasses. He put them to his eyes and studied the man closely. "I have good news and bad news," he said as he lowered the glasses. "Good news, he hasn't got blue eyes. Bad news, that means he really is the Chancellor."

"Wonderful," the Doctor sighed. He closed his eyes and sat back in his chair.

It was all too apparent that the Chancellor believed Trevor to be the Prince's accomplice rather than the orchestrator of the conspiracy. When he threatened to have Eustis removed from the case, Jason came to a very difficult decision. Well, the decision wasn't all that difficult, it was the consequences that were going to be a bit of a mess. "That's torn it," he stated flatly and gave his friend an apologetic look. "I was hoping to avoid this."

Before the Doctor could ask what he meant, the Alterran was reaching into his pocket. At first, he thought he was returning the opera glasses. Then he saw the recall disk in his hand.

"I knew you'd still have it," Jason said triumphantly. He looked his friend in the eye, activating the disk. "I'm sorry," he said and vanished from the room.

"Jason, no!" The Doctor made a grab for his hand, but it was already too late. He ended up grabbing at thin air. He got to his feet, cursing under his breath. Total chaos suddenly erupted around him and he completely ignored it, heading straight for the door.

"Doctor!"

He turned back at Eustis' call.

"Where are you going?" the Inquisitor demanded, brushing the Chancellor aside as he moved across the room. He didn't even attempt to reestablish order, concentrating on the immediate problem of his escaped prisoner.

"I'm going after him," the Doctor called, but could not make himself heard over the rising noise. He turned to the guard beside him, took the staser from his belt, fired it into the air and handed it back before the astonished man knew what happened.

The room was instantly silent.

"If this is how the High Council of Time Lords behaves in a crisis, then heaven help the universe!" he thundered disapprovingly. "And you, Chancellor, are the cause. I hope you're pleased with yourself."

The rebuke had the desired effect. The mollified Time Lords exchanged guilty looks but did not leave, uncertain what to do next.

"Now, Eustis," the Doctor said in a normal voice. "I should think it's obvious Jason's gone to the ARGO."

"He'll never clear the hangar." This was Captain Reinhardt, who had come up beside the Doctor during the commotion.

The Doctor turned and was surprised to see a look of concern on the officer's face. He seemed the only other person in the room who actually cared about Jason's wellbeing. "I'm sure he's already aware of that," he replied gently. "He's just frightened."

"He's frightened!" This was Fitzhugh, who had finally recovered his voice.

The Doctor glared at him but chose not to respond directly, knowing that he would probably regret anything he said. "I have to talk to him," he said finally and turned on his heel, vanishing from the room before anyone could stop him.

As the Doctor suspected, Jason was in the ARGO. As soon as he arrived, he ordered shields up and defense systems activated. While this trapped him inside the ship, it also prevented everyone else from boarding. He was at the main console entering a program into the computer. Every so often he would glance up at the main screen displaying the activity in the hangar outside.

Within minutes of his arrival, alarms sounded in the hangar. Then guards started pouring in from every direction, surrounding the ship. It was very impressive, completely expected, and in no way a deterrent to his plans, Jason reflected. Then the computer announced an incoming hail and he knew what it would be before he even acknowledged it.

"Do not try to lift off. The hangar has been sealed. Surrender now…"

He stopped listening after that, concentrating on the program and getting it completed in time. The Doctor would come charging after him at any moment.

It was inevitable—and he was counting on it.

While the computer was processing his entries, Jason leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms high above his head. He noticed his was still in his court clothes and immediately transmuted, changing into the casual clothes he preferred and purring with delight at how wonderful it felt to be able to transmute at will again.

The Doctor came storming into the hangar at that moment, Eustis at his heels. He started toward the ARGO, only to be stopped by the guards, who refused to let him pass. Jason scowled and turned up the volume on the external mike. "Don't you understand?" came the Doctor's voice through the speakers, "I have to talk to him."

"What good do you think that will do?" came a voice from behind him. The Doctor turned to see Cardinal Wythe walking slowly into the hangar. "He's beyond reason."

"No, Cardinal, he's afraid," the Doctor stated bluntly. "Why can't any of you see that?"

"Doctor, you can't seriously believe these are the actions of a rational man," Wythe retorted.

The Doctor gave him a look that was a combination of amazement and outrage. "He's fighting for his life! When you fell down those stairs, you were near death. Wouldn't it've been easier to just regenerate rather than go through months of painful recovery?"

The Cardinal gave him a stunned look but had no reply.

"You chose to stay as you are. Why?" the Doctor demanded. "It's because you knew this version of yourself would die and be lost forever. Is that reasonable? Is anyone reasonable when their life is at stake?"

Wythe exchanged glances with Eustis, who nodded his agreement. This was truer than any of them cared to admit. Wythe waved a hand at the guards. "Let him pass," he ordered.

As the Doctor approached the ARGO, he wondered exactly what Jason was trying to accomplish, or even if he were trying to accomplish anything. No, he concluded. The Alterran had something in mind, some emergency plan that he'd clearly worked out in his head. His last words verified that. "I was hoping to avoid this." Now if he could only discover that "this" was.

"Jason, I know you can hear me," the Doctor called out.

Jason touched a button. "Yes, Doctor, I can hear you. Come to see me off?"

The Doctor scowled disapprovingly. "You're not going anywhere, and you know it," he replied. "The hangar's been sealed."

"Doctor, before you get to the part where you try and negotiate with me to give myself up," the Prince said calmly, "I'd like to remind you that I've been trained in these situations, too. If I have to spend the rest of my life caged up, I'd rather it be in the comfort of my own ship."

"Will you at least let me come in and talk to you?" the Doctor asked reasonably. "I'd rather not stand here shouting at the ship's hull."

"And lower my shields? Nice try. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to my cabin to take a nice hot bath." Jason made sure there was an audible pop as he cut the mike, knowing this would infuriate the Doctor, which it did. An angry growl rose in his throat. He turned on his heel and stormed for the exit, Eustis following after him.

"Doctor, where are you going now?" he asked helplessly, his white and silver Inquisitor's robes making it difficult for him to keep up.

"To my TARDIS," came the unexpected reply. "If he thinks he can keep me out of there, he has another thing coming." The Doctor turned on Eustis before he could respond, saying, "And before you ask, no. I won't take a guard with me. The last thing he needs is to have someone shooting at him."

"Doctor, be realistic…"

"Besides, the stasers are useless against him, anyway," the Doctor said offhandedly as he pushed open the door to the room in which the TARDIS stood patiently awaiting his return.

"What!" Eustis exploded. "How long have you known that?"

"Eustis, the question shouldn't be how long have I known. It should be why didn't you?" the Doctor challenged. "The Alterrans have been our allies for millennia. Yet during the course of this inquiry your ignorance surrounding even the most basic information about them has been nothing short of staggering," he reproved sharply as he unlocked the door.

"Doctor, that's not exactly fair," Eustis replied somewhat defensively. "You've had the advantage of a one-on-one relationship for several centuries."

"Did you even bother to read anything I gave you?" the Doctor replied sharply. "It was all in there. And still, you watched those extracts and learned nothing. Did you think that story of a personal forcefield was genuine?"

Without realizing, Eustis found himself nodding.

"Alterrans are a silicon-based lifeform, crystalline. How else do you think he achieved the conversion rush? They absorb radiation. They thrive on the stuff. Stasers were designed to damage carbon-based lifeforms." Pausing, he added offhandedly, "If you'd really wanted to threaten him, you should've used an old fashioned projectile weapon."

"What! But the guards—"

"He could've overpowered his guards at any time when the barrier was off," the Doctor snapped. "But he didn't. And do you know why?"

"You know I don't," the Inquisitor replied helplessly.

"It's because he would've had to hurt them," the Doctor stated flatly. "Jason's funny like that. The only one he doesn't seem to have a problem with in that department is me," he added in a slightly bewildered tone. He turned and vanished into the TARDIS. A few seconds later, it dematerialized.