CHAPTER 49

"WHAT'RE YOU PLANNING?"

Jason was leaning back in the command chair, his eyes closed, his feet crossed and perched on the console in front of him. Around him floated the soothing tones of the music he had selected for his listening pleasure. The look on his face was one of serene contentment.

A discordant sound came through the air as the TARDIS materialized near the door leading to the interior of the ship. The Alterran didn't even move as the Police Box made its appearance. A few seconds later, the Doctor was on the threshold, a look of thunder on his face.

"Bull's eye," Jason observed calmly, only half opening his eyes. "I am suitably impressed."

The Doctor gave him a disapproving scowl. "This little stun isn't going to help, Jason."

"I heard your little speech to Wythe, Doctor," the Alterran replied blandly. "Did you actually believe any of it?"

The Doctor ignored the sarcasm. "You promised me straight answers. No more games."

"Dammit, Doctor, I'm not playing games!" Jason snapped angrily. He dropped his feet from the console and stood up. "I'm innocent and you know it! But I can't prove it cooped up behind an energy barrier."

"You can't prove it cooped up in here, either," the Doctor rejoined.

"True."

There was something in the Prince's tone that put the Doctor on his guard and he stiffened involuntarily. "What're you planning?" he asked cautiously.

The Prince gave him an innocent look, sitting back down again. "What makes you think I'm planning something?"

"You're a strategist. You're always planning something," the Doctor replied bluntly.

The Alterran's eyebrows went up, a small cry of delight escaping him. "A compliment! You really are worried, aren't you?" He leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head and stretching. "Maybe I just want to enjoy a little taste of freedom."

"And maybe you're just stalling."

Jason threw his head back and laughed. "You're right, I am," he replied with a smile. His voice was suddenly serious, "Okay. Straight answer time. I do have a plan. You're just not going to like it very much. In fact, I can guarantee you're going to hate it."

The Doctor started across the room. "You're not planning on blasting your way out, I hope."

"No! You know me better than that!" Jason said in an appalled tone. He gave his friend a sideways look through his eyelashes, saying mildly, "I'm using you."

The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. "What?"

"I know. That's the part you're going to hate," Jason informed repentantly. Then to the Doctor's surprise, he ordered, "Computer, restraining field, please."

The Doctor heard a slight hum and felt a tingling sensation after which he could not move. He gave the Alterran a stricken look. Although unable to move, he could still speak but could think of nothing to say.

"I am sorry, Doctor," Jason said regretfully as he got to his feet.

"This isn't going to solve anything," the Time Lord growled.

"We'll see." The Alterran headed straight for the TARDIS. "Oh yeah, and before you even try, I have primary command authority. You can't countermand my orders."

"No!" the Doctor called out desperately. "Jason, stop, please! You have to listen to me!"

It was already too late. The Prince had vanished into the Police Box, the door slamming behind him.

o

Jason strode into the control room and dove under the central control console, pulling open one of the panels. He checked the insides before giving a satisfied grunt. He then crossed to a supply closet, pulled out some cables and went back to the console, connecting them into the open panel. He was so intent on his work that he failed to notice two things. First, the scanner was on, displaying what was happening on the ARGO's flight deck. Second, the inner door was slightly ajar.

The first thing could easily be explained away. The Doctor had simply left the scanner on after his arrived. The second, however, was not so easy, as there was an eye peeking through the crack of the door. It belonged to the Doctor's current traveling companion, Mel, who had been watching the confrontation on the scanner and took refuge when she saw Jason heading for the TARDIS.

Confused and terrified, she watched the Alterran tinkering under the console. She had met Jason when he was the leader of an intergalactic summit meeting. After his ship was pulled through a temporal distortion, it crashed on twentieth century earth. Mel was responsible for saving his life and had gotten to know him well enough to be shocked by his current behavior.

The Doctor had told her about the events on Eldeberon in only the vaguest terms. It was obviously upsetting to him and she was not about to push for details. One of the few details she did learn was that he and Jason had had a major falling out. From what she had just seen, it seemed more likely the Alterran had completely turned against the Doctor and was in the process of stealing the TARDIS—with her in it!

Jason climbed out from under the console and stood up, circling it and carefully checking the settings. Once satisfied all was in order, he slowly backed out the doors, playing out the cables as he went.

Mel waited a minute before sneaking back into the console room. She looked at the scanner and then into the closet from which Jason had pulled the cables. She found a silver tipped cane inside and scowled, thinking it incongruous in a storage space full of spare parts. She picked it up, testing its weight. It was solid enough and might even be considered a decent weapon in the hands of someone twice her size.

She looked back at the scanner. Jason was carefully playing out the cables, backing his way to the ARGO's main control console. He got down on the floor, lying on his back and pulling open a panel. He then started plugging the cables into his own ship's computer.

The Doctor scowled as he watched this operation. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously. He had thought the Alterran was going to simply steal the TARDIS. Now he wasn't sure what he was planning.

Jason got up from the floor and grinned, brushing off the dust as he did so. "I'm escaping," he said happily. "Computer, cancel silent mode," he then ordered.

"Acknowledged."

The Prince looked at the main screen, seeing the assembled guards and others watching his craft and could not help but giggle. Were they in for a surprise! Looking down, he typed out a set of instructions before activating the mike. "Hello, out there," he said calmly. "I thought you'd like to know the Doctor made it safe and sound. Unfortunately, he's a little tied up at the moment, literally. I believe you'd consider him my hostage at this point."

He had scarcely signed off when the computer announced, "Incoming hail."

"Yes, I thought there might be one," the Prince muttered. He hit the button to immediately hear, "Your royal highness—"

"Sorry, whoever you are, no negotiations. The Doctor stays with me," Jason stated flatly. He cut the mike and hit the launch button. "Activate!"

"Activating."

The Doctor's eyes grew wide when he heard the TARDIS start to dematerialize.

Mel had crossed to the exterior doors and jumped when she heard this familiar sound. She turned, seeing the time rotor juddering, the lights flickering in the console room. The time machine seemed to be struggling, the dematerialization drawn out and labored.

Jason was working feverously at the main console, making minute corrections to get the ships synchronized. "Come on…come on… You can do it, baby…" he encouraged under his breath. "That's it. For me…please…"

The time rotor stopped juddering and started to rise and fall smoothly, the lights in the console room returning to normal.

"Yes! That's it. Come on, old girl. Don't let me down now…"

The sound of the dematerialization continued normally, but to Mel's surprise, the Police Box remained solid. Out in the hangar, and to the astonishment of all present, the ARGO abruptly faded from sight.

The Doctor suddenly realized what the Prince had done. "You used the TARDIS to dematerialize the ARGO," he said, more than a little impressed. "I didn't think that was possible."

Jason smiled unabashedly and sat back in his chair, holding out his hands. "Programmer extraordinaire," he said proudly.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, how many of you were wondering where the Doctor's companion was all this time? Please, raise your hand.