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CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE PRINCE’S MISSION

Jason’s mouth dropped open and it took him a few seconds to find his voice. “What?”

“If you are who you claim, it will be no problem. There’s no record of Jason Krystovan’s true appearance anywhere for the KGB to get hold of.”

Eroica gave him a startled look. “You didn’t report it?”

“Report it?” Klaus replied, waving a hand in the air. “And have my Chief use it to get me relieved of duty for mental incapacity?”

“Ah.” Eroica nodded. “Point taken.”

The Major’s challenging expression did not change as he turned back to the Alterran. “Well…?”

Jason met the officer’s gaze steadily. “If it’s the only way I’m going to convince you…”

“It is.”

The Alterran nodded and rose to his feet. He moved slightly away from the table positioning himself closer to the Major. His body shimmered as he transmuted, and in a split second, he was in his true form, which had at one time been described as looking like a cross between a jellyfish and a nest of snakes. His main body was large and bulbous with sapphire blue crystals evenly spaced around the circumference. Below this were dozens of tendrils, which did not support his weight. Instead, he hovered in the air, his tendrils scarcely brushing the ground.

For Eroica, his first encounter with Jason’s true form had come when he was pulled over a cliff and into the ocean in order to escape the KGB.* There had been no time for a warning, so the Alterran’s true form had been a complete shock.
* My story – Do UNIT & NATO Spell Disaster?

The Major’s first one-on-one encounter came three years later during the mission in Iceland. After being shot and left for dead, he regained consciousness to find himself entwined in the Alterran’s tendrils.* Now the creature that had saved his life was before him again and he stiffened visibly, taking an alarmed step back. He had forgotten the Alterran’s true self was so large, more than two metres in height. Being tall himself, he was unused to anyone looming over him, let alone an alien such as Jason and he found himself wondering what had happened to his gun as a tendril gently wrapped around his wrist and then threaded itself between his fingers.
* My story – Espionage On Ice

“Do you believe me now?” the creature that was Jason asked calmly. “Or is touch an illusion too?”

“Nein.”

Klaus swallowed hard, recovering his English at the same time. “I believe you.” He was annoyed with himself when he heard the tremor in his voice. The Alterran’s true form was unnerving at close range, there was no doubting it. He could handle counter-agents without batting an eye, but this incredibly powerful alien was another matter entirely. He had to fight not to pull his hand free and was relieved when the tendril quickly released its grip and withdrew.

In a blink, Jason was back in his smaller, less imposing human form. He stepped back, studying the officer’s stunned expression. “From your reaction, I can only assume you didn’t think that would happen.”

“No.”

Jason resisted the urge to gloat. Despite his suspicions and paranoia, the Major was a trained professional and deserved to be treated as such. After all, as far as he knew, his life had been in danger from the word go. “Thank you for believing me, Major.” He threw a quick glance in Eroica’s direction, seeing his bright blue eyes staring at him in wonder. “Well…?” he asked pointedly.

The thief leaned on his elbow and smiled, fluttering his eyelashes and causing the Prince to roll his eyes. “It starts,” Jason muttered darkly, causing Eroica to laugh.

Jason returned to his seat, his expression becoming serious again. “Now that we have all that cleared up, can we get on with sorting out this temporal anomaly?”

* * *

After less than an hour, Eroica was decidedly bored.

The Major sat silently smoking a cigarette, listening as Jason went over all the information that had been compiled and what had happened since the pair was retrieved from the temporal corridor. The officer had expected to be asked a battery of questions and was mildly surprised when the Alterran began laying out the facts unbidden.

When Jason looked up, he saw the thief’s eyes were starting to glaze over. “Not very romantic, is it, Dorian?”

Eroica seemed to return to reality and looked over at the Alterran with sparkling eyes. “Oh, no, this is fascinating,” he drawled, stretching his arms dramatically.

Klaus rolled his eyes. Even he found this type of work tedious, although he would never admit it openly. He chose to take a sip of his coffee and sat back to watch, feeling rather relieved that for once he was not the one having to deal with the Earl during a mission. This thought had scarcely gone though the Major’s mind when he realized the implications of his own thoughts. During a mission. With a bit of a jolt, he realized that he had somehow become embroiled in the Prince’s mission. There was no other reason he could see for the Alterran to share so much sensitive information. Then he realized he was being spoken to and looked up, seeing an inquiring look on Jason’s face. “Was…?”

Eroica laughed. “He didn’t hear a word you just said,” he informed knowingly. “Lost in thought, weren’t you, Major?”

“Shut up!” the Major growled. “Am I not permitted to think?”

“Actually, Major,” Jason broke in, “I would like to hear what you think.” He watched as a thoughtful look passed behind the German’s dark green eyes. What on earth is going on inside that head of his? Humans can be so inscrutable sometimes. And this one doubly so.

“What do I call you?” the Major asked finally.

“Excuse me?” Jason was completely thrown. “I don’t understand. You used to just call me boy.”

“Or idiot boy,” Eroica injected.

Klaus shot him a disapproving sideways glance before returning his attention to Jason. “You want me to help you in this…mission of yours, correct?”

“Well…yes, I supposed I do. I’m not sure how that—”

“You are in command,” the Major stated flatly. “I cannot call you boy.”

“And you can’t call me your highness, either,” Jason said knowingly. “I hate titles, and you hate aristocrats.”

The Major nodded approvingly, taking a drag on his cigarette. “You see my dilemma.”

Eroica was looking from one to the other. “I don’t. Since when have you had trouble calling someone by name, Major?”

Jason gave him a small smile. “When was the last time he called you by name, Dorian?”

“Does idiot count?”

“With you, yes,” the Major snorted, blowing smoke in the Earl’s direction.

This was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that Jason found the officer’s professionalism intriguing. “Major, what you call me is inconsequential as far as I’m concerned. If you must use a title—” He broke off and sighed, waving a hand in the air. “No, forget titles. I detest the things. I prefer to be called Jason.”

The Major nodded. “If that’s what you prefer.”

“Now I am getting bored,” Eroica moaned loudly.

Now it was Jason’s turn to roll his eyes. He glanced over at the Major, seeing a long-suffering look on his face. His expression clearly stated, “Now you see what I have to put up with.” Jason threw a glance over at Eroica, seeing him stretching languidly in his chair. Then he put his legs up on the conference table and closed his eyes.

Jason was momentarily annoyed by this display. Then a devilish expression came to his face and he threw a conspiratorial look over at the Major, whose eyes narrowed in response.

“Alright, Major,” Jason said calmly, “now it’s your turn to tell me how you got into the time corridor in 1987.” He turned his gaze pointedly in the direction of the disinterested and apparently napping Eroica. “Or should we start with his lordship? Since he’s the one I pulled out first.”

The Major’s eyes flickered and he looked over at the thief, who was completely oblivious to the silent conspiracy going on around him. “Agreed. I think that would be best.” He gave Eroica’s chair a sharp kick, almost knocking him to the floor. “Wake up!”

Eroica was so startled that he gave a sharp cry and actually did fall from his chair. “What the hell was that for!”

“Get off your lazy foppish ass!” the Major snapped in mock impatience. “You want to get back to 1987 to steal what isn’t nailed down, don’t you?”

“What?”

“What the Major is saying, in is own inimitable style, is that I need you to tell me how you got into the time corridor,” Jason replied mildly.

“He can tell you that,” Eroica protested, waving a hand in the Major’s direction.

“Why should he when you can do it yourself?”

Eroica’s blue eyes grew wide and he looked from one to the other. The Major was idly taking a drag on his cigarette, clearly enjoying himself. Jason was looking at him with an amused smirk on his face. “Bloody hell, I’m having a nightmare! You two are actually teaming up against me!”

“No, really?” Jason snorted. “Why would we want to do that?”

The Major blew smoke into the air and actually smiled before taking another sip of his coffee. The Prince was very good at this, he noted. He had obviously learned a great deal in the century and a half since their last encounter.

“Jason, this isn’t funny!” Eroica whined.

“I’m glad you think so, because I don’t have time for your spoiled-brat routine,” Jason stated flatly, sounding very much like a displeased parent. “Save it for a wider audience.” He gave the stunned thief a stern look. “As much as I like you, Dorian, I have to admit that there are times when you can be the biggest pain in the ass!”

“He’s always a pain in the ass,” the Major injected coldly.

Jason ignored the remark. “Now, I know you can be serious. So stop looking at me like an injured two-year-old, get up off the floor, and tell me how you almost got yourself killed in a temporal corridor.”

“You don’t love me anymore,” Eroica pouted as he picked himself up off the floor and made a show of brushing the nonexistent dirt from himself. “I’ve been thrown over for Iron Klaus.”

A low growl rose in the Major’s throat and Jason put his head in his hands. Klaus gave him a sympathetic look. The Prince was one of the few people he knew that stood on equal footing with himself when it came to the Earl’s unwanted advances. The only advantage the Prince had was the fact that he could return to the future where the pervert could not dog his every step.

“Why me?” Jason moaned, not lifting his head from his hands.

“Because he believes everyone is a pervert like him,” the Major said matter of factly.

“Well, I’m a bloody odd pervert then,” Jason replied forcefully. “I’m getting married in six months.” He gave Dorian a look that was so piercing he actually flinched. “And if you make one single off-color remark about my fiancée, I will not hesitate to do you an injury.”

Eroica knew better and returned to his chair. He gave the Alterran a steady look and finally became serious. “May I offer my congratulations on your forthcoming marriage, your royal highness,” he said in his most aristocratic of tones.

A small smile came to Jason’s face. “Thank you, Lord Gloria. Now…about the time corridor?

Eroica drew a deep breath. “Where do you want me to start?”

“I have no idea.” Jason turned to the Major, startling him a second time when he said, “This is your area of expertise, Major. Where do you think he should start?”

* * *

The Lubyanka
Moscow, Soviet Union
August 1987

“Doctor, I don’t understand how these readings can fluctuate like this,” Turlough was saying as the Doctor stood before the control panel of the prototype transmat. “With that offline, the readings should be dissipating.”

“Agreed.” The Doctor looked up and smiled. “Interesting, isn’t it?”

Turlough moaned and rolled his eyes. “What do you know that you’re not telling me?”

The Doctor’s eyes widened. “What makes you think I know anything?”

“Because you always know everything,” Turlough replied forcefully. While he had not meant this as a compliment, the Doctor took it as one and beamed back at him. “So…?” the young man prompted. “What aren’t you telling me?”

The Doctor drew a deep breath and then started to manipulate the controls. “I don’t know anything for certain,” he said calmly. “I do have a few theories, though.”

“Let’s hear them, then.”

The Doctor looked up. “Are you really interested?”

“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Ah! Don’t mind me.” The Doctor waved a hand dismissively. “I’m too used to Tegan objecting to everything.”

Turlough nodded knowingly. This was indeed true. If Tegan were there, she would be asking dozens of useless questions and not waiting for any of the answers. Thank goodness they had left her in Little Hodcomb. “Well, I am interested, Doctor,” he reiterated. “First, you can tell me what it is you’re doing over there.”

By this time the Doctor had his back turned and was scrutinizing the wall of dials. “I’m trying to get this excuse for technology to lock on to a fixed point,” he informed. “Jason’s at the other end and is supposed to be locking it there.”

“Jason!” Turlough gasped. “You didn’t tell me he was involved in all this.”

The Doctor threw a quick glance over his shoulder. “Didn’t I?”

“No.”

“Ah, well… Must’ve slipped my mind.”

Turlough ground his teeth in some annoyance. This was rather an important piece of information to just forget to mention. What else had slipped the Time Lord’s mind?

* * *

ARGO Flight Deck
Hangar Bay 287
Moscow, Russia
November 2620

“And this is the flight deck,” Jason said as he led his guests through the door. Sully was in the pilot’s seat and turned, rising to his feet as the Major and the Earl came through the doorway.

“Taking the grand tour?” Sully asked in amusement.

“I’ve never been on a spaceship before,” Eroica replied.

Jason’s eyebrows went up. “What do you call the TARDIS?”

“A Police Box,” Eroica replied brightly.

The Major gave an annoyed sigh. “Idiot.”

“That’s pretty much the whole ship,” Jason concluded. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s badly designed,” Klaus stated bluntly.

Sully slapped a hand on the main console. “There, you see! An unsolicited opinion.” He turned to the Major. “I’ve been telling him that for ten years.”

Klaus turned to Jason. “You should listen to your pilot,” he stated flatly. “The layout of this ship is a security nightmare.”

“Yes!” Sully replied excitedly.

“And the main…hatch, is it?” Eroica injected. “Is too far from the flight deck. Someone could be in and out and you’d never even know it.”

Jason held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, enough!” he said helplessly. “I have to go get that transmat locked on to the time corridor. The Doctor is supposed to be at the other end doing the same thing.”

The Major and Eroica exchanged a look of mutual astonishment. “The Doctor?” they said in unison.

“Yes. I managed to get a message to him through some very annoying channels,” Jason replied. “Whether he got all of my messages, I don’t know.”

“Then what?” the Major wanted to know.

“Well, if all goes well, I should be able to enter the time corridor at this end and exit at the same point where you two entered.”

“KGB Headquarters,” Eroica said darkly.

“Yes, unfortunately.”

Eroica threw a look over at the Major who suddenly seemed lost in thought. “Do you think Borodin and Ivanov will be waiting for us, Major?” he asked nervously.

Klaus came out of his daze and met the Earl’s inquiring gaze. “Borodin, perhaps. Not Ivanov.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because the bloody fool tried to shoot me,” Klaus replied coldly.

Eroica’s eyes widened a moment. “I can only assume you shot him first.”

“Damn right. I’d say I sent him to hell, if I knew whether the bloody Godless Commie believed in it.”

Jason felt a chill run down his spine at the man’s cold, matter-of-fact attitude. He had just admitted to killing a man as if he were talking about reading a newspaper. Was he really that heartless?

“Um…I’ll be back as quick as I can,” the Prince said as he headed for the door. “Look after my guests, will you, Sully?”

“Certainly, sir. Any orders while you’re gone?” Sully asked.

Jason turned, giving the Major a piercing look before turning to his pilot. “Yes. If the ship is attacked, give the Major that cannon you had before and hide.”

* * *

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