CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

THINGS HAVE ESCALATED

Turlough was in the console room, his eyes fixed on the data readings when the exterior doors suddenly swung open. He looked up in surprise when Jason and Major entered supporting the battered Eroica.

“Jason, what on earth…?”

“Dorian was attacked,” Jason stated succinctly. He looked around the room and then back at Turlough. “Where’s the Doctor?”

“He’s out taking readings,” Turlough replied, waving a hand toward the doors. “He asked me to monitor the energy spikes.”

Jason was halfway across the console room and stopped short, turning back to face him. “What energy spikes?” he practically demanded.

Before Turlough could respond, the Major cut in. “Can’t this wait until after you’ve seen to Lord Gloria’s injuries?” he asked, much to the surprise of all present.

“I think this may be important,” Jason said firmly. He looked the puzzled Eroica in the eye. “Can you wait a few minutes?”

Eroica nodded. “Yes.”

Jason looked at the Major, seeing him glaring angrily at him. He unflinchingly met the officer’s disapproving gaze. “Don’t make me order you, Major.”

The Major stiffened visibly. Despite the fact that Jason had differed to him as an expert in several things, he was still the one in command, Klaus reminded himself, and he had agreed to assist in his mission. Even though it was obvious he wanted to say a considerable amount in response, his reply was to help Eroica to a chair while Jason crossed to the console.

Turlough watched this battle of wills in an awed silence and was only returned to reality when the Prince forcefully asked, “Turlough, what energy spikes?”

Turlough pointed at the display he had been monitoring when the group arrived. A long printout was cascading to the floor beside it. “The Doctor noticed them when we first arrived. They’ve been fluctuating quite a bit. Most of them coincide with those ghost sightings. Up until a minute ago, the strongest reading that registered was the transmat. But that’s been deactivated.”

“I’m assuming you just got another strong reading?” Jason said, his eyes flashing over the equipment.

“Yes. It went off the scale and then…stopped. Just like that.”

“About ten minutes ago?”

Turlough gave the Alterran a stunned look. “How could you possibly know that?”

Jason nodded, turning in the Major’s direction. “Our alien attacker, no doubt.”

Turlough scowled. “What?”

“An alien something attacked Dorian,” Jason informed. “It’s definitely not a ghost. But it can change form like I can.”

Turlough rolled his eyes. “Great. Any other good news?”

“Yes. It vanished into thin air before my very eyes.”

Turlough blinked. Note to self. Do not ask questions you do not want to hear the answers to. He tore off the printout and started to fold it up.

“I have no idea what it is, but if I know the Doctor, he’ll have a name to go with that scant description,” Jason remarked.

“A name, history, and planet of origin, most like,” Turlough agreed. “I was just going to go look for him when you arrived.” He waved the papers in the air. “He wanted to see the recordings as soon as anything registered.”

Jason nodded approvingly. “Tell him we may’ve found a connection.”

“Consider it done.” Turlough turned toward the door.

“I’m coming with you,” the Major announced.

Turlough stiffened visibly. “I don’t think so.”

“It wasn’t a request. There’s already been one civilian casualty. I’m not making it two.”

Turlough threw a pleading look in Jason’s direction.

“Don’t look at me,” the Prince said in response to his unspoken request. “I happen to agree with him.”

Eroica made a small, startled noise. “I think Hell just froze over.”

Jason shot him a sideways glance. “Funny.”

“Jason…” Turlough began, only to be cut off.

“Turlough, you’ll be better off with the Major than without him.”

“Why?”

“Well, for one thing, you’re less likely to be hassled by the KGB.”

Turlough shot a quick look at the Major, who was in the process of lighting a cigarette.

“And, Jason added pointedly, “you’re unarmed. The Major has a very big gun, isn’t afraid to use it, and is a crack shot. Believe me, you couldn’t be in safer hands.”

Klaus blew smoke in the air. “I want you at my next efficiency review,” he remarked aridly before heading towards the door. “Come. The Doctor won’t learn anything with us here.”

“No, Major, wait,” Jason called.

The officer stiffened visibly before he turned, an impatient look on his face.

Jason was already addressing Turlough. “Do you have a TARDIS key?”

Turlough scowled. “No, why?”

“Because I’m locking the doors behind you and not letting anyone back in again.” Jason pulled out his own TARDIS key. “Major, I think you’d better carry this.” The Major reached out to take it and Jason pulled back. “No, hold out your hand, palm up.”

Klaus gave the Alterran a dark look but did as instructed. Jason placed the key in the palm of his outstretched hand. “There,” he said happily. “Now, it will only work for you and me. No one else.”

“How is that possible?” the Major asked, looking at the oddly shaped key in fascination.

“DNA, for one thing. It now has yours and mine imprinted in its memory.”

Klaus continued to look at the key in amazement, marveling at the technology that would produce such an item. “DNA…” he said quietly. Obviously, there was a great deal more to this new marvel of modern science than anyone in his time realized.

Eroica could just see the wheels turning in the officer’s head. “He’s already wondering how to reproduce that, Jason.”

Jason grinned at the dark look this produced on the Major’s face. “I’m afraid that’s Time Lord technology. The key also has psychic coding that’s linked to the TARDIS telepathy circuits. In an emergency, such as now, the key will only work for those individuals that the operator trusts.”

Klaus looked up. “The operator?”

“The Doctor.”

The Major’s eyes narrowed a moment before he pocketed the key. The more he learned about the Doctor, the more he suspected that he was considerably more than the unassuming alien he made himself out to be.

“Major,” Jason said in a serious tone, “according to Dorian, that alien can change its eye color. I can’t. My eyes are blue. Sapphire blue, to be even more specific.”

The Major looked directly at the Alterran Prince, memorizing his features before he nodded. “Good to know. Just don’t go changing your appearance,” he replied crisply. He then turned on his heel, vanishing through the doors. Turlough threw Jason a dark look before grudgingly following him.

As soon as they were gone, Jason closed and locked the exterior doors. Then he turned to the battered Dorian. “Just you and me again, it seems,” he said as he crossed the room.

“Is that your way of saying ‘Alone, at last?’” Eroica replied, trying very hard to keep his voice from trembling. He did not succeed and Jason gave him a concerned look.

“No, actually. I didn’t think you’d be up for any of our usual nonsense.”

Eroica blinked. “Our nonsense?”

An amused smile spread across the Alterran’s face as he helped his friend to his feet. “Good Lord, Dorian, you don’t think I’d put up with your constant harassment if I were seriously annoyed by it, do you?”

“I have no idea. After hearing you agree with Iron Klaus, I’m not sure about anything anymore.”

Jason gave a small chuckle. “Let’s get you patched up first, shall we? Then we can go into the intricacies of our non-existent relationship.”

* * *

While Turlough would never have admitted to it, he found himself grateful that the Major had insisted on accompanying him. They had scarcely left the room in which the TARDIS was stored when two soldiers appeared at the end of the corridor. They regarded the pair momentarily, received a piecing glare from the Major after which they decided that continuing in the opposite direction seemed like a good idea.

The Major turned to Turlough as if nothing had happened. “Did the Doctor indicate where he would be taking his readings?”

“No, but if I had to guess, I’d say he went to that prototype,” Turlough replied. “He seems to think that’s the nexus point.”

“Nexus point?” This was a new one.

Turlough pushed open the door to the transmat room and was relieved to see the Doctor was actually there. He also had the control podium in pieces.

The Major stepped through the door and stopped dead. And people accuse me of being a machine maniac. “Doctor, what are you doing?”

The Time Lord looked up, the grin on his face disintegrating when he saw the grave expression on Turlough’s face. The Major always looked serious, but his companion was another matter entirely. “What’s happened?” he asked, rising to his feet.

“Things have escalated,” the Major replied soberly. “The Earl was physically attacked by whatever it is that’s haunting this building.”

“What?” The Doctor’s mind raced through all the information he had gathered. There was nothing to indicate that the…creature were violent in any way. Then he recalled Jason’s questionable source. “When? Where?”

“Within the last half hour. And in an office a short distance from here.”

Turlough cleared his throat and held out the printout. “We brought this for you, Doctor,” he said, explaining about the readings coinciding with the incident.

The Doctor took the papers and quickly flipped through them. He heaved a heavy sigh and looked up. “Other than the intensity, this still tells us nothing.”

“Then perhaps we should question Jason and the Earl,” the Major suggested. “Jason said that it vanished into thin air.”

“How badly was Dorian hurt?”

The Major’s eyes flickered. “The thing beat the shit out of him,” he replied succinctly. “He had ligature marks on his wrists and throat.”

The Doctor nodded. “Jason won’t let us near him until he’s convinced he’s alright,” he said knowing. “That gives us at least an hour or two.”

The Major frowned. “An hour or two for what?”

The Doctor grinned back at him. “To see if we can convince the KGB to evacuate this section of the building.”

“What?” Turlough and the Major said in unison.

“Doctor, you’re not serious?” Turlough objected.

“Completely!”

“You’re also completely mad,” the Major rejoined. “Do you really think you can convince the KGB to evacuate an entire section of a building because of a disappearing alien? They’ll lock us up!”

The Doctor gave him a knowing look. “We’ll see, Major. We’ll see. I’ve convinced people of far worse things.”

Turlough sighed heavily. “He has, Major,” he injected. “I’ve seen him do it.”

The Major considered. “I’m glad I’m not a betting man, Doctor, or I’d ask you to quote me the odds on this succeeding.”

* * *

“This it the last place I ever thought I’d see again,” Eroica remarked as he entered the TARDIS sickbay.

Jason gave him a small smile but did not reply. He led the still shaken man into a large room and then over to an examining table.

Eroica started to climb onto the table but was stopped by the Alterran, who put a hand on his arm and then turned him around, looking him in the eye. “Dorian, you realize I’m going to have to give you a complete physical examination, don’t you?” he said seriously.

Eroica met the Healer’s steady gaze. “Why?”

“You already know why.”

“You haven’t even asked me what happened yet,” the thief protested.

Jason’s serious expression did not change. “Dorian, I’m almost three hundred years old. I know what I walked in on. I just haven’t asked how far it got.”

Eroica closed his eyes and shuddered. “Far enough.”

“I know you need time,” the Alterran Healer said gently. “But the sooner you tell me exactly what happened, the sooner we can go about catching that thing. As far as I can tell, you’re the only one who’s had any kind of extended contact with it.”

“Lucky me,” Eroica said ironically. He opened his eyes and took in the room. “So…what now?”

“Now you—” Jason could not help himself and laughed. “Dorian, you are the last person I ever thought I’d be saying this to.”

“What?”

“Take off your clothes.”

* * *