CHAPTER 4

THE UNTOLD TRUTH

"This was on my doorstop this morning," Dr. Albert growled as she threw a newspaper down on the Security Chief's desk. It was a copy of a tabloid call "The Untold Truth" and had a sketch of Jason on the front page under the bold headline, Has The Guardian Of Jaka Returned For His Treasure?

"I want to know who's responsible for this, Alex," Frankie demanded.

Alex glanced at the offending paper and snorted. "Who knows where those rags get their stories. Maybe one of the divers who found her sold it to them."

"Then how did they get her name? I didn't give that to her until that afternoon." Picking up the paper, Frankie proceeded to read an excerpt, becoming more annoyed as she went.

"…the creature, named Crystal by the Center's Director, Dr. Francesca Albert, is of unknown origin and is, as yet, unidentified. Its appearance comes within six weeks of the discovery of a mysterious stone chest in the Coral Basin. A diving team, also from the Freeland Oceanographic Center, unearthed the object, which is rumored to be inscribed with symbols identical to those found inside the ancient Temple of Jaka and has been kept locked away since its discovery. It is not known how long 'Crystal' will also remain hidden from public view as Dr. Albert has been unavailable for comment—"

Frankie stopped reading and looked up. "We're going to have Brogan and his nutcase followers down here all over again," she said in exasperation. "First the chest, and now Crystal. Where the hell are they getting it from?" She punctuated her question by throwing the paper into the trash.

Alex watched her in silence, thinking how appropriate it was that she had red hair. It so matched her fiery personality. "I don't know where they get it from," he replied calmly, "but know where I do. My sister works at a newsstand and saw a copy of that rag when it arrived. She called me, and then I called the police informing them that we might be in for a repeat performance from Brogan and company."

Frankie blinked. Then she smiled and finally laughed. "You know what? You're no bad—for a man."

Alex grinned back. He got to his feet and opened the door. "You're not so bad yourself—for an oceanographer."

Following Frankie into the hall, he then asked "Have you come to any conclusions about Crystal yet?"

Frankie shook her head and sighed, "No, she's still a mystery. Fascinating, but a mystery. Everything about her is so unlike anything I've ever seen before." She went on to describe some of her numerous and perplexing observations as they made their way down to the observation room. By the time they arrived the Security Chief's head was swimming.

"Alright, alright, I'm convinced!" Alex said as they entered the room. "I'm sorry I ever mentioned it." Looking over to the tank, he called happily, "Good morning, Crystal, old girl. How are you today?"

Inside the tank, Jason was slowly returning to normal, the worst of his illness having run its course. Once his fever had broken he stopped his violent thrashing and became, instead, quite listless, floating in the cool water and feeling strangely detached from reality; a common side effect of the Draconian Flu. Once he returned to his right mind, he found it completely blank, knowing no more about himself than did Dr. Albert, except for the fact that he was not a she.

"Wow! She sure has calmed down in the last three days, hasn't she?" Alex remarked. He then scowled at the occupant of the tank. "Frankie, is it my imagination, or is Crystal changing color? I'd've sworn she was darker than that the day you brought her in."

"She's been fading steadily for the past twenty-four hours." Seeing the inevitable next question, Frankie held up her hands. "And don't ask me how she's doing it, either, I haven't the slightest idea."

"She's not sick, is she?" Alex asked concernedly. His knowledge of marine life was admittedly limited, but he did know that some species could not survive in captivity. He was relieved when Dr. Albert replied, "No, no, she's perfectly fine. In fact, the more accustomed to us she gets, the more she seems to fade. And her appetite's actually improved over the last day, too, so I can only assume the color change was some kind of defense mechanism. At the rate she's going, she'll be completely white by morning."

"That reminds me, I've been meaning to ask you something," the Security Chief began baitingly. "What happens if she turns out to be a he?"

Dr. Albert smiled devilishly. "Well…I suppose I'll just have to call him Chris." She paused a beat, adding, "And then throw him back."

Alex gave her a sideways glance. "You've been waiting for me to ask that, haven't you?" He received another devilish grin mixed with a schoolgirl giggle. Before he could think of a suitable response, his beeper went off and he went to the phone across the room.

Frankie heard him moan, "Oh, no, not already," and turned to see an exasperated expression on the face of her Security Chief. "I'll be right there," Alex said and then hung up the phone. Turning to the puzzled Director, he informed, "High Priest Brogan and some of the other servants of Jaka are out front demanding the release of the Guardian."

Frankie cursed under her breath, echoing Alex's sentiments exactly. "Do you want me to come along, or is it too early for that?" she asked.

"Let me see how bad it is first. Will you be in your office later?"

Dr. Albert told him she would and watched him leave, feeling angry, helpless, and frustrated all at the same time. Turning back to the tank and its carelessly floating occupant, she put a hand on the window, tapping her fingernails on the glass. "You're not their silly old Guardian, are you, Crystal?" she cooed. The Alterran moved closer and Frankie smiled lovingly, tapping her nails again as a tendril reached out in her direction. "No, you're not the Guardian," she said firmly, adding wistfully, "I wish to heaven I knew what you really are, though."

"I wish I knew myself," Jason replied in an equally wistful tone. Unfortunately, he was still speaking in his own language, and to Frankie it sounded like the usual squeaks and clicks of countless other marine animals.

"I guess I'll just have to find out the hard way, won't I, Crystal? You'll help me, won't you?" So saying, Frankie went to her office, having no idea how very accurate this remark would prove to be.

After working for days on the console the Doctor discovered, to his delight, that the TARDIS was much closer to land than he dared hope. He was able to track the incoming tides and surface currents with ease. He estimated as closely as he could where his companion might have come ashore and made what could be described in cosmic terms as a bull's eye. The TARDIS materialized only a few miles from the actual spot where Jason had washed ashore.

As he made his approach, the Doctor saw a town a short distance away and decided to start his search there, beginning with the usual channels of inquiry. At the police station, he inquired as to whether any unidentified persons had appeared during the five days since his companion disappeared. None of the descriptions matched, which was both a relief and a disappointment. It meant one of two things. Jason was still alive and unharmed, or he wasn't in the area at all.

After a long and fruitless afternoon, the Doctor wandered aimlessly through the town, lost in thought. The smell of food brought him back to reality. It also reminded him that he had failed to eat anything all day, which only brought his task more vividly to mind. This never would've happened with his companion around. Jason was always hungry.

Seeing a newsstand just ahead, the Time Lord felt it might be best if he found out exactly when he was, knowing only vaguely the where—the planet Teggell. An involuntary cry escaped him when he saw a copy of "The Untold Truth" and its sketch of his Alterran companion on the front page. It had never occurred to him that Jason might still be in his true form. He so rarely revealed himself this way, even to the Doctor. Then again, if the boy were sick or weak from his illness, he would simply wait for his health to return and then disappear without revealing himself to anyone.

The Time Lord bought the tabloid, as well as several more respectable publications, and then went to the café across the street. He enjoyed an excellent meal of local delicacies as he poured over his newspapers. Once he'd finished digesting both his meal and the papers, the Doctor asked directions to the Freeland Oceanographic Center.

By the time the Doctor arrived at the Center, it was late in the afternoon. Dr. Albert was in her office trying to get caught up on paperwork when the call came up that someone was asking to see her. The Time Lord insisted that it was a matter of the greatest importance, which finally brought the reluctant Director to the lobby. When she learned it concerned Crystal, she accused him of bringing her out under false pretenses.

"My dear Dr. Albert," the Time Lord soothed, "I can assure you my reasons for being here are strictly personal and involve no one other than myself. You see, I believe I know what that creature of yours is. And if I'm right, you've a great deal more than a new form of marine life on your hands."

The Director was unimpressed, having heard it all before from Brogan and his followers. "I think I'm a much better judge of that than you are, Doctor," Frankie replied tersely. She turned to leave and he held out a hand to stop her. Annoyed, she took hold of it firmly to say good-bye, equally firmly, but never got the chance. As soon as she squeezed his hand, the Time Lord caught his breath and let out a small cry of pain.

"Doctor, your hands!" she gasped. "What've you done to them?"

Indeed, they were not in the best of shape. The Doctor had not been paying them much attention, having been more concerned with finding his companion than looking after himself. He, therefore, had not given his hands the chance to heal properly. His fingers were still stiff and swollen and the skin was badly discolored from the numerous gashes.

"I had a run in with a counter full of glass," he explained mildly. "The glass won."

"When was that?"

"A few days ago, I think…"

"A few days!" Dr. Albert gasped. "It's a wonder they're not infected." She immediately took him to the dispensary where she properly cleaned and dressed his wounds, giving him a dose of antibiotics in the process.

"If you're this conscientious with someone you distrust," the Doctor remarked, "you must be exceptional with the marine life that requires your care."

Frankie gave him a half-smile as she put the bandages away. Looking him in the eye, she asked pointedly, "Alright, Doctor, I want a straight answer. Why are you really here? You're obviously not a reporter. And you're certainly not a religious fanatic. Is it just plain old-fashioned scientific curiosity?"

The Time Lord gave her a look that was both surprised and inquiring and she said simply, "You talk like a scientist."

Flashing a broad smile, the Doctor replied, "Dr. Albert, if I were to tell you what I suspected, you'd have me thrown out as a crackpot."

"What makes you think I won't anyway?"

The Doctor's smile widened. "Your plain old-fashioned scientific curiosity."

Now it was Frankie's turn to smile.

"All I ask is that you let me see Crystal for myself. If I'm right, I'll explain everything. And if I'm wrong, then you can throw me out."

The Director drew a deep breath, giving the Doctor a dubious look. It seemed almost too ludicrous to consider. Who was this vagabond scientist who had so suddenly appeared out of nowhere? Where did he come from? And why had he waited two days after the story broke about Crystal before contacting her? Then again, there was something strangely compelling about him; his tone, his manner. It was obvious he was completely serious about what he was saying.

The Doctor watched silently as Frankie mulled all this over in her mind. After several minutes, she looked over at him and he said hopefully, "Well…?"