CHAPTER 11

"DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?"

The Doctor was appalled. "What?" he gasped, taking a seat across from the distraught Security Chief. "Do you know who it was?"

Alex shook his head. "Too soon to say. But if you ask me, that Cult was behind it. One of my men chased someone in the parking lot just before the alarm sounded. Unfortunately, he didn't get a good look at him."

"And the authorities think Dr. Albert was abducted?"

Fighting to stay in control, Alex said, "No. She…" Swallowing hard, he said, "She was carried out to sea when Crystal escaped."

"What?" The Doctor could not believe what he was hearing. He had finally managing to locate his companion, only to lose him again overnight. "Are you telling me that h—I mean, Crystal, actually killed her?"

"If you mean did Crystal kill her outright, the answer is, no. But—" Alex paused, his voice becoming shaky as he said, "She'd've drowned anyway. The bastards had her tied up and weighted down with diving belts." Covering his face as the scene replayed itself in his mind for what seemed the thousandth time, he moaned, "There's no way she could've survived."

Being familiar with the Alterran's extraordinary powers, the Time Lord wasn't nearly so pessimistic. "Perhaps…" he said enigmatically.

The Security Chief looked up sharply, suddenly feeling very angry. "What do you mean perhaps! I saw it with my own eyes! We found her lab coat on one of the intakes near the Seagate. It was in shreds and covered with blood."

"How very convenient," the Time Lord remarked in a sarcastic tone. "A tad contrived, but I suppose one must make allowances for illness."

Alex was in no mood for the Doctor's usual, and infuriating, vagueness. "Now look, Doctor," he began threateningly, getting to his feet, "if you know anything about this…"

The Doctor held up his hands, looking innocently at the man behind the desk who was glaring at him with a distinct air of suspicion. "Mr. Grove, I can assure you, I had nothing to do with the events of last night. But if I'm right in my suspicions—and there seems every indication that I am—then I can also assure you that there's a very good chance Dr. Albert is still very much alive."

"What! Now look—"

The Doctor cut him off, calmly asking, "What color was Crystal last night?"

Alex was completely thrown by this sudden non sequitur. "What color?"

"It's a simple enough question, surely? Was it green, by any chance?"

"Well, no, actually, she was sort of a cream color. She was green when they brought her in, but started changing color about two days ago."

The Doctor was ecstatic and sprang to his feet. "This is excellent! Then I was right." Turning to the baffled Security Chief, he smiled broadly. "Things are looking up, Mr. Grove."

"Doctor, what are you talking about?"

"I think you'd better sit down," the Time Lord grinned. "I'm going to tell you what I'd planned to tell Dr. Albert. And I should probably warn you…you won't believe a word of it."

Miles away, Crystal—now known as Chris—was sitting out on Dr. Albert's back porch, sipping a mug of coffee and brooding about himself. He had slept badly, when he had slept at all, his rest being invaded by numerous swirling images, unfamiliar emotions and a vague half-memory of rage and hatred. He had no idea if these were genuine memories or nightmares. What if the awful murderous rage he'd dreamt about was the reality of his true self trying to break through, he thought fearfully. Finally giving up trying to sleep at all, Jason made a quick check on Frankie to satisfy himself that he hadn't tried to kill her in his sleep. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found her still sleeping peacefully in her room.

With nothing else to do, he made another pot of coffee, marveling at the same time at how natural so many things seemed to him. Going out onto the porch, the Alterran watched as dawn broke, wondering uneasily what the new day would bring. What if he really was the Guardian after all? Could he live with himself after the experiences of the last few days? Would he even remember them? Worse yet, what if he wasn't the Guardian? Who was he, then? How did he get into the state that caused him to be so abruptly washed ashore?

Closing his eyes, Jason sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. It was no use. All this thinking was just giving him a headache. He decided to just think about the beautiful morning and give his own identity crisis a rest. At least until Frankie woke up.

At the Freeland Center, the one person who could answer all of Jason's questions had just fin ished his explanation to the incredulous Security Chief.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe any of that nonsense?" Alex exploded. "I've got enough crazies running around claiming Crystal's some ancient mythical beast without you adding to it. A shape shifter! I've never heard such utter nonsense." He was on his feet, beside himself in anger. "The next thing you'll be telling me is you're from another planet."

The Doctor's eyes flickered and he smiled knowingly. He sat patiently listening to the ranting Teggellan, completely unruffled by his tempestuous outburst. "I did say you wouldn't believe me," he said mildly.

"And you were right!"

"It's always easier if one keeps an open mind," the Time Lord remarked sarcastically.

Alex's eyes narrowed. A thought struck him and he decided to press the issue. "Okay then, tell me this. If Crystal really was this friend of yours, why didn't she—he—let us know?"

"Well, aside from the fact that he was ill, he wouldn't've revealed himself to you or anyone else. He simply would've escaped as soon as he was well enough to manage it." Pausing, the Doctor added, "Which would've left you with another mystery on your hands, wouldn't it?"

Alex chose not to respond.

"That's why I asked if he'd changed color. It means he's back to normal, so to speak."

"And what makes you so sure he wouldn't've killed Frankie anyway?" Grove asked accusingly. "You weren't there when the research team was attacked, but I was. Frankie almost drowned when Crystal pulled her underwater."

Having been attacked himself, the Doctor could imagine the scene. "Mr. Grove, when Jason's in his right mind, he's one of the gentlest individuals you'd ever hope to meet. He'd no more harm Dr. Albert than you would."

"Doctor, she was carried out to sea!"

"That wouldn't've made any difference. Jason's an Alterran and has some rather extraordinary powers. She'd've survived even if they were miles below the surface."

The reluctant Alex suddenly realized he was actually beginning to believe what the Doctor was saying. At first, he was annoyed with himself, but he couldn't deny the fact that he'd been unable to get the sound he'd heard floating in over the waves out of his mind. It was Frankie's voice. He was sure of it. And if this wild story proved true, even in part, then there was a chance, how ever remote, that she was still alive.

"Okay," Alex conceded, sitting down again, "just for the sake of argument, let's say I believe you and Frankie's alive. Where is she? Why hasn't she contacted us?"

"Oh, good grief, man, think! She couldn't be safer now that everyone thinks she's dead. Especially since her bloodstained lab coat was found in so convenient a—" The Doctor interrupted himself when a sudden thought struck him. "I suppose there's no mistaking it was hers?"

The Security Chief gave him a wry smile. "No. Her ID badge was still clipped to the pocket."

The Doctor grunted in reply.

"I see what you're getting at…" Alex said thoughtfully. "You think it was planted there."

"What do you think?"

Alex thought he was probably right and leaned back in his chair, staring into space. As bizarre—no, insane—as it all sounded, the Doctor's reasoning was beginning to make sense. He looked up sharply when the Time Lord said offhandedly, "And if this Cult is as influential as I've heard, Dr. Albert probably doesn't even trust the police."

"What do you know about the Cult?" Alex asked accusingly.

"Oh, just everything," the Doctor replied cheerily, absently thumbing the pages of a book on the desk. "I spent a good portion of last night reading up on them. This book in particular was very informative. A very enchanting group, this Cult of yours. Their High Priest Brogan sounds a very charming lunatic."

Alex laughed in spite of himself. "He's that alright."

"Can you tell me how I might get to this Temple of his?" the Doctor then asked suddenly.

"The Temple? You're not actually going there, are you?"

"My dear Mr. Grove, Jason has no idea where I am, or even that I'm here looking for him. He does know that Dr. Albert is in great danger and will therefore stay as close to her as possible. Now, I can't find him until I find her, and the only lead I've got is this Cult of Jaka."

"And you want to go to the Temple?"

"Well, I've got to start somewhere!" the Doctor pointed out as he got to his feet. Another thought struck him and he asked suddenly, "I don't suppose I could have a look at this airlock of yours, could I?"

Alex blinked. "Doctor, I'm still not altogether convinced you weren't involved in all this."

The Time Lord flashed a broad smile. "Then if I were you, I wouldn't let me out of your sight."