CHAPTER ELEVEN

FOLLOW THE SIGNAL

Alex insisted on being a part of the rescue team, and since the Doctor was not in the mood to argue, he agreed. Jason set to work tracking the jamming signal while the Doctor put the TARDIS into flight.

"Doctor, the hardware sending that signal isn't from this planet," the Alterran observed as he homed in on the beacon. "Did you notice that?"

"Yes," the Time Lord replied, his obvious amusement puzzling the others.

"How can you tell?" Ace wanted to know.

"The signal clarity," Jason replied. "This planet doesn't have satellite technology that sophisticated yet." Looking up, he added with a grin, "I doubt they've even developed video games yet."

Playing along, Ace moaned back, "Oh, how boring."

"Bingo!" Jason exclaimed happily. He activated the scanner and pointed to a small object hanging in space. "There she is."

"Great," Ace said, turning to the Doctor. "We know where it is. Now what?"

It was Jason who replied. "Follow the relay signal to its point of origin."

"With luck, it will lead us to whoever set all this up," the Doctor added.

"And will that help us find Frankie?" Alex asked.

The Doctor and Jason exchanged a guilty look.

"Er, no, actually," the Time Lord replied hesitantly.

"What!"

"There's no evidence to indicate the person who set up the signaling device is the same person who abducted Juris and Dr. Albert."

Alex was beside himself. "Then why are you going after it?"

"Because, incase you'd forgotten, we're here to stop our home worlds from destroying one other!" the Doctor snapped impatiently. "Until we send an all clear, that threat remains."

"We must finish our original mission before taking on another," Jason said in a more diplomatic tone.

"Quite right," the Time Lord agreed.

"And after that," Jason added offhandedly, "we can use the satellite to track down Juris."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "We can?"

The Alterran gave him a wry smile. "Just how many silicon-based lifeforms do you think there are on Teggell, Doctor?"

"Ooooh," the Time Lord sing-songed. "So that's why you were so calm when I told you about Juris."

His friend held up the device that had been removed from the Alter. "Oh, come on now. Do you really think this little thing is capable of beaming a direct signal all the way to Gallifrey? You must've suspected a booster of some kind along the way."

"Oh, yes. I'm just surprised that you did, that's all," the Doctor admitted somewhat guiltily.

"Oh, thank-you very much," Jason said sourly. "I didn't get that bad a bang on the head."

Juris started down the ladder only to stop when he realized Frankie was not following. He turned back to see her staring wide-eyed at him. "What's wrong?" A sudden thought struck him and he caught his breath. "You did know I could change, didn't you?"

Dr. Albert had been startled to be sure, but it was not by Juris transmuting. She wasn't surprised by his true Alterran form but was completely unprepared for his human appearance. The young man was so strikingly handsome she was speechless. It was not until Juris spoke that she finally came out of her daze. "What…?"

"I said you did know I could change, didn't you?"

"Oh yes, of course. I saw Jason do it a couple of times."

"Well, come on then," the young man insisted, taking her by the hand and practically dragging her down the steps, "let's get the hell out of here before Mr. Personality comes back."

The dazzled woman found herself being led across the room. At the door, Juris listened a moment before trying the handle. "Locked," he muttered. Glancing back at her, he said regretfully, "Looks like brute force is in order." He proceeded to pull the doorknob completely off, putting his hand through the hole and then forcing the door open.

"We need to find a place to hide before they realize we're gone," Juris then said quietly.

"Whatever you say," Frankie whispered back. "I'm right behind you."

The Alterran flashed an amused smile before leading the way again. He found a storeroom cluttered with boxes and cleaning equipment that seemed to suit their purpose nicely. After taking refuge inside, he turned to Frankie, seeing the same stunned expression on her face. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked again.

"Yes," she replied quickly, turning away from the piercing blue eyes and making as though she were looking for a place to sit down. "I get kidnapped everyday. Don't you?"

The Alterran Prince could not help himself and laughed. It was not so long ago that he had been kidnapped and held captive for nearly a year. "I try not to let it happen more than once a year," he said mildly. "Tell me," he went on in a serious tone, "that man who brought us here. Do you know who he is?"

Dr. Albert shook her head. "They called him Reed. All I know is he works for Mr. Personality." Seeing a dark look pass over the young man's face, she asked, "Why?"

Juris shook his head. "I don't know. But there's something very odd about him."

"Other than his employer, what?"

The reply was not what Frankie expected. "Well, for one thing, I don't think he's from this planet."

"What makes you say that?"

"I can't feel his presence, even when he's in the same room. It's as if he weren't even there."

"What do you mean you—?" Frankie caught her breath. "That's right! I forgot. You're telepathic!"

Juris gave a small smile. "Yes, only for some reason, I'm not here. Every Teggellan I've encountered is closed to me. I can feel your emotions but I don't have a handle on thoughts yet. But this guy. He's a hole in the universe."

"Wait a minute," Frankie broke in, "you can't read my mind?"

"No. I can only guess…I guess," he joked feebly. "I'm more empathic than telepathic here."

"I'm confused—again," Dr. Albert muttered, shaking her head. "I'm beginning to wish I'd never answered that phone."

Juris scowled. "You've lost me."

"It's just…ever since I first met your father and the Doctor…" Pausing, Frankie said with a sigh, "Let's just say my life hasn't exactly been the way I planned it."

Juris gave a small smile, nodding his understanding. "Yeah, they can turn things upside down, can't they?"

Looking the young man in the eye, Frankie said, "You're not doing so bad yourself."

The TARDIS followed the signal, materializing in a large cave. The Doctor came out first, a small homing device in one hand, a small torch in the other. He had the light and his eyes fixed on the readings as he slowly made his way forward. Jason came out behind him and looked around. Suddenly his human eyes were replaced by the crystalline sensors of his true self, thus allowing him to see in the dark without illumination.

"About twenty feet or so ahead of you, Doctor," he informed, seeing their objective. "It looks like a small spaceship. Maybe a shuttle."

Ace was clearly impressed. "How can you see that far in the dark?"

Before Jason could reply, the Doctor snorted, "He's just showing off."

The Alterran snorted back. "Keep it up and I won't tell you you're about to trip over a rock."

Out of the darkness, they heard the Doctor cry out as he did just that, the light from the torch going out at the same time.

"Told you so."

"Don't just stand there being smug," the Time Lord called, "come help me."

Thinking the Doctor to be hurt, Jason and Ace exchanged a horrified look and hurried into the gloom.

"Hey, wait for me," Alex called.

"Stay there," Jason ordered. "No use all of us getting lost in the dark."

"I never get lost," the Doctor announced frostily from the spacecraft's doorway. He pushed the door open, allowing the light to spill out into the cave.

"Doctor…" Ace moaned darkly. She broke into a broad smile when Jason groaned, "Don't you just hate it when he does that?"