3. The Cave.
In the cave they're discussing what to do.
"Devyon might alert the Doctor. He'll know what to do," Alyssa says. She has faith in the Doctor.
"But it's a rift and a portal," Simeon points out. "That's significant. Even if he determines where the rift went to, the portal couldn't be hacked unless the Doctor went into the rift, but that's so dangerous! When the rift was finished with, it would collapse along with anything still inside it. The Doctor would never knowingly go into a rift without knowing he could reach the far end safely."
"It looks as if the Master has been thorough!" Chloe says sadly.
She sighs as she looks at the caked Tardis summoner. She knows that it will work again fine, but only if it's cleaned up carefully, not with a blunt tool like a rock! .
Suddenly, before them as they stand contemplating in the shadows of the cave, the Master returns and lifts the lantern from its shelf. He's not going to leave a perfectly good lantern behind to incriminate him!
Alyssa seizes the opportunity for rescue for them and steps silently behind the Master to touch his red cape. She hopes this will be enough to include her, and anyone else who touches her, in the personal hyperspace Armband transport. She turns to invite the others to join her...
The cave seems less dark suddenly. Stars are meagrely illuminating a black dark sky. Alyssa recognises she's out of the cave and free.
She retrieves her messaging device and messages the Doctor.
"RFH. Escaped with the Master." She hopes her Request For Help might bring the Doctor to where she is and he might be able to rescue the others.
She sends the message before noticing the Master's watching her... .
How long he's been watching her she doesn't know!
She decides to bluff him. "You just can't get signal here!" .
"No, you can't," the Master says evenly. "Who were you trying to message?" .
He must have seen her tapping in her brief message. She thinks quickly.
"I was trying to ask for help in this bleak place. But now you're here to help me," she says in a desperate attempt to cover up any further details of her message. "You can help me!"
The Master doesn't recognise her - she's regenerated at least once since he last saw her, and he doesn't know that she can regenerate. He probably doesn't know about her at all! .
The Master sweeps away Alyssa's more probable transgression as a stowaway in his Tardis. .
"Very well, then you can come with me and be my companion." The Master seems to be in a good mood. .
Alyssa's alarm has to be very short-lived as the Master's still looking at her. Any sign of alarm at his invitation might alert him to her having more knowledge about him than might be good for her. She blinks to disguise her alarm, and she rubs her eyes to distract.
His concrete-block styled Tardis is standing just a short distance away and they walk together towards it, picking their way by the light of the stars across rocks that were probably worn by water action aeons before, but have been staring blankly into space since then.
What has Alyssa got herself into?