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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 13, 2021 18:25:54 GMT
In the Doctor's lab, he and Colonel Pink unpacked the TARDIS, a time machine no longer. Long ago reconfigured as a time cone inverter, it would hold the Planet of the Claras in a fixed moment in time while Servalan battered impotently at its shell. She'd knock a hole in the hull of the Emancipator and get sucked out into space before she broke through the planet's temporal protection.
"Go on, then," Pink demanded. "Get it started."
The Doctor seemed to be dragging his heels.
Pink pulled a raygun out of his holster, and pointed it into a corner of the room. The Doctor turned to see his precious guitar sitting there/
"Oh, all right, all right," he muttered. He pulled the lever. Nothing happened.
"It's working," he said, in a tired voice. "Our planet is now inaccesible to anybody anywhere in the universe."
"Good!" Pink exclaimed, relaxing at last. "Good!"
Except, the Doctor thought quietly to himself, to anybody ELSE with a TARDIS...
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 14, 2021 19:54:54 GMT
"Are we STUCK?" Servalan demanded of her pilot.
"Nah, cushty," replied Del Tarrant, at the controls of the Empancipator. "Ain't that right, Rodders?"
"Yeah, t'riffic, Del," replied his brother, non-commitantly.
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Post by grinch on Aug 15, 2021 17:30:40 GMT
On the furthest edges of space, hidden deep with an asteroid in a makeshift laboratory stood Davros. His once handsome visage now badly burnt and scarred while his left leg was missing completely. Torn off by some foul creature some years prior.
Muttering a tune to himself, he boiled a kettle in what resembled a small kitchen in his hideout before falling back onto a small stool. Still muttering a tune, he pulled out a small device which he turned on projecting an image of him, the Master and his darling Charn. He sighed as he thought back to when this photo was taken. Much happier times.
In the corner of the room, almost buried under a mass of wires stood the familiar (now damaged) casing of a Dalek. It raised his eyestalk to look at him.
“FATHER?” it called out weakly.
In response, Davros picked up a crutch made from the remains of what was once several Dalek eyestalks and limped over to his creation.
“Yes, my child?” asked Davros.
“I.... FEEL SO TIRED. SO VERY, VERY TIRED.” it responded.
“I know, I know” said Davros, trying his utmost to comfort the wounded creature. Once his creations totalled in the thousands, trillions even. But now, only the one remained. The Last Son of Skaro. Well, aside from himself of course. Or at least what remained of this weak and damaged form.
“Here, take this.” said Davros, pulling out a syringe and lifted the head of the Dalek. He reached in and injected the creature with it before putting in back in his pocket.
“SO, VERY, VERY TIRED...” it murmured as it finally fell unconscious.
Davros patted the Dalek on its casing and limped back to the kettle now boiled.
Whatever may happen next, he vowed to himself, they will survive. They must survive.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 16, 2021 19:35:10 GMT
Therefore, Davros tottered across to one of the walls, and pressed his hand against a panel, which slid away. Revealed was a cavity containing...
"The trans-universal beacon. So," Davros muttered, "it has come to this."
He didn't want to operate it. It had come to him, oh, so long ago, popping out of the air in front of him. He had locked it away, frightened, when experimentation showed that it was native to this part of space-time. Whether it was from the future, or the past, or another realm entirely, he did not know, and nor did he wish to.... and, yet, it was too precious simply to destroy.
But now he had little time left to him. His hovel was short of power, short of oxygen, short of food and water, and if it had just been him, then no matter.... but the Empress's warriors, if they did not come for him, the weapons-maker, they would be coming for everybody else in the galaxy. If any help existed... beyond? Then now was the time for last-ditch hopes.
"This is a bad idea," he sighed, pulling the lever.
***
Having returned to his rooms, the Doctor observed the sphere once more. This time beheld the path of - a TARDIS? His own?
***
The Master raised his knuckle to knock on the door of Avon's rooms.
***
The Empress Clara, on a throne of skulls.
***
Clara Oswald, one flap of a bird's wings from true death.
*** A flashing light on the TARDIS console.
"You couldn't credit it, could you?" the Doctor demanded. "ANOTHER interruption?"
"What's this one, then?" Gabby asked. "It certainly isn't anything I've said or done this time."
"No, it's a distress beacon," the Doctor said, examining readouts from the console. "Of... Kaled origin? That's bad. And it's coming from another universe. That's worse. But it's definitely an artifact from THIS universe. That's even worse."
"What about the Planet?" asked Lara.
"It can wait!" the Doctor declared, because he still didn't know that Clara was a split-second from death. "The beast isn't doing anybody any harm at the moment," the Doctor continued, still wrong. "We're following this beacon. I mean, there's a good chance it's NOT coming from a Dalek, right?"
Lara whimpered.
The Doctor pulled the lever.
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Post by grinch on Aug 16, 2021 19:56:54 GMT
The interior dimensions of the TARDIS warped and shrank. Going this way and that as it struggled to break through the boundaries separating the universes. Eventually, with one last great burst of energy it did so breaking through it entirely.
Within his laboratory, Davros watched in amazement as the air begun to shimmer and and blow wildly around him as a shape came into view. He slumped into the nearest chair, watching it intently as it fully materialised clutching with shaking hands an ion pistol.
Only one shot left. But still, better safe than sorry.
The familiar form of the TARDIS had now materialised now somewhat scorched by the experience of travelling between universe and out stepped the Doctor.
He looked around for a moment before locking eyes with Davros. The pair stared at one another, weighing each other up, not quite sure what to say. Before any of them could speak, however, the Dalek suddenly burst into life and focused his eye stalk on the Doctor.
“TIME LORD BIO-SIGNATURE DETECTED” It shrieked, moving itself forward practically tearing some of the wires connected to it out of the wall. “YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DALEKS. YOU MUST BE DESTROYED. EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!
Davros went to speak but fell backwards, coughing wildly the experience having proved too much for his tired old lungs.
It’s gun twitched as it steadily aimed it at the Doctor still screaming in its frenzy.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 16, 2021 20:24:24 GMT
"Outside the barrier!" cried the Slave Consort. "Outside the barrier! Another Doctor's *outside the barrier*!"
He flung his hands over his mouth. If anybody had heard......
***
Knock-knock knock knock.
Knock-knock knock knock.
Knock-knock knock knock.
Knock-knock knock knock.
The door opened, and the Master was face-to-face with the truest and most decent man in all the imperial domains, Kerr Avon.
"Good afternoon," he said. "It must be important, for you to knock so many times." He inclined his head, to take in the large bird and the slightly-out-of-it Sontaran standing behind his visitor. "What brings you... gentlemen... to my door?"
"I am the Master," said the Time Lord, smiling broadly, "and you will assist me."
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Post by grinch on Aug 16, 2021 20:32:40 GMT
Frobisher poked his head around the door.
“If it’s all the same to you.” he asked meekly.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 17, 2021 15:49:21 GMT
But the Dalek did not, could not fire.
Davros's wheezing turned into chuckles. "I must apologise for my rusty friend," he said. "His tempermentality has rendered it necessary for me to remove his teeth, so to speak."
"I-HAVE-NO-TEETH," protested the Dalek.
Davros smiled. "Nor has he the intution to recognise that *you* are not any Doctor that we might know of. You have crossed... a border, yes?"
"I'm not from here," the Doctor confirmed, striding further into the room and looking about. "I have my own customs. Look at my ker-azy passport." He flung a wad of psychic paper around. "Very cosy," he muttered. "Where are we, Davros? Why have you called me to this universe? And in this universe, who are *you*, exactly?"
Davros shook his head. "Just a tired old fool, waiting for the end. And it is you - or rather, your wife - who has brought me to this end, and who seeks to bring us to our final one. But now that you - *you* you - are here, perhaps things may change."
"I don't understand," said Gabby, who didn't.
"Neither do I," added Lara, who also didn't.
"I take it, visitor Doctor," Davros asked, motioning his three guests to the remains of a settee, "that in your realm, the Doctor is not consort and slave to a conquering empress?"
***
Avon looked politely at his visitors. The greatest criminal his world had ever known, a seabird that was surely extinct, and a dozing peon. "Tea?" he offered.
The Master, seated in an armchair, leant forward, his fingers interlocking before him. "No tea. I am here to discuss... philosophy."
"Both have their consolations," Avon observed placidly. "What is your philosophy?"
"I am here to ask you that very same question," the Master replied. "You... are a *good* man. So why do you serve - a monster?"
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Post by grinch on Aug 17, 2021 16:01:09 GMT
Lara and Gabby looked over at the Doctor expectantly.
“Of course not.” retorted the Doctor catching their looks.
Nudging Gabby, Lara looked over to see the Dalek. It’s eyestalk staring at them intently. Inside the casing, the creature focused in on them. Still very much suspicious. Ready to attack at the first sign of hostility towards its father. Even if it had been disarmed.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 18, 2021 15:04:43 GMT
Davros explained. Lara and Gabby's minds boggled.
"If you bypass the barrier," Davros concluded, "then perhaps you can-"
"Ex-ter-min-ate," croaked the Dalek, interrupting.
Davros nodded.
"What, kill the empress?" the Doctor demanded. "If you want somebody assassainted, call the Order of Oberon. I don't work like that."
***
The other Doctor lifted up his crystal ball, and examined it from underneath. That didn't help.
There *had* to be a way to reverse the effect - it was no good his being able to watch his alternate universe self, he needed the alternative to see *him*, to understand, to cmoe here, to *ally*. This was the only way out of the situation.
Maybe... maybe... if there had been a flaw in the crystal, it might have been possible to connect it to psychic paper somehow.
The Doctor looked speculatively at the stone floor of his quarters.
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Post by grinch on Aug 19, 2021 16:16:54 GMT
“Do you have any idea what she has done? The worlds she has burned, the countless species she has crushed underfoot!” said Davros, imploringly. “Trust me, when I say this Doctor, that the universe is better off without her.”
“Now, where I have heard all this before?” retorted the Doctor, glancing over at the Dalek who was still watching them. His gun practically twitching.
Davros sighed.
“Doctor. Putting aside whatever relationship you and my alternate universe counterpart might have. If any. I can’t stress the importance of this mission.”
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 19, 2021 20:13:39 GMT
The Dalek stirred once more. "I DE-TECT AN EN-ERG-GY FIELD."
Davros peered at the Doctor. "Dear fellow, you're turning blue."
Lara screamed.
The Doctor looked down at himself. A blue field was spreading all over hi-
And he was gone.
"Where's the Doctor?" Gabby demanded of Davros. But before he could answer-
The Doctor was back. But he was dressed differently,and holding a great shard of glass in his hand.
"Ah, *our* Doctor," Davros observed. "The one, ladies, who is resident in this universe and married himself to the monster that rules it. How did you exchange yourself for our visitor?"
The Slave Consort grinned. "Well, that worked beyond all expectation! I just thought I'd be able to talk to my counterpart, but swopping places with him - through a temporal barrier... I've escaped! Rassilon, I've escaped! I'm FREE!"
***
The visiting Doctor examined the luxurious chamber he now found himself in. He reached down and picked up a chunk of broken glass from the floor. Peering into its depths, he could see Davros's room.
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Post by grinch on Aug 20, 2021 12:01:16 GMT
The Doctor tapped the shards experimentally. But there was no effect. He shrugged and pocketed them. Could prove to be useful later.
Back in Davros’s’ asteroid, Davros gestured over to the Dalek who quickly faced the intruder. It’s gun darting from side to side, desperate to exterminate.
“I must warn you sir, that if you make any sudden movement, my friend will have no other choice but to exterminate you.” bluffed Davros who slowly gave a still astonished Lara and Gabby a wink.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 20, 2021 17:57:42 GMT
The Slave Consort reached into a pocket and produced his sonic screwdriver. He pointed it at the Dalek.
"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!" it cried. "I AM UN-DER ATTACK!"
"Calm yourself," cried Davros, concerned. "He's simply scanning you, that's all."
"I... AM.... FRIGHT-ENED," the Dalek whimpered.
"There's no need, there's no need," Davros soothed.
"No need for me to be scared, either," the Doctor snapped. "No lead in his pencil, right? Anyway, you can't afford to kill me."
"Oh, and why not?" Davros demanded. "For all you've done, hand-in-hand with HER, why should we not kill you?"
"Because," the Doctor declared, holding his shard aloft, "if this thing can get me through a time-freeze barrier, it could get 'er indoors through a DIMENSIONAL barrier."
"I doubt our visitor would care to have his universe's Clara swopped for ours," Davros replied. "One presumes her to be... nicer than ours."
"Maybe your man doesn't know what I know," the Doctor replied. "His universe's Clara is on the verge of death. Now, if I can get She Who Must Be Obeyed to hold one of these.... BAM!"
Davros considered the proposal. "Interesting. But we would need to tell our visitor."
"Of course, he's wandering around the castle," the Doctor considered. "Blundering around, probably. I doubt he realises he's swopped places with me. There's little chance of him working out what's going on and what to do."
"But, isn't he the same as you?" Gabby demanded.
"I'm a genius, girl," the Slave COnsort snapped. "I'm the Doctor. I'm unique."
***
Meanwhile, the just-as-unique Doctor from the regular universe was examining his rooms. The clothes in the wardrobe were all his size. There was a portrait of himself on the wall, dressed in regal finery. But there wasn't an explanation.
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Post by grinch on Aug 21, 2021 12:36:36 GMT
“Curiouser and curiouser said Dorothy” remarked the Doctor. Or was it Alice?
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 21, 2021 12:46:34 GMT
"You are a *good* man," the Master repeated. "So, allow me to understand, Kerr Avon, why you choose to do homage and serve in the vanguard of she who has devestated the universe?"
Avon looked sombre. He stood up, and went over to the window, and looked out over the castle rooftops. "When one is honour-bound to serve," he said, not looking at his visitors, "one must so do." He turned round. "And I believe what good I can offer the world would be swept away if I stood against the Empress. At least, in her service, which I cannot avoid, I can... mitigate some of the actions that occur."
There was silence, broken only by a quacking from Frobisher.
"You are not convinced?" Avon asked.
The Master stood also, and looked at Avon. Deeply, into his eyes. "Explain further, and I will show you..... truth."
"Truth?" asked Avon.
"I am the Master," that being recited, "and you WILL se-"
"You will kindly place your hands in the air," demanded Strax, who had recovered his limited wits without either man noticing.
Frobisher's quacking got louder. "He's got a gun!"
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Post by grinch on Aug 22, 2021 8:55:23 GMT
Frobisher raised his flippers into the air. Although, noticing just how short his flippers actually were, he decided it was a futile effort and lowered them.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 22, 2021 9:26:00 GMT
"Stand down, goodman Strax," said Avon firmly. "The prisoners are in my custody, and cannot do any harm here."
"Beg leave to remind the Moral Warrior," Strax replied, "that the Master is the Empress's greatest foe. And the bird is a temporal anomaly, being extinct, and needs must remain in custody to prevent it from polluting the timeline."
"How I am supposed to 'pollute the timeline'?" an incensed Frobisher demanded.
"You might lay an egg," Strax retorted.
"I'M NOT A REAL GREAT AUK!"
There was a knock at the door.
"Ah, that will be Polar," Avon remarked. "We have a regular discussion on moral philosophy at this hour. Goodman Strax, kindly open the door."
Strax, against his better judgment, turned to the door.
The Master, quick as a flash, struck Strax in the back of the neck, and the Sontaran slumped against the door, dead. A needle protuded from his probic vent.
"That was hardly necessary!" Avon hissed, utterly horrified.
"Sometimes, my dear Warrior," the Master replied, "we must do things that we would rather not. Is that not your whole philosophy? That we must do the things that we would not, so as to allow us to do the things we would?"
Outside, Polar knocked again.
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Post by grinch on Aug 22, 2021 17:28:13 GMT
The Master looked over at the frightened Whifferdill.
“Help me move him” he ordered grabbing ahold of the deceased Sontaran’s head.
“No chance” refused Frobisher.
The Master looked up at him dropping the Sontaran with a thunk on the floor.
“Stare at me all you like” retorted Frobisher. “Hypnosis isn’t going to change a thing, or did you forget these?”
He raised his tiny flippers. The Master sighed. He had a point.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Aug 27, 2021 16:34:40 GMT
The Doctor - the time traveller, not the imprisoned spouse - examined his counterpart's rooms. It was clear that he had been swopped for this universe's version of himself, but what now? How could he get back to Davros's HQ?
There was a loud knock at the door.
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