Prologue
"Stand up against the wall!"
The sentry opened the door as the prisoner stood up against the back wall of his glass prison. He sat a metal tray of food down on a nearby table and turned to leave.
"Wait."
The sentry swung around with his hand on the butt of his blaster when he noticed the prisoner coming forward.
"Stay up against the wall until I leave." He said. "You get one warning and then I shoot."
"But, I have a message I want you to take to Councilor Garvis. I wish to speak with him and the other councilors concerning my prison sentence."
"Yeah, what about your prison sentence?" the sentry asked warily.
The alternate Doctor smiled at him.
"I want to be moved to minimum security. You see, I've been sitting in here thinking about what my double said to me and I've decided I want to change my evil ways."
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Garvis stared at the sentry in disbelief as he sat behind the desk in his office.
"He says he wants to change his evil ways? The man who has murdered untold numbers of innocent people all across the universe wants to reform?"
"That is what he said, councilor. He requests a meeting with you and the other councilors as soon as possible."
Garvis raised an eyebrow.
"The man seriously thinks he can convince the council to move him to minimum security after all he's done." He said. "He's even crazier than I thought."
"I'm only telling you what he said, Councilor." The sentry said shrugging.
Garvis put his fingertips together as he leaned back in his chair and thought the matter over.
"Very well, out of sheer curiosity, I will grant a hearing to the Doctor." He said. "But I seriously doubt that anything the man has to say will change my mind or the minds of my colleagues. I will inform the others of the Doctor's request and ask for a special hearing. In the meantime, I want you to round up several more sentries and make sure that the Doctor is restrained properly while he is being transported to the council chambers. If this is an escape attempt, I want all of you to be ready."
"Yes, Councilor." The sentry said saluting.
Garvis nodded. He sighed as the sentry left the room and closed the door behind him.
"What are you up to now, Doctor?" he muttered to himself.
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Garvis and his two colleagues looked up as the chamber door opened and the Doctor walked in surrounded on all sides by armed sentries.
"Ah, Counselor Garvis, it's been awhile." The Doctor said cheerfully. "You never come see me. That just wounds me deeply that you won't visit your old friend in his cell."
Garvis sighed angrily.
"Sit down in the chair, Doctor, or go back to your cell." He said. "I gave you the courtesy of a hearing, so I suggest you cut out the jokes and get to the point before I have you sent back."
The Doctor sat down and watched as the sentries tied him down with leather restraints. Once they were finished, they stepped back and took up positions all around the room. The Doctor looked down at the restraints and then looked at the councilors.
"Now really, councilor is all this necessary?" he said to him. "After all, I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. Why restrain me?"
"Because frankly I don't trust you or your motives, Doctor." Garvis said. "I don't believe for one moment that you want to change. I think this is a pathetic attempt at escape, so if it is, rest assured it will not succeed."
"Escape? No, I want to take my double's advice and reform myself. I want to take the merciful gift he gave to me and make the most of it. I want to better myself and I have made steps towards that already, so I request I be moved to minimum security." He said smiling.
Garvis smirked.
"Request denied, Doctor."
The smile fell off his face.
"Why? Why is my request denied? I have been a model prisoner. Not once in the six months I've been here have I tried to make any kind of escape attempt. Don't you believe that I want to change my ways?"
"No, I do not, Doctor!" Garvis said. "I believe your so-called model behavior is merely you biding your time until you can find the right opportunity to make an escape attempt and go back to your double's universe!"
"How am I gonna get back when my double took my void crossing device with him?" the Doctor protested. "How am I gonna fight back? He disabled my eye and it was taken from me when I was imprisoned. I don't have it or my blaster----"
"But you still have your mind, Doctor!" Garvis roared leaping to his feet. "I concede for all that you are and all the twisted, evil things you have done, you do have one of most brilliant minds of any Time Lord I've ever known. You are a threat to Gallifrey and the universe, both this one and your double's. That is why you languish in maximum security and that is why you will stay there until you finally run out of lives and leave your miserable, pathetic existence! I will honor your double's request to spare your life, but I do not have to set you free or move you somewhere where you will not be watched. You are a menace to society and there is no way I will take the chance of allowing you to escape. Request is denied! Now go back to your cell and stay there and do not bother the high council with your idiotic games again!"
The Doctor glared at him.
"You will pay for this Garvis." He said. "I will make you rue the day you ever decided to cross me."
"Take him away now," Garvis said to the guards. "Before I change my mind and put him in the disintegration chamber."
The guards moved forward. Two of them loosened his restraints while the others kept their blasters aimed at him. The Doctor glared at the councilors as he stood and let the guards surround him.
"This isn't the last you've heard of me." He said to Garvis. "You may think you can stick me in a cell and leave me there to rot away, but rest assured we will see each other again and the next time will be the last time…for you."
"Get him out of my sight!" Garvis roared.
One of the guards poked him in the back with his blaster. The Doctor glared at Garvis one more time before turning and walking out the door.