14
R A N I
In the beginning we welcomed her arrival as a sign of great things to come, all of our prophesies spoke of a wise goddess from the stars who descends to our world to create a living paradise. So when she appeared our hearts sang with joy, our priests offered up prayers of thanks and warriors built great fires on the beach to mark the occasion.
All the talk was of miracles, rebirth, new opportunities for all and great wealth. She was clearly a special being, an angel, someone of great knowledge far beyond that of our wisest sages.
When she asked for young people to be supplied for 'experiments' we did not question it, even when they didn't return. When she asked for her own private island that no one could visit under pain of death, we accepted it. When she insisted that all healthy males and females be fitted with special bio-chips we raised no objections.
When strange new diseases afflicted certain peoples causing them to go mad and kill each other, we saw it as a test, our goddess was testing us to see if we were worthy of her benediction, after all what else do gods and goddess do but make sport with mortals?
But then came her pronouncement that soon our world would end, and only a few of us, a select few, would be allowed to survive. Then we worried, we doubted, we objected. I objected I spoke out in anger, that was when I truly discovered the nature of our goddess and that she wasn't a goddess at all.
The all-encompassing hum came from everywhere, everything in the console room was linked, homogenised, it pulsated in synch. Bach busied himself inputting data and didn't look up as the mistress approached him, aware of her intimidating gaze, her ravishing beauty and her penetrating intelligence. He felt humble in her presence, a mere slave an underling.
When she touched him he didn't flinch but inwardly he felt a mix of terror and arousal. She was as mysterious as her machine, he understood neither. She had trained him, taught him various skills to make him more useful to her but he didn't know why. Why choose him when there were others far more gifted and wiser, he was but a mere villager, a peasant or so he'd always thought.
"We're almost there," the words sang in his ear soft and caressing. Bach blinked, almost where?
"I'd done as you instructed mistress," the words and figures were meaningless.
Smiling she moved into his line of vision, "Are you afraid of me Bach?"
"Of course, who wouldn't be afraid of a woman with your powers?" He found he was trembling, he still couldn't make eye contact; he'd seen what happened to those who tried.
"Powers," she drank in the word as if enjoying it, "Oh of course you still believe in magic don't you, in the superstitions of the before-time."
The laughter was sharp and mocking, then his chin was fingered and pushed upwards, "Look at me Bach," there was little choice but to obey, one did not defy the mistress. He gazed into the brilliant green eyes, took in the high-cheekbones, the sensuous lips, the haughty imperious angle of the head and the lustrous chestnut brown curls.
"Tell me what you see," she urged.
"A goddess, a superior being, a star traveller," Bach gave the usual answers, the expected replies. "You are the mistress, she who must be obeyed, giver of discipline and pain; the supreme mother."
Scorn painted itself across the classically beautiful face as she let go of his chin and tickled his cheek with her fingertips, "You know my name and yet you never use it," she said, "Why is that?"
"Your name is sacred, mistress it is only to be spoken in silent prayer with reverence."
The chin rose and from the lips came a sound that was neither pleased nor respectful, "I didn't bring you here to be a spineless sycophant Bach, to repeat the idiotic dogma of your mindless people. You have been educated, upgraded and improved by surgery and drugs at no little expense so don't disappoint me with clichés. Who am I, what is my name; I permit you to speak it as you would any other name as you would your own."
Terror rooted him in place, to do as ordered would be to fly in the face of a thousand years of sacred teachings, yet one could not defy a goddess for was it not such a being who created home world in the face place and gave it the holy name MIA SIMI GORIA – land of the sacred feminine.
His lips formed the first letter but he couldn't get his tongue to release it.
"Come on Bach, you can do it," he was urged as a nail found his top lip, "Try harder."
"RRRRRaaa," he gasped then lost his nerve.
"That's it, four letters, two syllables, it isn't hard even for a primitive tongue like yours, now speak it."
"RRRRaaaannnni," he spluttered, "Rani," there he'd said it done the unthinkable, blasphemed; he felt only shame but also an odd sense of euphoria for he was the first and only one of his people to speak this name aloud.
"Rani," repeated the mistress, "That's who I am, who my people know me as. My people are of course," she moved the nail to an ear, "well?"
Gods he wanted to say, sacred celestial beings but she had taught him another term, "Time….Lords."
"Yes Bach that's right the Time Lords," She seemed pleased with him at last, "Smug, sanctimonious, self-righteous guardians of a pious, outdated philosophy that I rejected a long time ago."
He was confused by her bitterness; it was as if the mistress despised her own kind, the other gods and goddesses.
"Rejected," he echoed in confusion.
"Utterly," he was told and the green eyes flashed with cold fury.
"But they are divine," he said.
The nail cut his earlobe, "Oh they are far from that Bach," Rani sneered. "Advanced yes, clever certainly, devious beyond doubt but not divine. They are mortal beings like you and your people just more advanced, and like your people they can suffer and die," Rani contemplated these words, "Suffer and die," she repeated thoughtfully seeming to enjoy the images conjured in her mind, "Which they will in great numbers screaming my name with impotent rage."
He was appalled, now Rani was blaspheming; she spoke of attacking the most-high themselves.
"No mistress we cannot, dare not."
The nail cut him again jabbing in hard like a knife, "I dare do many things Bach, I dare defy any law and those who make that law, I dare defy the high council of the time lords and all their offices. I shall bring them down and humble them, and your people will help me, your world will be the source of my revenge."
He didn't understand but then how could he; she spoke of things outside his experience.
"My world," he muttered, "MIA SIMI GORIA? But it is small, backward, of no consequence have you not said so many times yourself?"
Rani chuckled; letting go of him she went over to a wall of her machine which was like a tall mirror, when she waved a hand an image of Bach's planet appeared an orange sphere with light blue clouds, the continents compact and circular, the oceans long strings of tepid water. How beautiful it looks from up here he thought, even mysterious.
"I didn't come here by accident Bach, nor did I chose your world at random; I came to it because it contains just what I am looking for – the elements of my revenge over the time lords."
Touching the scar over his left eye (it still hurt) Bach joined the mistress to peer down at the place of his birth, how exotic it seemed how amazing yet in a way it was now dull to him.
"Is this why you perform the operations on us, on me," he asked?
Turning Rani reached out to touch the scar over his eye herself, "Before I came you had no idea of how valuable the hormone in your Pituitary gland is once removed, refined, genetically modified and added to other compounds of my creation."
"You told me once it was an elixir but I never did understand an elixir for what?"
Chuckling Rani let her hand stray to Bach's hair, "You might as well know now that I've enhanced you to the point where you can just grasp basic scientific principle. Your hormone is the means by which I shall avenge myself on the time lords, because to them it constitutes disaster, despair, a divorce from the energies they believe they command."
Bach shrugged he couldn't grasp her meaning, "A poison," he said hopefully?
"Much more," came the sigh, "A great deal more."
"But they are not here: you told me they were in another galaxy another time."
In response to this she told him to keep his eye on the main viewer, as he did she went over to the central console and worked rapidly.
Bach saw his world vanish; implode into a spiralling tunnel of many coloured rings. Had it been destroyed? He didn't think so – the Rani's ship was moving it had entered a slipstream of violent unfathomable currents.
"Another galaxy, another time," she echoed his words back at him, "But such things are no obstacle to me not in this…craft, and they are no obstacle to you either Bach; you're coming with me, a witness perhaps someone I can gloat to afterwards."
His gaze moved to the banks of tiny test tubes racked on one side of the console room, each tube contained a small amount of a milky liquid; some from him most from others and not all of the others had survived the extraction. He thought of one who had,
"May I ask a favour Rani," but she anticipated the request.
"To see your wife, why not?" An inner door opened leading to another part of the ship; a ship without any physical limits it seemed to him. Mona lay in what Rani had called an isolation ward, essentially a bed with sensory equipment built into it that gauged her life signs; these struck him as feeble as his gazed moved from the tiny LED screens to Mona's pale features. Younger than him she looked older, her youth and vitality stolen it seemed; diminished by what she'd been through.
The eyelids flickered open as he drew nearer, and the cracked lips smiled when he kissed her.
"Hello my love," he said, "I told you I'd never leave you, that whatever 'She' did to you I'd be here. Her ship has left our world, don't ask me to try and explain it but we're going to another world; the place where she comes from to meet her people; meet them and destroy them. What she took from us has been turned into a curse, a plague that will be visited upon others."
Mona tried to speak but even creating words was too much of an effort. From his pocket Bach took one of the test tubes that he'd stolen from the console room, it was only half full so there was plenty of room to add something else like a single tear running down his wife's cheek.
"Our time will come Mona, our revenge is very near now," he rested his head on her stomach and thought of the children they would never have.
She was ever defiant and spiteful my favourite student, the scorn she felt for others often bubbled to the surface and erupted in the form of harsh words, insults and once or twice in violent attacks. Brilliant but fatally flawed she represented all that is best and worst in the peoples of Gallifrey. On the one hand she was cool and measured, detached and pitiless but on the other she burned with ambition; ready to trample on all who stood in her way.
I tried to calm her of course to temper that brilliant mind with compassion but it rarely worked and in the end it failed totally. She began to see herself as better than me; better than any of her tutors. They held her back she said, I most of all with my simpering weakness, my care for others. She felt stifled by the very rules I saw as vital to maintain a balanced psyche and so in the end she defied me utterly – the began to experiment on other students against their will.
The results were catastrophic and are too well recorded to repeat here, there was madness, illness and yes even death. My pupil displayed no remorse and not even that much interest. Such things are to be expected she said they were inevitable, part of the learning process.
Of course I couldn't let her continue she was a menace, a threat to all I held dear. So regretfully I reported her to my superiors, there was little choice. I knew what the consequences would be or I thought I did, but they were more shocking than I could have anticipated and concluded with my death, a violent and painful death at that. I was poisoned in my own home in my own bed and as I lay dying, screaming and helpless she looked down upon me with a mocking smile and told me what she really thought of me, of all time lords, of Gallifrey itself.
It was she said time to move on to break free of our pathetic cowardice. She left that very night, stole a capsule and departed setting fire to the Academy itself.
And so I died but as a time lord that wasn't the end of it, for us death is not a blessed release – we go on as so do our regrets. Rani being perhaps my biggest.
It was a circular blank, black hole in space through which no stars could be seen, no suns or dust just total nothingness. Could that be where the mistress came from but a black void?
"Tranduction barrier," The words just bewildered Bach, "It keeps Gallifrey several seconds out of phase with the rest of the universe and thus provides an excellent barrier. You see my people have mastered time, or so they believe, they move freely through it back and forth even sideways."
Rani seemed almost proud as she spoke these words, but even in the pride there was an ironic scorn a dismissive contempt.
"Have we also moved through time mistress?"
"Yes Bach, not too far forward just enough to ensure that most people have forgotten me at least the ones who count. I left under something of cloud you see; there was a scandal, a fire and a death."
A man who had seen many deaths Bach was not surprised, death followed this woman around she wore it like a badge of honour.
He saw a pulse of brilliant light piece the lower hemisphere of the blackness, just a pinprick but it excited the mistress. "Our way in," she breathed using the remote control strapped to her left wrist to mobilise the ship. "A little flaw in the barrier that I modified just before leaving," she bragged, "I didn't think barrier-control would notice it and they haven't, now I just need to readjust the entry coordinates to take me to where I need to be," she eyed Bach, "Grab a pallet of test tubes and a volatiser."
As he was doing this a question occurred, "Won't your people have some kind of security, and I mean they must know their barrier has been penetrated?"
Rani's look was one of new respect, "Very good Bach," she patronised, "You're improving, that last operation on your pre-fontal lobe was a glorious success," she considered what he'd said, "The Chancery Guards have their uses but they're pathetically slow to respond, by the time they do we'll be long gone. I don't intend to linger, well not much," the laugh was a cruel bray and it chilled Bach to the core because he'd heard it often from this woman when she was going to do something particularly bad.
They emerged into a long room, the likes of which Bach had never seen before with its wood panelling, Corinthian columns, glass sculptures and shelves of ancient untitled books. There was a long table and sat at the end of it was an elderly man in a high collared robe of aquamarine, he looked almost priestly. Dosing he didn't respond as Rani and Bach approached the table and she gave a snort of derision.
"Look at him," she spat, "You wouldn't believe that this is the leader of the time lords would you?"
No thought Bach I wouldn't, "You know him mistress?"
Oh yes said the haughty face I know him all right, "His name is Tarn, he used to be my mentor at the academy, then he became my lover and finally my husband. Now he is Lord President of the High Council. Funny, last time I saw him he was dying."
Ignoring Bach's bewilderment at this last remark Rani moved over to Tarn and very gently ran her fingers through his thinning grey hair. Bach found it hard to believe Rani had ever loved anyone other than herself, let alone married.
"You still have feelings for this man," he asked?
The expression hardened into contempt but in the eyes there was a curious emotion, perhaps not love or even liking but an odd remnant of nostalgia.
"He's part of my old life as a student here, and I was a brilliant student, top of my year and it was a very impressive year let me tell you."
"What where you a student of mistress, if I may ask?"
"Yes you can ask," Rani snapped then seemed to reconsider, "The sciences were my specialism, bio-chemistry, surgery, genetics – do you understand what I'm saying," She asked, "No I don't suppose you do."
Tarn moved his head and let out a low moan, he seemed old and tired to Bach; weighed down by whatever responsibilities he now had.
"You're going to kill him aren't you," the slave asked?
"I'm going to kill all of them," spat Rani: a bold announcement.
"You would murder your own people, your own kith and kin," Bach couldn't hide his revulsion. Gazing at him the beautiful woman seemed at first puzzled then dismissive.
"Don't get sentimental on me Bach, I've waited a long time for this - but first," gripping Tarn by the chin she yanked his head upright waking him immediately. The sleepy eyes registered first surprise then outrage and finally terror.
"You," the old man croaked and seemed to shrink into the timber of his chair.
"I'm flattered by the speed of your recall, no post-regenerative fogging I see."
He's not likely to forget the woman who murdered him thought Bach, his ex wife.
"How did you…" Tarn began then swallowed the question, "Why are you here, why come back?"
Rani let him stew in that for a moment then gazing up at the portraits of past presidents she shook her head,
"Look at them Bach the great and the good, the spiritual and political leaders of this world since the day it conquered time; regarded as heroes and saviours," she spat the last few words as her gaze dipped to Tarn. "Masters of paralysis, kings of complacency, spineless, hopeless, lacking in any kind of vision and here," she sighed, "Is the latest of them, a man who grew to fear his own protégé even when she shared his bed."
For the first time since awakening Tarn sat upright in his chair, a little steel entering his spine a hint of pride triggered no doubt by these insults.
"We time lords are an ancient and proud race but we have from time to time produced some foul mutations some truly sick minds and you my dear ex wife are one of them. You may be interested to know that the Chancery Guards are on their way. In your absence you were tried and found guilty of several crimes including my murder."
This didn't seem to bother Rani at all indeed her own back straightened, "What are you going to do send me to Shada, or is it to be particle dissemination," the words were rich with contempt, "By the time your guards break in here, and they will have to break in husband; I've bonded the door shut at the molecular level; by the time they find you – you will be dead and soon after that they will start to die; them and many others."
Fingers clicked, taking out a test tube Bach brought it over. Rani gestured for him to remove the stopper which he did, the tube seemed unusually full and some of its contents splashed onto her fingers. No matter, she was immune from the chemical weapon she aimed to use on her own people. Rani never put her own life at risk, when she created a poison the next thing she did was made sure she had the antidote.
"Goodbye husband," she said, "Consider this our decree absolute if you like," she brought the tube around for Tarn to see, "The contents of this small vessel will render the time lords unable to regenerate, without that ability their lives will be shortened considerably but it gets worse. Should they try to travel in time they will find themselves no longer protected from the flow and flux of time even inside TARDIS. They will either age to death one way or the other."
Tarn didn't look as though he doubted these words and nor did Bach, too many of his own people had suffered in the concoction of this evil brew including himself.
"Mistress," he said, "Wait."
She looked at him aghast never before had he attempted to give her instructions, he was her tame little pet her personal slave; he did as he was told what his upgrades would allow.
"Some of the elixir has fallen on you," said Bach.
"So," Rani was withering, "I am immune."
"Not from the tears of sorrow mistress as wept by my wife, as you so often told me the tears of my people contain another element against which even you have no defence. Oh how many we have shed in your name, an ocean of despair that until now you have been free of."
Rani glared at her hand, so did Tarn so did Bach. The flesh was discolouring, scaling, bulging; the nails turning black the fingers becoming arthritic. Rani screamed throwing the test tube aside in horror as her hand her whole arm went into spasm. She roared and swung around on Bach, a weapon in her other hand. Betrayer said her eyes – then she fired.
But the lethal beam failed to materialise, Bach did not die his body did not glow or melt.
Tarn chuckled, "This is the office of Lord President my dear wife; no weapon can be discharged in here not even one of ours."
Hand now a swollen, disfigured claw, dark veins of infection climbing up her wrist, Rani let out a shriek. She staggered towards Bach but he retreated keeping the other test tubes out of her reach.
Fire burned up Rani's arm and the arm itself began to swell, to disfigure. Dashing back into her craft she sealed its door not caring about Bach now or her ex husband, not even Gallifrey just her own survival. She was being destroyed at the DNA level; the scanners in the console room told her this by projecting details onto a wall screen. Genetic decay was occurring at an accelerated rate, regeneration only 40% probable; death was the most likely outcome; oblivion.
No she raged it can't end here not like this, I'm too young there's still so much to do. Going to the central console she slammed her one good hand on the telepath circuit, there had to be a solution a way out and maybe her TARDIS could supply it.
Words flashed up, they were blurred until she blinked her eyes clear.
'DNA infusing required from another time lord.'
"Which one," Rani raged, "Give me a name"
'Only two possible matches exist,' replied her ship.
"Tell me who they are and where they are," Rani demanded.
The choices came up, oh how ironic.
THE MASTER or THE DOCTOR.