His eyes fluttered open, eyelids heavy from the burden of sleep. Groggily looking around him, he found himself in a sort of cell. It was stone, and extremely grimy, with one wall completely made of bulletproof glass. As he sat up on the filthy cot he was laying on, he looked at the one wall and found a girl staring back at him. She was in her twenties, with shoulder-length blonde hair and rich brown eyes. When she saw he was awake, she smiled kindly. "Hello." She said softly. "My name's Rose."
"Where am I?" he wondered. "You're in Torchwood."
"No, where am I?"
"Oh, yeah, sorry 'bout that. Torchwood in Denver, Colorado, America. Y'know. Earth." She explained. "You fell through a rip in the fabric of space and time and ended up here. Do you know who you are?" Rose inquired. He put his hand to his feverish head, and then he remembered who he was. "I'm the Ma—No, sorry, I'm Harold Saxon. Just Harold Saxon." Saxon said. Then, a small child tottered into the room, holding a toy plane and whining to Rose, asking her to fix it. "One minute, Tony. I'm busy." She said. Harold jumped up and knelt by the glass wall, gesturing to Tony. "I can fix that." He offered. Rose smiled and unlocked the door built into the glass wall, letting the Doctor out. He took the toy from Tony and made a few slight adjustments before handing it back to the child. "Good as new, eh?" he said, ruffling the child's short blonde hair. "That's my brother." Rose explained. Harold nodded. "D'you happen to remember anything that might've happened before you fell through the rip?" she asked. Saxon tried to remember. All he could conjure up was his last moments…
The Master concentrated all his efforts into blasting the Time Lords with energy from his hands. He could feel himself slowly dying… slowly deteriorating. The Doctor was behind him, still holding the gun. A flash of light… and then nothing.
"No. I don't remember anything. How did you find me?" he lied, quickly changing the subject. "Simple really. The spike in electromagnetic radiation showed up on our readings, so all we had to do was to find the source and confiscate anything, or person, we found there." Rose led him into a large underground cavern, filled with machinery. "D'you mind if we do a few tests on you? Just to make sure you're… safe." She said cautiously. Saxon frowned. "No. I don't really think you want to do tests on me." He said, tapping a four-beat tempo on a table by his side. Rose's expression went from confused to slightly dazed. 1-2-3-4. "You'd much rather let me work with some of this equipment." His voice soothed her. Still, he tapped the four beats. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. Rose snapped out of the trance. "What for?" she demanded. Saxon looked around him, shrugging, still tapping the beat. "I want to build something. That's quite alright, isn't it?"
1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. "Yeah… that'll be fine. Just… be careful." She murmured. Saxon grinned and ceased tapping. "D'you have somewhere to stay? Just until we can get you sorted?" Rose inquired as he rifled through a large box filled with alien junk. "No." he said over his shoulder. "You can stay with me, my mum, and my dad if you'd like. God knows we 'ave enough room." She offered. Saxon paused to look back at her. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Rose." He said. She smiled and nodded and he thought he caught her blushing, but then she ducked around him and began working on the computers. Silence filled the room, broken only by the constant, consistent drum beat filling the Master's mind. He needed something to distract him. "Do you have a husband? Boyfriend?" he inquired, still going about his work. Rose smiled softly to herself, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Yeah. His name's John Smith. He's great, really great. I love him to bits, y'know?" she said dreamily. Saxon frowned, but didn't let her see it. "I know a man who went by the name John Smith."
"Yeah? Were you mates then?"
"When we were children. But then… things happened. Now you could say we're enemies."
"That's a bit of bad luck then, isn't it?"
"This… John Smith, what's he like?"
"He's wonderful. We go on adventures, and he—"
"What sorts of adventures?"
Rose seemed startled at Saxon's sudden interest in her fiancé. "Um, well, I dunno. We just… travel around, I suppose. We used to go all sorts of places, we explored all the far corners of the Uni—Um… Earth."
"Where do you explore now?"
"What're you doin' that for?" Rose inquired suddenly. Saxon found himself once again mindlessly tapping the four beats on the box, but much louder and with more force. He reminded himself to stay below suspicion for the girl. "I apologize. Bad habits." He said quickly. Too quickly. Rose stopped talking, glancing away from the computer only long enough to give him a suspicious glance.
"Mr. Saxon, we've gotta go. I'm off work about now, and Marie'll be comin' in any minute. Could you finish with that and meet me at the door? If you want, you can come back tomorrow and keep workin'." Rose said. Harold put down the supplies and tools he was using and stood. He had just built a T.A.R.D.I.S. console, and would be concentrating his efforts on the rest of the machine the next day. "Please, Rose. Call me Harry. My friends call me Harry." He objected. Rose left the large room and disappeared into a hallway branching off from it. Harry could hear the distant echoes of her voice from the front door of the facilities. "C'mon, Tony. It's time to go. Mum and dad'll be home by now. Don't you wanna see them?" she soothed. Soon after, Tony was clutching her hand as she resurfaced in the larger room and made her way through the maze of equipment to the front door. "Thanks for waiting." She smiled at Harry. He smiled back and waited for her to go first through the door, grinning malevolently to himself. He reached into his pocket and gripped the sonic blaster and laser screwdriver, the sonic blaster which he had swiped from Torchwood earlier that day, and the laser screwdriver which had been already in his pocket when he died and woke up in the cell. "How old is he?" Saxon asked as Rose locked the door behind her and strode into the elevator. "He's gonna be six in a month."
"He's your brother?"
"Yeah." Rose said, looking adoringly down at him as he made engine noises and twirled the plane in the air while the elevator ascended. "D'you take him here often?" Saxon inquired. Rose nodded, and again, silence overwhelmed Saxon. The drums pounded in his skull. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. Over and over, that same beat every time. And they were closer than ever now, they were so loud and forceful and violent the Master could hardly stand it. But he put on a façade of being normal, of not being able to hear the drums, the never-ending drums, and rode silently alongside Rose in the elevator to the surface of the Earth.
The elevator slowed to a halt and the doors pried themselves open, allowing the Master and Rose, along with little Tony, out into the fresh, open air. They called a cab and were driven to Pete Tyler's estate in the suburbs. Rose unlocked the door quickly and let go of Tony's hand once they were inside. He sprinted into Rose's mother, Jackie's open arms and once he let go of her to go find his father, Peter Tyler, Jackie embraced Rose, casting a quizzical glance at Harold Saxon. "Who's this, then? I hope it's not another delinquent. You know I don't like them in my house. Go on, introduce me." She urged. Rose rolled her eyes and gestured to Jackie. "Harry, this is Jackie, my mum. Mum, this is Harold Saxon."
"That's a nice name. Saxon…" she sounded it out. "Yes, I quite like that name. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in. Dinner's just out of the oven, it's nice and hot. How long are you staying?" she demanded. Harold was taken back that the woman could say all of that in one breath. "I dunno. Enough time to find a proper job and a place to stay." He explained. Jackie put one manicured hand on his shoulder, dragging him into the kitchen and seating him at the table. "Well, you can stay as long as you like. God knows we've got the room, isn't that right Rose? Yes well you can stay here, we've figured that much out, but where can you get a job? You can't work at a shop, you look much too… sophisticated for a shop. You could go as a model. Yes, you'd make piles of money as a model. You can certainly fit the requirements…" she said, looking him up and down. He squirmed and Rose jumped to his aid. "Mum!" she exclaimed, and Jackie turned sheepishly back to her cooking. "Sorry Harold. How about politics? I'd imagine Peter can help you with that, he's close friends with America's Prime Minister."
Saxon froze. "America has a prime minister? Isn't Britain the country with the prime minister?" he inquired. Jackie laughed heartily. "Ha! Where've you been livin', then? Of course America has a prime minister, almost every country has a prime minister. Well, except for Russia. They're adamant that the rules stay the same. One King, one religion, it's madness!" Jackie screamed, sliding the pot roast out of the oven. Rose slid into the seat beside Harold. "I think I know what's going on with you…" she said, peering into his eyes. "You're from the parallel Earth, aren't you? That's why you're surprised America has a prime minister…" she diagnosed. Jackie set the table with expensive china plates and cups. "What's that? You're from parallel Earth? We used to live in parallel Earth. That was back when Rose was travelling with the Doctor." Jackie sighed sadly. The Master's ears perked up. The Doctor? At the thought of his name, the drums pounding in the Master's head quickened. This must be the infamous Rose Tyler. The Doctor's lover. Oh, imagine his reaction when he discovers I have her and her family in the palm of my hands…
"Harold? Harold! Are you okay?" Rose's voice broke through his thoughts. He found himself tapping the beat again. He didn't understand… couldn't they hear the drums as well? The pounding of the drums, coming closer and closer and louder and louder with time? Didn't it just drive them mad? "Don't worry, I'm fine." He lied as Jackie set the pot roast in the middle of the table. "Rose, go find Pete and Tony. They're probably in the living room, watching the telly. Take Harold here and introduce him to Pete." She ordered. Rose complied and gestured for the Master to follow her through the large house and into a cozy room filled with various seating arrangements and a television. On the television was a soccer game, and Peter, along with Tony, were vigorously cheering for their team. "Dad!" Rose flicked the TV off. Pete moaned in distaste. "What is it, Rose? We were winning!"
"Mum says dinner's ready."
At that, Peter leaped off the couch, dragging Tony behind him, and almost sprinted to the dining room, where the table was covered in plates heaped with steaming food. Everyone sat at the table and dug in. "Parallel Universe, and Mum can cook!" Rose joked, provoking laughs from everyone gathered around. Pete shoveled a forkful of shepherd's pie into his mouth. "Tell you what. Jackie here is the best cook!"
"When she couldn't cook a pizza without burnin' it to death back home." Rose laughed. Harold joined in the merriment. The pounding drumbeats in his head slowly began to fade and quiet, and this cleared his head so he could think. "Peter! Jackie mentioned you might be able to get me a job in politics?" he asked, turning to Peter. He shrugged, his mouth stuffed with food. "I suppose," he said after swallowing. "I'd have to see your credentials first. Come to think of it, there is a position open as chief of the Department of Labor."
"Excellent. And, um, who is president of America here?"
"Mitt Romney is close to the end of his term. The elections start next month. Personally, we'll vote for Romney again. We think he did a fantastic job with the economy." Pete said. He stuffed his mouth again. "Why?" Rose inquired. After he finished off his plate, Harold Saxon excused himself and asked to use their computer. Of course, they all complied, and he rushed upstairs to the office, looking himself up. Nothing on Harold Saxon. Oh well. He forged an entire lifetime in the parallel world. He only had to do it again, and it was exceedingly simple for him.
"Harry?" Jackie poked her head into the room, knocking softly on the door to the study. 1-2-3-4. Saxon smirked to himself and whirled around, folding his hands together. "What is it, sweetheart?" he asked sweetly. Jackie smiled and blushed. "Pete, Rose, Tony and I are turning in. I just wanted to tell you that there's a guest bedroom at the end of the hallway. It has a computer and a telly in it, and you can stay up as late as you want. Just… Tony's a light sleeper." She winced, most likely recalling many sleepless nights caused by the young boy. Harold nodded, and Jackie was about to leave, when he called her back in.
"Jackie?"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Rose… she said she had a fiancé."
"John Smith."
"Yes, John Smith. When's the wedding?"
"Five months. I'm so excited, I have her out shopping for wedding dresses and arrangements on the weekends." Jackie said dreamily. Saxon nodded and dismissed her, turning back to his work. "Almost finished." He said to himself, typing in a few more details about his falsified life.
When he was finally finished, he made his way to his bedroom, so kindly given to him by the Tylers, but all he could think about was Rose and John Smith. Could it be possible that John Smith was the Doctor in disguise? He didn't doubt it, the Doctor often used the name John Smith when he wanted to appear human. And he'd heard from many a credible witness that Rose Tyler was the Doctor's lover. He switched the telly on and stripped out of his black hoodie and the red shirt that lie underneath, leaving himself in only his black jeans, then slid into the large King-sized bed and cozied in. A reality show. The Master laughed at their stupidity and rifled through the pocket of the hoodie, pulling out his laser screwdriver. He slid his hand along the silver and gold rod, itching to use it. He tucked the laser screwdriver in the drawer of the bed stand and fell asleep to the quiet murmuring of the telly.
"Rose, don't wake him!" Jackie's high-pitched, demanding voice was what woke the Master. He sat up groggily in bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Mum, if he wants to go to work with me, he has to wake up now." She insisted. Despite Jackie's protests, she pushed open the door and stormed in on Harold sliding out of bed, still shirtless. "Oh, sorry Harry. I, um, didn't know you were awake. Sorry." She mumbled, stumbling out of the room. "What is it? What're you blushing for?" Jackie's loud voice permitted easy eavesdropping. Rose's quiet whisper, and Jackie stormed into Harold's room, pausing to stare at his bare chest before telling him off. "Now you better get dressed and ready now. If you'd like I can take you shopping after work and we can find you some nice suits. Pete pulled a few strings and got you a job in the D.O.D. You're the chief of the Department of Defense now. That's nice, isn't it? Now hurry up and get dressed. You've got today off, and Rose told me you were going to Torchwood with her to work on a project. What're you building? Something to get you back to the other Earth? Oh, I know. Are you curing cancer? Because we've already cured diabetes and a lot of sexually transmitted diseases but we haven't quite figured out cancer yet, so perhaps—"
"You can stop now." He demanded. Jackie's eyes glazed over and she smiled slightly. "Yes, of course." She murmured. Jackie left, and Saxon quickly pulled on his shirt and hoodie before making his way downstairs after turning the telly off. He met Rose in the entry hall and was handed an omelet on a plate. "Quick breakfast. I've gotta be at Torchwood by six, and it's already 5:45. Let's go, we'll take a cab. Dad's gotta use the van." She explained. The Master nodded and ate the omelet on the way to Torchwood, finishing it off when they arrived. "Where's Tony?" he questioned. Rose turned away to unlock the door and stepped inside. "Mum's got him today." She said. As soon as they were inside, the Master sprinted to the console to ensure nobody messed with it. He was relieved to find it was fine, and added a few more gadgets before finishing with the console and moving on to one of the computers. He had to make sure nothing penetrated the rock-solid past he'd created for himself. All he had to do now was to launch Archangel Network. He set up a PowerPoint presentation and fine-tuned the details, readying to present his idea to the critics. He excused himself and slipped into the room with the cells, one of which he had been housed, and whipped out his cell phone, calling several good friends of Pete's and scheduling a meeting to see the board and present his idea. "I feel like this one's a game-changer, Norris." He said, making pleasant small talk. "Yes, thank you so much." His voice flowed like honey, thick with hypnotism. He tapped his laser screwdriver on the wall, making sure the noise was audible through the receiver. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. He ended the call, smirking and chuckling quietly, though his laugh was ripe with madness. "Humans," he said to himself. "So stupid!"
"What does that make you then?" Rose's voice was accusing. Harold whirled around, caught red-handed. "Hm? If humans are so stupid, what does that make you?" she demanded. He smiled and began tapping the beat again, but Rose lunged for him and snatched the laser screwdriver out of his grip. "What's this? A sonic screwdriver?"
"Laser. Who'd use sonic?" he corrected her. "I don't care what it is. Tell me who, or what, you really are!" Rose demanded. The Master held his hands up, making eye contact with her. "I am the Master. I am a Time Lord. I suppose you know what that is, from your travelling with the Doctor." he said. Rose tried to say something, but he already had her in a hypnotic state. Her eyes glazed over, and she smiled dreamily. "You were just working, weren't you? And how'd you end up here?" the Master interrogated. Rose frowned. "I... I don't know."
"That's right. Now go back and work on your computer."
Rose absent-mindedly followed his orders and meandered back to her computer, where she shook out of her trance, but had no idea of the events that had just occurred. The Master smiled. Now his plan was to fall into place.
"Yes, I have a meeting with the board tomorrow about Archangel. You wouldn't mind giving me another day off, now would you?" 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. 1-2-3-4. Pete's eyes glazed over. "No, no, of course not. I'll talk to your administrators tonight." he said. Saxon smiled and stood, brushing his sharp suit off and making his way up the long flights of stairs and into his bedroom, where he logged on to the computer. He sent a quick email to his boss, demanding a meeting at 5:00 that day. He quickly recieved his reply. Of course his boss would meet with him. Perfect. The Master leaned back in his chair, folding his hands together and basking in his victory. His plan was almost in completion! What more did he need? The Doctor. He needed the Doctor. That would be no hard task, one appearance on TV and he would come running, flinging himself at the Master's feet. And then he could be disposed of. Simple. Saxon laughed at human stupidity and the Doctor's sympathy. As why should he not? He was the grand Master! Master and Commander! Their Lord and Master.
