Meeting at the Museum
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any characters in the show
The Doctor waited, watching people through the security cameras of the national museum. It was a few years before his previous visit, which had led to not only peace between two planets but also to the rescue of Gallifrey from destruction.
As he straightened his bowtie, he scanned the crowds nervously, although he knew that when the person whom he was waiting for arrived, he would be easy to spot, considering that he was currently unable to go anywhere in the country without drawing people's attention. For that reason, he would be taken in through the main office, to lose the crowd. Still, the Doctor wanted to keep an eye on him as much as possible.
Part of him hadn't wanted to arrange this meeting at all but instead just let this part of his life stay in the past. It was a dangerous meeting and at best and it would probably dredge up many bitter memories and emotions. But he also needed closure here and he felt that he would be treating the other man wrong to not give him any sort of goodbye, even one out of order with his own time line.
About a week ago by his personal timeline, a few thousand years in the linear future, he had picked up a signal he had been anticipating and dreading for some time now. It had gone out from Trenzelore, just over a millennium before he had last been there, being sent across space and time and grabbing the attention of all species that pick it up. He knew deep in his hearts that it was the call to his final battle.
He also knew that it could wait for a little while and took advantage of that knowledge to see a few more beautiful sights, go on a couple adventures and see old acquaintances one last time. The last of which was the reason he was here today, to meet with someone who had played a vital, albeit complex, role in his life.
Suddenly, the Doctor was brought out of his thoughts due to commotion at the entrance of the Museum. He knew why the crowd was excited, too. These people hadn't expected any political figures to show up here today.
The Master had been in this time period for just over a year and it would be another six months before the Doctor's previous regeneration would come to rescue his TARDIS. Still, the man was already well established under his alias as Harold Saxon, the much loved candidate for Prime Miniser.
In order to get into the city undetected, the Doctor had brought his TARDIS directly into the Undergallery. He was sure that, as the Minister of Defense, the Master already had access to most of the street cameras, security systems and other surveillance equipment but probably was still unaware of the gallery's existence.
After the initial reaction from the secret gallery's security to the Doctor's sudden arrival, he had been welcomed by the staff. He figured that would be the case, considering that he had been named the curator. Still, he felt the need to tell them that the first time he'd been there was a few years in the future, so that they knew not to greet him as a returning visitor when the time came. Spoilers could be dangerous and he didn't want to take any chances, especially with that situation.
At this point, the Master didn't know exactly whom he was meeting. At least, the Doctor didn't think he knew. One could never be sure with a time lord as clever as him. On top of that, if he had unintentionally let down his guard with his mental shielding, the Master could have sensed him. It has been centuries since he had been so close to another gallifreyan and he knew that he was more than a little rusty at skills such as evading telepathic detection, so that possibility couldn't be completely ruled out either.
The letter that he'd had delivered was officially an invitation from the curator of the Undergallery, a secret vault beneath the National Gallery that held some very unique pieces. Amongst the hinted artwork, he made sure to mention three dimensional pictures to grab the Master's attention. He knew the other time lord would not ignore this, especially considering that he was currently looking for any signs he could find of what had happened to Gallifrey and this might give him a clue.
Despite how boring it had been, the Doctor had spent most of the last couple days since he arrived in the Undergallery after he had sent a message to the Master. The less he wondered around London, the harder it would be for the Master to find out about his presence. The Doctor had no doubt that, if the Master knew he was here, he would likely find himself taken to the other lord in restraints or as a captured prisoner of his tocalafane.
He also knew that the Master had probably scouted this place out. Although it was unlikely that he found out anything new about the secret museum beneath the main one, he was sure that the Master had seen clues to its existence beyond a piece of paper. He was too smart to miss the signs of a cover up.
He finally spotted the other time lord enter the view of the museum's security cameras and watched him as he slowly walked into and through the museum. He took his time, working the audience, stopping for the occasional photos here and there and pretending to enjoy a few of the main exhibits as he made his way to the manager's office to 'discuss making a donation to the museum and show his support for the artistic community'. After all, the reason he's really here, to visit a gallery that doesn't officially exist, needed to be concealed somehow.
The Doctor took the elevator down to his gallery once the Master finally disappeared into the office. He waited nervously, straightening his bowtie and brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. He grabbed up a fez that he had requested be brought down to the museum, one that was destined to be thrown into a couple wormholes in the not too distant future. Then he decided to walk a lap to make sure that everything was set up for his visitor one more time. Part of him knew it was unnecessary. He'd let the name Master slip his lips as he talked about his guest and suddenly, the head of staff seemed to understand both his need for privacy with his guest but also for extra security measures to be taken during and after this visitation. He wondered just how much the branch of the government in charge of the gallery knew of his past. They probably were working with UNIT, the Doctor thought with a small smile.
He once again found himself wondering if this was a good idea. It was risky to bring the Master here. Oh well, too late for second guesses now. Still, he was fairly confident that once the other man understood the situation, he would be willing to leave the gallery untouched.
Then The Doctor heard the sound of voices at the top of the stairs, one of which was extremely familiar despite not having heard it in centuries. "I understand all this need for secrecy out there but honestly, why can't you discuss why I've been invited here now?"
Amongst other things, most of the people whom had access to the secret section of the art museum had psychic training, so they could sense the Master's attempts to use his hypnosis and block it more successfully than most people. No doubt the Master was starting to realize that for himself because it didn't sound like he was trying to put as much energy into it as he usually would.
"Our curator wants to explain it himself." From the disgust in the human's voice, it sounded like the Master certainly tried to hypnotize him already. "He's waiting at the bottom of the stairs. I'll leave you two to talk. I have to make sure your fans don't break into my office to sneak a peek of you and find out that you're absent." The Doctor listenedas he heard one set of footsteps walk away.
The Doctor readjusted his fez one more time as the other man hesitated at the top of the stairs. He heard the familiar of four beat drumming of fingers on the railing. Was the Master worried about a trap? It was something that travelling time lords always had to be on the lookout for. Still, if that was the concern, the worry was unfounded. And it also indicated that he still had no idea who he was here to see. After a moment, the Doctor considered opening a telepathic link to the other man, to let him know it was safe. Then he heard footsteps descending the stair case.
And as the Master came into view, the Doctor saw the briefest look of confusion before a huge smile crossed his face and he stopped moving his fingers to the beat in his head. Time lords can always recognize each other. "Well, isn't this a surprise? I was expecting you at some point but not like this." The Master studied the Doctor again with a big smile on his face and asked, "What the heck are you wearing?"
"It's a fez." The Doctor replied as he tapped it, "Fezzes are cool, and so are bowties." He said, as he moved to straighten it again.
As he did this, the Master tried unsuccessfully to suppress a laugh. So he just said, "Well I think it looks ridiculous."
"That's what I thought about your beard."
"Hey, the beard was excellent, it added to my menacing charm." The Master said with a joking smile. "Although it doesn't work for a politician and with my current face and hair, it just makes me look scruffy." He frowned and asked. "Do you have to get younger every time you regenerate?"
"I think it's something to do with feeling too old. You recall how they told us in school that what happens in our regenerations often corresponds to how we view ourselves." Once the words were out, he immediately regretted saying them.
The other man's smile completely disappeared and his left hand, which had been still at his side, started tapping the four beat rhythm against it again. He had no doubt been expecting a witty response. It was unusual for the Doctor to give such an insight to his own emotions. "What's wrong?"
The Doctor shook his head and said, "I've got more important things to discuss with you than my personal problems." Then, to change the subject and establish his timeline in accordance to what the Master had already been through, he stated, "The mess you're setting up with your tocalafane and my TARDIS was centuries ago for me, by the way."
As the Doctor had hoped, the other man seemed to interpret his statement as a possible warning of spoilers and said, "Well, that is quite a way out of order with our time line isn't it. Here I thought having to live with the knowledge that I've had to watch you in action without interfering a few times in the last year was bad. You probably have a ton of things you won't be able to talk about. Including just how successful my plan is going to be…or not." He added the last, as if deciding he didn't want to tempt fate.
"You have no idea." The Doctor replied as he thought about their last encounter. He wondered if the other man survived but suspected that he probably did. The Master was always good at that. "Still, there's enough that I do plan to discuss with you that we'll be able to hold a good conversation."
"So, you're the curator of the most secret museum in England. How'd that happen?"
"Queen Elizabeth the First gave me the honor." The Doctor said and added, "Come on, I've got something to show you. I was serious about the artwork."
The Master glanced down the hallway and then back at the younger looking time lord and snickered. "I can't take you seriously with that thing on your head."
"Fine," the Doctor said with mock frustration and placed it on a stand where it would remain for the next few years. Then he smiled and asked, "better?"
"Much." The Master said as they started down the hallway full of covered statues which were sadly destined to be ground into stone dust.
"Good."
Then they reached the corner and the doctor gestured into the adjoining room, and when the Master looked, he fell silent. Even from a sharp angle, a Time Stasis Cube of the Time Lords' creation was obvious.
"The middle image is the reason I wanted to bring you down here."
The Doctor did not have to say it was Arcadia, both he and the Master had been there many times, often together while had been at the Academy. But the Master, whom had fled before it was breached, had never seen it like this. He slowly approached the piece, as if the scene would break through the frame and into the room to engulf them if he wasn't careful. Thinking about what was waiting to come out of this and the other stasis cubes in a few years, he supposed that the fear wasn't completely unfounded. "How?" He finally asked.
"Queen Elizabeth the First had it place here, probably at the same time that she put me in charge. She obtained it from some Zygons when she impersonated the one who was supposed to take her shape." The Doctor said.
"And they didn't suspect her?" The Master asked.
"Nope and she fooled me as well." The Doctor replied.
The Master probably would have cracked some joke about an 'inferior' creature getting the best of him under different circumstances. Instead, he continued to study the image before him.
Returning his attention to the painting, the Doctor stated, "Most people who know of this picture call it one of two names, No More and Gallafrey Falls." He gave the other man few moments to digest this information before adding, "but neither is right." He smiled as he reflected on the memory. "Its real name is Gallafrey Falls No More."
The Master continued to study it as the Doctor continued, "I assume that the reason you came here was to find out why you can't find either Gallifrey or any other time lords. Everyone in the Universe believes I destroyed Gallafrey, including, until just recently, myself. This picture will play a key role in an attempt to save it or it has, depending on whether you want to consider time by the events of my life or by linear standards."
"What did you do?" The Master asked, now looking at him seriously.
The Doctor pulled out an especially strong magnifying glass, handed it to the Master and pointed to a specific spot in the picture. "Look here."
The Master did so and the Doctor said, "The three people facing away from us are me, myself and I, waiting for just the right time to come out.
"I don't have to worry about the three of you interfering with my plans, do I."
"No," Under normal circumstances, the Doctor would have warned against giving away future information but any preventative action from the Master could put his rescue of Gallifrey at risk.
"Good, as much as I love our mind games, I'll admit that I would prefer that facing more than one Doctor at a time should remain a once in an existence experience."
"I'm sure the Dalek we captured and trapped in the picture with us in order to break the glass will prefer that it had never happen at all. The thing had just escaped the last battle and everything."
The Master laughed as he thought of the monster's misfortune.
The Doctor continued, "All of my regenerations came together at least once at Gallafrey in an attempt to suspend the entire planet in a stasis cube as I am in this picture."
The Master let out a low whistle and stated, "and here I was thinking my trick with my Toclafane would be a paradox to trump all paradoxes. If your plan worked, that might be one of the biggest events a single time lord ever caused. Of course, the odds of your success are ridiculously small…"
The Doctor tried not to let his disgust show at the mention of the humans that had been transformed into child minded killing machines. Nor would he mention the second big bang which he suspected the Master might see as him having complete control of everything in the universe, even if only for a few seconds. Instead, he said, "I brought you here because I thought you had a right to know what happened to our home."
The Master nodded but asked, "just to verify, you only just found out that you didn't destroy it but instead tried to save it?"
The Doctor nodded and sighed.
"I am going to have so much fun using that against you in… how long from now?"
"Spoilers," the Doctor said.
"You're no fun," his foe replied.
"That's not what you thought while I was wearing my fez."
The Master started to smile again but then seemed to suddenly realize something and a terrible something at that. He stared at the man who hadn't been this friendly to him since they were just kids with new understanding. His hand once again started tapping it's four beat rhythm in the air as his look became a glare. "Theta Sigma, you think your about to die and came here to say goodbye, didn't you?" He asked in a surprisingly monotone voice.
The Doctor looked away,"Koschei…"
"How didn't I see it before? You being so friendly, even going so far as to get a laugh out of me. Then you show me this!" He's almost yelling at the end as he gestures to the picture. "You thought you'd just pop in to tie up a loose end and I wouldn't even realize it. Don't you think I've seen other time lords who are on their way out before?"
The Doctor, deciding to be honest, said, "it was never easy to get anything past you, even with those bloody drums driving you mad."
The Master glared, "you know something about them, too." It wasn't a question but a statement of fact.
"I can't talk about that but I promise that you'll find out soon enough. I'm just sorry I didn't listen until the last time we met. I thought they were a result of your insanity, not the cause." He was the Doctor. He made people better but when the Master had expressed his great torment, he hadn't done anything… hadn't believed him.
The Master looked dumbfounded. "Wait, what do you mean the cause? Like it's something else? What's going on in my head, Doctor?!"
"I can't talk about it. I wish I could, I really do."
The other time lord growled in frustration, and his fingers tapped away. Finally, he seemed to decide to let it go and instead asked, "Why do you think you're about to die."
"I've had hints ever since I last regenerated. There is a prophesy that spoke of a battle on the fields of Trenzelore. That one lead to multiple attempts on my life, might I add. But then I visited my grave there."
"Are you kidding me?" The Master exclaimed, "What possessed you to do something so stupid!"
"Some of my friends would have died if I didn't."
The Master scoffed, "Your love for lesser species has proven to be the final death of you, how come I'm not surprised!"
The Doctor decided not to go into their difference of opinion about the other beings of the universe. It would accomplish nothing. Instead he said, "there's a signal being sent out across space and time as we speak, calling everyone who can detect it to the planet."
The Master leaned against the wall and sighed. "So after you're done here, you're off to this planet, Trenzelore."
"After I pick up my latest companion, yes. If I have to die, it doesn't mean I need to die alone." For a moment, he was going to leave it at that but he couldn't. He sighed and looked back into the Master's eyes and said, "In all honesty, part of me is glad that I'm almost done running. I'm tired Koschei. I was tired even before I came across you again. And now it's…."
Koschei interrupted him and said, "Stop talking like that. It is not going to end on Trenzelore. It can't end alike that."
"It's a fixed point."
"I don't care." He stated simply, as if it was the answer to anything. "And I will do everything in my power to make sure that your death is unfixed because if you die, what am I going to do? I've still got so many lives to go and you can't just disappear from them. Who would be there to make taking over the universe a fun challenge, who could I share my victory with, even if it is only as a prisoner? No, you will not die on Trenzelore, and after we're done there, We'll do what we always have, fight over the universe. Heck, maybe we'll go find Gallafrey along the way and free it from its suspension so those uppity snobs back home can know how you saved their lives and upstaged every last one of them in the process. Personally, I don't care if you believe me or not because that's what's going to happen."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow and said, "That seems like an awful lot of impossible tasks."
"Says the guy who admits to attempting to turn our home into a giant, three dimensional mural to stop himself from destroying it. Impossible has never stopped the likes of us before."
The Doctor smiled and replied, "I suppose not. Well, would you like a tour of the rest of the museum or…"
Now acting calmly, as if he hadn't just been yelling at the doctor only moments ago, he said "Unfortunately, I have an appointment that I have to be at and you have one to make, too. Maybe another time," he added, glancing around. Then he paused "Is that a painting of you with Queen Elizabeth."
"Yup, I'm a king of England. It actually just happened right before I jumped into the picture of Arcadia over there."
"Okay, bad enough you had to upstage the paradox I'm planning but did you have to outdo the best political achievement might ever do without force, too?"
"And I didn't even need a neural network to do it, either."
A few minutes later, after the Master departed, the Doctor was stepping back into the TARDIS. He shook his head and smiled, glad he'd gone through with this. He patted the TARDIS's console and communicated his warmth and tenderness toward her telepathically, getting a similar response from the machine. "Come on Sexy," he said, "It's time to go."
I originally started writing this story over a year ago, before season 8 started and had someone read it over less than a week ago. I was going to wait until next week to finally post this but changed my mind. I hope that you all thoroughly enjoyed this.