The Empire of Washington

Part 1

Featuring the Sixth Doctor as played by Colin Baker and Peri as played by Niccola Brynt

"You never ever do Doctor! You never take me anywhere that is nice, relaxing and ellegant." Peri shouted it at him from the other side of the console room as she recovered from their last trip to Varros. "I want to relax Doctor, relax in a place where people don't shoot at me every ten minutes!" As she walked around the gleaming central console she could see the hurt expression on her friend's face.

"I thought I was taking you to places that bedazzled the mind, and gave you very entertaining obsticales to overcome." The Doctor turned a few levers, "Tell me does this coat look like it needs to be replaced to you my dear?" The Doctor jestured towards a patch mark on the coat where laser fire had hit it, and then went back to his computer.

Peri shook her head, "How can you even tell with that rediculas thing on? You look like something that stepped out of a broadway play! Anyway you need to take me to a place where we can relax Doctor, show me some class." Peri had the opportunity before her that no one else she grew up with had, to experience real upper class living, and see what it was all like. She yearned to just be in a place where she and The Doctor could relax. She watched the expression on his face, the slight grin come across from one end to the other and knew what he was thinking.

He walked across the room and was now face to face with her, "I know where I will take you, young Peri Brown, a place I have never taken any other companions, and it has luxary."

Peri folded her arms in frustration, "Okay Doctor, where are you taking me?"

"A planet called Mondania Prime, otherwise known by the women who live there as The Last Great Matriarchy." The Doctor rushed over to the computer console and began to flip switches and turn knobs "Now the Tardis is set, and I must change out of this. Men are not allowed to wear any sort of color on their clothes at this planet."

He rushed toward the door in a fit of excitement and eagerness as Peri shouted "Doctor, what should I wear?"

He stopped and looked at her blue shorts and short shirt, "Women wear whatever they please on this planet my dear, I am the one who must change."

Peri was left in her own world as the Doctor ran away in a eager fit, and she cringed to think of what he could come back in. He had never taken her to a matriarchy before, and she was looking forward to seeing how different it was from her own.

The footsteps came to a halt as Captain Liandra Corsan came to a halt on the polished palace floor, her blaster weapon felt heavier then it was as she plotted her scheme. "Leana, this is sister Liandra, can you hear me?"

There was a momentary pause and then the voice came back "Yes Captain, I am in position and I can see the Empress safe and secure from my vantage point."

Liandra sighed, "Alright Leana, keep your eyes locked on her, and just, just wait for the signal." Liandra looked up at the stars, she knew that if the revolution was going to happen the exploding star in the sky would be their signal. She looked around the hallway, knowing very well the the rebelling army outdside the palace would fail if it wasn't well coordinated. She sighed again as she thought of her daughter and husband who were seperated by another endless war, as she wished she could be back, and then she heard the noise. It was a endless noise that was the sound of engines grinding on each other, was it a signal from the rebllion? No, it couldn't be, it was coming from the Great Hall, the place where all the statues were kept.

This was stupid, it wasn't worth having her cover blown for, but she had to investigate, because for the next few minutes she was Captain of the Royak Guard and until the rebllion happened it would stay that way. She decided to go down the dark corridor, this was her life, everyone else was up stairs partying and enjoying themselves, and she was dealing in darkness. She walked a few doors down, no other guard to be seen, the Empress was so smug she didn't even post other soldires around her. It was the only thing that kept her plan working, the fact that Empress Lianza was so prideful she didn't even consider posting guards when one already knew her secret.

As she walked into the large corridor with her armored feet clanging against the polished floor she saw the light was infact coming from the Great Hall. It was a slightly blue light shimmering and as she got closer she realized there was nothing she knew of that caused it. She was very careful as she walked and then when she turned a corner she saw it. Standing there as large as life itself, a blue box just a few feet taller then she was with strange writing along the top that she did not understand, and strange windows glowing casting a outward glow onto the darkened room. She rushed behind one of the large pillars that were within the room, and within seconds the doors opened letting two people walk into the room. Her large blue eyes caught sight of the man walking out first, his large blonde hair like the shape of a cresent moon around his head, and the black suit and jacket he wore was outstanding enough to her mind. Then the woman stepped out, wearing her short blue shirt, and short blue shorts right behind him talking just as loudly. "Well Doctor I told you that thing was dodgy, it couldn't even get us to the party right."

The Doctor sighed shaking his head "Well Peri we are directly above the party, if you could keep your mouth shut long enough for that to become apparent to you." He looked around the large empty room that made his echoes resound loudly. He smiled as he pondered to himself "You know Peri this is the first time I think I have ever visited Mondania Prime. I should come here more often the architecture of this palace is resounding."

Then the woman stepped out, and she was close enough to the Doctor that all she had to do was point her blaster laser at him and switch off the saftey. "Freeze aliens."

He stopped, and held his hands up, "My name is the Doctor, and this is Peri, were both unarmed and here just as tourists to honor the Empress."

"You're here to honor the Empress?" Asked Liandra as she watched him shivering while she pointed the gun at his back, and then looked at the box. "How did you get here?"

He sighed, trying to calm himself down "The machine you see over there is Time Lord technology, you know who they are don't you?" He stopped because he felt the gun lower and only then did the Doctor turn to face his assailent. "Yes, you do, I can tell by the look in your eyes, and by the uniform your wearing I can also tell you are Captain of the Royal Guards."

Liandra slapped him as hard as she could, "I don't have the same ancient qualms about men speaking without permission, but you will remember your place when I am in the room. I am the Captain of the Guards, and even if you are a Time Lord you are still under my protection." She could see his eyes scanning her, she knew they had knowladge of future times, and then a thought occurred. "Are you here for the royal birthday party?"

"Yes I am, my companion here Miss Brown wanted to see ellegance and I wanted to come by for the party. I also know you Liandra, and what your planning to do tonight." The Doctor placed his hands on her shoulders and watched her trembling eyes as she loosened her grip on the blaster.

She looked over to the woman, "I have not yet introduced myself Miss Brown, I am Captain Liandra Arlonos, the rightful air to the throne here."

The woman shook her hand and asked "What do you mean rightful?"

Liandra looked over to the Doctor, "Well if you know me so well Doctor then I should show you what I discovered, I should show you the reason I was prompted to join the rebellion."

Peri shook her head as they walked out the large great hall, "Why does this not surprise me? Why does it not shock me, that you can find trouble where none yet existed?"

The Doctor shook his head as they walked "Peri I am sorry, I mean I know you wanted to relax but we have been hijacked here now havent we?" The Doctor looked over to the woman leading them, "This woman was the former loyal leader of the Royal Guards, although why she is slurking around the lower levels instead of being honored the proper way."

Liandra began to explain to them "You see Doctor, if you knew as much as you claimed to me then you would know where I am taking you. I assume you know that I have a family that has been seperated by a war I protest?"

"Yes, and I assume you are taking us to a explination of your actions," The Doctor said as they walked down the corridor their first glimps of the alien environment came to him through the open aired corridor. The roaring sound of the ocean crashing against the shoreline and the setting moons.

"You see Doctor the Empire works the way it does because of order, and genetics are a important part of that order. Going back as far as I can remember the royal family has always had three children, three girls birthed by the Empress and they lead us. Those three women are the ones who always take charge, one becomes the Empress, one becomes the leader of the Senate, and one becomes the General in charge of the army. That being said the last two leaders we had have been nothing but dissapointments, they have gotten our people involved in wars, and refuse to give in. The wars continue and never stop, they take lives that are irreplaceable, and people are becoming uneasy." Liandra stopped at the top flight of the stairs they were ascending, and she seemed to look uneasy. " didn't even realize what had happened until I saw the children for myself Doctor, perhaps you can tell me what the problem was when you see for yourself."

As they stood in the stairwell the Doctor could hear her voice shaking, he could tell that something was amis here and he was going to figure it out. "So your telling us that the family has had genetic manipulation over the centuries to keep the balance in order since the beginning yes?" She shook her head yes without saying anything, "Then something has happened in the last generation that has never occurred before and it gives you a problem doesn't it Miss Liandra?"

"You see Doctor, I am their guard, but the people are unsettled, they have formed a rebellion, and want to overthrow the Empress. I don't want anything to happen to them, but then the leader of the Rebellion found my son in law, she kidnapped him from his family and forced her to tell him where my daughter was stationed. They told me that if I don't start this rebllion by killing the royal children, and the Empress then they will kill my daughter. Doctor you're a Time Lord, you have technology that I cant begin to comprehend, please help me with this problem." She was doing her best not to cry, and the Doctor could see that in her eyes. For once she was finally telling him the truth and it was then that an ideao hit him.

The trio walked along the empty open aired hallway and he knew they were heading towards a room with two females stationed outside. The Doctor was trying to recall the last time he read through the schematics of this palace, and that was a very long time ago. He could only assume he was heading towards the Royal Chambers and that made sense in a way. "So you think there is a problem with the children and you think somehow I can help you with all this?"

Liandra shook her head, "I don't condone the killing of children, but I do understand the want for change, and yet at the same time my own daughter is in danger. The rebellion is powerful Doctor, they house the power station for the entire system and that means they can destroy it."

Peri stopped for a moment, "Wait a minute, what do you mean the power system for the entire solar system?"

Liandra pointed to setting sun in the distance, "A power station on the sun, it containts solar collectors that can redirect the energy any place in the solar system. So at times it can be directed towards the royal palace, and at times towards the space fleet to charge the engines. The rebels have taken over the station, and they are targeting the palace. So even if I choose not to commit murder and kill children they will kill my daughter, and destroy the place anyway." She shook her head, and walked on towards the room, saluted the two female guards and jestured at them to leave.

Once they entered the room the Doctor could see a large standard appartment building with a open aired side wall overlooking the sea just as before. He looked around at all the couches and pillows laying around, the clothing that had been discarded along the floor and chairs made him realize that whoever cleaned the bedchamber did a poor job. The Doctor watched as Liandra walked towards the bedchamber doors, and opened them. Peri walked ahead inside, "Doctor this is the life, look at the beds, and the silks, this is how people should live. You don't treat me like this often, are those the children?" Peri asked jesturing towards the three little cribs lined with golden emblems.

Liandra shook her head "See for yourself" she pulled the blankets off the sleeping babies, first showing a girl, then the other two, sleeping babies wrapped in blue cloth. "Two boys, and the abomination doesn't stop there Doctor, scann their biology."

The Doctor did as she requested, and ran the sonic screwdriver his eyes widened, "These arent Mondanian, they have alien DNA within them, human DNA. How is that possible? The humans never encountered your people."

Liandra shook her head,"Yes I know, I tried to match the DNA against all the aliens that we have invaded or conqured but for some reason none ever made a match. I then began to examine her own genetic profile, then I discovered the horrible truth, that one of her ancestors was a alien that we never encountered, and then I began to realize, the genetic modifications, they began 10 generations ago when the last civil war ended. I began to see that while I did not agree with their methodes, the Rebellion was right, they knew that the Empress was related to a alien."

The Doctor shook his head and took another scannn of the babies, "This is impossible, the babies have strong human DNA in them, showing evidence of being geneticlly tampered with, but human blood is there. You say it came from their mother?" The Doctor looked around as he realized the implications, either the history he had read was wrong, or the history of the human race was wrong, or they were in a parallel universe.

"Doctor I will let you and your friend go, but you have to help me, I don't want to kill them even though they are aliens. I don't want to." Liandra looked around and then felt herself regret her actions.

He put his hands on her shoulders, "Give us five minutes Liandra, five minutes and we can be back to solve this all I promise." He saw her eyes shine with joy, "Just sit down and let me figure this out, don't kill anyone yet." He darted off before she could object and Peri began running right alongside him as fast as she could.

"Doctor what are we going to do?" Peri shouted as she skidded across the polished floor and caught herself before she hit the wall. She moved her feet faster then she ever could have imagined until she and the Doctor hit the stairwell. "We don't have anyone chassing us why do we always have to be running like this?" She saw him one flight ahead of her and she moved faster still.

"We have to get to the Solar Station, deactivate the power grid, and then come back here two minutes from now in order to keep her from killing the children. Once we have deactivated the Solar Station it will send a signal to the people holding her daughter not to kille her, so it all works ou." The Doctor stopped the moment of peace and started running again back down another polished hallway that looked the same as the one before. Peri had memorized the layout of the place as best she could so she could have made it back to the Tardis on her own if need be. She went rushing into the statue room and caught hold of the Doctor just as he opened the doors.

Inside the control room Peri saw the Doctor already running his hands over the buttons and controls, "Doctor do we have the time to do this?"

"Of course we do, this is a time machine" he announced with gleaming pride and pushed a button that activated the flight controls. She felt the floor jerk to one side and then to the other before she caught herself again. Peri had been everywhere with this thing, and she never thought she would ever get the hang of it. "How are we going to deactivate the Solar Station?"

The Doctor was working feaverishly "We are going two hours back into the day, that way we have time to reach the central core of the station. The Tardis will materialize right there and then we step out lock ourselves in, and shut down the station." The Doctor had cut things close before, but never like this, and there was still the question of the Mondanian blood line. How did human blood get into the royal family when this culture never made contact with them? He watched the computer screen as they showed the materialization of the Tardis within a new station. "Peri you stay right here. Only I know how to deactivate this place, and it may be dangerous."

Peri thought inwardly There goes my peaceful vacation as she watched the Doctor rush towards the doors to go outside. She looked down at the controls again, and for once, wished she was home.

Outside the Doctor ducked under the overheated computers, and pipes that were running every which way to spots unknown. He looked around and knew he would have a fairly easy job ahead of him as he treked through this power station. All he had to do was remove the cooling power station, the power station would go into emergency shut down mode because nothing was there to keep the cooling equipment online. It would throw off the rebellion and send the signal to her captured daughter that the plan was thrown off. The Doctor grinned as he came to the central core, and began to work the computers. "This will give the old rebels up stairs a shock wont it?" He reached for his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the computer controls. He rushed out the room in a shower of sparks and explosions.

Ilana Arlonos looked down at her computer controls, "This doesn't make sense, the systems are shutting down."

A lieutenant shook her head, "I don't understand why, the main systems are shutting down, and we have to evacuate for emergency protocals."

Ilana shook her head, "Months of planning, ages of preping, and now the operation is off all because of faulty cooling systems." Ilana knew she had to leave, the close proximity to the sun would not allow them to stay here long without burning, "All hands evacuate as soon as possible."

Peri saw the Doctor come rushing into the Tardis and brush a heavy beed of sweat from his brow as he walked over to the computer console in the room. "Now to go back to whence we left, only two hours and three minutes from now."

"So as far as Liandra is concerned we will only have been gone three minutes right?" Peri asked as she walked around the room watching computer screens.

The Tardis rematerialized in the same statue room but not in the same location, it appeared in the shadows and when Peri opened the doors she got a much better view of the statues. She walked outside and looked around, seeing no one she let her guard down. She began paying attention to the statues, and the gross images that were depected on each one of them. Women slaughtering people left right and center, until she realized there was a statue in the middle. It was a large statue and slightly larger then the others, but it was different only by the respect that no one was being slaughtered. She then felt a scense of horror that had never before come over her, she recognized the statue! "Doctor hurry get out here fast!" Peri stood stunned, something she recognized from Earth her home, was here looking down at her as tall as life.

He came running out to her as fast as he could the Doctor calmed down and stood next to her. Peri took his shoulder, "What seems to be the problem Peri?" The Doctor was used to explaining things to her, but now he was about to see the tables turned.

She turned his head towards the statue, "Look at that Doctor, it's the statue of George Washington! The one that looks out over the New York Stock Exchange! Doctor this is impossible! How can this statue be here if the Mondanians never made contact with humanity?" Peri knew this statue, because she went to New York on her senior trip in high school, and saw the statue in all its glory. This was a affront to her knowladge and she knew something was wrong.

The Doctor was already examining the thing, and looking down at the writing enscription at the bottom of the monument. "This statue, will be the only statue of a man ever to be made in our history. This was the man who saved us during the greatest battle in our civil war. He formed a union between the factions, and established the royal family forever more. From this formed the Empire of Washington." The Doctor stepped back, "This is impossible,"then he began thinking back to the children, back to the royal babies that had not been tampered with and looked more human then normal.

Liandra Arlonos stood in the royal bedchamber as the Doctor walked into the bedroom, "Men are required to ask permission to enter here Doctor!" She shouted as the doors flew open and this man stormed in with the young woman at his side. "The Empress is within the bedchambers with her chidlren and if you don't stop this intrussion I shall shoot you." She took point in front of the door and aimed her blaster gun at the Doctor who ignored the threat.

"Have you informed the Empress of my help in squashing the rebellion?" She shook her head, "And your daughter is safe I presume?"

"Yes she on a safe flight home from the fronts, and the Empress has been informed of your help in the uprising." She looked to her side as the doors opened and the beautiful Empress came walking out into the main room carrying her little son. Liandra turned and whishpered "Thank you Doctor."

He bowed respectfully for once, and then the Doctor took in note of her striking features. The woman had eyes that looked identical to his, identical to those of Washington, and her height was astonishgly tall as well. "You Time Lord, have saved my civilization, and as such I grant an audience with you." The woman sat down holding and rocking her baby back and forth, "Tell me what request do you have that I can help you with."

The Doctor sat down and said "A history lesson, not the one you give the populace but the real history, why is there a statue of George Washington in that Great Hall? Also why do those children share human DNA?"

She looked down at her son, "Ten Generations ago he appeared to us, he was in the middle of our greatest battle and helped my family take charge and save the battle. He stopped the war and kept my people from killing themselves as so many other Empires have. Then he devised the matriarchal system and as children were born to his dynasty they looked back to him. Upon his death a program was devised to work in his genetic material ever so slightly into the make up of our current offspring. So every few generations we would reinject the human strain so it was not lost to the rigors of time and evolution. These boys are the only ones of their kind, men who have been born in a line that only ever produced girls. Instead of altering their bodies before birth and tampering with the gender of the boys they were left alone, and nature took over for the first time. Does that answer your question Doctor?"

He sat stunned and quiet for a moment, taking it all in just as much as Peri was. "My Lady can you please tell me how old George Washington was when he was brought to your people for the first time?" The Doctor was trying as best he could to keep composure as best he could while he patiently waited for the response.

"He was 27 years old Doctor, and he held this amulate." The Empress pointed to her wall, and the Doctor fixated on the emblam with the ceal of the Time Lords. "You and your charming companian have ten minutes to leave this planet before I order your arrest and standard execution." She turned her attention to the baby again and the Doctor and Peri were shown out by Liandra into the hallway as she nursed her less then a year old son.

Liandra watched the Doctor and Peri leave the corridor, a night of horror was prevented by that man and woman. Her daughter was alive because somehow she didn't know how, he deactivated the Solar Station and the criminal rebels were caught in their escape pods. "Thank you Time Lord, thank you for saving me from having to kill those children."

Peri walked into the Tardis control room, "Doctor how can this happen? You said were still in the universe we origonated from so therefore not parallel right?"

"Well yes but," The Doctor shook his head as he looked down at the computer controls, "There is only one other explination, that being human history has been forgotten as you know it. I shutter to think of the people who are capable of doing that, and if that is the case then I don't know how to fix it. The only thing I know to do is go back to Virginia, to New Kent County December 24th 1758."

Peri walked over to stand beside him "Doctor, Im scarred, what if someone is there waiting to change history, or kidnapp George? What happened on that date?"

The Doctor smiled as he turned the knobs sending the Tardis off on its new coordinance, "That is the exact date of which George Washington met and proposed marriage to Martha Custis." He looked down at the computer console, "Now Peri my dear you should go to the wardrobe and put on something a little more respectable. After all Im taking you to see the wealthiest woman in Virginia you should look suited for the occasion." The Doctor watched her walk away in a huff and felt a stabb of agony coming on, this was bad, he knew that time could no be changed, and the life of Washington was no different, but what could be the explination?

To Be Continued in Part 2