The thing beckoned in two guards.
"Take the woman to the fields. Leave him here, we must discuss his death together."
Maxine was dragged, kicking and screaming, from the chamber.
"Now, Doctor. Do you have any preferred means of death?"
"Yeah, it's called allowing me to live. Seriously, why do I have to die...again..."
"You have a good wit!"
"Thanks."
"I detest humour."
"Oh."
"It doesn't matter, Doctor. You'll be dead within the hour anyway."
"Hang on. That's the one thing I don't get: why do you want to kill me?"
"Our prophet, the Cencerich, has foretold of a time, a moment, in which you destroy me and my empire. I will not permit the destruction of my work!"
"And I can guarantee that I won't destroy anything you worked on...probably. Hopefully. Maybe. We'll see. I digress."
"Decapitation!"
"Sorry?"
"That's how we'll dispatch you! Head clean off. May be a bit of blood but don't you worry, we'll clean it up."
"No offense, but I'd rather keep my head if that's okay."
"Acid then."
"Not a big fan of painfully dissolving flesh."
"Is there any death you don't object to?"
"Let me see...no, sorry."
"You know what, Doctor, I am beginning to warm to you. I'll still kill you, but I'll let you meet a friend of mine first."
"The Cencerich, I presume. Look at me, grinning like a small kid on Christmas morning! Even with the incoming threat of intolerable death I'm excited!"
The Cencerich's room was covered in scribbles and wiring. The man himself was in a corner, staring blankly into nothingness.
"Blue Box Man Brings Destruction." he wheezed, with a slight facial tick.
"I'm not that bad. Most of the time."
"The Cencerich lost his mind fifteen years ago. Yet he hasn't predicted incorrectly since then."
"Fifteen years ago...I wonder."
He took out the sonic screwdriver and scanned the area. His eyes widened.
"Woah mama!"
"What is the meaning of this, 'woah mama'?"
"It means that the time vortex has been leaking into here for...wow, fifteen years. Feeding on his mind, giving him complete access to the future and the past, across space...imagine the headaches. Reason why he's been driven insane; it's like looking into billions of windows and seeing nothing but paint dry and murder."
"Then he could tell me...say, if the monument would be present in the future?"
"Monument?"
"My monument, to my glory. I wish not to be forgotten, I fear being forgotten. Since I was a little boy, when my mother moved on to the soul-side. No one remembered her little child, abandoned in a derelict birthing chamber!"
"Athazagoraphobia...dangerous thing to dangerous people."
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Maxine was surrounding by human-sized, human-like frogs, who tilled the earth and placed blocks. Some carved out golden marble under the threat of flogging. Some lay, full of everything but a breath, face down on the earth.
"You! Work!" someone shouted at her. They were on horseback.
"On what?!"
"You have gutsy! The earth lies around you, give it work! Or better yet, go and aid in the monument construction!"
Unwillingly she walked to the others placing blocks.
"A newcomer." one laughed. Maxine wasn't sure if this was for or against her.
"Unfortunately."
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"But why a monument? Why not scientific research, books, streaking in front of a queen? The likelihood that anyone not from here seeing the monument is slim."
"Ah, but I know that. And you know this."
"That scanner trick...you're going to lure people here for no reason. And what then?"
"We maroon them."
"And when the planet becomes overrun?"
"We begin a planet-wide massacre. Kill off as many as needed and continue."
"Y'know, back on Earth there was a man like you."
"Oh, and what happened to him? Was he remembered?"
"Yes. But for the wrong reasons."
"Then I shall be remembered for every reason."
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She was joined by a thin, old male. He hissed at the guards when they couldn't hear, then turned to her.
"I am Urbank. Who are you?"
"Uh, Maxine. Hang on, did you say your name was Urbanka?"
"Yes, Urbanka 7. My father, rest he in the spirit side, was Urbanka 6, and his father Urbanka 5. What of you? What number Maxine are you?"
"Well, technically my name's Florella."
"Then why mask your identity?"
"Because Florella's an ugly, repellent name!"
Urbanka laughed, before snapping his head downwards. She followed suit, as the guards passed them.
"Do you enjoy this work?" she whispered.
"It is all we truly know. We are born and die working out here, constructing the monument."
"And you've never tried to revolt?"
"What is this word you speak of?"
"Revolt. Like a revolution? Y'know, taking over by force?"
"Why on this planet would we do that?!"
"To gain control of your own life! To not be some play-thing! To have your own ideas, your own home!"
"This thought...it sounds appealing! I shall spread it amongst our allies as quickly as possible!"
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The Cencerich perked up for a moment.
"HE IS DRIVEN MAD BY THE THOUGHT AND TAKES THE DECISION. HE MAKES HISTORY AND YET TAKES THE LIVES!"
"Well someone's in for a bad day at the office."
"I SEE A BEING...IT HUNTS FOR THE DOCTOR!"
The Doctor froze at this. The Cencerich continued.
"THE BEING KNOWS THE DOCTOR. HE HAS SPARRED AND LOST HIS RAPIER. HE HAS WAITED SO LONG IN ISOLATION, TRAPPED IN A WORLD HE WISHED NOT HAVE. HE HAS A NAME."
"What is it?! What's his name?!"
"HA HA HA HA HE HA HA!"
Majesty Monarch laughed too.
"My dear chap, we couldn't resist a joke before your death. He may be insane, but he has humour."
"I thought you detest humour."
"In certain circumstances, yes. Now come, come. Now's not the time for life!"
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Urbanka looped his arm around a guards neck and dragged him down, knocking out the oppressor.
"Good! Now come on, we've got to save the Doctor!"
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He was lined up outside the Cencerich's room, an execution squad getting ready. There was an unexpected clatter, and a group of angered workers rounded the corner. A hand dragged the Doctor out of the way.
"Maxine! Finally, a face that wants to kill me less! Surprised you managed to get a resistance ready so quickly."
"Well...they're smart and easily convinced! Now, we going?"
"Hang on." he said, turning back to the crowd. Majesty Monarch was bloody. He spotted the Doctor.
"YOU!"
"Buh bye!"
"I WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN! I REFUSE TO BE FORGOTTEN!"
His screams were drowned out as they got further away and closer to the TARDIS.
"Oh, by the way. Y'know how you mentioned Urbanka?"
"Yes..."
"Well, let's just say this planet's in different hands from now on."
"What? How do you mean?!"
But she ignored him, as they entered the machine. It whirred and groaned, vanishing into the Vortex.
lllllllllllllllllllllllllll
The Cencerich smiled, whispering the prophecy he'd held in for so long.
"It falls...it falls...they will not see its danger...until one joins the fall..."