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CHAPTER 3

At the heart of the Elysium facility there was a control room where the entire outpost could be monitored. Prophet and the Doctor were the highest ranking officials to step foot there in a long time.

'OFFICERS ON DECK!' A Lieutenant declared as he stood to attention and saluted.

'No, don't, don't do that.' The Doctor complained, 'I hate it when they do that.'

Prophet ignored his friend and took command, 'Report?'

The same Lieutenant that had introduced them stepped forward, 'We've got all scanners alight sir. No sign of enemy forces yet.'

The Doctor stepped between them then looking at a view screen, 'What sort of defenses has this facility got?'

The Lieutenant looked dumbfounded like the Doctor had regenerated with a second head. 'It's Elysium sir.' Was all he said.

Prophet leaned in, 'What he means to say Doctor is that this is the point of the sword.'

'All right, let me put it another way.' The Doctor pressed several buttons on the console before him, 'Now pay attention Appolaita, this next question is important. You see Soldiers often get their weapons confused with their (ahem) defenses. Tell me Lieutenant, what does this "sword" have that can defend against that!'

The Doctor pointed at a view screen as klaxons began to blare. A computer voiced began speaking, 'Alert! Alert! Multiple Temporal Shift points detected. Enemy forces have arrived.'

The Doctor flipped a couple of switches on the central column which was so indicative of Time Lord Control center design and an enormous holographic display appeared above them revealing what looked like a cloud fast approaching through space. Appolaita was the first to state the obvious, 'By all the gods on a thousand worlds!'

'Indeed.' Was all the Doctor had to say and a wealth of emotion was conveyed in that single word.

The Lieutenant checked a monitor, 'The enemy flagship is hailing us sirs.'

The Prophet said, 'Let's see it.'

The Doctor said, "Show me.'

The holographic image of the Dalek fleet changed and in its place was an enormous cylindrical figure with a giant eye stalk. Suspended below the cylindrical body was a tank of clear fluid and in its center was the Emperor of the Daleks. Even though it was a disfigured creature which had been pulped and sifted to remove all emotions, this creature wore hate in its eyes.

'You are the Time Lord designated as The Prophet.' The Dalek Emperor asked.

'I am.'

'Do you speak for your people here?'

'I do.'

'Then tell them to surrender and I will be merciful.'

At this the Doctor had to step forward, 'Oh yes because the Daleks are known throughout the higher planes as bastions of mercy.'

'So,' The Dalek Emperor began, 'Doc-tor, they have brought you here to face us have they?'

The Doctor narrowed his eyes with every word as he said, 'Emperor, I'll give you this one warning. Turn back now.'

'Or what?' The Emperor demanded, 'You had your chance to EXTERMINATE us but instead you chose the path of mercy. See now the error of your ways!'

Without another word the monitor signaled off, and the Lieutenant leaned forward, 'They've cut the transmission sir.'

Without missing a beat, the Doctor ignored the obviously stated comment, 'Now then Lieutenant, you were saying about Elysium's defenses?'

'Well sir, we have a legion garrisoned here all armed heavily enough to repel any Dalek invasion force, and the facility itself is equipped with multiple levels of temporal shielding, as well as time phase dampers.'

'How far back do they go?' asked the Doctor.

But the Lieutenant shook his head, 'Doesn't matter, this facility was built in the past. It's been time locked to avoid tampering.'

This seemed to brighten the Doctor's spirits a bit, 'Excellent!'

For several hours the Time Lords prepared for the oncoming assault, while all the while the Dalek fleet waited, but for what? Appolaita had been running errands for both the Doctor and the Prophet when finally she had a few minutes she found the Doctor looking out a window.

'You can't actually see the fleet from here Doctor.' She asked.

'I know dear,' The Doctor said, 'but it helps me think. Did you know General Strolm of the Eighth Sontaran Fleet used to stand on the observation deck before a battle and just watch the Rutan forces assemble?' The Doctor made a waving gesture toward his own head, 'Said it helped him clear the cobwebs.'

Appolaita scrunched up her face in thought, 'Aren't the Sontarans a lesser species?'

The Doctor rolled his eyes and blew out an exasperated sigh, 'By Rassilon, what are they teaching you in that school these days?'

Turning to face her fully, the Doctor crossed his arms and leaned against the window, 'It's "Lower Race" not Lesser Species. The three levels of existence, Higher Races, Lower Races, Sub Races, what sets them apart?'

Appolaita had not been expecting an exam so after a momentary flummox, she finally recovered her bearings, 'Sub Races are barely past their evolutionary stage for cogent thought and basic cultural evolution. Lower Races are more culturally developed but still possessed of the isolationist idea of self importance.'

'For example?' The Doctor asked.

'Humans?'

The Doctor nodded, 'Correct. Continue.'

'Higher Races are those with an evolved sentience of the spatial relationship between space, time, and the universal grand theory proper.'

With a smiled the Doctor placed both hands on Appolaita's shoulders, 'Right out of the text book.' He shook his finger for emphasis, 'But, we must never forget the concept of retro-responsibility.'

Again, Appolaita adopted a questioning expression, 'I don't follow.'

'Of course not,' the Doctor said with a sigh, 'it's an idea that has long since been out of fashion among the Time Lords.' Using his hands to illustrate he said, 'Each cultural echelon has a responsibility to nurture the rung below it and see to it that they don't destroy themselves.'

'But doesn't that fly in the face of the idea of Universal Selection.'

'Of course it does.' Came a new voice to the argument.

Both the Doctor and Appolaita looked up at Prophet's interruption. 'The Doctor never was one for conventional politics.'

Ignoring the jab, the Doctor cocked an eyebrow, 'You have something?'

The Prophet nodded gravely, 'Things aren't what they seem?'

The Doctor nodded back, 'I was thinking much the same thing. It's highly uncharacteristic of the Daleks to just sit out there and not attempt a brute force entry.'

Both the Doctor and Prophet were right. Just as they had been discussing how unusual the situation was, another less important area of the facility was about to receive visitors.

Far below, in the bowels of Elysium a lone Scientist and his section chief inspect some rather mundane monitors. At last the Scientist looked up and said, 'Doesn't it just burn your arce to be sitting down here doing nothing?'

The Section chief smirked and shook his head, 'No!' He over emphasized the word, 'I thoroughly enjoy the monotony of mundane habitual work. I don't need to be staring down the barrel of a Dalek blast arm to feel alive.'

As if on cue everything dimmed with and the computers whined with a massive power drain.

The Scientist looked up, worried, 'What was that?'

The Section Chief was oblivious, 'I'll check.' He ran a series of quick diagnostics, 'I'm registering a significant power drain in sector 12.'

The Scientist looked up, an expression of utter confusion played across his face, 'Sector 12? But there's nothing significant there just biological waste disposal.'

A sudden rumble accompanied by a far off explosion caused the Scientist to grab hold of his table. 'Something's wrong!' he exclaimed, 'Sound the alarm!'

An eerie harmonically modulated voice came from the dark, 'I think not.'

Both Time Lords spun around in time to look down the barrel of a Dalek blaster.

'EXTERMINATE!'

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