Okay, we know that it's been forever and a day since we posted any chapters. However, we came across a problem: this chapter had a huge gap in it. In addition, we both have had very busy lives, making it impossible for us to fix the problem until now. I know the excuse of "life getting in the way" seems like a cop-out at times but, unfortunately, it's so true. Also, I noticed an inconsistency in a previous chapter which has been corrected. You won't have to go back and reread Chapter 4, though. Just deleted an unnecessary sentence.
Thanks for being so patient. We hope the updates are worth the wait. The next several chapters have a lot of Master/Peri/Lothos action but I assure you that it is necessary for the whole story arc.
As always, thanks for the constructive reviews! Keep them coming, please.
"Julianna Calavicci"
Chapter 8
Melbourne, Australia
July 2005
Peri walked into the office of the man she found strangely irresistible. Yes, he believed himself to be greater than any other living being on her planet, including her boss who had decided to link his consciousness with the world of electronic binary reality. Harold Saxon in some ways was the most arrogant and annoying person on the planet but she knew without question that, in the last year, she'd become increasingly attracted to his natural magnetism.
"Harry, I have the reports you requested."
Harold Saxon, also known as the Master, a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties but who was actually many hundreds of years old, looked up from the computer on his desk, giving Peri a wide grin. "Ah, Peri. How very good of you to get them for me." He accepted the reports from her but didn't let go of her hand as they touched. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear. "You look fabulous."
His touch on her hand was almost electric. "You don't have to flatter me, Harry."
"But I want to," he told her. He looked into her eyes. "Is it flattery to make an honest assessment of how one looks, especially if that one brightens your day so?"
She blushed. "I suppose not."
He tossed the reports towards the desk, not paying attention whether or not they actually landed on the piece of furniture, though they did with precision. Taking her other hand, he pulled her closer to him. "How I would love to take you out to a restaurant sometime. I'm going stir crazy being limited to this building. But at least it is bearable with you being so close."
"They are making progress on the new dampening field. Would you like to inspect it?"
He gave her a winning grin. "I'd rather inspect you," he teased gently. Seeing the blush his words brought to her face, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek gently. "Go and arrange that for me. I need some time to go over the files you brought."
She smiled at him. "Right away, Harry." She turned and walked out of the room, knowing his eyes were on her. Once in the hallway, she leaned against the wall. She had never before experienced the feelings she felt when she was close to Harold Saxon. Years ago when the girls at school had squealed over the latest heartthrob, she'd found the behavior ridiculous. Now she understood how they felt. With a sigh, she pulled herself away from the wall and went to make sure that the scientists and engineers working on the field were prepared.
The Master leaned against his desk, watching his second leave the room. In the past year, he'd found himself more and more intrigued by her. She was intelligent, beautiful, and dangerous all at the same time, attributes that he had to admit he found quite alluring.
As Peri headed away, Lothos had woven his way through the wires and walls of the Prometheus Institute. "You enjoy leading her on, don't you?" His words rolled out of the ether.
The Time Lord raised his eyes towards the ceiling, his focus shifting to his partner. "Who do you mean?" he questioned. "Dr. Langford?" He walked around the desk and sat down, propping his feet up as he did so.
"Yes. Although I never thought Peri Langford would ever have fallen for any man. One of the things that convinced me to hire her was her unstoppable ambition. For the past five years, she's served me so that she could reach past the glass ceiling most companies place as a barrier to such women."
"Perhaps an exceptional woman requires an exceptional man in her life. Besides, who says I'm leading her on? I might actually have a real interest in her." The Master reached over and picked up the first report on the top of the pile that Peri had brought him.
"What is all that?" The voice was obviously referring to the stack of folders on the desk of the current CEO.
"Something that has caught my attention. Apparently, according to your financial records, there was a worldwide exhibition that the Prometheus Institute held in 1973. From all the articles I read about it, it was pretty much panned by the critics. But one particular item spoken of caught my eye," the Master told him.
The lights flickered at the change in the inflection of the Time Lord's voice. "As I recall my father had been interested in literary props. He thought they were the grandest things but I found them boring. How could anything from that exhibition be interesting?"
The Gallifreyan opened the catalogue of the displays. "This," he said pointing to a picture that was obviously a 3-D diorama of Lewis Carroll's 'Jabberwocky.'"
"I didn't think you'd be all that interested in human children's stories. Really, Saxon, you surprise me sometimes."
"Hey, you'd be surprised what you can learn from children's stories. For example, did you know that sponges live in pineapples?"
The disembodied voice answered dryly, "No... and I can categorically state I don't care."
The Master shrugged slightly. "Your loss. In this case, however, this little diorama shows quite a few delectable oddities for Earth."
"Oh, really. Such as?"
"Well, most of the things in the catalogue are just weapons from various planets. I think all of them would be a great addition to a well-stocked arsenal." He gestured to a picture of one particular item. "But this from Lewis Carroll's collection is really special. The armour this mannequin is wearing. It's a very long way from home." His voice became almost haunted in its tone. "A very long way indeed."
While the concept that these items were extraterrestrial excited Lothos, he didn't see what his new partner saw in the specific item he was pointing to. "It's a suit of chain mail. You can find those at any Renaissance Faire on Earth."
"You are thicker than a concrete wall if you take this for being some pitiful collection of tin!" the Master told him bluntly. "It's Gallifreyan." He looked slightly longing at the picture. "I haven't seen one of those in years!"
"Gallifreyan? I thought you said this stuff was extraterrestrial. I really doubt that any Irishmen figured out how to build a spaceship and started a colony in space."
The Time Lord rolled his eyes at his words. "And here I thought you were a specimen of higher intelligence than the rest of the sentient creatures on this rock."
"What? You mention an Irish name. What the heck am I supposed to believe?"
"I mentioned Gallifrey," the Master corrected him. "It's my home planet but I suppose, since I hadn't told you that before, it's understandable you might be confused. That Renaissance Faire suit is actually the uniform of a member of the Chancellery Guard. And I can guarantee that armour is far more protective than anything any humans can produce."
"Don't tell me you want to prance around in something like that, like some... student in a bad school play."
He glared at the ceiling. "No, thank you. I've had enough problems with the Chancellery Guard in the past. I certainly don't want to dress like one of those trigger-happy incompetent fools." He pondered the picture for a moment. "However... isn't it a symbol of prestige on this planet to display authentic armour in prominence?"
"There are those who do so. Usually those with a 'nobility complex.'"
"Nobility complex? Nobility isn't complex, Lothos. It is a matter of fact. I did choose the name Saxon quite carefully, you know. I'm rather fond of the Saxons."
"You would be," Lothos answered, his voice devoid of any softness.
The Master stood abruptly, ignoring Lothos' words. "I want the armour brought here. And that lovely mitomic. The sword," he clarified immediately in case Lothos didn't understand the request. "I seriously doubt that the power source is intact with that crack in it but it would make a lovely display over my fireplace mantle."
"You've got to be kidding me."
The Time Lord's grin dropped immediately. "I'm quite serious."
Lothos was quiet for a moment. "Fine. You want some toys. I suppose I can give you some."
Even as Lothos spoke, the Master felt an odd shiver run through him. It wasn't the first time he'd felt time shift since he had been pulled back into reality. After all, he did reside in a complex dedicated to time travel and the manipulation thereof. However, this one felt a little different to him, a little more⦠personal. "Did you feel that?"
"Master, you should know by now that I don't feel anything," the sentient biocomputer reminded.
"Time shifted," the Gallifreyan explained.
"Time always shifts. It is nothing new and is irrelevant to our conversation. Since you are so interested in having some of my father's possession put in display, I will have the sarcophagus delivered within the next two days."
The Master frowned in confusion. "Sarcophagus? I didn't ask for a sarcophagus. I asked for the Gallifreyan armour and the mitomic."
"Galllifreyan armour and mitomic?"
"The armour and sword from the Lewis Carroll display!" the Time Lord shouted, growing more infuriated with Lothos' apparent and inexplicable density.
"As I informed you only five minutes ago, those items were stolen from the Chicago Museum of Science and Technology eighteen years ago under mysterious circumstances."
With Lothos' response, the Master instantly knew that the museum theft was the cause of the time shift he'd felt. "What mysterious circumstances?" he asked, wanting to know how a simple museum heist could cause time to shift so drastically.
Lothos sighted audibly. "I wonder, Master, if you should visit the staff physician as you are obviously having difficulty with your memory."
"Just answer the bloody question."
"Very well. As I informed you before, the perpetrators stole all of those items which you have identified as being of extraterrestrial origin and left behind a far more valuable collection of Egyptian artifacts dating back to the reign of Pharaoh Ptah-Hotep II, which the museum gave several items to my father as compensation for his stolen property. You had expressed interested in the sarcophagus, though why you would want such a thing is a mystery to me."
The Time Lord smirked knowingly as the hybrid gave his explanation. "I like sarcophagi. Call me eccentric. But I'm more interested in locating and capturing the thief."
"You know who is responsible for the heist?"
"Oh, yes. The Doctor."
"The other Time Lord you have referred to in the past."
"It makes perfect sense. He would steal valuable alien technology, especially weapons, just to make sure that it stayed out of the wrong hands. But why he'd leave behind Egyptian artifacts? What was he doing? Cleaning house to make room for the weaponry?"
"You still haven't told me what the story is between the two of you," Lothos stated, changing the subject before the Master could go on another one of his nonsensical rants. "After all, I've been using a significant part of my resources to build this enormous dampening field. If you're so powerful, I don't understand why you'd need it."
"I already explained it to you several times before. If there isn't a telepathic dampening field covering the Earth and I leave this building, the Time Lords will find me and that wouldn't be good, especially if it's the Doctor who finds me."
"And that is my point. Why are you so afraid of this Doctor?"
"I'm not afraid of him!" he responded, leaning back in his chair. At the same time, his mind was considering Lothos' question even as his fingers drummed upon the desk in a regular four beat rhythm. It had been over a year since he'd joined the Prometheus Institute and, although he had no intention of telling this electronic human monstrosity anything truly important, he was getting tired of the question. Perhaps explaining a little more was prudent at this point. "He's been a thorn in my side for centuries. He disagrees with my... vision of the future and tries his utmost to stop me from achieving my goals and, as a Time Lord, he has significant power in his own right. Always getting his nose into the thick of things, having to save the universe one little problem at a time. Caring for humans..." He said the word with disdain. "Actually believing that this primitive backward Level Five planet is worth saving. He just doesn't seem to understand that, as Time Lords, we are far superior to these creatures, with so very few exceptions. And I would love nothing more than to ensure that he never interferes with me again, thus the need to capture him. However, until the trap is set, I must remain hidden."
The voice took on an ominous tone. "What will you do when you capture him?"
"Well, he will be given a choice." The Gallifreyan stood and walked around the desk. "Either he will cooperate with me..." He paused dramatically before continuing. "...or he will watch everything he loves be destroyed, helpless to prevent it. You see, you can't torture him into cooperation. He cares absolutely nothing for himself. But his friends... this planet... oh, he cares a great deal for them. A great deal."
"Sounds like a do-gooder like Beckett," Lothos said with disgust.
"I told you about the Doctor. Your turn," the Master told him bluntly. "He's a mere human. But you seem so bent about him. Why is that?"
The lights dimmed and then came up again. "It's a long story..."
"And I have time on my hands... so tell me."
The consciousness wavered slightly again but then started his tale. "He betrayed me."
"Really," the Time Lord replied. "So you had a difference of opinion, I take it?"
"It was more than that." If the being could huff, he would have. "Ever since I was a child, the way things worked fascinated me. My father encouraged me in that." Almost as an aside, he said, "Not that he didn't compare me to Frederick there as well."
"Frederick?"
"My father had a family before my mother and me. Fredrick was his first son and to hear him speak, he was just about perfect. He and his mother died in a fire. A few years after that, he married my mother. I was born a year after that."
The Master huffed slightly. "I almost forgot you were human once," he commented, saying the name of the species as if it were a disease.
"Yes. You could say I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth." He paused and went on. "Before I started school, they found I was a genius. My father made sure I was sent to the schools with the best academics. My mother made sure they were also the most prestigious. That's how I ended up at MIT. I met Sam there."
"Fascinating," the Gallifreyan quipped, clearly uninterested. "And you've hated him ever since."
"It didn't start out like that. We were both graduate students there, although Sam was a few years younger than I. We actually hit it off pretty well although he was definitely not in my league. He was smart, yes, but he was a hayseed. He'd spent his entire life milking cows, bailing hay, and mucking out stalls."
"So this was a man from the masses and not the elite. I've had my own share of such people."
"Interesting," the consciousness said although it was quick and it was evident he wanted to get back to his own story. "Like I was saying, we were both graduate students at MIT in the Physics department. Sam was working on with Dr. LoNigro on his doctorate thesis, 'Temporal Behavior of Quarks.' I was working with Dr. Wright on the possibility of transmitting matter across a distance for my own thesis." He paused again as if considering that time. "In any case, Sam and I talked about things. I learned that he'd always had this dream of traveling through time. He used to keep a piece of string in his pocket to show what his idea was. It was novel, I'll give you that."
"A string and an idea," the Master said, barely paying attention.
Lothos's voice took on annoyance. "It's not the string. It's what it represented. The string was his life. You tied the ends together and then balled up the whole thing. He figured you could travel through time because the days of your life would be jumbled. All the days out of sequence."
"Elementary time travel theory. There are a lot of inherent problems with time travel using that theory."
"Well, for someone that lives for thousands of years, that might be true. For a human it was pretty impressive."
"I suppose."
"The point is, I could see the possibilities, the ability to change things. I was even willing to fund all the research through my father's Prometheus Institute."
The Gallifreyan slumped into the couch at Lothos' words. "Let me guess. 'You can't deliberately change history.' That's what he said, isn't it? The Doctor and Beckett more alike than I thought."
"Yes. That's what he said then," Lothos growled. "Sure changed his tune later."
"They always do. Once it's convenient for them. Do you know how many times the Doctor has broken the First Law of Time?"
"First law of time?"
"Oh, the Time Lords have these laws that we're supposed to obey. The First Law is non-interference with other planets. Well... the Doctor has made the Earth one of his pet projects, always interfering."
"Huh," the voice from the node considered before starting up again. "Getting back on the subject... Beckett and I would talk. I had to admit, at first it was great having someone that actually appreciated the beauty and subtlety of my ideas. Later, he stole them to build his project, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I offered to fund him to the hilt and he turned me down cold. Said he couldn't trust me to keep the project pure. Can you believe that? Then there was the accident at my lab. A couple of incompetent undergrads had caused it. One of them was killed and the other one was hurt badly but it was their fault. I wasn't even there. The Institute was willing to make full restitution and even threw in a huge amount of money over that. At least the families said they were satisfied with the money. Everything would have been fine if Beckett hadn't complained to the Dean."
"Typical. Blaming you for something that wasn't even your doing. Self-righteous prick."
"That was my take on it. The truth is, I was railroaded in the investigation. Charges were filed. I was sent to prison for manslaughter."
"Okay. So, Beckett caused you to go to prison," the Master concluded, finally grateful that Lothos had gotten to the heart of the matter. Or at least that's what he thought. His eyes rolled slightly as the computer based intelligence droned on.
"Yes. But that wasn't the worst of it. My father had a massive stroke while I was there. He died and I wasn't even able to say goodbye to him."
Personal vendetta because of some minor thing as a prison sentence and missing his daddy's funeral? The Time Lord forced himself not to roll his eyes again, thinking how he would have just arranged a jailbreak and hunted Beckett down to kill him outright rather than letting the non-issue become the issue it was now. "My hearts ache for you, Lothos," he finally said once the explanation was finished, letting his tone reflect a sympathy that wasn't there. "Such a shame," he lied. He wasn't afraid of Lothos' possible retaliation but neither did he want to shatter the fragile trust the computer had in him. It wouldn't do to break their arrangement too soon.
"Yes. It was. After that Beckett started his project. I was able to hire some of the construction engineers away. They weren't the ones that knew the details but I got a pretty good idea of what he was putting together and I built my own project."
"So... fair play, then."
"Well, you can see why I'd hate the man with all the things he did." There was a pause. "I feel our stories are somewhat similar. I will be quite pleased when both of our nemeses are rendered non-sequitor."
The Master huffed slightly at his words. "My story isn't anywhere near to being similar to yours."
"He is your enemy. Beckett is mine. As I say, they are similar."
The Gallifreyan glanced up at the ceiling for a moment, a slight smirk on his face. He knew that Lothos had no real idea about his relationship with the Doctor. Neither was he going to bother to further correct him. If Lothos wanted to believe there was a similarity, so be it. "Well, I'm sure that when we have the Pi Network in place, our chances of achieving that become certain." He was glad that he'd heard the story at least once. It confirmed his belief that Lothos was a petty, evil dictator with delusions of his own righteousness.
"That is why I'm providing the funding. I suppose that your request to shield yourself should also be considered a direct requirement to building the network. I will let my engineers know I expect them to continue to work around their difficulties."
"I'd be seriously surprised if your people even understand the basic principles I've laid out."
"I have the best engineers on the planet here."
"They're still human." The Time Lord started towards the door. "Still, I suppose I could see what you're best engineers have come up with."
