Chapter 8
Mazrix
"Drink."
Clara opened her eyes to a cup being forced upon her. She had recovered enough to climb into the chair, but was still woozy.
"What is it?" She took the glass and tipped its contents into her mouth.
"A gift from the Namposinons. Contains amazing healing properties. In Terrans like yourself, it has been known to actually lengthen your lifespan."
"It tastes like water." She returned the empty cup which was quickly refilled and placed back in her hand.
"It is." He clapped his hands together. "Now, back to work."
"Doctor, what was that thing? That metal monstrosity just outside."
"That, my dear Clara," he pointed dramatically at the T.A.R.D.I.S. doors, "is a communications satellite being used by Chieftain to mistranslate and reprogram the Cybermen. It's harmless to us here, so there's no reason to be alarmed."
He stood back to wave his hands over an assortment of prisms that he had strategically staged between the console and the doors. "And this is a focusing network for a beam of consolidated energy called a laser."
Clara stared at him unimpressed, but rose to get a better view of the prisms.
"Never mind." He walked to the doors and opened them, revealing that he had parked very close to the satellite floating inches away.
Clara found herself seeking the chair again as she sipped her water.
"It's ok, Clara. Watch this." He flipped a switch on the console.
Clara looked at the console, the prisms, the satellite, and back to the frowning Doctor. She watched as with a sigh, he flipped the switch twice more before giving the panel below a swift kick. A turquoise beam shot from the console and danced between the prims before joining to strike the satellite. With a look of self-satisfaction, the Doctor switched off the beam, but the satellite remained in its place.
"So..."
The Doctor produced a broom and thrust it through the open doors. As it swished around, the satellite crumbled into a cloud of dust floating just outside the doors.
Clara smiled open mouthed as the Doctor stood proudly brandishing his broom.
"Now," the broom flew across the room. "Back to work."
He closed the doors and threw a lever on the console. As the T.A.R.D.I.S. began to whir, Clara finished her water and handed the glass to the Doctor. He tossed it with one hand while twisting a dial with another. The whirring slowed and the Doctor threw open the doors again.
Clara saw they had returned to the docks, but as she moved towards the door noticed something odd. "Doctor, where did the prisms go?"
The Doctor paused momentarily to shoot her an indignant look. "I put them away, of course."
He exited and she followed, shaking her head. It was evening outside and the bright moon lighted their way as they began to run.
"Where to, Doctor?" Clara was grateful for the new running shoes.
"I need to retrieve something. Turn right at the livery."
He slowed to a stop in front of the fire pit where he had earlier disposed of the sword handle. He produced a mason jar from his pocket and scooped a black gelatinous goo from its ashes.
"Doctor?"
"Not now Clara." He carried the jar back to the livery stable and ducked behind the building. "Hold this."
Clara took the jar and as the Doctor fumbled with his pockets she inspected its contents. The goo appeared to move of its own accord and she pulled it quickly away from her face.
"Careful." The Doctor laid the Cybermask on the ground and took the jar from her. "Unstable stuff this is."
"What is it?" She watched as he poured the goo from the jar onto the mask.
"It's mazrix. A special type of metal proven to be very useful in some worlds as long as it stays away from heat. But the Ood realized that after being heated it could be used as a very special type of solvent."
"Solvent?"
"Hmmm, yes. But this solvent samples what you want to dissolve and then seeks out more of it to dissolve. See?"
Within seconds the ooze had consumed the mask.
"Amazing isn't it? Unless it's stopped, it will continue to consume everything that is made from that particular type of metal. Also, it will consume it at a faster and faster rate."
Clara took the jar from the Doctor. "So now we have to get this to the Godspeed and the other ships bound for the New World."
But the ooze suddenly moved by itself and slithered away.
"Nope," the Doctor took the jar back and put it in his pocket. "It will find its own way."
They began to follow the goo as it trekked its way towards the docks like a snake in the dark.
"The problem with mazrix, as the Ood quickly determined, is that once it has consumed everything on the planet it is programed to consume, it starts looking for the next most likely comparable thing. It will continue unless stopped."
"I take it you know how to stop it after it destroys all the Cybermen?"
"I do." The Doctor revealed a small black box decorated with lightning bolts and inscribed with the word "Taser."
Clara watched him pocket the box again and shrugged while picking up the pace to follow the mazrix.
"So what is the next most likely comparable thing to Cybermen Doctor?"
The Doctor picked up his pace to follow a little more closely. "My T.A.R.D.I.S.."
The Doctor and Clara followed the mazrix from ship to ship. They patiently waited outside each until the goo had sanitized each platform leaving only empty crates where the Cybermen parts had once been stored onboard.
"I guess this destruction will negatively impact the Warg Bidden Cargo Company, eh?" the Doctor asked while waiting outside the third ship.
"Not really. Chieftain paid for most of his transaction up front and if we topple his plans tonight, I am hoping that he will not come looking for a refund in the morning."
"I hope he does."
Clara looked for some sign of humor from the Doctor but saw none.
"I know where the Cybermen are stored. I have no idea where he is."
"Doctor." Clara pointed as the goo climbed from the ocean onto the shore and headed towards the warehouses. "It's heading to the Warg Bidden."
They followed it and the Doctor retrieved his black box from his coat pocket. "It emits an electrical charge. It should be enough to stop the mazrixs' feeding frenzy."
"Ohh electricity! I like that."
"Translator is working well now is it? Clara, I have a question for you."
"Hmm?"
"Clara, I have some companions who usually travel with me. Jamie and Zoe are on vacation right now. I wonder if you might like to meet them."
"Oh I am sure I would, Doctor. Where are they?"
"Well, they are, um, hmm, probably should have written that down. Anyway, I am sure they would enjoy meeting you. I think Zoe would love to make a female friend and Jamie… Do you have an aversion to men in kilts?"
"A Scotsman?" She smiled. "No, as long as he's charming, I'm sure we would get along."
"Hmmm I might have to have a word with him. However… What was that?"
A strange crackling sound greeted them as they approached the Warg Bidden. Clara and the Doctor burst through the door.
"About time, Doctor."
He stood below in the stowage area holding a staff on top of which danced a violet glowing flame that resembled the glow of the sword he'd held earlier. A lantern had been lit overhead and the remains of the mazrix goo could be seen smoldering at his feet. .
"Chieftain."
"You have made a mess of things, Doctor. I planned to retire here and settle down with my kingdom of Cybermen, but you have set my elaborate scheme back to the start."
The Doctor entered the storage area courageously. "Chieftain, I have had enough of you and your…"
"Stop right there, Doctor." He lowered his staff towards the Doctor and electricity sparked and arched from the purple-ish fire. "Unless, you like your companions extra crispy." He added, aiming the staff to the right where Clara had tried to skirt the both of them.
"Don't hurt her!" The Doctor ordered. "She's innocent in all of this."
Chieftain raised one of his arm and the sleeve of his zhiduo fell back to reveal the boiling tea inflicted burns he had received that afternoon. "I think not innocent, Doctor. I think not innocent at all." Although he was watching the Doctor, Chieftain still saw the flicker of motion as Clara snatched the pry bar and attacked. "In fact—" He gripped the staff with two hands and lightening shot from the flame to connect with the bar Clara held.
The Doctor screamed a belated warning, "No, Clara!" He watched her body convulse as she turned to look at him with confusion. Then the pole shot through the air in one direction as Clara shot through the air in another.
As Chieftain watched Clara's body fly through the air with amusement, the Doctor attacked. He tackled Chieftain and heard the 'thwack' as his head cracked on a nearby crate. As Chieftain fell unconscious to the dirt warehouse floor, the staff flew from his hands and the flame extinguished.
The Doctor raced to Clara. He touched her carotid artery and felt the skin crack as he pressed. She was smoldering and red, and her face still held the same confused look she cast before she flew through the air. Her pulse was non-existent.
The Doctor closed her eyes and rose with silent reverence. "I'm sorry, my dear. This is not the way—"
He turned away and set his gaze on the body of Chieftain. "This was a waste." He strode over to him. "A waste! One moment of anger and you destroy a precious thing, you evil, evil being." He shook a finger in anger as his voice choked up and his eyes welled. "She was amazing, and brilliant, and clever! And now…"
"You'll get over her," Chieftain replied. His eyes flicked open and he stirred weakly, "If not in this lifetime, in the next."
The Doctor slowly knelt down. "No, no I think not." He began fishing in his pockets for some way to secure his captor. "No, Chieftain I don't think you understand." He spoke slowly, softly and deliberately. "You've destroyed something precious. You have done so not only without remorse but with pleasure, and by doing so on my watch, you have made me an accomplice… This deserves my wrath. And the wrath of a Time Lord is not a laughing matter. I stumbled into your life on this day and you made yourself out to be a pompous ass."
He found a yoyo in a pocket and used it to begin tying Chieftains hands behind him. "Granted, that's not a difficult stretch from someone planning to take over the world. But you, dear Chieftain deserve my special attention. You—"
He saw a shadow flash through the dimly lit warehouse and the realization as to why came to him as swiftly as the blow to the back of his head. 'Accomplice,' he thought. Then everything went dark.
The wailing of a grown man brought the Doctor to. He peered about to find that he had been hoisted into the rafters. Gingerly touching the bump which had grown behind his head, he looked below to see that the sixth row had been emptied. Clara's body had not been moved, but the Doctor could see that her shoes had been removed. As he looked about, he realized that the missing red sneakers had been laced together and were hanging in the rafters with him. He slowly reached out to retrieve them and hung them about his neck.
Fester stood below next to Clara while comforting another man whom he resembled. The man was crouched over Clara and sobbing.
'Clara's father,' he thought.
"Who was this… Doctor?" the man asked between sobs.
"I don't know, Thomas," Fester replied. "Can't find him or th' cargo, or Chieftain. The boats sailed for the New World this morin' without 'em."
"Damn the boats. Find me that Doctor!"
The Doctor silently and hastily moved to a window and slipped outside. The concentration of the climb helped him hold back his own sob as he crawled down the drain.
An hour later, the Doctor was running scans from the T.A.R.D.I.S. He found some residual energy from some time jumps. Crude as they were, he estimated that they were caused by a vortex manipulator. Unfortunately, there was no way to trace its destination. The chase was over for the moment. Chieftain, the remaining cargo, and his unidentified accomplice had surely vanished.
With a heavy heart, the Doctor set his controls for Aruba. He was looking very forward to seeing Zoe and Jamie again.
