Jo looked frantically up and down the corridors as she, Sergeant Benton and Doctor Tyler searched for the main entrance. It was no use; they were hopelessly lost. To make things worse, the guards were right behind them. If only they could find the main passage, or some other way to get outside ...
Benton sighed in frustration. "It's no good. It all looks the same."
"But we can't just stay here," Tyler protested. "They're right behind us."
Benton nodded. "This way," he said, pointing toward a passageway to their right. They'd only taken a few steps when several guards came into view, blocking the way. Benton turned to Jo and Tyler, shaking his head. "They're everywhere."
Jo nodded grimly and then found Tyler pointing down another corridor. "Let's try down there."
"Yes, come on," Jo replied, even though she was sure they had tried that way earlier.
"No, it's no use. We're lost," Benton told them.
"Well, we can't give ourselves up," Tyler said.
"Agreed. What do we do?"
After briefing looking around, Jo suddenly spotted a path which appeared to be one they hadn't taken before. "Let's try this way," she told them, gesturing to it.
The men nodded and followed her. Several paces ahead a very recognizable object caught her eye. It was the bunch of fake flowers the Doctor had conjured up earlier. "Hey, look what I found!" she exclaimed, picking it up.
"Oh, great. How can that help us?" Benton asked, the cynicism obvious in his tone.
"It's the corridor to the main entrance," Jo explained. She watched his expression brighten somewhat before she led the way. "Come on!"
She had been correct. Eyeing the main entrance mere feet away, Jo felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over her. This wasn't over yet, but their escape to freedom was now much more likely.
Sergeant Benton rushed up to the doors and began tugging at them, not having much success. "Doctor Tyler, give me a hand with this," he blurted.
Hearing a muffled sound behind them, Jo turned to find several guards hurriedly making their way toward them. "Quickly, they're coming!"
Benton and Tyler struggled to open the doors as the guards drew closer. It seemed escape was nearly hopeless when the doors suddenly swung violently open. Jo stared, slack-jawed as she found Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and another man on the other side.
"Out! Make for the hills!" the Brigadier ordered as the guards closed in on them.
Not daring to look back, Jo scrambled over the sandy, rocky surface with Benton and Tyler as the Brigadier began firing at the guards behind them. He soon joined them and directed them to an area of shelter. Jo nearly felt as if her lungs would burst as she tackled the rough terrain of the quarry, dodging fire from guards appearing just out of her line of sight. Before long, they reached an area consisting of terraces that provided cover.
"How did you know we were trying to get out?" Sergeant Benton finally asked, panting.
"We didn't," the Brigadier replied. "We were trying to get in." He then turned to Jo. "Miss Grant, was the Doctor with you when you came here?"
"Yes, of course, Sir."
The Brigadier's brows drew together. "Well, he can't have been. He was with me."
Jo regarded him in bemusement. She knew she had arrived here herself with the Doctor originally. It finally dawned on her what he must have meant when Sergeant Benton suddenly interrupted.
"Sir, look over there," he said, pointing to yet more guards heading down the path straight for them.
The Brigadier nodded. "Come on, it's just over the dune."
"What is?" Jo asked. Her question left unanswered, she merely shrugged and followed the others as they hurried away, dodging more weapons fire.
The Doctor felt weightless, as if moving through some dream-like state during this mental duel with Omega's dark side. Omega was coming at him as fiercely as he could in such a state, and the Doctor was trying to block him. It felt like a slow-motion wrestling match.
As he prepared to dodge another advance, the Doctor found himself gazing at Omega in awe. He was stunned to look upon him in his true form, without the aid of a mask or uniform. His features were rather amphibious, nearly fish-like. Perhaps the nature of his mission and the aftermath had caused some sort of mutation? The very notion made the Doctor nearly pity him. As he watched the other Time Lord draw nearer, he dashed the thought aside.
The Doctor tried to head him off and fight back as hard as he was able, but it was very difficult. Omega certainly had an advantage here, the dark side of his mind having been fostered all these years by festering anger directed at their fellow Time Lords. He was putting up quite a fight and they appeared to be equally matched at best. The Doctor was unsure how long this would continue. If he could just hold his own for a little while longer, perhaps Omega would conclude the whole exercise was pointless and call it a draw.
Then again, "a little while longer" in Omega's terms could very well amount to years. Suppressing a shudder, the Doctor assumed a defensive position as Omega hurled himself at him once again. The Doctor suddenly felt a sharp twinge in his stomach, as if he'd been dealt a heavy blow. Yet he was sure he hadn't seen Omega's fist or foot make contact with his body.
Looking around desperately, he realized he'd lost sight of Omega. That is, until he felt a hand grab his left arm, pinning it back behind him and another reach around across his face.
"Those who oppose the will of Omega shall not live! Destroy him!"
The President of the Time Lords waited impatiently for the first incarnation of the Doctor to receive their transmission. Things were really dire now and they didn't have a moment to waste.
Finally, his visage appeared on the monitor. Ignoring his bothered expression, the President breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes? Well, what do you want now?" the Doctor asked gruffly.
"Energy levels are dangerously low, Doctor," the President replied urgently. "You are our last chance. You must go in."
The Doctor appeared confused. "'In'?"
"The black hole. I repeat, you are our last chance. All three are needed to defeat Omega. We will use the last of our energy to send you through."
The Doctor seemed quite troubled by this but then sighed in resignation. "Well, better than being stuck here, I suppose. All right."
The President heaved a sigh. This was indeed their last gasp at stopping Omega. He just hoped it would succeed.
Jamie stared in horror at the current Doctor, lying on the floor and flailing about. He appeared in great pain, as if being attacked by an unseen force. Lifting his gaze, Jamie found Omega standing perfectly still. Although it was hard to tell due to the mask, he appeared to be in a trance. He must have been performing some mental mumbo-jumbo on the Doctor.
"Those who oppose the will of Omega shall not live! Destroy him!" Omega shouted.
That was enough to confirm it to Jamie. He fixed Omega with a murderous glare, his hands balling up into fists at his sides. He very much wanted to throttle this creature, but the fact he didn't know what it could do to the Doctor gave him pause. Instead, he turned toward his Doctor with a look of desperation.
"No, Omega!" his Doctor shouted. "Destroy him and you'll destroy your only chance of freedom!"
"Aye!" Jamie added. "Do ye really want the Time Lords tae win?"
Omega froze suddenly and Jamie wondered if he was actually considering all this. He shifted his gaze to the current Doctor who had been convulsing on the floor. He'd suddenly stopped, appearing distressed as he opened his eyes. Jamie and his Doctor both grabbed him, helping him sit up.
The Doctor finally got to his feet, panting. The look on his face as he gazed at Omega was a rather overwhelmed, yet grateful, one. "Thank you, Omega. A most interesting demonstration."
Omega gave a slight nod. "Be warned," he intoned ominously. "You have seen my power. You and your friends will learn it is useless to defy me."
"But our friends do not defy you!" Jamie's Doctor objected.
"Oh, yes," Omega insisted. Jamie was a bit taken aback by his relatively calm demeanor. "They are trying to escape."
Panting, Jo tried hard to keep up with the others as they ran across the rocky landscape, hopefully toward somewhere safer. She just knew those guards were all around this area and it was only a matter of time before they'd have to dodge more weapons fire.
Arriving at the top of a slight incline, she breathed a sigh of relief upon the sight that greeted her: Bessie. She never thought she'd be so ecstatic to see that car again. She suddenly felt as if she were about to collapse and Doctor Tyler had grabbed her, guiding her over the small pile of rocks separating them from the smooth surface on which Bessie was parked. She slid into the passenger seat, making room for the Brigadier.
"Where are we going?" she asked once everyone was seated.
"UNIT HQ," the Brigadier answered tersely.
"What?" She eyed him incredulously. Surely he had to be joking.
Apparently he had read her mind, given his apologetic smile. "It's nearer than you think," he said before putting Bessie into gear and driving off.
Jo gazed warily around at their surroundings, spotting guards here and there. As several shots fired around them – some a little too close for comfort – she really hoped he was right.
"So, all this exists because you have willed singularity to create it for you," the current Doctor addressed Omega, making a sweeping gesture about the room with his hands.
"Exactly."
Jamie looked on, hoping they would get closer to figuring this whole thing out and get Omega to release them. His gaze shifted to his own Doctor, who seemed less than impressed.
"I say, you mean all you've got to do is think of a thing, rub your magic lamp over there and shally me, gally me, zoop, there is is? That's jolly clever … jolly clever."
Omega turned to the current Doctor. "Are you sure that you and he are of the same intelligence?" he deadpanned.
Jamie eyed his Doctor sympathetically, but he didn't seem to take any offense. "You couldn't run me up a quick recorder, could you? It's a little thing about this long with holes in. I've lost mine, you see."
Omega simply seemed to ignore him. "I will tell you of the task that lies before you."
"It's not much to ask, it's just a small recorder!"
"Silence!"
Jamie eyed his Doctor oddly. Why was he harping so much on a recorder? He had to have some scheme cooked up. At least Jamie hoped so, else they'd be trapped here forever, not to mention look like complete fools.
"Please, ignore him," the current Doctor told Omega before turning to glare at his predecessor. "He's incorrigibly frivolous."
"Just because you're not musical -"
"Please! Will you stop interrupting?" The current Doctor snapped. He turned to face Omega once again. "Please continue."
"Continue?" Omega exclaimed incredulously. The sound of thunder suddenly shook the room and the palace began to wobble. "Do you know you face annihilation while you play stupid, childish games? You, your entire race, your precious terrestrials ..." He'd stopped and gestured toward Jamie, who glared at him in return. "Everything, and what do you do? You wrangle and babble of pipes!"
"It's not a pipe!" Jamie's Doctor retorted, sounding thoroughly insulted. Jamie groaned inwardly. If the Doctor's goal was to make Omega as angry as possible, he was doing a fine job of it. He really hoped this was part of his plan, somehow. Jamie decided this might be a good time to start thinking up his own plan …
He suddenly looked up to find both Doctors huddling together, speaking quietly. "What the hell do you think you're trying to do?" the current Doctor muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Aye, why were ye makin' such a big deal out of the recorder?" Jamie asked him.
"I'm testing the limits of his self-control," his Doctor replied. "Not very good, are they."
"No, no they're not," the current Doctor concurred. "But it'll be dangerous if you push him too far."
"Well, we'll have to risk that. That temper is his only weakness."
"What are you saying?" Omega's voice suddenly boomed, causing Jamie to jump. "Do you plot against me?"
"No, no," the current Doctor replied, holding up his hands in a placating manner. "I was just explaining to my associate here that he should show you more respect, for all our sakes."
"I am thoroughly repentant," the previous Doctor said, nodding. Jamie noticed he'd given him a quick, sideways glance and a wink. "Now, you mentioned some task."
"Yes," Omega replied. "I created this world through the power of my will. I created the organisms which brought you here. This is the source of the light stream you traveled along. I created it. Alone! Me, Omega!" He lowered his head, as if in defeat. "And it is not enough. None of it is enough. I am still trapped, as trapped as I was the moment I arrived in this desolation. Ironic, is it not?"
Jamie regarded the creature with a frown. He nearly felt an ounce of sympathy for Omega's plight and a thought suddenly came to him. "Wait a minute. If ye could send that light signal thing, could ye no' send yerself anywhere?"
Omega paused for a moment, as if not expecting the question. "Yes, so I imagined. But no, there is no way out for me. No escape."
"But why?" the current Doctor asked.
"So long as I control singularity, I can make it do my will."
"Can't ye just will yerself freedom, then?" Jamie asked him.
Omega shook his head. "It is not that simple." He then looked around the room. "All these things exist because I will them to exist. Without me and the unyielding pressure of my will, the work of thousands of years would collapse into chaos in microseconds. You might say I am the Atlas of my world."
The current Doctor seemed deep in thought before gazing back up at Omega. "So, the moment you abandon control, you cannot escape. And you cannot escape without abandoning control."
"Exactly," Omega replied with a nod. "I am a prisoner of my own power, my own creation. Or, shall I say, I was until now." Upon hearing this, Jamie felt a sick feeling of dread welling up inside him. "This is your task, to take over my burden so that I may escape."
"Mm, yes. I see," the current Doctor replied. "Would you mind if I confer with my associate and our friend here for just a moment?"
Omega nodded again, gesturing to a small corner of the room. Nodding gratefully, the three moved back and huddled together.
"So, what shall we do?" Jamie's Doctor asked.
"He's got to have some sort of weakness apart from his temper," the current Doctor mused.
"Can we no' use his anger at the Time Lords against him?" Jamie offered.
"No, that won't work," the current Doctor replied. "It's why he's done all this in the first place. It won't get him to change his mind."
"If anything his wrath will grow stronger and he could very well end up blowing up this whole place, us along with it," his Doctor added uneasily.
"Aye," Jamie said glumly. He was suddenly struck with another idea. He'd been observing Omega from the time they were brought here and noticed something interesting. Should he bring it up? He certainly had nothing to lose, especially with neither Doctor having much of a plan at this point. Although they appeared deep in conversation, it didn't seem as if they'd come up with a solution.
"Hey, Doctors, listen. I've got an idea that's crazy enough tae work -"
"Not now, Jamie," his Doctor replied before turning back to the current Doctor. "Now, you may be right, but I'm still -"
"But, Doctors ..."
"Jamie, we haven't much time," the current Doctor interrupted impatiently. He then addressed his previous self. "Can't you entertain the notion for one second that -"
Growing weary of their constant dithering, Jamie finally barged in between them. "Doctors!" he hissed.
Finally they stopped, turning to face him.
"Now, look. I've got a plan that may buy ye some time. I could escape an' find the Brigadier an' Jo tae help us. I've got a good look at Omega, ye know, an' I'm wonderin' if he really exists. Could he no' be a ghost?"
They stared at him as if he had four heads. Finally the current Doctor scoffed quietly. "I don't think that's possible, my lad. He seemed quite real the way he'd pummeled me in his mind."
"Well, mebbe so, but when he'd turn around I kept noticin' it seems there's nothing under his mask. Now, is it possible he could only exist because it's his will? Just as everything else here he created exists?"
Both Doctors still appeared skeptical until his Doctor's eyes widened in apparent realization. "Of course! The acceleration of the particles through the light stream is known to have a corrosive effect over time. If he's been here for thousands of years ..."
The current Doctor nodded and appeared to be catching on. "Yes. Perhaps his obsession with control may have something to do with it as well. He's so thirsty for power, it may have had another devastating effect on him."
"Aye, exactly!" Jamie said, feeling a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He was almost relieved the two of them seemed to understand.
"He's a rather tragic character, but we can't stay trapped here. The last thing I'd ever wish for is to be in his situation."
"Yes," Jamie's Doctor agreed. "What shall we do, then?"
"Well, could ye distract him while I try tae escape an' meet up with the others outside? Ye could get close enough tae him to take off his mask or get him in front of a mirror. Let him see what's happened tae him."
"I see," the current Doctor said thoughtfully. "If he has indeed been reduced to nearly nothing, the shock would be devastating to him. He's a rather arrogant sort, if you hadn't noticed. He could still blow this place up."
"Aye, but by then we'll be out of there." He eyed them pleadingly. "I just need a wee bit of time tae find the others an' we'll rescue the two of ye. Get away from this forsaken place."
"You know the way out?" his Doctor asked, still with a tinge of skepticism.
Jamie nodded firmly. "Aye. I've got a pretty good idea."
The Doctors shared a look. "Well, it's the best idea I can think of at the moment," the current Doctor said.
"Agreed. It just might work," the previous Doctor said with a nod.
"All right," they said, turning back to Jamie. He nodded, eyeing them gratefully.
"Well? Your answer?" Omega suddenly interrupted.
"We will obey you, Omega."
"Yes, we have no choice."
Jamie surmised Omega looked pleased behind his mask … if there was anything behind it, which he strongly doubted.
"Then you will help me make my preparations," he heard the creature tell them as he started backing slowly away. He watched the two Doctors approach Omega, appearing to listen to his every word. Taking a last glance around the room and peeking into the next, he didn't find any guards. They were probably preoccupied with chasing down his friends outside. No doubt there had to be a few still here, but hopefully Jamie didn't have to evade many of them.
Fortunately, no one seemed to notice as he sneaked out of the room, made his way quickly through the throne room and then toward the corridor ahead. Stepping cautiously into the passage, he tried to retrace the path he took when he, the Brigadier and Benton had been brought inside by the guards. He thought he had a fair idea. Whether the way was clear from guards, that was surely something he would soon find out.
" … You will help me make my preparations. You must first remove this mask. Now you, too, will need such masks ..."
The current Doctor had briefly spotted Jamie cautiously making his way out of the room. His gaze returning to Omega, he was glad the fellow Time Lord hadn't seemed to notice. He now hoped Jamie would be able to escape without getting recaptured.
His attention refocused on Omega's words. "... But you are in no immediate danger. The process takes time. Come, the mask," Omega beckoned.
Hesitating a moment, the Doctor realized the fortunate coincidence with which they were presented. In order to buy him some time, Jamie had asked them to get up close and try to remove Omega's mask. Now here was Omega, asking them to do so.
He turned to share a look with his previous self. Apparently he'd noticed this as well. He gave a slight nod and the two approached Omega.
The current Doctor grabbed one side of the mask, his previous self the other. Examining it briefly, he found it was quite heavy and best to grab from the front. Reaching up to lift the face plate, he winced at the loud creak from its hinge. As it lifted up, the Doctor nearly felt his jaw drop to the floor. Sharing a brief look with his other self, he appeared just as shocked.
It seemed Jamie had been onto something, in a way.
"What are you doing? I am in haste to be gone!" Omega cried with impatience.
"We-we cannot remove the mask, Omega," the earlier Doctor stammered awkwardly. "Because ..."
"Because beneath that mask, there is nothing left of you," the current Doctor finished. "The corrosion you spoke of has already done its work."
"What?!" Omega exclaimed in horror. He rushed to a mirror on the wall and removed the mask completely.
"Your will is all that is left of you, Omega," the current Doctor continued. "You exist only because your will insists that you exist."
Throwing the mask on, Omega doubled over, howling wretchedly. "It is not true! I am Omega, creator of this world!" he raved, waving his arms about the room. "And I also hold the power to destroy! Therefore I must exist!"
"But don't you see? You can only exist here!" the Doctor's past self insisted.
Omega moved past them, approaching the well and singularity. He stared into the column of smoke for a moment. "If I exist only by my will," he began, his voice sounding quite tired. That soon changed as he lifted his gaze and spread his arms outward."Then my will is to destroy, and all things shall be destroyed! All things!"
As Omega shouted, the palace began to shake and bits of rock began raining down on them. The current Doctor grabbed his predecessor, gesturing for them to make their escape.
Jamie gazed at his surroundings as he tried desperately to find the exit to the cave. He was sure he knew the way at first, but had encountered a couple of guards and got thrown off course trying to avoid them. Studying the path he now found himself on, he believed he'd arrived back at the main passage … at least he hoped he had …
His foot suddenly brushed up against something soft and he bent slightly, furrowing his brow upon finding a bunch of fake flowers. He gazed at them curiously until a spark of familiarity struck him. He'd once watched the Doctor perform a trick of sorts with such a bunch of flowers. He must have been here earlier. Gazing around once again, his surroundings became more familiar and he realized he was on the right path.
Without warning, the whole place started to shake. Jamie watched as chunks of rocks from the ceiling and walls began to loosen. His first thought was the Doctors' confrontation with Omega and the likelihood they were in danger. He wanted to go back for them but realized there was safety in numbers. He along with the Brigadier and the others would be a more formidable force against Omega if it came to that.
Mind made up, Jamie strode determinedly down the corridor, finally spotting the unmistakable cave entrance just ahead. He felt his smile widen in triumph before a hard blow struck his head. Grunting, he struggled to reach the entrance, ignoring his increasingly fuzzy vision. He was about to reach the doors when he suddenly collapsed to the ground and everything went black.