Chapter 2
The Doctor waited.
It was a very nice luxury suite, with all the amenities, but regardless, they were prisoners. Following an obnoxious tongue lashing by their captor, the pair was scurried away to a place that they could do no harm. The thing that stung the most about this situation was the fact that this was a predicament of his creation. The soliloquy of the aged Adam Mitchell from 20 minutes prior still rang in his ears.
"Yes, oh great and glorious lord of time, I am here alive today, all thanks to you. After you unceremoniously bounced me from the TARDIS, I sulked for a good many months. My bitterness finally gave way to my superior intellect when I realized that the port in the middle of my skull was actually a blessing, and not a curse. You might be quite surprised to find out that I could crudely access information via the port, much in the same manner that satellite television signals are received. This process was so crude in fact, that I nearly went insane trying to decipher the ancient gibberish with my futuristic frontal lobe. Imagine trying to use leaded petrol in a hybrid vehicle and you'll catch my drift. Fortunately, it was only a matter of time, quite literally, before I was able to gain access to any location with internet or broadband capabilities, with just a thought. This blessing had not only boosted my already keen intellect, but it had also provided me with the means to continue to operate, for as long as I wanted."
"I began to realize that all of this knowledge I was gaining would be meaningless, unless I could actually live long enough to enjoy the fruits of my labors. Thanks to the combination of the secrets of longevity utilized by residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa, combined with various experimental pharmaceuticals kept quiet by the world's super powers, I've been able to rejuvenate my body for many years. Of course, the tissue samples from a certain fellow by the name of Harkness didn't hurt, either. Yet another of your lot that proudly strolls around with an inflated sense of self-importance. That one has absolutely no qualms about who he tells that he can't to, or even where he leaves little parts of himself behind – read into that what you will."
"After years of preparation, both physically and financially, I was finally ready to begin plotting my revenge upon the great and powerful wizard who had taken me to Oz, but forbid me to return to the kingdom. I made my way back to the states, more specifically, back to the collection of space oddities sealed away in underground Utah. After buying my way back into the area, patience was my best friend. I spent countless weeks and months studying everything from alien weapons to remnants of other life forms. By the way, those barriers you encountered while trying to enter certain parts of the country? – leftover Dalek tech. There are pieces of those little dustbins littered all over the planet, especially after a couple of failed invasions, like the 2008 debacle or even the big one about 50 years back. It was that last batch that enabled me to reverse engineer their connection to the time vortex, not totally, but at least block others from accessing it."
The speech left the Doctor in a state of disbelief. Adam wasn't quite as brilliant as he thought, but he was indeed brilliant. The man from Gallifrey could get so caught up the resiliency of the human race that he would momentarily forget the great potential for evil that also existed. To make matters worse, Adam Mitchell truly thought that he was in the right – who could argue? True, he did attempt to alter his fortunes, but how many other TARDIS passengers were treated with such disregard on their first journey? Harry Sullivan was an imbecile at times, almost getting the Doctor and Sarah Jane killed multiple times at the beginning of his tenure. Ace was constantly blowing things up, Jamie bumbled his way through many situations and even Ian and Barbara argued and nagged to the point of aggravation. Likewise, the Doctor and Rose barely corrected the mess that Captain Jack had made in World War II era London, but he was still welcomed on board, with a song and a dance.
With these realizations, the time lord became angry - angry at Adam for mucking about with the time line, angry at the events that had transpired to lead them to their current status as prisoners, but mpstly angry at himself for not dealing with Adam in a more concise manner in the first place. He didn't know if the former companion could actually gain access to the TARDIS without a key, but he certainly wasn't going to give him the chance. Just as the Doctor stood to prepare for action, he noticed that Martha had been tinkering at the table.
"Umm, ? Might I inquire as to what you're working on so intently?"
"I thought you'd never ask, oh wise one" she proudly retorted. "Now pay close attention, as I explain how we're getting out of this room and back into the TARDIS."