Author Note: When the site was messing up I posted a chapter, so the chapter before this one, titled "Day 231", wasn't able to be read during that time. I don't want you all to end up missing a chapter, so if you haven't read that one yet, please do. It's very important for the development of the Master's character. Thanks for reading! Reviews are loved and appreciated!
Martha wrapped her arms tightly around herself, teeth chattering against the cold wind.
She was in southern Russia, carefully walking the snow dusted ground, thankful that it wasn't mud. She didn't want to go through that again. She raised a hand to her mouth and coughed. She hoped she wasn't getting sick; she didn't feel ill, but there was an annoying tickle at the back of her throat.
She had just left the town of Karymskoye, one of the few places that the Doctor's hand had barely touched, and was now heading to Zima. She had carefully tracked the days since she regretfully left Jack, the Master, and her family on the Valiant, but at this particular moment, she didn't care. She realized that this was a job very few could do, but that didn't mean she liked the idea of leaving her family behind. Seeing all of these people made her heart ache.
She realized very early into her journey that the TARDIS key also gave her an intimate link back to the machine, who was still translating every word for her, fighting back against the Doctor's iron fist. She could talk to everyone and spread the information that the Master had whispered in her ear all those days ago. She counted this as a blessing, but couldn't help wondering just how everyone in the Valiant was doing, a question that the time machine couldn't answer for her even if it wanted to.
Martha didn't mind walking. It wasn't the constant movement or lack of sleep that bothered her. The gun in four parts, scattered across the planet, was what bothered her. She didn't think that the Doctor would be so stupid as to believe it. UNIT would never have been able to create such a device simply because they had no access to any information on Time Lord physiology; there was no way in hell the Master would have let them within ten feet of him with anything like medical equipment, much less told them any information about how to kill him. Nevertheless, she continued on her quest, faithfully executing the Master's instructions.
She noted many things as she walked along. Things like cars, lampposts, and certain buildings had been swiftly torn down for their metal components. Many of the lovely architectural landmarks in the cities in Europe had been melted down for use in the Doctor's warships. She knew the rest of the planet was yet to come. They had even scavenged across Japan after it burned, the Doctor demanding every scrap of metal, brushing off the fact that the radiation from their nuclear power plants was leaking into the cities and poisoning everyone that had the misfortune to still be alive. She had yet to visit Japan; it was her eventual destination. She just hoped there was a way to avoid the radiation poisoning herself.
She remembered walking across the radiation pits of Europe, stinking and filthy. The other humans never saw her unless she spoke to them, which she made a point only of doing when they were at rest. She would creep through barbed wire, guards, and minefields, silently infiltrating the diseased encampments that the Doctor created for her people, speaking to them in hushed tones about the future and how it would be changed.
They fed and clothed her, something that she was extremely grateful for. She only took as much as she needed, never a scrap more. She made a point to smile at the children and reassure them that everything was going to be okay. They could do it, it was easy; they just had to spread the word and count the days.
Every time, the men, women, and children nodded silently and watched her leave, hoping fervently that she was right.