The three of them were in a lab examining the results of the DNA test on a computer screen. "Look at this!" Romana pointed at the computer scree, looking thoughtful. "I would say I was almost impressed if it was under different circumstances." Oh, she knew Lazarus was clever but not clever enough. He did not have the intelligence to test his machine before hand, too eager to prove to everyone that he can avoid death and defy the laws of nature to care if everything was correct and in place. It was a shame really, for Lazarus was intelligent and he did have potential but after all this, Romana knew that most human geniuses will sooner or later turn out to be insane.
Martha peered over her shoulder, studying the newly found data. "I can't see anything different."
"Try and look at it closely." Braxiatel pointed just as the image on the screen flickered.
"Oh, my god! Did that just change? But it can't have!" Martha gasped.
Romana nodded gravely. "Two impossible things we've seen tonight. Or as Alice likes to say; Six impossible things before breakfast. Don't you just love it when surprises like this happens?"
"Depends what the surprise is," Braxiatel mused, stroking his moustache thoughtfully.
Martha looked at the screen more closely before looking uneasy as an idea came to her mind. "But wait, does that mean Lazarus has changed his own molecular pattern?"
"Yes. He used Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a mutagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein strands." Romana replied instantly, not looking away from the computer and Martha blinked, looking confused.
Braxiatel chuckled at Martha's expression. "What Romana means Martha, is that Lazarus has hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."
"But they're still mutating now." Martha pointed out.
"Exactly because he has missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and will not let him stabilize. Something is trying to change him," Romana shook her head. "This is why you humans should always test things beforehand."
"But what is he changing into?" Martha pressed, not liking where the answer was heading. Lazarus could be changing into anything and he must be stopped before anyone could get hurt.
"No idea but I have a feeling something not very nice," Romana looked around as though expecting Lazarus in the room with them this very moment. "We need to find him and quickly."
"That woman said they were going upstairs." Martha pointed out.
"Let's go then!" Romana smiled slightly before they left the lab, in search of Lazarus and Lady Thaw.
Back in the reception, Francine called her Tish to join by her and Leo. "Tish! Have you seen Martha and that odd couple, Mr and Mrs Lungbarrow anywhere?" Francine did not like the look of the couple at all. The way they held themselves together and the cold vibe they gave off, it was as though they wanted everyone in the room to know they were better than everyone and she couldn't help but feel as though that Romana woman was hiding something. But what was she hiding and why?
Tish shook her head. "Not since the demonstration."
Francine frowned, not liking the idea of Martha being anywhere near them. "Do you know anything about them? Has she ever mentioned them before? Either of them?"
"Not to me." Tish replied and frankly, she didn't care. It was Martha's own social life. Martha should be allowed to make friends with whoever she want, even if they did seem a bit...odd.
"The way she followed them..." Francine pursed her lips, looking in the direction that her daughter went after the Lungbarrow's. "That Romana woman looked way too young to be married to that Braxiatel."
"Mum, Martha's a Doctor. She was just doing her job." Tish pointed out to her, trying to change the subject. Tish always hated talking about other people's affairs. It was rude and frankly, she did not have the time.
"She's not a Doctor yet. Never will be if she doesn't stay focused and if she stayed away from that rich, strange Lungbarrow couple."
"Mum, you could see the love the Lungbarrow's had for each other! Didn't you see the way Braxiatel nearly growled at me when I shook Romana's hand? Besides, they're just some good mates of Martha's. They're like a Golden Trio from Harry Potter." Leo pointed out to her, trying to make his mother see his point.
Francine pursed her lips, not looking happy. "There's something going on, Leo. I don't like that Irving Braxiatel fellow, he gives off a bad vibe and his wife...it's looks to me as though she's hiding a dark secret. An evil, dark secret. I can feel it." She shivered slightly.
At that moment Lazarus came before them and greeted the Jones family and Tish and smiled. "Leticia Jones. I'd recognise the smell of that soap anywhere." His stomach gave a growl and he bit into his cheek. Oh, he was so hungry. The meal he just had did not satisfy him! And that Romana woman...she looked so filling with all that intelligence and beauty she graced but for now, Leticia Jones will do before he made his move on Romana.
Tish frowned at her boss. "Professor." She greeted him.
"I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, you'll have to excuse me whilst I take care of Leticia here. I've been neglecting her." He led Tish away before he headed towards the roof.
Romana, Braxiatel and Martha stepped out of the lift and into Lazarus's office and Braxiatel turned on the lights. Martha looked around, noticing how clean and spotless it was. "This is his office, all right."
"He's not here though." Romana pointed out. "Must be back at the reception."
She made to turn but Martha tapped her shoulder, looking horrified as she spotted a pair of skeletal bones wearing high heels. The three of them rushed over to see the desiccated remains of Lady Thaw. "Is that Lady Thaw?" Martha asked, grimacing at the sight.
"Or what used to be." Romana commented as she crouched down beside the skeleton. "She had all the life energy drained out of her and the only one who could have done this, is Lazarus."
"So he's changed already?" Martha asked.
"Not necessarily. You've seen what has happened to his DNA, it was merely fluctuating. The process demanded more energy and it might not have been enough." Romana replied.
"So he might do this again?"
Braxiatel nodded. "Most likely. Unless we stop him first." They quickly ran back to the lifts, heading back towards the reception.
Martha craned her neck over the crowd to try and see him. "I can't see him."
Romana pursed her lips. "He won't have left this building so he's not far off, just keep looking." She tugged Braxiatel and they walked on a bit, looking through the crowd.
Leo joined Martha, seeing his sister. "Hey, you all right Martha? I think Mum wants to talk to you."
Martha nodded. "Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?"
"Yeah, he was getting' cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago." He replied, almost distastefully just as Romana and Braxiatel joined them moments before Francine.
Martha blenched. What could Lazarus want with her sister? Unless he was going to feed from her too! "With Tish?!"
"Ah, Mr and Mrs Lungbarrow." Francine greeted, walking over to them. She wanted a word with them.
Romana looked at Leo. "Do you know where they went?"
"Upstairs I think, why?" Leo frowned, looking puzzled.
"Braxiatel-" Francine began but Braxiatel rushed past her with Romana, causing Francine to spill her drink and the two Time-Lord's did not even look back to apologize to her. "I'm speaking to the pair of you!"
Martha quickly followed after them before stopping for a moment to talk to her mother. "Not now, Mum!" She ran off.
Francine shook her head, disgusted by the Lungbarrow's behaviour and made her way to one of the tables where she found a napkin to wipe herself down before a man walked up to her. "I think you need one of these." He handed her a fresh glass of champagne.
"Thank you. That's very kind of you." She said gratefully.
"Do you know that couple?" The man asked, gazing where Romana and Braxiatel were before.
Francine shook her head. "No. They work with my daughter apparently and are friends with her." So much for friends that run and hide away from her.
"Perhaps she should choose her friends more carefully." The man commented before walking off and Francine couldn't help but silently agree with the man's comment.
Romana got out her sonic screwdriver once they were back in the lift, listening to the signal. "Where are they?" Martha asked, wondering where she kept her sonic screwdriver since her outfit didn't have any pockets.
Romana ignored her as she held her sonic screwdriver out at arms length before slowly turned in a circle, the beeping increases. "Found him."
"Where?" Martha frowned and Romana ended up pointing her sonic screwdriver at the ceiling and Martha's eyes widened. "But this is the top floor! The roof!" The three of them ran up the stairs, hearing Lazarus talking to Tish.
"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect. There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act-" Lazarus began.
"Falls the shadow." Braxiatel finished the quotation.
Lazarus turned, not looking surprised to find him there. "So the mysterious Irving Braxiatel knows his Eliot. I'm impressed. But does his wife?" Lazarus dared to throw a mocking smirk towards Romana's direction and Romana merely glared at him.
Tish looked at Martha, slightly irritated. Her sister had to ruin everything didn't she? "Martha, what are you doing here?"
Martha held out her hand to Tish. "Tish, get away from him."
Tish scolded. "What? Don't tell me what to do."
"Who would have thought you have time for poetry Lazarus." Romana commented. "With you too busy defying the laws of nature and time."
Lazarus merely smirked. "You're right, Romana. One lifetime been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three of four?"
Romana glared at him coldly. "I'm afraid life does not work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do when they are eighty years old. It's not the time or age that matters but the person. Trust me, I know."
"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be." Lazarus commented.
Both Romana and Braxiatel shared a glance, thinking back to Rassilon and how he was looking for ways to be immortal and how he achieved it and what immortality did to him. He ended up being insane."Or a curse. You've made yourself into something new Lazarus." Braxiatel warned him.
"Who are you to judge me?" Lazarus asked.
"Tish, over here." Martha ordered, wanting her sister far away from the monster as possible.
Tish walked over to her sister, looking displeased. "You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault." Behind Tish, Lazarus was having what appeared to be a seizure attack but was not and Romana and Braxiatel watched with wide eyes, watching his transformation.
"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha insisted, not seeing that Lazarus was changing.
Tish shook her head. "I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones." Tish replied but then she suddenly heard growling and Tish slowly turned her head and saw what appeared to be a cross between a human skeleton and a scorpion and it reared up.
"Run!" Braxiatel shouted and he grabbed Romana's hand before the four of them race inside and Braxiatel sealed the lock with his sonic pen and Martha pressed the call button for the lift.
"Are you okay?" Martha asked, concerned.
Tish looked disgusted, now realizing why Martha wanted her to stay away from Lazarus. "I was gonna snog him."
Romana turned her head as she heard Lazarus banging on the door before they heard sirens begin to go off with a computerised warning coming over the PA. "Security breach. Security Breach." The computer announced.
"What's happening?" Martha looked at Romana.
"An intrusion. Shuts down nearly all the power as well as sealing the exits and stopping the lifts." Romana replied before making her way towards the stairs quickly. "He must be breaking through the door, it won't last long so we'll have to use the stairs! Come on!"
As they run down the stairs, they hear the door crash open. "He's inside!" Martha shouted.
"Thanks for the obvious!" Braxiatel retorted as they made it to the reception. Braxiatel turned to Tish as Romana ran over to Lazarus's machine. "Tish, what other exits are there?"
"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now." She replied, trying to catch her breath.
Braxiatel tossed his sonic pen to Martha. "Martha, go to setting 54. Be as quick as you can." He quickly joined Romana.
"I'm sorry everyone, but under health and safety management, I am going to have to ask you all to leave." Romana shouted, gaining everyone's attention. "All of you are in serious danger right now so you will all have to leave for your own safety."
A woman nearby scoffed at the idea. "Don't be ridiculous. The biggest danger here is choking on an olive!" Suddenly, glass shattered everywhere and Lazarus appeared on the landing above before leaping down to the reception floor. People began to scream and run in fear and Martha and Tish quickly began to rush to open the door as everyone ran for the exit.
"Mum, get back!" Leo shouted and he moved to protect his mother but Leo was hit by a table that Lazarus sent flying.
Francine quickly went over to her son. "Leo!" She cried, going to his aid and she cradled him.
Martha grinned as she got the door open. "Over here! This way! Everyone downstairs now! Hurry!" Martha shouted and the crowd made their way out.
Lazarus closed in one the woman who didn't believe Romana and she stood there, too afraid to move. "Leave her alone Lazarus!" Romana yelled. "It's us who you want!" But it was too late. The woman screamed and she was sucked dry before her shell fell to the floor. Francine was with Leo who slowly comes to as Lazarus approached.
Romana whistled, catching Lazarus's attention. Romana looked at him, haughtily indicating between her and Braxiatel. "You are useless Lazarus! You can't control it can you? Because your mutation is too strong and killing all these people is not going to help you. You are nothing but an old, manipulative fool who thought he could defy nature. Hasn't anyone taught you anything? Mother Nature is a bitch and you are nothing but her bastard who is just a footnote in the history of failure!" Romana quickly pinched up her dress and she and Braxiatel began to run away from the reception hall, leading Lazarus away from the reception.
Martha was examining an injured Leo now the reception has been cleared. Tish crouched down beside them. "What are Mr and Mrs Lungbarrow doing?"
"They're not really married," Martha replied and Tish looked at her with a annoyed expression upon her face and Martha looked slightly sheepish at her sister. "I made that bit up, sorry. They're just trying to buy us some time so let's not waste it. Leo, look at me. Let me see your eyes." She looked into her brothers eyes before looking at her mother. "He's got a concussion. You'll need to help him downstairs." Martha went to an ice bucket and put some ice in a napkin which she gave to Francine. "This'll keep the swelling down. Go! I'll be right behind you! Tish, move! We need to get out of here!"
Romana and Braxiatel ran onto a service hall filled with all sorts of pipes and they both crept through quietly and staying as close to each other as possible. "It's no good, Romana, Braxiatel. You can't stop me." Lazarus hissed.
"Oh the arrogance you have! And do you doubt me? I have stopped evil before and I will stop evil again." Romana snarled. "In fact, I have stopped evil far worse than you."
Lazarus chuckled somewhat but it sounded like an angry growl. "The arrogance is yours. Both of you can't stand in the way of progress."
Braxiatel scoffed. "And your idea of progress is feeding on innocent people? That's not process, it's murder!"
"It is a necessary sacrifice."
"But you have no right to make that decision. You are not God. You do not have the right to take away someone's life at your will." Romana chided when suddenly the power came back on and the Time-Lord's were no longer hidden as they once were.
They looked up to see Lazarus on the ceiling, his tongue flickering in and out of his mouth. "Peek-a-boo."
"Hello!" Romana called before she and Braxiatel ran away from the room and both quickly entered a nearby lab. Braxiatel quickly fiddled with the battery of a light fixture, leaving the wires exposed whilst Romana turned on all the gas jets before she grabbed Braxiatel, both ducking down when they hear Lazarus coming through.
"More hide-and-seek? How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?" Lazarus hissed.
"Why would we? Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Romana stood up, followed by Braxiatel and were facing Lazarus. "Why would I face such an ugly brute when I have Braxiatel?" She and Braxiatel quickly ran from the room and Romana slicked a switch as they left, causing an explosion behind them and they both turned into a corner, meeting Martha. "Martha! I thought I told you to get out."
"I'm returning this." She held out Braxiatel's sonic pen which he took. "I thought you might need it."
"No time to chat I'm afraid. We've just exploded Lazarus and we need to run." Romana replied.
Martha frowned. "Did you kill him?" Just then, Lazarus came crashing down the hall.
"More like Romana pissed him off so to speak." Braxiatel commented before grabbing both Martha's and Romana's hands and running back the way Martha came.
Out on the main steps, Francine was sitting with Leo as Tish stood in front of them, looking concerned as she looked at the building they've just left. "She'll be all right. Romana and Braxiatel are with her. They'll look out for Martha." She told herself reassuringly.
Francine pursed her lips. "She turned her back on us, went in there with that thing for them!"
"The three of them must be best friends mum." Leo concluded. It must be the only reason Martha would go in after them. To be able to trust them in a situation like this, you would only go in there after them if you were close to each other and trusted each other,
"She's just met them!" Francine reminded him.
Suddenly, the same mysterious man that handed Francine a glass of champagne from earlier before walked over to them. "Is your daughter still with Irving Braxiatel and Lady Romanadvoratrelundar?"
Francine stood up, looking at the man."Do you know of them?"
The man glanced at the building before looking at Francine, a dark look in his eyes. Oh, he knew all about them all right. "There are things you should know about them. Especially things concerning Lady Romanadvoratrelundar."
Francine looked at him cautiously. "What things?" She asked and the man leaned in and whispered in Francine's ears.
Romana, Braxiatel and Martha were back in the reception room and Martha looked at them, panting. "What now? We've just gone 'round in a circle!" Lazarus bursts in and Braxiatel headed for the machine that Lazarus designed.
"Obviously we can't lead him outside. Come on my ladies, in you go." He held open the door and Romana and Martha stepped in before Braxiatel joined them before quickly closing the door, the three of them pressed together with little room to move.
"Are we hiding?" Martha asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, Lazarus knows we're inside his masterpiece, hopefully he won't want to destroy it not even to get at us." Romana replied. "Braxiatel, you'll have to open the panel for me." She pointed to the floor below them.
Braxiatel blinked, slightly surprised at her request."Why me?"
Romana rolled her eyes. "Myself and Martha are wearing dresses and a corset incase you haven't noticed." She pointed to their outfist. Whilst it was a beautiful outfit, it was no match for what she wanted to do.
"Fine, fine." Braxiatel grumbled before having a hard time trying to reach into his pocket, accidently elbowing Romana and Martha.
"Hey!" Martha chided.
"Sorry!" Braxiatel quickly apologized before managing to pull out his sonic pen. "There we go."
Martha raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do with that?"
Romana smirked. "Watch and learn Martha."
Martha watched as Braxiatel slides down slowly to the floor and popped open a panel. "I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"
"No actually. It's strictly human origin for once." Romana replied, gazing around at Lazarus's shadow from the outside. "Completely human. Like Lazarus said, he just changed what it means to be human."
Martha frowned, looking confused. "Human? How can it be human?"
"The energy field must have activated the dormant genes in Lazarus DNA," Romana explained as Braxiatel worked on the wires. "Looks to me they're becoming more dominant now."
Martha nodded, understanding. "So it's a throwback."
"If you like. Think of it like an option that evolution rejected for you humans centuries and centuries ago but the potential of it is still there. Forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."
"It's like Pandora's box." Martha realized.
"Or the Pandorica is what we called it back home," Romana nodded in agreement before sighing and running a hand through her skirt. "Oh just this once I wanted to dress up but instead here we are doing this. But I have to admit, this is much more fun." Martha couldn't help but agree with her before a blue light filled the capsule.
Martha looked at Braxiatel, looking fearful."Braxiatel, what's happening?"
"Lazarus has switched the machine on." He replied, fiddling with the wires. "I was hoping it was going to take him longer to work that out." The machine began to spin.
"I don't want to hurry you but-" Martha replied, grimacing as the machine went faster and faster. Martha had always hated tea-cup rides on fairgrounds when she was little and this was no exception.
Martha looked at Romana, trying to steady herself. "What did you order him to do?"
"I've ordered him to try and reset the capsule to reflect the energy rather than him receiving it." Romana replied as she pressed herself against the walls, not liking how fast the machine was going and she felt herself go slightly sick.
"Will that kill him?!"
"I hope so! But Martha, when he transforms he is three times his size and this is caused by ceullar triplication which is basically he's spreading himself thin an that's not good!"
Martha's eyes widened. "We're gonna end up like him!"
"Have faith Martha!" Romana squeezed Martha's hand and Martha felt more comforted at the thought. Suddenly, Braxiatel pulled a wire and the energy field changed, moving out from the capsule and knocked Lazarus away full blast. Romana opened the door and stepped out, Martha right behind her and followed closely by Braxiatel who was putting his sonic pen away.
Martha exhaled. "I thought we were gonna go through the blender then."
Romana looked at Braxiatel pointedly. "You're out of practise. Really, reversing the polarity is very simple to do!"
Braxiatel looked sheepish. "I may be...out of practise. But it was always my brothers favourite thing to do reverse the polarity, not mine." Romana winced at the comment.
Martha spotted Lazarus lying in human form, lying naked before them. "Oh god. He seems so...human. It's kind of pitiful."
"'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.'" Braxiatel quoted and Romana raised an eyebrow at him. "Eliot saw that too." He explained and she merely nodded, looking back at Lazarus.