Chapter 4: Whims of a Madman
Previously…
"And now, sweet Rose, I get to say something I've wanted to say since I first laid eyes on you..."
She brought her eyes up to meet his.
"Run!"
Rose turned and took off down the corridor behind her that led to the interior of the ship. She didn't know if he was following her, she didn't dare look behind her. She couldn't hear him but the sound of her own feet slapping the ground was quite loud, though she had a feeling he wouldn't be running to catch her. He would be taking his time, he knew as well as she did that she was trapped. She was a rat in a maze, sooner or later he would catch her, but that didn't mean she was going to make it easy for him.
The TARDIS, for her part, had been helping her as much as she could. New corridors were appearing, new twists and turns, taking her deeper into the time ship. She didn't know if the TARDIS was leading her anywhere in particular, but Rose noted that no rooms had appeared, the walls were blank, not a single door did she see. Wherever the old girl was leading her, she hoped she would get there soon.
Rose had been running for what seemed like hours. She hadn't heard a peep from the Time Lord and she began to wonder if he had instructed her to run as some sort of amusement, with no intention of chasing her. But she knew somehow that wasn't the case. He was a predator. He loved the chase. He liked to play games and this was just another to him, messing with her mind. He would probably let her run herself ragged then swoop in for the kill.
A dead-end appeared up ahead. The hallway just stopped. She pleaded with the TARDIS in her mind, implored her to assist her in finding somewhere to hide. A click sounded. Rose looked towards the sound and noticed a small opening on the wall to her left. It was about fist-sized with a little door, like a tiny locker, nowhere near big enough for her to hide in. She felt the time ship hum, not a soft comforting hum like she usually did, this one felt rushed. She wanted Rose to hurry up, but the blonde girl couldn't think of what she wanted her to do. As if on cue her watch beeped again.
The dimension cannon.
She couldn't let the Time Lord get his hands on it. He was insane, and even if she couldn't stop him from enacting his dastardly plans on this world she could at least stop him from doing the same to others. She unclipped the watch from her wrist and placed it in the locker before she felt a sensation in her mind, it almost felt apologetic. It took her a moment to realise what it meant. She didn't need to turn around to know he was behind her.
She placed her hands in her jacket pockets and turned slightly to face him.
"I must say I'm disappointed in you," she began licking her dry lips, "the Doctor always went on about your superior Time Lord biology. Thought you'd have been able to catch me no bother. But you had the TARDIS block the hallway instead."
She angled her body in front of the locker.
"That's cheating," she continued with a wry smile.
One of her hands wrapped around the jump disk in her pocket. She had to get it in the locker.
He stood a few feet away with his hands in his trouser pockets watching her with an amused look.
"I outsmarted you. That's not cheating. That's using my superior brain to my advantage. It's not my fault your species are barely out of the primordial soup."
"And yet you're here on earth, living among this lesser species and plotting against them. Why are we such a threat to you?"
"You're not a threat," he sneered.
"Why even bother with earth if we are so far beneath you?"
"Because I can. Because I want to. Because you humans make it so easy."
"There must be something more. There's a whole big galaxy out there, I'd say there are plenty of species even less evolved than humans. This is personal. Either we are a threat to you or-"
"Your species are nothing!" He cut in loudly.
"Or there's another reason," she carried on as if he hadn't even spoken.
He was getting worked up. She could see it. Her goading was paying off. This madman had such a terrible grip on his own rage, she was sure she could poke him into losing control. She just needed him to slip up for one moment. Just one moment and she could make her move. No matter what she joked, he was a Time Lord and his body was superior to hers. He was fast and his brain processed faster too. If she tried to make a move now he would see it before she even got the disk out of her pocket, and no doubt he would have his hands on it a second after. She needed him distracted. Even if she was sure provoking his anger would not end well for her in the long run.
"Let me guess. You met a girl, a human girl. Fell in love, she found out you were bonkers and rejected you. Now you hate our whole species as payback."
"Love? How very human of you. Time Lord's are above such petty things." He looked disgusted at her suggestion.
"Is that why you hate us? Because she made you feel such a human emotion?"
His jaw twitched as he struggled to keep back his fury. She was so close, she just needed something to tip him over the edge.
"Or did she leave you for someone else? Maybe the Doctor?"
That had done something. The Doctor was a sore spot it seemed.
"That's it, isn't it?" she laughed, "the Doctor. He hurt you and you're taking it out on us in revenge, not because we did anything but because he likes this planet."
He let out a laugh, dark and unhinged, teasing the madness beneath the surface.
"You're using human logic to complicate things," he began, "it's much more simple than that. I am the Master! I want domination. I want the universe to be subservient to me. The fact that it's the earth I'm starting with and that he is so fond of you all is just an added bonus."
She didn't believe him. Her intuition told her this most certainly was personal and that it had everything to do with the Doctor.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Weren't you listening?" he spat, "I am the Master!"
"That's your name?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"And people actually call you that?"
"Yes!" He was beginning to get annoyed.
"Wow, mate, you really do have issues."
The Master raised his head slightly and rolled his eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh.
That was all the distraction she needed. Rose yanked the jump disk out of her pocket and shoved it in the little locker, slamming it closed.
She barely had the door closed when he grabbed her by the arm roughly, pulling her back a little to see what she was hiding.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing," she replied nonchalantly.
"You did something. Tell me now. What was it?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
"You and this rust bucket of a ship may think you're being smart working together but I'll find out eventually. And it won't end well for either of you."
His eyes bore into hers as he spoke and she knew that he meant it. And she knew that she couldn't even imagine the horrible things he could do.
"Your device," he spoke finally breaking eye contact.
He raised her arm up and taking hold of her arm, he raised her sleeve up. He looked at her empty wrist and smiled.
"That's what she helped you hide. Your universe hopping device."
"And you'll never get your hands on it now," Rose snapped angrily.
"Oh Rose Tyler," he smiled, "why would I want to travel to another world when this one has everything I want?"
Rose felt a shiver go down her spine at his words.
"And now you've turned up, the one he burned up a sun for, the one who burned herself for him. This is just too perfect."
He knew so much, not only her name but things that nobody except her and the Doctor knew. He really was on another level. All the things she had seen, all the things she had faced and nothing quite scared her like this ordinary-looking man with the most extraordinary eyes, standing in the hallway of a ship he shouldn't be on. And the Doctor was nowhere to be found.
"Come along now, let's get you settled somewhere I don't have to worry about you wandering off. I hear you're rather fond of doing that."
He shifted his grip on her arm to drag her down the hallway.
The lights were flashing and she could swear the TARDIS was huffing. She had seen it happen several times during her tenure here. With a last flick of the lights and what felt like resignation from the old girl, a door appeared on the wall.
"Here we are," he spoke opening the door, "oh, she must really like you. I specifically asked for a cell. She's being obstinate."
Rose looked around the room. It didn't look anything like a cell. The walls were a pale lilac colour, a double bed stood against one wall, a dresser and a door were against another.
"You even get an ensuite. She didn't do that for me," he mused, "oh well it will do. I haven't got time to play her games. Busy man."
"And what exactly are you busy with? You gave me a human name last time I asked. I'm guessing infiltrating the government is part of your plan."
"Harold Saxon, yes. John Smith is so dull," he grinned, "and you're absolutely right about the government part. Maybe you're not just a stupid ape after all."
"So why are you infiltrating the government?"
"I believe the earth saying is 'mind your beeswax'."
"Maybe I can help. I was born and raised in London. I'm sure there are human things that you might need to know. If you told me what you're up to…" she trailed off.
"Oh, how kind of you to offer, allow me to reveal all of my Machiavellian schemes to you right now on the off chance you've had a personality transplant and you're not a do-gooder like him ."
"Alright, keep your hair on. I was only asking."
"I know what you were doing and you are going to make me take back my earlier comment about your intelligence if you think I'll fall for it."
"Fair enough, can't blame a girl for trying."
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't. But I really do have to go now. So please, make yourself at home and be a good little pet. No peeing on the carpet."
And with that, he walked out and closed the door. Of course, she tried to open it, not surprised when she found it locked.
Rose sat on the bed and thought about her current predicament. Here she was back on the TARDIS after all these years and not in the way she had imagined. She was locked in a cell because comforts aside it still was her jail, the dimension cannon was hidden so she was trapped on this earth, the Doctor was trapped at the end of the universe if the lunatic was to be believed. She pulled out her phone and saw it had no signal. So not only was she imprisoned but he had the TARDIS block any communications too.
She really was in a pickle. But she was here now and there was nothing she could do about that. He said he was a busy man and she hoped it was true because she would need as much time alone as possible to go over everything that had transpired and try to think of a way out of it all. She, and the whole planet, were at the whim of a madman and she was not going to lie down without a fight.
