Chapter 3
The Master led her through the Capital of Gallifrey. He didn't say anything to her. In fact, he barely acknowledged her. He only did in the few times he would check to see if she was still following. Most of the time he kept moving forward, glancing from side to side as if to admire his work.
They walked for hours, just the two of them until at last they stopped inside The Chamber of the Matrix, the very heart of the Citadel. The room was bare except for a large, elevated platform on the floor, six broken Time Lords statues, and a window where one could see the ruined city. The Master paid no mind to any of it, instead he danced around the room without a care in the world.
"What do you think?" he asked her. "How should I redecorate? I was thinking of knocking a few walls down, maybe installing a wetroom there," he said pointing to the right. "A Throne Room there." pointing to the left. "And down in the cellar..." he looked at her with a malicious smile "A torture pit for all my enemies."
The Doctor ignored him, keeping her eyes on the statues. She recognized the faces. They were the Founding Fathers of Gallifrey: The Original High Council of Gallifrey. The First of the Time Lords said to have brought peace to a Gallifrey torn apart by war. Now, they were nothing but broken marble in a destroyed city. It made The Doctor sad. These people were considered to have been the mightiest of their race, reduced to rubble.
Annoyed by her lack of response, The Master followed her gaze.
"Oh, right." he said with a sickening grin. "I completely forgot they were here."
He walked over to what was the biggest statue. It was the statue of Rassilon. It was obviously him. Only Rassilon could have so high an ego that the other five had to pale in comparison. Without even an ounce of regret, he spat on it.
This set The Doctor off.
"Enough!" she exclaimed as she knocked him to the ground. "Have you lost all respect and pride for our culture?! Our Race! Who we are?!"
The Master regarded her coldly.
"If you knew the truth, Doctor", he said with bitterness in his voice. "You would be thanking me for destroying their legacy."
He stood, dusting himself off.
"These People", he continued. "Are nothing more than thieves, liars, and con-artists. They managed to trick an entire planet into thinking that they were good. They covered up what I believe to be the most heinous act of all the universe, all for the sake of wanting a grand, noble creation myth for our race. If they had known, our parents, grandparents and other ancestors would have torn down the statues and cursed their names to the End of Time! And Yes!"
He looked her dead in the eyes.
"I have lost what little respect I had for the Time Lords. I am proud of what I've done."
This was shocking for The Doctor. In all the lives she lived, she had never heard The Master talk like this.
"How?" she asked in confusion. "You have never been a stranger to violence, or ego, or lying to others to get what you want. You've always done whatever you've wanted, no matter who got hurt or died. What could our Founding Fathers have possibly done that could have deserved all of this?"
The Master, having finally gotten her full, undivided attention, walked onto the platform. Producing a key from his coat pocket, he waved his hand and a podium extended from the floor. Not even hesitating, he placed the key on the podium and the center of the room opened. A light shined from the open floor, nearly blinding the two Time Lords.
"Recognize this place, Doctor?" asked The Master. "It is the Main Entrance to the Matrix. The ultimate Repository of Time Lord Knowledge. The Lived History of Our Race."
The Doctor remembered the Matrix. She had been trapped there before in her Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth lifes. It was not a place she remembered fondly.
"The Truth about the Time Lords is there." said The Master. "Buried deep within the Matrix. Hidden from any who would dare to go inside. If you want to know the truth, you must enter the Matrix."
Was this where it all started? thought The Doctor. Does he really expect her to go inside? It could be a trap. In fact, it was most definitely a trap. She couldn't trust anything he told her. But then again, she had come this far, and he had yet to kill her when he had the chance. And she had to admit she was curious. If the Time Lords had a secret, she had to know. She was, after all, the Last of the Time Lords. She deserved to know where she came from.
"All right." she declared.
And with that, she entered the Matrix.