Chapter 7
Upon receiving access to Rassilon and Omega's research lab, Tecteun immediately got to work on finding the secret of her daughter's ability. But even with the more advanced equipment, the search took her a long time. The days extended into weeks, the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years. During that time, the Inner Circle had expanded, each new member brought some new invention or discovery to the table. They had made rooms with dimensionally transcendental interiors, more advanced spacecrafts, even the power to travel in time. As more members joined, the more space was needed. The small meeting place had grown into a mighty Citadel.
All the while, Tecteun had stayed focused on her task. Many began to question her capabilities, wondering if she could really pull this off. The only one who never questioned or ever doubted her was Rassilon. He would constantly check on her, see how much progress she made. Tecteun had grown fond of his company, and his support. She had come up with many theories for the child's origins, some more improbable than the last. She worked tirelessly, furiously, endlessly. Her passion had dissolved into obsession. She had to crack the code. She had to prove that she belonged here. Rassilon had appointed this task to her!
The work took a toll on the child. She had been forced to change many times, in many creative ways. It would always end the same way. The child would die, change, and revive. Each form was different. Sometimes the child stayed female, other times they became male. Tecteun lost track of how many times she put the child in this situation. Gone was the loving mother who saved a lost girl from isolation. The woman that replaced her saw the child as nothing more than an obstacle in her way to greatness.
Until…
Tecteun burst into the main meeting room. The only other person in the room was Rassilon, hard at work.
"I DID IT!" cried Tecteun with great passion. "I DID IT! I DISCOVERED THE SOURCE OF THE CHILD'S POWER!"
Rassilon looked at her with curiosity.
"After detailing every fragment of the subject's genetic material, I discovered many things. A triple helix, a unique enzyme that does not appear in nature, and many other useful information that I have compiled into this."
Tecteun held up a vial.
"With this, I can gene splice the ability into the Shobogans living in the Citadel. With this, we can potentially live indefinitely. I have discovered the secret of immortality!"
Tecteun beamed at him, expecting to see great pride upon Rassilon's face when he realised his faith in her was rewarded.
Instead, Rassilon simply looked at her.
"Have you tested it?" he asked plainly.
Tecteun was caught off guard by his lack of emotion.
"Well, I have yet to gather a willing subject to…"
"Then why are you here?" he asked with slight annoyance.
Tecteun was getting scared. In all the time she was here, Rassilon was never anything but supportive.
"I thought you should be the first to know."
Rassilon got up and walked to the closest window.
"In all the time you have been here, you have used our facilities without a single hint of completion. Every member of our council had something of use to deliver. Omega, Artron, Pandak, and the others. They have expanded our way of life, given us technology others can only dream of. You on the other hand, have not contributed in any way. And now, You approach me, claiming to have immortality in your hands. And you haven't even TESTED IT?"
Tecteun was scared. More than that she was uncertain with herself. How could she have been so blind. She had announced her claim, only to realise how bold the claim was. If she injected the formula into someone and it failed, she would be nothing more than a laughing stock. She would have to start all over, from scratch.
"I'm sorry, Tecteun." said Rassilon. "But I have indulged you long enough. Unless you give me true, honest results, then I'm afraid there is no place for you here."
These words broke Tecteun. Rassilon had believed in her when no one else did. When the other members of the council had questioned whether or not to hand the task to someone else, he had stood by her. It was his faith in her that had given her the motivation to go beyond her normal limits. And now even he had given up on her.
She looked at her reflection on the polished surfaces of the walls. Her once dark hair was now completely white. Her skin was now fully pale from centuries without sunlight and was covered in wrinkles. Her body had become nothing but skin and bone from lack of food. But worse were her eyes. They no longer had the focus they once held. Instead, she saw nothing but a broken woman who had lost everything. She had given up everything for this. She left her home, her life, she even put her own morals aside to get this far.
She looked down at the vial in her hand. Her grief soon became rage. How dare he doubt her! How dare any of them doubt her! She was Tecteun, she developed the first functioning spacecraft on Gallifrey! It was HER that had traveled to distant worlds and cataloged her findings! She was the one that charted the way to the future, not them! She lit the Spark of Discovery! Not Them!
If he needed Proof, then he would get it! She injected herself with the vial.
The change began immediately. The Doctor could only watch and listen as Tecteun let out an unearthly scream as every cell in her body became a nuclear reactor exploding. As soon as the process was complete, Tecteun's whole body had changed. Her once long, straight, white hair was now curled, brown and short. Her almost dead blue eyes were now brown and full of life. Her pale skin was now brown. And the biggest change was that she was no longer a she. Tecteun was now a man who looked in his early thirties.
Rassilon looked at the changed man.
"I think I have more than proven myself now." Tecteun said.
And with that he passed out. Rassilon immediately called his guards and ordered them to take Tecteun to the infirmary. They were to keep constant guard on him and monitor his progress until he was fully stabilized. When they all left, Rassilon picked up the vial that Tecteun had dropped.
He then proceeded to laugh. An evil, maniacal, unearthly laugh.
"Oh, you stupid, gullible fool." Rassilon said to himself. There was no need to put up the charade anymore. "All this time, and you never even noticed. This was never about you or your "Timeless Child." None of you ever saw the truth. Not Omega, not Artron, no one. After several centuries, I finally have everything I need. I can now carry out my masterplan: The Complete Control of the Entire Universe, And All of Time ITSELF! And with your contribution, I WILL NOW RULE FOREVER!"