"I noticed you didn't put up much of a fight." Alison glanced at the Master furtively. He still stared fixedly at the view screen.
"His mind is set, and in such cases there's very little I can do to change it."
Alison stared at the console room floor. "It's like death isn't it?"
The Master looked sidelong at her. "No," he said a little too quickly, then "perhaps... perhaps for a being of your limited perspective."
"Oh thanks." she said, then she too gazed at the screen. "He didn't seem too concerned..."
"No," the Master pondered this "I'm sure he finds the experience quite liberating, the events he's experienced in his current incarnation have been somewhat... traumatic."
Alison found herself staring at her hands. "But we'll continue to exist?"
"You can be certain of that, though personally I would prefer that my existence remains as it is, despite it's current limitations," he looked to the place the Doctor had exited, then to her "and I believe you feel the same way."
The air hung heavily in the room.
"I make you an offer"
"No thanks"
"You haven't even heard my proposal."
"I don't need to, You want to move the Tardis into that thing and you want me to shove you out..."
"Well I can hardly exit of my own volition can I?"
Alison smirked. "As much as I'd sometimes like to shove you out of the Tardis I think I'll give it a miss."
He stepped closer to her "Are you certain?" he said, his eyes locked on hers.
She turned away from him and faced the console. "That's not going to work either."
He chuckled lightly and clasped his hands behind his back "You know me so well, but consider this... are you truly ready to face your own oblivion?"
She paused a moment. "I'll manage" she finally said, tipping her head to the side and rolling one shoulder back as if attempting to shrug him off.
"And with your memories gone... you go back to your mundane place on earth, your life as it was before."
"The Doctor..." she began "he said it would be wrong to..."
"The Doctor" he interrupted "would never willingly extend his life beyond its natural limits".
"But you would" she said.
"Of course" he said "you already know this."
Alison turned to face him. Beyond him the view screen showed a fountain of light flowing fiercely upward from the center of the red mass. She studied it quietly.
"Well then, there's only one thing left to do." she said calmly.
"The master's eyebrows raised in mild expectation. "And that is?"
Alison shifted her hand behind her back and flicked the deactivation switch on the console. The Master's eyes glowed red briefly, then glazed over. He stood rigidly still.
"I never could take the easy way out" she let her arms fall to her sides.
"Well done Alison."
She turned to find the Doctor watching her from the far end of the control room. She glanced down briefly, then back up at him. She smiled. "I notice you didn't bring any chairs."