CHAPTER FIFTEEN - CONCLUSION
The Governor sat alone in a darkened room which made up part of his private residence in the central part of the town. In front of him blazed a small fire with brilliant shades of red and yellow emanating from several small logs. To his left was a small table which had a large glass half filled with brandy, and to his right stood another table which held an ashtray with a lit cigar burning gently. The Governor reached out and took hold of the cigar, brining it to his slender lips and taking a couple of deep lugs, inhaling the musty smoke before exhaling again.
"So," the Governor finally spoke in a low tone, "the Sentinels have caught somebody out after curfew."
"Yes Sir," a voice trailed from the near darkness. A man stepped forward into the firelight brandishing a couple of pieces of paper. From all outwardly appearances the man in question seemed more like a young adult, around twenty-six with short cut and sleek strands of copper coloured hair and a fair tanned complexion topped off with light green eyes.
The Governor didn't speak, however, he merely turned his head slightly to his right as if to indicate that he should continue talking.
"They have identified her as a young female located in the old district of the town a mere ten minutes ago. There are no distinguishing markings so she is not from our neighbouring town, and she has no tag so she is not from our community. A fact that records have confirmed as she is not listed in our databases. We have an image captured of her at the scene of the apprehension Sir."
The Governor reached out with his right hand as the man stepped forward and handed him a piece of paper with an image of Ace imprinted on it.
"And she was alone at the time?" the Governor asked.
"Yes, Sir," the man replied.
"Very good," the Governor mused. "I shall require a little time with her in the morning. Make it convenient."
"Yes, Sir," the man answered.
"That is all," the Governor stated as he reached out with his left hand and took the glass before taking a long, drawn sip.
The man gave a short quick salute before turning and walking back into the darkness. There was a momentary sound of a door opening and closing, and now the Governor was alone.
"What are you doing in my town?" the Governor muttered to himself as he concentrated intently on the image of Ace.
After what seemed like a short eternity of digging pieces out of her bag, Iris had found her trusty sonic screwdriver and used it to release the locking mechanism on the door giving her access to whatever it was beyond. She had passed down a set of stairs before reaching a second door, which this time wasn't locked as she turned the handle. The latch released with ease and the door swung open easily with only a slight creek from the hinges.
Iris moved inside the room which smelt as musty as the warehouse that they materialised in, only pitch black.
Iris fumbled around the walls for a moment before she found a light switch and flicked it. The bulb wasn't immensely bright, but it was enough for her to see.
Several more boxes littered the room, but this time around several of them were open. Iris moved forward towards the nearest open box and looked down at the contents. Inside the crate were what appeared to be photographs, all framed wrapped in shredded paper. A lot of the pictures looked old and they were in black and white, however there was one that was printed in colour. All the pictures were taken in various locations but all featured mainly happy couples and happy families.
Iris put the one of the photos back down and turned around towards further on into the room. There were more boxes open, but as she neared the next one she had found they contained what looked like newspapers. She stepped back and looked at the size of the box, it was quite high which meant there must have been a large selection.
"Why would a people who claim to have no memories not take the time to read these?" Iris mused to herself as she look at the top paper.
"Town reassures people they are not being poisoned." Iris muttered the headline. "Today in the chambers of the Governor publicly denounced the writings of Doctor Arran Southern that the water has been genetically reversed to have lethal but un-noticeable effects by the people of the neighbouring town. Doctor Southern wasn't available for questioning at the time and his whereabouts are now unknown."
"Interesting theory," Iris mused to herself.
She spun round suddenly, dropping the paper as she heard the door behind her swing open again. Standing in the light of the bulb was Powell, still wearing the clothes he had on earlier.
"Having problems sleeping Iris?" Powell asked with a deadpan expression on his face.
Ace slowly opened her eyes, it felt as though she'd just woken up from a deep sleep and everything around her seemed dark and hazy. She looked around slightly and Ace could make out that she was in a small dank room. Somewhere she could hear the sound of water dripping and as well as that she could see a shaft of sunlight coming in from a hole behind her.
She slowly realised that I was in some kind of cell.
Ace shook her head slightly in a vain attempt to help her mind remember what had happened. She remembered searching around the town and it was late at night, then returning to the TARDIS, and then, the Sentinels.
"Dammit," Ace muttered bitterly.
Lost in her thoughts, Ace completely ignored the form that was laying on the bed on the opposite side of the room. The sudden groan as whoever it was regain consciousness and stirred, did though and Ace quickly shrank back to the furthest corner of the cell in a vein attempt it didn't see her, well at least straight away.
"Where is my mind," it slowly murmured. "How comes I can't remember, I feel so weary, like I've been on a long journey. When will I remember ... again. Maybe in this next city someone will know me, maybe."
Ace didn't move or say anything, she just watched from the other side of the room.
It looked up at the bars and Ace could tell for the most part it was a young man. He looked up at the bars where the sunlight was shining through and sighed heavily. "Why am I here? What's going on?"
"You're on a planet called Koravox," Ace finally spoke in a low even tone as to not startle the young man. "You're not from around here are you?"
He didn't jump or appear startled at the sound of the new voice in the room, he just continued to stare at the barred window. "No I'm not. Are you?"
"No," Ace simply said. "I'm a traveller, with a friend of mine. I'm called Ace, what's your name?"
There was a couple of seconds silence before the young man turned his head and looked directly at Ace. "They call me Malcolm."
"They?" Ace repeated. "What is your real name?"
"I, can't seem to remember any other," Malcolm slowly replied "I have no memory. I lost my memory a long while ago."
"Mmm, that's a tough break." Ace said as she rolled back to lay in her previous position on the rather uncomfortable looking bed she realised she was resting on.
It seemed that Ace had a million and one questions going through her mind at that point, probably none of which this Malcolm person could answer. She got to her feet and looked around the room that had became her shelter. It was small and dark except for that shaft of sunlight that came through a small hole near the top of the wall behind her. Ace looked over and walked to the cell door. She looked at it for a moment before she tried the futile attempt to force open the door. Malcolm just looked at her not moving from his bed.
"Relax," another voice suddenly spoke out. "Take it easy. They'll let you out soon enough."
Ace stopped for a moment and peered into the gloom. There was a cell opposite the one she was in where another people was sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What are you doing here?" Ace called out.
"Me?" the stranger, "I'm a regular. I get blamed for everything by the Governor of the town, even for things I didn't do."
"Is there anything you do remember Malcolm?" Ace asked turning back to face her cell mate.
"Nothing," Malcolm replied. "Except like the person in that cell over there, the Governor wanted me in here."
Ace turned back around and started pulling on the door in frustration. "Let me out of here!"
"Take it easy." The stranger repeated. "You'll think you'll fare better out there than in here? Is that what you think?"
"What do you think?" Ace asked.
"Me," the strange simply said. "I think it's all the same."
The daylight shone brightly thought the windows of the Powell residence, and outside the friendly chatter or passers could be heard distinctively. In the main chamber at the rear of the building Powell sat along with Anna-Marie and Iris.
"I just," Powell started shaking his head, "don't understand why an outsider like yourself and Ace would take such steps as to help an entire race you've never even heard off regain their memories and sense of self-being."
"As I have tried to explain chuck," Iris replied who was reclined in a large comfortable chair, "I am a Time Lord, is one of my many responsibilities."
"And Ace?" Anna-Marie asked.
"Is my companion," Iris simply replied.
"Who has been missing since last night." Powell added. "Why did she go out into the streets Iris?"
"She's an inquisitive child," Iris replied with a slight chuckle, "I can never seem to keep her on the straight and narrow no matter how many times I tell. She's a very independent and head strong young woman."
"So," Anna-Marie spoke after a moment's silence. "What happens next?"
"I think," Iris replied. "I shall have a conversation with the Governor."
"And Ace?" Powell asked.
"She'll be fine, I've no doubt." Iris answered with a smile on her lips.
Things in the cell still wasn't looking too clever for Ace as she was reduced to pacing the floor of her cell like a caged animal. She wasn't used to constraints and not being able to go anywhere and this was really aggravating her. The stranger across the way had stopped talking and Malcolm was lightly sleeping in his bed, where he hadn't moved from.
The stranger looked across at Ace in the other cell and sighed softly shaking his head. He sat up on the edge of the bed and from his top pocket he pulled out a small metallic object. After a moment's thought he leant out as far as he could and chucked it at Ace's cell, where it clattered to the floor.
"What's that?" Ace asked as she heard it land on the floor
"It's what you're wishing for, the key to the cell traveller."
She took the key and looked at him in silence for a moment as if trying to figure out who this person really was. "How do you get this key and how do you know if it is the right one."
"Like I told you," the stranger said, "I'm the regular. And for your other question, it's a copy of the master key."
Ace hesitated as she knelt down and picked up the key, was this the means of her freedom. She looked back at Malcolm not sure weather or not to take him. She turned back once again and inserted the key into the lock, and taking a breath, turned it. She was pleasantly surprised when she heard the click of the mechanism and the door freely swung open.
"Brill, it worked." Ace uttered with a smile.
She walked out of the cell, not giving a second thought about Malcolm and the stranger and ran out of the building into the open.
Several minutes passed and both the stranger and Malcolm didn't move from their spot when the door opened again and a man appeared in the doorway. He was tall and broad built, in his middle ages with long locks of dirty blonde hair on his head.
He walked along the corridor and stopped outside the open door to the cell Ace was confined in. Looking in at just the still form of Malcolm he clenched his fist and uttered in anger.
The stranger stood up and approached the door of his cell and smiled. "Hello Victor," he calmly spoke.
Ace stopped momentarily before running down the path that lead away from the building, not taking the chance and looking back. After what seemed like several long moments Ace found herself in what looked like the main part of the town, the streets seemed small with narrow streets which seemed to wind in all different directions but they always managed to take her back to the same place she came from.
"This place is starting to do my head in," Ace mumbled to herself with slight irritation, "I'm getting myself back to the TARDIS and try to contact Iris."
She looked around for a few more moments before locating a building that caught her interest. She opened the door and walked inside.
Inside the building it seemed very bright and homely. A vibrant red was painted onto the walls which were home to several paintings. Ace turned her gaze back towards the door and so didn't notice a young red haired woman slowly making her way down a set of stairs from behind her.
"Hey," the red haired woman called, "who are you?"
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie stood in front of a large solid oak table which was home to a middle aged gentleman.
"Ahh yes," Iris replied looking down at the man. "My name is Iris, and these are my friends, Master Powell and Anna-Marie. We would like to see the Governor if that is possible?"
The man's gaze never left theirs as he finished shuffling some papers and placed them neatly to one side. "You have to realise that the Governor is a rather busy individual. May I ask, is this matter of some importance at all?"
"It is," Iris answered, "indeed."
The man didn't answer straight away but rather place his hands together and gently entwined his fingers. "Well, in that case. I shall see if he is available." The man arose from his desk and walked to a large door situated behind him, where after knocking he opened and walked into.
They stood outside for several minutes as they took in the surroundings of the main offices where the Governor of Koravox resided.
"This Governor Braithwaite certainly has nice offices." Iris commented as she looked around.
Neither Powell or Anna-Marie chose not to reply to that comment, they both knew that the plush offices and a lot of it's contents were at the request of Governor Braithwaite, which included the largest, and only Library in the entire town that was situated on the floor above them, and only the Governor was allowed access to it as he had the only key for the door.
A moment later, the door re-opened and the man returned.
"Governor Braithwaite shall see you."
Ace stood in silence momentarily as she looked across the room at the woman looking at her. "My name's Ace."
"I'm Hannah, and the inn is closed. Good luck Ace." She turned around and began to walk up the steps again. After a couple of steps, she stopped and turned back around. "You're not from around here are you? That must mean you still retain your memories."
"Yeah, that's right," Ace replied, not taking her gaze from Hannah.
"Must be nice to remember your past," Hannah commented as she walked back down the stairs. "What brings you here anyway Ace?"
"I'm with a friend of mine, Iris. We're travellers from another place."
"So I take it you've heard our tale of sadness," Hannah commented slightly sarcastically.
"What happened?" Ace asked curiously.
Hannah pointed to a nearby table and pair of chairs and started walking to one, which Ace followed. "I'm hoping you know that all literature has been, for lack of a better word, banned from our town."
"Yeah, I heard that," Ace replied taking a seat, "by the Governor."
"About a year ago," Hannah started, "there was a man called Southern. He was a scientist at our main biological centre on the outskirts of town. He was head of research and development for pharmaceuticals which was overseen by council authorities and especially the former Governor. About three months before the incident occurred he approached the Governor with a report that made allegations the main water source for our town was being threatened by our neighbouring town. By introducing a strain of bacteria into the system, the short term effects would be unnoticed, however, after both an extended period of time and consumption of water the strain of bacteria would have an impact on the memory centre of the brain and incapacitate us."
"So they defeated you?" Ace asked.
"Despite the small pieces of information, we highly doubt that Ace," Hannah commented. "Many decades ago, scientists in an attempt to keep track of the population developed a biological tagging system that was introduced to the town's people via a vaccination scheme. It was designed so that if ever a couple got together and had a child segments from both the mother's and father's tag would be incorporated into the DNA makeup of the child. The result would be, in any eventuality the child's parents could be easily identified and located with the minimum of fuss. These markers could never be forged, copied or made in any other way."
"What if they found a way?" Ace asked.
"Impossible." Hannah replied. "After the tagging system was implemented throughout the entire town, the documents were destroyed, along with the equipment and materials. Because the tags were created during procreation, it was never needed again."
"So," Ace asked getting more and more curious, "what exactly happened?"
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie sat comfortably in the Governor's office. They had been served refreshments and they have been asking questions to Governor Braithwaite for a short period of time.
"What happened?" the Governor repeated. "We're not completely sure to be honest. Doctor Southern's theories as I said were dismissed only because of the fact that if we were under attack that way we would have had plenty of time to procure an antidote, plus the fact that the water was re-tested and it showed no sign of this bacterial agent. There were some theories that we were, for a brief moment in time, at war with our neighbours, if only because the eastern district of the town is for the most part heavily damaged and in decay."
The door to the Governor's office opened and the gentleman walked in and coughed gently.
"I'm sorry," the Governor spoke looking behind Iris and the others, "I'm afraid I am going to have to cut this short. I have a rather pressing appointment."
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie stood up at that moment along with the Governor.
"We understand Governor Braithwaite," Iris answered. "We thank you for seeing us on such short notice and we'll be on our way."
"You're most welcome," the Governor replied taking Iris' hand and shaking it. "Please enjoy the remainder of your time in our town."
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie turned and casually walked out of the office, leaving the Governor standing in the same position. When the door closed, he exhaled a long breath and placed his hands palm down on the table top.
"We should talk," a voice suddenly announced itself in the near empty room. "The traveller."
"What about the traveller." Braithwaite answered, not moving from his spot.
"I have not been able to get any further information from the individual in question, and my tolerance is fast running out."
"It doesn't matter any more," the Governor muttered. "Leave Malcolm in the cell for the rest of his days. He'll never regain his memories and that's good enough for me."
"As for the traveller caught last night in the Old District. She's managed to escape."
The Governor didn't move but clenched his fingers into a fist and slammed them onto the table in anger.
"She seems too inquisitive for her own good. This one could undermine my plans. You know what to do."
"Indeed."
"You don't need me to remind you," the Governor muttered as he turned around to face the shadowy character. "Not to fail Victor."
Ace had learnt a lot from Hannah, but still it left her with a lot of unanswered questions, that hopefully Iris could answer for her. She wasn't sure how to get to Powell's residence, she wasn't even sure if Iris was still there, so she decided on the next best location. Back to the TARDIS again and try to communicate with Iris from there.
On top of all she had went through the past twelve or so hours, she was still questioning the motives of the stranger in the jail cell who had to readily and quickly given her the means of her escape. Who was he? How did he have a key and why was he locked up in the first place? For all she knew, she could have been some sort of informant or spy working for the Council or the Governor.
Ace turned into a quiet side street away from the hustle and bustle of the street traders and commuters and smiled as she saw the warehouse a short distance ahead of her.
"Don't move!" somebody said loudly from behind her. Ace spun around the saw a person walking up to her. "Back here so soon?"
They stood there exchanging silent glances for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly something clicked inside her mind and she remember they previously met.
"You threw me in prison punk!" Ace spat suddenly, "Why did you do that?"
"Did I do that." he replied innocently. "I guess I did? Victor, at your service" he snickered with a sarcastic bow.
Ace continued to look at him, the definition of the face, the slight curve of the lips as he smiled, the shade of his eyes and the manner in which he stood. Then a realisation came to her and she took a hesitant step back. "So you're called Victor here eh? I don't know how you changed your hair style or accent but you don't fool me. I know we've met before."
"Very perceptive Ace," Victor answered with a smile. "I'm sure Iris and the other Time Lords would be proud of how far you're progressed."
The last thing that Ace remembered was a searing pain as Victor struck her and she fell to the ground. The world began to spin fast and hard and she quickly slipped into unconsciousness.
"Yes," Victor muttered standing over the still form of Ace. "The only trouble is the you are the only person on this planet who knows that I am the Master, and it is going to stay that way.."
Far in the distance behind him, a pair of brilliant blue eyes glared from the shadows intently, observing everything that was taking place.
"So," the persons voice uttered softly. "where do we go from here?"
The Governor sat alone in a darkened room which made up part of his private residence in the central part of the town. In front of him blazed a small fire with brilliant shades of red and yellow emanating from several small logs. To his left was a small table which had a large glass half filled with brandy, and to his right stood another table which held an ashtray with a lit cigar burning gently. The Governor reached out and took hold of the cigar, brining it to his slender lips and taking a couple of deep lugs, inhaling the musty smoke before exhaling again.
"So," the Governor finally spoke in a low tone, "the Sentinels have caught somebody out after curfew."
"Yes Sir," a voice trailed from the near darkness. A man stepped forward into the firelight brandishing a couple of pieces of paper. From all outwardly appearances the man in question seemed more like a young adult, around twenty-six with short cut and sleek strands of copper coloured hair and a fair tanned complexion topped off with light green eyes.
The Governor didn't speak, however, he merely turned his head slightly to his right as if to indicate that he should continue talking.
"They have identified her as a young female located in the old district of the town a mere ten minutes ago. There are no distinguishing markings so she is not from our neighbouring town, and she has no tag so she is not from our community. A fact that records have confirmed as she is not listed in our databases. We have an image captured of her at the scene of the apprehension Sir."
The Governor reached out with his right hand as the man stepped forward and handed him a piece of paper with an image of Ace imprinted on it.
"And she was alone at the time?" the Governor asked.
"Yes, Sir," the man replied.
"Very good," the Governor mused. "I shall require a little time with her in the morning. Make it convenient."
"Yes, Sir," the man answered.
"That is all," the Governor stated as he reached out with his left hand and took the glass before taking a long, drawn sip.
The man gave a short quick salute before turning and walking back into the darkness. There was a momentary sound of a door opening and closing, and now the Governor was alone.
"What are you doing in my town?" the Governor muttered to himself as he concentrated intently on the image of Ace.
After what seemed like a short eternity of digging pieces out of her bag, Iris had found her trusty sonic screwdriver and used it to release the locking mechanism on the door giving her access to whatever it was beyond. She had passed down a set of stairs before reaching a second door, which this time wasn't locked as she turned the handle. The latch released with ease and the door swung open easily with only a slight creek from the hinges.
Iris moved inside the room which smelt as musty as the warehouse that they materialised in, only pitch black.
Iris fumbled around the walls for a moment before she found a light switch and flicked it. The bulb wasn't immensely bright, but it was enough for her to see.
Several more boxes littered the room, but this time around several of them were open. Iris moved forward towards the nearest open box and looked down at the contents. Inside the crate were what appeared to be photographs, all framed wrapped in shredded paper. A lot of the pictures looked old and they were in black and white, however there was one that was printed in colour. All the pictures were taken in various locations but all featured mainly happy couples and happy families.
Iris put the one of the photos back down and turned around towards further on into the room. There were more boxes open, but as she neared the next one she had found they contained what looked like newspapers. She stepped back and looked at the size of the box, it was quite high which meant there must have been a large selection.
"Why would a people who claim to have no memories not take the time to read these?" Iris mused to herself as she look at the top paper.
"Town reassures people they are not being poisoned." Iris muttered the headline. "Today in the chambers of the Governor publicly denounced the writings of Doctor Arran Southern that the water has been genetically reversed to have lethal but un-noticeable effects by the people of the neighbouring town. Doctor Southern wasn't available for questioning at the time and his whereabouts are now unknown."
"Interesting theory," Iris mused to herself.
She spun round suddenly, dropping the paper as she heard the door behind her swing open again. Standing in the light of the bulb was Powell, still wearing the clothes he had on earlier.
"Having problems sleeping Iris?" Powell asked with a deadpan expression on his face.
Ace slowly opened her eyes, it felt as though she'd just woken up from a deep sleep and everything around her seemed dark and hazy. She looked around slightly and Ace could make out that she was in a small dank room. Somewhere she could hear the sound of water dripping and as well as that she could see a shaft of sunlight coming in from a hole behind her.
She slowly realised that I was in some kind of cell.
Ace shook her head slightly in a vain attempt to help her mind remember what had happened. She remembered searching around the town and it was late at night, then returning to the TARDIS, and then, the Sentinels.
"Dammit," Ace muttered bitterly.
Lost in her thoughts, Ace completely ignored the form that was laying on the bed on the opposite side of the room. The sudden groan as whoever it was regain consciousness and stirred, did though and Ace quickly shrank back to the furthest corner of the cell in a vein attempt it didn't see her, well at least straight away.
"Where is my mind," it slowly murmured. "How comes I can't remember, I feel so weary, like I've been on a long journey. When will I remember ... again. Maybe in this next city someone will know me, maybe."
Ace didn't move or say anything, she just watched from the other side of the room.
It looked up at the bars and Ace could tell for the most part it was a young man. He looked up at the bars where the sunlight was shining through and sighed heavily. "Why am I here? What's going on?"
"You're on a planet called Koravox," Ace finally spoke in a low even tone as to not startle the young man. "You're not from around here are you?"
He didn't jump or appear startled at the sound of the new voice in the room, he just continued to stare at the barred window. "No I'm not. Are you?"
"No," Ace simply said. "I'm a traveller, with a friend of mine. I'm called Ace, what's your name?"
There was a couple of seconds silence before the young man turned his head and looked directly at Ace. "They call me Malcolm."
"They?" Ace repeated. "What is your real name?"
"I, can't seem to remember any other," Malcolm slowly replied "I have no memory. I lost my memory a long while ago."
"Mmm, that's a tough break." Ace said as she rolled back to lay in her previous position on the rather uncomfortable looking bed she realised she was resting on.
It seemed that Ace had a million and one questions going through her mind at that point, probably none of which this Malcolm person could answer. She got to her feet and looked around the room that had became her shelter. It was small and dark except for that shaft of sunlight that came through a small hole near the top of the wall behind her. Ace looked over and walked to the cell door. She looked at it for a moment before she tried the futile attempt to force open the door. Malcolm just looked at her not moving from his bed.
"Relax," another voice suddenly spoke out. "Take it easy. They'll let you out soon enough."
Ace stopped for a moment and peered into the gloom. There was a cell opposite the one she was in where another people was sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What are you doing here?" Ace called out.
"Me?" the stranger, "I'm a regular. I get blamed for everything by the Governor of the town, even for things I didn't do."
"Is there anything you do remember Malcolm?" Ace asked turning back to face her cell mate.
"Nothing," Malcolm replied. "Except like the person in that cell over there, the Governor wanted me in here."
Ace turned back around and started pulling on the door in frustration. "Let me out of here!"
"Take it easy." The stranger repeated. "You'll think you'll fare better out there than in here? Is that what you think?"
"What do you think?" Ace asked.
"Me," the strange simply said. "I think it's all the same."
The daylight shone brightly thought the windows of the Powell residence, and outside the friendly chatter or passers could be heard distinctively. In the main chamber at the rear of the building Powell sat along with Anna-Marie and Iris.
"I just," Powell started shaking his head, "don't understand why an outsider like yourself and Ace would take such steps as to help an entire race you've never even heard off regain their memories and sense of self-being."
"As I have tried to explain chuck," Iris replied who was reclined in a large comfortable chair, "I am a Time Lord, is one of my many responsibilities."
"And Ace?" Anna-Marie asked.
"Is my companion," Iris simply replied.
"Who has been missing since last night." Powell added. "Why did she go out into the streets Iris?"
"She's an inquisitive child," Iris replied with a slight chuckle, "I can never seem to keep her on the straight and narrow no matter how many times I tell. She's a very independent and head strong young woman."
"So," Anna-Marie spoke after a moment's silence. "What happens next?"
"I think," Iris replied. "I shall have a conversation with the Governor."
"And Ace?" Powell asked.
"She'll be fine, I've no doubt." Iris answered with a smile on her lips.
Things in the cell still wasn't looking too clever for Ace as she was reduced to pacing the floor of her cell like a caged animal. She wasn't used to constraints and not being able to go anywhere and this was really aggravating her. The stranger across the way had stopped talking and Malcolm was lightly sleeping in his bed, where he hadn't moved from.
The stranger looked across at Ace in the other cell and sighed softly shaking his head. He sat up on the edge of the bed and from his top pocket he pulled out a small metallic object. After a moment's thought he leant out as far as he could and chucked it at Ace's cell, where it clattered to the floor.
"What's that?" Ace asked as she heard it land on the floor
"It's what you're wishing for, the key to the cell traveller."
She took the key and looked at him in silence for a moment as if trying to figure out who this person really was. "How do you get this key and how do you know if it is the right one."
"Like I told you," the stranger said, "I'm the regular. And for your other question, it's a copy of the master key."
Ace hesitated as she knelt down and picked up the key, was this the means of her freedom. She looked back at Malcolm not sure weather or not to take him. She turned back once again and inserted the key into the lock, and taking a breath, turned it. She was pleasantly surprised when she heard the click of the mechanism and the door freely swung open.
"Brill, it worked." Ace uttered with a smile.
She walked out of the cell, not giving a second thought about Malcolm and the stranger and ran out of the building into the open.
Several minutes passed and both the stranger and Malcolm didn't move from their spot when the door opened again and a man appeared in the doorway. He was tall and broad built, in his middle ages with long locks of dirty blonde hair on his head.
He walked along the corridor and stopped outside the open door to the cell Ace was confined in. Looking in at just the still form of Malcolm he clenched his fist and uttered in anger.
The stranger stood up and approached the door of his cell and smiled. "Hello Victor," he calmly spoke.
Ace stopped momentarily before running down the path that lead away from the building, not taking the chance and looking back. After what seemed like several long moments Ace found herself in what looked like the main part of the town, the streets seemed small with narrow streets which seemed to wind in all different directions but they always managed to take her back to the same place she came from.
"This place is starting to do my head in," Ace mumbled to herself with slight irritation, "I'm getting myself back to the TARDIS and try to contact Iris."
She looked around for a few more moments before locating a building that caught her interest. She opened the door and walked inside.
Inside the building it seemed very bright and homely. A vibrant red was painted onto the walls which were home to several paintings. Ace turned her gaze back towards the door and so didn't notice a young red haired woman slowly making her way down a set of stairs from behind her.
"Hey," the red haired woman called, "who are you?"
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie stood in front of a large solid oak table which was home to a middle aged gentleman.
"Ahh yes," Iris replied looking down at the man. "My name is Iris, and these are my friends, Master Powell and Anna-Marie. We would like to see the Governor if that is possible?"
The man's gaze never left theirs as he finished shuffling some papers and placed them neatly to one side. "You have to realise that the Governor is a rather busy individual. May I ask, is this matter of some importance at all?"
"It is," Iris answered, "indeed."
The man didn't answer straight away but rather place his hands together and gently entwined his fingers. "Well, in that case. I shall see if he is available." The man arose from his desk and walked to a large door situated behind him, where after knocking he opened and walked into.
They stood outside for several minutes as they took in the surroundings of the main offices where the Governor of Koravox resided.
"This Governor Braithwaite certainly has nice offices." Iris commented as she looked around.
Neither Powell or Anna-Marie chose not to reply to that comment, they both knew that the plush offices and a lot of it's contents were at the request of Governor Braithwaite, which included the largest, and only Library in the entire town that was situated on the floor above them, and only the Governor was allowed access to it as he had the only key for the door.
A moment later, the door re-opened and the man returned.
"Governor Braithwaite shall see you."
Ace stood in silence momentarily as she looked across the room at the woman looking at her. "My name's Ace."
"I'm Hannah, and the inn is closed. Good luck Ace." She turned around and began to walk up the steps again. After a couple of steps, she stopped and turned back around. "You're not from around here are you? That must mean you still retain your memories."
"Yeah, that's right," Ace replied, not taking her gaze from Hannah.
"Must be nice to remember your past," Hannah commented as she walked back down the stairs. "What brings you here anyway Ace?"
"I'm with a friend of mine, Iris. We're travellers from another place."
"So I take it you've heard our tale of sadness," Hannah commented slightly sarcastically.
"What happened?" Ace asked curiously.
Hannah pointed to a nearby table and pair of chairs and started walking to one, which Ace followed. "I'm hoping you know that all literature has been, for lack of a better word, banned from our town."
"Yeah, I heard that," Ace replied taking a seat, "by the Governor."
"About a year ago," Hannah started, "there was a man called Southern. He was a scientist at our main biological centre on the outskirts of town. He was head of research and development for pharmaceuticals which was overseen by council authorities and especially the former Governor. About three months before the incident occurred he approached the Governor with a report that made allegations the main water source for our town was being threatened by our neighbouring town. By introducing a strain of bacteria into the system, the short term effects would be unnoticed, however, after both an extended period of time and consumption of water the strain of bacteria would have an impact on the memory centre of the brain and incapacitate us."
"So they defeated you?" Ace asked.
"Despite the small pieces of information, we highly doubt that Ace," Hannah commented. "Many decades ago, scientists in an attempt to keep track of the population developed a biological tagging system that was introduced to the town's people via a vaccination scheme. It was designed so that if ever a couple got together and had a child segments from both the mother's and father's tag would be incorporated into the DNA makeup of the child. The result would be, in any eventuality the child's parents could be easily identified and located with the minimum of fuss. These markers could never be forged, copied or made in any other way."
"What if they found a way?" Ace asked.
"Impossible." Hannah replied. "After the tagging system was implemented throughout the entire town, the documents were destroyed, along with the equipment and materials. Because the tags were created during procreation, it was never needed again."
"So," Ace asked getting more and more curious, "what exactly happened?"
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie sat comfortably in the Governor's office. They had been served refreshments and they have been asking questions to Governor Braithwaite for a short period of time.
"What happened?" the Governor repeated. "We're not completely sure to be honest. Doctor Southern's theories as I said were dismissed only because of the fact that if we were under attack that way we would have had plenty of time to procure an antidote, plus the fact that the water was re-tested and it showed no sign of this bacterial agent. There were some theories that we were, for a brief moment in time, at war with our neighbours, if only because the eastern district of the town is for the most part heavily damaged and in decay."
The door to the Governor's office opened and the gentleman walked in and coughed gently.
"I'm sorry," the Governor spoke looking behind Iris and the others, "I'm afraid I am going to have to cut this short. I have a rather pressing appointment."
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie stood up at that moment along with the Governor.
"We understand Governor Braithwaite," Iris answered. "We thank you for seeing us on such short notice and we'll be on our way."
"You're most welcome," the Governor replied taking Iris' hand and shaking it. "Please enjoy the remainder of your time in our town."
Iris, Powell and Anna-Marie turned and casually walked out of the office, leaving the Governor standing in the same position. When the door closed, he exhaled a long breath and placed his hands palm down on the table top.
"We should talk," a voice suddenly announced itself in the near empty room. "The traveller."
"What about the traveller." Braithwaite answered, not moving from his spot.
"I have not been able to get any further information from the individual in question, and my tolerance is fast running out."
"It doesn't matter any more," the Governor muttered. "Leave Malcolm in the cell for the rest of his days. He'll never regain his memories and that's good enough for me."
"As for the traveller caught last night in the Old District. She's managed to escape."
The Governor didn't move but clenched his fingers into a fist and slammed them onto the table in anger.
"She seems too inquisitive for her own good. This one could undermine my plans. You know what to do."
"Indeed."
"You don't need me to remind you," the Governor muttered as he turned around to face the shadowy character. "Not to fail Victor."
Ace had learnt a lot from Hannah, but still it left her with a lot of unanswered questions, that hopefully Iris could answer for her. She wasn't sure how to get to Powell's residence, she wasn't even sure if Iris was still there, so she decided on the next best location. Back to the TARDIS again and try to communicate with Iris from there.
On top of all she had went through the past twelve or so hours, she was still questioning the motives of the stranger in the jail cell who had to readily and quickly given her the means of her escape. Who was he? How did he have a key and why was he locked up in the first place? For all she knew, she could have been some sort of informant or spy working for the Council or the Governor.
Ace turned into a quiet side street away from the hustle and bustle of the street traders and commuters and smiled as she saw the warehouse a short distance ahead of her.
"Don't move!" somebody said loudly from behind her. Ace spun around the saw a person walking up to her. "Back here so soon?"
They stood there exchanging silent glances for what seemed like an eternity. Suddenly something clicked inside her mind and she remember they previously met.
"You threw me in prison punk!" Ace spat suddenly, "Why did you do that?"
"Did I do that." he replied innocently. "I guess I did? Victor, at your service" he snickered with a sarcastic bow.
Ace continued to look at him, the definition of the face, the slight curve of the lips as he smiled, the shade of his eyes and the manner in which he stood. Then a realisation came to her and she took a hesitant step back. "So you're called Victor here eh? I don't know how you changed your hair style or accent but you don't fool me. I know we've met before."
"Very perceptive Ace," Victor answered with a smile. "I'm sure Iris and the other Time Lords would be proud of how far you're progressed."
The last thing that Ace remembered was a searing pain as Victor struck her and she fell to the ground. The world began to spin fast and hard and she quickly slipped into unconsciousness.
"Yes," Victor muttered standing over the still form of Ace. "The only trouble is the you are the only person on this planet who knows that I am the Master, and it is going to stay that way.."
Far in the distance behind him, a pair of brilliant blue eyes glared from the shadows intently, observing everything that was taking place.
"So," the persons voice uttered softly. "where do we go from here?"
