CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - CONCLUSION

There was a cool breeze that gently blew through the large vacuous building which held the occasional packing crate and the odd assortment of litter. The cool breeze brought along with it a strong odeur of fish which after a short while began to disagree with Ace's nostrils. With a deep resigning sigh Ace opened her eyes and made an attempt to move, however she quickly found she couldn't move either her arms or legs. Trying to take in her new surroundings Ace quickly discovered that her body was suspended in the air and her hands and feet were securely bound and tethered.

In front of her stood a small table with a white sheet over the top of it and a tall figure standing behind it with it's back towards her.

"Hello there Ace," a familiar voice greeted, "welcome back to the land of the living."

Ace groaned again as she recognised the voice. "Victor. What brings you to this place, and more importantly, why am I here?"

"Always asking questions Ace," Victor commented as he finally walked in front of Ace. "I'm sure you have been here long enough my dear. Have you taken a moment to take in your surroundings Ace? I mean just look at the inate beauty of it all. The pure and sublime, hmm ignorance of it all."

"Just what are you babbling about?" Ace murmured as she hung from her spot. "And who is that person over there?"

Victor didn't answer straight away, but rather walked back a few paced and picked up a stool, which he placed in front of Ace before sitting on.

"What you call babbling my dear, I call an explanation," Victor commented before taking a deep breath and looking in her eyes. "I have been here for a considerable amout of time, and I have seen everything this place has to offer. The locals, both wise in their intellect and knowledgeable in the ways of survival." Victor paused for a moment and took another breath. "I hate this place," he spat out.

"You hate this place?" Ace repeated, not entirely sure why someone would spend so much time in a place they disliked.

"I am the Master!" Vicror boomed. "I should be the Grand Emperor of all the known lands from here to the outer rim. I aided the Dalek Empire and helped it achieved it's goals and desires. I single-handedly evolved the Silurians to a standard far superior than they would have gotten. But what do I get for my intervention and genius? Condemnation and isolation. I was found guilty of corruption and making unlawful genetic experiments and I get stranded on this planet, unable to leave."

"Have you actually tried to leave at all?" Ace asked.

Now angry Victor stood up and took two paces towards Ace before raising his left hand and hitting her across her face, the force of which cause her head to whip sharply to one side and a cry to escape from her lips.

"Stupid child!" Victor spat with force. "Do you not think I have tried, on many occasions. Space vessels of any kind rarely arrive here, my 'Guardians' make sure of this. They are around me at all time, watching, waiting for me to make an attempt at something. But they know I won't, they know I cannot leave this world. That is, until now."

"The Sentinnels?" Ace whispered softly. "They have a part in keeping you captive haven't they."

At that comment Victor swore under his breath and turned away from Aces' gace. "Yes, they keep me under scrunity," Victor answered. "The creatures I helped become who they are today, against me as I'm forced to live my lives here. When you looked at them, did you not recognise who they were my young friend?"

Ace didn't answer but rather shook her head slowly.

"They are the peak of perfection. Intellectually superior than once before, working in a perfect collective for the universal goal of domination. They would have been nothing without me." At that point Victor looked up and clentched his fists in rage as he shouted. "NOTHING WITHOUT ME!"

It took Ace a few moments to think about what Victor was saying before she came to the realisation. "They're enhanced Daleks aren't they?"

"Yes," Victor answered as he turned his gaze back. "And now, without knowing there is a means of escape at my disposal, but there is only one thing in my way." He glared menacingly at Ace as he walked towards her and took a deep breath. "Tell me the access codes for your TARDIS young one."

Aces' eyes widen in shock and swallowed a deep breath. "And if I don't?" Ace replied as she regained some composure. "What then?"

Victor smiled everso briefly and leaned in towards Aces' ear. "I think you underestimate the severity of the situation Ace," Victor whispered gently. Victor pulled back and turned slightly "My friend standing behind me is a consummate professional in the area of pain infliction and torture. He calls it an natural gift, bu I prefer to call it nothing short of an art form in it's own right."

Victor smiled again and walked towards the table that had not been touched the whole time. "May I?" Victor asked the tall man who said nothing, but made a gesture at the sheet. With one movement Victor pulled the sheet away to reveal a table covered with implements or all assortments and sizes. Victor stared in wonder for a moment at the selection before picking up a small rectangular shaped object and makes his way back to Ace.

Iris and Powell walked slowly through the stacked crates that littered the large building the TARDIS materialised in, Powell slightly in front of Iris taking in his surroundings. He turned his head slightly as he heard a faint sigh come from Iris and stopped walking.

"Is anything the matter Iris?" Powell asked as he turn backed to face her.

"Well," Iris answered as she stopped and looked around at her surroundings, "it just seems like that in all my recent trips so to speak, there's always been a dank and musty warehouse."

"Really?" Powell answered raising an eyebrow at her comment.

"Oh yes chuck," Iris carried on talking as she ran her fingers over the top of one of the boxes. "I remember once when I was on the Auton home planet with one of my other assistants, not Ace, I think it was Nyssa, hnnn or Peri. Anyway we found ourselves in this large building and …"

"Shh," Powell muttered as he held his fingers against his lips.

"What is it love?" Iris whispered as she darted her gaze around the room.

"We're not alone here," Powell whispered in reply as he looked towards the entrance.

Iris quickly darted behind some nearby boxes and poked her head from the side looking about the front of the building. "But I can't see anything,. Are you quite sure?" Iris whispered.

"Quite sure," Powell replied as he found a hiding place of his own.

Iris looked back towards and back of the building and then towards Powell. "Is there another exit?"

Powell hesitated for a few moments as he thought about it. "No," he finally answered, "this is the only way in and out."

"Oh why don't I like that answer," Iris muttered to herself. "I only hope that my Ace is fairing much better where she is."

"I wouldn't worry Iris," Powell replied hearing her comment, "I'm sure Ace is quite talented in surviving."

"Oh that she is chuck," Iris said with a slight chuckle, "but she has a better talent of finding trouble."