Evil Incarnate Part 5.

"What if he isn't this 'Master' bloke?" Mickey asked in hushed tones.

"Well, he'll just think I'm mad. He wouldn't be the first." Rose replied.

"Probably wont be the last either" Mickey added as Rose walked towards the individual who had identified himself as Professor Padrone.

"Are you medically trained Professor?" Rose asked innocently.

"No, no, I'm afraid not, I'm a professor of robotics only, why, did those brutish creatures injure you?" Concern flashed across the mans face as his eyes scanned Rose for any obvious signs of physical damage.

"I'm fine, honestly. I'm just wondering if you knew any basic human anatomy? Where the human heart is, for example?" Rose persisted, here eyes intense, belying her innocent tones.

"Why, yes of course I know where the heart is, and it isn't at home." Padrone laughed lightly at his own witticism.

"It's here right?" Rose asked as she took hold of his hand and held it to his chest. "On the left hand side of the chest?"

"Yes, that's correct; I can feel it beating right now." Padrone said cautiously.

"Oh, that's good, it would be so much more frightening if you couldn't." Rose laughed. "But then, if that's your heart," Rose moved the mans hand to the right hand side of his chest, "Then what's this?"

Padrone was ready to laugh again, thinking this was some kind of joke, but then he felt it. Another steady thumping beneath his hand, he looked down to his hand in disbelief. "That, that is impossible." He wrenched his hand free from Rose's grip and staggered backwards. His mouth moved as if to speak, but nothing came out, his mind was reeling. He turned away from Rose and sat on a chair, silently staring at a wall.

"Well, that helped the situation no end." Mickey said sarcastically.

"We just need him to remember who he is. You heard the Doctor, this guy is a Timelord. He might be able to help."

"Yeah, but everyone thinks that this guy is behind all of this."

"Obviously, everyone is wrong. Now if he's trapped here like us, then I'd be willing to bet that he'd help us out, if he could only remember himself. If only the Doctor was here…" Rose stopped herself, "We don't even know if he's alive or, or…"

"If it's as bad as all that, he'll just change again." Mickey said, placing his hand on Rose's shoulder.

"I don't want him to change, I'm just getting used to this one. I don't know if I can do it again. I'm not strong enough."

"I know that you're strong Rose, you've always been the strong one. I mean, shouldn't it be me that's falling to pieces right now?" Mickey's smile was infectious, Rose couldn't help but return it.

"OK then, if I'm strong, let's see how strong." Rose's momentary sense of loss was pushed to the back of her mind 'enough time for that later, maybe' she thought to herself. "What have we got to work with in here? We need tools, weapons maybe, anything we can use against those Yeti things.

"I've still got the grenades. They didn't bother to take them off me." Mickey said. "Big boom boom, always good in a situation like this." He smiled.

"Oh, Brigadier, I've just remembered something." The Doctor spoke as his hand restrained his old friend. "Get on the radio, tell UNIT HQ that you've been called away to Geneva."

"What? Why Doctor?"

"I don't know, but when I eventually get to the real Space centre, that's where I'm told that you are. So, you obviously have to tell someone that, so they can tell me."

"You mean, I have to lie so that someone else can lie to you? The other you I mean."

"More or less, yes."

"Then I wont be able to get backup here. It'll just be you and me against the Yeti and the Master." The Brigadier looked astonished at the Doctor's face, totally immune to the new Doctor's disarming smile.

"Just like the good old days." The Doctor announced as the Brigadier took hold of his radio to call HQ.

"OK, so here's the plan. That Yeti is patrolling the hallway, he passes every couple of minutes, like clockwork. The next time it does, Mickey, you lob a grenade at it. Even if it doesn't destroy it, it could damage it enough to let us get away."

"It goes boom, we run? Got it."

"Are you with us?" Rose turned to face Padrone, who had scarcely moved.

"Yes, I can't stay here. I am with you." Padrone joined Rose and Mickey behind their makeshift barricade, formed from an upturned table. "I think I hear it coming."

Rose checked her watch, "yep, right on time. You ready Mickey?"

"Kind of, let me get back to you on that."

"No time. Just be ready."

Mickey pulled his hand back, holding the grenade lightly, ready to throw it as soon as the Yeti came into view. "God, if you're up there, and you're listening, don't let me throw this like a girl." Mickey whispered.

"I'd much rather you didn't throw it at all if you don't mind." The Doctor's voice echoed from the Hall. Then he appeared at the door. Rose vaulted the table and ran to him, grabbing him in a tight embrace. "Aww, you missed me then?" He asked, noting with some relief that Mickey had lowered his hand.

"How did you mange to get in? Past those Yeti things?" Rose asked without letting go of the Doctor.

"Ah, well, about that…" The Doctor said, as he gently nudged Rose back into the room, followed by the Brigadier. Rose looked up from him and saw the Yeti standing behind the two men.

"Oh, well that's just great." Rose laughed as she released the Doctor, then gently punched him.

"Ow," The Doctor said, as he sidestepped Rose. "So what do we have here?"

"The Master." The Brigadier made a dash for Professor Padrone and grabbed him.

"Oi, let him go. He doesn't know who he is." Rose shouted.

"Really? Have you forgotten everything about yourself?" The Doctor looked intently at the man.

"I know exactly who I am. I am Professor Albert Padrone, head of theoretical robotics, working for the British Government."

"Albert?" The Doctor asked, "Not very Italian sounding."

"My mother's influence, she from Brighton."

"Oh, Brighton, I love Brighton. Have you ever been to Brighton Rose? How about you Mickey?"

"What are you implying Doctor?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." The Doctor turned back to the Master, "So what's he done to you old friend?" His hands reached for the Master's face and he closed his eyes. "All of his real memories have been suppressed. His cover story has been given dominance." The Doctor looked as though he was pressing hard on something, despite the fact that he wasn't. "I can't break down the barriers." He said as he opened his eyes and released Padrone. "I'll find a way, don't worry." He looked earnestly at the Professor, who looked even more confused than ever.

"Old friend?" Mickey asked.

"Oh yes, we attended the academy together, even went to the Rassilon gala ball together one year."

"What?" Rose almost shouted.

"Well, I wasn't particularly interested in going, but he wanted to go, but couldn't get a date, because of, well, the fact that he's a bit nuts." He looked back at Padrone, "Sorry, but it's true."

"OK, so if he isn't behind this, then who is?" The Brigadier asked, sounding exasperated.

"Someone we know very well Brigadier."

"So, you know who it is?"

"Yes, I've known since he first attacked me in my lab." The Doctor turned to the Brigadier. "There are two things I always remember about people. Their eye colour, how they drink their coffee, and their psionic resonance trace."

"That's three things Doctor." Rose interjected.

"Who's counting?" The Doctor flashed a smile, "and this person is a white with three sugars man."

"Only two now Doctor, I'm cutting down." The voice from the doorway startled everyone except the Doctor, all eyes turned, the Doctor however stared resolutely away from the door.

"Hello Mike." The Doctor's hushed greeting, though almost whispered, resonated around the room.

To be continued.