Chapter 8

Broken Circle

London England

November 23, 1963

Emetrius walks down a dark quiet street in London, seemingly oblivious to the chill in the air. He wears a light coat and worn thread bare clothes. He has taken to wandering the streets as he is devoid of purpose. He had obsessively pursued a goal for close to three thousand years and now that he had been deprived of that goal, he really had no purpose or function to his existence. All the other vampires that walked the earth with him viewed him as dangerous and that suited him fine. They lacked the courage to attempt to deal with him alone and they lacked the cohesion necessary to deal with him as a group. All vampires had a long reaching goal that was complicated at best. He was an enigma to his own kind as he had had a simple goal and that was to be reunited with Elizabeth. It would seem that only he and his oldest creation, Janaline knew that he had inadvertently been transported back in time and then became what he was. He loathed his existence and yet he wasn't quite sure how to end it. He wasn't even sure if he could. He thought back to Elizabeth. She was his one, true desire still after all this time. She had been gone from the world for almost fifteen years now and the world was a sorrier place for it in his opinion. He thought about that fateful day when all of his dreams crashed. It was an historic day in the grand scheme that was his existence. An American president had said that December 07, 1941 was a date that would live in infamy but November 04, 1888 was a true date to live in infamy. It was that date when he should have proposed to Elizabeth. It was on that date when he was transported back in time by that wretched Doctor. It was on that date when Austriel attacked him and was subsequently dispatched. It was the day that Nigel Brown died. It was the day that Elizabeth found out about his true nature. He thought back to the last time that he saw and spoke with her.

London England

October 12, 1928

Emetrius had been traveling the world after losing Elizabeth. He had attempted to fill the void in his existence by any means available to him. He had, not long after losing Elizabeth, to make himself a companion. He took a young woman from her bedroom while she had slept. He had transformed her and she, for a time seemed to love him. It would seem that she could fill the void in his existence quite well until one night; she suddenly came to despise him. He questioned her about what had changed and she relentlessly attacked him. He had been forced to destroy her. She had been with him close to thirteen years. She was joyous to learn that she would never age. July 03, 1903 he left England and traveled the world. He learned all he could about the human race. He walked among them and viewed them as little more than cattle but during this time he discovered that he could influence the humans that interacted with. He could project a sense of friendliness in them insomuch as they would be inclined to do whatever he wanted them to. He could influence them to part with their wealth, cause them to attack those that they were close to. He could even cause them to violate their most closely held beliefs. He couldn't quite coerce them into taking their own lives but he could cause them to murder for him. It was a skill that the other vampires had to a certain degree but not like his. When the Great War broke out he discovered just how depraved the human race could be and how corrupt their governments were. So many lives had been thrown away for nothing it seemed. He had participated in it, walking the battlefields of France, feeding on soldiers of both sides. He remembered when an artillery shell had landed about a meter away from where he had been standing. It had actually detached his right arm. All he had to do was take the severed limb and hold it to the stump and concentrate for a moment. It was like it never had happened. He had influenced an entire platoon of German soldiers to surrender their position and throw down their weapons and stand up on the edge of their trenches. They had all been cut down by machine gun fire. It had been an exercise in futility on his part. He had just wanted to see if he could do it.

He used his power now in seeing Elizabeth. Her father had put her into an insane asylum after that fateful night. She had been kept isolated and on medications night and day. He had been to see her before but never spoke to her. He had approached and immediately charmed his way into seeing the director of the facility. He had used a good portion of his ability on the director and now the director viewed him as favorably as he would have an old family acquaintance. He had taken him to the cell where Elizabeth was kept and allowed him to enter. He was always sad to see her here. She was the only human that he any sort of compassion on. She looked at him with confusion for a moment.

"Nigel?" she said.

"Yes Elizabeth, it is me."

She had stood up from her bed at that moment and looked at him with more confusion then her face twisted into a mask of rage and fear.

"You're not Nigel, you're a monster! You killed him!" she shrieked at him and then began to pummel him with her fists. He did nothing to stop her from doing so and merely stood there and allowed it to occur. She was only fifty eight years old but looked more like eighty. Finally he feared that she would expire before he had a chance to speak with her. He reached out with his special ability and began to influence her to a more favorable status. She calmed for a moment and then looked into his eyes. He could see the beautiful woman that she once was behind those eyes and then her face darkened again.

"You're a devil," she hissed at him. "Your dark magic has no effect on me. What is it exactly that you want from me? You ruined my life; I wish that I had never met you that day on the street. I have spent so long in this place it is all I know and it is entirely your fault!" she had finished those last words by poking her bony finger into his chest.

"I only wanted to see you and ask why, or more precisely how, you came to the knowledge of the misfortune that happened to me. How exactly did you know?"

"That woman came to me and explained what you were. She explained how you were a monster."

"What woman?" he asked gently.

"What difference does it make? Can you change what happened? Can you fix it?"

"I could have made you happy. I could have cherished you. You wouldn't be here now."

"Oh but I am here you devil! It's because of you that my life has been robbed of me. They give me drugs to calm me and yet my curse is to keep my sanity."

"I still love you Elizabeth. It is my curse to love you and never have it returned again." He said as he turned to go.

"Emetrius." She said.

He stiffened at the use of his name.

"If you truly love me, end this for me."

"I can get you released from here if you would like."

"For what purpose; can I have a life now? Can I marry and have a family?"

"Elizabeth," he began.

"No! You end this for me now. Take my life as it is unbearable for me to live it now!"

"I will do as you ask but I need to know, when did she tell you about me. This is important to me."

"I will never forget. It was at 8:45 pm on November 4, 1888. I was going to be fashionably late for you when she came."

"Are you absolutely sure?" he asked.

"As sure as I am that you are here almost forty years later and you have not aged one bit."

There was something that bothered him but he could not place it. He paused for a moment and could not quite put the pieces together. He looked at her as she looked at him. She had wanted him to take her life and she seemed sincere. As he looked at her, a death had occurred, his own to be precise. Nigel Brown passed away at that moment. He looked at her with the eyes of Emetrius for the first time. She was merely human and unless he was going to make her like himself, she would never, could never have a future with him. He turned and walked away for the last time. He left instructions that she was to receive the best possible care but never to be left unattended. He walked out of the asylum and never went back.

London England

November 23, 1963

"Oi, Mate, come here!"

Emetrius turned and looked as a pair of toughs was calling him over. He could immediately sense that they were predators and that they had identified him as prey. He didn't do anything but look at them. If they were smart, they would walk away.

"Can you believe this bloke?" on of them said to his partner. "When I bloody say come here I bloody mean come here, now!"

Emetrius merely stood there gazing on them, making no move to walk in their direction.

"This bloke must be deaf or something," said the taller one as he approached Emetrius.

"Yeah I think he is," said his partner as he maneuvered around to stand behind Emetrius. The taller one attempted to intimidate him by walking right up to him and attempting to use his height. He was at least eight inches taller than Emetrius. He was a bit disconcerted by the fact that Emetrius did not show any fear, merely standing there and returning the others gaze.

'It's a shame what happened to the American President yesterday isn't it?" said the taller tough.

"Is it now?" Emetrius replied.

"Oi he speaks!" said the tough standing behind him.

"Bag it Charlie!" said the taller tough. "Me and this here gentleman are going to have a conversation. You know, where we become real pals. Me and this bloke, pals. Now tell me now, you don't seem to be too concerned about the American President now do you?"

"I don't much care about Sir Alec Douglas-Home either, so what's your point?"

"Who the bloody hell is that?" asked the taller tough.

"He is the sitting Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. You mean to tell me two debonair gentlemen such as yourselves have never heard of him?" Emetrius asked with a touch of mirth in his voice.

"I know who he is!" Charlie exclaimed.

"The Russians killed the American President because he stood up to them and since you seem to be so smart what is it do you think is going to happen to you if you keep standing up to me?" asked the taller of the two toughs. "Now give me your wallet and watch."

Emetrius was thinking about how tense everyone seemed to be when the world was on the brink of nuclear war. It was the one thing that humans could do that would cause a vampire to pause and think. In fact he could remember the last time a conclave was called for and he actually had attended.

Buenos Aires Argentina

July 20, 1945

Emetrius was hunting this night. It was just shortly after midnight and he was in the mood to shake up the city. He was going to claim a few victims tonight to shock this city out of its complacency. He had planned on doing it in such a way as there could be no doubt that the people that he would claim tonight would be murder victims. In reality he only needed to hunt about once a week and his needs would be satiated but it was a delicacy to take a victim a night. To take twenty was excessive but that is what he liked to do. As he was stalking in the chilly July evening he became aware that he himself was being stalked. Not by a human predator but another vampire. This vampire had to be an older one. All thoughts of a killing orgy left him at once as he began take in stride the fact that another vampire would stalk him. It was going to cost this creature more than he or she bargained for. He paused in the shadows and scanned around, taking in the surroundings. He noticed his stalker on a rooftop across the street. Immediately upon noticing, he merely jumped and landed right in front of the newcomer.

"Parlay," said the newcomer. "I would speak with you and then you can do with me as you wish Master Emetrius."

"Who are you?" Emetrius asked as his was curiosity piqued.

"Who I am is unimportant but it is who sent me to you. She is your first, and to the best of my knowledge, only surviving offspring. Janaline is my master and I serve her. She sent me to you knowing quite well that you may just kill me. There is to be a conclave, and this one is different. I am quite aware that you don't attend these events but this one is different. The humans have developed a technology that could very well destroy us and them both. I have transport available not far from here and the conclave is set to begin at sunset tomorrow evening. It is at an undisclosed location in Brazil but I insisted that they give me a map to it. I now put myself at your mercy."

Emetrius could sense the fear coming from a creature that should very well inspire fear in others. He appeared to be middle aged and a scholar but the way he conducted himself told Emetrius that he would be formidable.

"Do you have a name or are you like that annoying vampire that I have taken to calling Bob." Emetrius asked with a dead pan expression.

"My name is Arthur," said the newcomer.

Emetrius looked at Arthur for a full minute before finally asking, "You said you had transport available?"

Arthur looked at him and finally asked, "Are you not going to kill me?"

"Not tonight Arthur, Janaline isn't always right. Lead the way."

Deep in the Brazilian Jungle

July 21, 1945

Emetrius arrived on the scene with his escort Arthur shortly after sunset. He saw at once that there were four chairs set up. Janaline, Nooroo and the one that Emetrius called Bob all occupied one of them. Janaline rose as he came up and gestured to the seat next to her.

"Master Emetrius I am so glad that you could make it. Please sit down we have a lot to discuss."

Emetrius ignored her and stepped around her.

"Hello Bob. It's been a while since we last spoke with one another." He said in a mocking tone of voice.

"I have told you on many occasions that I do not want to be addressed by that name.'

"Why not Bob? You have never told me your name Bob. What, exactly should I call you Bob?"

"I grow tired of your insolence!" he said rising to his feet.

"Is that so Bob?" Emetrius asked as he stepped forward. "What do you suggest that I call you then…Bob?" All humor had disappeared from Emetrius's voice.

"You can call me Master like all the others."

Emetrius laughed aloud at that. "There is no chance of that happening Bob. Do you remember a little altercation between you and I say one thousand nine hundred thirty one years ago? I was about to pull your head off but I got distracted. I would love to finish what we started. What say you and I have another go Bob?"

Nooroo and Janaline stepped in between them as numerous minions all rose to their feet.

"Master there is no time for this." Nooroo said to the One.

"Oh come on now Nooroo, why do you encourage him by calling him Master?" Emetrius asked with exasperation in his voice.

"Your Excellency's please," Arthur interrupted. "We have very important and pressing business to attend to."

All four of them turned and looked at Arthur. Janaline had a dark look on her face.

"I say there Janaline, your offspring seems to have real courage," Emetrius said. "And he's quite right. Let's get to the business at hand so that I can get back to conducting my business.

Emetrius sat down in the closest chair and looked up at his scowling counterparts.

"Oh!" he said quickly standing up. "Was that your chair Bob?"

"Sit!"

"What ever you say there Bob," Emetrius said as he sat back down. The other three took their seats.

"Arthur?" Janaline said as she beckoned him over.

"As you wish Master," Arthur said as he walked in front of them. "Five days ago in the New Mexico desert, the United States government has successfully detonated an atomic bomb…"

"As in a nuclear reaction?" Emetrius asked.

"Yes quite right a nuclear event Master Emetrius. The test was carried out…"

"This is why you summoned a conclave Bob?" Emetrius asked incredibly. "What does that have to do with us?"

"Master, if you were to quit interrupting and let Arthur finish his presentation we could get on with the implications to our way of life." Janaline said.

"Arthur, does this device emit large quantities of ultra violet radiation?" Emetrius asked.

"They would appear to do so at the moment of detonation but…"

"I am only concerned about the amount of ultra violet radiation that they would emit. That is the only thing that can damage us." Emetrius said.

"We are still gathering information on these…" Arthur said before he was interrupted yet again.

"I'll be leaving now." Emetrius said.

"Damn it Emetrius sit down!" Nooroo shouted at him. Emetrius kept walking away from the conclave.

"You're the most damnable creature Emetrius!" Nooroo shouted at him.

"A pity that you have taken to name calling Nooroo," Emetrius called over his shoulder as he walked away.

London England

November 23, 1963

The knife entering into his chest snapped Emetrius out of his reminiscing. As the taller tough pulled out his knife, Emetrius reached out and took him by the wrist. He reached out with his mind and took Charlie's life force and he collapsed in a heap in the sidewalk. He squeezed until the knife fell out from the fingers of the tough standing in front of him. He squeezed a little more and suddenly the tough dropped to his knees.

"Oh and the knife wound healed up the moment the blade came out of my chest." Emetrius said.

He reached down and picked up the blade and held it before the tough's eyes.

"Poor Charlie," Emetrius said. "Do you have a name?"

"My name is Robert sir and please don't kill me. I beg of you."

"Oh you stab me in the chest and now you beg for your life? Isn't that ironic? Wait a tick; you said your name is Robert, as in Bob?" Emetrius said with savage glee in his voice. He squeezed until he could hear the bones snapping in Robert's wrist at which point he dropped it.

Emetrius held the knife in his hand, twirling it around as Robert scrambled to his feet and began to run away. He made two steps before the body of Charlie flew through the air and crashed into him knocking him from his feet. Robert fell to the ground screaming trying to crawl away from Emetrius when he reached down and grabbed him by his left foot, squeezing it so that all the bones in his foot broke.

Robert screamed in agony and attempted to crawl away as Emetrius held the knife by its point.

"Where are you off to Bob?" Emetrius called out.

Emetrius jumped and landed on Robert's back. He turned him over and pinned him down.

"Please I don't want to die!" Robert shouted as Emetrius began to methodically push the knife through Robert's chin.

"Hush now Bob, you should feel honored. I usually don't kill with a weapon," said Emetrius as he pushed the knife a little deeper.

There was a muffled scream and blood began to pour out of Robert's nose and mouth as the blade emerged from the top of his head. Emetrius savored this particular kill. He hovered over Robert for several minutes after he had died, savoring the moment.

He got up and went on his way and as he turned the corner, he walked into another police box. He stared at it and all of his good humor at dispatching the two toughs evaporated.

"These wretched things are everywhere. Couldn't that damn Doctor have any better imagination that to disguise that infernal machines as one of these things." He struck the police box with such force that it splintered and then collapsed. He kept walking for a while when he saw an old man walking towards a junk yard.

Wrong place at the wrong time there old timer he thought in his head. He was going to make this one quick. He reached out with his mind and was immediately shocked. He paused and just stared as the old man walking into the junk yard.

"Impossible," he said aloud.

A moment later the unmistakable noise of the TARDIS dematerializing filled the air as Emetrius burst into the junk yard just in time to see the TARDIS fade from view. He stood there looking for several minutes thinking.

The man that walked into that thing was the Doctor. There was no doubt about it. It shouldn't be possible. He needed information and for that he needed to find Janaline.