Chapter 10
Betrayal
"It's a time beetle," the Doctor prattled on from inside the psychograft chamber, "one of the Trickster's Brigade, feeds off of potential time energy, but what is it doing on your back? What have you done, Master?"
"You," the Master spun on his heels to face the Trickster, "this was your plan all along. I should have guessed. You wanted more than to escape."
"This universe," the Trickster bared his sharp teeth, "is rich and wonderful. I was trapped in the limbo dimensions for so long. I was nobody, nothing. I had no self. I existed only to bring discord. But now I have taken your thoughts, your ideas, your purpose. Soon you will be nothing, and I will be the Master of all things."
"What have you done?" the Doctor angrily asked again.
The Master ignored the question and, reaching into the pocket of his jacket, extracted a small sleek black rod. "Tissue compression eliminator," he grinned as he pointed the device at the Trickster and activated it.
"No!" came a loud howl which reverberated through the marble hall. Prefect Aloysius had sprung in front of the Trickster and absorbed the full blast. The Doctor shielded his eyes from the bright orange flash of light. When he removed his hand, he could see Jack and Alonso staring petrified at the lifeless body of Aloysius, shrunken to the size of a doll.
"Protect the Emperor!" one of the Praetorian guards shouted as the rest drew their energy guns and fired at the Master.
"Time is bleeding, Doctor," the Trickster taunted as the Master collapsed on the floor, "do you want to be on the wrong side again? She won't remember you. There's no way back."
"I'll take my chances, thank you," the Doctor retorted, "Jack, Alonso, get the other Jack in here."
They obeyed and began dragging the Master's body into the glass structure, where the Doctor was modifying the dwarf star alloy psychograft with his sonic screwdriver. Alonso took care to kick the tissue compression eliminator out of the Master's hand and across the room.
Closing the glass door behind them after they had laid the Master on the floor, Jack and Alonso looked back to see that the throne room was beginning to fill up with ethereal smoke. "Goodbye, Doctor," the Trickster laughed as the universe beyond the psychograft chamber dissolved into an empty whiteness.
Wake up already! Jack yelled in the Master's mind. He took a great gasp of air and sat up, grabbing hold of Alonso's hand.
"You're alive!" Alonso exclaimed with joy and, bending down, hugged him.
"So," Time Agent Jack said bemusedly, "I'm immortal in the future. Cool."
"There is no future," the Doctor spoke crossly, still busy sonicking the machine, "no past, no present. We're trapped here."
"But where's here?" Alonso asked.
"Nowhere," the Master replied, pushing him away, "nowhen. We're outside the Time Vortex."
"And you," the Doctor pointed an accusing finger at him, "owe me some answers."