CHAPTER 7
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A QUESTION OF IDENTITY
"What's this blinking light mean on the console, Doctor? Is this a warning light of some kind?" Osgood asked as she peered at the constantly flashing red blip curiously.
"Does the red mean that we're in some kind of trouble? Is it a red alert or something?" Lucy asked as she joined Osgood in looking at the console with a look of concern on her face.
The Doctor flashed both of them an annoyed look as he said, "No, of course not. If there was really trouble, it would be flashing mauve. I'm sure it's nothing. Now if you don't mind, I have much more important things to deal with then some flashing light somewhere."
"It might be important though, Doctor. It's been flashing for a while now," Osgood insisted.
"Nonsense. If it was really that important, the TARDIS would have already let me know about it by now in a much more efficient way than a tiny blinking light that I'm much too busy to notice. Now if you'll please excuse me, I have delicate repairs to the helmic regulator to make that require intense concentration in order to perform properly. Now please stop bothering me!" The Doctor said in a firm tone.
"Well, excuse me. I was just trying to be helpful. Maybe I should just step out into the Vortex and get out of your way," Osgood said in a hurt voice.
"What?" The Doctor said in a distracted voice.
"Nothing, Doctor. Nothing at all," Lucy said as she became angry at the Doctor and put a sympathetic arm around Osgood.
"Good. Good. Now go do whatever it is you humans do while I finish this," The Doctor said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
That was when the Master, who had been in the TARDIS' workshop modifying her laser screwdriver to have non-lethal settings, stepped into the Console Room. She immediately noticed that Osgood and Lucy were upset about something and correctly guessed that it had something to do with the Doctor's usual snarky attitude.
The Master smacked the Doctor in the back of the head hard causing him to yell in pain while Lucy smiled at her in approval as she said, "What did you say to them this time, Old Man?"
"What did you do that for? You could have made me damage the helmic regulator and made it impossible for me to determine when and where we were going to land in the future," The Doctor protested.
"Yes, because you always know where we're going with such incredible accuracy. I've already told you before to stop being so tetchy with the girls, Doctor, especially Osgood. She takes everything you say to heart because for some reason that's completely unexplainable to me she idolizes you. From now on, say something nice or don't say anything at all," The Master said.
The Doctor immediately cringed at the Master's choice of words as he said, "Did you have to phrase it like that?"
"Yeah, sorry. That was completely unintentional I promise," The Master said with a sheepish grin.
The Doctor actually smiled for a brief moment as he said, "I never thought I'd see the day where you'd apologize to me about anything."
"I never thought I'd see the day where I would be defending humans against you. Now there's a switch, yeah?" The Master said with a grin.
"Yes, a welcome one," The Doctor said.
Then he turned to Osgood and Lucy and said, "I'm not sure what I said that offended the two of you because I honestly don't remember a word of our last conversation. I apologize for it though whatever it was. Everyone all better now? Good. Now I have to get back to work."
The Master frowned as she said, "You're definitely going to have to work on your apologies in the future, Doctor. That sounded a little too much like you were only saying it to get us off your back instead of really meaning it."
"What? Oh, yes, yes. Of course. Bake whatever you want," The Doctor said in a distracted tone.
The Master shook her head as she said to the others, "I think that's the closest to an 'I'm sorry' that we're ever going to get out of this incarnation."
"Does he hate me? Should I just leave?" Osgood asked still looking upset.
The Master immediately shook her head as she said, "No, he doesn't hate you at all and he doesn't want you to leave. I promise you that he doesn't. That's just his way in this body. He's rude to everyone especially me and I'm his best friend. Of course in my case he at least is more than a bit justified to be rude to me. I have tried to kill him several hundred times after all, and that's not an exaggeration I'm afraid."
"That was the Master not you, Clara," Osgood said as she began to smile a little once more.
The Master looked at her with eyes filled with immeasurable sadness and guilt as she said, "Don't you understand, Osgood? Just saying that I'm a different person doesn't automatically make me one no matter how much you might want it to be otherwise. I am the Master and I always will be. I can and I will choose to change myself for the better but I will always be the Master. Just like I'll always be responsible for so much needless suffering that I can never undo just by simply saying that it doesn't count because I'm Clara Oswald now. Nothing will ever change that. I wish it could."
Lucy gave the Master a warm smile that immediately made her smile back at her in return despite herself as she said, "She's not saying that it takes everything that you did in the past away, Clara. She just means that you can use that to do exactly what you're doing right now and become someone else. You're a newer, much better person now who will take that guilt and remorse that you feel and use it to make the universe just a little less dark and merciless. So you see you are Clara Oswald and not the Master because you choose to be. It doesn't erase your past but it lets you move forward into a brand new future."
"Do you really believe that I can do that?" The Master asked with more than a trace of doubt in her voice.
"I know you can. You're already doing it aren't you? I have faith in you, Clara," Lucy said with an unwavering belief in her eyes that the Master knew that she didn't deserve.
"Thank you, Luce. I'm so happy that you're here. I'm happy that both of you are," The Master said in an emotional voice as she made sure to look specifically at Osgood when she made that last statement.
Then her face fell as she finally noticed the flashing red light on the console at last. She immediately raced to it and sighed as she realized what it must mean.
"Don't you ever answer your phone, Doctor?" The Master said in a hard voice.
"What are you babbling about this time?" The Doctor said in an irritated tone.
"Someone's left a message for you. That's what. You haven't even bothered to play it, have you? No, of course not. It could be about the end of the universe but you just have to fix that helmic regulator first and foremost, right?" The Master chastised him.
"Is that what it was? An unanswered voice mail?" Osgood asked with an amused smile.
"I never even thought about it being something as innocent as that," Lucy said with a relieved look on her face.
"Well, it is and it looks like I'm going to have to be the one to play it since Mr. Stick is too busy tinkering with his precious pile of junk at the moment to be bothered with listening to his own messages," The Master said in an angry tone.
"Well, by all means please go ahead and play it then. No one's stopping you," The Doctor said as the Master hesitated.
"What if it's UNIT?" The Master said in a worried tone.
"So what if it is? What of it? Kate Stewart no longer suspects you of being the Master now. They won't suspect a thing," The Doctor said.
"Danny might. He's much more intelligent than you ever gave him credit for, Doctor. If I'm around him long enough, he might be able to detect that there's something different about me," The Master said.
"So? What does that have to do with UNIT? PE doesn't work for them the last time that I checked. He probably couldn't pass the personality test anyway," The Doctor said.
"There is no personality test required to join UNIT," Osgood said in confusion as the Doctor's attempt at humor passed right over her head.
"Which is a good thing since the Doctor definitely would have failed it," The Master said with a smile that she definitely didn't feel on her face.
"The point is that PE won't be at UNIT so why are we wasting time talking about him?" The Doctor said as he glared at the Master.
"Tell him what you told me, Osgood," The Master said.
"Danny has joined UNIT on a part-time basis ever since he returned. Kate told me about it the last time that I talked to her. She said that he spends a lot of time in the Black Archive helping to catalogue the alien artifacts there. She's not quite sure why he wanted the work since it's long and grueling, but he volunteered for it when no one else would so she isn't complaining," Osgood said.
"Well, that is suspicious I must admit," The Doctor said.
"Finally. I thought you'd never come around," The Master said.
"I think that he must know someone high up in the ranks in order to get that job. How exactly is PE qualified to tell a warp drive from a Zeiton crystal? It simply reeks of incompetence to me."
"Will you stop taking cheap shots at Danny and listen to me, Skeleton Man? He's there for a reason and it must have something to do with me. That's why I don't want to go there. You can just drop me off back at home if it is Kate calling," The Master said.
The Doctor actually looked disappointed as he said, "Are you sure? I could really use you. You know that."
The Master looked guilty as she said, "I know, Doctor, and I'm sorry. Believe me. I can't take the risk of being discovered though. It simply isn't worth it."
"You know it may not be Kate and we could be wasting all of this time agonizing over going back there for nothing. We'd know for sure if someone would actually play the message and find out," Lucy said.
"Go ahead, Clara. Play it. Let's get this settled once and for all so that I can finish my repairs," The Doctor said in an impatient tone.
The Master hesitated once again for a moment and then she gathered her resolve and pushed the button that would play the message as she let out a weary sigh.
Her blood froze in her veins as soon as she heard Danny's voice call out, "Clara? Are you there? If you're there, please pick up. I have to see you. There's something very important that I need to talk to you about right away. Meet me outside of your home at seven o'clock tomorrow."
"I guess it wouldn't have done me any good to go home after all then," The Master said with a frown.
"If he does suspect the truth, then we have to deal with PE somehow once and for all. Otherwise you'll never be able to go back to Earth again and I can't allow that to happen. I need you there alongside me," The Doctor said.
"What can we do though? How could we ever convince him that the Master is no longer a problem anymore?" Osgood asked out loud.
"We have to convince him that Clara Oswald is not the Master once and for all and in such a way that he will never have cause to doubt her identity ever again," The Doctor said with a thoughtful look on his face.
"How though?" Lucy asked him curiously.
"There is a way that would leave him with no doubts about me whatsoever. I would have to use the Chameleon Arch and become human again. Maybe I should stay that way. That might be for the best," The Master said.
"No," Lucy said in a firm tone as the Doctor quickly shook his head.
"I agree. It would be a complete waste of talent and ability," The Doctor said.
"Is that all I am to you? Just someone whose talents come in useful to you?" The Master asked pointedly.
The Doctor's face filled with emotion for a brief moment as he said, "You know better than that. I – I don't want to lose my friend either now that I've finally gotten her back again."
The Master smiled at him gratefully as she said, "I do know better. I just wanted to hear you say it. Thank you, Old Man."
Then she suddenly hugged him tightly completely surprising both of them in the process. She hadn't hugged him like that since she had opened the watch. That was more like something that Clara would have done.
"I was really hoping that the hugging would be gone for good now," The Doctor said with a frown.
"Oh, shut up," The Master said with an embarrassed look on her face as she quickly let him go.
"Now tell me again who you are," Osgood said with a triumphant grin.
"You shut up too," The Master said as her face turned bright red.
"So if we're not going to use the Arch then how are we going to convince Danny that Clara is who she says she is once and for all?" Lucy asked the Doctor as she smiled in amusement at the Master.
"That depends on what Danny found in the Black Archive that he wants to test on Clara," The Doctor said.
"So you think that he was there trying to find some piece of alien technology that would detect a Time Lord's life signs or something like that?" Osgood asked.
"Why else would he have volunteered for such grueling work? He obviously found something that he thinks might be useful too or he wouldn't be so eager for this meeting. I'll have to see what it is and then try to use it against him somehow in order to finally confirm to him once and for all that he's wrong about Clara," The Doctor said.
"That's a lot to leave up to chance, Skeleton Man," The Master said.
"That's the way that it will simply have to be I'm afraid. It shouldn't be too much of a problem though. I think best on my feet anyway," The Doctor reassured her.
"Yes, you always have," The Master said with a fond smile.
"We'll go back to your home right away and see what PE's come up with then. Knowing him I'm sure that it won't be too challenging," The Doctor said as he set the coordinates on the console.
"Stop it," The Master said with a frown as the Doctor briefly smirked.
Soon the TARDIS materialized right inside of Clara Oswald's living room, and the Master stepped out into her home with a strange feeling in her hearts. It seemed odd to be here now after she finally knew the truth about herself. It felt almost as if she didn't belong here anymore.
And yet part of her felt relieved at being back there at the same time.
"Clara, I heard the TARDIS. I know you're there. Clara, open the door," Danny said immediately from the other side of the front door.
"Well, he certainly moves quickly doesn't he?" The Doctor said with a frown.
The Master shrugged her shoulders and then immediately went to the door to open it. Danny immediately rushed inside letting the Master know right away that he had been eagerly waiting for some time to carry this plan of his out whatever it was.
Danny looked at her in silence for a moment as if still trying to determine whether she was who she said that she was or not. Then he finally began to speak with an almost guilty tone to his voice.
"I know that I may make you angry for even saying what I'm about to say, Clara, but I have to know for sure. I'll always wonder if I don't find out now. I have to know . . . I have to know if you're alright or not. I have to know if you're really you or not," Danny said.
"You still don't believe that I'm really Clara Oswald do you? How can I convince you of the truth?" The Master asked as she did her absolute best to act as much like Clara as possible.
"This will convince me of it either one way or another," Danny said as he pulled a small alien device out of one of his pockets.
The Doctor and the Master both recognized it instantly and briefly exchanged a worried look as soon as they did. It was a Deltan Identity Bracelet from the planet Delta Magnus in the 51st century.
The Deltans had developed the device as a foolproof way to tell who a person was no matter how well they tried to hide themselves. It could detect the real identity of anyone who was forced to wear it no matter how powerful their shape shifting abilities might be. It had long since been proven to be completely infallible and always worked with a hundred percent accuracy.
No one quite knew how though exactly. The process was a closely guarded secret by the Deltans so that no enemy could ever find a way around it. It had been whispered though that it had something to do with detecting that person's true self in some way.
The Deltans had invented the device during an infiltration of the planet by a race called the Chameleons who could actually copy the faces of others. It had allowed them to root out the aliens in their midst in no time and had saved their entire species from being completely wiped out as a result.
The Master knew that there was no way that she could get away with her deception if Danny made her wear that bracelet. If she didn't think quickly it was all over.
"You took that from the Black Archive. You're not supposed to remove anything from that area. I could report you for this," Osgood threatened hoping that might make him back down.
"You go right ahead and do that if you want. It will be worth it to finally know the truth though. This can tell me for certain. I made sure of that by testing it on some Zygons that UNIT has as its prisoners. It always detected them no matter how much they changed. It will detect the truth about Clara too," Danny said as he moved purposefully toward the Master with the bracelet.
"Do you actually expect me to wear that? Do you even know what it does? It might kill me for all that you know," The Master said as she tried to stall for time.
"No, I made sure that you would be safe by testing it on myself first," Danny reassured her.
"Danny, I really don't want to do this. It's ridiculous. I am Clara Oswald!" The Master insisted in an increasingly panicked voice.
"It won't hurt. It'll only take a moment and then it'll finally be over . . . either one way or the other," Danny said in a determined voice.
"Leave her alone, Danny," Osgood said as she tried to get in-between them.
"No, I can't let this go. I need to know the truth," Danny said.
"Danny, if it's because I broke up with you that has nothing to do with me not being Clara. I did that because our relationship was a complete disaster. All I ever did was lie to you. I'm not the right person for you. We both know that. You need to find someone else who can treat you like you deserve to be treated," The Master said.
What she had said was the truth. She really did feel that way. She wasn't the right person for anyone. All she had ever brought was pain and sorrow to everyone who had crossed her path for centuries, and she was determined never to love anyone again because of that. It was better that way for everyone especially her.
"I need to know that what we had together wasn't a lie. I need to know that Clara Oswald was real. I have to know that it wasn't all just some demented trick that was being played on me by the Master," Danny admitted in an emotional voice.
"It wasn't," The Master reassured him knowing that what Clara had felt was all too real.
"This will tell me for sure. I'm sorry but it has to be this way. I have to know that Clara's really alright before I can move on," Danny said as he grabbed the Master's arm and attempted to place the bracelet on it.
"No, don't!" The Master shouted as she started to struggle.
"Clara, stop it! Let him put it on you and get this out of his system. Then we can all move on," The Doctor commanded.
The Master looked at him in surprise as she said hesitantly, "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Do it, Clara. Do it so that he'll finally go away and leave us alone about this. It's the only way," The Doctor said.
"Alright," The Master said in a slightly nervous tone as she slowly held out her arm to Danny.
Danny smiled in triumph just before he placed the bracelet on her wrist and activated it. It immediately lighted up and came to life as it instantly set to work detecting the Master's true identity.
The Master could actually feel the device in her mind rooting through her thoughts and memories no matter how hard she tried to hide them from it. It already knew everything about her in a matter of moments, and she knew that it was only seconds away from telling that knowledge to Danny now.
Soon everyone would know her secret at last and she would never have the life that she wanted. She would never get to make it up to the universe or to herself for everything that she had done.
Perhaps it was better this way though. She had delayed this for long enough. Maybe she was finally getting what she deserved at last because she knew deep down that she didn't deserve a second chance.
Clara Oswald did but Clara Oswald didn't exist. Not anymore. Right now she really wished that she did. Clara Oswald deserved to exist far more than the Master ever had. She wished with all of her being that she could be Clara in that moment and somehow redeem herself. She wanted it so badly that both of her hearts ached.
She had never wanted anything so much in her life.
Her torrent of thoughts were finally interrupted at last as the bracelet's computer said, "This subject has been conclusively identified after checking her identity through both mental and physical means and against all historical records from throughout time and space. This subject has been identified with one hundred percent accuracy to be . . ."
The Master could have screamed as the bracelet hesitated for a moment and the sound of its internal mechanisms processing what it had found could be briefly heard in the background.
Then the bracelet finally finished at last as it said, ". . . Clara Oswald, companion and best friend of the renegade Time Lord known as the Doctor. She has been recorded as helping him save countless worlds and civilizations throughout the history of the universe. She is often hailed as an intergalactic hero and the savior of thousands of species from innumerable disasters."
Danny began to smile even as the Master looked at the bracelet in stunned disbelief. How could this be possible? She wasn't Clara. She never had been.
Clara Oswald didn't exist. She had never existed. She wasn't real.
"I'm sorry, Clara. I just had to know. Do you forgive me?" Danny said apologetically.
"Of course I do. No hard feelings, eh?" The Master said with a smile as she tried not to let him see just how rattled that she really was on the inside.
"No hard feelings. Maybe we could still be friends?" Danny asked hopefully.
"I'd like that," The Master said meaning it as the Doctor audibly sighed.
"Zip it, you," The Master said making Danny laugh.
"Some things never change it seems. Well, good bye, Clara," Danny said as he started to leave.
"Good bye," The Master said as yet again she surprised herself by briefly hugging him.
Then Danny left and everyone was instantly filled with relief as they knew that it was finally over with at last now. The Master was still left with a burning question to answer though before she could finally declare the whole matter to be over with at last.
"Why did the bracelet lie like that?" The Master asked.
"It didn't. It scanned all of time and space for information about you, and it came up with the truth. You are Clara Oswald," The Doctor insisted.
"No, Clara Oswald doesn't exist," The Master insisted.
"Maybe not yet but she will. Don't you understand, Clara? It hasn't happened yet but it will. That was all of the proof that we need. In the future, you will become Clara Oswald in every way. That's what the bracelet was telling you. One day it will be the Master who no longer exists and Clara will take her place," The Doctor said with a hopeful smile on his face.
"Had you already figured that out when you told me to put the bracelet on?" The Master asked.
The Doctor nodded as he said, "I was sure that it would come up with that result because I was sure that you really would change."
"How could you be so sure about that though when I'm not sure of it myself?" The Master asked.
"It's because if I believe in anything, I believe in my friends and in the people that I love. I believe in Clara Oswald and I know that she would never let me down again. I know that she would never let herself down again either," The Doctor said with his every word filled with meaning.
The Master smiled and her hearts filled with a joy that she hadn't felt in a very long time as she said, "No, she won't."
"Welcome back, Clara," The Doctor said as he broke his own rule and hugged her making both Osgood and Lucy gasp as a result.
"It's good to be back, Doctor," Clara Oswald said as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his embrace.
Next: Even as Clara tries to move forward, there's someone out there who still wants to hold her back. The Rani returns once more and she's not about to let the Master die without a fight. Just how far will she go in order to make sure that Clara returns to her former self once more?