Chapter 16
The Doctor found himself walking back down towards the detention cell, where he presently held the Master behind a force field. He was going back to listen to the Master but more importantly, to get a few questions of his own answered.
He eventually reached the cell and saw the Master lying on the seat staring at the ceiling. As he approached the Master turned his head towards him and smiled.
"I'm still here, Doctor," said the Master, looking back up at the ceiling, "I haven't tried to escape, although I know that you thought that I would have,"
The Doctor ignored him, walked over and pulled a chair into the middle of the room, facing the Master. He sat down, with his arms crossed looking directly into the cell.
"Although I have to say, Doctor, that this bed is much to be desired. It's as hard as a rock. I don't know how you sleep on it," scrutinised the Master, not noticing the Doctor facing him.
"I don't," replied the Doctor, coldly
The Master turned his head and noticed the Doctor sitting, looking at him with suspicion.
"You wanted to talk?" said the Doctor, simply
"I did indeed," replied the Master, sitting up and turning towards the Doctor.
"Well?" said the Doctor, impatiently, "Talk."
The Master smiled at the harsh tone and the impatience but figured that if the Doctor was willing to listen then he should take the opportunity.
"I want to broker a truce between us," said the Master, seriously
This time it was the Doctor that smiled and laughed.
"A truce? You want a truce? Do you remember when we had a truce on Logopolis when you needed me to help you put right what you caused? I died. What happened when you tried to make out we were friends? You took over the TARDIS and tried to take my body. Do you think I will listen to what you have to say now?" he laughed
"Well, in the past you have tried on countless occasions to stop me and persuade me to go for the idea of us sticking together instead of fighting each other and now when I broach the subject you laugh at me. Doctor, you are full of contradictions which disappoints me," retorted the Master
"I must have learnt that trick from you, Master but please tell me what brought all this on? Being evil not enjoyable anymore?" replied the Doctor, sarcastically
"Just listen, Doctor," replied the Master, irritably.
"Ok, I'm listening," smiled the Doctor, stretching out his legs, crossing his arms across his chest, "but first tell my why you took my ship?"
The Master took a deep breath and started to tell the story.
"I already told you. I wanted to find out what really happened to Gallifrey after you told me that it was destroyed. I wanted to find out if you were to blame. If you destroyed our people," replied the Master, sitting up and looking at the Doctor.
"And what did you find?" asked the Doctor, maliciously. He resented the idea that he was to blame for the death of their own people.
"The Daleks. Thousands of them. Surrounding the planet. They attacked and then it blew. What really did happened, Doctor?"
"The Daleks must have destroyed the generator to the shield defending the citadel. As you know it was connected with the planets core and when they destroyed it they destroyed the planet that they had longed to control," said the Doctor, ending in a small voice, looking towards the floor.
"But, how did the Daleks hit it and then get destroyed themselves?" asked the Master
The Doctor looked up
"I don't know. They must have targeted the shield itself somehow and pounded it to overload it. It obviously worked because it exploded, taking the planet with it. I couldn't do anything to stop it. They were too close to the destruction. They didn't realise that when they destroyed it they destroyed links to the time vortex which hold lots of power."
"However it could have been the Bad Wolf…in the future," said the Doctor, with a thought filled look spreading across his face. His mind wondered back to when Rose had become the Bad Wolf in order to save him from the Emperor of the Daleks.
"I see through time and space. I see your atoms and I divide them." She had said that and destroyed the Daleks but maybe not just them on the Gamestation but through all time. After all she couldn't control her powers. Jack was the proof of that. Although that doesn't explain how the Daleks had survived.
"Bad Wolf?" asked the Master, bringing the Doctor out of his thoughts.
"Long story, but maybe what I thought was their doing could have been hers," said the Doctor, to himself, "but that doesn't explain why you want the truce," continued the Doctor, now standing looking at the Master.
"As I saw our world being destroyed, loss hit me like it had never done before. I felt lost, homeless with nothing but the thought that you were right about everything and that got me thinking. Since we are the only ones left we should join together instead of fighting each other," explained the Master
The Doctor was left speechless for the second time that day. He couldn't believe his ears. The Master was actually serious or seemed serious about a partnership between them.
"Why? I thought you hated me and so wanted to destroy me," he questioned
"I did but now that's all in the past. The sight of Gallifrey made me think," answered the Master, "after all this time I had tried to kill you, abandon you on various worlds, kill and capture your precious companions and still you offered me friendship, help and empathy. I should have listened to you and now I will."
The Doctor was silent trying to soak in all what the Master was saying. Was he really wanting a truce or was he just trying to get onto his good side in order to capture him, Donna and the control of his ship, for use in whatever scheme he had going on the planet. Was he in league with the Dalek?
"If I were to believe you and join you in a truce, what are you going to do with me and Donna? Why are you here on Vita? Have you got something to do with the Dalek?" asked the Doctor
"I see you still don't trust me, which I totally understand after everything I have done to you but if we do join forces I wont do anything to you or your companion," replied the Master
"Ok, but what about the reason why you're here on Vita?" pushed the Doctor
"Before I saw the truth, I still blamed you for everything that had happened to Gallifrey and for what happened between you and me and I wanted to kill you and humiliate you. That was why I was here on Vita. The Dalek wanted me to help it produce a new race for itself. To be honest I couldn't careless but I needed it to set up a trap for you so I could trap you and kill you," explained the Master, remorse seeping into his voice
"And now?" asked the Doctor
"And now, I don't. I saw the signal for a ship that had just landed. I suddenly thought that you may have come to this planet. I thought about trying to find out what actually happened to Gallifrey, to see if you had actually been telling the truth. So I searched out the signal and found the TARDIS but you were nowhere in sight. I had been followed and I didn't want the Dalek to find out what I was actually up to, so I killed the soldier. I went inside the TARDIS…" described Master
"How did you get in the TARDIS? It was locked," exclaimed the Doctor
"I don't know but I promise I didn't use anything to break in. Anyway, I went in and programmed the TARDIS and it dematerialised. It exploded as it went through some kind of barrier but it made it. I didn't notice it returning to you, though. How did you do it?" replied the Master
"Hueon energy and that barrier was a time lock. Nothing should have been able to get through," answered the Doctor
"Really, I thought they were extinct? Anyway, do you want to join me, Doctor?" asked the Master
"I have to think about it," replied the Doctor
"Well, I'm not going anywhere," said the Master, leaning back against the wall of the cell, "but Doctor, think quickly because I think that the Dalek is planning something serious and if you want me to help you stop it then I will need time and I don't know how much time we have."
"I will," replied the Doctor, rising from his chair and turning towards the door. He abruptly stopped and turned back towards his sitting prisoner, "and for the record, its good to see you again."
The Master looked at him, "you too."