Lieutenant Adventures Season 17, Chapter 16, 11 October 2023. The Hidden Key.
16th Lieutenant: I am tasked with sharing the chilling account of my 15th incarnation, a notorious mass murderer known for his perverse enjoyment of taking lives. This chapter delves into the dark depths of my twisted mind and reveals the shocking events that led to my demise at the hands of my companion, Penelope Pratt.
I was a man plagued by a morbid fascination with death. My insatiable thirst for bloodshed drove me to commit heinous acts that shook the Universe. My killings were not driven by any noble cause or sense of justice, but rather by a sick pleasure I derived from the suffering of others.
I was a master of manipulation, luring unsuspecting victims into my twisted games and reveling in their terror. With each life I claimed, my lust for murder grew stronger, and my actions became increasingly sadistic.
Penelope skillfully turned the tables on my 15th incarnation, overpowering me and delivering the justice I so richly deserved.
My 15th incarnation's downfall at the hands of Penelope Pratt stands as a testament to the unwavering determination of those who seek to unmask the truth and put an end to senseless violence.
15th Lieutenant: A cold wind whistled through the desolate alleyways of Alton city, carrying with it an eerie sense of foreboding. The moon, shrouded in dark clouds, cast faint shadows upon the worn cobblestones below. It was within this haunting atmosphere that the Lieutenant, a figure cloaked in darkness and evil, reveled in his sinister pursuits.
The Lieutenant was no ordinary murderer. He had been good once, and gone to great lengths to ensure the Universe was held together and kept safe. This incarnation as a far cry from the person he once was and the Universe shivered in the absence of that person.
The Lieutenant's twisted desires went beyond the realm of comprehension, as he took pleasure in each life he snuffed out. His victims were mere pawns in his sick game, playthings that fueled his perverse enjoyment.
Another dark figure made her way up to the Lieutenant's right. This was his companion, Penelope Pratt. Pratt had never been good, unlike the Lieutenant.
'Where were you?' asked the Lieutenant.
'None of your business,' said Penelope.
'I can make it my business if you like. You need me to survive here and if I ran off and left you here, you would be a dead woman. I won't ask again, where were you?' hissed the Lieutenant, angrily.
'Trying not to get you killed,' said Penelope.
'You'll regret that one day,' said the Lieutenant, he had little or no patience and time for Penelope.
A dark figure came up to the Lieutenant's left.
The Lieutenant looked at him out of the corner of his eye, facing forward, imagining a whole host of ways he could get this annoyance to trot along.
'Would you have some cash for a coffee, sir?' asked the person.
'Go away,' said the Lieutenant.
The person turned to Penelope.
Before they got the chance, Penelope spoke. 'Go away now or it will be the end of you,' she said.
'Please!' exclaimed the person.
The Lieutenant reached out and grabbed the person.
'You're hurting me!' exclaimed the person.
'That's the idea, shut your mouth, stay quiet,' whispered the Lieutenant, fiercely.
'Let go!' yelled the person.
Almost in a flash, the Lieutenant grabbed the person's head and twisted it, breaking their neck.
The person died instantly and fell at the Lieutenant's feet.
The Lieutenant's face remained neutral. 'I warned you, no second chances,' he said, kicking the person's body out of the way.
Penelope watched the Lieutenant out of the side of her eyes but said nothing.
The Lieutenant's depravity knew no bounds. He reveled in the fear he instilled in his victims, savoring their cries for mercy as he snuffed out their lives one by one. It was as if each death fed his insatiable hunger, driving him further down the path of sadism.
This did not bother Penelope as such but he looked straight through her every time he looked at her. He did not believe in her, and she could tell. This was why he had to die.
Fate had a plan in store for the Lieutenant.
Penelope had spent months and months studying Time Lord regeneration behind the Lieutenant's back and had worked out the best way to disable regeneration and kill a Time Lord. She was going to carry this out today. Today was the day the Lieutenant would die.
The Lieutenant and Penelope made their way through Alton City, remaining in the shadows and out of street lamps. 'Where did we leave the TARDIS again, can you remember?' the Lieutenant asked Penelope.
'Yes,' said Penelope.
'Are you going to tell me?' asked the Lieutenant.
'Why should I? It's your TARDIS,' said Penelope.
The Lieutenant pulled his pistol out of his boot and digged it into Penelope's back. 'Tell me where the bloody TARDIS is, I don't have time for this,' he hissed.
'Down the narrow alley coming up on the left,' said Penelope.
'You're right too,' said the Lieutenant, smiling slightly and lowering the pistol.
The Lieutenant and Penelope headed for the alley and turned down it. There was the TARDIS, right there, sitting, waiting for them.
On seeing the TARDIS, Penelope suddenly lashed out, dealing a sore blow to the Lieutenant's stomach and, in his confusion, grabbed his pistol off him and pointed it at him.
The Lieutenant held his stomach, in pain, but on seeing his pistol in Penelope's hand and pointing at him, he found the strength to straighten up. 'That's mine. You won't use it on me,' said the Lieutenant, simply.
'I might,' said Penelope.
'You won't,' said the Lieutenant.
'I will,' hissed Penelope, in full rage.
The Lieutenant lurched forward, reaching out for the pistol. 'If you value your life, young lady, give me the bloody gun!' he yelled.
Penelope shot the Lieutenant in the foot.
The Lieutenant yelled out in pain. 'You stupid woman, now look what you've done!' he raged. 'You're doing this deliberately, you wait until I get my hands on you!' he yelled.
'If you, Lieutenant, value your life, you will do as I say. Get in the TARDIS,' said Penelope.
The Lieutenant did not value his life. A murderer did not have that luxury. He decided to play along with Penelope and see where this was going. He severely limped forward and into the TARDIS, followed by Penelope.
'Set the coordinates for deep space, dematerialise,' seethed Penelope.
The Lieutenant hesitated.
'What are you waiting for?!' screeched Penelope.
The Lieutenant, even, jumped at this outburst. He punched in the coordinates for deep space and pulled the Master Lever.
The TARDIS dematerialised.
At a loss as to what Penelope was trying to do, the Lieutenant said, 'Now what?'
Penelope pulled the trigger, shooting the Lieutenant through the chest, taking out one of his hearts.
The Lieutenant gasped and grabbed his chest, his hands starting to glow with regeneration energy. He collapsed to his knees, looking down at the blood, hoping he retained some sort of badness in his next incarnation.
Penelope moved around to behind the Lieutenant whilst he was distracted by his wound. She aimed at his back and shot him again.
The Lieutenant was paralysed from that shot and the regeneration energy faded. He knew it meant he was not going to regenerate. Penelope had severed all three brain stems, preventing regeneration. He watched Penelope walk into his view, it was all he could do.
Penelope brought the pistol up and aimed it at the Lieutenant's head. 'No-one makes underestimates me. No-one threatens me,; said Penelope, shooting the Lieutenant between the eyes.
The Lieutenant died instantly.
Penelope activated the door control.
The TARDIS door opened mid-flight.
Penelope dragged the Lieutenant's body to the door and gave it a good shove, casting it out into deep space. She returned to the console and re-activated the door control, closing the door. The Lieutenant was dead, there was no stopping her now.
The Lieutenant's skills in manipulation and his unyielding commitment to sadistic acts held potential for integration within the Cybermen's strategic framework. His understanding of fear and the intricacies of psychological warfare offered opportunities for new approaches in assimilation and control.
With his passing, a unique perspective on the human psyche is lost to us. The Lieutenant's proficiency in exploiting weaknesses and instilling terror could have further enhanced the perfection of our conversion methods.
Although the Lieutenant's death registers as a loss in terms of potential tactical advantages, it is important to note that the Cybermen do not mourn or lament. We simply adjust our strategies, leveraging the knowledge and expertise we have already assimilated.
'Locate the Lieutenant's body,' boomed a voice from somewhere. 'Attempt resurrection!'
NEXT TIME
'In the heart of 1879 Washington, my companion, Drifter, and I continued our extraordinary journey since I acquired my remarkable monocle.
'Determined to fulfill our role as protectors of time, we resolved to venture into the outer Universe, mending fractures and safeguarding reality.
Together, Drifter and I embarked on this cosmic odyssey, driven by the promise of infinite possibilities, and the knowledge that the Universe awaited our arrival.
Together, they embraced the uncharted territories, their spirits alight with the promise of infinite possibilities and the power to shape the course of destiny.
The Lieutenant
Liam Hickey
Thomas Stevens
Penelope Pratt
Gemma Arterton
The beggar
Michael Stuhlbarg
Cybermen
Nicholas Briggs
Director
Darwin Meads
Writer
Liam Hickey
Producers
Darwin Meads
Liam Hickey
M/S 2023