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morgynleriTitle: Time, Chaos, and the Universal Constant
Status: WIP
Genre: Drama
Chapter Rating: PG13
Warnings: None
Updated
At the End of the Univese - Welcome to Torchwood, Doctor
It took him time to fix it, using the scraps of technology he had at his disposal. His TARDIS was gone by now, useless; where it had gone he couldn't say. It didn't matter, in the end. Not if what the gimlet eyed young man had said was true. A sardonic smile crossed his face as he studied the vortex manipulator on the work surface in front of him. What use was a TARDIS when his people were gone? Gallifrey, the Time Lords. All destroyed, wiped from history.
He paused, letting out an unamused snort of laughter. Not all destroyed. Just himself, and that annoyance calling himself the Doctor. The reason Jack slept less than anyone except himself, restlessly working on the manipulator when he wasn't, or lending a hand on the propulsion system of the rocket when he threatened to kill him just to get a moment of peace to focus.
Focus as best he could, at the least, past the drums that were his constant companions. Drumming incessantly, eroding his precarious grip on sanity. If one didn't listen to Jacks claim that sanity was not his strong suit.
"Hey, Master, how's the manipulator coming along?" Jack stood at the open door to the lab, and the Master shot him an exasperated glare.
"If it worked, I would have told you already."
"I'm not so sure of that." Jack shrugged. "We've nearly gotten the footprint drive ready for the launch."
Which meant that soon the darling captain wouldn't have anything to keep him from hovering while he worked on fixing the manipulator. Not that it would take much more to fix it, and go wherever, and whenever, he chose.
A slow smile crossed his face as he leaned back on his stool. "You said you wanted to go back to Earth, the twenty-first century, didn't you, Captain?"
Jack paused, turned to leave the lab. "To wait for the Doctor." He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're going to tell me what's wrong with me, or fix it."
"You're a fixed point in space-time, Captain." The Master waved a dismissive hand at the concept. "I wouldn't fix it, even if I could. Is that the only reason?" Perhaps he wouldn't take Jack along after all, if he were going to be this boring.
"Everything changes in the twenty-first century, for Earth." Jack's eyes narrowed. "Why are you asking?"
The Master smiled, a mad glint in his eyes. "Oh, nothing important. Just wanted to set the controls for the right era."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Setting the controls for the right era? Sounds to me like you have it fixed, Master."
~ ~~ ~
"Welcome to Torchwood, Doctor!"
The wide grin on the Master's face did nothing to help the Doctor's feeling of absolute dread. He'd been concerned with the sort of technology it appeared Torchwood had, and the power it had gained, but it hadn't prepared him for what had greeted him when he tried to sneak in.
"This isn't right. You're dead. All of the Time Lords are dead." His voice was flat, distant.
"Yes, yes, I know all about that." The Master leaned back in his chair, spinning it around once before looking at the Doctor again, his eyes bright with amusement. "You know, you really gave up a brilliant opportunity."
The Doctor frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, my dear Doctor!" The Master pushed out of his chair, bounding towards him, throwing a companionable arm around his shoulders a moment, displacing one of the guards. "You could have had a universal constant at your beck and call. You could have had his absolute devotion... wait." He looked thoughtful, one finger tapping against his lips. "Oh, yes, you did have his devotion. That past tense being oh-so-important."
He moved away, letting the guard grip the Doctor's arm once more to keep him from bolting, all but dancing around the room. "He's so interesting, Doctor. He can't age, can't die. He can even bring life to the recently deceased!" The Master dropped back into his chair, a gleeful grin on his face. "And do you know what the best part is?"
The Doctor didn't say anything. It didn't matter, the Master would get around to telling him the answer, whether he wanted to hear it or not. And right now, he doubted he wanted to hear it.
"Oh, you're no fun in this regeneration. All stoic and quiet." The Master sulked a moment before perking up. "I'll tell you anyway, even though you didn't ask. He's mine. All mine. A universal constant, devoted to me. Of course, I've had over a hundred years to make him forget all about you."
"Jack wouldn't have forgotten me." The Doctor wished he could cross his arms right now, to underline the glare he directed at the Master.
"Are you so sure?" The Master laughed, mischief in his expression. "Would you care to find out?"
"No." The Doctor shifted his weight slightly, and the guards tightened their grip, alert to the threat of escape.
"Too bad." The Master activated the com on his desk. "You can come in now, Mr. Smith."
The Doctor frowned, craning his head around to see, giving the lie to his earlier refusal to want to see. If Jack had acquired a new name...
"You said you had an assignment for me, sir?" The voice didn't belong to Jack, but the relief at that small consolation was balanced by the recognition of who it was. That certainly wasn't right.
"What's Ricky the Idiot doing here?" The words slipped out despite his refusal to play the Master's game, whatever it was, and earned him a broad, pleased grin from the other Time Lord.
"Mr. Smith is a valuable field agent for Torchwood, Doctor." The Master leaned across his desk, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "He came to us after you brought back your companion's dead body. Rather fancied working for your enemy."
"You're lying," the Doctor responded flatly, once more glaring at the Master.
"'E's not, Doctor." Mickey stayed out of his line of sight. "Bit of an exaggeration of m'reasons, maybe, but 'least Torchwood pays for helpin' save the world."
"Now, Doctor, I believe I had something for you." The Master leaned back, setting his feet up on his desk. "Mr. Smith, take the Doctor here to the Torchwood Hub. He didn't believe me when I said I had Captain Harkness working for me." He had a mock-wounded expression on his face for a brief moment.
"Yes, sir." Mickey, in contrast, sounded... disappointed.
"Oh, take him to Mrs. Tyler's residence once his visit with Jack is over." The Master rolled his eyes at Mickey, glee replacing mocking as he watched the Doctor pale at his words. "I'm sure she'll want to see him."
Next Chapter: Torchwood Tower, 1973 - London to Cardiff with Mickey - This is what century?
Status: WIP
Genre: Drama
Chapter Rating: PG13
Warnings: None
Updated
It took him time to fix it, using the scraps of technology he had at his disposal. His TARDIS was gone by now, useless; where it had gone he couldn't say. It didn't matter, in the end. Not if what the gimlet eyed young man had said was true. A sardonic smile crossed his face as he studied the vortex manipulator on the work surface in front of him. What use was a TARDIS when his people were gone? Gallifrey, the Time Lords. All destroyed, wiped from history.
He paused, letting out an unamused snort of laughter. Not all destroyed. Just himself, and that annoyance calling himself the Doctor. The reason Jack slept less than anyone except himself, restlessly working on the manipulator when he wasn't, or lending a hand on the propulsion system of the rocket when he threatened to kill him just to get a moment of peace to focus.
Focus as best he could, at the least, past the drums that were his constant companions. Drumming incessantly, eroding his precarious grip on sanity. If one didn't listen to Jacks claim that sanity was not his strong suit.
"Hey, Master, how's the manipulator coming along?" Jack stood at the open door to the lab, and the Master shot him an exasperated glare.
"If it worked, I would have told you already."
"I'm not so sure of that." Jack shrugged. "We've nearly gotten the footprint drive ready for the launch."
Which meant that soon the darling captain wouldn't have anything to keep him from hovering while he worked on fixing the manipulator. Not that it would take much more to fix it, and go wherever, and whenever, he chose.
A slow smile crossed his face as he leaned back on his stool. "You said you wanted to go back to Earth, the twenty-first century, didn't you, Captain?"
Jack paused, turned to leave the lab. "To wait for the Doctor." He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're going to tell me what's wrong with me, or fix it."
"You're a fixed point in space-time, Captain." The Master waved a dismissive hand at the concept. "I wouldn't fix it, even if I could. Is that the only reason?" Perhaps he wouldn't take Jack along after all, if he were going to be this boring.
"Everything changes in the twenty-first century, for Earth." Jack's eyes narrowed. "Why are you asking?"
The Master smiled, a mad glint in his eyes. "Oh, nothing important. Just wanted to set the controls for the right era."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Setting the controls for the right era? Sounds to me like you have it fixed, Master."
"Welcome to Torchwood, Doctor!"
The wide grin on the Master's face did nothing to help the Doctor's feeling of absolute dread. He'd been concerned with the sort of technology it appeared Torchwood had, and the power it had gained, but it hadn't prepared him for what had greeted him when he tried to sneak in.
"This isn't right. You're dead. All of the Time Lords are dead." His voice was flat, distant.
"Yes, yes, I know all about that." The Master leaned back in his chair, spinning it around once before looking at the Doctor again, his eyes bright with amusement. "You know, you really gave up a brilliant opportunity."
The Doctor frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, my dear Doctor!" The Master pushed out of his chair, bounding towards him, throwing a companionable arm around his shoulders a moment, displacing one of the guards. "You could have had a universal constant at your beck and call. You could have had his absolute devotion... wait." He looked thoughtful, one finger tapping against his lips. "Oh, yes, you did have his devotion. That past tense being oh-so-important."
He moved away, letting the guard grip the Doctor's arm once more to keep him from bolting, all but dancing around the room. "He's so interesting, Doctor. He can't age, can't die. He can even bring life to the recently deceased!" The Master dropped back into his chair, a gleeful grin on his face. "And do you know what the best part is?"
The Doctor didn't say anything. It didn't matter, the Master would get around to telling him the answer, whether he wanted to hear it or not. And right now, he doubted he wanted to hear it.
"Oh, you're no fun in this regeneration. All stoic and quiet." The Master sulked a moment before perking up. "I'll tell you anyway, even though you didn't ask. He's mine. All mine. A universal constant, devoted to me. Of course, I've had over a hundred years to make him forget all about you."
"Jack wouldn't have forgotten me." The Doctor wished he could cross his arms right now, to underline the glare he directed at the Master.
"Are you so sure?" The Master laughed, mischief in his expression. "Would you care to find out?"
"No." The Doctor shifted his weight slightly, and the guards tightened their grip, alert to the threat of escape.
"Too bad." The Master activated the com on his desk. "You can come in now, Mr. Smith."
The Doctor frowned, craning his head around to see, giving the lie to his earlier refusal to want to see. If Jack had acquired a new name...
"You said you had an assignment for me, sir?" The voice didn't belong to Jack, but the relief at that small consolation was balanced by the recognition of who it was. That certainly wasn't right.
"What's Ricky the Idiot doing here?" The words slipped out despite his refusal to play the Master's game, whatever it was, and earned him a broad, pleased grin from the other Time Lord.
"Mr. Smith is a valuable field agent for Torchwood, Doctor." The Master leaned across his desk, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "He came to us after you brought back your companion's dead body. Rather fancied working for your enemy."
"You're lying," the Doctor responded flatly, once more glaring at the Master.
"'E's not, Doctor." Mickey stayed out of his line of sight. "Bit of an exaggeration of m'reasons, maybe, but 'least Torchwood pays for helpin' save the world."
"Now, Doctor, I believe I had something for you." The Master leaned back, setting his feet up on his desk. "Mr. Smith, take the Doctor here to the Torchwood Hub. He didn't believe me when I said I had Captain Harkness working for me." He had a mock-wounded expression on his face for a brief moment.
"Yes, sir." Mickey, in contrast, sounded... disappointed.
"Oh, take him to Mrs. Tyler's residence once his visit with Jack is over." The Master rolled his eyes at Mickey, glee replacing mocking as he watched the Doctor pale at his words. "I'm sure she'll want to see him."
Next Chapter: Torchwood Tower, 1973 - London to Cardiff with Mickey - This is what century?
no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 01:57 pm (UTC)It's very intriguing. Certainly makes me want more. And perhaps a little more in this chapter, because it feels very fragmentary atm and could do with some filling in - it took me a while at the start of each segment to work out where we were and who was there etc.
Did you find a beta? If not, would you like one? :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-10-15 10:36 pm (UTC)The Master is actually determined to write the whole thing mostly out of order. It's definately not my usual style, and it's sometimes a bit frustrating. I do think I have figured out how many storylines there are going to be, and which ones have been started.
And yes, I'd love to have a beta, as I haven't had any takers, and I'm not inclined to go looking outside my flist for a beta-reader at the moment. Takes too long to get used to someone I'm completely unfamiliar with.
I'm going to go put up a post now that'll be notes and such for the story, such as I have at the moment. It might prove useful for beta-reading the story with the non-linear nature of it. *watches the Time Lord spinning in his chair* Sorta like him, and the Doctor's lives. Not lived in linear time.
Eh. *goes to post her notes*
no subject
Date: 2007-10-16 04:28 pm (UTC)When going back to expand the scenes (and right at the moment, I think I'll expand the Torchwood scene, let the Master torment the Doctor a bit more), instead of keeping the three that are in this chapter, leave the last one with the Doctor and Marka for another chapter (or another story, perhaps).
It'll still probably be a bit confusing, because the Master and Jack aren't exactly writing in order. But the second chapter has their arrival at Torchwood (1973, about seventy years after their arrival on Earth from the end of the universe), and the Doctor en-route between Torchwood 1 and Torchwood 3, which if I expand the scene in the first chapter can follow pretty much on the heels of that one.