The Keeper – or Mortimus – was frantically trying to adjust his projection device in his chamber. He hadn’t managed to get back to Holly and India since the incident outside of the car and he was worried. He’d detected numerous disruptions in time and Holly now appeared to be on board the Doctors TARDIS. He needed to get back to her. He had to make sure he escaped from this place.
“Yes, this place has certainly seen better days,” said the Master, sitting down on the sofa next to Lilly and folding his arms. “Hello, my dear.”
“Hey, Daddy,” said Lilly, smiling.
“Glad to see you’ve finally come around to my way of thinking, Illithia.”
“I’ve been on your side for some time now.”
“It was you, wasn’t it?” said the Doctor, helping Holly over to a chair in the corner of the room. “The Master shouldn’t have been able to track us. You helped him, didn’t you, Lilly?”
Lilly nodded. “Guilty as charged.”
“Why?” said India, looking more upset than she realized she should be.
“When that psycho came on board,” said Lilly, nodding towards the very pale Holly, “I realized something was up.”
“Ah, yes,” said the Master, getting up off the sofa and crossing over to Holly.
“Stay away from her,” said the Doctor.
“Take it easy, old man,” said the Master, crouching down in front of her. “Multiple time disturbances and…ooooh, what’s this?” he said, taking her arm and looking at the device. “Oh, tut, tut…”
“Apparently she’s from a changed timeline.”
“Let me guess,” said the Master, getting to his feet and grinning. “Moi?”
Lilly nodded. “Apparently you killed her. Stopped her from making me become a better person.” She pretended to stick her fingers down her mouth.
The Master chuckled. “I cannot believe you’d let a Human girl change your heart.”
“I didn’t,” said Lilly. “Lucky for me really.
“She was a better person,” said Holly, feeling herself unable to control her anger any longer. “After what she did to Caleb-”
“The kid deserved it,” said Lilly.
“Lilly,” said the Doctor, stepping forward and grabbing the Masters arm, pulling him away from his companion, “I’ve already said time and time again that Caleb was an unfortunate accident.”
“No it wasn’t,” said Lilly. “I mean to kill him, you know?” She grinned at the Doctor. “It’s just taken a while to realize that. Like it’s taken a while to realize a few things.” She looked at her father and smiled at him. “I think I’m ready now.”
“You can’t think to go with him,” said Holly. “Please.”
“When will you get it in your stupid, thick skull,” she said, bearing down on Holly, “that I am not that same stupid blonde bimbo that you met. I am his daughter.”
“So you’re just doing this for him?” said Holly.
“No,” she shouted, “I’m doing this because this is who I really am.” She jabbed at her chest. “This is the true person inside. The real woman. Illithia.”
Holly didn’t know what to say. She looked to the Doctor for some words of support, but she just closed his eyes and shook his head, a look of defeat on his face.
“That’s my girl,” said the Master, “finally back in the fold.” He took her hand and guided her towards the TARDIS doors and his waiting ship beyond. “Maybe we should go and meet your other siblings.”
“Don’t do this, Koschei,” said the Doctor, one final attempt to stop them.
The Master turned and smiled at his old adversary. “For once, my dear Doctor, you’re just going to have to accept the inevitable. I’ve won. I’ve beaten you.”
“Lilly…” the Doctor said, a pleading look on his face.
“I’ll let you live, old man,” said Lilly. “I owe you that at least.”
The Doctor’s arms fell limply by his side as Holly watched on in abject defeat as Lilly and the Master exited the TARDIS, the doors closing behind them. The doors banged shut with such a force that she thought she could hear the sound echoing around the console room over and over again.
Eventually India, who had kept quiet, stepped out of the shadows and leant on the console. “So, what now?”
“Now?” said the Doctor. “Now we get her back.”
“Doctor, that’s not going to work,” said India. “She’s gone.”
“We can still try,” said the Doctor, rushing to the console and tracking the Master’s TARDIS as it disappeared into the vortex.
“No,” said India, “we’ve been running from him for ages. Lilly hasn’t changed. She hasn’t made any effort to rebuild her life. She’s lost.”
“I won’t believe that. Lilly is still there somewhere.”
“She’s not,” said Holly, quietly from the sofa, her hand clutching at her wound. “She’s really not. India is right – Lilly has gone. The Lilly I know and love never would have done this.”
“I think I know her better than you, Miss Dangerfield,” said the Doctor.
Holly got to her feet. “No you don’t. Not the real Lilly. The real one that grew and changed. You don’t know that girl at all. That girl never existed and I can’t let that continue to be the case.”
“You heard the Doctor though,” said India, “we can’t fix this timeline.”
“Can’t we?” said Holly. She held up the wrist band. “Mortimus let me loose in this timeline for a reason. I reckon we should go and find out why.”
The TARDIS landing was much rougher than they thought it would be as the ship materialized back at the Zero Point. India poked her head out of the door and then stepped outside gingerly. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing this place again.”
“What’s up with the lights?” asked Holly, as she followed India out of the box.
“Must be connected to Mortimus trying to escape,” said the Doctor, exiting the TARDIS and locking the door behind him. “This place is looking a bit precarious.”
They made their way down the black, marble corridor, their footsteps echoing loudly as they went. Just when they were about to reach the tunnel down to the Keepers domain the lights flickered out. When they came back on Mortimus was standing there in front of them.
Holly jumped back. “Jesus Christ!”
“What are you doing here?” asked Mortimus. “Why have you returned?”
“What are you trying to do?” asked the Doctor.
“I beg your pardon?” asked Mortimus, his eyes looking between the three of them.
“Cut the fake surprise,” said the Doctor. “We know that you’re up to something. My alternate self sent Holly here to be re-woven into this new timeline. So why didn’t you do it?”
“My dear Doctor,” said Mortimus, taking his hands, “it’s so good to see you again. And suspicious as always I see.” He laughed nervously.
“Mortimus, I know you have your reasons, I just don’t know what they are,” said the Doctor.
Mortimus looked at the Doctor and then let go of his hands. He looked away and then down at the floor. He looked frustrated and scared.
“Tell us what’s wrong,” said Holly.
“I’m ashamed,” said Mortimus, unable to make any kind of eye contact with them. “I’m ashamed because I’m frightened.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being frightened,” said India.
“Frightened of what?” asked the Doctor.
“Of what I’ve seen happening to this world.”
“I don’t understand,” said the Doctor. “What have you seen?”
Mortimus took the Doctor and Holly’s hands and nodded to India. “I need the three of you to come with me.”
When they eventually reached the room Holly and India had been in before he knelt in front of the old TV set and switched it on. On the screen was a myriad of images showing war and desolation raging across various different planets.
The Doctor squinted his eyes at the grainy picture, recognizing some of them – Skaro, Earth, Gallifrey, Theen, Masker, Vorlaris – but not all of them. On each world buildings fell and fires broke out. Images flashed up of crying children and starving people.
“Switch it off,” said India, unable to watch any more.
“What is this?” asked the Doctor, turning to Mortimus, a tear already trickling down his cheek and disappearing into his white beard.
“This is our world, Doctor. This is our universe.” He crossed over to the armchair and sat down, looking utterly dejected.
“You can see all of time from this room,” said the Doctor, “so what are you seeing exactly?”
“Everything,” said Mortimus. “This is what happens to this universe if this new timeline continues to exist.”
“I beg your pardon?” said Holly.
“This universe that the Master created will become what you saw in those images.”
“What, because the Master and Lilly were reunited?” asked Holly, doubting that herself.
“No,” said Mortimus, shaking his head in frustration, “because of the First Time Lord.”
“I beg your pardon,” said the Doctor, his eyes widening.
“I’m sure you’ve heard about it. The legends of the First Time Lord. The story of the Time Lord Slayer.”
To be continued...
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