MoM 28: Rescue
Title: Master on Mars 28: Rescue
Fandom: DW/LoM xover
Pairing: Master!Sam/Martha (with some Jack fun and games) and Gene/Romana!Mags
Summary: Wow, the Doctor finally makes it into this story- who’d’ve thunk it?
A/N: Just to be awkward, or avoid it, I’m colour coding POVs as from now on it changes, a lot. Jack is Blue, Gene is Violet, Mags is Green, Martha is Red, Sam is Black and any guest POV is Lime Green
I would like to thank
avalon_isle
for betaing
MoM 28: Rescue
So it worked.
We scanned for alien tech, which led us to a second hand shop’s back yard and guess what we found- a TARDIS.
Looks like the CIA have kept their grubby little hands on a lot Timelord technology. We really will need to see about fixing that at some point.
Now though the priority is getting the Doctor back and killing Morgan. Ooh, killing Morgan.
Omega I hope we find the Doctor soon.
But I have to say it was amusing when we arrived at the source of the Gallifreyan energy signal and Gene, Jack and Martha looked disappointed by what we found in the lot.
Sam and I laughed at Martha and Jack, “Gene has an excuse, but you two?” I ask them, but they’re obviously confused.
The Master continues as he opens the back of the very battered looking chest of drawers, “Honestly they don’t all look like dilapidated Police Boxes!” And with that he slips inside.
I shake my head as I take Gene’s hand and move to follow. It’ll serve him right if Morgan’s laying in wait and shoots him. Overconfident idiot.
I say as much to Gene and he gives me a dirty look, “Then why are we following? Besides this way’s more fun.” With that he pulls ahead and dives in.
I look at the other two and they just shrug and make their own way inside.
I sigh, straighten my shoulders and step inside.
The thought occurs to me as I do that it takes all four of this lot to match the insanity the Doctor used to bring into my life. And we’re actually hopefully, going to add the Doctor to this insanity?
Inside they’re bickering. We’re ‘covertly’ infiltrating and they stop to bicker. Loudly. About the décor of all things!
“What do you mean it’s morbid?”
I have to agree with Gene on this one, despite the Master’s protests. This TARDIS looks like Count Dracula got let loose in the wackiest edition of Changing Rooms imaginable.
“This is my kind of Console Room.” Now that I can believe of the Master.
“Yeah but I’ve seen your idea of redecorating a TARDIS-”
“Oh that wasn’t redecorating that was more of a science experiment. It did look good though.”
“No. It didn’t.”
It’s said quietly but with such a sense of finality that even the Master drops the subject. There’s obviously a story there and just as obviously it’s a dangerous story.
We move further into the TARDIS with the three boys still bickering. At least they’re moved on from the décor to insulting Morgan’s total inability to secure his TARDIS. Martha and I just roll our eyes and share a commiserating look. We follow them through the winding corridors of the TARDIS.
Gene and Jack have now progressed to bickering with the Master about where we’re headed. I’m not bothering to listen- I know.
There are only so many places you could hold someone like the Doctor in a TARDIS. Factoring in that whatever else Morgan’s up to he’s probably doing tests on his captive- it’s the only logical explanation for everything he’s already put the Master through. And Morgan is nothing if not logical, in his own way.
He has to have been examining and cataloguing effects on the Master. Therefore if he’s doing anything remotely similar to the Doctor there is only one lab suitable to all his needs.
That’s where we’re heading.
I almost hope we don’t find him there. I almost wish I didn’t know where it is. The Master would still know. I am completely 150% sure the Doctor has never made use of his own matching lab and am just as sure the Master has.
I guess its existence in every TARDIS is evidence of the darker side of our forefathers. It’s part of the original design coordinated by Rassilon and Omega and all the great engineers and architects that created the vast Timelord society and technology.
The unnecessarily stuffy Council always refused to get rid of it despite their own distaste for it. They claimed that if the great and wise instigators of our power and heritage created them then there must be a reason and purpose we are simply not wise enough to know or understand
The Master pauses at the door and looks back at Martha. He is obviously trying to decide whether or not to let her go in- whether to shield her from this or not. How the almighty Master has changed. Not only is he on a rescue mission for his self-proclaimed nemesis, but he’s worrying about how this might affect another person. And not in a ‘will I have to clean the carpet’ kind of way.
I know, I mean really know he loves Martha but it’s tiny, subconscious gestures like that that make me so very happy for both of them. Martha has noticed his hesitation too and walks up to his side and wraps her hand in his with a smile.
Sighing the Master opens the door and walks in. I hear Martha’s gasp. I expected it but…
I walk in and after only a moment’s glance I close my eyes against the images.
“What is this place?” Even Jack’s voice is hushed by this… display.
I open my eyes again and see Gene looking around, disgust plain on his face. “Morgan did all this?”
I won’t look too closely. I’ve seen it all before.
Here and now its worse, so very much worse.
All those torturous, sadistic, scientific toys have been turned on the Doctor and all those displays…
When the lab is not in use all these screens and experiment vials show slideshows of old experiments, ghastly and horrific as they are.
But this, this is all examples of what Morgan has done to the Doctor.
“Oh my-” We all turn at Jack’s exclamation.
What in this place could be so much worse?
Oh.
We’ve found the Doctor. Rassilon what were you thinking with this place?
I run to the machine- he’s in some kind of vat in the wall, hooked up through wires and needles to all sorts of things. There’s a spike in each of his temples obviously connected right into his brain if the readouts mean what I think they do.
This is barbaric!
Even humans don’t use such primitive tools. I’m just staring as my mind tries to catalogue the damage. Whole patches of hair and skin are missing, an eye and his left hand as well. What the hell did Morgan want with those?
“The Doctor’s making quite a collection of spare hands isn’t he?” I turn to Martha surprised, she’s taking all this disturbingly well.
Her husband’s no better, but then that’s only to be expected. “Yeah well it’s typical of him Remind me to make sure Morgan hasn’t scarpered with any body parts. You wouldn’t believe the trouble you can cause with something as innocuous as a severed hand.”
“Eh, yes I would. I saw you do it.”
They share a smile and I can’t take anymore. “How the hell can you be so, so glib about this?”
The Master looks at me and Gene and Jack back away. He’s not threatening me but I’m not sure what mood he is in.
“You’ve never used any of this equipment have you?”
I shake my head not trusting my voice. He smiles and holds his hand out to me. I shake my head again and he steps closer and takes my hand in his. “Come on, you’ll like this.”
He pulls me with him to the main controls for the central vat the Doctor’s is in. Martha comes with us and her calm attitude still makes me more uneasy.
“This is the control for the spike feed into his head- from here we can inflict anything on his mind.” He’s smiling and I try to pull away. He tightens his hold and takes my other hand, placing it on the dial. “Twist it, clockwise as far as it will go.”
When my hand stays still he moves his own with mine under it. I gasp as the spikes retract from his head. The holes start to bleed but only for a moment and very sluggishly.
“The goo is regenerative- well actually it’d need to be less regeneration than a sort of stasis.” The Master and I both look at Martha, surprised by her grasp of the situation and the technology. Then again she is a doctor, almost. The Master takes me through every step of the unhooking process and I now know more about this technology than I ever wanted to, but I still don’t see why he thought I’d like any of this.
“And now for the best bit. The reason I love this lab. This,” he holds my hand over the last button, a button that was hidden under a sealed panel. “This makes every toy as fun as Jack, well once anyway. But it does only work once so you have to get it right the first time.”
The comment about Jack confuses me but I did see Jack’s face. He looked confused, worried and possibly anger. Right now though the Master presses our hands on the button.
In front of us a 3D holographic image springs to life. It’s the Doctor, with all his injuries detailed and they’re worse than I expected. While my mind is still trying to catalogue the extent of his injuries the Master takes my hand again and raises our joint hands to the representation of the Doctor’s hearts.
The left one is struggling, there’s some relatively superficial damage to two of the valves but considering the stresses his body is under it could give out at any time. Our fingers touch the area and it magnifies, he moves our hands fingers in the pattern the valves should take and then adds pressure.
Suddenly the large image resets and all the heart valves are in the correct pattern. At the same time the Doctor’s body lurched.
I look between the hologram and the Doctor then at the Master, “You repaired the damage?” I ask incredulously.
“We did. But we have to work quickly, the program only runs for one hour and can never be run for the same person twice.”
“It’s an advanced medical system?” I’m still stuck on what we just did.
The Master rolls his eyes at me but it’s Martha who answers as he turns back to the hologram to continue the repairs. “No the only reason this machine can put him back together is because it kept records as it took him apart. Even so it still needs a person to tell it what to do with the information.”
The Master quirks an eyebrow at her over his shoulder, “If you understand it so well come and help. You too Mags, there’s a lot of work to get done.”
We both join him and set to work. The other two are left to watch, us and the Doctor as he twitches as each change takes hold. There is an obvious improvement to his condition already. With the three of us working we finish with a few minutes to spare.
Although when the Master started the regrowth of the Doctor’s arm and eye I had to stop to watch, just for a moment.
We’re done and the Master smirks at me, “Like this room yet?”
“No. Still not my kind of fun.”
He just shrugs and turns to Martha, “Did you have fun?”
“Fun? Not so much, but it was fascinating.” He shakes his head at her but he is still smiling.
“I suppose we should let him out now.”
Martha and I just glare at him and he laughs, hands held high in surrender as he backs up to the vat currently holding the still unconscious Doctor. He turns to the control panel and starts entering codes, but suddenly turns back to us, “Can’t I at least wake him up first?” He gets a double cross-armed glare for an answer. “Fine. Fine.” He turns back to the controls and completes the release.
The vat drains and the Doctor’s body collapses to the floor as the shield drops and the door opens. We all rush forward, all except the Master who steps away. I’m surprised because he can’t possibly think we still believe he doesn’t care about the Doctor.
Martha, Jack and I are clustered around the gasping Doctor who is staring at us all wide-eyed. Gene is standing back, warily watching what this Doctor will do. Apparently we’ve all given him something of an infamous idea of the Doctor. Sam’s back and carrying clothes.
Oh. Martha noticed too and smiles, “His suit.”
“Really?” I ask, “Isn’t it a bit well subtle for him?”
Jack laughs. “Last time I saw him it was a leather jacket. Very casual.”
Martha and I exchange a look- the Doctor in leather, mmm.
The Master clears his throat, “He is still naked.”
“Not very like you to be worried about his dignity-”
I’m interrupted by Gene, “He’s not. He stole both these dozy birds from the Doctor bloke- he’s worried a good look’ll convince them it was a mistake.”
Sam throws a shoe at Gene but he is smiling and the rest of us laugh. The Doctor struggles to his feet and the Master hands him his clothes which he immediately starts putting on.
“Now doctor, don’t go blaming me for any of this- for quite probably the first time ever I’m completely innocent. I’m a victim too, even!” The Doctor looks puzzled and turns to the rest of us.
His eyes meet mine and I throw myself at him. “Oh Doctor, I never thought I’d see you again! I’m so happy I-” I kiss him and pull back to be replaced by Martha.
“I’ve missed you so much Doctor.” she slaps his arm. “Don’t you dare go disappearing again!” then she kisses him.
Sam’s howling but suddenly Martha’s kissing him. Which is lucky ‘cos Jack’s got the Doctor in a lip lock. “I missed you too Doctor. It’s great to see you.” The Doctor seems a bit dazed. Hardly surprising really.
His eyes light on Gene who shakes his head vehemently, “I don’t wanna snog you like the other three-”
“Snog, three?” The Master pulls back from Martha, “Jack?”
“What?” he asks innocently but really the twinkle in his eyes ruins the effect.
“Oh,” Sam stops glaring and pulls Gene over to the Doctor. “This is Romana’s husband, Gene, the Gene-Genie, Hunt. Ignore his protests and feel free to kiss him.” The Doctor still looks confused but smiles politely at Gene and sticks his hand out.
They shake and the Doctor opens his mouth, finally. “Gene?” My husband nods. “Okay Gene, eh could you do me a favour?”
“What?” Gene asks suspiciously.
“Could you tell me who everyone else here is?”