Doctor Who fic: The Trial of Ten, 9/20
Banner made by 'D', my talented RL artist friend.
Characters: Eleventh Doctor, Metacrisis Doctor, Rose (Also: Martha, Jack, Amy, Rory, Gwen, John Hart)
Genre: Drama; some action and h/c
Rating: PG (This chapter - PG-13 to be safe)
Spoilers: Up to/including A Christmas Carol
Summary: When the Metacrisis Doctor returns with Rose from the other universe, he is captured and put on trial for various crimes including genocide. Can Rose and Eleven save him? How does the case affect Eleven who is also, in effect, on trial? How does the unexpected return to the Tardis and to the original Doctor affect Rose?
Chapter 9 Summary: Ten must endure one of the petitioned procedures during court. What effect does this have on both him and Eleven?
Disclaimer: This story takes place within the Doctor Who universe. This story is a way of re-interpreting concepts and ideas already present in Doctor Who. All characters within belong to the BBC. This story is for fun and for sharing, but not for profit.
The Trial of Ten
Chapter 9: Succumbing to Prophecy
'And the punishment will be banishment to the parallel universe from whence you came where you will live out your natural lives.'
Hands were laid on Rose and Ten, and they were hustled into the Tardis. Flanked by Judoon warriors, Eleven stood at the console, shoulders slumped, not looking at them. And then they were there on Darlig Ulv Stranden, stumbling on to the beach. Jackie and Pete stood, arms joyfully outstretched, welcoming them. But as the Tardis faded from view, Ten lurched and fell to his knees.
'Doctor,' cried Rose. She cradled him in her arms. But already he was weakening, dying. And by the time Jackie and Pete reached them, his eyes had already closed and he was still.
And when Rose stood, she was in Torchwood, and everyone was clapping and cheering, congratulating her on her successful return. But Ten's body still lay on the beach. She tried to protest that it was a banishment, that the Doctor was dead because of it, but no-one listened to her.
'Get me back,' she cried. 'This isn't my home. It never was. Get me back to the Tardis, to the Doctor.'
Smiling, they told her that the Doctor was dead on the beach in Norway. 'Don't you remember?' But she pounded on the wall at the top of Torchwood Tower, frantic.
'He's still out there. He is!'
She woke up trembling. She sat up, breathing hard. The gentle hum of the Tardis surrounded her, and the bed was soft under her. Slowly she relaxed and lay back against the pillows.
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
'You ready?' asked Eleven. He took her hand.
'Yeah,' said Rose, and they went through the double doors into the courtroom.
It was no easier this time around. The self-moulding chair still unnerved her, and the huge room was as dark and vast and overwhelming as before. She put her head in her hands and closed her eyes, resolutely ignoring all that went on around her. After some time, she felt Martha's hand on her arm and she looked up. All the people were in place and Ten was being brought out.
Rose leaned forward to watch him. Although he still walked slowly and carefully placed each bare foot in front of the other, he didn't stumble this time. His guards also had clearly learned to slow down for him.
'That's it, Doctor,' she said under her breath. 'You show 'em.'
The sudden raising of the lights and the explosion of noise from the audience made her jump, but this time she quickly turned her back on it and watched Ten being escorted to the chair. He too seemed less startled and merely sat in the chair and arranged his arms and legs so that the guards could fasten the restraints easily.
The deep voice spoke. 'This session will examine the first and most serious charge, that of genocide. Prosecution, present your case.'
The Man walked forward. 'During the Medusa Cascade incident in the Earth time of June, 2009, the Doctor deliberately committed genocide against the Daleks. Even though he had already defused the device known as the Reality Bomb with the help of others during the event in question, he and he alone chose to commit genocide. I stress that he did so after the immediate threat that the Daleks presented had passed.'
'On what do you base this accusation?' asked the Voice.
'On a fourth-party witness,' said the Prosecutor.
'Fourth-party?' asked the Woman sharply. 'What does that mean?'
'I have a soldier from Earth who witnessed events pertaining to another charge that is to come. However, he also experienced the memories of another person who was present during the Medusa Cascade incident. I call Corporal Stephen Miller forward.'
A man, possibly in his late-twenties, came onto the dais, took the oath solemnly and sat in the witness chair. He was not familiar to Rose, but she immediately heard a sharp intake of breath from Martha. Eleven merely nodded, although when Rose quickly glanced at him, he seemed a bit somber.
'Mr. Miller,' said the Man without preamble, 'I would like to establish some context here. You've told me that you witnessed two events in which the Doctor was involved. The first one was during the erased year that has been recognized to have happened on the Earth ship Valiant.' The Man turned to look up at the Jury and the high desk. 'Multiple witnesses who survived on the Valiant, and evidence left on the ship itself have established that there was a period of one year during which the Time Lord known as the Master controlled the Earth for the purpose to launch war on the rest of the Universe. The Earth Defence Organization known as UNIT has accepted this as fact.'
He turned back to the soldier. 'You were stationed on the Valiant initially as part of the UNIT guard during the initial meeting between Earth leaders and the so-called Toclafane. When one of the planet's state leaders was assassinated, you remained as a guard under the Master's control. Can you tell us how this happened--why you served the Master?'
Miller swallowed nervously. 'I was told--we were all told--to watch what happened to the Jones family. The Master said that our families had been rounded up and thrown in prison--that if we didn't obey him to the letter, they would be tortured or killed instantly. The guys who really bought into the Master's plans were sent to the stockyards where they were building the rockets to establish the Master's presence there. The rest of us who weren't killed when the Toclafane first came were the ones converted into his guards on the Valiant.'
'So you helped him through the year,' said the Man.
'I didn't do anything,' Miller protested. 'I knew that there were guys who'd like being on the Valiant a little too much, who'd maybe enjoy bullying people if it were under orders. I thought that at least I could help by being there instead, by--'
'Being nice,' said the Man.
Miller shifted uncomfortably. 'Yeah. And I never used my gun against anyone. I never even had it off its safety setting. I did what I could for the Jones family. Got them a bit of extra food when I could, covered up any mistakes so they wouldn't get punished more.'
'And what did you think of the Doctor,' asked the Man.
The solder looked confused. 'I didn't really think anything of him. I gathered that he was from the same race as the Master, but the Master kept him prisoner for that whole year. Made him age, see, so he couldn't do anything.'
'So you had no ill will towards the Doctor. Do you now?'
Miller looked at Ten. He shook his head. 'No. Not really. Even though he did say he forgave the Master, which I thought was a bit rich, considering.'
'Yes, well,' interrupted the Man, 'we will need you to give testimony on that in another session. In the meantime, I want you to think about the events of last December, when the huge, burning planet appeared in the sky.'
'Right,' said Miller.
'You told your psychologist that you remember being possessed by the Master, that everyone around you was possessed by him. All around the world.'
'Yes, sir,' he said.
'Can you tell the court what you saw in the Master's thoughts during that time?'
Miller shifted again and cast a glance at Ten who was watching him with a frown. 'I, uh, I saw his memories. Or maybe they were memories from someone else who was also possessed by the Master. I don't know. But they felt so real, like I was there and experienced it.'
'What did you see?'
'I saw him, the Doctor, that is, on an alien ship. It was the Daleks. You know, from all the planets in the sky. That time.'
'The Dalek invasion of Earth in June of 2009, yes,' said the Man. 'Go on.'
'This was on their main ship or... or "Crucible" I think he called it. I remember him saying that they, the Daleks I mean, would go out and kill everyone if he didn't stop them. So he rigged something on a machine, and all the Daleks, well, they blew up. All of them. Not a single one was left. I remember someone shouting, "What did you do?" He killed them. I mean, I know they were alien and wanted to kill us, but he just wiped them out all in one go, with no second thought.'
Ten closed his eyes and bowed his head.
'Be very clear about this,' said the Man. 'He did not deliberate, or consider the ethics involved?'
Miller shook his head. 'No. He decided they were dangerous and then just went at it.'
'Thank you,' said the Man. 'There you have it. Testimony to the prisoner's character and delusions of godhood. Clearly he feels he has the right to hand down judgement on a race, according to his own feelings on the matter.'
The Woman strode forward. 'I would like to cross-examine this witness.'
The Man bowed his head and withdrew to his table. The Woman came and stood in front of Miller.
'You say that these could be memories of the Master, or they could be memories of another person via him. Why do you think that you have such memories when, from what I understand, no-one else on Earth remembers the time they became copies of the Master. Why do you remember and they don't?'
Miller's forehead furrowed. 'I don't know, ma'am, but maybe because I was on the Valiant and remember that? Maybe something about that experience let me remember this one too?'
The Woman looked at him keenly. 'I understand that these are the only memories you have from the Master. Given all that he could do and has done, why do you think you only remember this?'
'I don't--I don't know, ma'am,' he said. 'Maybe because I had already met the Doctor? The familiarity? Everything else feels like a jumble.'
'Forgive me for saying this, but it all sounds rather nebulous to me, considering that this is supposed to be the primary evidence for this charge.' She turned to the high desk. 'I petition for a mind scan according to the traditions of Gallifrey. I am sure that Corporal Miller is reporting to the best of his ability, but I would like to see these memories for myself.'
'Granted,' said the Voice.
'In that case,' said the Man, 'I now call on the court to allow the mind-scan of both the witness and of the prisoner. If they match, I trust that you will find the evidence valid?'
'I would find it strengthened,' said the Woman.
'Proceed,' said the Voice.
As the Man turned and walked to the back of the dais, Rose saw that Ten was staring at her. No, she corrected herself. He was staring at Eleven.
'What is it,' she asked him. 'What are they gonna do--go into their minds?'
'Exactly,' said Eleven. His voice was tense. He stared back at Ten.
'I've seen you do that before to other people,' said Rose. 'Aren't you used to this kind of thing? Isn't he?'
'It's one thing doing it to people who need help,' said Eleven, 'and I always explain what I'm doing. It's another thing going into a Time Lord's mind. And this is the last thing he needs right now.'
Martha had leaned over and heard the last few words. 'It must feel like a violation,' she murmured.
'Yes,' said Eleven. He scowled.
On the dais, the Man was walking forward again, this time accompanied by a tall being of another race.
'What's that thing on his head,' whispered Martha. 'It looks a bit like your Chamelion Arch.'
Eleven leaned back in his chair. 'I see. Ohhh, so that's how you're going to do it,' he muttered.
'Doctor?' asked Martha.
'It's an amplifier,' he said. 'The person you see there is a natural telepath. The apparatus will amplify the reading and, I imagine, broadcast the images so we can see them. They don't have the technology the Time Lords used, but this will serve the purpose.'
'Is it painful?' asked Rose.
'If you resist,' said Eleven. He leaned forward again. 'I hope this fellow doesn't, for his own sake.'
On the dais, the tall being had knelt in front of Miller.
'Are you ready?' asked the Man.
The soldier swallowed nervously. 'I--I am,' he said.
The telepath placed each hand on the sides of Miller's face. He slowly relaxed.
All was still and hushed. Rose could see Ten now watching the two, clearly fascinated in spite of his earlier reaction.
Slowly, up in the air at the front of the dais, as if on an invisible screen, images came to life. Rose started. It was the Crucible. Sounds came--shouts, the voice of Davros and of Dalek Caan. For one moment, she saw herself and Jack, and Donna. And then he was there--Ten, her Doctor, intense and vital, working the Dalek console as if he belonged there. His voice echoed throughout the ampitheatre, loud and clear:
'With or without the Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've got to be stopped.'
Without one trace of hesitation, he flipped switches, rerouted signals and... And Daleks were exploding in the thousands, millions, tops blown off and blood and flesh scattering as far as the eye could see. A voice, hoarse and distorted with shock, shouted, 'What have you done?'
But then the images went dark and the telepath's hands slowly withdrew.
Rose found herself shuddering, and the voice of one single Dalek came to her: I can feel. So many ideas. So much darkness.
'Please confirm for the court,' said the Man, and Rose's attention snapped back to the dais, 'that this was the memory you received from the Master.'
Miller looked dazed, and he shook his head like a dog after a swim. 'Yes, sir,' he managed. 'That was it.'
'Thank you,' said the Man. 'I recognize that this experience must have been unsettling for you.' He turned and strode towards the centre of the dais so that he faced both the high desk and the jury at the back.
'Every single Dalek was murdered at that moment,' said the Man. 'None were spared in an act of complete genocide. Their ships too were destroyed leaving not a single shred of an entire race.' He turned so that the entire audience could see him. 'Some may say the Daleks were too dangerous to live, but I ask you this: if a single person can decide that he doesn't like a race and therefore he will eradicate it, what stops him from deciding that you too are... "unacceptable". Genocide is a crime against the universe, no matter who is involved.'
The lights came up and the sound barriers down. The audience roared forth its disapproval, some screaming and stamping at their seats. The bedlam hit Rose like a physical blow and she cowered, hands over her ears.
When the din lessened, she looked up at Ten. His head was bowed, and his hands were in fists. 'Oh, Doctor,' she whispered.
But the Man spoke again and the sound and light barriers descended once more. The ampitheatre was quiet again.
'And so we have one mind scan completed. I apologize to the court and to our audience for the graphic nature of what we have just seen. But one more mind scan remains.'
He walked forward, and as he did so, the telepath stood and followed him. When they stopped in front of Ten, the glowing blue circle that surrounded his chair parted and the two halves slid backwards and behind the backrest. The telepath knelt in front of Ten. Ten's eyes were open now and he looked warily at the telepath. Rose felt Eleven stiffen beside her. Once more the telepath reached up and placed each hand on the sides of Ten's face. Ten sat very still, but Rose could see the tension in every part of his body.
Unlike with Miller, the telepath waited a moment, and then shifted the hands slightly as if searching for a better position. After another attempt, the telepath leaned forward and finally pressed all fingertips hard against Ten's temples. Ten made a strangled sound as if in pain.
'Don't resist,' Rose said urgently. 'Don't let it hurt you.'
'He may not be able to help it,' said Eleven in a harsh whisper. 'Too much is going on in there already. Protective instinct.'
The telepath pressed harder and Ten cried out. Suddenly, his body jerked and he went still, his face slack and his eyes wide.
For a moment nothing happened, although Rose could hear her own breath loud in her ears. Beside her, Eleven gripped his armrests.
Slowly, as before, images flickered to life at the front of the dais. This time they were from a different perspective. Rose saw herself again briefly to the side, but Davros, and Dalek Caan behind him, were the centre of attention. Dalek Caan was speaking, madness bubbling through every reedy sound: 'I have seen the end of everything Dalek and you must make it happen, Doctor.' But overlaid all was swirling, streaming strands of blue, spiralling into the centre.
The telepath pressed harder against Ten and leaned in further almost so that their bodies touched. Ten gasped. The swirling patterns of blue faded slightly and through it the images of the Crucible became more vibrant.
And then came Ten's voice, deeper and reverberating as if, it seemed to Rose, it were coming from her own body: 'He's right, 'cause with or without the Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've got to be stopped.' Images streamed around the screen, and she realized that it was what Ten saw as he danced his hands across the controls, looked at readings and watched the Daleks. 'Maximizing Dalekanium power feeds. Blasting them back!' And then he pulled the final lever with a flourish and the Daleks began to explode.
The images darkened and disappeared, and the telepath withdrew and staggered back. The Man came forward, but after one look at the telepath's face, he immediately gestured to the back of the dais. The telepath disappeared quickly.
'Clearly an unpleasant experience,' he said. 'I wish to thank the Mind Scanner for a selfless attempt to serve the court.' He looked at Ten who was slumped in his chair, eyes closed. 'As the court can see, the mind scans both confirm what took place.' He turned to the Woman. 'I trust that you find the evidence "strengthened".'
The Woman's voice was subdued. 'I wish to petition the court for a recess to allow my client time to recover.'
The Voice spoke. 'Granted. The court will reconvene at the same time tomorrow.'
But when the guards uncoupled Ten's shackles and hauled him to his feet, he collapsed. The sound of his body hitting the floor was loud and Rose winced. The guards merely stooped and picked him up by his arms. As they propelled him forward, Rose could see him begin to clumsily place his feet step by step. Half walking and half dragged, he disappeared at the back of the dais along with his guards.
Soon Rose and Martha too were moving, following Eleven who took the steps two at a time, his hands balled into fists.
'Wait, Doctor!' said Martha, but he ignored them and they followed as quickly as they could. But in the hallway, the crush of bodies pushed at them, and even though guards tried to clear a path, beings shouted at them and jostled them. Yells of 'murderer' and 'guilty' battered their ears.
But when they made it through to the Tardis, and they closed the door on the din outside, they found Eleven pacing back and forth in front of the console, muttering loudly.
'Can't use the Tardis, can't scan. Sonic screwdriver's out. Impersonation--that's out. They'd spot it in a minute. Chameleon arch... only changes internal physiology. Not appearance.' He turned his head and saw them. 'Stupid, stupid,' he shouted. 'Forcing their way in like that. Can't they possibly comprehend the kind of damage they can do?'
Martha put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off. 'He's conscious, Doctor. You saw him. He was beginning to walk on his own.'
'Barely,' said Eleven. He ran his hands through his hair. 'If they've hurt him--oh, what stupid posturing. Of course they've hurt him. Bloody fools.'
'Hey!' said Martha, alarmed. 'Let's see how he is before getting worked up.'
Eleven rounded on her, and she took a step back. 'I've already seen how he is. Going into the mind of a Time Lord...' He stopped and sat down on the jump seat, breathing hard. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'There is so much more involved than for other species. And to be forced like that, by a non-Time Lord, by someone who doesn't understand...'
Rose sat down shakily beside him. 'That Time Vortex as well--too much, yeah? He couldn't help protecting himself, you said.'
Eleven visibly forced himself to calm down further. He nodded. 'Otherwise he might have been able to allow the scan, help the telepath, even, if he wished to. But not this time. Not this time.'
Rose put her arms around him, and he responded, resting his chin on the top of her head. She could feel him shaking and she tightened her hold. After a moment, she felt Martha put her arms around them both. Around them, the lights dimmed slightly, almost as if the Tardis too joined them.
To be continued
Chapter 10: A Meeting of Minds
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8