The First Law
A short story by Mark Simpson

Part of the Seventh Doctor Fiction collection

Professor Jensen sat back from the workbench where he had been microwelding a tiny circuit. He smiled wearily at his assistant.

"It's done, Terrance," Jensen said.

"The work is complete?" Terrance replied.

Jensen nodded, sliding the tiny circuit into a small metal disc. "My entire career has been heading towards this moment." He held up the disc. "This will be my crowning glory."

"Your efforts will be a boon to many," Terrance told him in his usual flat tone of voice.

"All we need now is a suitable test subject," mused Jensen.

"I am sure you will be able to test the device soon," said Terrance, the artificial light of the laboratory gleaming off the metal patches that covered parts of his body.

***

"Nice holiday spot, Professor," Ace announced sarcastically as she took in her surroundings. A darkened forest clearing, with only the occasional dull moonlight to see by.

Her travelling companion, a diminutive Time Lord known (to everybody but Ace, it seemed) as the Doctor, was locking the door of their space/time craft, the Police Box shaped TARDIS.

"I'm sure it's very pleasant in the daytime," he replied mildly.

Ace scowled. Somewhere, something screeched, making her flinch. Her internal trouble barometer swung from unhappy to worried.

"Can't we try somewhere else?" she asked, trying to keep the whine from her voice.

"We've not fully explored here yet," the Doctor said from right behind her, making her flinch again. "I prefer to base my conclusions on solid evidence, not first impressions."

Ace sighed. "You would. Sometimes, first impressions can be right too."

The Doctor considered this, his face shadowed by his hat brim in the moonlight. "A good point, Ace." He grinned suddenly. "It will be interesting to see which of us is right."

So saying, he set off through the darkened forest. Sighing again, Ace hurried after him.

***

Further into the forest, they discovered a track. The Doctor decided they should follow it.

The trail led upwards, winding around the base of a mountain. As they emerged from the woodland, it began to rain.

"I knew this was a mistake," Ace commented as the Doctor struggled to put up his umbrella.

"Nonsense," the Doctor declared. "A rain shower won't hurt us."

They continued under the umbrella as the rain got heavier. Lightening flashed overhead and thunder crashed nearby.

"We should go back to the TARDIS," Ace said.

The Doctor shook his head. "Too far away." He pointed ahead, where a square of yellow light was visible further up the track. "We should try and shelter there until it passes over."

They ran for the light as the rain pelted harder and the lightening and thunder intensified.

The travellers reached an overhung doorway. The Doctor folded away his umbrella.

Ace caught sight of the building they had arrived at in a flash of lightening. It was a dark and looming castle. She shivered slightly.

"It's very gothic," she said, trying to cover her fear with levity.

"Hmm." The Doctor was studying the castle as well. "A little too gothic, perhaps."

Before Ace could ask him what he meant by that remark, the door behind them started to creak open.

A tall imposing figure, immaculately dressed in a dark suit and bow tie, blocked the doorway. He looked down at the two travellers.

"Would you like to enter?"

The Doctor raised his hat. "Thank you, you're very kind."

The tall man stepped aside, allowing the Doctor and Ace to step through into a large, dimly lit hallway. Wood panelling and candles predominated.

"Well creepy, Professor," Ace whispered, glancing around.

"Quiet, Ace," the Doctor replied, also in hushed tones.

"I shall take you through to the study, to await the Master," said the man who had opened the door.

"The Master?" the Doctor asked, suddenly on his guard.

"Professor Jensen," the man replied.

The Doctor grinned, relieved. "Lead on, McDuff."

The man glanced back over his shoulder. "My name is Terrance, sir, not McDuff."

"Of course it is," the Doctor murmured as he and Ace followed him.

***

Nearby, Professor Jensen was in a concealed room full of monitor screens and equipment. He had run passive scans on the two visitors while they had been talking to Terrance.

"Hmm, young, fit and healthy," he muttered, scrolling through the statistics for the girl. He moved on to the stats for the man. "Well, well, well, this is interesting. Two hearts, lower body temperature. Fascinating."

Smiling to himself, Jensen left his monitoring room, heading towards the study and a meeting with his guests.

***

"I don't like this, Professor," Ace said after Terrance had left them alone in the study.

The Doctor was looking around. There was more wood panelling, more candles. Portraits and books seemed to battle for space on the walls, all of which were ladened with both. There was even a suit of armour in an alcove by the main door.

"Well, I suppose this style of decor isn't to everyone's taste," the Doctor said absently in reply to Ace's comment.

"I didn't mean the decor," she told him. "I meant this whole situation. The gothic castle, Lurch the butler, his mysterious Master. It's well strange."

The Doctor turned to his companion, his face showing he was deep in thought. "You're right, Ace, it is strange. It's also rather clich. I think it's probably deliberate."

"Very good," said a voice from behind them. "Very astute."

Standing just inside the doorway was a man of medium height and average build. He was in early middle age, with swept back blonde hair, sparkling grey eyes and a movie star smile. He wore smart but casual clothing.

"Professor Jensen, I presume?" the Doctor said, stepping forward and raising his hat.

"Please, call me Michael," their host replied, offering his hand to the Doctor.

The Time Lord accepted the handshake. "I'm known as the Doctor and my young friend is Ace."

"Charmed," said Jensen, kissing the back of Ace's hand.

"Me too," she replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Jensen returned his attention to the Doctor. "I was about to have dinner. Would the two of you care to join me? I do so hate eating alone."

"You're most generous," the Doctor told him. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. If you would follow me, I'll have Terrance set two more places."

Ace scowled as she followed Jensen and the Doctor into the dining room. In her experience, it was the smooth, good looking types who were the most treacherous.

***

Professor Jensen settled himself at the head of a long banqueting table. The Doctor and Ace took places either side of him.

"You commented that this was all rather clich, Doctor," Jensen said as Terrance served them soup.

"I did, didn't I?" the Doctor replied with a slight smile.

"That was very perceptive," Jensen continued. "I used to watch old horror films on entertainment crystals when I was a boy. I always wanted a scary gothic castle." He chuckled. "Looks like I got my wish."

"Too right," Ace commented, enjoying her soup. "It sure gave me the creeps."

They ate in silence for a few minutes, until the Doctor asked a question.

"What are you a Professor of?"

"Robotics," Jensen told him. "And what are you a Doctor of?"

"Oh, just about everything," the Doctor said modestly. "Now, do you abide by the three laws of robotics?"

"Of course," Jensen replied. "They are hardwired into all electronic and robotic circuitry."

"What are the three laws of robotics?" Ace asked.

Jensen raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who shook his head. "After you, Professor."

"The three laws of robotics were created by a fiction writer back on twentieth century Earth. Law one states that a robot may not harm a human being, or through inaction, cause a human being to come to harm. The second law says that a robot must obey all orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the first law. The third law is that a robot must protect its own existence, except where such protection conflicts with the first and second laws."

"They sound sensible," Ace said, pushing away her empty soup bowl.

"They are," the Doctor said, "when properly applied. I have, unfortunately, known people who attempted to circumvent the laws for their own purposes."

"You sound very knowledgeable, Doctor," Jensen commented.

"I am," the Doctor replied. "Tell me, Professor, what is your speciality?"

"I design positronic systems, though I do have a thorough knowledge of all robotic systems."

"That's very impressive," the Doctor told him. "Do you work alone?"

"Terrance supplies all the assistance I need."

The Doctor's face clouded at this answer. "I see. Well, if you'll excuse us, we must be going."

"But you haven't begun the main course," Jensen protested.

"Nevertheless, we have an appointment," the Time Lord lied. "Come along, Ace."

The pair of them stood. Jensen stood also.

"You must finish your meal," the Professor said. "I insist." There was an edge of steel in those two words.

"Sorry, time flies." The Doctor turned, then noticed Ace wasn't following. "Ace?"

She was swaying slightly. "Feeling dizzy, Professor." She giggled. "I mean Doctor. Too many Professors here." With that, she collapsed in a boneless heap.

The Doctor rushed to her side. He reached out but a hand caught his wrist. He looked up into the expressionless face of Terrance.

"Let me go," the Doctor said quietly.

"No," the servant replied simply.

The Doctor struggled but the man had a grip like a vice. The Doctor pushed again Terrance's arm and the sleeve of his jacket slid upwards, exposing the metal arm underneath.

"You're a robot!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Take them through to the laboratory," Jensen ordered.

Terrance lifted Ace easily over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, then pulled the Doctor firmly but gently to his feet. He followed Jensen, not releasing his grip on the Time Lord.

***

The laboratory was in keeping with the rest of the castle. Wood and brass predominated, solid benches and chunky apparatus. It was lit by flaming torches attached to the walls by brackets.

"Ah, the lair of the mad scientist," the Doctor commented, sarcasm evident in his tone.

Jensen smiled at the Time Lord, who was now chained to a workbench. "It's useless to try and provoke me, Doctor," he said. "I know what I'm doing is right."

"And what exactly are you doing?"

"Using my skills to benefit society."

The Doctor snorted. "That's what all mad scientists say."

Jensen scowled, stung by the remark. "Society produces many misfits, deviants and criminals. Before, they could never play an active role, do anything positive for the benefit of the moral majority. Now, thanks to me, they can become useful to the state that they would seek to abuse."

"How?" the Doctor asked, intrigued despite himself.

Jensen came closer, holding up a small, flat disc with thin filaments around the outside edge.

"I have perfected the positronic patch. It converts a human being into a robot."

"Impossible!" the Doctor declared. "The human spirit cannot be enslaved by mere technology."

"You think not? Well, let's see, shall we?"

He moved past the Doctor, who was forced to turn uncomfortably to follow what Jensen was doing.

On another bench by the far wall, Ace lay on her side, facing away from the Doctor. She was completely still.

"Why didn't you drug my soup as well?" the Doctor asked, trying to distract Jensen.

"It was unnecessary. Plus I wanted you awake to witness my final triumph." He stood now beside the comatose girl, Terrance close by.

"So what was Terrance, a failed experiment?"

"On the contrary, Doctor." Jensen's eyes clouded momentarily with strong emotion. Regret, perhaps? "Terrance was my oldest and closet friend. Then there was a tragic accident. A fire. I rebuilt his limbs, gave him his strength back, and more. I gave him a reasoning, logical mind to replace the brain turned into a vegetable by shock. I gave him back his life."

"You gave him a living death," the Doctor retorted. "Made him your servant. Enslaved him to your will."

Jensen smiled slightly. "I said before you couldn't provoke me. Neither can you provoke Terrance. He is completely loyal to me. Loyal until death."

The Doctor seemed to deflate a little, as if his last chance had just vanished.

"Now, Doctor, behold the next generation of robotic life." Jensen placed the disc against Ace's neck. It glowed briefly, the filaments twitching. Then they buried themselves in the flesh of the Doctor's companion.

On the bench, her body spasmed and shook. The Doctor watched, his face pale and drawn with worry.

After a few seconds of shaking, Ace sat bolt upright. Her back was still turned to the Doctor.

"Hello, Ace," said Jensen.

"Greetings, Professor Jensen," she replied.

Jensen grinned. "Turn around and say hello to the Doctor."

Ace turned, as instructed. Her face was slack, her movements stiff and her eyes were completely blank.

"Greetings, Doctor."

"Oh Ace," the Doctor groaned.

"Raise your right arm," Jensen ordered. Ace obeyed. "Good. Lower it again. Now raise your left arm." Again, Ace did as she was told. "Very good. Now lower the arm."

Jensen turned from his new servant, triumph shining in his eyes. "So much for the human spirit, Doctor."

The Doctor scowled at him. "Ace has a strong mind. She will fight your conditioning."

"Then she will lose," the Professor replied simply.

"Ace, you must be yourself! You are not a robot, you are a human being. You can break the conditioning."

"I am sorry, Doctor, I am unable to comply with your request," the girl replied stiffly.

"You see," crowed Jensen. "Your friend is now completely under my power."

The Doctor managed to clap his manacled hands, applauding Jensen. "Well done, I'm very impressed. You've enslaved a young girl. Amazing. What next? The elderly? The infirm? Children? You must be very proud of yourself."

Jensen glared at the Time Lord. "Hold your tongue, Doctor. Have a care not to anger me."

"Or what? Your servants can't harm me. If you want to kill me, you'll have to dirty your own hands."

A smile crossed Jensen's face. "Don't be too sure about that, Doctor."

The Doctor frowned. "Have you managed to circumvent the first law?"

Now Jensen grinned. "Sometimes you don't have to break a law, just find a way to work within it. Would you like me to enlighten you?"

"I think I'll pass, thank you."

"Oh, but I insist, Doctor. Terrance, unchain our guest please."

"Certainly, Professor Jensen," Terrance replied, producing a bunch of keys and unlocking the manacles around the Time Lord's wrists.

The Doctor massaged the cramp from his joints. "What happens now?"

"Now I show you how deeply and completely I control your friend." He turned to Ace, who remained completely motionless from the last time she had been ordered to move.

"Walk up to the Doctor and shake hands," Jensen instructed.

Ace came smoothly to life, walking across the laboratory and stopping in front of the Doctor. She extended her hand to him.

Cautiously, he put his hand in hers. She shook it firmly, then disengaged. Throughout the interaction, the Doctor had scanned her face for any flicker of the real Ace. He was disappointed to find no trace of her personality behind the blank mask.

"Come on, Ace," he growled. "I know you're in there. You have to break Jensen's hold on you. You have a strong mind. Use it!"

"She can't. She is totally under my command. But if you need further proof, I can provide it. Ace. Kill the Doctor!"

Ace's hands fastened quickly around the Doctor's throat, fingers squeezing hard. He grasped her wrists, trying to break her hold.

"Ace, stop!" he gasped. "The first law. You cannot break it!"

Her grip slackened slightly. She looked at Jensen questioningly.

"The Doctor is not a human being, therefore the first law cannot apply," Jensen said with a smile. "Complete the task Ace. Kill him."

Her dilemma resolved, Ace increased her grip on the Doctor's throat.

The Doctor sank to his knees, trying in vain to stop Ace throttling him. He managed to draw enough air to speak.

"Fight the conditioning, Ace. You can do it. You must!"

"Sorry, Professor, I can't do it," she replied.

Struggling against the fog in his brain, the Doctor realised what Ace had said. Or rather, how she had said it. It hadn't been a precise, robotic voice, it had been her normal mode of speech.

Faint hope lifting his hearts, he looked up at her once again. Her face was still blank. Then, slowly, very slowly, her left eye winked at him.

The Doctor winked back. Then with a final sigh, he went slack under her hands.

Jensen was at her side as Ace released the Doctor and he slumped to the floor. He knelt beside the body, feeling for a pulse. There was none.

"Very good, Ace," Jensen said, standing. "You have done very well. Now I have one more task for you. Dispose of the Doctor's body."

"Where, Professor?" she asked flatly.

"There is a recycling unit in the cellar. Through the main doors, first left, down the stairs to the bottom."

"Very well, Professor." Ace picked up the lifeless body of her friend and carried it away.

***

Ace followed Jensen's instructions perfectly. She laid the Doctor's inert form beside the recycling unit and looked around.

No obvious spy cameras or microphones. There should be no reason for Jensen to bug his own cellar.

Her posture changing completely, she knelt down beside the Doctor. Gently, she slapped his face.

"Come on, Professor, wake up." When there was no response, she shook his shoulders. "Doctor, don't play games! Wake up!"

The Doctor's eyes flashed open. "Games? Moi?" He sat up, feeling his throat. "You have a very strong grip, Ace."

"Yeah, well, had to make it look convincing, didn't I?"

"When did you break free?" he asked.

"About half way through throttling you. Something just switched over in my head."

The Doctor nodded. "The conflict between loyalty to me and Jensen's orders."

"So what now?" Ace inquired. "Do you have a plan?"

"Don't I always?" the Doctor replied with a smile.

***

"It works, Terrance. The Positronic Patch actually works."

"Yes, sir," Terrance said simply.

Ace re-entered the laboratory. She walked swiftly over to join Jensen and Terrance.

Jensen smiled at her. "Have you disposed of the Doctor?"

"You'll find I'm rather difficult to kill," said a voice from the doorway.

Jensen turned to see the Doctor, back from the dead. While he was distracted, Ace caught him with a right hook that rendered him instantly unconscious.

***

Jensen awoke to find himself manacled to the same bench that had so recently held the Doctor.

The same Doctor who was now accessing his files on the computer terminal built into the far wall.

"You were dead!" Jensen shouted.

The Doctor turned to him. "One thing your clever scanning didn't reveal was my respiratory bypass system. Very useful in a tight squeeze."

Jensen glanced around, seeing Ace sitting on another bench, swinging her legs. "Ace. Kill the Doctor!"

She looked up at him, eyes burning with defiance. "No. He's my friend and you're a scumbag."

Jensen frowned. She had somehow broken the conditioning of the Patch. But he didn't need her while he had another servant.

"Terrance. Kill the Doctor!"

Terrance started moving from where he had been standing since his last order. Seeing this, Ace jumped off her bench and grabbed a flaming torch from the wall. She stood in Terrance's path, swinging the torch in front of her.

Somewhere, deep in Terrance's mind, a memory stirred. Fire. Pain. He stopped, then backed away from the flame.

"Terrance! What are you doing? Complete your task!"

The servant stepped forward. Ace swung the torch again and he stopped.

"You must obey me, Terrance. New orders. Kill the girl, then the Doctor."

Terrance swung a large arm, knocking the torch from Ace's grip. It landed behind a bench. Then he advanced on Ace.

"Stop!" the Doctor commanded. "Ace is human. You can't harm her."

Terrance stopped again. He looked confused.

"Do as I command!" roared Jensen.

"You can't," said the Doctor quietly. "Your programming won't let you."

Terrance sank to his knees, his hands either side of his head. He let out a low moan.

Ace ran to the Doctor as an explosion rocked the room. The torch had landed beside a cupboard which contained stored chemicals. Flammable chemicals. As Ace and the Doctor watched, a wall of flame cut them off from the trapped Jensen.

Despite that, the Doctor moved towards the fire, intent on saving the man if he could. Ace held him back.

"I must try to help him," he hissed.

"It's too late," Ace said. "You can't reach him, it's too dangerous."

"Help me," pleaded Jensen from behind the curtain of fire.

Terrance lurched to his feet. In response to his master's call, he walked through the flames before the Doctor or Ace could stop him.

"Come on, Doctor, we must leave," Ace said as flames darted about the laboratory, threatening to cut them off from safety.

With one last look back, the Doctor followed his companion from the castle.

***

The Doctor and Ace watched from the edge of the wood as the castle was engulfed in flames. The Doctor lowered his head.

"He was a very misguided man," he said softly.

"I know," Ace replied. "We couldn't have saved them." She reached round to the back of her neck. "What do you want to do with this?"

The Doctor looked at the now dull metal disc she had handed him. With a grimace of distaste, he drew back his arm and threw it as far as he could.

"Nice one, Professor."

