Renewal
A short story by Keith Redhead

Part of the Eighth Doctor Fiction collection

There were no physical dimensions in its prison. The only barriers were walls of mental energy. It was trapped without memory or identity. It wanted to escape, to be free. But most importantly it wanted revenge.
***

The Doctor, dressed in a dark purple velvet coat and grey trousers, was talking casually to Fitz, who was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a crumpled white shirt, about how he had avoided being made president long ago. "I jumped in my TARDIS with Tegan and Turlough and got out of there as fast as possible. Of course The Time Lords really didnt like that one bit. They put me on trial again for interfering, but thats another story."

Compassion, dressed in a comfortable pink and beige kimono, was more interested in reading the books in the library. She was still fascinated that such a medium was possible. Of course she had her autograph books but that was different. The idea that life could be put down in such a one dimensional format was a very new concept to her. To her stories were as much a reality as, well reality. Books offered her a chance to understand how others could exist separate from the stories.

***

Such frivolity, it lurched and thrashed about in its prison. It would be free.

***

There was a brief surge of power and the TARDIS began its landing procedures.

"Where are we Doctor?"

"Hmm, we were going see the Berlin wall being torn down." The Doctor examined the reading on the wood and brass mushroom-shaped console. "This is odd, very odd. These co-ordinates are for Gallifrey. I wonder what they want."

"Your home planet? Maybe they want to put you on trial again." Fitz saw the pained look on the Doctors face and changed the subject. "This Berlin wall hasnt even been put up yet in my time. Sometimes you make the future sound surreal and boring."

"It does rather seem like they want me. I thought Id gotten rid of the recall circuit. Youd better tell Compassion, shell want to see the APC net. They have a few things in common. Oh and Fitz, the future is never what it should be."

***

Nearly free, it was home.

***

They emerged from the TARDIS to a small honour guard of Chancellery guards.

"Hey, now this is more like it Doctor, a heros welcome."

The Captain of the guards saluted. "Welcome home sir, the inner council is waiting for you."

"Ah, thank you."

The Doctor and his two companions were escorted away by the guards. One guard was left outside the Doctors TARDIS.

***

Now. It forced its way to freedom, through circuits and wires until it was free.

Chancellery guard Yarkja was struck by what seemed like lightening. There was a brief conflict as its mind assaulted his. The combination of surprise and force of will overwhelmed the guard. Technically Yarkja was dead but its thoughts filled the new host and took complete control. "At last, a new body."

***

The Doctor was incredibly bored. Most of the inner council were droning on about something or other and the President was conveniently on retreat. He diverted his higher brain functions to something much more frivolous. The paper plane flew past Spandrels ear and the old Time Lord smiled wearily.

"I think that perhaps we should allow the Doctor and his friends to rest now, we have detained them for long enough." Spandrel sensed that what the Doctor really wanted was to escape in his TARDIS.

Compassion produced a small book. "Could I have your autographs please? Im such a big fan of your race." One by one each of the most important figures in Gallifreys politics signed the book.

Chancellor Thalia looked at a few of the previous entries. "Who is Elvis Presley?"

Fitz, instant expert on all things musical, stood up and gave a brief rendition of Jailhouse Rock.

***

Thalia handed Compassion her book back. "Oh, yes I see now. The Movellan spy who malfunctioned and became a popular entertainer."

The Doctor gave a wistful smile. "Yes it took only a short while to reprogram it. Rewire one Movellan and you can rewire any of them."

Compassion was stunned. "Elvis was a Movellan? We used to watch all his shows, there was even a religion of sorts who worshipped him." A tear rolled down her cheek.

***

Memory was returning. It had spent so long detached from his own thoughts that everything was like a dream at first. Eventually he laughed out loud. "You are still a fool my dear Doctor, I have all the secret resources of the dark times at my disposal." He pulled off the bright guards uniform and went off in search of something in black.

He found an unoccupied suite after breaking the simple lock. Crime was unheard of on Gallifrey, this was about to change. "Ah yes, this will do nicely." He pulled on a simple two piece suit and looked in the mirror. "All dressed up and no one to kill." He still had the guards patrol staser. "Once I get rid of those incompetent idiots in the council the Key of Rassilon is mine."

***

Fitz wandered around his spacious suite. There was every type of luxury here and most of them he didnt have a clue as to how they worked. He tried putting the TV on but couldnt get a picture.

"Its a microwave Fitz. A briefly popular fad from the turn of the millennium on Earth."

This was in Fitzs personal future. "Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Yes, dont touch anything."

"You always say that Doctor."

"How often am I right?"

"Thats not the issue."

The Doctor looked at Fitz.

Fitz had his hand trapped in an automated toasted sandwich maker.

The Doctor jumped up and freed his hand.

"How often am I right Fitz?"

"Most of the time, well almost all of the time. Nine times out of ten."

***

Compassion was currently taking a walk around the Capitol. She was still in shock about Elvis being a Movellan. She had been one of his high priestesses, she was going to be a nun but one thing led to another and she had ended up running into Sam and The Doctor and Fitz. She was passing an open doorway when she saw someone dressed in black talking to himself. She was about to ask for his autograph when she sensed a darkness about him.

***

The Doctor had found that the council was its usual bureaucratic self. It was in total deadlock. He had been called in to push through some vote about some dull subject, he couldnt remember what. He had been made to dress in the traditional Prydonian robes and he felt absurd. His current body was not built for idle stupidity, it was built for adventure and action. The vote had been called for once more and he had registered a yes like he had been told to do. The council had been surprised when the results were revealed, those who had voted nay had booed until one of them saw him and there had been a gasp of recognition. Time to leave, he thought to himself. Politics could be a nasty business.

Fitz and Compassion were waiting for the Doctor outside the chamber. They saw him dressed in his robes and they both had to stop themselves from giggling.

"Not one word you two. We had better return to see the others before we leave." They filed into the suite used by the inner council. There seemed to be only one person there, one of the guards from when they arrived.

Compassion recognised him as the man she had saw yesterday. "Doctor," she whispered. "I saw him last night, theres an aura of evil about him."

"Where are the others?"

The stranger stood up. "Not much of a welcome for an old friend now is it? Im afraid that bunch of inbred cretins are currently indisposed."

Compassion pulled a chair out to sit on it. The shrunken corpse of Chancellor Thalia lay on the seat. She thought about screaming but held it up for the Doctor to look at it.

"But you were consumed by the Eye of Harmony years ago Master. I saw you die."

"My body was destroyed but my mind survived. I existed as pure Artron energy in a limbo state no idea of who I was with just one thought...revenge. It was a shame the President was not here, I was so looking forward to introducing myself. As you can see I have built a new tissue compression eliminator. Im sure youll agree that its as deadly as the original version."

"Why kill them? The Chancellery Guards will track you down, they always get their Time Lord." The Doctor put Thalias remains down gently. "Fitz, Compassion leave and get help." He put himself between his companions and the Master.

"I am just getting started Doctor, this was just a way of letting you know I have been...renewed." The Master seemed to flicker for a second before he vanished.

"A hologram! Then hes already escaped." The Doctor stood still as a squad of Chancellery Guards burst in.

"Stay where you are. Do not move."

***

The Doctor made a full report to his old friend Andred, the new Castellan and they had finally been allowed to leave. The universe now had a new danger and the Doctor was sure the Master would act sooner than later, he had stolen the Key of Rassilon and a new TARDIS...

