Hi there and welcome to I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You, the blog that is to the internet what a Sontaran is to a fashion show.
I'm Dave-El and this is the weekly post thing I call Doctor Who Weekend and silvery, slithering Cybermats, it's time for another episode of my fan-fiction starring the 12th Doctor.
But before we get to that, let's do the disclaimer:
And now on to episode three of Time of the Dominion which opens with UNIT's Kate Stewart and from the episode Planet of the Dead, Captain Magumbo.
___________________________________________
Scene opens: close up on the face of Kate Stewart, head of UNIT. She’s wearing a pair of dark glasses.
Stewart: The time of the dominion is at hand.
Stewart turns her head to the right.
Stewart: We’re sure that’s what the message said?
Our view pulls out and we see UNIT's Captain Magambo standing next to Stewart. She is also wearing a similar pair of glasses.
Magambo: Yes, Ms. Stewart. The temporal pulse-wave detected by Malcolm Taylor indicated…
Stewart: Malcolm is still taking his meds, Captain Magambo?
Magambo: Yes, ma’am. And his findings were corroborated by our science support team.
Stewart: So we have a message through time….
Our view widens further as we see Stewart and Magambo standing in front of a contingent of UNIT vehicles outside the Coal Hill School. Around the school is a shimmering effect.
Stewart: And it’s all centered around this school. The area is secure?
Magambo: As well as can be expected. It seems no one else is aware of this phenomenon. We can see it only thanks to these tachyon sensitive glasses.
Stewart removes her glasses and from her point of view, the school and the immediately surrounding area appears normal. She puts the glasses back on and the distortion returns.
Stewart: Any sign of the Doctor?
Magambo: No, ma’am. But we have located and secured his TARDIS.
Stewart (sighing): Is he INSIDE it?
Magambo (coughs slightly): No, ma’am.
Stewart gives Magambo a look.
Magambo: We did knock this time.
Suddenly a gentle voice speaks.
Voice: Katherine Lethbridge-Stewart.
Stewart turns and sees an Ood standing with his back to the school. Stewarts reacts with a gasp.
Stewart: Oh!
Magambo (puzzled): What is it, ma’am?
Stewart gestures towards the Ood.
Stewart: There! An…alien…of some kind.
We see from Magambo’s perspective that Stewart is gesturing towards empty space.
Magambo: Er, ma’am, there’s…nothing there.
Stewart: Wh-what? But it…he? He’s standing right….
Ood: Katherine Lethbridge-Stewart, I have a message of utmost importance from the Ood.
Stewart: The Ood?
Magambo: The Ood? Ma’am, we have information from the Doctor in our database on the Ood.
Stewart: What is this message?
Ood: A grave threat to time itself is coming.
Magambo (on her cell phone): Get Osgood up here with a psionic scanner. And interface me with the database. I need info on the Ood.
Stewart: What kind of a threat?
Ood: The time of the dominion has been foretold.
Stewart: What?
Ood: The time of the dominion has…
Stewart: Yes, yes! I heard you! But…foretold?
Ood: That is correct.
Stewart: You mean, the thing that is happening right now?
Ood: I…do not understand.
Stewart gestures to the Ood to turn around and he does.
Stewart: Do you see that?
Ood: But…how?
Stewart: We detected a pulse wave through the temporal distortion. A message that says the time of the dominion is at hand.
Ood: …is at hand?
The Ood turns back towards Stewart:
Ood: Oh bugger.
The Ood vanishes.
Stewart: Wait! What…?
Magambo: What is it, ma’am?
Stewart: The…the alien, the Ood. It…vanished. Well, to me, it vanished. You never saw it?
Magambo: No, ma’am but I’ve asked for a psionic scan. It could be some kind of psychic projection. But meanwhile, we have more pressing concerns.
Stewart: The time distortion field?
Magambo: Is expanding.
Stewart: Expanding?
Magambo: Yes, ma’am. According to Malcolm at UNIT HQ, it’s expanding exponentially.
Stewart: How fast?
Magambo: Within the next two hours, the perimeter of the field will encompass all of London. By the end of the day….
Magambo’s phone begins to ring.
Magambo (to Stewart): One moment, ma’am. (Answering her phone) Yes?
Stewart turns back to the distortion.
Stewart (to herself): What is the meaning of all this? Why did I get that message from the Ood? And where is….
Magambo in the background withdraws the phone from her ear and steps towards Stewart.
Magambo: Ma’am, you need to take this.
Stewart (expectantly): Is it…the Doctor?
Magambo: You…just need to take this call, ma’am.
Stewart hesitantly takes the phone from Magambo’s hand and places it to her ear.
Stewart: Kate Stewart here. Yes?
Then an expression of shock crosses Stewart’s face.
Stewart: Your Majesty!
Scene change: Inside Coal Hill School. Moving down a hallway are Clara Oswald and Meridian (Meri) Scott. They move cautiously as they both witness students and teachers constantly changing forms and modes of dress as if shifting through different time periods. Everyone contines about their normal school day business, seemingly unaware of the changes happening to them and around them.
Meri: So nobody else is aware of these…these changes?
Clara: Right!
Meri: Except you and me?
Clara: Yep!
Meri: But…why?
Clara stops and puzzles on this a moment.
Clara: I’m…not sure. I mean, I thought I knew why I could…
Meri: Which is because?
Clara and Meri enter door of the outer office for the Head Master’s assistant. The office is empty.
Clara: Because….I’m a time traveller.
Meri: A time traveller.
Clara: Er, yeah, more or less. Well, I travel…with a time traveller. Over time, I’ve become…I don’t know, sensitive to this sort of thing, I guess?
Meri: Oh, I see.
Clara: Really?
Meri: No, not really.
Clara: Oh.
Meri: I mean, there is the option that you are just blinking mad or something but that would make me mad too.
The pair enter into the Head Master’s office.
Clara: Well, maybe we both---
Meri screams and Clara looks alarmed as both catch sight of the Head Master’s desk, specifically the canister upon the desk bearing the head of the Master in the darkened, slowly burbling fluid.
Clara: OK, that’s weird.
Meri: What the hell? Weird? “Weird” doesn’t cover it!
Clara (approaching the canister cautiously): It’s…not Mr. Chesterton.
Meri: Thank God for that! But who…wait a minute!
Clara: What?
Meri: This is going to sound crazy but….it looks like…Harold Saxon?
Clara: Who?
Meri: You know, Harold Saxon? Crazy bloke, was Prime Minister for five minutes. Shot the American President, said he was talking to aliens….
Clara shakes her head no.
Meri: What? How can you forget that?!
Clara: I don’t understand. That sounds like the plot of a bad science fiction show.
Meri: But it happened! It really happened! I can’t believe….
Then Meri fades off and Clara looks concerned.
Clara: Meri, are you all right? Meri? Meridian!
Clara pats Meri's cheek. Then Meri shakes her head and blinks her eyes.
Meri: I’m…I’m sorry. A lot of stress today, huh? Uh, what was I saying?
Clara: About how the head in the jar looks like someone you knew?
Meri: Really? No, I’m never seen that face before in my life.
Clara: But you were just...OK, just what we needed: more weird.
Meri: I don’t understand. What…?
Clara glances down at the floor and reacts.
Clara: Uh oh! Is that…?
Clara bends down and picks up the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver.
Clara: The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver? So he’s been here! But he wouldn’t have just dropped this on the floor unless…
Meri: Clara? What is it?
Clara: The Doctor, the one person who can figure out what’s going on is missing. And…
Clara looks forlornly at the screwdriver in her hand.
Clara: And I have a bad feeling he may be in danger!
And our view moves from Clara and Meri standing by the desk over to the book case. As our view moves closer to the glass enclosed furnishing, we see the faint ghost like image of the Rani’s face and we hear the faint echo of her laughter.
Scene shift: the Rani has changed out of her Veronica Needham tweed skirt and jacket and is now wearing black leather from her neck to her feet. Her black hair is down about her shoulders. She’s looking out the window of a door. As our view pulls back, we see what resembles the design and layout of a TARDIS console room.
The Rani (chuckling to herself): Oh, poor deluded children, these humans.
The Rani turns from the door of her TARDIS and scampers past the console.
The Rani (calling out): Oh, Doctor! Doctor!
The Rani quickly descends some stairs to a lower level of the console room where we see the Doctor lying on an inclined table, held in place by three brown straps. The Doctor is surrounded by alien equipment that pulses and glows with a strange energy. Cords and cables connect these devices to the Doctor’s head. The Doctor groans.
The Rani: Come on, Doctor! No more lazing about! We’ve got work to do!
The Doctor: Well…you best give up, Rani. I’ve got me where I want you.
The Doctor scrunches up his eyes as he tries to refocus his concentration.
The Doctor: Or something…like that. Ouch!
The Rani gently pats the Doctor on the cheek.
The Rani: Oh, come now, Doctor! Let’s pull it together!
Then the Rani pulls away and begins moving about the alien equipment checking readings, making adjustments, etc etc.
The Doctor looks around at his surroundings.
The Doctor: Oh, a good old fashioned "Mad Scientist" motif. Haven’t seen one of these set ups in centuries.
The Rani: Well, I may be a modern girl but you've got to admit, it’s hard to beat the classics.
The Doctor: Speaking of classics, mind telling me what you’re up to since….
The Doctor looks down at his strapped down form.
The Doctor: …well, you know.
The Rani: Oh, Doctor! You don’t know what a joy it is to have a peer such as yourself to converse with! Granted, you are more of a lesser peer, compared to me but beggars can’t be choosers.
The Doctor: Rani, this…time of the dominion. What is it? What is the dominion?
The Rani: Oh, not “what”, Doctor. But “who”.
The Doctor: Who? The dominion is a….person?
The Rani: Oh, Doctor, not just a person but the most wonderful, magnificent person who ever lived!
The Doctor: Derren Brown?
The Rani: Oh, someone’s trying to be fun-nee! And not really succeeding! No, it’s me!
The Rani leans forward close to the Doctor’s face.
The Rani (whispers): I…am…the Dominion!
The Doctor: Then you are a bigger fool than even the Master.
The Rani pulls back, her smile totally vanished and replaced with a stern expression of rage.
The Rani (snapping): Do NOT mock me, Doctor! I am far superior to the Master, even before he lost his head…so to speak. Indeed, I am far, far superior to you, to any Time Lord!
The Rani begins pacing about the Doctor and around her equipment.
The Rani: The Time War, Doctor! I was there! I saw the blood and the fire! I saw the fall of Arcadia! The Daleks, Doctor! Daleks everywhere, raining death and destruction on all of Gallifrey! And all that self-serving preening President who dared call himself Rassilon could think of…was to respond in kind!
The Doctor: The Final Sanction.
The Rani: Yes, the Final Sanction! The ultimate act of destruction! The end of everything! The answer to death was more death! Well, I said “No more!”
The Doctor: “No more”. Oh, I know that feeling, Rani. Believe me, I do.
The Rani: Of course you do! The great Time Lord renegade who took the name of “Doctor” because he wanted to make the universe better! And yet, all you could come up with…was more destruction! To send both the Daleks and Gallifrey burning into hell!
The Doctor: Listen, Rani, I…
The Rani: But I, I had a better way! Not death but life! Not destruction but creation! But the Time Lords wouldn’t listen to me! Called me “mad”. Me, mad? They want to end ALL of time and “ascend” to a higher realm? And they call me “mad”?
The Doctor: But the Dominion, it’s a myth of the ancient Eternals.
The Rani: Ah, the Eternals! A race even more pompous and self-absorbed than the Time Lords with their endless quests for “enlightenment”. But only such as they could conceive of the Dominion! The ultimate force of NEW life! Of NEW TIME!
The Doctor: But even if the myth had any truth to it, control of the Dominion would be….
The Rani: Impossible? Why, quite true! Even the expanded mind of a Time Lord could scarce to contain such power. But that’s why I’m not out to control it. It is my goal to become the Dominion!
The Rani begins flicking some switches and the alien equipment begins to pulsate and hum.
The Rani: Finding the head of the Master was fortunate. Even I’m not sure what occurred to bring your erstwhile enemy to that state but that head provided sufficient material to aid my equipment to manipulate the time vortex.
The Doctor: To create the distortions in time around this school…
The Rani: Where I knew you would eventually appear. But I need a stronger Time Lord mind to buffer the energies I will need to bring down to complete my change into the Dominion! Sadly, the process will leave you...I believe the word is “dead”.
The Doctor: Listen, Rani, you don’t…
The Rani: And sorry, it’s going to hurt. A lot!
The Rani throws a switch.
The Doctor (frantic): But the Time Lords are not….ARRRGGHHHHHH!
Light and energy sparks and flashes around the Doctor’s form as he spasms in pain on the table. Meanwhile, a strong ethereal glow begins to develop around the Rani.
The Rani (ecstatic over the Doctor’s screams of pain): It’s working! I am become LIFE ITSELF! I am become TIME ITSELF! I…AM…THE DOMINION!
And amid a cacophony of painful screams and maniacal laughter, there is blinding light as our view goes to white.
Scene change: from the glaring white, we find ourselves back outdoors with the UNIT crew.
Magambo (holding out her cell phone to Kate Stewart): Ma’am, you need to take this.
Stewart (expectantly): Is it…the Doctor?
Magambo: You…just need to take this call, ma’am.
Stewart hesitantly takes the phone from Magambo’s hand and places it to her ear.
Stewart: Kate Stewart here. Yes?
Then an expression of shock crosses Stewart’s face.
Stewart: Your Majesty!
Magambo stands at attention while Stewart begins to pace.
Stewart : You are…aware of the situation here…at the school? Yes, ma’am. Yes, ma’am! Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you.
Stewart lowers the phone, takes a deep breath and hands it back to Magambo.
Stewart: Capt. Magambo, we have been ordered to…withdraw.
Magambo: Withdraw, ma’am?
Stewart: Per orders of Her Majesty.
Suddenly, the shimmering field of distortion around Coal Hill School in the background pulses, grows brighter and a ring of energy extends across the sky. But neither Magambo nor Stewart reacts.
Magambo: The Empress says we should withdraw?
Stewart: And so we shall. Nothing more going on here anyway.
Stewart and Magambo begin to walk towards a vehicle.
Before climbing into the vehicle, Kate Stewart looks out, the wind whipping through her blonde hair as she gazes into the distance.
Stewart: Long Live the Dominion, Capt. Magambo.
The two climb in the vehicle as it drives away. Our view extends beyond Coal Hill School to the skyline of London as the skies grow dark and lightning splits the gathering gloom.
----to be continued-----
In our next episode:
Stewart: The time of the dominion is at hand.
Stewart turns her head to the right.
Stewart: We’re sure that’s what the message said?
Our view pulls out and we see UNIT's Captain Magambo standing next to Stewart. She is also wearing a similar pair of glasses.
Magambo: Yes, Ms. Stewart. The temporal pulse-wave detected by Malcolm Taylor indicated…
Stewart: Malcolm is still taking his meds, Captain Magambo?
Magambo: Yes, ma’am. And his findings were corroborated by our science support team.
Stewart: So we have a message through time….
Our view widens further as we see Stewart and Magambo standing in front of a contingent of UNIT vehicles outside the Coal Hill School. Around the school is a shimmering effect.
Stewart: And it’s all centered around this school. The area is secure?
Magambo: As well as can be expected. It seems no one else is aware of this phenomenon. We can see it only thanks to these tachyon sensitive glasses.
Stewart removes her glasses and from her point of view, the school and the immediately surrounding area appears normal. She puts the glasses back on and the distortion returns.
Stewart: Any sign of the Doctor?
Magambo: No, ma’am. But we have located and secured his TARDIS.
Stewart (sighing): Is he INSIDE it?
Magambo (coughs slightly): No, ma’am.
Stewart gives Magambo a look.
Magambo: We did knock this time.
Suddenly a gentle voice speaks.
Voice: Katherine Lethbridge-Stewart.
Stewart turns and sees an Ood standing with his back to the school. Stewarts reacts with a gasp.
Stewart: Oh!
Magambo (puzzled): What is it, ma’am?
Stewart gestures towards the Ood.
Stewart: There! An…alien…of some kind.
We see from Magambo’s perspective that Stewart is gesturing towards empty space.
Magambo: Er, ma’am, there’s…nothing there.
Stewart: Wh-what? But it…he? He’s standing right….
Ood: Katherine Lethbridge-Stewart, I have a message of utmost importance from the Ood.
Stewart: The Ood?
Magambo: The Ood? Ma’am, we have information from the Doctor in our database on the Ood.
Stewart: What is this message?
Ood: A grave threat to time itself is coming.
Magambo (on her cell phone): Get Osgood up here with a psionic scanner. And interface me with the database. I need info on the Ood.
Stewart: What kind of a threat?
Ood: The time of the dominion has been foretold.
Stewart: What?
Ood: The time of the dominion has…
Stewart: Yes, yes! I heard you! But…foretold?
Ood: That is correct.
Stewart: You mean, the thing that is happening right now?
Ood: I…do not understand.
Stewart gestures to the Ood to turn around and he does.
Stewart: Do you see that?
Ood: But…how?
Stewart: We detected a pulse wave through the temporal distortion. A message that says the time of the dominion is at hand.
Ood: …is at hand?
The Ood turns back towards Stewart:
Ood: Oh bugger.
The Ood vanishes.
Stewart: Wait! What…?
Magambo: What is it, ma’am?
Stewart: The…the alien, the Ood. It…vanished. Well, to me, it vanished. You never saw it?
Magambo: No, ma’am but I’ve asked for a psionic scan. It could be some kind of psychic projection. But meanwhile, we have more pressing concerns.
Stewart: The time distortion field?
Magambo: Is expanding.
Stewart: Expanding?
Magambo: Yes, ma’am. According to Malcolm at UNIT HQ, it’s expanding exponentially.
Stewart: How fast?
Magambo: Within the next two hours, the perimeter of the field will encompass all of London. By the end of the day….
Magambo’s phone begins to ring.
Magambo (to Stewart): One moment, ma’am. (Answering her phone) Yes?
Stewart turns back to the distortion.
Stewart (to herself): What is the meaning of all this? Why did I get that message from the Ood? And where is….
Magambo in the background withdraws the phone from her ear and steps towards Stewart.
Magambo: Ma’am, you need to take this.
Stewart (expectantly): Is it…the Doctor?
Magambo: You…just need to take this call, ma’am.
Stewart hesitantly takes the phone from Magambo’s hand and places it to her ear.
Stewart: Kate Stewart here. Yes?
Then an expression of shock crosses Stewart’s face.
Stewart: Your Majesty!
Scene change: Inside Coal Hill School. Moving down a hallway are Clara Oswald and Meridian (Meri) Scott. They move cautiously as they both witness students and teachers constantly changing forms and modes of dress as if shifting through different time periods. Everyone contines about their normal school day business, seemingly unaware of the changes happening to them and around them.
Meri: So nobody else is aware of these…these changes?
Clara: Right!
Meri: Except you and me?
Clara: Yep!
Meri: But…why?
Clara stops and puzzles on this a moment.
Clara: I’m…not sure. I mean, I thought I knew why I could…
Meri: Which is because?
Clara and Meri enter door of the outer office for the Head Master’s assistant. The office is empty.
Clara: Because….I’m a time traveller.
Meri: A time traveller.
Clara: Er, yeah, more or less. Well, I travel…with a time traveller. Over time, I’ve become…I don’t know, sensitive to this sort of thing, I guess?
Meri: Oh, I see.
Clara: Really?
Meri: No, not really.
Clara: Oh.
Meri: I mean, there is the option that you are just blinking mad or something but that would make me mad too.
The pair enter into the Head Master’s office.
Clara: Well, maybe we both---
Meri screams and Clara looks alarmed as both catch sight of the Head Master’s desk, specifically the canister upon the desk bearing the head of the Master in the darkened, slowly burbling fluid.
Clara: OK, that’s weird.
Meri: What the hell? Weird? “Weird” doesn’t cover it!
Clara (approaching the canister cautiously): It’s…not Mr. Chesterton.
Meri: Thank God for that! But who…wait a minute!
Clara: What?
Meri: This is going to sound crazy but….it looks like…Harold Saxon?
Clara: Who?
Meri: You know, Harold Saxon? Crazy bloke, was Prime Minister for five minutes. Shot the American President, said he was talking to aliens….
Clara shakes her head no.
Meri: What? How can you forget that?!
Clara: I don’t understand. That sounds like the plot of a bad science fiction show.
Meri: But it happened! It really happened! I can’t believe….
Then Meri fades off and Clara looks concerned.
Clara: Meri, are you all right? Meri? Meridian!
Clara pats Meri's cheek. Then Meri shakes her head and blinks her eyes.
Meri: I’m…I’m sorry. A lot of stress today, huh? Uh, what was I saying?
Clara: About how the head in the jar looks like someone you knew?
Meri: Really? No, I’m never seen that face before in my life.
Clara: But you were just...OK, just what we needed: more weird.
Meri: I don’t understand. What…?
Clara glances down at the floor and reacts.
Clara: Uh oh! Is that…?
Clara bends down and picks up the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver.
Clara: The Doctor’s sonic screwdriver? So he’s been here! But he wouldn’t have just dropped this on the floor unless…
Meri: Clara? What is it?
Clara: The Doctor, the one person who can figure out what’s going on is missing. And…
Clara looks forlornly at the screwdriver in her hand.
Clara: And I have a bad feeling he may be in danger!
And our view moves from Clara and Meri standing by the desk over to the book case. As our view moves closer to the glass enclosed furnishing, we see the faint ghost like image of the Rani’s face and we hear the faint echo of her laughter.
Scene shift: the Rani has changed out of her Veronica Needham tweed skirt and jacket and is now wearing black leather from her neck to her feet. Her black hair is down about her shoulders. She’s looking out the window of a door. As our view pulls back, we see what resembles the design and layout of a TARDIS console room.
The Rani (chuckling to herself): Oh, poor deluded children, these humans.
The Rani turns from the door of her TARDIS and scampers past the console.
The Rani (calling out): Oh, Doctor! Doctor!
The Rani quickly descends some stairs to a lower level of the console room where we see the Doctor lying on an inclined table, held in place by three brown straps. The Doctor is surrounded by alien equipment that pulses and glows with a strange energy. Cords and cables connect these devices to the Doctor’s head. The Doctor groans.
The Rani: Come on, Doctor! No more lazing about! We’ve got work to do!
The Doctor: Well…you best give up, Rani. I’ve got me where I want you.
The Doctor scrunches up his eyes as he tries to refocus his concentration.
The Doctor: Or something…like that. Ouch!
The Rani gently pats the Doctor on the cheek.
The Rani: Oh, come now, Doctor! Let’s pull it together!
Then the Rani pulls away and begins moving about the alien equipment checking readings, making adjustments, etc etc.
The Doctor looks around at his surroundings.
The Doctor: Oh, a good old fashioned "Mad Scientist" motif. Haven’t seen one of these set ups in centuries.
The Rani: Well, I may be a modern girl but you've got to admit, it’s hard to beat the classics.
The Doctor: Speaking of classics, mind telling me what you’re up to since….
The Doctor looks down at his strapped down form.
The Doctor: …well, you know.
The Rani: Oh, Doctor! You don’t know what a joy it is to have a peer such as yourself to converse with! Granted, you are more of a lesser peer, compared to me but beggars can’t be choosers.
The Doctor: Rani, this…time of the dominion. What is it? What is the dominion?
The Rani: Oh, not “what”, Doctor. But “who”.
The Doctor: Who? The dominion is a….person?
The Rani: Oh, Doctor, not just a person but the most wonderful, magnificent person who ever lived!
The Doctor: Derren Brown?
The Rani: Oh, someone’s trying to be fun-nee! And not really succeeding! No, it’s me!
The Rani leans forward close to the Doctor’s face.
The Rani (whispers): I…am…the Dominion!
The Doctor: Then you are a bigger fool than even the Master.
The Rani pulls back, her smile totally vanished and replaced with a stern expression of rage.
The Rani (snapping): Do NOT mock me, Doctor! I am far superior to the Master, even before he lost his head…so to speak. Indeed, I am far, far superior to you, to any Time Lord!
The Rani begins pacing about the Doctor and around her equipment.
The Rani: The Time War, Doctor! I was there! I saw the blood and the fire! I saw the fall of Arcadia! The Daleks, Doctor! Daleks everywhere, raining death and destruction on all of Gallifrey! And all that self-serving preening President who dared call himself Rassilon could think of…was to respond in kind!
The Doctor: The Final Sanction.
The Rani: Yes, the Final Sanction! The ultimate act of destruction! The end of everything! The answer to death was more death! Well, I said “No more!”
The Doctor: “No more”. Oh, I know that feeling, Rani. Believe me, I do.
The Rani: Of course you do! The great Time Lord renegade who took the name of “Doctor” because he wanted to make the universe better! And yet, all you could come up with…was more destruction! To send both the Daleks and Gallifrey burning into hell!
The Doctor: Listen, Rani, I…
The Rani: But I, I had a better way! Not death but life! Not destruction but creation! But the Time Lords wouldn’t listen to me! Called me “mad”. Me, mad? They want to end ALL of time and “ascend” to a higher realm? And they call me “mad”?
The Doctor: But the Dominion, it’s a myth of the ancient Eternals.
The Rani: Ah, the Eternals! A race even more pompous and self-absorbed than the Time Lords with their endless quests for “enlightenment”. But only such as they could conceive of the Dominion! The ultimate force of NEW life! Of NEW TIME!
The Doctor: But even if the myth had any truth to it, control of the Dominion would be….
The Rani: Impossible? Why, quite true! Even the expanded mind of a Time Lord could scarce to contain such power. But that’s why I’m not out to control it. It is my goal to become the Dominion!
The Rani begins flicking some switches and the alien equipment begins to pulsate and hum.
The Rani: Finding the head of the Master was fortunate. Even I’m not sure what occurred to bring your erstwhile enemy to that state but that head provided sufficient material to aid my equipment to manipulate the time vortex.
The Doctor: To create the distortions in time around this school…
The Rani: Where I knew you would eventually appear. But I need a stronger Time Lord mind to buffer the energies I will need to bring down to complete my change into the Dominion! Sadly, the process will leave you...I believe the word is “dead”.
The Doctor: Listen, Rani, you don’t…
The Rani: And sorry, it’s going to hurt. A lot!
The Rani throws a switch.
The Doctor (frantic): But the Time Lords are not….ARRRGGHHHHHH!
Light and energy sparks and flashes around the Doctor’s form as he spasms in pain on the table. Meanwhile, a strong ethereal glow begins to develop around the Rani.
The Rani (ecstatic over the Doctor’s screams of pain): It’s working! I am become LIFE ITSELF! I am become TIME ITSELF! I…AM…THE DOMINION!
And amid a cacophony of painful screams and maniacal laughter, there is blinding light as our view goes to white.
Scene change: from the glaring white, we find ourselves back outdoors with the UNIT crew.
Magambo (holding out her cell phone to Kate Stewart): Ma’am, you need to take this.
Stewart (expectantly): Is it…the Doctor?
Magambo: You…just need to take this call, ma’am.
Stewart hesitantly takes the phone from Magambo’s hand and places it to her ear.
Stewart: Kate Stewart here. Yes?
Then an expression of shock crosses Stewart’s face.
Stewart: Your Majesty!
Magambo stands at attention while Stewart begins to pace.
Stewart : You are…aware of the situation here…at the school? Yes, ma’am. Yes, ma’am! Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you.
Stewart lowers the phone, takes a deep breath and hands it back to Magambo.
Stewart: Capt. Magambo, we have been ordered to…withdraw.
Magambo: Withdraw, ma’am?
Stewart: Per orders of Her Majesty.
Suddenly, the shimmering field of distortion around Coal Hill School in the background pulses, grows brighter and a ring of energy extends across the sky. But neither Magambo nor Stewart reacts.
Magambo: The Empress says we should withdraw?
Stewart: And so we shall. Nothing more going on here anyway.
Stewart and Magambo begin to walk towards a vehicle.
Before climbing into the vehicle, Kate Stewart looks out, the wind whipping through her blonde hair as she gazes into the distance.
Stewart: Long Live the Dominion, Capt. Magambo.
The two climb in the vehicle as it drives away. Our view extends beyond Coal Hill School to the skyline of London as the skies grow dark and lightning splits the gathering gloom.
----to be continued-----
In our next episode:
- The Time of the Dominion...is NOW!
- The Rani rules! But is she in control?
- What is the fate of the Doctor?
- And what is the secret of Meridian Scott?
Episode Four
Time of the Dominion
Next week.
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