sixwordstories | (no subject)

Now this is interesting.

[The android's hands freeze, his head snapping up at the intruder. He says nothing yet, just watches with red optics, trying to determine what he's dealing with. Because a human probably wouldn't recognise what they're looking at... but if this guy is anything else, he's screwed.]

Vaguely canine android. At least you're not a Cyberman, those really suck.

Who are you?

[He sounds calm, but his hands are gathering up the components of his projection unit protectively.]

The Master.

Master of what?

Everything!

That's a bold claim for someone hanging around a place like this.

Well, I am a little nuts . . .

Or a little arrogant.

[Expressionless though he is, his dry tone suggests 'little' means 'very'. He glances at the exit - risky to go outside looking like this, he'll only do it if the Master turns out to really be a threat.]

Or both!

*He's absolutely a threat--just not at the moment.*

Right.

[That, Erek can deal with. After a second he leaves down the circuitry and resumes work. He really needs his holograms back. Though he keeps talking - and keeps a sensor or three on the Master.]

Where did you come from?

Homeworld, current residency or direction I walked to get here?

Right now, I'd like to know all three.

Gallifrey, London and west-southwest.

Gallifrey? [His voice is very quiet.] I don't think I know it.

Not many people do anymore--it's gone.

There was a War. Didn't exactly help my mental state any . . .

[He looks up again at that.]

A war? With who?

The Daleks.

I... I can understand what that would do to you.

No. You can't.

Most beings have never even imagined a Time War, you see.

[No hologram means no bitter smile.]

That depends. What's special about a Time War?

Every foot soldier has a time machine and there are ten versions of every fight.

That is... unusual. [And cruel.] How would you even know what you've lost?

*So very cruel.* When the enemy no longer ever existed/never got ahold of time travel, or the universe is destroyed by all the bits of mangled history coming loose.

In the case of the Last Great Time War, local time was put into a Time Lock so the War can't affect anything. It's still trying to get out, though--and it drove me mad to turn me into a Key.

I hate the idea of surrendering, but some fights truly aren't worth the cost.

You talk about time as if it's alive...

The War, not time itself. The bastard generals and maddened leaders are still trying to keep fighting. Probably always will, but without my help it'll be harder to do.

I wouldn't wish that fate on them. Or you. No-one should be used that way.

[Assuming all of this is true - but his sympathy is genuine, nonetheless.]

The bastards who ruined my mind deserve worse, I say.

[Being trapped in an unendable, unwinnable war sounds hellish enough to Erek, but being unable to find satisfaction in revenge... well, that's a familiar kind of torment.]

Now that I definitely understand.

[He doesn't say he agrees, mind. But he's not going to comment otherwise.]

Are they still trying to manipulate you?

It's still there--the torture, the torment whenever I try to do better, the need to fight and kill and win.

They never bothered to create any way to turn it off, because I didn't matter to them.

They made you their tool to be discarded. I've known... entities like that - I'm sorry.

[He's cautious, too, because a self-admitted weapon is a danger whether they intend it or not. The whole description makes his circuits crawl. But the sense that this Master was forced into the mold, not custom made for it, tips his reaction toward pity rather than disgust.]

What about your people? How did you end up on Earth?

I have an old friend who happens to be fond of Earth. *He winces.* We're the only two left. Where he goes I go, so I won't lose that last connection to my home.

Unfortunately, my attempts at friendship would be anyone else's attempts at murder or worse, so we're not together as much as I would like.

Let me guess - he doesn't share your condition.

No. He has survivor's guilt and some PTSD, but not the rest.