| Doctor Who Internet Adventure #14 - "Endless Night"
Chapter 10
"Sleeping in the twilight of the soul"
by Kris "The Antiwesley" Herzog
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PART THREE: HOLDING BACK THE TRUTH
- "One step into the light,
- one step away from night,
- it's the hardest step you're gonna take.."
- — Moody Blues, One Step Into the Light
The Doctor started to walk off but was stopped by Jadi asking him a question.
"Doctor, what happened to you before?"
"My mind was being attacked by the Nemesis — but it stopped."
"At least we know your mind can defeat Nemesis," Jadi said cheerfully.
"But can we, Jadi? Can we?" the Doctor puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"My mind didn't stop Nemesis just then — somebody else's did."
With that, he turned on his heels and walked off at a lightning pace. Jadi paused, milling over what the Doctor had said. "The question is," the Doctor shouted, "whose?"
* * *
A MILLION YEARS (or maybe even more in the past..)
A computer screen lit up and reported the information to the sole inhabitant of the dying ship..
'Grid Reference Z-14-135-12.'
'Planet,habitable.'
'Lifeforms: Marginal. No advanced technology reported.'
'Chance of survival: 90% through augmentation of native species.'
The screen died and the occupant moved its digits toward the control screen. Flicking a few switches, the ship blurred and sped towards the destination.
Another screen lit up.
"Running will not do you any good... Your skills are needed..."
"I don't care!" the being replied to the screen and with the wave of a hand, turned it off.
The figure pressed down on the control pad located on his chair, and the computer wiped the screen clear and new information came up.
PROJECT:NEMESIS --CLASSIFIED--
Summary: The induction of certain psycho-active material into the genetic structure of an atypical biomorphic life-form will induce DNA alteration. This alteration will introduce the ability of mental aberration within 20 generations. Within given parameters, a host will be ready in 25 cycles.
'Do you wish to ready the psycho-active material?' the computer asked, almost as if it knew what was coming next.
The figure nodded. "Yes."
He knew that by this point, the plague had spread across his world. And that he would be the only survivor, ready to re-build again on this new planet.
"As soon as we enter atmosphere, release the agent."
'Confirmed' came the reply on the screen.
"Ready my escape pod."
'Escape Pod Readied.' a light came on over a door.
The ship blurred into the upper atmosphere of the planet. Then, gravity asserted Itself, and it fell straight down. As the pilot ejected, the computer flashed a warning..
'Additional Ship Detected' and it promptly burnt itself up.
* * *
Meanwhile, in that self-same ship, a similar being readied himself for a landing.
"That bastard. He did it." He saw the bio-reactive spray being released from the bottom of the rapidly descending ship. He moved to the console and plugged himself in.
A brief hiss of static travelled between him and the console and they agreed. Having been augmented expressly to deny the Nemesis virus any home in his cerebrum, the ship was instructed to hold his patterns intact til a viable host could be 'seconded' for his use.
The Shadowmaker and Nemesis were still locked in combat, even though hundreds of millions of light-years away, their race lay dead and nothing and no-one survived.
* * *
Wil entered the lab behind the old man. He had followed the old man for a
few minutes as they wandered down a corridor or two that lay off of the main hallway to the castle's lower levels.
"Never thought we'd need to use the samples, but they ordered that it be maintained for some purpose. Never quite knew why.." He shuffled over to a table and snatched up a needle. "Roll up your sleeve, boy..." He readied the needle for an injection. Wil rolled up his sleeves.
"Why do it through the blood? Won't a hair or skin sample do?" Wil asked, plainly trying to avoid thinking about the needle.
"Your parents, if indeed they are your parents, left blood samples as well. With a sample not unlike theirs, we can sufficiently make the match."
He jabbed the needle into Wil's arm. "Ouch." Wil whimpered.
"There, there boy.. this won't take but a moment..." he moved the needle over to a tray and dropped a sample in. Putting it into a machine, he twisted a few knobs, pressed a few buttons and moments later a piece of paper came out.
The old man looked at with wizened eyes.. "Oh my.. we must go to the court at once.." he grabbed Wil's arm and they ran as fast as the old man could.
* * *
Shadowmaker floated down the street with her escort in tow. What was left
of Angela felt like she was being paraded, shown off as one would show a
new car or gun... When all of a sudden, she saw the TARDIS. A flash of
hope ran through her own conscious mind, and it sparked off a cascade of
neurons. She saw the ships, she saw the spray, and it was all so clear now.
To Shadowmaker, this was just another tour, another way for the people in charge to show that they would always be in charge. Intimidation.
Then suddenly, a flash of insight. It saw the ship releasing the spray into the planet's atmosphere.. It knew what it really was. Shadowmaker sent a signal and turned to look at her escort. Grabbing him, she flew off into the night sky. 'No wonder I drove them all insane. They couldn't handle the overlay on the overlay...' she thought as she headed for some unknown destination.
* * *
Harsferd had been roused from his nap and dragged to the court almost as
quickly as the old man had dragged Wil up to the room.
A large number of people had gathered to witness the announcement that they knew was to be made.
"Well? Speak, old man.." Harsferd looked down at the old man from the throne.
"I have here in my hand the results of the testing of this young man's DNA," the old man looked over at Wil.
"And?" Harsferd looked impatient, standing up and glaring down at the floor where the old man stood..
"It seems that Gwilym Young--" at which point a wall fell in and the body of Angela Ferris strode in, looking straight at Harsferd.
"NEMESIS..." Her voice sounded very chilled and dark. "If I am awake... you are as well... I can sense your handiwork all around."
Harsferd turned to look at her with anger in his eyes. "You weren't to have found me yet. I thought I had hidden myself well enough."
Wil was dumb-founded and had no idea what was going on. At this point, the Doctor jumped in through the wall, followed promptly by Jadi.
"What the--?" Jadi looked straight at Angela. "Angela?"
"Stay back, Jadi.. They're both not who they appear to be," the Doctor warned.
"But if that's not Angela.." Jadi asked.
"It is, but it's not her personality..." the Doctor replied.
"And that means.." Wil looked up at Harsferd.
"GUARDS! Seize them! I am Lord Gerund Harsferd." He looked around.
The old man looked at Harsferd and then at Wil. The old man smiled and bowed, accidentally dropping the piece of paper that the Doctor picked up and read quietly.
- Test Results: NEGATIVE MATCH.
- Animate Foreign Particles resulting in skewed result.
- 51% sample does not match.
- Possible Margin of Error: 27%
"What shall we do, your Majesty?" the old man said to Wil.
---
To be continued...
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