fracturedrp | New arrival

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New arrival

The Master checked the readings on the control console of his TARDIS. He scowled. Three Dalek ships were attempting to cut him off. Escaping from the misbegotten lab accidents had become more difficult, since they learned how to time travel. Their methods, as usual, were crude, but highly effective. Fortunately, the Master congratulated himself on being even more effective!

Travelling in the Vortex was always tricky. It took exact calculations, often done in moments. A TARDIS and its pilot had to work together to stay on course and not get pulled to pieces by the Vortex's violent forces, but the Master had centuries of experience at quick escapes. He'd intended to materialize on Markeb in the constellation of Vela, but his fingers flew swiftly across the console, altering his coordinates. Changing direction in the Vortex was far from safe. Still, his TARDIS was top of the line and he was an expert pilot. The Master finished entering coordinates and pressed in the override.

A sharp jolt almost sent the Master plummetting to the ground, but he managed to stay up right. Despite the dangerous manuever, he was surprised to hear the ominous tolling of his cloister bells! Shutting down the alarm, the Master scanned the immediate area. He couldn't detect any Daleks. Grinning, the Master initiated materialization, waiting for the soft thump of landing.

When the materialization was complete, the Master studied his console, checking for damage. He frowned as he noted the alarm was still flashing red, though he had turned off the sound. He studied the coordinates and saw, to his annoyance, that they had shifted! He had intended to land on Sto, where he could remain fairly anonymous. Instead, he seemed to have landed on Earth in the middle of London, though something in the coordinates seemed off.

Earth was not one of the Master's favorite places, but it was fairly anonymous, when it wasn't under attack. He decided to take a quick walk to get rid of the adrenalin from the chase, then maybe grab a cup of tea. He checked to make sure his TCE was charged and in a handy pocket, then exited his TARDIS.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Usually where Handy went the meta-meta was not far behind, but today the meta-meta had wandered off from his Doctor-thing in search of something more interesting to do than finish the grocery shopping. At least he could wander farther away now, even if his explorations would be cut short as soon as the Doctor-thing found where he'd gone.

He perked up at a familiar sound, trotting closer to its source. He turned a corner just in time to see an earlier version of the Master emerge from his TARDIS and paused to squint at him. This deserved a closer investigation, so he made a beeline for the Master, showing no sign of caution whatsoever. He sniffed the air as soon as he got close, as was his custom. Yep, smelled like the Master - not tasty at all. He'd never actually tasted anyone he'd met, but he tended to divide people into 'tasty' and 'not tasty' camps anyhow based on their scents. He did not say hello or give any sign of greeting; he simply came up to the Time Lord, sniffed the air, and gave him a good looking over.

[Hiya!

bluesuit_handy's mun here! I can have Handy come in soon - I know the meta-meta might be hard to play off of since he doesn't talk much.]

The Master stopped walking as he was approached. He pulled out his TCE, holding it in front of him, while taking a careful couple of steps back. Sniffing and looking weren't necessarily overt signs of hostility, but he chose not to take the risk. The Master preferred to keep his distance from complete strangers, whenever possible.

On the other hand, this stranger felt oddly familiar, his mental presence tugging at something in the back of the Master's mind. The Master didn't think he was a Time Lord, but he definitely wasn't human, either, at least not fully. Well, perhaps conversation would reveal more.

"I am the Master. Who are you?"

The sight of the TCE brought a faint smile to the meta-meta's face. He took another step closer, but didn't follow the Master as far as he'd retreated, satisfied enough with his investigation thus far not to push someone who was holding a weapon.

"No one," he said simply. And then, curiously, "When are you?"

The Master frowned. He wondered why the being was smiling, even while stopping.

"No one? How refreshingly honest," he observed disdainfully. "I believe the date is January 30, 2011."

He suspected he was being asked about his personal timeline, but declined to answer, even if he could find a shared reference point.

"You smell like the vortex," said the meta-meta, unbothered. He nodded a little, though; that was the date, and it was a valid answer. He'd either figure out when the Master was from or he wouldn't.

He glanced over his shoulder, wondering why it was taking the Doctor-thing so long to find him this time. The Doctor-thing would be interested in meeting this Master, he was sure. They'd had such interesting times together back then, and he had the advantage of remembering both sides of it, even if the memories were sometimes faint or confused.

Belatedly remembering the Master's dissatisfaction with his own answer, he added, "I don't have a name."

The Master's eyes narrowed and he began walking around the other man, studying him. This strange being had the presence of a Time Lord, but changed somehow. It made no sense. He fit no pattern the Master had encountered before.

"You know about time travel and have no name. You wouldn't be one of the Doctor's companions, by chance?"

"You don't recognize me." There was little reason the Master should at this stage in his life, but it still amused the meta-meta. He turned his head to watch the Master as the Master walked around him, but didn't move. "I know the Doctor," he confirmed, though it wasn't really the Doctor he lived with.

[OOC: Do you want me to bring Handy in, or let the Master question the meta-meta alone for a while more?]

"I don't know you," the Master snapped, angrily. "Where is the Doctor?"

(ooc: Yes, Handy would be good, please. :D )

That shut the meta-meta up and erased the smile from his face. It did not, however, get an answer out of him. He simply gave the Master a sullen stare, amusement gone.

[OOC: One Handy, coming right up!]

Handy had been searching for the missing meta-meta for the past ten minutes. The meta-meta had had a considerable head start, since he'd snuck off when Handy was busy at the checkout. This was really more annoying than it was worrying, and Handy walked along with a grocery bag in his hand and a scowl on his face.

One disadvantage of having never gotten around to actually naming the meta-meta was that he didn't exactly have anything to shout to try to get the other man's attention. Of course, thought Handy, he probably wouldn't answer anyway, disobedient little sod that he was. He probably got that from...all of his parents, actually.

He turned the same corner the meta-meta had to see him standing next to someone in black. Heaving a sigh of relief, Handy stepped forward. "Oi," he said loudly, speaking to the meta-meta. "I can get the leash back out if you're going to keep--ah." He stopped short as he realized just who was standing next to the meta-meta.

The Master turned so he could cover both men with his compressor. The new arrival's sense was less muddled than the first man's, but still a disturbing combination of Time Lord and Human. He frowned at both of them, but addressed the less confusing being.

"You're not the Doctor," the Master stated, though he wasn't quite as sure of that as he sounded. "What are you two?"

"Ah," said Handy, a little surprised that the Master recognized him enough to know that he was specifically not the Doctor. "Right." He stepped closer and stuck a hand out, giving the meta-meta a meaningful look. "You don't know, then?" he asked as the meta-meta slunk over, expression still sullen, and took his hand. This was the first time in a long time that he'd met anyone new to this universe - as, of course, he assumed this Master must be if he was asking that sort of question.

"Meta-crises," he said after a moment's consideration, remembering the question. "I'm the Doctor's, and this is mine. It's...complicated. Did you just get here?"

[OOC: No meta-meta tag this time.]

Edited 2011-02-04 05:12 (UTC)

The Master stared in fascination. A human-Time Lord meta-crisis wasn't supposed to be possible. It violated everything he'd been taught. He took a step forward, gazing between them intently.

"Yes, I just materialized," the Master informed him, shrugging, not yet realizing this wasn't the London he knew. "Is the Doctor nearby?"

Handy shifted his position when the Master stepped forward, unconsciously putting himself partly between the Master and the meta-meta. Some part of him still automatically assumed he needed to protect the meta-meta, though if he'd thought about it logically he probably wouldn't have bothered.

"Not that I know of," he replied honestly, wary. "You'll find some of him running around here somewhere, though, if you look long enough."

"Explain yourself," the Master demanded. "Why would there be more than one Doctor about? He wouldn't cross his own timeline, unless there was an emergency."

"You really did just get here," said Handy, only mildly surprised. He'd been testing the Master, to an extent - anyone who hadn't heard about all the meta-crises had to be fairly new to this universe.

"You're probably not in the universe where you think you are," he said. "Honestly, if you can turn around and find a way to go back, you'll probably be better off. This one's...unstable."

The Master smirked. He didn't quite believe this universe was unstable. The Doctor was consistently treacherous and rarely honest, if he could find a reason to lie. The Master wasn't fool enough to turn and leave on the Doctor's advice, much less that of a meta-crisis. Obviously, he wanted to hide something from the Master.

"Oh, I think I'll stay for a bit. I can always reverse my flight path later," he assured the meta-crisis. "Your friend there says he has no name. Is that true for you, as well?"

Handy frowned. "I wouldn't be so sure," he said. "If it were that simple, there'd be a lot fewer of us here, I think." He wasn't really hiding anything in particular from the Master - he had his personal secrets, of course, but it was nothing the Master ought to be interested in. And, well, it might be better if he didn't find out from Handy that the meta-meta was wearing his future face.

"You could just call me 'Doctor,'" he said tiredly, not expecting that the Master would. None of the Masters ever did.

[OOC: Meta-meta tag coming.]

"He's called Andrew," said the meta-meta, peering at the Master over his Doctor-thing's shoulder. He gave the Doctor-thing a faint but smug smile when he turned to glare at him - today, it seemed, he was in a contrary mood.

"I could, but I won't," the Master informed the meta-crisis, frowning slightly. "You may have come from him, but you are not the Doctor."

Considering the facts he had gleaned, the Master studied the meta-meta. When he mentioned the name Andrew, the Master grinned.

"Oh, Andrew is a fine name. Yes, that will do nicely!"

"You don't know that." Andrew scowled at the Master, his resentment at being told point blank that he was not the Doctor very, very clear. "And you're back on the leash next time," he muttered to the meta-meta, who didn't seem particularly impressed by the promised punishment.

"Of course, I know that," the Master scoffed. "I do know the meaning of meta-crisis, thank you, and I know the Doctor!"

He smiled at the meta-meta, enjoying his contrariness, though he didn't trust the man.

"A leash? That isn't very Doctor-like, is it? Why does your meta-crisis not have a name?"

"You know the Doctor from your own time," Andrew pointed out sullenly. "And it's plenty Doctor-like. Nine hundred years of companions wandering off wears on you - and it's for his own good." Or he had meant it to be, back when he'd had the meta-meta on a leash whenever they went out at all. Nowadays the leash was almost never used except as a threat. Even now there was a fair chance he wouldn't actually do it.

The lack of a name was harder to explain. He shrugged uncomfortably. "Never got around to it."

"I know the Doctor, completely," the Master argued, firmly. "He can never change enough to be unknown to me. So, you inherited his lack of responsiblity."

He turned to the meta-meta with a conciliatory smile.

"You have a mind of your own. Why do you not choose a name?"

"I've kept him safe," argued Handy. "That's responsibility."

He frowned. "Why am I arguing about this with you?" he asked. "I don't have to explain myself."

[OOC: Meta-meta tag on its way.]

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