Soul's Shadow
by TardisGhost [Reviews - 79]
Chapter or Story
- Teen
- None
- Action/Adventure, Character Study
When the Master left, it took me almost a minute to halfway comprehend my new situation. Of course I tried the door, unsurprisingly finding it locked. After that I walked along the walls to see if there was another exit, but found none.
"Hey," I tried, hoping the TARDIS would hear me in this room. "Can't you get me out or something?"
There was no response in any way and I sighed heavily.
"Great," I mumbled. "Do you only hear me in the corridors?"
It was worth a try, wasn't it? And really, there was... something. There is no way I could explain what it was, a tug at my consciousness? I still had no idea how this ship communicated, other than with hums and lights on the ground. Strangely enough this small tug somewhat calmed me a little. It was good to know that I wasn't completely alone.
"Any ideas how to get out?" I tried next. "Seems you can lead the way, but not open doors? Or did he lock it in a special way?" Again there was some kind of tug, but its meaning was lost to me. I sighed and rubbed my eyelids. "So, no exit..." and mumbling I added, "and probably no secret passage to a bathroom either."
I really wasn't in the mood to have to release myself in some corner of the room. The mere thought was disgusting, let alone that it was unforgiveable to do this to a place of books.
When I opened my eyes again, there was a door. I blinked, mouth dropping slightly open. That couldn't be, could it? This hadn't been there before. I stretched out my hand to touch the wood and found it to be real. A glance inside not only told me it was unlocked, but also lead me into a small... bathroom. Really tiny, only a shower, a toilet and a sink with a small mirror. There even were towels and some hygiene products.
"So, you can create rooms?" I asked. The TARDIS could obviously hear me, even when it wouldn't answer in a way I could understand. "But you can't unlock the door. Too bad. But thanks for this one, anyway." I waved towards the small bathroom.
Just some months ago the thought of an entire room simply appearing out of nowhere would have made me laugh. Sure, I'm a sucker for all things paranormal and weird, but even I know there are things that simply don't happen.
Well... Seems I had been wrong with this.
Since there was now nothing else left to do, I started to look through the book shelves once more. Which was tedious, because I had to take out each and every book to hold it close in front of my face to read the title. Eventually I just picked a few random ones, carried them to the sofa and flopped myself into the pillows.
.
"You're... reading..."
The Master's disappointed voice tore me out of a story of two alien creatures, whose names I couldn't pronounce, on their journey to find the hair of another creature I couldn't keep in my mind.
I glanced up, slowly coming back to reality. "You feel annoyed," I mumbled. "Guess I can't do anything without you getting riled up about it." Shrugging I closed the book and sat it next to me. "Would be a lot easier with my glasses, though. What do I have to do to get them back?"
The smirk on his face was visible even from a distance. "Oh, you're learning. Good little ape."
"Aren't you too?" I sighed. "I mean, you look the same as humans. So you must have similar ancestors."
"We came first," the Master snarled, pointing a thumb at himself. "And no, we do not stem from such primates."
"Alright, alright." I held up my hands in mock-defence. "So... glasses?"
The smile was back. "You won't get them. Since they are so important to you," he bent down slightly to be at my eye level, "I will just keep them. Or shall I break them into pieces? Blind humans are somewhat hilarious."
I sighed and put my hands down, sinking down a little. "Seriously, what's the deal with you? Are you just a bully or is there some plan behind this?"
The Master let out a mean chuckle and flopped down next to me, spreading his arms to lean them on the rest, one behind my neck. I shuffled away a little, although I knew he only did this to unnerve me. Well, he succeeded with that. How had I ever felt so comfortable with that man during the train ride? He had felt so differently back then. Much less... chaotic.
"Well..." he drawled, glancing up at the ceiling as if he had to think about his next words. A grin split his lips and he slightly bent his head down to me. "You could help with the seal in the control room."
"Nope," I deadpanned, popping the 'p'.
"I could get you to a place where they can heal your eyes."
"As if you would." I snorted. The thought was extremely tempting, although it was highly improbable that any alien race out there knew how human eyes worked. "As soon as that seal is cracked you'll probably throw me into a black hole or something."
"Hey, great idea!" He clapped his hands together and giggled childishly. "We could even get a few more apes and throw them in one by one. I'd let you watch. I'd even let you throw them in yourself. How about that?"
I grimaced at the idea and shook my head. "Why would I want that?"
"Because you'd get away with it," he answered, his voice suddenly deep and tempting. "No one would know, no one would judge and never ever would you get punished for it."
Swiftly he removed his arms from the back rest and shifted on the sofa to sit cross-legged, facing me. I hastily slid away, but then mirrored his pose. It was easier to keep him in my field of vision that way. When he spoke up again, his voice held the same foreboding tone in it, mixed with something that could be anticipation or excitement.
"If I would give you a button to press and it would wipe out an entire planet, would you do it?"
Perplex I blinked at his blurry face, immediately wanting to protest. The penetrating gaze he gave me, let my tongue stumble over the words, though, making it impossible to speak them out.
"Wh... why would I?" I hesitantly asked instead.
"Because," he smiled, "I just saw that tiny flash in your eyes. This short moment of consideration." A low chuckle resounded from him before he continued. "Assume I could turn back time and make it undone immediately." Now he leaned forward, deliberately close enough for me to see his glinting eyes, "Would. You. Do. It?"
The heaviness in each of his words made me swallow, my mind racing a million miles per hour. No consequences. Not even the event itself would be left behind. It literally wouldn't have happened. Was he planning to create another paradox?
My mind created the scene on its own, us standing in the console room, me having a button in my hands, through the opened doors of the TARDIS there was a planet visible, maybe earth, maybe some similar place. I glanced up at the Master, saw him nod encouragingly, and I...
A chuckle let the image evaporate into blackness. All I could do was to stare at the Master, to feel raw power emanating from his very being. He would do it, wouldn't hesitate for even a second, I realized. Because he knew how it felt, this surge of adrenalin coursing through one's entire body, head to toe. The tingling in the tips of one's fingers, hovering over the button to put an end to millions of lives as if they were mere ants.
Once more I swallowed, tore my gaze away from my hands I hadn't noticed I'd been now staring at. When I looked back up I met the Master's hazel eyes, in the dim light almost green somehow. He knew it already, didn't need an answer, but wanted to hear it nonetheless, waiting like a spider for certain prey.
"Answer honest, little lumin and I'll give you back your precious glasses." A toothy grin split his lips. "Lie and I'll toss them into a sun."
He wouldn't judge.
My mind wandered back to the gun in my shoulder back, sitting at home.
He would simply smile and nod. And then watch as the world below us would burn, those ancient eyes reflecting the flames of chaos, lips twitching up to an almost melancholic smile. I could see the image as if I were there already.
And it was calm. Like snow falling from the blackened sky of night time.
His eyes bore into mine, the smile long faded, as he patiently sat there, waiting.
I licked my dry lips and took a breath, my voice barely more than a whisper.
"I would do it."