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Fic: A Good Day (or: The War in the Medusa Cascade). Chapter 5
This month is stupidly busy, but now and again I clawed back a little time to work on this.
Previous parts here for anyone who is wanting to catch up:
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
And Master post for the whole 'verse here.
Summary: "Why is it only ever the bad guys who have a proper plan?" The Master's son finally meets the Daleks. And he thought it a good day. (TSE/JE rewrite with Eleven and Clara and a host of extras.)
Setting: Future AU TSE/JE.
Spoilers: The Name of the Doctor (S7.13)
Rating: PG-13.
Characters: The Seeker (OC, the Master's son), Eleventh Doctor, Clara, the Master, Jack, River, Roda (OC), Davros, others.
Beta: The always lovely![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kathyh. (Any mistakes mine!)
Thank yous: Tothe_redjay for the loan of Roda.
Feedback: Pretty please? I'm very curious to see what you think.
Chapter 5
“What have you done?”
The question was barely above a whisper, but Jack heard it even so. Tearing his eyes from the ever expanding battle displayed on the larger of the screens, he turned to look at the Doctor, and saw that he was as pale and drawn as Jack felt, the shimmer of the holding cell casting flickering shadows across his despondent, hopeless aspect.
But Jack wasn’t the only one to pick up on the Doctor’s words. The Seeker turned to look at them, a ready smile on his face.
“I've saved the universe!”
The Doctor's face was still a mask as he slowly shook his head.
“Destroying one menace by replacing it with another? The Daleks at least are obedient, how will you ever contain the terror you've unleashed?”
The screen behind him engulfed in mayhem and combat, destruction escalating and building as the noises from the battle outside dimly filtered through the hull of the Crucible, the Seeker became very, very still, studying them silently - and in the relative quiet they all heard Dalek Caan softly crooning to itself:
“The Daleks fall and the Great One rises, the Daleks fall and the Great One rises…”
“Betrayer!” Davros’ voice rang out, abrupt and furious. “Betrayer! Dalek Caan, I declare you forever a traitor of your own race! You promised me victory and the destruction of all things - instead you have brought down ruin and mayhem upon us. Supreme Dalek! I demand that you exterminate Dalek Caan! He has delivered us into our enemy’s hands! Damnation be upon him forever!”
The Seeker looked momentarily surprised, then switched off the screen showcasing the main hall.
“You’re bloody lunatics, all of you. And idiots to boot. Davros - I think the Supreme Dalek has more important things on his mind right now. As do I...”
In a couple of swift strides he was by Davros’ side, aiming the laser at the control panel in front of him. A few golden beams later, and the switches and buttons were reduced to molten lumps.
“As my father once said - who'd have sonic?”
Before he got further, Dalek Caan - oblivious to the more immediate happenings - replied to Davros’ tirade.
“I saw the Daleks. What we have done, throughout time and space. I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed: No more! The Child of Two Worlds was always waiting for you, to strike you down in the very moment you reached for supreme victory. Your fates are entwined, and as you fall, he shall rise - his power will light the sky, shining, and all the worlds will know his name. Oh his name, his name is great, and in that lies his destiny-”
“Enough!”
It was the Seeker who interrupted, pale-faced and oddly shaken - the mad Dalek’s ramble seemingly unsettling him more than anything else so far.
He was gripping the laser so hard his knuckles were shining white, before briefly closing his eyes to centre himself. Jack knew this, knew his friend was ruthlessly clearing away whatever emotions had been stirred so he could look at the situation with clear eyes.
“I don’t have a destiny,” he eventually said, in a voice that brooked no arguments, and turned on his heel, returning to the control panel. The next second a holding cell enveloped Dalek Caan, silencing its mutterings.
As Davros began ranting again, the Seeker held out his hand.
“Harvey, to me.”
The Toclafane immediately flew to him, in a strange imitation of a loyal dog, hovering above his fingertips as the Seeker tapped another command and a holding cell encased Davros also, cutting off his raving voice mid-word, although they could still see his mouth moving, his free hand now pointing at them all, as he was accusing them all of goodness knew what.
But the Seeker was ignoring Davros entirely, focussing on the Toclafane now resting on his fingertips. With a feeling he couldn’t quite place (although it might be nausea), Jack realised that he was communicating with it telepathically. This was confirmed when the Seeker nodded, telling the sphere that they were doing well and to let him know immediately if there were any problems. (The Toclafane were telepathically linked, Jack recalled. Like the Daleks... Despite the disgust, he could appreciate the cleverness, and see how they were the perfect fighting force for this particular enemy.)
After which the Seeker turned to them a faint smile on his face.
“I don't think I've introduced you properly? This is Harvey, and most of you will have seen him before - I named him after Lee Harvey Oswald as he, too, murdered a president. I thought it fitting.”
He tilted his head, the smile fading and his voice cooling.
“Not interested in my pets, are you? No, I know what you’re all thinking. You think I made a paradox machine. You think I cannibalised my TARDIS - my beautiful, incredible TARDIS, that I created myself not even thirty years ago - and then used it in order to let six billion trigger happy psychopaths run riot in an unsuspecting universe… Am I right? Is that what you all think?”
River was the only one who met his eyes - Jack tried, but faltered. How could this still be his Seeker? The boy who had always come to him, trusting him with every secret? In his second regeneration the boy had turned to Roda a lot of the time, the unlikely relationship (if that's what it could be called) clearly benefiting both of them, and Jack had silently approved. Roda was unflinching in her assessments, and to have won her trust was something he himself cherished. But now…
Who was this man, dressed for business and death? His second incarnation had displayed a love of sharp fashion that had surprised them all, but this was functional, not artistic. He had only met this one on a couple of occasions when their timelines had accidentally crossed, and all he could remember was a purple blazer coupled with a strange aloofness… But he’d ascribed that to the Seeker’s usual habit of being a million miles away, mentally, busy turning some idea or scheme or project over in his mind. The project had been this?
(He'd also been somewhat distracted by those gorgeous green eyes - really, it was no good fancying someone who was a cross between a younger brother and platonic friend.)
Then the Doctor spoke, voice tired and muted.
“I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore. After all, you sacrificed my TARDIS…”
“But I explained that already,” the Seeker replied, a frown on his forehead. “And I said I was sorry. Besides-”
Whatever he was about to say was bitten off as he abruptly shut his mouth; lips a thin, angry line. For a long moment he simply glared at the Doctor, with a barely disguised anger Jack hadn't seen in centuries. Just as he began to worry in earnest, the Seeker shook his head bitterly.
“And I was having such fun. Y'all are terrible killjoys, you know that? All of you!”
He shot Dalek Caan an unhappy look, then sighed and tapped the laser against his chin.
“Well, I suppose all good things must come to an end. Although I hope you enjoyed being kept safe, only able to watch.”
Pressing a few buttons the holding cells vanished, and they all blinked in surprise. Jack maybe most of all, as the Seeker’s words had brought back old, old memories - the Earth held hostage, and all of them (himself, Roda, the Doctor, River) busy saving the day, forcing the Seeker to stay put where he was, keeping him safe. He’d only been a child - twenty? Twenty one? He’d still been at Cambridge - but he had reacted very, very badly to the enforced powerlessness.
The memory must have been at the back of his mind this whole time, Jack realised, as he flexed his shoulders, relishing the freedom of movement. Danger had been whispering to him subconsciously, the fear of what might happen if the boy lost control ...
“Well here you go, you're all 'free'.” The Seeker was watching them impassively. “Just don't try to do anything stupid… Not that there would be any point by now anyway. Trust me, you can't reverse anything.”
There were four Toclafane hovering above his head now, the laser still in his hand, and the warning was unmistakable. Jack found himself shuddering once more, as flashbacks to The Year That Never Was momentarily overwhelmed him again. Why was the Seeker doing this? It was a great show for Davros and the Daleks, sure, but why was he so hostile to the rest of them? Surely he must have known how they would react?
Clara had run to the Doctor, hugging him fiercely, and - his arms around his companion - he studied the Seeker with a look Jack couldn’t decipher. Once he let go of Clara there were some swift introductions which were interrupted by the Seeker, who was pointing to the screen:
“Before you start, now you can speak again: Out there - it's nothing more than a rift. A simple rift in time and space. That's why it was so important to find out exactly where these Daleks came from - I could only use the Toclafane to combat a threat from outside established events. Something from outside time, or the universe. If they start slaughtering the locals - hello paradox, and off they pop. I have the utmost faith in their sense of self-preservation.”
A beat as everyone took in what he was saying, the relief almost a tangible thing in the red-lit chamber, but it was Roda who spoke up first. She alone hadn't moved, her eyes still wary as a bird's, and her body language - if less tense - no less hostile than before.
“You are using them.”
The Seeker nodded.
“Yes. That is the price for their freedom. I gave them my terms, and they were happy to accept.”
“Like your father.”
He nodded again, face closed, and Jack understood why he had been hesitating. Roda - despite what she had suffered - would never accept such bondage, not even for her enemies.
“Very similar, yes. But I can see why it would bother you, Redjay. Can we… Can we still be friends? I don't want to lose you, but I will be keeping them. The Toclafane. And I presume they'll be difficult for you to be around.”
Jack held his breath as he watched two people he held impossibly dear trying to build a slender bridge, and eventually she slowly nodded.
"I think so. Friends. Like we were."
And she would blame the break-up with his younger self on the new face. Ouroboros. But Jack still had them both, in one way or another. Everything would be fine, he could work with this. (He could breathe again, he realised. The world was saved, the boy hadn’t turned into his father, somehow it’d all work out, he was sure of it.)
Although the boy was all grown now, with an army of his own, fighting a war... Jack felt like one of them ought to do or say something, but he didn’t know what. The Seeker had been right - there was nothing they could do.
In the silence and indecision following Roda's words, Clara's voice was suddenly heard.
“I'm sorry, but what are they? The - the Toclafane…”
It was the Seeker who answered her, voice gentle:
“They're you.”
She stared, eyes wide, then turned to the Doctor, who merely shook his head at whatever unspoken question she was asking.
(Who - or what - was she? Jack had held her dead body less than an hour ago…)
The Seeker continued:
“Humanity. The last of. From the end of time. This is how they end up.”
Her eyes drifted to the floating spheres above his head.
“They're… human?”
“As human as you. Give or take 100 trillion years.”
Clara looked very much like Jack had felt when he'd first found out, and - disbelief warring with disgust - she shook her head, as the Doctor seemed caught between wanting to comfort her, and unsure whether to do so would be accepted just now.
"Look," the Seeker said, looking round at them all, “Let me tell you a story. The story about the first trip I ever took in my TARDIS. It should hopefully explain at least some of all this. Right then, where to start… Well, basically, I decided to go to the end of the universe. After all, it is what underpins my whole existence.”
Stepping back he once more took a seat on the dead Dalek, for a moment seemingly lost in thought, tapping the laser against his leg.
“And I found them. The Toclafane. I sometimes wondered how I would feel, but nothing could have prepared me… Whatever you think you have seen... You have not seen anything like it. Remember they moved my father to compassion, which is pretty unprecedented... And now they were even more lost and terrified, their on chance of freedom stolen from them. I had thought that I might have to kill them out of mercy, but seeing them… It was like - oh, like Gollum. Yes… Pity stayed my hand, and I thought that maybe they too could have some part to play yet, for good or ill. My pity could rule the fate of many; and it has.”
He was looking up at them, eyes clear and proud and without the slightest shred of apology or remorse. Considering how they were all standing around him, it ought to feel as if they were in judgement - it didn't.
Then the seriousness disappeared somewhat, as a small smile touched his mouth.
“Of course I could have just saved them, but it seemed… a bit of a waste? They are such very efficient killing machines after all. So I decided to adapt them. Which is what I've spent a good portion of the past 30 years working on. Removed the stet radiation - ‘cause that was just nasty - and instead added anti-Dalek and Cyberman weaponry and a few other little useful bits and pieces. Moved them to a small holding dimension for all the work by the way - now that was a fun thing to create! Have any of you ever tried? You should. Fascinating stuff. Although if you ever tried to get hold of me and couldn't, that's why I wasn't around. I think that's most of it. Any questions?”
This time Jack took the initiative.
"Why did you never tell us?"
Of course what he really meant remained unsaid… 'Why did you never tell me?'
Keeping Roda out of the loop he could understand… But he'd kept the Seeker secrets since the boy had been a tow-haired eight-year-old. And this - although morally… questionable - was not something he'd have balked at too badly, now he understood how and why. It had merely been the manner in which the Seeker had pulled off his plan that had been so shocking.
The Seeker sighed, at least having the decency to look a little remorseful.
“Look - it wasn't easy. Like dating a friend's abusive ex. How do you break the news?”
“Well I'd say this was probably the worst possible way!”
Green eyes met his, filled with that quiet, boundless adoration and fondness that he was utterly helpless against:
“Oh Jack. My darling Jack… You being a witness was just… unfortunate. If you hadn't decided to pull off the world's stupidest plan you wouldn't even have been here.”
But he had been… And had witnessed something like the perfect nightmare unfold. He wondered now what he would have done if the Seeker had truly gone off the deep end. He'd never expected a day like today, knowing that his friend was far too sensible for any harebrained schemes… (Except that one time, back at Cambridge. But the lad had been high as a kite at the time and hadn’t touched drugs since, as far as Jack knew. Plus he'd learned some very harsh lessons that year - no, he'd not worried that the son would turn into the father... until today.)
But if he had decided to go for (evil) mastermind - would Jack have been able to stand up to him? He'd like to think that he'd be like Roda, and yet - the others had been given serious talks or explanations. Whereas Jack had been dismissed with a 'Your plan was stupid'. Because the Seeker knew that all he had to do was say 'Jack' in that way which still made Jack's head and heart lay down in wonder and acquiescence.
(In his mind, the boy was still a youngster, broken-hearted and so desperate, speaking with such intensity and earnestness that Jack knew it had been a once-in-a-lifetime outpouring:
"You're my favourite thing in the world Jack, did I ever tell you that? The single most important thing in my life. Ever."
No… Jack didn't think he'd ever be able to deny the Seeker anything. Which was a worrying insight.)
Silenced by his own thoughts Jack almost didn’t hear River speak up.
"It's not that it isn't all very clever, but surely..."
She stepped over to the console: "Couldn't you could just..."
Before she finished speaking he was by her side, his hands on hers.
"Don't!"
"But you could just pretty much press a button and the Daleks would be toast - I'm not bothered about the little murder balls either way, but they'll be sustaining heavy losses..."
"I'm well aware of that. But this isn't about just killing the Daleks. It's about how."
Cautiously letting go of her hands he walked up to Davros, tenderly laying a hand on the holding cell wall, white flickering lights spreading out from his fingers as he watched his adversary with keen, blazing eyes:
"I want to beat them in a fair fight. Dome against dome. I want this man to see everyone one of his children killed as he watches helplessly; I want them destroyed. And even better - truly Davros, I can't thank you enough, I couldn't have planned it better myself - there are twenty odd planets below us, watching, ready to bear witness once we get back. Take heed: the Daleks can. Be. Beaten. Half the time they win because people give up before they've even tried fighting back. I'm not just battling Daleks, I'm fighting for hearts and minds and hope. And Davros, trust me on this - I shall win."
He looked round, smug as hell as Davros ranted in his silent prison, and then sighed deeply as he took on board the Doctor's continued unhappy silence.
“Doctor, you are very quiet… Go on, spit it out, whatever it is.”
The Doctor studied him, then lowered his eyes, clearly uncomfortable, before eventually speaking:
“It’s just... You were supposed to be... better.”
The Seeker stared, genuinely shocked and bordering on outraged.
“Better? Better? Better than what? I didn't just knock it out of the ballpark, I sent it flying past Jupiter and dislodged Pluto from its orbit! How the hell could I have been better, tell me that Doctor, because I would love to know!”
The Doctor shook his head, his youthful face old and tired. As if the usual top layer of happy-go-lucky had been peeled off in one go, leaving only the ancient lonely wanderer.
“No, that's not what I mean. Better than… this.”
He waved a hand around to encompass everything around them:
“This death and destruction and warfare. You were happy on your planet, removed from all this, just building and creating - a scientist, not a warrior. You even sacrificed yourself to save the world once. I never thought…”
His voice trailed off, as the Seeker stared at him, somewhere between dumbfounded and incredulous.
“But Doctor… But this is what you raised me to be. This is always who I was going to have to be. From as far back as I can remember, you’ve told me how the universe is my responsibility!”
“I didn’t tell you to do... this!”
The Seeker shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
“Doctor... you destroyed your own people to save the universe. How could I possibly draw any other conclusion? The few had to die to save the many. Peace comes at a price. I never wanted to be a killer or a mass murderer, but since I never had much of a choice at least I could choose how. Do it my way, because your way drives me nuts. And hey - it worked. You should be proud, Doctor. You taught me well.”
“I...I taught you this?” the Doctor was faltering badly now, stepping back until he was against the control panel, gripping it with both hands and his long limbs suddenly seemed oddly uncoordinated. The Seeker looked concerned, but didn’t move.
“You taught me why. Dad taught me how.” A barely-there-smile. “I’m the Child of Two Worlds. Best of both, I like to think.”
The Doctor’s hands fluttered, then gripped the panel again.
“But I don’t understand... When did I... How did you ever think this was what I wanted you to be?”
His voice trailed off and he looked utterly helpless. Both River and Clara were hovering next to him, Clara radiating concern and River supportive, yet resigned - and Roda had found herself an impartial place to the side of the main argument, at some distance from the Seeker.
Yet Jack didn’t step forward to offer unspoken support to the Doctor, nor did he move from his spot near the Seeker, who now walked away from Davros before once more sinking down onto the dead Dalek, looking up at the Doctor with that pragmatism Jack knew far too well - the pragmatism Jack had often made use of himself when he needed a hand for less savoury jobs. ('This needs doing, and I will do it better than most others. No point in anyone tying themselves into moral or ethical knots - just get on with it.')
Jack could see it now, the same pragmatic mindset used for planning; taking charge; and finally commanding a whole army of Toclafane. The initial shock was wearing off and he was beginning to not just understand, but appreciate how it all fitted together, the Seeker utilising all his talents and qualities to their full potential.
It was, after all, what he had always done. The addition of his father’s MO had been what had made him falter, but Jack (taking a step back, mentally, looking at the whole picture in detail), could trace the evolution, had been there for most of the steps. And no, it wasn’t him who could offer the Doctor any comfort...
The Seeker was laying the burden at the Doctor’s feet, yet it was Jack he had turned to, time and again, for practical help. Once the Doctor got over the shock, would he start looking around, asking: ‘Who taught the boy to kill? Who showed him how to handle weapons, how to fight, how to plan an ambush, a war...’ And it had been him. Because the Seeker had said ‘Please, Jack, I need to know.’ Of course he'd helped - had thought it better for the boy to have someone who cared looking over his shoulder, especially since he knew the boy would find out what he wanted one way or another. He always did.
And the boy might be grown now, all teaching long in the past, but even so Jack could already taste the Doctor’s anger and disappointment, the feeling of betrayal that would shine out of those grey eyes... Although he knew the Seeker would be right there, taking every iota of blame, defending Jack more fiercely than he would defend himself. (Just like before. Except this time the boy was a man, and it was a long, long time since the Doctor had been in loco parentis or able to exert any influence... Where would they go from now on? How could bridges ever be built here?)
As Jack was trying to come to terms with the new-found insight, the Seeker spoke again:
“You told me so. Not this, literally, but I’m not stupid, I worked it out pretty easily. I was... six when you first brought it up?”
But the Doctor seemed more confused at his words, not less, studying the Seeker with great concern.
“When you were six… What did I say?”
The Seeker held up a hand, Harvey landing on his fingertips momentarily, and the Seeker nodded assent, confirming a pincer move, before focussing on the Doctor again. (He’d always been an excellent multi-tasker, but to actually oversee a war in-between discussing something of this depth and magnitude - that was a new record.)
“Boxing Day? When I got so angry with my Cousin Geoffrey? And you taught me a lesson that would stick?”
“Oh yes,” the Doctor said slowly, looking more puzzled than ever. “But that lesson was - specifically - about not killing, or even just wishing your enemies dead.”
The Seeker tilted his head, like he too was trying to work something out and not understanding.
“It was a lesson about not letting my emotions interfere in my judgements. Essentially the Spiderman speech tailored to a six-year old: With great power comes great responsibility. Like I said, I didn't quite understand the responsibility part until, well, until I was eight - the Schism provided me with perspective on that score - but that's been my rule of thumb ever since.”
The Doctor swallowed, by now so pale Jack worried he might actually faint.
“'Don't let your emotions interfere with your judgements?' That's what you took away from that talk?”
“Ye-es…” the Seeker replied slowly, studying the Doctor with concern. “Emotions are a terrible guide - changeable, subjective, selfish. It was good advice, and I have always been grateful for it. You don't seem to adhere to it all that well yourself, except in extremis, but then we are very different, and you are very very old and have done things I can't conceive of…. Doctor - Doctor are you OK?”
It was a valid question as the Doctor looked like he couldn’t breathe, staring at the younger Time Lord speechlessly. The Seeker bit his lip, worry on his face, mixed with resignation.
“Oh. I... really have broken both your hearts now, haven’t I? I never thought this would be what did it... Although I suppose it confirms that I was right to hate Boxing Day.”
What the Doctor might have said or done next they would never know, as there was suddenly the most impossible sound in the whole world, a wonderful grinding of ancient engines as wind unsettled their hair and everyone turned to see the last thing they had expected - the TARDIS materialising.
They all stared in stunned silence at the impossibility in front of them, and then the doors opened to reveal the Master, a smirk on his face and a cigar in his hand.
“Hello kids - did you miss me?”
Chapter 6
(If you want to read the Boxing Day story, you can find it here.)
Previous parts here for anyone who is wanting to catch up:
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4
And Master post for the whole 'verse here.
Summary: "Why is it only ever the bad guys who have a proper plan?" The Master's son finally meets the Daleks. And he thought it a good day. (TSE/JE rewrite with Eleven and Clara and a host of extras.)
Setting: Future AU TSE/JE.
Spoilers: The Name of the Doctor (S7.13)
Rating: PG-13.
Characters: The Seeker (OC, the Master's son), Eleventh Doctor, Clara, the Master, Jack, River, Roda (OC), Davros, others.
Beta: The always lovely
kathyh. (Any mistakes mine!)Thank yous: To
the_redjay for the loan of Roda.Feedback: Pretty please? I'm very curious to see what you think.
Chapter 5
“What have you done?”
The question was barely above a whisper, but Jack heard it even so. Tearing his eyes from the ever expanding battle displayed on the larger of the screens, he turned to look at the Doctor, and saw that he was as pale and drawn as Jack felt, the shimmer of the holding cell casting flickering shadows across his despondent, hopeless aspect.
But Jack wasn’t the only one to pick up on the Doctor’s words. The Seeker turned to look at them, a ready smile on his face.
“I've saved the universe!”
The Doctor's face was still a mask as he slowly shook his head.
“Destroying one menace by replacing it with another? The Daleks at least are obedient, how will you ever contain the terror you've unleashed?”
The screen behind him engulfed in mayhem and combat, destruction escalating and building as the noises from the battle outside dimly filtered through the hull of the Crucible, the Seeker became very, very still, studying them silently - and in the relative quiet they all heard Dalek Caan softly crooning to itself:
“The Daleks fall and the Great One rises, the Daleks fall and the Great One rises…”
“Betrayer!” Davros’ voice rang out, abrupt and furious. “Betrayer! Dalek Caan, I declare you forever a traitor of your own race! You promised me victory and the destruction of all things - instead you have brought down ruin and mayhem upon us. Supreme Dalek! I demand that you exterminate Dalek Caan! He has delivered us into our enemy’s hands! Damnation be upon him forever!”
The Seeker looked momentarily surprised, then switched off the screen showcasing the main hall.
“You’re bloody lunatics, all of you. And idiots to boot. Davros - I think the Supreme Dalek has more important things on his mind right now. As do I...”
In a couple of swift strides he was by Davros’ side, aiming the laser at the control panel in front of him. A few golden beams later, and the switches and buttons were reduced to molten lumps.
“As my father once said - who'd have sonic?”
Before he got further, Dalek Caan - oblivious to the more immediate happenings - replied to Davros’ tirade.
“I saw the Daleks. What we have done, throughout time and space. I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed: No more! The Child of Two Worlds was always waiting for you, to strike you down in the very moment you reached for supreme victory. Your fates are entwined, and as you fall, he shall rise - his power will light the sky, shining, and all the worlds will know his name. Oh his name, his name is great, and in that lies his destiny-”
“Enough!”
It was the Seeker who interrupted, pale-faced and oddly shaken - the mad Dalek’s ramble seemingly unsettling him more than anything else so far.
He was gripping the laser so hard his knuckles were shining white, before briefly closing his eyes to centre himself. Jack knew this, knew his friend was ruthlessly clearing away whatever emotions had been stirred so he could look at the situation with clear eyes.
“I don’t have a destiny,” he eventually said, in a voice that brooked no arguments, and turned on his heel, returning to the control panel. The next second a holding cell enveloped Dalek Caan, silencing its mutterings.
As Davros began ranting again, the Seeker held out his hand.
“Harvey, to me.”
The Toclafane immediately flew to him, in a strange imitation of a loyal dog, hovering above his fingertips as the Seeker tapped another command and a holding cell encased Davros also, cutting off his raving voice mid-word, although they could still see his mouth moving, his free hand now pointing at them all, as he was accusing them all of goodness knew what.
But the Seeker was ignoring Davros entirely, focussing on the Toclafane now resting on his fingertips. With a feeling he couldn’t quite place (although it might be nausea), Jack realised that he was communicating with it telepathically. This was confirmed when the Seeker nodded, telling the sphere that they were doing well and to let him know immediately if there were any problems. (The Toclafane were telepathically linked, Jack recalled. Like the Daleks... Despite the disgust, he could appreciate the cleverness, and see how they were the perfect fighting force for this particular enemy.)
After which the Seeker turned to them a faint smile on his face.
“I don't think I've introduced you properly? This is Harvey, and most of you will have seen him before - I named him after Lee Harvey Oswald as he, too, murdered a president. I thought it fitting.”
He tilted his head, the smile fading and his voice cooling.
“Not interested in my pets, are you? No, I know what you’re all thinking. You think I made a paradox machine. You think I cannibalised my TARDIS - my beautiful, incredible TARDIS, that I created myself not even thirty years ago - and then used it in order to let six billion trigger happy psychopaths run riot in an unsuspecting universe… Am I right? Is that what you all think?”
River was the only one who met his eyes - Jack tried, but faltered. How could this still be his Seeker? The boy who had always come to him, trusting him with every secret? In his second regeneration the boy had turned to Roda a lot of the time, the unlikely relationship (if that's what it could be called) clearly benefiting both of them, and Jack had silently approved. Roda was unflinching in her assessments, and to have won her trust was something he himself cherished. But now…
Who was this man, dressed for business and death? His second incarnation had displayed a love of sharp fashion that had surprised them all, but this was functional, not artistic. He had only met this one on a couple of occasions when their timelines had accidentally crossed, and all he could remember was a purple blazer coupled with a strange aloofness… But he’d ascribed that to the Seeker’s usual habit of being a million miles away, mentally, busy turning some idea or scheme or project over in his mind. The project had been this?
(He'd also been somewhat distracted by those gorgeous green eyes - really, it was no good fancying someone who was a cross between a younger brother and platonic friend.)
Then the Doctor spoke, voice tired and muted.
“I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore. After all, you sacrificed my TARDIS…”
“But I explained that already,” the Seeker replied, a frown on his forehead. “And I said I was sorry. Besides-”
Whatever he was about to say was bitten off as he abruptly shut his mouth; lips a thin, angry line. For a long moment he simply glared at the Doctor, with a barely disguised anger Jack hadn't seen in centuries. Just as he began to worry in earnest, the Seeker shook his head bitterly.
“And I was having such fun. Y'all are terrible killjoys, you know that? All of you!”
He shot Dalek Caan an unhappy look, then sighed and tapped the laser against his chin.
“Well, I suppose all good things must come to an end. Although I hope you enjoyed being kept safe, only able to watch.”
Pressing a few buttons the holding cells vanished, and they all blinked in surprise. Jack maybe most of all, as the Seeker’s words had brought back old, old memories - the Earth held hostage, and all of them (himself, Roda, the Doctor, River) busy saving the day, forcing the Seeker to stay put where he was, keeping him safe. He’d only been a child - twenty? Twenty one? He’d still been at Cambridge - but he had reacted very, very badly to the enforced powerlessness.
The memory must have been at the back of his mind this whole time, Jack realised, as he flexed his shoulders, relishing the freedom of movement. Danger had been whispering to him subconsciously, the fear of what might happen if the boy lost control ...
“Well here you go, you're all 'free'.” The Seeker was watching them impassively. “Just don't try to do anything stupid… Not that there would be any point by now anyway. Trust me, you can't reverse anything.”
There were four Toclafane hovering above his head now, the laser still in his hand, and the warning was unmistakable. Jack found himself shuddering once more, as flashbacks to The Year That Never Was momentarily overwhelmed him again. Why was the Seeker doing this? It was a great show for Davros and the Daleks, sure, but why was he so hostile to the rest of them? Surely he must have known how they would react?
Clara had run to the Doctor, hugging him fiercely, and - his arms around his companion - he studied the Seeker with a look Jack couldn’t decipher. Once he let go of Clara there were some swift introductions which were interrupted by the Seeker, who was pointing to the screen:
“Before you start, now you can speak again: Out there - it's nothing more than a rift. A simple rift in time and space. That's why it was so important to find out exactly where these Daleks came from - I could only use the Toclafane to combat a threat from outside established events. Something from outside time, or the universe. If they start slaughtering the locals - hello paradox, and off they pop. I have the utmost faith in their sense of self-preservation.”
A beat as everyone took in what he was saying, the relief almost a tangible thing in the red-lit chamber, but it was Roda who spoke up first. She alone hadn't moved, her eyes still wary as a bird's, and her body language - if less tense - no less hostile than before.
“You are using them.”
The Seeker nodded.
“Yes. That is the price for their freedom. I gave them my terms, and they were happy to accept.”
“Like your father.”
He nodded again, face closed, and Jack understood why he had been hesitating. Roda - despite what she had suffered - would never accept such bondage, not even for her enemies.
“Very similar, yes. But I can see why it would bother you, Redjay. Can we… Can we still be friends? I don't want to lose you, but I will be keeping them. The Toclafane. And I presume they'll be difficult for you to be around.”
Jack held his breath as he watched two people he held impossibly dear trying to build a slender bridge, and eventually she slowly nodded.
"I think so. Friends. Like we were."
And she would blame the break-up with his younger self on the new face. Ouroboros. But Jack still had them both, in one way or another. Everything would be fine, he could work with this. (He could breathe again, he realised. The world was saved, the boy hadn’t turned into his father, somehow it’d all work out, he was sure of it.)
Although the boy was all grown now, with an army of his own, fighting a war... Jack felt like one of them ought to do or say something, but he didn’t know what. The Seeker had been right - there was nothing they could do.
In the silence and indecision following Roda's words, Clara's voice was suddenly heard.
“I'm sorry, but what are they? The - the Toclafane…”
It was the Seeker who answered her, voice gentle:
“They're you.”
She stared, eyes wide, then turned to the Doctor, who merely shook his head at whatever unspoken question she was asking.
(Who - or what - was she? Jack had held her dead body less than an hour ago…)
The Seeker continued:
“Humanity. The last of. From the end of time. This is how they end up.”
Her eyes drifted to the floating spheres above his head.
“They're… human?”
“As human as you. Give or take 100 trillion years.”
Clara looked very much like Jack had felt when he'd first found out, and - disbelief warring with disgust - she shook her head, as the Doctor seemed caught between wanting to comfort her, and unsure whether to do so would be accepted just now.
"Look," the Seeker said, looking round at them all, “Let me tell you a story. The story about the first trip I ever took in my TARDIS. It should hopefully explain at least some of all this. Right then, where to start… Well, basically, I decided to go to the end of the universe. After all, it is what underpins my whole existence.”
Stepping back he once more took a seat on the dead Dalek, for a moment seemingly lost in thought, tapping the laser against his leg.
“And I found them. The Toclafane. I sometimes wondered how I would feel, but nothing could have prepared me… Whatever you think you have seen... You have not seen anything like it. Remember they moved my father to compassion, which is pretty unprecedented... And now they were even more lost and terrified, their on chance of freedom stolen from them. I had thought that I might have to kill them out of mercy, but seeing them… It was like - oh, like Gollum. Yes… Pity stayed my hand, and I thought that maybe they too could have some part to play yet, for good or ill. My pity could rule the fate of many; and it has.”
He was looking up at them, eyes clear and proud and without the slightest shred of apology or remorse. Considering how they were all standing around him, it ought to feel as if they were in judgement - it didn't.
Then the seriousness disappeared somewhat, as a small smile touched his mouth.
“Of course I could have just saved them, but it seemed… a bit of a waste? They are such very efficient killing machines after all. So I decided to adapt them. Which is what I've spent a good portion of the past 30 years working on. Removed the stet radiation - ‘cause that was just nasty - and instead added anti-Dalek and Cyberman weaponry and a few other little useful bits and pieces. Moved them to a small holding dimension for all the work by the way - now that was a fun thing to create! Have any of you ever tried? You should. Fascinating stuff. Although if you ever tried to get hold of me and couldn't, that's why I wasn't around. I think that's most of it. Any questions?”
This time Jack took the initiative.
"Why did you never tell us?"
Of course what he really meant remained unsaid… 'Why did you never tell me?'
Keeping Roda out of the loop he could understand… But he'd kept the Seeker secrets since the boy had been a tow-haired eight-year-old. And this - although morally… questionable - was not something he'd have balked at too badly, now he understood how and why. It had merely been the manner in which the Seeker had pulled off his plan that had been so shocking.
The Seeker sighed, at least having the decency to look a little remorseful.
“Look - it wasn't easy. Like dating a friend's abusive ex. How do you break the news?”
“Well I'd say this was probably the worst possible way!”
Green eyes met his, filled with that quiet, boundless adoration and fondness that he was utterly helpless against:
“Oh Jack. My darling Jack… You being a witness was just… unfortunate. If you hadn't decided to pull off the world's stupidest plan you wouldn't even have been here.”
But he had been… And had witnessed something like the perfect nightmare unfold. He wondered now what he would have done if the Seeker had truly gone off the deep end. He'd never expected a day like today, knowing that his friend was far too sensible for any harebrained schemes… (Except that one time, back at Cambridge. But the lad had been high as a kite at the time and hadn’t touched drugs since, as far as Jack knew. Plus he'd learned some very harsh lessons that year - no, he'd not worried that the son would turn into the father... until today.)
But if he had decided to go for (evil) mastermind - would Jack have been able to stand up to him? He'd like to think that he'd be like Roda, and yet - the others had been given serious talks or explanations. Whereas Jack had been dismissed with a 'Your plan was stupid'. Because the Seeker knew that all he had to do was say 'Jack' in that way which still made Jack's head and heart lay down in wonder and acquiescence.
(In his mind, the boy was still a youngster, broken-hearted and so desperate, speaking with such intensity and earnestness that Jack knew it had been a once-in-a-lifetime outpouring:
"You're my favourite thing in the world Jack, did I ever tell you that? The single most important thing in my life. Ever."
No… Jack didn't think he'd ever be able to deny the Seeker anything. Which was a worrying insight.)
Silenced by his own thoughts Jack almost didn’t hear River speak up.
"It's not that it isn't all very clever, but surely..."
She stepped over to the console: "Couldn't you could just..."
Before she finished speaking he was by her side, his hands on hers.
"Don't!"
"But you could just pretty much press a button and the Daleks would be toast - I'm not bothered about the little murder balls either way, but they'll be sustaining heavy losses..."
"I'm well aware of that. But this isn't about just killing the Daleks. It's about how."
Cautiously letting go of her hands he walked up to Davros, tenderly laying a hand on the holding cell wall, white flickering lights spreading out from his fingers as he watched his adversary with keen, blazing eyes:
"I want to beat them in a fair fight. Dome against dome. I want this man to see everyone one of his children killed as he watches helplessly; I want them destroyed. And even better - truly Davros, I can't thank you enough, I couldn't have planned it better myself - there are twenty odd planets below us, watching, ready to bear witness once we get back. Take heed: the Daleks can. Be. Beaten. Half the time they win because people give up before they've even tried fighting back. I'm not just battling Daleks, I'm fighting for hearts and minds and hope. And Davros, trust me on this - I shall win."
He looked round, smug as hell as Davros ranted in his silent prison, and then sighed deeply as he took on board the Doctor's continued unhappy silence.
“Doctor, you are very quiet… Go on, spit it out, whatever it is.”
The Doctor studied him, then lowered his eyes, clearly uncomfortable, before eventually speaking:
“It’s just... You were supposed to be... better.”
The Seeker stared, genuinely shocked and bordering on outraged.
“Better? Better? Better than what? I didn't just knock it out of the ballpark, I sent it flying past Jupiter and dislodged Pluto from its orbit! How the hell could I have been better, tell me that Doctor, because I would love to know!”
The Doctor shook his head, his youthful face old and tired. As if the usual top layer of happy-go-lucky had been peeled off in one go, leaving only the ancient lonely wanderer.
“No, that's not what I mean. Better than… this.”
He waved a hand around to encompass everything around them:
“This death and destruction and warfare. You were happy on your planet, removed from all this, just building and creating - a scientist, not a warrior. You even sacrificed yourself to save the world once. I never thought…”
His voice trailed off, as the Seeker stared at him, somewhere between dumbfounded and incredulous.
“But Doctor… But this is what you raised me to be. This is always who I was going to have to be. From as far back as I can remember, you’ve told me how the universe is my responsibility!”
“I didn’t tell you to do... this!”
The Seeker shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
“Doctor... you destroyed your own people to save the universe. How could I possibly draw any other conclusion? The few had to die to save the many. Peace comes at a price. I never wanted to be a killer or a mass murderer, but since I never had much of a choice at least I could choose how. Do it my way, because your way drives me nuts. And hey - it worked. You should be proud, Doctor. You taught me well.”
“I...I taught you this?” the Doctor was faltering badly now, stepping back until he was against the control panel, gripping it with both hands and his long limbs suddenly seemed oddly uncoordinated. The Seeker looked concerned, but didn’t move.
“You taught me why. Dad taught me how.” A barely-there-smile. “I’m the Child of Two Worlds. Best of both, I like to think.”
The Doctor’s hands fluttered, then gripped the panel again.
“But I don’t understand... When did I... How did you ever think this was what I wanted you to be?”
His voice trailed off and he looked utterly helpless. Both River and Clara were hovering next to him, Clara radiating concern and River supportive, yet resigned - and Roda had found herself an impartial place to the side of the main argument, at some distance from the Seeker.
Yet Jack didn’t step forward to offer unspoken support to the Doctor, nor did he move from his spot near the Seeker, who now walked away from Davros before once more sinking down onto the dead Dalek, looking up at the Doctor with that pragmatism Jack knew far too well - the pragmatism Jack had often made use of himself when he needed a hand for less savoury jobs. ('This needs doing, and I will do it better than most others. No point in anyone tying themselves into moral or ethical knots - just get on with it.')
Jack could see it now, the same pragmatic mindset used for planning; taking charge; and finally commanding a whole army of Toclafane. The initial shock was wearing off and he was beginning to not just understand, but appreciate how it all fitted together, the Seeker utilising all his talents and qualities to their full potential.
It was, after all, what he had always done. The addition of his father’s MO had been what had made him falter, but Jack (taking a step back, mentally, looking at the whole picture in detail), could trace the evolution, had been there for most of the steps. And no, it wasn’t him who could offer the Doctor any comfort...
The Seeker was laying the burden at the Doctor’s feet, yet it was Jack he had turned to, time and again, for practical help. Once the Doctor got over the shock, would he start looking around, asking: ‘Who taught the boy to kill? Who showed him how to handle weapons, how to fight, how to plan an ambush, a war...’ And it had been him. Because the Seeker had said ‘Please, Jack, I need to know.’ Of course he'd helped - had thought it better for the boy to have someone who cared looking over his shoulder, especially since he knew the boy would find out what he wanted one way or another. He always did.
And the boy might be grown now, all teaching long in the past, but even so Jack could already taste the Doctor’s anger and disappointment, the feeling of betrayal that would shine out of those grey eyes... Although he knew the Seeker would be right there, taking every iota of blame, defending Jack more fiercely than he would defend himself. (Just like before. Except this time the boy was a man, and it was a long, long time since the Doctor had been in loco parentis or able to exert any influence... Where would they go from now on? How could bridges ever be built here?)
As Jack was trying to come to terms with the new-found insight, the Seeker spoke again:
“You told me so. Not this, literally, but I’m not stupid, I worked it out pretty easily. I was... six when you first brought it up?”
But the Doctor seemed more confused at his words, not less, studying the Seeker with great concern.
“When you were six… What did I say?”
The Seeker held up a hand, Harvey landing on his fingertips momentarily, and the Seeker nodded assent, confirming a pincer move, before focussing on the Doctor again. (He’d always been an excellent multi-tasker, but to actually oversee a war in-between discussing something of this depth and magnitude - that was a new record.)
“Boxing Day? When I got so angry with my Cousin Geoffrey? And you taught me a lesson that would stick?”
“Oh yes,” the Doctor said slowly, looking more puzzled than ever. “But that lesson was - specifically - about not killing, or even just wishing your enemies dead.”
The Seeker tilted his head, like he too was trying to work something out and not understanding.
“It was a lesson about not letting my emotions interfere in my judgements. Essentially the Spiderman speech tailored to a six-year old: With great power comes great responsibility. Like I said, I didn't quite understand the responsibility part until, well, until I was eight - the Schism provided me with perspective on that score - but that's been my rule of thumb ever since.”
The Doctor swallowed, by now so pale Jack worried he might actually faint.
“'Don't let your emotions interfere with your judgements?' That's what you took away from that talk?”
“Ye-es…” the Seeker replied slowly, studying the Doctor with concern. “Emotions are a terrible guide - changeable, subjective, selfish. It was good advice, and I have always been grateful for it. You don't seem to adhere to it all that well yourself, except in extremis, but then we are very different, and you are very very old and have done things I can't conceive of…. Doctor - Doctor are you OK?”
It was a valid question as the Doctor looked like he couldn’t breathe, staring at the younger Time Lord speechlessly. The Seeker bit his lip, worry on his face, mixed with resignation.
“Oh. I... really have broken both your hearts now, haven’t I? I never thought this would be what did it... Although I suppose it confirms that I was right to hate Boxing Day.”
What the Doctor might have said or done next they would never know, as there was suddenly the most impossible sound in the whole world, a wonderful grinding of ancient engines as wind unsettled their hair and everyone turned to see the last thing they had expected - the TARDIS materialising.
They all stared in stunned silence at the impossibility in front of them, and then the doors opened to reveal the Master, a smirk on his face and a cigar in his hand.
“Hello kids - did you miss me?”
Chapter 6
(If you want to read the Boxing Day story, you can find it here.)
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I am speechless and torn and -
He is still young and learned the lessons but in all the wrong ways and he has a good idea, excellent control, but this could have been (should have been) done better. And locking them down and controlling his friends was not the best way to convince the Doctor of good intent and omg, my poor Eleventy - how my heart breaks for him. All his worst fears confirmed and he made it happen.
The horror he must be choked with. I...I love it so.
This whole thing is just brilliant and mad and -
OMG, Jack -
*sobs*
*CLINGS TO YOU*
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\o/
He is still young and learned the lessons but in all the wrong ways and he has a good idea, excellent control, but this could have been (should have been) done better.
Done differently, probably, but he is quite simply following his own rules - just like the Doctor follows his [the Doctor's]. Their world views are just miles apart...
And locking them down and controlling his friends was not the best way to convince the Doctor of good intent
Heh. He wasn't trying to convince anyone - he just wanted them to not interfere. And (just for once) decided to have some fun. (He can be self-indulgent on occasion. *g*) It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he'd be damned if he didn't get everything out of it that he could!
and omg, my poor Eleventy - how my heart breaks for him. All his worst fears confirmed and he made it happen.
It's too delicious for words. Of course, it's not really the Doctor's fault - it's just that what he said, and what Alex heard, were two different things. And it took the Schism to make little Alex grasp the world he lived in, and that understanding influenced everything else... Plus, he is his father's son. Nature or nurture? In this case - the nature is dominant.
The horror he must be choked with. I...I love it so.
I thought you might. *g* (Why is causing pain so satisfying?)
This whole thing is just brilliant and mad and -
♥
OMG, Jack -
JACK! Jack Jack Jack. I adore him to pieces, and - if you remember the chapter in Dating where he goes to find the Seeker after the breakup & the talk they have - it's only now he really understands what it means. The Seeker is incredibly loyal, and would do anything at all for Jack. But he expects the same in return, pretty much. Jack has been keeping his secrets, but of course the impact on the Doctor of everything all in one go is devastating. (You could even say that the Doctor gets a little taste of his own medicine... He taught the Seeker to keep secrets, and that lesson the boy learned better than the teacher.)
*CLINGS TO YOU*
*CLINGS BACK* THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL COMMENT!!!!
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On second thought ... Eleven only has two hearts to break ... Rory would require a third.
You can never blame Jack. He has a special relationship with Alex. He's the one thing that Alex will never lose. Ever.
And, my love ... the Master .... It's Christmas for him. All of them at once. Every incarnation. Although, he should be worried about the Doctor, he's not as young as he used to be.
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Rory might be able to mediate... River might too, maybe. Roda has given her opinion and removed herself from the discussion. Jack feels he can't contribute, as he's too involved. Clara could probably help (buckets full of intuition & mirroring, that girl - did you read my meta?), except I'm not sure they'd listen to her right now.
On second thought ... Eleven only has two hearts to break ... Rory would require a third.
*shakes head* The Doctor was never responsible for Rory. Which is what gave Rory his very useful outsiders perspective. But the Doctor has raised the Seeker, and feels terribly, terribly responsible.
You can never blame Jack. He has a special relationship with Alex. He's the one thing that Alex will never lose. Ever.
It's lovely when people understand. (But Jack worries even so. He hates people arguing, especially when he's caught in the middle.)
And, my love ... the Master .... It's Christmas for him. All of them at once. Every incarnation.
It really is. You have no idea.
Although, he should be worried about the Doctor, he's not as young as he used to be.
Heh. The Doctor is a tough old bird.
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Colour me confused by the above statement.
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As Mandy said, locking up your friends is not a good way to... gain trust. That's probably also important in Roda's opinion of him. And likely the only reason she isn't doing something now is that daleks are dying and she isn't quite sure how to react. I can actually see her gravitating towards Jack, at this point, AND OH THE SPIN OFF STORIES I MUST WRITE.
Poor, poor Eleven. He was kind of asking for this, but the Seeker gave him the lesson in the roughest possible manner...
and silly Dalek Caan, don't you know legacy and destiny are the Seeker's least favourite words?
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:D :D :D
As Mandy said, locking up your friends is not a good way to... gain trust.
Well, he locked them up because he didn't really trust *them*... Ouroboros.
That's probably also important in Roda's opinion of him. And likely the only reason she isn't doing something now is that daleks are dying and she isn't quite sure how to react.
Oh, that reminds me - next chapter (at least part of it) might have to be from Roda's POV. So I'll probably be sending it to you to proofread. :) I need someone who distrusts the Master with every fibre of their being. Jack was my original choice, but then I split the chapter (it got too long, as usual), and Roda would probably work better. Partly because she is able to distance herself - Jack can't.
I can actually see her gravitating towards Jack, at this point, AND OH THE SPIN OFF STORIES I MUST WRITE.
WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OMG!
Poor, poor Eleven. He was kind of asking for this, but the Seeker gave him the lesson in the roughest possible manner...
Yes, poor Eleven. On the upside he has Day of the Doctor waiting in his more-or-less immediate future, but this is something that's been 300 years in the coming...
and silly Dalek Caan, don't you know legacy and destiny are the Seeker's least favourite words?
Well, the poor thing IS insane.
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I like the way you portrayed the Seeker's telepathical interaction with the Toclafane, and then his beginning to explain more about where they were coming from, but being interrupted. It was very striking at that point to see how disturbed Jack was, how he could scarcely recognize the Seeker anymore—plus all the insight about the two men's dynamic, the trust there had always been between them, the fact that despite the variations in their relationship, the regenerations, the Seeker also being rather close to Roda, Jack had always been the one he was supposed to be able to trust with his secrets from the start. It was very interesting to see all that stuff about the Seeker's second regeneration, even if—or all the more because I haven't read anything featuring the Seeker's adulthood before that fic (and appear unlikely to ever do so, sadly =P). The aloofness that felt so much more disturbing in hindsight, whereas he had accepted and explained it on the moment he had noticed it… All that second-guessing, those pained questions were very moving. And like I mentioned, I like the callbacks to other parts of your verse—it's fun recognizing the parts I've read before, with Boxing Day, and the parts I haven't are interesting to read about :)
The Toclafane parts were fascinating. I love the Seeker hindering their freedom with a potential paradox, therefore rendering them harmless to anything but the Daleks. Roda's reactions were fascinating—that whole part was worth holding one's breath, like Jack did, with the subtle shifts in the interactions, the tension not easing, obviously, but slightly receding as Roda accepted to still maintain her connection with the Seeker. It was pretty striking how that instantly allowed Jack to breathe again, how he knew then that the Seeker wasn't lost to them or impossibly changed, that they would be all right. Goes to show how very important Roda's judgment is to him—two people he held impossibly dear, indeed. He still felt helpless and powerless, but not hopeless, and the difference means the world.
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Then it was River's intervention—I like the rhythm you manage to keep between the insight, in-mind parts, the dialogue/interventions, the Seeker's explanations. River's move was a smooth way to break through Jack's considerations and bring the matter of how he wanted the Daleks defeated. And that… was a truly grand moment. Fighting for hearts and minds and hope. It's rather awe-inspiring. I loved his fierce conviction, his passion at that point, like I loved River's lines and the intensity with which he stopped her.
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The mention of Boxing Day really was the last blow, wasn't it—the Doctor realizing how he had influenced the Seeker from such a young age, and even then, there was such an immense difference between the lessons he'd thought he was teaching and the ones the Seeker did take in. That was really striking, how the Doctor seemed literally, physically knocked breathless, the Seeker's line about breaking both of his hearts—and then whoa, in came the TARDIS and the Master :D Hahaha, that is amazing, oh boy.
♥♥♥
(Oh, you just have a little typo in there: "In a couple of swift strides he has by Davros' side" instead of "was"…)
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I love Jack anyway, but he was extra perfect here.
And the Doctor was so shattered. ♥♥♥ From the beginning it was clear how broken he was by all this, but it was nothing compared to the ending, omfg.
He's getting 300 years worth of honesty all in one go... It's a little tough.
I loved the contrast between the Seeker's merry, triumphant "I saved the world!" and the Doctor's distraught reactions.
Of course the Doctor has leapt to the wrong conclusion, so it's extra jarring...
also loved the destruction in the background, somewhat muted by the focus on the characters but still strikingly described.
Thank you! It's a tricky balance, but I'm glad I pulled it off (more or less). He's fighting a war, but he's planned so carefully that he doesn't need to do much - it's just this disturbing parallel event, unfolding where they can't stop it.
I liked the contrast between Davros' rather ridiculous outburst and the Seeker's flippant reaction, [...] especially witnessed through Jack's knowing, insightful eye, was very interesting to see.
Essentially, the Seeker is a complete control freak. Prophecies are something outside his control, something that would seemingly control him, without him being able to do anything... It's basically his worst nightmare. (He is very manipulative. But really doesn't like it the other way round.)
I like the way you portrayed the Seeker's telepathical interaction with the Toclafane,
I'm trying to work out how that works, but if they're all connected he might have found a way to access that, so he can get an overview over the situation from countless perspectives. Which is disturbing.
It was very striking at that point to see how disturbed Jack was, how he could scarcely recognize the Seeker anymore—[...] Jack had always been the one he was supposed to be able to trust with his secrets from the start.
This is where he was the best POV to have - because Jack has been there right from the start, and knows the Seeker better than anyone. And - as you see later - once he gets his head around what's happening he can connect the dots and go 'Ah yes, of course'. None of the others can really do that. (Roda sort of does, but it conflicts too sharply with her own values for her to accept it.)
It was very interesting to see all that stuff about the Seeker's second regeneration, even if—or all the more because I haven't read anything featuring the Seeker's adulthood before that fic
It's like when the show drops references to the Classic show. I have far too much fun. *g* And I hope it's easy enough to follow. It's difficult striking the right balance.
The Toclafane parts were fascinating. I love the Seeker hindering their freedom with a potential paradox, therefore rendering them harmless to anything but the Daleks.
I felt so darn clever when I thought of it...
Roda's reactions were fascinating—that whole part was worth holding one's breath, like Jack did, [...] He still felt helpless and powerless, but not hopeless, and the difference means the world.
Roda has very deeply held values (she hung out with Robin Hood a lot...) and Jack tends to need a moral compass now and again. Plus he doesn't like conflict, especially not with people he holds dear. (The fact that Roda took to the Seeker at all was something that surprised most of them, considering her and the Master's enmity... He had to earn his way into her trust, and she is very loyal. She and Jack were initially enemies (long story), so things are complex. Ditto the Seeker's trust is something very few people have earned - so far only Jack and Roda.
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Poor Clara. I actually had that part worked out from her POV, but it wouldn't fit...
The story of how the Seeker came to work with the Toclafane was great—
At this point you might want to read Who I Am. It's fairly short (half the length of one of my ordinary chapters) and is basically the Seeker in his own words, aged 300. (And you'll see how long I've been laying down plot-lines. *g*) I can't remember how I thought of the Gollum parallel, but it fitted too beautifully to pass up. :)
I don't know if you meant to do that or I'm just making a random association, but the evocation of mercy made me think of the mercy themes at once, all associated with the Doctor,
Not sure it was deliberate, but the mercy themes are of course all over the show, except of course the Seeker is an opportunist... Death is a *waste* to him, where the Doctor generally sees it as a crime/tragedy. Which is probably why mercy comes to have a different meaning.
The description of what he did with them was pretty good—and most of all, the obvious pride, satisfaction, excitement, the fact that he never once looked like he was offering himself for judgment, indeed. He never once ceased being in agreement with his own actions, he never doubted and he never let go of his vision, of the goals he believed good and was aiming to achieve.
Like he said earlier: 'I always know what I'm doing'. This is both a blessing a curse. He is absolutely aware of his choices and why he makes them, and he's happy to explain himself and ready to take any flak. (When you get to Dating, you'll see how he gets sent to Cambridge for 3 years for refusing to back down from a choice he made that the Doctor disagreed with. Stubborn doesn't begin to cover it.)
And it's also quite meaningful that after all those explanations, Jack's question was "why did you not tell us?"[...] And so very personal too...♥
Jack's question is very important, because it is odd that the Seeker didn't tell him - although part of it is just that he's been caught up and never got round to it, and was then thrown into the war and just exerted control over everything. (He really, really doesn't cope well with chaos.) Also if he were to explain everything to Jack it'd be... awkward. He's almost happier to just get them all over with all in one go. *g*
It was also rather haunting to see Jack imagine what it would have been like if the Seeker had truly gone off the deep end, and his realizing, no matter how much he wished to think otherwise, that his connection to the Seeker ran so deep, he probably wouldn't have been able to resist him.
This is important. You'll see why the connection is so deep when you get to Dating (quite far in, though), and at the heart of it is the Seeker's devotion. Jack's is a response to that. And unconditional love is a powerful thing.
The Roda/Seeker/Jack triangle (for lack of a better word) and dynamics are fascinating there again: [...] so he wished he had that same, healthier distance, but was lucid anyway…
But would he really want the distance? That's the question. He likes being special (especially considering how the Doctor treated him, initially).
Then it was River's intervention—I like the rhythm you manage to keep between the insight, in-mind parts, the dialogue/interventions, the Seeker's explanations.
Yay. Am so glad it worked, because it was awfully talky.
and bring the matter of how he wanted the Daleks defeated. And that… was a truly grand moment. Fighting for hearts and minds and hope. It's rather awe-inspiring. I loved his fierce conviction, his passion at that point, like I loved River's lines and the intensity with which he stopped her.
He's had a hatred of Daleks passed down from everyone. And they are the reasons his people are dead. So yes, he's is pretty fierce. >:)
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It's like Roda, but far more difficult...
The misunderstanding on "better" was so typical.
Oooh yes. They are very good at talking past each other.
actual disbelief. Showing that yes, to him, those lessons really did come from the Doctor—content and origin both carved so deep into his being that he wouldn't even think of questioning either those intents, or the fact that the Doctor should approve of them.
I don't think he was expecting approval, but just acknowledgement that of course this was how he'd behave. And as to the disbelief... In the Seeker's mind they've had a Don't Ask, Don't Tell thing going on - he quite simply keeps all his morally questionable stuff where the Doctor can't see it, and that way everyone's happy. The idea that the Doctor genuinely thought he was being 'a good little boy' all this time is what throws him so badly. How could the Doctor never have envisaged that his lessons could be interpreted in several ways? Has he not been paying attention at all?
It's such a heavy realization on both sides—the Doctor realizing the influence that he had had on the Seeker and what the boy had kept from it, realizing he was at the core of it all and what he thought he had said and done had had an impact he had never imagined
I will revisit this briefly in the next chapter, expanding on why they see things so differently.
The delivery of the scene was so striking too—the Seeker's explanations, his stressing that the Doctor's words and actions had both set him on that path, that peace came at the cost of a sacrifice. “You taught me why. Dad taught me how.”
It's basically an echo of Davros' 'See your Children of Time transformed into murderers. I created the Daleks. You created this.' from the original JE, but far more literal and straight from the 'child's' mouth, rather than used as a weapon by an enemy.
And the unspoken divide was fascinating as well, Clara and River hovering around the Doctor each in their own way, Roda impartial, and Jack in the middle…
It's fascinating playing with these things, because River (personally) has no issues with the Seeker's actions. But her number 1 priority is always the Doctor, so she defaults to him.
the Doctor did the ethics parts, the lessons—those lessons that heavily backfired on him, as the Seeker took them in and made him his, in ways he hadn't meant them in the first place. So, so unfair to blame Jack, but it was understandable to do so, all the same…
No one's going to blame Jack - except Jack himself. And he's flashing back to the Seeker's 18th... (you'll understand why, later. *g*)
The mention of Boxing Day really was the last blow, wasn't it—the Doctor realizing how he had influenced the Seeker from such a young age, and even then, there was such an immense difference between the lessons he'd thought he was teaching and the ones the Seeker did take in.
There is in Boxing Day (as well as Alien Abduction) a thing about wishing for something (in anger) and the thing become reality (or having been reality). Both lessons/occasions impact the Seeker deeply, and very much shape who he is. In Boxing Day, the Doctor helps show him the reality of the situation, and that's what causes him to re-think. Give the Seeker cold hard facts, and he's happy. Even if the truth is brutal. (Also see Big Brother - the Seeker doesn't run from the Schism, he takes on board what it means.)
That was really striking, how the Doctor seemed literally, physically knocked breathless, the Seeker's line about breaking both of his hearts—and then whoa, in came the TARDIS and the Master :D Hahaha, that is amazing, oh boy.
Biiiiig emotional moment - totally stolen. *g*
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Yessss. ♥♥♥
He's getting 300 years worth of honesty all in one go... It's a little tough.
You bet. And it's all the more chilling because he never saw it coming…
Thank you! It's a tricky balance, but I'm glad I pulled it off (more or less).
You did! ^_^
He's fighting a war, but he's planned so carefully that he doesn't need to do much - it's just this disturbing parallel event, unfolding where they can't stop it.
The man's efficiency is perfect and chilling and perfect. ;)
Essentially, the Seeker is a complete control freak.
Gathered that! :D
Prophecies are something outside his control, something that would seemingly control him, without him being able to do anything... It's basically his worst nightmare. (He is very manipulative. But really doesn't like it the other way round.)
Loving the irony. That makes perfect sense :D
I'm trying to work out how that works, but if they're all connected he might have found a way to access that, so he can get an overview over the situation from countless perspectives. Which is disturbing.
You bet. But fascinating as well.
This is where he was the best POV to have - because Jack has been there right from the start, and knows the Seeker better than anyone. And - as you see later - once he gets his head around what's happening he can connect the dots and go 'Ah yes, of course'. None of the others can really do that. (Roda sort of does, but it conflicts too sharply with her own values for her to accept it.)
That does sound pretty great :D
It's like when the show drops references to the Classic show. I have far too much fun. *g*
Teehee! :D
And I hope it's easy enough to follow. It's difficult striking the right balance.
It works, no worries!
I felt so darn clever when I thought of it...
Quite right too ^_^
Roda has very deeply held values (she hung out with Robin Hood a lot...) and Jack tends to need a moral compass now and again. Plus he doesn't like conflict, especially not with people he holds dear. (The fact that Roda took to the Seeker at all was something that surprised most of them, considering her and the Master's enmity... He had to earn his way into her trust, and she is very loyal. She and Jack were initially enemies (long story), so things are complex. Ditto the Seeker's trust is something very few people have earned - so far only Jack and Roda.
*nods* Loving all those interactions…
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Maybe later when I get more into your verse.
Death is a *waste* to him, where the Doctor generally sees it as a crime/tragedy. Which is probably why mercy comes to have a different meaning.
Yes, the difference is rather fascinating ^_^
Like he said earlier: 'I always know what I'm doing'. This is both a blessing a curse. He is absolutely aware of his choices and why he makes them, and he's happy to explain himself and ready to take any flak.
So certain…
(When you get to Dating, you'll see how he gets sent to Cambridge for 3 years for refusing to back down from a choice he made that the Doctor disagreed with. Stubborn doesn't begin to cover it.)
Haha, sounds interesting.
although part of it is just that he's been caught up and never got round to it, and was then thrown into the war and just exerted control over everything. (He really, really doesn't cope well with chaos.) Also if he were to explain everything to Jack it'd be... awkward. He's almost happier to just get them all over with all in one go. *g*
Makes sense. ^_^
at the heart of it is the Seeker's devotion. Jack's is a response to that. And unconditional love is a powerful thing.
Oh, okay :)
But would he really want the distance?
Don't think so…
(especially considering how the Doctor treated him, initially)
Yes, that.
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Indeed—except that wasn't counting the Big Misunderstanding.
And as to the disbelief... In the Seeker's mind they've had a Don't Ask, Don't Tell thing going on - he quite simply keeps all his morally questionable stuff where the Doctor can't see it, and that way everyone's happy. The idea that the Doctor genuinely thought he was being 'a good little boy' all this time is what throws him so badly. How could the Doctor never have envisaged that his lessons could be interpreted in several ways? Has he not been paying attention at all?
In a way the Doctor is letting him down here, because… he should have known better, at least partly… In a way itʼs like he saw only the parts of the Seeker he wanted to see. Which might be the way the Seeker wanted it to work, but he thought the Doctor was aware of that.
I will revisit this briefly in the next chapter, expanding on why they see things so differently.
Canʼt wait to see that :)
It's basically an echo of Davros' 'See your Children of Time transformed into murderers. I created the Daleks. You created this.' from the original JE, but far more literal and straight from the 'child's' mouth, rather than used as a weapon by an enemy.
And all the more daunting…
It's fascinating playing with these things, because River (personally) has no issues with the Seeker's actions. But her number 1 priority is always the Doctor, so she defaults to him.
River = ♥
No one's going to blame Jack - except Jack himself.
Eh ;P
There is in Boxing Day (as well as Alien Abduction) a thing about wishing for something (in anger) and the thing become reality (or having been reality). Both lessons/occasions impact the Seeker deeply, and very much shape who he is. In Boxing Day, the Doctor helps show him the reality of the situation, and that's what causes him to re-think.
*nods*
Give the Seeker cold hard facts, and he's happy. Even if the truth is brutal.
Kind of what he does to the Doctor. Who is like "ow" ;P
Biiiiig emotional moment - totally stolen. *g*
You said it! ;)
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Uh-huh. They both use the same words, but mean something different...
In a way the Doctor is letting him down here, because… he should have known better, at least partly… In a way itʼs like he saw only the parts of the Seeker he wanted to see. Which might be the way the Seeker wanted it to work, but he thought the Doctor was aware of that.
*nods* I'll not go into more detail here, b/c I deal with it in the next chapter. :)
And all the more daunting…
Oh absolutely. *is evil writer*
Kind of what he does to the Doctor. Who is like "ow" ;P
The Doctor will face cold hard facts if he can't avoid them (see Night of the Doctor), but on the whole he likes to pretend that things are fine...
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I mostly pointed it out because it's short. *g*
Yes, the difference is rather fascinating ^_^
I'm having a ball...
So certain…
Oh yes. (Not that he doesn't get things wrong, but if he does he then takes steps to fix things. Being wrong is the WORST thing possible. No, the worst thing would be to continue something after having found out it's wrong. He CANNOT fathom this.)
Haha, sounds interesting.
Oh it is. *g* (Dating is basically the story of how he grows up. Well, how he becomes an adult.)
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Once it's all over the Seeker will probably feel a bit guilty that he never said something... They could have had discussions at a more opportune place/time.
The man's efficiency is perfect and chilling and perfect. ;)
He is his father's son...
Loving the irony. That makes perfect sense :D
You'll see more of it whenever you get to Dating.
*nods* Loving all those interactions…
It's slightly awkward juggling all the different characters, but they do all contribute rather nicely.
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*nods*
*nods* I'll not go into more detail here, b/c I deal with it in the next chapter. :)
Yeah :D Will read that ASAP!
Oh absolutely. *is evil writer*
Love it. *is evil reader*
The Doctor will face cold hard facts if he can't avoid them (see Night of the Doctor), but on the whole he likes to pretend that things are fine...
*nods and draws hearts*
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:D
Oh yes. (Not that he doesn't get things wrong, but if he does he then takes steps to fix things. Being wrong is the WORST thing possible. No, the worst thing would be to continue something after having found out it's wrong. He CANNOT fathom this.)
Too rational for that! :)
Oh it is. *g* (Dating is basically the story of how he grows up. Well, how he becomes an adult.)
^_^
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Yes, communication fails are painful…
He is his father's son...
:D
It's slightly awkward juggling all the different characters, but they do all contribute rather nicely.
I can imagine, but you pull it off ^_^
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And he doesn't really like discussing things... So he's put it off. Catch-22.
I can imagine, but you pull it off ^_^
Aw. <3
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U-huh. (And now I'm impatient for you to read the next chapter! *g*) (Please don't feel rushed, but you'll see what I mean.)
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Am slowly working my way up the page, so just saw this. Heh. Hope you enjoy.
Love it. *is evil reader*
Evil readers are the best.
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They are, aren't they? ;) The Power of Evil…
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Am busy most of tomorrow, but will get to your comments as soon as possible. (And will of course inhale them as soon as I see them...)
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*cracks up* I'll make them worth inhaling :D
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