[Night Three]
A Time Lord’s mind was meant to be free, not wired into a planet. The Master huffs from where he sits, watching folk parade around in their daily lives within the domed city. What a joke; they had no idea what – or specifically, who – was keeping their city intact and under control. There’s that particular Earth phrase: ignorance is bliss. But this was not Earth and the Master was going to be sure to make each of them regret their happy-home of ignorance when he sends the order of this city spiraling into chaos. It’s what they deserved.
The city was operated through a psychic channel; its systems controlled from a singular location. Weather, temperature functions, internet and other communication networks, defense mechanisms, sensors. He’s seen the weather change rapidly already, to the surprise of the citizens. He’s seen the networks go down completely and watched streetlights flicker off and on rapidly – a real disco scene. Over the week that he’s been in this city, it has slowly stabilized; on occasion it’s sluggish (tired, resigned, worn out – the Master thinks these things), but in working order.
He’s tried to hack his own mind into the system. Moved all around different parts of the city to find the best way. That kind of power is amazing, after all. He could have the citizens on their knees if it was him in control. But no, the one who has his mind wired into it all is the Doctor. Who, the Master thinks, should really be putting up a better mental struggle against his current way of life. The mess of the first few days could easily be explained as poor compatibility with the system, not a desperate need to break free. Maybe he had less of a choice, though. The Master was just a bit out of the loop regarding the situation.
So, mental-hacking was out of the question; it didn’t work. The citizens didn’t even know that it was an actual being running their precious systems, let alone where the hub was located, and their leaders were just as hidden. On his person he had two screwdrivers (his and the Doctor’s) and some of the planet’s currency. He spent another few days attempting to enjoy the city, while searching out for its leaders. And then finally, finally he’s found a useful answer, from a child of all the sources: elections were coming.
Oh! I love politics, was the Master’s first thought, before things began to clear in his mind. If elections were on the way, best for someone to have a trump card on their hands, no? He bought the kid an ice cream cone and listened to the boy ramble on about how the city used to be darker and ‘weird’ until recently. Recently because some sod decided to install the Doctor to it, probably. Whoever was in the hot-seat previously likely didn’t have the psychic ability to multi-task and actually manage the city. So, lucky for them, in wanders two Time Lords, and the Doctor never did keep his mind under as much lock and key as the Master did. Whoever was controlling the system must have picked up on him and sent the goons.
The goons, of course, being armed automatons. Lanky and looking frail, but the pair of Time Lords were outnumbered and outmatched. Screwdrivers did damage to a few, but they were causing quite the scene and drawing attention to themselves, and the Doctor – the damn Doctor – gave himself up out of fear that any stray fire would harm the citizens. He retrieved the other’s discarded screwdriver and watched him willingly go off with the automatons, and the Master was furious, at the captors and the Doctor.