NLoT: The Three Amigos (11,Master,Archivist,River)

[River Song]

[OOC: Continuing from THIS THREAD]



River had been asleep in her room on the TARDIS, and she had very likely been forgotten about with all of the hubbub surrounding the dying/regenerating Archivist. She woke abruptly to the lurching and rumbling of the TARDIS in-flight and sat up in bed, muttering something about how the Doctor really ought to look at the instruction manual and stop using the parking break so often.

With a sigh, River decided that she ought to get up and at least see where they were going - or rather, where they had just arrived, as she had felt the movement of the TARDIS slow to a halt.

She was unaware that they had company aboard, so River didn't get herself too gussied up. She did put on something more than her pajamas, however, and then she left her room and headed for the Control Console.

There, River saw on the monitor that they had just arrived at Keidos, the hospital-world, and she caught a glimpse of the Doctor running downstairs.

"Keidos...? Whatever for?" River mused aloud before she ran after the Doctor to find out what was going on.

River chased the Doctor into the operating room, and much to her surprise she saw that there were two others present; however, she didn't recognize them. River Song hadn't yet met the Master, nor the Archivist.

She stood in the doorway with a look of utter shock and confusion - and THEN, River saw the regeneration energy swirling about the woman who was lying down, and the sadness in her Doctor's eyes.

"Oh, no..." she uttered. "What's happened? Can I do anything to help?"

[Koschei]

He'd lost track of the number of deaths he'd seen over the centuries - most of them his own handiwork. But feeling the Archivist's death approaching... it bothered him, in ways he simply didn't understand.

"I want a new Gallifrey, it's why I answered her call. I want... I want a better world. One were we don't have to fear for our children's lives."

"I... I don't know what I want," the Master said. "I wanted a better world, once. The Gallifrey you describe. But now?" He shrugged, a bitter smile on his face. "Now I just don't know."

"I wanted a child with him so badly, Koschei."

"Master," he corrected reflexively.

"I wanted to carry Thete's baby. I wanted to be the mother of his children. But he never asked, and I felt it too forward to make the statement."

"The way you two carried on in the Academy..?" he let the words trail away. "I think we all assumed it would just... happen."

She gave a weak little laugh, and he squeezed her hand. "Live birth was frowned upon."

"I remember," he said, and for a second the old anger welled up. The anger of youth, raging against a system that had brutalized his dearest friend.

"But I was a live birth, and my father - he... he was found under a cabbage leaf in a garden. Funny that, my father went from a nobody into one of the greatest forefathers of TARDIS creation."

"I never knew you were a freebirth..." He paused, wiping an unaccustomed tear from his eye. "No wonder you two..."

"Kos - I'm cold... " She murmured as she squeezed his hand as tightly as she could.

"Master," he corrected, absently, as he adjusted the warming field on the table. "And hang on. I'm loathe to say it, but the Doctor's good at last-minute rescues..."

"I don't think we'll make it. It's ok... I don't mind being a new person in a new body... Maybe I'll be Libby again, and not feel so confused... maybe I'll have the courage to take him from the woman I've never met... Oh... I wish Amy was here... I wish she and Rory were here, I want to say goodbye..."

He heard footsteps behind him. Two sets of footsteps. Turning, he saw the Doctor descending the stairs, despair etched on his face.

"I'm sorry. I...I failed. I'm so sorry."

Cold fury swept through the Master. "Of course you did," he snapped. "You can save the universe, but you've never had the stomach..." His voice trailed away at the sight of the woman behind the Doctor.

"Oh, no..." she uttered. "What's happened? Can I do anything to help?"

He squeezed the Archivist's hand. "I think..." he said, hesitantly. "I think that this 'Amy' is here, at least."

[Deleted]

The Archivist shuddered, hearing the responses of The Master. She found herself curling up, even with the male adjusting the settings. She clutched her old friends hand, as the tears coursed down her face. Her re-generations had always been quite a bit painful. More so then most time Lords. The doctors and nurses had once said it was tied into the fact that Libby was a freebirth - and they knew nothing of her fathers history. Her fathers house, her fathers loom. Nothing was known, not even the Archivist knew. Her father just was, he was Time Lord. But who or what he came from had always been unknown.

Libby released a soft cry, as the wracking pain swept through her. With a new wave of blood pouring from her lips, the golden energy increased. Her breathing became almost painful, as she stared at the woman that was standing near The Doctor. "That... is not... my Amy. Amy.... is a red head. Her Rory was the Last Centurion..." Libby said as she gave another cry. Well painkillers of any sort wouldn't really work on her. But the Golden lights of regeneration were already sweeping through her.

Her mind locked on to concentrating, on what she wanted to do. How she was going to change. "I have not a clue - who that woman is." She said with a bitter tone in her voice. Was it really ok for her to be this Jealous? In her last moments? That there was a female sleeping on her loves TARDIS? No she had no place, she never had. While she still loved Thete with every fiber of who she was, perhaps she had just been a passing dalliance. With a weak cry the next phase of death throws came upon the woman. She released a gasp as the tears streaked from her eyes, and then the lids slipped closed partially.

Her breathing stopped completely.

[Deleted]

"What's happened? Can I do anything to help?"

The Doctor spun around, finding himself face-to-face with River.

"Oh. Hello...River."

Suddenly, there was an anguished cry of pain from behind him, and Eleven spun around again. The Archivist was dying. Regenerating. Painfully. Then she looked at River.

As her eyes slid shut, he saw a look of pain, sorrow, and confusion that struck him. To the very centers of his being. His entire childhood sped past his eyes, his first date with Libby, everything he'd ever cherished, and then stopped.

No longer waiting-or wanting- to see who would emerge from the brilliantly colored yellow lights swirling around the Archivist, Eleven pushed past River, racing up the stairs to the TARDIS console.

[River Song]

"That... is not... my Amy. Amy.... is a red head. Her Rory was the Last Centurion..."

Oh, lord… They thought that she might be Amy – her mother. River saw the humor in this, but… Now was not the time. That woman was dying, whoever she was, and any jokes or snarky remarks ought to be tabled for a later time – should she survive, that is.

And, goodness! Was she a spitfire!

"Oh. Hello...River," the Doctor said. River was glad to be acknowledged; however, her question of whether she could do anything to help had not been answered.

"I have not a clue - who that woman is."

River wanted to scowl – but, she didn’t. Being the bigger woman was such a pain in the arse… If she weren’t on her deathbed, River would have given her whatfor.

But then, she stopped breathing, and the Doctor pushed past River and ran back up towards the console, where they’d just come from. River fought the urge to chase after him, and instead she slowly started to approach the Master and the unconscious and unbreathing Archivist, though she didn’t know who they were; however, River did recognize that they both were Time Lords.

“Why isn’t she regenerating?” River asked incredulously, ready to step in and perform CPR if the blasted Time Lady refused to regenerate to save herself. She was not about to let someone die on her Sweetie’s TARDIS. No way! Sure, she saw the telltale golden energy circling round the woman, but... One couldn't regenerate if they stopped breathing. Right?

[Koschei]

I have not a clue - who that woman is." She said with a bitter tone in her voice.

"Really," said the Master, dryly. "This should prove... interesting."

But whatever reply the Archivist might have made was lost in a death rattle, as her hand went limp is his. Quickly, but carefully, he placed her hand on the table. Ever since Gallifrey's destruction, Regeneration had become a far more energetic process, and he had no desire to find out if it would harm him.

The Doctor pushed past the newcomer, who allowed a distinctive flicker of hurt to cross her face. They're in a relationship of some sort, the Master realized, amused and surprised at the same time.

“Why isn’t she regenerating?” the woman asked, cautiously approaching the table.

The Master rose and backed away. "We've just had failure of the cardiovascular network, followed by cessation of respiratory function," he said, casually. "The cells of the cerebral cortex will begin to die in..." he shrugged, "three to five minutes. Once that happens, the Regenerative autonomic functions will initiate."

He pulled the newcomer away from the table. "You don't want to stand too close, either. It's quite... pyrotechnic, these days." A pause. "I am the Master, by the way. Since you and the Doctor are involved, he may have mentioned me."

[Deleted]

As the body functions fell to pieces, the young woman's form began to glow brightly. The body sat up, with a gasp as the golden light slammed into the area around her. Splashing against the walls, melting the table beneath her - quite a bit. She shifted and stood up, panting a little. Her body ached as it shifted and changed. Her hands clutching the table, and then, the lights tied. As icy blue green eyes turned to look at The Master and River Song. The lights tied out, and a cascade of dark red hair was revealed. The female shifted, standing up and stretching out.

She felt different, how different she wasn't sure yet. She shuddered for a moment and shook her head. "I'm hungry..." She said finally as she turned to face them. Her body ached, but her heart did more. She stared at the woman that was on her lovers TARDIS. There was something between them and she knew it. The sparks literally flew as she stared at the woman. "I am the Archivist." She stated simply as she stepped towards them. "I'll need to change... and eat. What do I like now..." She said in a contemplative tone. Her head cocked to the side as she looked quizzically at the master.

She had no idea what she looked like now. Or that she was very close to looking nearly identical to her first regeneration. At least the one that was in her early to mid twenties in looks.

(( Will register the New Archivist as Kirsten Dunst.

this is what you are looking at. ))

[River Song]

River listened as the Master explained that the woman’s body would start to automatically regenerate on its own, just before she was technically dead. But, sheesh! This was cutting it awfully close, wasn’t it? When River last regenerated, she had still been conscious – albeit bleeding profusely from her abdomen.

Damn Hitler.

"You don't want to stand too close, either. It's quite... pyrotechnic, these days."

River nodded her understanding as she backed away from the woman on the bed. She remembered all too well just how pyrotechnic regenerating could be…

"I am the Master, by the way. Since you and the Doctor are involved, he may have mentioned me."

Actually… He hadn’t. The Doctor didn’t tend to discuss his past, which was why River had to turn to other sources for such information. She knew of several of the Doctor’s past companions – but not all of them. And, he never spoke about Gallifrey or other Time Lords, so… Seeing two other Time Lords in the TARDIS was quite a strange and rare thing for River to experience – she couldn’t wait to write about it in her diary!

But, before River could reply, the woman on the bed sat bolt upright and literally exploded with golden regeneration energy, mostly melting the bed beneath her. River watched with rapt attention as the woman’s form became that of a lovely green eyed, red haired woman.

"I'm hungry… I am the Archivist." She stated simply as she stepped towards them. "I'll need to change... and eat. What do I like now..." she asked as she looked to the Master.

The first thing River thought was that the Doctor would be jealous – he’d always wanted to be Ginger…

The second thing River thought was, ‘why do I get the feeling that this woman hates my guts? I don’t even know her!’ However, once things are explained to River, she won’t wonder about this any longer… River would understand completely, and she would likely feel just the same way towards the Archivist, as the Archivist felt towards River.

But, until then… River hadn’t a clue.

“I can find you something to eat, Archivist – what sounds good to you right now?” River asked. As she had regenerated more than once in her lifetime, River understood the hunger that it left you with… and also, she understood that things that one used to find appealing, might not be so wonderful anymore.

[Koschei]

"I'm hungry… I am the Archivist." She stated simply as she stepped towards them. "I'll need to change... and eat. What do I like now..."

The Master nodded his understanding. "Hunger is a fairly standard response to Regeneration," he said lightly. "I've been through a few, in my time."

“I can find you something to eat, Archivist – what sounds good to you right now?” River asked.

"For the moment," the Master offered, "she'll need an abundance of carbohydrates and protein. And fluids." He smiled grimly. "One part sucrose to three parts hemoglobin-based blood is ideal, although it tastes about the way you'd imagine."

He turned back to the Archivist. "How do you look?" He paused, looking her over. "Fetching. Very similar to the way I remember you from the Academy, although I believe you're taller. Also, the shape of your nose and chin are different." He tried another smile, and the expression made him resemble a shark. "Trivial differences aside, the resemblance is close enough - I believe - to set the Doctor's hearts a-flutter once more."

The Master looked back at River. "Why don't you tell me where the galley is - assuming you're willing to trust foods I prepare," he added with a glance back towards the Archivist. "That way, you two ladies can get better acquainted."

A beat.

"I suspect you both share common interests," he added, eyes drifting along the stairs that lead to the main control room.

[Deleted]

The Doctor strode around the TARDIS console, stroking it. Tears leaked from his eyes. He was muttering to himself.

"Every time. Every time. Every Rassilon time. I always fail."

The Doctor stopped walking and stared at the TARDIS console. He felt something. The TARDIS was humming. Her engines were moving.

"Impossible. It's imposs-"

As if to prove him wrong, the TARDIS shook, sending a pile of 15th Century relics in the far corner of the control room tumbling down. Eleven lost his balance as the TARDIS rumbled again.

The engines began to whirr, and the TARDIS shifted once more, sending The Doctor hurtling towards the wall. There was a tremendous tremor one more, and Eleven had time before he slammed into the wall, unconscious, to yell a word of warning to the others.

"Grab something!!"

[Deleted]

The Archivist stroked her fingers through her hair. Releasing a long breath to try and calm her senses. She felt awfully gittery, and that was when she shivered from head to foot. She was wearing tattered clothing, and she felt odd. Like as if there was a gap in her chest, an ache she would never be able to fix. As the master left, she looked towards River Song. She stared at the young woman for a few moments and then shrugged.

"I'm the Archivist, and you are River Song. Me and the Master go rather far back with the Doctor. From the days of the Academy... " She said as she stopped for a moment and let her hand rest on the nearest chair. She felt the rumble through the TARDIS and frowned. Oh bloody hell, he still didn't know how to drive this thing? Or refused to drive it properly? She looked at River, and then she heard the shout.

Despite the fact of not liking this woman too much, and she really wasn't sure why. She grabbed a hold of her and pulled her against her hard, and brought her body into the defensive gesture she had learned growing up. As they were thrown she kept herself wrapped around the other female and released a gasp of air as they were thrown into the wall. Her arm lashed out lightning quick as she grabbed on to the nearest thing that was bolted down.

"I taught him how to run her, bloody 'ell. Can't he at least listen to me. My parents helped make TARDIS' for petes sake." She muttered under her breath.

[River Song]

"I suspect you both share common interests," he added, eyes drifting along the stairs that lead to the main control room.

Almost as if on cue, the Doctor's voice could be heard calling out for them all to grab a hold of something, and then the TARDIS seemed to experience some severe form of turbulence, flinging them all willy-nilly.

The newly regenerated Archivist grabbed a hold of River and pulled her in close and attempted to shield River with her own body, nearly getting the wind knocked out of her for her efforts. River, on the other hand, was completely fine, despite being a bit shaken up. As soon as she was able to, River also grabbed a hold of something firm and sturdy, while the Archivist grumbled about the Doctor's flying skills.

River smirked and replied, "I know - he doesn't listen. Ever. He won't even read the owner's manual." What River failed to mention was that it was the TARDIS herself who taught River how to operate her, and the Doctor didn't tend to listen to River's coaching, either - just like he apparently was ignoring the Archivist's previous advice on how to operate the lovely machine.

[Koschei]

The Master was about to respond to the Archivist's comments when he felt the pitch of the museum piece's engines change.

"Grab something!!"

The Doctor's cry echoed down the stairs, followed by a sudden violent lurch that sent him staggering into the hexagonal wall panels with a crash. There was a second lurch as he bounced, and he found himself sprawled on the ground and skidding along.

"Ow."

Carefully he got to his feet, then winked at the two women where they stood wrapped around each other. "Careful," he grinned, "Wonderful as that looks, I suspect it might be a little too much for his hearts to take..."

There was another lurch and, if he wasn't expecting it, he was at least prepared. He caught a railing with one hand and hung on, then took the stairs two and three at a time as the latest bout of turbulence died away.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Doctor?" he shouted. "Can't you..."

His voice died away as he entered the primary control room, finding the Doctor hanging halfway off the gantry around the console. There was another lurch, and the Master staggered into the navigational panel. It shot sparks at him.

For a moment, the Master hesitated. "How do you do anything with this piece of junk?" Then he started working the controls, hissing in pain as each contact with a toggle or switch produced another electric shock. "Look, you stupid machine," he snarled, kicking the pedestal in frustration (and earning another shock), "I'm trying to help..."

The snickers from the two women, as they emerged into the control room, did not improve his mood.

Finally, they enabled the diagnostics. The fault indicator showed nothing, except for a degree of abnormal external stresses on the hull. Digging further into those, the signs were clear.

"Tractor beams?" the Master said, disbelief in his voice. "What could tractor a TARDIS in the Vortex?"

As if in answer, the primary view screen crackled into life. The trio found themselves staring at the unlikely image of a man in the uniform of the Chancellary Guard. He looked at the three of them, then addressed the Master.

"Doctor," the Guardsman said. "You and your associates will hold fast and submit to Law." His gaze swept over the trio again. "All of you are charged with dereliction of your Duty to your Houses, your Families, and to the Protocols of History."

He looked back at the Master. "You, Doctor, are further charged with the willful retrogenocide of the Time Lords. Your TARDIS will be returned to Gallifrey, where you will answer to these charges."

[Deleted]

The Archivist came out to see all that was going on. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the scene unfolding. "River, you know how to run this, as well as I do." She stated as she raced towards the control panel. "We've got three people that know how to run a TARDIS, and one that knows how to modify if needed." She stated and then stopped as the image on the scree came up.

Oh well, she couldn't keep her inside voice inside. She stared at the man on the screen and just screwed up her face. "Oh piss off you blimey stogey!" She snarled at him. "I'm the @#$%&!! Archivist, and Ive spent years running from my past. But despite all that, do you think I'd hand over the one man I love more then the earth and stars, to someone that claims to be from that hellhole of a planet." She stated as she pulled out her sonic and pulled open a control panel.

"If you know who we are, then you know who my parents are. As well as what I was taught to do!" She stated as she started to fidget with the machine. "River, on your side - rewire the control panel there. Reverse the polarities on your end, while I do this." She stated as she worked on the panel, oh what she was doing was risky - very risky, but getting caught was worse. She looked at the Master for a moment. "Master, when I give the mark, throttle her at full speed, back towards... these coordinates." She said that and then rattled off the coordinates of where her stealth covered TARDIS was.

Right now, she was doing the best she could to add a modified Stealth Module, with just the hardware here. "He hasn't even run a diagnostics check in the last two hundred years....." She said in exasperation.

[River Song]

River, too, dashed up the stairs to the controls, following after the Master and the Archivist. It seemed something had gone wrong…

She quickly spotted the Doctor, unconscious, and River rushed to his side and quickly checked for his heartbeats – yes, he was alright. Just ‘out’.

The Archivist then began asking for River to help with the TARDIS – and then, the Master observed that they were being pulled by a tractor beam.

Well, that explained all the jerking about – and then, the primary view screen came on, revealing the Gallifreyan Chancellary Guard, who ordered their arrest, charging them with dereliction of Duty to their Houses, Families, and the Protocols of History.

Except, none of that applied to River Song… She had no ties to Gallifrey, and… besides… wasn’t it gone? How was any of this even possible?

"River, on your side - rewire the control panel there. Reverse the polarities on your end, while I do this."

River felt torn about leaving the Doctor lying there, but… She had to help. They couldn’t allow the Chancellary Guard to reach them!

River moved to the panel that the Archivist had pointed out, and she got to work as quickly as she could, rewiring things in order to reverse the polarity…

"He hasn't even run a diagnostics check in the last two hundred years....."

River scoffed. “That sounds like him… He’d probably say that if anything needed fixing, that she’d somehow let him know…” River guessed with a smirk as she continued working on the wires.