The Doctor Of War ³

Extremis

"Death is an increasing problem. With over a billion intelligent species active in this galaxy alone, it is an ever-greater challenge to know how to kill all of them. On this planet, we are proud to serve as executioners to every living thing. The destruction of a Time Lord, however, is a particular honour" I am escorted to a dais by a lakeside, outside a castle. It has a copper ball topped column at each corner "this technology is precisely calibrated. As you can see, it will stop both hearts, all three brain stems, and deliver a cellular shock wave that will permanently disable regenerative ability."

"I know how it works" I reply.

"You certainly will in a moment. Following termination, the body will be placed in a Quantum Fold chamber, under constant guard for no less than a thousand years. In case of, shall we say, relapses. Life can be a cunning enemy. An additional stipulation of the Fatality Index is that the sentence must be carried out by another Time Lord. Apologies for our choice, but your people are not easy to come by" a door behind me open.

"Oh! Seer! I didn't expect you. Thought you'd retired. Domestic bliss on Darillium, that's the word among the Daleks. What happened? Oh, I see. My condolences" Missy says as she gestures towards the dais. I walk to the side by the lake.

"The prisoner will kneel" no one moves. The man nods, and two guards move to take Missy's arms.

"Right," Missy says as she steps up onto the dais "thank you" she kneels.

---

"They can't know I'm blind, Missy. No one can know. Memories are so much worse in the dark" I whisper sitting in front of the vault door.

---

A cube rises from the lake.

"The Quantum Fold chamber is prepared."

"Great" Missy says.

"The sentence will be carried out. Executioner?" I move to face Missy and put my hand on a long lever.

"Please, I'll do anything. Just let me live" Missy says.

---

I get an alert on my sonic shades as I rest against the Vault. New email. Title - Extremis. Downloading.

*Time skip*

I lean against the lectern in the dark. The door at the back opens and fifteen men aged between 40 and 70 enter.

"Hello? Hello? Who's there?" I ask.

"Good evening, Seer" an Italian man in a Red Cardinal's robes walks down the steps "we have come here today direct from the Vatican."

"Oh, right. That's nice. Well, if you've got a collecting tin, I'm sure I can find something. Er, leaky roof, is it?" Nardole hurries in through a side door and onto the stage closely followed by the Doctor.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. Stop talking. Stop now. Please, just listen to them. It sounds important" Nardole says.

"We have come here to see you because your services and wisdom are recommended at the highest level" the man hands an old scroll to Nardole.

"As you can see, this is the personal recommendation of Pope Benedict IX. In 1045" I smile.

"Pope Benedict. Lovely girl. What a night. I knew she was trouble, but she wove a spell with her castanets" I say snickering quietly.

"Seer..." the Doctor says softly.

"On behalf of every human soul in this world, of any creed, of any faith, with the utmost respect and in complete secrecy, His Holiness, the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, requests most urgently, a personal audience" the man in the white robes comes out from behind his guards.