A vortex appeared in an alleyway, blowing rubbish around and the Doctor, Astro, Galaxy, Jack and Martha appeared out of it.
"Oh, my head." Martha grumbled. "Time travel without a capsule. That's a killer." The Doctor said as they all winced. "Still at least we made it. Earth, 21st century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky." Jack said, looking around.
"That wasn't luck. That was Galaxy."
The Futurekind had been able to get through and almost attacked them but Galaxy had managed to sonic her Vortex Teleporter and Jack's Vortex Manipulator to teleport them through time and they barely escaped.
"And the moral is?" Galaxy asked Jack. "The moral is, if you're gonna get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his Vortex Manipulator or have one of your teleporters on hand." He said, grinning. "But this Master bloke, he's got the Tardis. He could be anywhere in time and space."
"He's here. Trust me." Galaxy said as she looked around at all the 'Vote Saxon' posters. "Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor." Martha said. "If the Master's a Time Lord, he must have regenerated." Jack commented, seeing Galaxy had gone off to looking into space. It wasn't like her.
Galaxy looked at Astro when his ear perked up and he looked in the direction of a homeless man and she knew why when she noticed him faintly tapping a familiar rhythm.
"What does that mean?" Martha asked. "Means he's changed his face, voce, body, everything. New man." Jack answered. "Then how are we gonna find him?" She asked. "Galaxy and I will know him, the moment we see him. Time Lords always do." The Doctor said as Galaxy stroked Astro's head when he placed it in her lap.
"But hold on. If he could be anyone, we missed the election. But it can't be..." Martha said as she saw a giant screen showing a news feed. The group slowly stood up and made their way towards it.
"Mister Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters." The newscaster announced, showing a clip of the new Prime Minister walking down a staircase with a woman at his side.
"I said I knew that voice. When he spoke inside the Tardis. I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon." Martha said. "That's him." The Doctor said. "He's Prime Minister." Galaxy said, her eyes widened in shock.
"Mister Saxon, this way, sir. Come on, kiss for the lady, sir."
"The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain. The Master and his wife?" Galaxy gaped, not knowing whether to scoff or gag at the sight of the Master kissing the woman at his side.
"This country has been sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs right now, is a Doctor."
-9-
"Home." Martha said as they walked into her apartment. "What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything. Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here." The Doctor said. "Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply."
"Here you go. Any good?" Martha asked as she brought her laptop. "I can show you the Saxon websites." Jack said as he took the laptop, "He's been around for ages." He said as he sat down at the table with Galaxy next to him.
"That's so weird though. It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you." Martha said. "We were flying all around the universe while he was here the entire time." Astro said. "You going to tell me who he is?"
"He's a Time Lord." The Doctor answered. "What about the rest of him? I mean, who'd call himself the Master?" She asked. "That's all you need to know." Galaxy told her then she looked at Jack, "Show me Harold Saxon."
Martha went and checked her messages but she only had one and it was from Tish. "Martha, where are you? I've got this new job. You won't believe it. It's weird. They just phoned me up out of the blue. I'm working for..." Martha turned it off before Tish's message could finish.
"I'm voting Saxon. He can tick my box any day."
"Vote Saxon! Go Harry!"
"I think Mister Saxon is exactly what this country needs. He's a very fine man. And he's handsome too."
"Former Minister of Defense. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve. Nice work, by the way." Jack said. "Oh, thanks." The Doctor said.
"But he goes back years. He's famous. Everyone knows his story. Look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue. Won the Athletics thing. Wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life."
Galaxy carried on looking through the information on Harold Saxon while Jack went to make some tea for everyone. "But he's got the Tardis. Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades." He said, handing Galaxy one of the cups and she smiled slightly.
"Afraid not." She said. "Why not? Worked for me." He said. "When he was stealing the Tardis, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them permanently." The Doctor said. "He can only travel between the year one hundred trillion and the last place Blue landed. Which is right here and now." Astro explained.
"Well, eighteen months, tops. The most he could have been here is eighteen months. So how has he managed all this?" The Doctor asked. "The Master's always been a sort of hypnotic, but this is a massive scale." Galaxy said.
"I was going to vote for me." Martha said. "Really?" The Doctor and Galaxy asked, looking at her. "Well, it was before I ever met you two. And I liked him." She told them. "Me too." Jack said and Galaxy looked at him. "Why? What was his policy? What did he stand for?" She asked.
"I don't know. He always sounded good." Martha said and Galaxy and Astro's heads snapped to her when she started tapping a rhythm on her mug, "Like you could trust him. Just nice. He spoke about. I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice."
"What's that?" The Doctor asked, his eyes trained on her fingers. "What?" She asked. "That. That tapping, that rhythm. What are you doing?" He asked. "I don't know. It's nothing. It's just, I don't know."
A noise went off on the computer and they saw a message of Saxon broadcasting live on the website. "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom." The Doctor said as he turned the TV on.
"Britain, Britain, Britain. What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen. Big Ben destroyed. A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the government told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain, I have been contacted. A message for humanity, from beyond the stars."
The Master nodded and a new clip came on screen, this time showing a metal sphere.
"People of Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."
"Ooo, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They are called the Toclafane."
"What?" The Doctor and Galaxy said at the same time.
"And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer. Oh, I don't know, every medical student?"
Astro was trying to sniff behind the TV and the Doctor spun it around to see a bomb strapped to it. "Out!" He shouted as Galaxy grabbed the laptop and they all ran out into the streets just as an explosion went off behind them.
"Alright?" The Doctor asked. "Fine, yeah, fine." Jack said as he helped Galaxy up. "Fine, too." She answered, then saw Martha on her phone, "What are you doing Martha?" She asked her. "He knows about me. What about my family?" She asked. "Don't tell them anything."
"I'll do what I like. Mum? Oh my God you're there...I'm fine. I'm fine. Mum has there been anyone asking about me?...I can't. Not now...Don't be daft. Since when...You said you'd never get back with him in a million years...Dad, what are you doing there?...Dad? Just say yes or no is there someone else there...Dad? What's going on? Dad?" Martha pulled her phone away and looked at the Doctor and Galaxy, "We've got to help them."
"That's exactly what they want. It's a trap!" The Doctor said as Martha went to her car. "I don't care." She said, getting in, followed by the Doctor getting in the front while Galaxy, Jack and Astro got in the back.
-9-
Martha drove down the road at a high speed, narrowly avoiding oncoming traffic. She tried contacting her sister but was only able to get through for a moment before being cut off by Tish being pulled away. They made it to her mother's house just in time to see some armed men hauling Martha's father away.
The men saw them and started firing at them but luckily Martha was able to get them away and speed down the road.
"Martha, listen to me. Do as I say. We've got to ditch the car. Pull over. Right now!" Jack said and she did as he said and they quickly took off down the road on foot. "Martha, come on!" The Doctor shouted when she lagged behind to call her brother.
"Leo! Oh, thank God. Leo, you got to listen to me. Where are you?...Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home. I'm telling you. Don't phone mum or dad or Tish. You've got to hide...On my life you've got to trust me. Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone. Just hide...Let them go, Saxon! Do you hear me! Let them go!"
Galaxy went over and took the phone from Martha before the Doctor got the chance.
"I'm here." She said as she walked off a bit.
"Galaxy."
"Master."
"I like it when you use my name." He said, laughing.
"Well, you chose it. Psychiatrist's field day." She said, shrugging.
"As you and the Doctor chose yours. The man and woman who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"
"You're Prime Minister."
"I know. It's good, isn't it?"
"Those creatures, who are they? There's no such thing as the Toclafane, they're supposed to be made up like the Bogeyman."
"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids back home. Where is it, Galaxy?"
"It's gone."
"How can Gallifrey be gone?"
"From what the Doctor told me. It burned."
"And the Time Lords?"
"Dead. The Daleks, more or less...What happened to you?"
"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me, because I was so scared."
"I know."
"All of them? But not you and the Doctor, which must mean..."
"Oh, I ran, just like you, I was just as scared. The Doctor was the one that ended it. Was the only one that could. I know he tried everything."
"I wonder what it felt like, though? Two almighty civilisations burning. I wonder how it felt."
"Stop it!"
"He must have been like God."
"I've been alone, even now but not anymore. All we've got is each other."
"Are you asking me out on a date? What would the Doctor think?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.
"Just stop this, please. We could all leave this planet. Fight across the constellations if you want, but not on Earth."
"Too late."
"Why? Why is it too late?"
"The drumming. Can you hear it? I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Galaxy. The constant drumming."
"I know. I can hear it through our connection, which is why you've got to let me help you. Let me."
"It's not just there, it's everywhere. Listen, listen, listen. Here comes the drums. Here come the drums." Galaxy looked at a man that was leaning against the wall and was slapping his thighs in a rhythm.
"How have you done all this? And those Teclafane, what are they? Tell me." She said.
"Ooo, look. You're on TV."
"Master for once just listen to me."
"No, really. You're on telly. I've missed the blonde. You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are." Galaxy saw her and the other's faces on some TVs in a shop.
"Known as the Captain. They are known to be armed and extremely dangerous."
"You're public enemy's number one, two, three and four. Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so he won't be getting any help from them. Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?"
"He can see us." Galaxy said before zapping the CCTV with her sonic key.
"Oh, being with the Doctor has turned you into a public menace. Better start running, though. Go on, run."
"He's got control of everything."
"What do we do?" Martha asked. "We've got nowhere to go." Jack said. "Doctor, Galaxy, what do we do?"
"Run, Galaxy. Run for your life."
"We run." Galaxy said and they all started running.
"I said, run!"