Chapter Text
"Can we come back to Mammoth Falls sometime?" Joyce asked, closing the door of the TARDIS. "It sounds like they have loads of fun."
"They do seem a bit clever," Romana said. "Though building a sea monster puppet and forgetting the armor made it more dangerous than it should have been."
"Early sixties," Joyce said. "Simple fun. All they have to worry about is the Cold War. It probably didn't occur to them."
"Cold War?" Romana said. "Fighting in winter? Not really recommended, or so I've heard from a fellow named Napoleon."
"That's not what it means," Joyce said, sighing. "It's politics."
"We don't need to discuss it then," Romana said. "Politics only matter when they are your own, not some ancient history."
"You're not a historian," Joyce said, laughing. "They care about politics in ancient civilizations."
"Time Lord," Romana said, waving a hand. "I don't need to worry about history. If I'm curious I can go there myself and find out what happened."
"There's a lot of history still to see," Joyce said.
"You aren't bored?" Romana said. "We've been avoiding wars and social unrest."
"As long as there's coffee and interesting people to meet," Joyce said. "But it doesn't always have to have the excitement of a Missy adventure."
"It has been too quiet, hasn't it," Romana said. "We should probably find out what she's been up to while we were out."
"She thought sea monsters were too boring," Joyce said. "Something about Scotland and the Doctor? Will I ever get to meet this Doctor?"
"Unlikely," Romana said. "He's off in another universe, getting into trouble there. Probably arguing with Missy over something at the same time."
"They sound like old friends," Joyce said. "The kind you can't get away from. It'd be nice to have another person around to help keep her out of trouble."
"Or stop another one of her outlandish attempts to rule the Universe," Romana said. "Yes."
"K-9?" Joyce said, "Where is Missy?"
"The Master is in the Entertainment room, Miss," K-9 said.
"Do you know what she's doing?" Joyce asked.
"Building a Dalek, Miss," K-9 said.
"Building a what?" Romana said, turning around so quickly Joyce thought she'd lose her hat.
"A Dalek, Mistress," K-9 said.
"There are no Daleks," Romana said. "They evolved thousands of years ago into the Goa'uld."
"Correct, Mistress," K-9 said. "That is why she is building one."
"We don't have the parts to build a real one, K-9," Romana said. "And Idris doesn't have the capability to recreate their armor."
"Daleks are bad?" Joyce said. "You said that once. Do we need to stop her?"
"I need to see what she is doing," Romana said. "Idris, can you show me the Entertainment room?" There was a flurry of beeps, and the console room view screen opened, displaying static.
"Is it supposed to do that?" Joyce asked.
"Idris says there is something interfering with the monitors in the Entertainment room. I'll have to go down there," Romana said. She turned and headed towards the inner TARDIS door.
"Can I come with you?" Joyce asked, when K-9 blocked her from following.
"Not until I know it's safe," Romana said. "She shouldn't able to create a Dalek inside this TARDIS, but this is Missy."
"Right," Joyce said. "Mad Scientist and general crazy person. K-9 and I will just wait here until you say it's safe."
Romana nodded and left the room.
Missy was standing at a long lab table holding up a piece of what looked like Dalek armor, when Romana reached the Entertainment room. She didn't seem to notice Romana's presence.
"What are you doing?" Romana said, carefully approaching.
"Research," Missy said, waving the object at her. "I was curious about something."
"You can't build Dalek armor in my TARDIS," Romana said. She looked at the scattered pieces of Dalek on the table. "How are you building it?"
"You missed the Time War," Missy said. "It was a glorious destruction. The burning of Arcadia is a sight I'll never forget. The Doctor did something overly clever and boring and stopped it, though there are still pockets of Daleks trying to break free. I'm sure eventually it'll start up again. When it does, I plan to be ready for them."
"You're going back," Romana said, wondering where the slight feeling of sadness was coming from.
"Of course," Missy said. "You might be happy with your little Time Lord free oasis, but I find it stifling. But when I go back the Daleks are a perpetual thorn to be removed. They get in the way of my plans too many times to be allowed."
"And the research? How are you doing that?" Romana said. She pointed at the pieces of armor, which seemed very solid.
"The composition of Dalek armor here and there is slightly different," Missy said. "There? Virtually indestructible. Here? Inherently flawed. The Daleks were forced to evolve. The Alterans found the weakness in their armor and the only solution they could see was to become what they are now. Safe in their host armor, the Alterans leave them be."
"So, this?" Romana said, not indicating her skepticism.
"You should really learn the full capabilities of your TARDIS," Missy said. "The Simulation room can be used to create almost anything a Time Lord mind can visualize. I had occasion to learn the atomic quantum structure of Dalek armor. Recreating it here was simple."
"But it shouldn't be possible," Romana said. "Anything Dalek related is specifically blocked."
"Bu this is a different Dalek, not the same structure your TARDIS is familiar with," Missy said. "Have you seen the modern Dalek? From the Time War? A Dalek that can travel through time using just its armor?" She waved a hand and the armor slowly flowed together and solidified into a Dalek.
"It looks extremely realistic," Romana admitted, walking around it. "But isn't it missing something?"
"A Dalek?" Missy said. "A Goa'uld wouldn't be able to drive it. They are too different now. Your little Furling could probably fit inside it, but that is never a popular activity."
"What are you planning to do with it then," Romana said. "I would rather it not be here."
"This," Missy said, taking out a small device and pointing it at the Dalek. She pressed a button and a beam shot out and enveloped the Dalek shell, shrinking it. "Pocket size," she said, scooping it up, and putting it in a small box.
"That's impressive," Romana said. "Does that work on real Daleks?"
"Now it does," Missy said, smirking. "It took a bit of brilliance, but I found a way to compress them. I'm thinking of building a whole army of miniature Daleks, for the Doctor's birthday. He wasn't impressed with that Cyberman army I built him, but this should really make him happy. Much more portable than those Cybermen."
"I don't think you quite understand the point of gift giving," Romana said, frowning.
"I'm sure I do," Missy said. "I haven't missed one of Theta's birthdays since the Academy, even if it took a little arranged mayhem or secret whispered in his ear. And sneaking something by that River Song is never easy."
"River Song?" Romana said, frowning at the unfamiliar name.
"The less said about that obsession the better," Missy said, frowning. "Sometimes he has the strangest ideas. I much preferred his pet Clara. Now that was glorious chaos."
"Can I come in?" Joyce said, from the door. "Can I see it?"
"Next time, pet," Missy said. "Your keeper isn't a fan of the Daleks."
"She's not my keeper," Joyce said, pouting. "Why can't I see it? What if I run into one in the future? Won't I need to know what it is?"
"You won't run into one in the future," Romana said, ignoring the knowing smirk Missy gave her. "They no longer exist, except as entries in our Ancient library."
"I can't access that section of the library," Joyce said.
"It just takes a little extra effort," Romana said.
"You say that every time," Joyce said, pouting.