Dr. Chronotis
PART 1...
(The DHARMA gambit)
There are worlds out there where the sky is burning. And the sea's asleep and the rivers dream. People
made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's opportunity for
exploitation, somewhere else there's need for temporal tampering, somewhere else my tea's getting cold,
hmmph yes, yes.
And so it was for Dr. Chronotis, thinking these thoughts as the materialisation bell sounded.
"Ahhh, now...Where and when am I THIS time, hmm?"
A quick flick of the scanner switch revealed what appeared to be a lush and verdent jungle. As Chronotis flicked the scanner off his eyes found their way to the dimensional coordinates display on the far right section of the octagonial controle console.
"Now that is odd!"
remarked Chronotis as he focused intensly on the readout. Rather than the standard
coordinate information which normally flashes on this particular readout pannel there appeared only 6
numerals. 4-8-15-16-23-42
"Those aren't coordinates, those are---"
Before Dr. Chronotis could finish his sentance the inside of the console room shook and threw him to the floor. The scanner screen came to life to show three human faces peering at the exterior of the TARDIS.
"Hmm, I wonder what this thing looks like to them, obviously something other than jungle sceenery which would lead me to deduce that the infernal Chamelion Circuit is malfunctioning. Oh well, no matter I'll just simply...."
"DOCTOR CHRONOTIS!!"
yelled one of the individuals outside..
"Now that IS odd" Chronotis said to himself.. "Perhaps I have been here before."
---FLASHBACK---
EARTH-
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-
1969-
Ann Arbor, Michigan...
University of Michigan
"Department of Heuristics and Research on Material Applications, That is a mouthful!"
Said a rather large bearded young man. "But I like it Doctor, its groovy and the acronym spells DHARMA, meaning the supreme body of knowledge."
"Gerald, Karen, I am very much in support of your idea and will do everything in my power to help you realise your dream however, the location of the research facility is a problem. Where would you put these stations you were talking of? Hmm? Said the gentleman behind the desk whose gold-toned name placard read: ALVAR HANSO--CEO
"Hmmm indeed."
Replied the gentleman seated next to Mr. Hanso.
"You have an idea Dr. Chronotis?" answered Hanso. "For the location I mean"
Chronotis chuckled to himself deviously, "Indeed I do sir....An Island of the like one will find nowhere else on this planet, an island whose electromagnetic force is out to lunch, an island where the currents of time and space are completely doolally, and Island located in the center of......"
PRESENT-----
"Drat!! not this damnable place, AGAIN!!
not one of your better ideas Chronotis hmm? Using those mental amoebas to harness the Valenzetti-Potential whilst the whole time observing the humans and their reactions to observing one another until....Ah, yes...until....Might as well let them in....
Chronotis depressed the door lever and the strangers entered the TARDIS.
"Ahh, do come in my dear chaps..Cup of tea?" Chronotis greeted the two jumpsuit clad men who; upon
entering the TARDIS looked around in dis-belief and stood open-jawed.
"Yes, yes..it's bigger on the inside than the out, it can't be possible, ad nausea. Oh do lets get past all of
the statements of obvious sophomoric morons and get down to it shall we? What do you want?"
The larger man cleared his throat and said with terror in his voice:
"We've had...an incident with that thing."
"That thing?" Dr. Chronotis taunted the larger man. "My dear fellow, to what thing are you referring?"
"You know damned well what thing I'm talking about...All those years ago when you led my father to this
cursed island, you knew what would happen you bastard, you knew it wouldn't hold, but you made them
build it!" The larger man screamed while pointing his finger at Chronotis.
Dr. Chronotis lit a pipe, chuckled to himself, and quite calmly said, in a patronising tone:
"Ahh, that thing...Well, you know the funny thing about that thing is that...well, it can be quite
temper mental and I did warn your father the last time I was here that things could indeed go a bit wonky
with that."
"A BIT WONKY??" Screamed the larger man.
"One third of our people are dead because of you, you pompous ass. Good people, honest people.."
Chronotis sighed deeply, reached into his coat pocket and pulled from within a curious black object not
unlike a tube with a ball at the end which he aimed at the larger man's colleague. With a grin Chronotis
discharged the object and the larger man's companion let out a scream that would frighten even the most
staunch torturer. With horror the larger man saw his companion's body writhe and shrink before his very
eyes into the size of a shall child's doll. The sound of muscle, tendons, and bones cracking, twisting., and
mangling was heard. Chronotis looked up from the twisted death and said in a low voice:
"Died? Died like this one here, hmmm?" "You have no idea who I am do you, you pathetic creature?"
INTERLUDE:
At the centre of the swirling stars of the universe, in the heart of the constellation of Kasterborous lies the
planet Gallifrey. Galactic coordinates ten-zero-eleven-zero-zero by zero-two from galactic zero centre.
The oldest civilisation known to time and space, and called by some: "The shining world of the seven
systems."
The capitol citadel is tucked away between the mountains of solace and solitude.
This is the home of the Time Lords and my previous home.
I will not attempt at providing an in-depth history of my planet nor shall I be imparting the concise and
complicated structures of the High Council or the inner rituals and workings of the six colleges of Time
Lord fraternal allegiance however, for the benefit of those less informed individuals I will detail in brief
some of our history, social structure, etc. to better provide you with frame of reference with which to read
this humble narration of my lives thus far.
There are many contradictory legends about Rassilon (the founder of Time Lord Society). It is known
that he developed our technology for time travel that made we, his people lords of time in the distant past
together with his colleague Omega. Omega, a solar engineer, was presumed killed by the supernova of the solitary moon of Gallifrey called Harmony. This supernova created the black hole later known as the "Eye" of Harmony, and Rassilon harnessed the nucleus of the black hole to provide the energy that powers our time travel. Rassilon then
took control of Gallifrey and became our first Lord President.
IF you believe the "official" history that we all learned from the time of our youth, Rassilon was a
benevolent ruler who ruled his people wisely. However, there are other accounts which paint Rassilon as
an opportunistic, ambitious supreme leader who seized power in the wake of his friend's death thereby
providing a perfect model with which to live our lives. We are superior and it is to we alone, given by
Rassilon the power to command all time. However, as I have stated the majority of my Time Lord
brethren accept the "official" version of history and have thereby squandered their great power and
privilege but I digress…
Rassilon's contributions to Time Lord Culture and society were so immense that
his name both reverberates and is honoured throughout our history. Our culture is one filled with pomp and circumstance to the point of ridiculousness. Those Gallifreyans born into the Time Lord caste are spirited away from their parents and homes at the age of eight and are taken up into the chasm between the mountains of solace and solitude by the Cardinal of the College to which they will be associated. Wearing the white unadorned robe of a novice Time Lord (which is called the schetheriac garment) the neophyte is shown the untempered schism which
is a gap in the very substance of reality in which one can see the whole vortex. This initiation ritual is to
test the fibre of the future Lord of Time in such a way that it either impresses upon the individual the
severity and greatness of responsibility and power, or it drives one mad…Many a young would-be Time
Lord have been exiled to the outer wilderness of shaathad to live like the beasts there rather than return to
the Capitol in disgrace. A little known dirty secret of ours not discussed in "polite society."
Decades upon decades are spent in one of the six great colleges namely, Prydonian, Arcalian, Patrex.,
Cerulean, Dromeian, and Scendles. It is in these colleges or chapters as they are also known that one
learns what it is to be a Time Lord, our history, sciences, culture, political structure, and so forth. Each
chapter is known for certain outstanding characteristics and areas of influence. Some political in nature
and some purely concerned with maintaining the status quo in regards to the sacrosanct nature of our
many ceremonials and rituals.
Gallifrey is ruled by the High Council, sometimes referred to as the Supreme Council, headed by the Lord
President, mainly a figure-head with limited actual executive power. The Chancellor is the administrative
leader of the Cardinals and acts as a check on the power of the Lord President, between these two
offices combined the actual power rests, neither solely one or the other. The Castellan's brief is state and
planetary security and the organisation of the Chancellery Guard. The remaining members of the High
Council are mainly mid level functionaries and representatives of the Cardinals of each Time Lord Chapter.
This system of government coupled with the strict interpretation of the Laws of Time have led to the
Greatest race in the universe becoming mere observers vowing to never interfere in the doings of lesser
civilisations…Again, that is the "official" interpretation and there are many others within our society that
feel the casual observer attitude has been our downfall. In fact there is well known group of Time Lords
who have taken it upon themselves to "right wrongs" throughout time and space who call themselves the
Celestial Intervention Agency or CIA. These CIA Agents have been the proverbial thorn in the sides of
many a Lord President and his regime. In addition to the CIA there are throughout our history so-called
"renegades" that do not work under the aegis of the CIA nor for the High Council. They are in a sense
exiles cut off from their own people, wanderers in the fourth dimension with no authority guiding them
save their own.
And that's it put very simply, for Milenia we have continued in our observatory role, never interfering,
never exercising our great power, never doing ANYTHING worthy of our greatness and it is into this
society that I was born.....
(TO BE CONTINUED)