The Celestial Mechanic

The little man eventually stopped in front of a building, pristine and white like all the others, and motioned for them to go in the door.

Entering the door, they saw a room bare of anything except a single chair. A wild-haired old man was sitting on it. It hardly looked like a mechanic's shop. "Hello," he said nonchalantly. "So you want your TARDIS repaired?"

"What?" said Fred Five, shocked. "How do you know?"

"I know a lot of things. Care to sit down?" He waved his hand and four chairs appeared out of nowhere. The Freds and Astras sat down on them, rather shocked. "Who are you?" asked Fred Five."

"Why I'm the Celestial Mechanic, one of the twelve Guardians of the Universe! I'm the guardian of Order. I make sure things happen as they should and none of the cosmic screws are loose."

"So will you fix our TARDIS?" asked Fred Six.

"Well... We Guardians have decided that it would be a better idea if we didn't get directly involved in this little War of yours. Instead, we're laying low so we can rebuild anything that's left after it ends. I don't agree with it, of course, but what can I do. If you're going to convince me to get involved, you're going to have to do something in return. Are you game?"

"Of course. We have no choice," said Astra Five, dryly.

"That's the spirit!" said the Celestial Mechanic. "In fact, I know just the thing. Maybe I should explain one or two things about Logopolis first. Y'see, this particular universe has already passed the point of no return as far as Entropy is concerned, and Logopolis makes sure it doesn't kick the bucket. That's why I live here, I have a rather personal interest in keeping it around. The people who live here are supposedly the greatest mathematicians in the galaxy. They specialize in something called "block-transfer computation," which is basically another kind of magic except it runs on math. Their calculations keep the universe from being destroyed. They can't have it done by computer--I take it that after your experiences you probably know what a computer is now--because as they see it the calculations are too powerful and sacred to be held on a computer. Of course, in the original scheme of things, when Logopolis was destroyed several centuries ago, the Doctor saved the universe by putting it on a computer, which just goes to show you..." He sighed. "Sometimes these organic beings are so stupid. I don't see what's the point of protecting them, but I guess it's my job."

"Well, not every Block-Transfer Computationist lives in Logopolis. But they aren't very well received in the outside world. They're pretty much treated as sorcerers are in low- technology worlds like yours. People fear their power and live with them uneasily. There are a few of them in the outside world, but they're mostly the sort of people who wouldn't care wether they were feared or not, or want to be feared. In other words, the kooks, the madmen, and the megalomaniacs."

"One of them, a man who's calling himself Dominic Adoni, made a... discovery that the Logopolitans didn't like. If it fell into the wrong hands, well, pop goes the universe! My enemy, the guardian of Chaos, has sent out his agents looking for it. And so I'm sending you to bring Adoni to me."

The two Freds stepped up as one and opened their mouths, then looked at each other, realizing they had both been about to ask the same question. This analog business is going to get pretty complicated, they both thought. Fred Six stepped up. "So what are you going to do with him once you have him?" he asked.

"That's for me to decide," said the Celestial Mechanic. "There are a few things you'd better know. The first is that Adoni is on Blindari, a planet in the Arcite system not far from here. And yes, Blindari does have a moon, although it's not in full moon phase yet. Adoni also has a lovely daughter, and she was responsible for that distress signal that knocked your friend Gareth out. Y'see, it was meant for the someone else, and Gareth with the crystal was just psychically attuned enough to pick it up. But his mind wasn't strong enough to handle it. He's suffering from psychic overload, and the only person in this area who can cure him is Adoni. I could cure him right now, but I have to stay as uninvolved as possible and all that...

Blindari is a planet, mostly desert, that's being mined by the Interplanetary Mining Company. Its natives are a rather superstitious lot and wouldn't react very well to a giant floating skull, so I'm keeping his group here. One last thing. Adoni used to be... But I think I'd rather let him explain it.

He waved his hand and the TARDIS appeared in the room. Outside of it appeared Belinda Three and Gareth, still lying on the floor. The room then faded, and the desert landscape of Blindari appeared.

Adoni looked out the window and saw the sun rising. It was a beautiful sight, but he was getting a little tired of it. He had hoped to forge a new, more peaceful life for himself, but knew at heart that he could only remain on the planet for so long.

He heard a knock on the door. He didn't bother to answer it, because the only other person here was Aviyaar, his daughter. She stepped in, the sunlight reflecting gloriously on her long dark hair. "Father, are you alright?" she said.

"Not really," he said. "Has he picked up the signal?"

"Someone did, father, but I'm not sure that it was who we wanted. I do know that a Time Lord is coming, and maybe he can help us." Adoni sighed. The girl was afraid, as was he, but she also seemed a little excited. She hadn't exactly been cloistered away from the rest of the world, she had come to the IMC port and the Blingari cities with Adoni when he had dealings there. But she had few friends, and knew no member of her own species other than her father. He knew that she was becoming impatient with this as well. She was her father's son, and would surely try to take the path her father had once taken soon. What he would do if she tried, he didn't know. He certainly had changed a lot, since the old days.

He then heard a knock on the door, and he was afraid. Kendall's agents had come for him. As nonchalantly as he could manage, he opened the door and faced the man. He was a young soldier, full of swaggering, superficial confidence. "Excuse me," he said, but his voice contained no politeness. "I'd like to take a look around."

Adoni did not respond. He seemed full of confidence, and a bit of world- weariness. He looked into the guard's eyes, and the guard found he could not look away. "I am the Master," he said, "and you will obey me."

1. Meanwhile, the Enemy ships emerge into real space near Logopolis.

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