Part 44 - Origins

There were still too many unanswered questions. How was The Abbot created? Was he just destroyed? Did Solis die, or take The Abbot somewhere else? These questions plagued my first months as President.

Then the visions started. First it was in the newly formed Panopticon. Then in the Citadel's Eye Chamber. Then in the SASTAP console room. Solis. But not. 

You see, the SASTAP is unique, in that it's Heart is tied to an extremely advanced Artificial Intelligence. This allows the forbidden – for the bonded Pilot to actually telepathically commune and even meld with the TARDIS Titan beneath the console. Rassilon's vision for a Super Soldier. Or perhaps a Master Race. Eventually, of course, this AI was placed in an organic body as part of an emergency procedure. This basically meant that anyone Sen loved and felt attachment too became the equivalent of a bonded pilot.

I was Sen's bonded pilot, but Solis had also become very close. Perhaps even a second pilot, something which the SASTAP's unique abilities likely allowed. What I saw was a Watcher. A temporal displacement of Solis' future incarnation routed through the SASTAP's telepathic circuits. They're not unheard of, but only occur in times of extreme distress for both pilot and Capsule. Solis was alive.

We suspected that Solis had formed a pocket universe and rocketed into the past with The Abbot. The distant past… all the way back. To the very origins of SL-Space. So we followed. A tricky journey, one that required Sen, myself, Oolon, David, and the Sisters to act as Pilots. 

We arrived, to discover we were correct. The Abbot and Solis locked in struggle at the beginning of time, her body twisted and depleted after multiple regenerations. Oolon made a move to attack The Abbot, but his weapon misfired, phasing him out of space-time.

At this point, Sen stepped in. He just… exploded. Ignited in a full fury of energy channeled from some unknown source. The Abbot was ripped apart in front of our eyes, as were all of us. Hovering encased in energy, Sen….. bequeathed, I suppose is the best word… his organic life cycle. Solis and Deimos, already on their last incarnations, regenerated. As did I. Dazed and in pain, we saw The Abbot transform, along with Sen. Black and White… opposite sides of the same coin. As if that is how it was always meant to be.