Disclaimer

I don’t own any of the characters herein.

Genesis

Chapter Six

1179.462 Rassilon Era (Gallifreyan local signal)

"Part of the problem," said Borusa, "is that you lack the proper upbringing to be a Time Lord."

"Yeah, heard it before. Human childhood, no playing with radioactive materials in the nursery, blah, blah--"

"It impacts this facet of your training as well," snapped Borusa. "It has affected all of your training. Thus the reason you failed the first time you took the test."

"Look, I know, already." Ranma was growing impatient. "I’m doin’ the best I can."

"I recognize that fact, and it is what gives me hope." Borusa sighed. "But telepathy is not something that can simply be learned."

"So what do you suggest?"

Borusa considered, and said, "One of the fundamental moments in a Time Lord’ upbringing occurs on his eighth year. The young Gallifreyan is brought before an artefact called the Untempered Schism. It is a rift in time and space, caused by our early experiments in dimensional engineering."

"And what does that thing do?"

"The reason that we bring Time Lords to the Schism is to expose them to the raw unfiltered nature of space and time." Borusa smiled. "A way of humbling them, to let them see exactly what it is that we muck about with. The reactions vary. Some run in fear; others become fascinated. Some go mad."

"And the ones that run away, you don’t train?"

"The ones who run away, usually show great promise, for they learn exactly why we must be cautious."

Ranma pondered this, then asked, "So it’s a form of trainin’, and you think it could help me?"

"Why is it that your speech patterns change when you consider training?"

He was somewhat taken aback. "I dunno. Maybe because Pops’ means of trainin’ me ranged from the bizarre to the insanely dangerous. So you mention trainin’, and I revert to who I was, fifty years ago."

"I recall that your father was less than...professional...concerning your training. The Prydonians tend to be unconventional."

Ranma snorted. "No kiddin’. So where do we have to go to see this Schism thing?"

"We shall take Transmat to the Dead Zone."

- - - - -

It was not Ranma’s first trip through Transmat, but he never had learned to like them. Being ripped into millions of pieces and fired through space was not his idea of a good time. He caught his breath as the Transmat beam faded, and glanced around.

A tall Time Lord, dressed in ceremonial robes, approached the two of them. "Greetings, Borusa. This is the young man who will be viewing the Schism today?"

"It is."

"He will not be the only one today." The Time Lord nodded towards a low wall, about fifty feet from the Transmat station. "Another stands before the Schism as we speak."

"One of your College?"

"No." The Time Lord shook his head. "Prydonian."

Borusa raised an eyebrow. "Indeed?"

"He has had considerable difficulty controlling his rage."

Ranma smirked. "Sounds like someone I know."

"Here he comes."

Ranma looked up, and blinked in surprise. "Hey, it is someone I know. Ryoga!"

"How did he take it?" asked Borusa.

"He was deeply fascinated," replied the Time Lord. "Never have I seen someone so enthralled with the Schism."

"Is that bad?" asked Ranma.

"Well, it is one of the more common reactions," admitted Borusa. "Such individuals usually end up in research. However, I also tutor young Hibiki."

"Ya never told me that!"

"You did not ask."

Ranma chuckled. "Good point. So why’s he here?"

The other Time lord answered the question. "His rage against you has held him back to this point. He has been unable to progress in his training. He has come before the Schism in hopes that it will temper his rage."

Borusa took up the explanation. "The Schism was created through carelessness. The same carelessness that invades a Time Lord’s perceptions if he gives himself over to negative emotions."

Ryouga had reached them by this point. "Ranma."

"Yo."

"I am surprised to see you here."

"Well...I guess we haven’t really run into each other for a while, eh?" Ranma scratched his head. "I knew you were here - Andred told me - but I’ve been kinda busy since I got here."

"I knew you were on Gallifrey." Ryouga smirked. "I’m just surprised that a coward like you was willing to go before the Untempered Schism."

Ranma bristled.

"You have no idea," continued Ryouga. "The sheer power represented by the Schism. What Omega and Rassilon managed to unleash..."

Borusa shared an uncomfortable look with his fellow Time Lord, then turned back to Ryouga. "Mister Hibiki...I consider you spend the next little while meditating on the Schism, and consider its impact." He turned to Ranma. "And now, Doctor Saotome--"

"Doctor?" Ryouga sneered. "That seems likely."

"You haven’t really been keepin’ up with current events, P-Chan." Ranma jerked a thumb towards his chest. "I earned my doctorate while you were still wanderin’ the jungles of Asia."

"Right." Ryouga smirked. "But what you will see today will make everything you’ve ever learned obsolete." He turned and stalked towards the Transmat station.

Borusa cleared his throat. "When you are ready, Doctor, we can proceed."

"Yeah. No problem." Ranma turned towards the gate. "I go there alone?"

"A young Time Lord is normally supervised before the Untempered Schism. However, at that time, the Time Lord would also be eight years old." Borusa smiled, and added, "You are somewhat older."

"Just a bit." Ranma grinned.

"So you may approach the Schism alone, should you so choose."

Ranma nodded. "I think that I shall."

The Untempered Schism was flanked by two large pillars, the purpose of which seemed to be to contain the rift. Within, flames flickered against a backdrop of velvety black. Ranma paused as he approached, and glanced around him. But he was completely alone.

He stepped forward, and looked into the flame.

And saw a world on fire.

Omega’s experiment had succeeded, causing the star he was tampering with to flare into a massive supernova. But he had been less than concerned with the fates of the planets around the star. Those in its orbit were uninhabited, lifeless balls of rock, but the ejecta from the supernova travelled at speeds just under that of light itself. The wave of plasma took fifteen years to reach the nearest neighbour, but the energies were still vast enough to turn the planets of that star into cinders.

An entire civilization was destroyed in just a few scant hours.

It did not end there. The star collapsed inward, its reduced diameter pushing its escape velocity above that of light itself. Omega’s experiment had created something new in the universe: the first black hole. Its orbit shifted, and it drifted out of position. Twice, it passed within range of other stars, drawing plasma from their atmosphere into itself, increasing its mass further. One of those stars had a planet of its own, sucked into the black hole and converted into raw energy.

Omega had died in the experiment, sucked into his own black hole, but other Gallifreyans now fought to contain this new menace. One of those, Rassilon, successfully managed to shift the black hole into an alternate dimension, shackling it to the Citadel on Gallifrey. He learned to harness its energies, creating the Eye of Harmony.

But the devastation wreaked by the collapsar had further effects. The two stars, drained of their atmosphere, collapsed on their own, creating new black holes. Gravitational ripples caused other stars to begin collapsing, or to go nova or even supernova. Gallifreyans worked with those stars as well, attempting to slow the gravitation wave that now threatened the entire galaxy.

Eventually, they succeeded. The few black holes that survived were now isolated, one in the very center of the galaxy. But the Gallifreyans had learned a harsh lesson: Tampering with space and time has dire consequences.

Rassilon’s Eye of Harmony was tapped for power, and used to further experiments in time travel. The three leading Colleges of Gallifrey united, to create the society now known as Time Lords. And for penance for what they had unleased on the galaxy, the Time Lords chose to never again interfere with systems or timelines outside their own.

Ranma staggered back from the Schism, his hearts pounding at what he had witnessed.

"Sixty billion people, killed by one man..." He shook his head. "All because he didn’t know what he was doing."

"You see?"

Ranma turned, to see Borusa approaching.

"Authority must be balanced by responsibility." Borusa indicated the Schism. "We have attained the ultimate in authority - the greatest and most powerful civilization ever to exist. But we have a responsiblity to go with it, to never interfere with other societies."

"But we could help--"

"We do not know enough to help!" Borusa’s voice rose to a shout. "Don’t you understand that? Omega tried merely to give us a new power source, and he killed billions of people. We revere him as a hero, but we are not blind to the disaster he caused. And we must not make the mistake that he did, to assume that we know more than others."

"No. I refuse to accept that." Ranma shook his head. "We don’t have to go around blowing up galaxies, but if we have all this power, we have the responsibility to use it to help others."

"It has been forbidden since the time of Rassilon," said Borusa. "Others have tried to make a difference - Morbius, The Monk, The Rani, even Rassilon himself. But invariably, the universe is a worse place for their interference."

"So what do we do with all this power, then?"

"We watch." Borusa smiled. "From the Panopticon, we observe all the universe, and when we act, it is merely to prevent others from making the same mistake as we."

"Translation, you make sure no-one else gets to be as cool as you." He spat the last word. "This is insane."

"It is the safest route we can take."

Ranma closed his eyes, and drew in a deep breath. "Well, at least this wasn’t a complete waste."

"What do you--"

Borusa was cut off by the grinding, wheezing sound of a dematerialization engine, and a space/time travel capsule began to materialize next to the gate. It was the one he’d arrived in, still in the form of the police call box.

Borusa’s eyes widened. "You called down the capsule! Interrupted its navigation."

"Yeah."

The door opened, and Akane’s head stuck out. "Ranma?"

"I’m all done, Akane. Let’s blow this joint."

"I have not finished your evaluation, Doctor Saotome," Borusa yelled to him. "You cannot leave until you complete your training."

"As far as I’m concerned, I’m done." He paused at the door, and glanced over his shoulder. "I got nothin’ more to learn from you guys. You can stay here and moulder. I’ve got stuff to do."

"Saotome!"

He slammed the door shut behind him, and the capsule faded from view. Borusa sighed, and pulled out his comlink.

"Matrix archives." He thumbed a control. "Borusa. Update file for Doctor Ranma Saotome. Traning complete, final test passed."

"Final grade?" The voice of the Matrix was flat and lifeless.

Borusa considered, then sighed. "Fifty-one percent."