The Year That Never Was
In an alternate timeline, The Year That Never Was was a period from 2008 to 2009 which, due to the destruction of the paradox machine, never occurred for a majority of the population of Earth, but was remembered by a few people on the Valiant. During this time, beginning with Day Zero in approximately Spring 2008 and lasting exactly one year and one day up to Launch Day in 2009, the Master, with the assistance of the Toclafane, ruled over Earth. However, once the year was erased from history, everything was restored to how it was, the Master failing in his efforts.
Overview
Background
During the Last Great Time War, the War Master chose to flee the conflict after his use of the Heavenly Paradigm caused the Dalek Emperor to seize the Cruciform. (AUDIO: The Heavenly Paradigm) Using a Chameleon Arch, he hid as a human at in the far future near the end of the universe. The Master's human identity, Professor Yana, worked with a group of surviving humans on Malcassairo to build a rocket to reach "Utopia", a rumoured safe haven. The Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones and Jack Harkness arrived on Malcassairo and helped Yana launch the survivors in their rocket, however in the process Martha brought the Chameleon Arch to Yana's attention. Compelled by voices of his true self, Yana opened it and became the Master again. He made to steal the Doctor's TARDIS, however was shot by Yana's assistant Chantho and forced to regenerate. In his new incarnation the Saxon Master stole the TARDIS, abandoning the Doctor and his companions, (TV: Utopia) however the Doctor first fused the co-ordinates, rendering the TARDIS only capable of travel between the end of the universe and its previous destination in 2000s Earth.
Arriving on Earth circa 2007, the Master established himself as British politician Harold Saxon, eventually becoming Minister of Defence. From that position he oversaw the establishment of the Archangel Network of satellites and the designing of UNIT's flying mobile base, the Valiant. (TV: The Sound of Drums) The Master met Lucy Saxon, who fell in love with him. He took her on a trip in the TARDIS to the end of the universe, finding Utopia. There he discovered the last of humanity had found no paradise, and had cannibalised themselves into the Toclafane to survive. The Master promised to help them make a new civilisation, by invading their ancestors trillions of years earlier. The Toclafane fondly called him their "Mister Master". The Master cannibalised the TARDIS into a paradox machine to enable the paradoxical invasion. (TV: Last of the Time Lords)
As Harold Saxon, the Master used the hynoptic influence of the Archangel Network to campaign in the general election, receiving celebrity endorsements and being supported by politcians who avandoned their parties once they saw he was winning. During this time he sponsored Professor Lazarus' experiments in rejuvenation, (TV: The Sound of Drums) and had agents monitor Martha's family, claiming to them the Doctor was putting their daughter in danger. (TV: The Lazarus Experiment, 42)
The Master triumphed in the election and becamd Prime Minister of Great Britain. At this time the Doctor, Martha and Jack returned to Earth using Jack's vortex manipulator. The Master used his new power to have them branded public enemies and took Martha's family into custody, forcing the trio to go into hiding using perception filters fashioned from TARDIS keys. As Prime Minister, the Master announced first contact with an alien species, the Toclafane, to be broadcast live. The unilateral announcement met with fury from UNIT and US President Arthur Winters, so the Master allowed it to occur on the Valiant. (TV: The Sound of Drums)
Day Zero
- Main article: Day Zero
On the day of first contact with the Toclafane, the Doctor, Martha and Jack infiltrated the Valiant and discovered the paradox machine onboard, primed to activate during the first contact broadcast. The Toclafane arrived on schedule and killed President Winters on the Master's audience. The Doctor attempted to reach the Master in hopes of his perception filter breaking the Archangel Network's influence but was captured. Using Professor Lazarus' technology he'd incorporated into his laser screwdriver the Master aged the Doctor decades to weaken him and killed Jack, knowing the immortal would resurrect.
The Master announced the end of the world to the viewing public as the paradox machine activated, allowing billions of Toclafane to travel to Earth. The Master ordered them to remove one tenth of the Earth's population. (TV: The Sound of Drums) As Earth fell, the aged Doctor discretely whispered a plan into Martha's ear, (TV: Last of the Time Lords) and she used Jack's vortex manipulator to teleport away from the Valiant. (TV: The Sound of Drums) The beginning of the invasion was later known as Day Zero. (PROSE: The Story of Martha)
Occupation of Earth
Ruling from the Valiant, the Master enslaved the human race with the intention of using them to build weapons in preparation for war against the rest of the universe. The Master wished to turn Earth into New Gallifrey and create a new empire stretching across the universe, lasting "one hundred trillion years". He imposed a dictatorial and despotic regime upon the Earth with himself at the head of it whilst the Toclafane enforced his rule. (TV: Last of the Time Lords) A select number of humans were chosen to serve as his agents, working to hunt down any resistance. These included Mr Strand and Miss Beecham. The agents were kept in competition with each other to earn the Master's favour. (AUDIO: Deceived) The Master kept the Doctor, Jack and Martha's family as prisoners aboard the Valiant.
The Archangel Network kept most of the human population docile, though resistance did persist. Any military action however caused the Toclafane to descend. The enslaved people suffered severe over-crowding, often with many families crammed into a single house, and economic and technological regress occurred massively in the neglected urban centres, with London becoming full of wild dogs. Television and any notable technology was shut down. The effects on Earth were so great that the planet was declared closed to the wider universe, and the planet was designated to be unsafe to approach. (TV: Last of the Time Lords)
During the Master's time he was known to have frozen the River Nile, poisoned the Caspian Sea, (PROSE: The Story of Martha) built fusion mills in China, created radiation pits in Europe, (TV: Last of the Time Lords) and ruined New York City. (PROSE: The Story of Martha) The Master also carved his face into Mount Rushmore, and ordered statues of himself to be built across the world to enforce his regime. (TV: Last of the Time Lords)
Martha's travels
Martha became renowned among the human race for travelling across the world and evading capture by the Master. (TV: Last of the Time Lords) Martha travelled around London and started to tell people of the Tenth Doctor as part of his master plan. She rescued a little girl known as Aleesha and then travelled to Europe and met a man known as Mathieu Vivier. Martha also met a man in Turkey known as Brigadier Erik Calvin. (PROSE: The Story of Martha) Many legends developed around Martha Jones and the purpose for her travelling the world. The most common belief held by people was that she travelled across the world in search of a weapon. Another belief held by the people was that Martha Jones was the only one who could kill the Master. (TV: Last of the Time Lords)
Eventually Martha went to spread the message to Japan but the Toclafane burned the islands of Japan to the ground after the Master learnt of the Drast meddling there, killing everyone there. Only Martha escaped the country. (PROSE: The Story of Martha)
The Master's agents sought to capture Martha. Miss Beecham used cloning technology leftover from UNIT and Torchwood to make hundreds of clones of Martha's mother, Francine Jones, whcih she sent to reported sightings of Martha. The clones were unaware they were fakes and had false memories of escaping the Valiant. (AUDIO: Deceived)
Martha travelled to the United States of America. Reaching a diner, reputed to be the last diner, she told stories to the slaves who gathered there in secret at night. There she was reunited with an old friend, Holly, (AUDIO: The Last Diner) and a clone of her mother. (AUDIO: Deceived) Her presence attracted a lot of slaves to the diner, resulting in tragedy when the Toclafane bombed it, leaving Holly the only survivor. Martha continued her travels with her mother and Holly, (AUDIO: The Last Diner) reaching the Hope, the largest resistance group in America, in Nevada. (AUDIO: Silver Medal)
Eve of war
The Eve of War was the day before the Master planned to go to war against the rest of the universe. He chose this day to transmit a warning to Martha. He used his laser screwdriver to age the Doctor's body to his actual age of 900 years. (TV: Last of the Time Lords)
Negation
A revolt on the Valiant and the destruction of the paradox machine by Jack Harkness reversed time to just before the Toclafane's arrival on Earth. Everyone on the Valiant retained their memory of the year while the rest of the human race had no memory of the events under the Master's reign. (TV: The Last of the Time Lords)
