The planet Earth was instinctively half-clad in darkness, a darkness which clung to the world like an immovable pest.
It had been their goal to invade for so many years, to be the masters of the pitiful rock that lay below them. They had the power, they had the might!
They were a spaceship full of space rabbits. Like normal, earth rabbits, but with the ability to not float in zero gravity. Their leader, a rather docile creature called Biggins, hopped about aimlessly, while his fluffy minions sniffed the floor and nibbled the air. Their control room was then entered by a tall man, proud and striding.
"Sorry fellas, can't stay. Don't like lettuce, although I will take any celery off your hands."
Biggins hopped at the Doctor.
"Nope! Got to set you on course for somewhere else naturally. But where to? Oh, I know! Calufrax, here you go!"
He hotwired the directional unit, and tossed a bright orange carrot to the ground.
"Help yourselves!"
He then bolted out to the TARDIS and vanished into the vortex. Biggins wrinkled his nose and hopped towards the carrot.
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The Doctor wasn't expecting the TARDIS to shake violently as it travelled through the Vortex. He grabbed the scanner.
"Time tunnel! I won't stand for this!"
He darted around the console, slightly playing up his movements.
"K9, track the source!"
"Affirmative, master."
"Oh, and connect to the console while you're at it!"
"Affirmative. Source located, connecting to TARDIS."
The ship shook again, and the Doctor stumbled. The sonic tumbled out of his pocket and slid to the door. The shaking stopped, as did the time rotor. The Doctor picked up the screwdriver, straightened his bowtie and stepped outside. He found himself within a corridor, outside a door marked "Danger. Subject 5 Inside". Underneath was smooth, hard granite, flecked with dirt. There was a disheartening silence, which was counteracted by the faint hum of the TARDIS.
The Doctor exited with K9.
"Stay here and keep guard."
He opened the door, getting the wiff of metal. Inside was a clutter of machines and paper, along with the remnants of takeaways. There was a man with glasses, taking notes at a desk. He raised his head and saw the Doctor.
"Who the hell are you?!" he barked.
"I'm...uh, John Smith. Dr John Smith."
The man stood up and saluted. The Doctor had a moment of realisation.
"Oh, please don't tell me I'm-"
"Welcome to UNIT, sir."
"Who's there?" a female voice drifted from the back of the room. A figure followed, one that the Doctor recognised. She recognised him too.
"You!"
"You!"
"But- why-wait -woah-"
"You! UNIT! Together! Suppose it's nepotism, what with your friend-"
"Husband-to-be- why are you here?!"
"Time tunnel. Dragged here, rather abrupt and totally uncool. Mind if I bring my dog in?"
He opened the door and K9 rolled in.
"K9! You actually listened to me for once!"
He nodded.
"So, what's wrong?" he asked. He had dropped all humour.
"What?"
"I can see it in your eyes. Something's wrong and I'm not meant to know about it. I presume it's in the back. I'll go back there if neither of you show me."
Maxine sighed.
"It's...it's not pretty."
He was led to the back room. It was dark, which was amended by harsh lights switched on by a heavy switch. The Doctor staggered back, as the vision of a Dalek in chains filled the room.
"Doc-...tor..."
The Doctor looked at Maxine in alarm.
"Where did it come from? WHERE DID IT COME FROM?!"
"We d-don't know! It just...fell, really. We brought it back for analysis. It's weak, hasn't attacked, and until now has been clichéd and only said 'exterminate'."
"Doc-...tor...Doc-..tor...Doc-tor."
He moved closer.
"What do you want, huh? Why did you come here?"
"We are dy-ing."
"How?"
"We are dy-ing!"
"So what?"
"Help the Da-leks. Save the Da-leks."
"Why should I? Why should I save the ev-"
"Pl-ease."
He froze.
"What did you just say?" The Dalek was silent.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
"Pl-ease. Pl-ease help the Da-leks."
He walked away. Maxine grabbed his arm.
"Woah woah woah! Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"I don't have to help them. If I do, I put the whole planet, the cosmos in danger!"
"And you let lives run out."
"Evil lives. Lives that will destroy any good left in the universe!"
"They're still lives."
"You want me to show the Daleks mercy?"
"No, I want you to show the Daleks dignity."
He cupped his hands on his face and dragged them downwards with a heavy sigh. He walked back towards the Dalek.
"How are you dying?"
"Our tra-vel mach-ines have pois-oned our bodies."
"How?"
"There is an immen-sely un-stable ele-ment in Poly-carbide. It is kil-ling us."
"Then create new shells. It isn't that hard; you recreated yourselves using the Paradigm."
"It is imposs-ible."
"Then I can't fix it, can I?"
He looked back at Maxine.
"Did any others come through?"
"If they did, you'd be talking to them."
He looked back to the Dalek.
"How did you create a time tunnel, huh? If you're so weak?"
"It was not me."
"Who was it then?"
"The plaaague ship."
"A Dalek plague ship. I dread to think. Well, come on then! Call 'em down!"
"Are you insane?!" whispered Maxine.
"Well of course! But you wanted me to show them dignity. So I'll show them dignity."
Three Daleks appeared in the room. They were grimey and rusting, with gashes in their casings and a red light in their eyestalk instead of the usual. They approached the Doctor slowly.
"Help us." one uttered, its headlights turning blood red whenever it spoke. He took out the sonic and scanned it around, doing his usual thing of flicking it up in front of his face.
"But that's...something. Alright, I'll help you."
lllllllllllllllllllllllllll
All four Daleks were lined up and connected to the biggest vat the Doctor could find. Inside this was a chemical cocktail of his creation, which when prompted would feed into the Daleks.
"Now, I've got this-"
"Linked up to a computer, yes I know Doctor. By the way, called Gabriel. Says he'll be here soon to catch up."
"Thank goodness, considering the full on war I'm about to start."
"War?!"
He addressed the Daleks.
"I'm not that stupid, dears! I know a strain of the Kaled virus when I see one!"
"What?"
"They infected themselves. Back when they had legs, the Daleks, or Kaleds as they were back then, involuntarily invented a virus that wiped out the Indoghbahk system. Quite apt when you think about it, Kaleds being homicidal beings before mutation."
"One: Kaled to Dalek is stupid and unimaginative. Two: does this mean..."
"We're facing invasion, extermination and discomfort? Regrettably yes. I just want to know something- who's brainchild was this?"
"Oh Doctor, I should think you would know by now..."
He froze as a voice crackled out of one of the Daleks.
"But you're..."
"Dead? When have I slumbered long enough to die?"
Maxine poked him.
"Who is it?"
"Tell her, Doctor."
"That's...that's Davros, creator of the Daleks..."