The bridge was burning. The walls were burning. Everything was burning. Alarms were blaring all around and Jones could hear screaming off in the distance. His mind was a blur, but he knew one thing: he needed to find a way out.
"All personnel must evacuate to the escape pods," a klaxon blared out of nowhere. "Evacuate immediately."
Jones sprinted away from the bridge door down a narrow stairwell and turned left, heading for the pod bay. All around him the structure of the ship was creaking, groaning like a dying beast. Well, it WAS a dying beast. Jones had no idea where the shots had come from, but they had shattered the bottom of the ship and shaken the craft like a rubber duck in a whirlpool. Now they were crashing.
Jones could see the first pod bay now. There were people in there too, frantically stuffing themselves into the lifeboats. He called out to them and they turned and saw him. But the one closest to the door scrambled forward and pressed the door override, causing it to start sliding shut.
Jones realised what was happening and ran full pelt for the door, but he wasn't close enough to stop it.
"No more room," the man said, before turning and sprinting towards the escape pods. The door closed and hissed behind him. Jones reached the door and frantically hammered on the window with his fists, but the people inside ignored him.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the ship. Jones was thrown to one side and righted himself just in time to see the pod bay rip open, spilling contents of unsealed escape pods and unloaded survivors into space. Jones jumped away from the door.
Well, Bay 1 is out. The other pod bays were a considerable distance away, but if he was quick he might be able to make it. Jones turned and ran back the way he came, taking a left turn and traversing the bowels of the ship. It seemed like he would make it to Bay 2 when the door slid shut in front of him. Jones peered through the window, but he couldn't see anyone inside or any lifeboats missing.
Drat. Computer must have locked down the ship to preserve the air pressure.
Jones struggled against the door.
Come on! Open, you bloody thing!
Jones lifted his wrist to his mouth and spoke into the device he wore.
"PAC, can you override the systems please?"
"Complying," the device replied. The door creaked open and Jones ran inside. There must've been a small breach in the hull somewhere because the air was gusting past him, but there was still enough air left for him to breathe. He ran to the nearest lifeboat and tugged on the door. The airlock opened with a lazy hiss.
Hurry!
He wriggled past the door and pulled shut the hatch. The escape pod was about the size of a car, large enough to house five people, and a small computer sat opposite the door. Jones crawled over and started it up.
Releasing docking clamps...activating thrusters…
The pod was jettisoned with a jolt, and pushed gracefully away from the cruiser. It glided through the void, silently observed by the barren planet sitting below. Out of range of the ship's gravity, Jones began to float inside the pod, but that was the least of his worries. He had to put as much distance between him and the ship as possible. The pod's rockets activated and the resulting G-force pushed Jones against the back wall. This offered him a clear, though uncomfortable view out of the back window at the ship he was leaving behind. The huge vehicle was in pieces, seemingly held together only by small girders of steel, then before his eyes the centre of the ship overloaded in a burst of flame. The ship lost all its shape and disintegrated, scattering debris in all directions.
Oh, no, all those people...the children...what could do-
Jones' thought were interrupted by a sudden impact as the craft he was in began to spin out of control. The escape pod had been hit by debris from the larger ship and was off course, spiralling out of orbit. Jones was launched against the computer, which sparked and snapped under his weight.
No! System's offline!
"PAC, link into the systems before we crash into that planet!" Jones shouted at his wrist computer.
"I am unable to link into the systems." the device replied flatly.
"Can you do anything?!" The hull was beginning to glow with the heat of atmospheric entry.
"Negative."
Out of the window, the rocky ground was approaching faster than seemed safe. Jones stared at the wrist computer. "PAC, if we survive this, I am really going to-"
Jones woke surrounded by burned and twisted metal. He opened his eyes but could see only a small grey circle of light far above him. Everything else was dark. He tried to sit up and his left side was wracked with pain. Looking down he saw his forearm twisted at an obtuse angle; it was undoubtedly broken. Illuminated in the gloom Jones could see that the escape pod was shattered beyond repair. Resting on his right arm, Jones pulled himself free from the wreckage, and, groaning, he got to his feet.
Survived, then. He glanced down at his right arm and was relieved to see the wrist computer flickering. PAC was still working.
"PAC? Where am I?" Jones asked tentatively.
"Pod collided with manmade caverns." the device rasped.
"Can you send a distress signal?"
"All power to the pod has been lost. The onboard circuitry has been destroyed."
You don't say, Jones thought, staring at the pulverised remains of the lifeboat. "What about you? Can you send a signal?"
"Negative. We must exit the tunnels."
"Fine. Let's get going, then." Clutching his left arm, Jones stepped away from the wreckage. PAC activated his LED function, illuminating the area around them. The pod was sitting at the bottom of an enormous cavern, easily fifty metres deep, with smoothed sides. Piles of rock everywhere indicated this may have once been used for mining, but it didn't look like there had been any activity in the cave for a very long time. The cavern seemed to taper off ahead, becoming a tunnel. That looked like the way to go. Jones sighed and began to follow the path.
He'd been walking for about half an hour when he spotted an outline in the torch beam.
"PAC, increase luminance." Jones ordered the computer.
"Complying."
Edging closer, Jones could see that it looked like some kind of machinery. It was somewhat egg-shaped on top, with small deactivated lights and a stalk protruding from the front. It had once been white, but natural wear and tear had tarnished the paint job. Golden bumps lined its base and two appendages protruded from the front; one looked like an arm with a forward-facing cup on the end, while to other resembled a tube lined with bars. For some reason, Jones felt a twinge of dread in his heart when he stared at the object, even though he'd never seen anything like it before. The design seemed familiar to him, like he'd seen it in a book back in school or something.
"What the hell is it?" Jones asked PAC.
"Scanning." PAC emitted a blue beam from his diode and ran it up and down the contraption. "My databanks suggest the outline of this machine is a Dalek."
A shadow fell across Jones' soul.
"What? Are you sure?"
"Affirmative."
Jones was both amazed and frightened. He'd never seen a Dalek before. He knew of them, he'd heard stories and had learnt about them in History classes, but nothing like this.
"I have to get a holograph of this." he thought out loud. He took out the holocam from his pocket and examined it. It was scratched and had dust all over it, but fortunately wasn't broken. Perfect.
PAC beeped an alarm. "Data suggests non-contact with Dalek should be advised."
"It's dead! It's been here for centuries!" Jones chided. "What harm could it do?" Jones reached out his arm around the Dalek. He could manage a holograph one-handed, but it would be awkward. Leaning across, he suddenly overbalanced and fell against the metal casing. A sudden burning pain seared against his skin like an electric shock. Jones yelped and fell onto the ground, his injured arm sending a lance of pain across his body.
It's still got power. Jones struggled to his feet and examined the Dalek, but aside from the static shock it didn't seem to have made any motion.
"We should continue to the exit." PAC suggested.
"Yeah...yeah, I think you're right," Jones replied. He backed away from the machine and looked about. "Which way?"
"Scanning," said PAC. "We should continue down the tunnel to the right."
"I really hope your scanners are working." Jones said, following PAC's direction.
"My scans are operating with a 0.003296 probability of failure. My logic dictates-"
"Never mind your logic. Just get me out of here."
"So much for your logic! I almost fell of this cliff!" Jones exclaimed. The ravine yawned deep and wide in front of them, and even at maximum brightness PAC's diode could not illuminate any end. There were the rusted remains of a winch on the edge, implying a lift of some kind, but it had long since fallen to pieces.
"Scans of this area suggest the route to the exit is at the bottom of this chasm."
"You've got to be serious?!"
"I am."
"That's not what I-" Jones was interrupted by his perception of a faint sound behind them.
"Ssh! Did you hear something? It's getting louder!"
"Scanning." PAC announced. "The machinery is approaching."
Jones could see a green light glowing in the darkness. He aimed PAC's light down the tunnel and lit up a pale shape heading straight for them.
"Brilliant!" Jones burst out at his computer. "You bring me here, with no way down, and now I'm about to be killed by a bloody pepperpot!
"HALT! Do not run from me!"
The lights on the Dalek's head lit up as it screeched its harsh order. It glided closer and closer on its flat base.
"Where am I going to run?! Eh?" Jones retorted. The Dalek reached him, cornering him against the edge of the chasm. Jones turned his back on the creature, refusing to look at it. "Just kill me! Go on! Kill me!"
"Why should I kill you? Do you wish to be killed?" the Dalek questioned.
"What?" Jones turned around. He'd never heard of a Dalek asking questions.
"What am I?" the Dalek waved its glowing eyestalk in the air, as if distressed. "What am I?"
"You don't know who you are?" Despite his terror, Jones suddenly found himself laughing out loud. "It doesn't know what it is!" he gloated. "I'd never seen one till today, and even I know what you do!" His voice turned accusatory. "What you have done!"
"What have I done?" the Dalek asked, perplexed.
"Not you exactly. But your kind. You destr-" he broke off suddenly. "No. I'm not saying. I won't help you work out who or what you are to then kill me."
"You will tell me what I am!" the Dalek demanded. Jones remained silent, passively resisting the Dalek's orders. Then, he had a thought.
"All right." Jones said to the Dalek. "I will tell you. But only if you help us get out of here. Are we in agreement, Dalek?"
The Dalek paused, thinking. Then it spoke. "I agree."
"Good." Jones said, before turning to look down into the chasm again. Then he remembered. "One more thing. When we get out, do you promise not to kill me?"
The Dalek remained silent.
"Do you promise?" Jones pressed.
"I shall not kill you. I do not know how to kill." the Dalek finally replied.
"You will once I've told you," muttered Jones to himself. "Right. How do we get down there?"
The Dalek whirred, then it started to rise into the air. Its underside glowed with bright orange lights, evidently some kind of anti-gravity mechanism.
"Hold on to me." the Dalek instructed.
"Like hell I will!" Jones stepped back.
"We should use this opportunity to our advantage." PAC piped up quietly, so that only Jones could hear.
"You were just trying to stop me from hugging it for a holograph, and now you want me to jump on its back?" Jones hissed at the device.
"Correct." PAC curtly replied.
Jones sighed. Well, if it's the only way down...he reluctantly approached the Dalek. He couldn't hold on with his left arm, so he had to reach his right arm all around the grille at the Dalek's midsection, while placing his feet on the Dalek's base to steady himself. The Dalek glided over the edge of the cliff and began to descend. The chasm was huge, easily half a mile deep. By the time they reached the bottom Jones could barely hold on any longer, and fell the six foot drop to the ground rather than wait another few seconds, collapsing on impact. He looked up to see the Dalek staring at him.
"We must proceed to the exit."
Jones complied, groaning as he got to his feet. The bottom of the gorge was surprisingly flat and the Dalek had no issue with rolling (or sliding or whatever it did) along the ground. It led the way, Jones limping along behind it.
"We've been walking for hours. I really need to sit down." Jones found a small boulder and gingerly lowered himself onto it. The Dalek stared at him.
"We must continue to the exit." It told him persistently. Jones had had enough.
"Listen. When I say I can't walk any more, I mean I can't walk anymore! And you can't continue without me, so we're staying here for a while." He slumped on his makeshift seat, making himself comfortable. The Dalek watched him all the while, looking him up and down and making its little mechanical noises.
"Do you have to twitch like that? Don't you ever stay still?" Jones asked, irritated.
"I do not understand."
"Don't worry." Jones sighed.
The Dalek paused, as if it were looking for an end to the awkward silence.
"Why are you here?" It queried. Jones sat up straight, knowing this would be a long story.
"I'm a cook. On a space cruiseliner. One of the best." He began. "We were orbiting this planet when we were attacked. Whoever it was killed hundreds of people. Children, families. We were defenceless." Jones paused for breath, trying not to let emotions overtake him in front of the creature.
"I escaped in a lifepod which got hit by debris in the explosion. Next thing I know, I'm hurtling towards this planet. I woke up and found you. Yay me. Plus I got this broken arm to show for it." Jones hefted his left arm and winced. "Seeing that we're asking questions, how long have you been down here? Don't exactly look pristine, dented and rusted."
The Dalek turned its head (if it could be called a head) to one side.
"My internal clock suggests unit was hibernating for seventy-nine thousand years."
Jones was taken aback.
"That long? You must have got abandoned, left here to rust. What were you doing here?"
"I do not know."
"You really don't remember anything, do you?
"My internal databank is corrupt." the metal being said matter-of-factly. "I have no knowledge of what or who I am."
"That must be tough." Jones said, the dramatic irony strong in his voice. "I can't imagine what it's like for you, being down here all this time, all alone." He lifted his arm. "At least I have you, PAC."
"What is that device?" the Dalek said, regarding his wrist.
"PAC. Personal Assistant Computer. He does practically everything. I bought him on Terra Nova 2 from a Sontaran market trader. I couldn't believe it. A Sontaran market trader? I think their race is slowly losing it. No longer interested in war and conflict. They're becoming domestic." Jones chuckled.
"Sontaran?" The Dalek stared into space, like it knew the name.
"Yeah. Do you remember them? Short, look the same, have a potato for a head?"
"Potato?"
Jones ignored the question. "Do you know what species I am?"
"No." The Dalek replied flatly.
"Well, I'm a human. I was born on Earth, but my mother and father came from a hibernation colony that was travelling in an Ark in space. What I was told was that they were woken up by three time travellers," Jones said, then added "If you believe in such things."
The Dalek froze, and looked at him slowly. There was tension in its eye, more than normal. Jones' heartbeat started to pick up; what was it doing?
"Time travellers?"
"Are you okay?" Jones said, then realised himself. Why am I asking a homicidal maniac if it's okay?
The Dalek turned its body to face him, then the small tube on its left side pivoted in its socket.
"Why are you pointing that at me?"
PAC piped up. "It is a rayg-"
"I know what it is. I know a gun when I see it."
The Dalek seemed to be internalising something. "I feel...anger...and rage! I want to kill!" Jones stood up and began to back away.
"Exterminate!"
"I believe it is remembering." said PAC.
"Thanks for stating the obvious." Jones backed up against the side of the cavern.
Suddenly, a growl from deep in the tunnel startled all parties. Jones peered into the darkness. What was that?
"PAC, scan the area."
"Complying." PAC's scanner flashed into the darkness. "Readings are unknown. I am unable to verify other lifeforms."
Jones stamped his feet in frustration. He looked at the Dalek. It was definitely a threat to him now, but he might need its help if whatever was out there chose to pursue him. He had no choice.
"Dalek, I think we need to get out of here."
"Da-lek. Yes! I am a Dalek!" The creature was preoccupied with its newfound memories. I shouldn't have said that.
Another growl, and heavy footfalls. Something shifted in the darkness, something which was getting closer. Fast.
"Don't just stand there!" Jones tried for one last chance. "Run! Glide! I don't care, just move!" then he turned and ran, using PAC's torch to light his way. The Dalek called after them.
"You will halt, or you will be exterminated! Exterminate!"
An energy blast rang out, and red light skewed over Jones' head. He ducked and sprinted as fast as his sore and tired legs could carry him. Behind him there was the sound of an impact and an harsh, metallic scream. Jones stole a glance behind him to see the light from the Dalek's head lights bouncing off what looked like a huge brown lump of slime, featureless but for the gaping jaws adorned with shiny black teeth. It had knocked the shrieking Dalek aside and was still coming.
No, no, I'm not being eaten by a walking slug.
"Scanning complete. Cover your ears." PAC interjected.
"What?" Suddenly the computer emitted an enormous high-pitched ring which pierced Jones' mind like an icicle. He clamped his hands over his ears to muffle the sound but could still hear it, along with the tortured screams of the monster that was behind them. Jones opened his eyes to see it writhing in agony, before it turned and fled back down the gorge even faster than it had pursued them.
Oh, I'm so glad I brought you, PAC. But what of the Dalek?
"We should leave." the device on his wrist chirped. "Scans indicate that the exit is close."
"But, we can't leave the Dalek here like this!" Jones argued.
"I believe that the Dalek is manipulating you. My scans-"
"You and your scans! Just be right about the exit, and make sure it's not another drop to my death!" Jones turned and headed for the Dalek. His entire body was in pain, from his ringing ears to his aching arm and sore legs. But the Dalek looked worse for wear. The monster had knocked it onto its side and a rock had crushed its domelike head. Its casing was cracked, one long fissure splitting it from top to bottom, and its strange cup arm was bent at 30 degrees. Jones approached the battered creature tentatively.
"Dalek? Can you hear me?"
"I...hear...you." the Dalek rasped, as if every word caused it pain.
"Are you okay?"
"My casing is impaired...but I am functional."
"Can you right yourself?" Jones asked hopefully. He really didn't have the strength to lift the 5-foot cyborg onto its base.
"Yes...I can." the Dalek's base glowed amber,and it started to levitate. Rock and rubble tumbled off its casing as it pivoted in the air before coming to rest on the ground.
"PAC says we are close to the exit." Jones told the Dalek.
"Then we must continue." It replied.
Jones hesitated.
"Why didn't you kill me?" He asked.
"I am holding to our bargain."
"But you remember?" Jones answered, surprised. "From what I read about you and your kind-"
"Do you wish for death?" the Dalek interrupted, a new threatening tone in its voice.
"No, but I thought- you know what? It doesn't matter." And it didn't. The Dalek wasn't as talkative as before, so what? Escaping this tunnel was the priority.
"We must leave. You will lead the way." The Dalek demanded. "Lead! Lead!"
"Okay!" Jones exclaimed. "PAC? Now where?"
"Straight ahead. The exit is at the end of that tunnel."
Sure enough, soon a pinprick of light appeared in the distance. The point of light grew and grew until finally Jones and the Dalek stepped out of it into the open air.
Jones whispered to the device on his wrist. "PAC, if you can send a distress signal, now would be the time."
"Complying."
Jones looked around. The landscape was mountainous, with no animal or plant life to be seen in any direction. What caught Jones' eye was the number of buildings dotting the horizon. They weren't of human design. There were structures, building styles he didn't recognise. He could see what looked like a statue, and the statue was of-
Uh oh.
"How long did you say you were down there?" Jones asked his companion.
"Seventy-nine thousand years. I was part of an expedition. We were here to begin the creation of a new Dalek homeworld."
Oh no. We're on a Dalek planet.
"But I thought they died out centuries ago?" he conjectured to the Dalek.
"This is not the Dalek homeworld. The structures are not of our design."
"What do you mean? That's a statue of a Dalek, isn't it? Over there? I mean, you don't look like that, but it looks a bit like what you do." Jones continued. "Maybe they changed their mind on the design? Or they built a new city on top of the old one you were building. You were down there for seventy-nine thousand years. What do you think, Dalek?" There was no reply. Jones looked over. "Dalek? Dalek, are you listening?"
The Dalek had become very still. It appeared to be focusing on something which Jones couldn't see.
"What's it doing?"
"I am detecting a signal eminating from the city. The Dalek is processing incoming data."
"What kind of data?"
"Decoding...it is assimilating historical events and future plans for a galactic war that is yet to come."
"They're planning a full-scale war? Why?" Jones was shocked. Who would this war be against? Were his family safe, his homeworld?
"For the survival of the Dalek race!" the Dalek burst out suddenly, surprising the human. "Time-sensitive species are gathering to prepare for the genocide of the Daleks!" The Dalek looked up, speaking not only to its companion but also as if to some unseen audience. "We will destroy them first! This planet is the staging area for the beginning of the war!"
The ground started to shake. Dust rose into the air. Jones looked up to see a massive bronze saucer hovering over them. He yelped, and stumbled backwards.
"Stay where you are! Do not move!" the Dalek screeched at him. It needed not worry; the man was too petrified to run.
The ship descended to the ground and extended long metal stilts to land upon, hitting the ground with a soft bump. A door slid open in the hull and a gantry slid out, providing a bridge from the ship to the ground. For a split second all Jones could see of the ship's inhabitants were an array of blue lights, before they glided out into the air. These were Daleks, but quite dissimilar to the Dalek that Jones had met in the cave. They were of a similar shape, but bronze coloured, and more heavy-set. The Dalek in front seemed to be the leader, and it coloured black with golden globes and panels lining its flanks. The Daleks reached the ground and moved to a stop in front of Jones.
"You are a survivor from the orbiting vessel we destroyed." the black leader said, in a deeper and more powerful voice than the first Dalek.
Jones was taken aback. "You killed them? Why? There were families, children on that ship! We weren't a threat to you! Don't you care?!"
The lead Dalek stared at him blankly.
"Your silence says it all." Jones spat. He turned to the damaged Dalek behind him. "And I thought you said you wouldn't kill me."
"You were vital in my escape." it said, fixing him with its green eye.
Jones was confused. "I...I don't understand."
"You were a pawn in my plan. I know who and what you are." the Dalek said, its voice ringing with smug revelation. "My navigational computer was damaged in a collapsing tunnel. I searched for an exit for years. Then I stopped searching." It looked away for a moment, pivoting its head to observe the cave mouth behind it. Then it stared at him again. "I waited in silence for someone to come. To willingly aid me in my escape. I will not kill you. But they will." It gestured to its Dalek comrades with its broken arm.
Jones started to giggle, a satisfied realisation that he had been tricked.
"I fell for it! Oh, I thought you'd forgotten! I felt sorry for you!"
"Pity," the Dalek said, no feeling in its demeanour. "Daleks have no pity."
"Take aim!" the black Dalek ordered its subordinates.
Jones looked at them, then back at his former ally.
"Well I still pity you. All of you!" He straightened up. "Remember me." he said defiantly, staring the Dalek right in its emotionless eye.
"Exterminate!" the leader screeched. Two Daleks flanking it fired blue beams of light from their gunsticks. The rays struck Jones, illuminating his internal structure as they scrambled every cell in his body. Without a sound the human collapsed to the ground and lay still.
PAC spoke up.
"Earth Alliance knows what happened here."
The lead Dalek observed the computer coldly.
"By the time the Earth Alliance arrives, it will be too late." It fired at the computer, frying it to a piece of useless metal in less than a second.
The Dalek Supreme turned to face its damaged comrade.
"You have rare cunning. You do not think like a Dalek."
It regarded its subject silently for a moment, deciding what to make of this anomaly. Then it finally spoke.
"You will be reconditioned to serve our Emperor. Your casing will be replaced. You will be appointed attack squad leader of the Thirteenth Dalek Assault Squad. You are to begin your attack on the Nestene homeworld."
"I obey." The Dalek replied, contented.
Together, the Daleks moved to board the saucer. The gantry began to retract from the ground.
"I foresee you becoming the greatest Dalek of all." said the Supreme, as the hull door slid shut. "Now, we must prepare. The Time War begins!"