The Doctor rubs his face and leans forward. The Doctor holds Clara's hand as he looks into Davros' eyes.
"I have one question: Why me? You know who I am?"
Davros seems aghast. "Know who you are? You answered the call, you came, you obviously want to help the Kaleds! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
He doesn't know who I am, thought the Doctor. He doesn't recall meeting me. He doesn't even remember that I'm his enemy. Better keep it that way.
The Doctor rolls his lips around before continuing. "Yes, I did answer your call. I have a familiarity with wars. I fought in one, many years ago. War is a terrible thing unleashed upon the universe. I had to make a choice I regretted. I had to live with that choice for the longest time. So I know what it is facing you, Davros."
And what Davros doesn't realize, thinks the Doctor, is that war involved his creation.
"So I will talk to your test candidate. There has to be another way."
Davros leans back, "Believe me, I tried. Many in the high command want to enter into peace talks with Thals. This is after they bomb our communities. This dome above….this is the last refuge for the Kaleds. We were on an exodus….the town I grew up is not habitable. It's a radioactive wasteland out there. See what you can do – I'm sorry, what is your name?"
"Smith, John Smith," says the Doctor as he gives a familiar alias to Davros.
"OK John, do what you can. Talk to him. I would stand up," laughs Davros, "but you know."
The Doctor & Clara leave and don't speak until they are outside the bunker. The Doctor seems extremely worried and heads back towards the TARDIS.
"This was a mistake to come here," mutters the Doctor as he opens the doors to the TARDIS.
"Doctor, where are you going? You're leaving?" asks Clara.
"You saw what happened, Clara. I can't do this. This is the one time I can't help." The Doctor heads inside the TARDIS with Clara following him.
"The creator of my enemy believes strongly that he's doing this for the right reasons. He wants to save his people. He wants to save the way of life for the Kaleds. But he doesn't know what will happen to him. He doesn't know that his own creations will kill him. The Daleks will take on a life of their own. The Kaleds and their way of life will be destroyed once the Daleks are created. He can't control them once they are unleashed, Clara," says a nearly sobbing Doctor.
"You didn't make his choice, Doctor. Davros did. You can change history for you, my love. Like you said, this is your second chance. You can stop the Daleks with just a conversation."
"Clara, my Clara, I hope you're right. This time, even I don't know what to do. A Time Lord that doesn't know what to do," laughs the Doctor. "But there's a reason why you're here. Why you're never leaving. You are my conscience. Just remember that," smiles the Doctor at Clara.
"I won't do it, no way," says a young Kaled. "I don't care if I passed the physical and psychological evaluation."
The Doctor seems concerned and looks at Clara. All three are standing near Kaled Academy, a military school that used to be an actual school.
"Look, I can't talk you into doing this if you don't wish to," says the Doctor. "But there has to be a reason."
"There is," says the young Kaled. "Everyone that underwent the changes died. My best mate, he underwent them – he lived. But he wasn't the same. He could barely function. He just sodder about and they sealed him away. I'll show you, come with me."
The Doctor, Clara and this young Kaled went into a bunker.
"What's your name?"
"Devrin. I grew up with Davros. That man's brilliant and I'd follow him to the ends of Skaro, but not for this."
Devrin salutes a soldier and asks to see someone.
"Devrin, I'll get in trouble if I do…"
"I have to show…." Devrin points to the Doctor & Clara.
"John & Jane Smith" pips up Clara.
"John & Jane Smith, I have to show them my mate. They have to see him for themselves."
The other soldier shrugs and finally relents. "Alright, but you owe me a pack of smokes."
The bunker door opens and the Doctor, Clara and Devrin step inside. They go through a series of hallways until they finally reach him: what we know as a Dalek.
"Devrin, so good to see you again, mate," says the Dalek. His voice is not whatthe Doctor is used to. It sounds like a normal voice but muffled.
"Krogos….I had to show them you. This is John & Jane Smith. They answered Davros' distress call."
Krogos sighs. "Please don't let them make any more of this, whatever you do."
The Doctor is surprised – the Daleks are created – but they resent their creation. It is agony for them to simply exist at this point. What prompted the change, wonders the Doctor.