The Doctor and Borusa walk onto the planet of the Daleks. They're in a field that goes on for miles, but the ground is bare and dead. There is no green grass or tall trees that would be swaying in the wind. Actually, there's not even a wind in the air. It's quiet and empty. The air is filled with a thin mist in which they can barely see the setting sun on the horizon, spreading its last light onto the barren ground. No life-signs anywhere. No Daleks anywhere.
The Doctor takes a few steps out in the open field to look around with a grimace on his face.
"You know, it's not often I don't like a planet," the Doctor says, without looking at Borusa who's standing behind him. "But I've, honestly never liked Skaro. And not just because it's the planet of the Daleks. But look at this place! It's so … grim. No colors, nothing beautiful, nothing alive. It's just dead. Who would want to live here?"
Unlike the Doctor, Borusa stays close to the TARDIS. The Doctor doesn't notice how Borusa's hands are slightly shaking and his breath is coming out in small gasps, while his eyes are looking left and right in case they're not so alone as they think they are.
"Well, the Daleks doesn't seem to mind living here."
"The Daleks are the Daleks. They have no concept of beauty. Well, except for one, but that's not my point."
The Doctor spins around and turns to Borusa. "Well, let's find the dalekanium so we don't have to stay here for long."
"How are we going to find it? There is nothing but gray sand for miles."
The Doctor peaks around Borusa and the TARDIS and gazes towards something behind them. "I would put my bets on that place."
Borusa turns to look at what the Doctor is gesturing to and sees a large pile of metal. It looks like a chaotic mess from a distance. However, it's too far away to see any details. "What is that?"
"I don't know."
"Is it a building?" Borusa squints towards the structure, struggling to see it clearly trough the mist.
"Might be."
"Why would the Daleks build a building in the middle of nowhere?"
"I don't know. Maybe they like to go camping in the middle of nowhere? You know, no stairs to climb," the Doctor jokes.
"I would be surprised if the Daleks has any interests at all."
"Apart from world-domination I don't think you'd find anything," says the Doctor while he starts to walk towards the structure.
"Wait," Borusa stops him. "What are you doing?"
The Doctor shrugs. "Getting the dalekanium of course. If it is one place, it will be there." He starts once again to walk. Borusa has to start walking as well so he can catch up with the Doctor.
"And if the Daleks are one place, they will be there as well."
"Yes, that's true. I do hate it when things don't work in my favour." The Doctor keeps walking even though Borusa is clearly nervous.
"Aren't you even the slightest nervous about crossing paths with a Dalek?"
"Are you? Because you seem a little fidgety. River says I tend to be fidgety too. But it's not because I'm nervous. I guess it's just a habit I can't shake. Or I'm just clumsy."
"You're taking this whole situation very lightly," Borusa keeps looking over his shoulder to the TARDIS standing a good distance away now.
"Lightly is a very relative term. I wouldn't say I find this fun. Skaro really is an ugly planet and the Daleks are just annoying. But I don't know … There is a mysterious structure in the middle of nowhere and we have no idea what we're going to find there. This certainly has the potential to be fun."
"I do not find this fun."
"Well, Borusa, you really didn't have to come. I would actually prefer if you stayed in the TARDIS," the Doctor shrugs.
"I can't let you walk in there alone."
"Yes, you can. You just associate me with your student Theta Sigma and you feel an irrational and rather unnecessary need to protect me. But honestly, Borusa, it's starting to feel like you're the one who need protection."
Borusa is slightly offended by that, but he doesn't make an argument out of it.
"What about the Time Lords?" he asks, feeling guilty and knowing how strict the Time Lords are with their laws.
"What about them?"
"Aren't we breaking many laws? The non-interference policy states that we …" That's all that he manages to say when the Doctor interrupts him with a groan.
"Please do not bring up the non-interference policy. I am way past the non-interference policy."
"It's the law."
"It's the Time Lord's law."
"You are a Time Lord."
"Doesn't mean I'm going to follow their laws. Besides, I hardly think pulling me here from the future was in accordance with their laws."
"I had to know what will happen in the future."
"Well, then I guess you did it for nothing."
"It wasn't all for nothing."
"I didn't tell you anything about the future."
"Yes, you did. I know about the time lock. And I know that the Time Lords are going to die."
"I said no such thing!"
"No, but you've been hinting towards it this entire time. You know, you're a very bad liar."
"I've been told that before."
"What I don't get is that if the Time Lords died, how did you survive?"
"Stop asking questions, Borusa. Come on, let's get there before it gets dark."
"This is stupid." Ushas said while crossing her arms over her chest. She's looking at Koschei peeking his head out of the TARDIS door to see if Borusa and the Doctor left.
"Ushas is right, this is stupid," Millennia agrees. "Actually no, this is beyond stupid. This is insane. This is exactly the reason why you always get detention. And one day, you'll step over a limit and get expelled."
Theta only laughs at her words. "The guy that just went out those doors is prove that I won't. And I don't know about Koschei, but the teachers already love him for his brains, so I think he's good."
Koschei grins at Theta's words, closing the door.
"Nobody's there. Let's go explore!"
"I don't know," Mortimus says, still standing by the console. "Did you hear Borusa talking about the Daleks. He sounded really scared."
Theta sprints over to Mortimus and lays a hand on his shoulder. "Mortimus, outside that door is a whole new world. A different planet! How often do we get the chance to see a different planet! Do you really want to spend the rest of your life wondering what would have happened if you had just joined us on this adventure? How are we supposed to be the toughest on the Academy if we chicken out now?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Same goes for you, Ushas. I mean, come on," Koschei grins. "You're Ushas, the toughest girl on the Academy. And you're just going to stay cooped up in this TARDIS?"
Ushas stares at Koschei for a while, but eventually comes to a conclusion.
"Dammit. Millennia, they're right."
"What is the matter with you?!" Millennia exclaims. "Can't you see that this is totally insane and irresponsible! Honey, tell them I'm right." Millennia turns to Rallon, otherwise known as Millennia's boyfriend. He is standing by the stairs leading to the console and scratches the back of his neck, looking rather guilty.
"Actually, I agree with Koschei," he says.
"What!?"
"Well, come on, Millennia. We've spent over a century at the Academy, preparing for a life that never seems to come. I'm sick of having to listen to lectures teaching me about what I will do sometime in the far future. I just want to do it."
"You're all idiots!" Millennia exclaims.
"Exactly," Koschei smirks. "We are idiots. And you are the smartest girl at the Academy. We won't stand a chance without you and that's why you should come too."
Millennia hesitates, but eventually sighs. "Fine. But I'm only doing it because you need someone responsible to take control when everything goes horribly wrong. And besides." She pauses for a bit before looking down at the floor, avoiding they're eyes. "You're my friends and I don't want you to die."
"I knew you cared," Koschei grins.
"I still think you're stupid."
"Great, then it's settled." Ushas says and goes over to the white door. "Shall we go now?"
Everyone starts to move towards the door. However, Koschei notices Theta still standing by the console, which is odd, because of all the people here, Theta would be the most excited to see an alien planet. Theta keeps staring at the rotor above the console with a frown and doesn't even flinch when Koschei comes over to him.
"Theta, are you coming?"
"Yeah, I'm just …" he mumbles silently. "Can you feel that?"
"Feel what?"
"Well, I don't know exactly. It's this sort of humming."
"No, I don't feel that." Koschei looks at the rotor.
"I think it's her," Theta says, his eyes still glued to the rotor. "I think she's talking to me."
"Really? What is she saying?"
"She's saying … hello."
"Maybe you have a connection. It is your TARDIS after all."
Theta finally looks at Koschei and grins wider than he has ever done before. "Yes. Yes, it is."
Koschei rolls his eyes and moves towards the door. "Now are you coming or not?"
"I'm coming." Theta pats the console one last time and follows Koschei out the door.
Once they're outside none of them know exactly where to go. They look curiously around them, a little bit excited and a little bit anxious. Theta and Koschei however are positively thrilling.
As before the scenery is dead and bare. There isn't a sound to be heard except for the low chatter of the young Time Lords, standing close to the TARDIS. The sun is hovering over the horizon now, and with the mist still hanging in the air, it's difficult to see in long distances.
"Okay, we're here, out on our very first real adventure," Ushas says matter-of-factly. "Now what?"
"I know that everyone is very excited about seeing a new planet, but why does it have to be this planet?" Rallon asks.
"This place is really ugly," Magnus says and kicks a rock on the sandy ground.
"Nothing has to be beautiful to be exciting," Theta smile enthusiastic.
"That doesn't change the fact that I would much rather explore any other planet in the universe," Millennia disagrees.
"If nothing happens within a minute now, I'll be bored and go back inside." Ushas directs it to Theta and Koschei as if giving them the responsibility to keep her entertained.
"We'll go explore this place!" Theta exclaims.
"Explore where? There is nothing out here," Magnus says.
"Ehhh …" Theta struggles with finding an answer when he is interrupted by Drax who is standing a small distance away.
"Hey, guys!" Drax yells. "Look at that building."
They all turn to look behind the TARDIS where a structure resembling a building stands in the distance.
"Yes! That's where we'll go!"
"There is nothing else here for at least two miles." Jelpax says. "Don't you think that if the Doctor and Borusa went anywhere it would be there?"
"There's not much else here to explore. And besides, it looks really interesting!" Thetas glees.
"If Professor Borusa catches us then we'll have detention for half a century," Drax says while looking at the structure from a distance.
"No, we won't," Koschei interrupts. "Because he'll have to explain to the Academy why we get detention. And to spare his dignity, he won't tell them the truth. I mean he has endangered our lives as well as his own by bringing us here, to the planet of the Daleks. He's been risking paradoxes every five minutes asking future Theta questions that he shouldn't know the answer to. He's violating the non-interference policy right now, getting the dalekanium. And all of that has been happening within the last three hours. He would never willingly tell the Academy about it just so that he can punish us."
"Wow," Theta mumbles astonished. "I never thought Borusa could break so many laws in so little time."
Jelpax huffs and starts to walk towards the structure. "You two have an annoyingly good talent of convincing people to do stupid stuff that will inevitably end in trouble. Now are we going or not?"
Theta and Koschei gladly tag alongside Jelpax, followed by the rest of the Deca. Some of them hesitates a bit, but it doesn't take long before all of them are moving towards the structure, leaving the TARDIS behind.
They walk for quite a long while, and eventually, the sun that used to touch the horizon has sunken below it and the sky is turned dark blue. They can barely see the structure anymore due to the darkness and the mist, but they keep on going. The darkness and the mist are also the cause for what happens next. Because if it were a clear air and sky and the sun were out, they would have seen them coming a mile away. They would've run back to the TARDIS where it's safe. But of course, they can't see them before it's too late.
It is Theta who sees them first. It looks like nothing harmful. Just a small, blue speck of a light. He stops suddenly, staring into the blue light while his friends asked him what's wrong.
"What is that?" he asked them.
"What is what?" Ushas replied.
"That," he says and points to the blue light.
No one continues the conversation, but Koschei moves towards the light, trying to squint through the mist so he can spot the light's source.
Suddenly, the light moves towards them and the source reveals itself through the mist in the form of an eyestalk attached to a metal body which rolls over the sandy ground with a horrid, robotic sound.
"Hault! You are now the prisoners of the Daleks! You will be either be enslaved or exterminated!"
