Author's Note: Time for a brief glimpse of some of your favorite characters from "Something"! Enjoy them while they last; they're not around for long, in this story.

There was a simple palm scan thing, by the air lock, which Raykins activated to access VQ 17. A palm scan that beeped with the words, "Code 5 recognized. Welcome, Korjensky Intelligence Agent Deborah Raykins."

The door swung open.

"Deb!" was the scream that filled VQ 17 the moment they entered.

Followed by about a hundred girls flocking forwards, at superhuman speeds, to get to Raykins first.

Raykins laughed, as she was nearly bowled over by the greeting. All that hardness and cold precision which Dawn had seen out in the field flaked away, leaving nothing but… sheer joy in her eyes. All masks dropped. All facades fell away.

Here, she didn't need to be smart-to-survive. Didn't need to be the one-in-charge, or the interrogator, or the person-who-told-it-like-it-was. Here, she was…

Herself.

"Jordan! You're a blond, now, huh? Love it," said Raykins, with a grin. "And Ash! That blaster trick I taught you working out?"

The amber-haired girl did a double round-off, taking three pretend shots in midair.

"Next step, you get to do that in Ewilin gravity," said Jordan.

Ashley stuck out her tongue.

"And how's… Trista?" said Raykins, putting an arm over one of the Slayers who'd come to greet her. Face melting into concern, voice falling a little. "Is she…?"

"Practically recovered," said the Slayer. "The Daleks did a job on her, but… she's good, now. Almost back to normal."

"She's even started complaining about Freddy's Guxorit Surprise, again," said Ashley. She gave a shudder. "Traditional Martian cuisine my foot."

"Sounds like she's her regular self," Raykins said. Unable to keep the relief from her face. "At least we got her back before she was shipped out to the Dalek's Main Experiment…" Raykins paused. Then, with an uneasy glance towards Dawn, she stopped.

That was when the others noticed Dawn.

"Uh… Deb?" said Jordan, her stance going a little more defensive. "Who is that?"

"I'm—" Dawn started.

"Mindy Hill," Raykins cut in, without a moment's hesitation. "A human clone runaway from the rim worlds. She was on Jarodin when the Daleks attacked. I figured with all the people out there scanning for Dalek Replicants, this would be the safest place for her."

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

All the Slayers shifting into a defensive position, almost subconsciously.

"She… tests positive as a replicant?" Jordan repeated.

Raykins moved beside Dawn. "Yes, because she's a clone," she said, nonchalantly placing an arm around Dawn's shoulders. But Dawn could tell — it was a defensive move of Raykins' own. And a warning to the others.

"Deb," one of the Slayers hissed. "You found her with the Daleks. She tests positive. She has to be…"

"She's not," Raykins replied, with a shrug. She seemed utterly calm and relaxed about all this.

"Yeah?" said Ashley. "Why? How do you know? How can we trust the Daleks not to—?"

Raykins met Ashley's eyes with her own. "Because I said so."

For a few long moments, there was silence.

Then the others seemed to accept this. And the defensive positions dropped. The Slayers still eyeing Dawn a little wearily, but willing to take Raykins' word for it.

"Good," said Raykins, with a grin. She brushed past Dawn. "I was thinking I could leave her with Laura. Where'd she…?"

A mousy-looking brown haired girl tentatively leaned her head into the room. "Deb?"

Raykins' face broke into a wide beam, as she raced forwards. "There she is!" Grabbed her up into a hug, and then ruffled her hair. "Still hanging in and staying strong! Knew you could do it."

"Stop it! You're messing up my hair!" Laura whined, squirming out of Raykins' grip. But it was clear she was only seconds away from grabbing up Raykins into an equally tight hug, herself.

Raykins turned to Dawn. Clapped Laura on the back. "I love this kid," Raykins said. "She came on here three years ago, as the most massive bookworm you could imagine. Had flunked all her combat courses back in the Korjensky System. But by the time I got promoted — best fighter you could imagine!" She flashed a proud grin at Laura. "She's like my little sister, this one!"

Laura gave a shy smile and a wave.

"She'll look after you," Raykins told Dawn. "Make sure no one kills you by accident. That kind of thing." She turned on her heels. "Meanwhile… I've got to find Viv. Send some communications to IPSA High Command. Any idea—?"

"Cabin 1F," said Jordan. "Sleeping."

Raykins grinned. "Time to wake her up, then."

Then raced off.

Vivian, a purple-haired techie, worked at the command operations of VQ 17, poking and prodding at buttons. She yawned, then scratched her bed-hair.

"I really appreciate this," Raykins said.

"Yeah, well, sleep's over-rated, anyways," Vivian said. She tapped a control on her upper-arm-band, and a shot of caffeine raced through her system. Viv then returned to what she was doing before, with the VQ's computers. "You're lucky you got this engine signature recorded with that EM field. A field like that should have wiped all your data out completely."

"Can you trace where the Dalek engine signature went?" Raykins asked, again.

"Hold on, hold on," Vivian snapped. "I'm working on it." Then, with a small smile, sneaking a glance at Raykins, added, "Don't tell me there was no one in the whole Korjensky System that could do this for you?"

"Yeah, but… I figured… why settle for second best?" Raykins replied, with a grin at Viv.

Vivian didn't pause in her calculations and inputs. "Flattery won't make this go any faster," she warned. Then, with another few buttons, the answer flickered before Vivian. "There. Got it."

"And…?" Raykins asked.

Vivian grimaced. "And you were right," she said, spinning around to face Raykins. "That Dalek ship from Jarodin is headed right for the Daleks' Main Experiment Ship. AKA the 'Point of No Return', the 'Black Hole', the…"

Vivian trailed off, as she noticed the grave look on Raykins' face.

Hesitated.

"What are they bringing there?" Vivian ventured.

Raykins faltered. Then fidgeted around in her pocket. "Viv. I…"

"Yeah, sorry, top secret," Vivian cut in. Shot Raykins a smile. "Forgot. Don't want to get you into trouble."

Raykins frowned, deeply. "Top secret," she echoed. Her voice dull and flat.

Vivian wondered just what it was on her mind that was making her so caught up. What was troubling her? Probably something with the Daleks. Bad things always had Dalek written all over them, in Vivian's experience.

"Hey, it's fine," Vivian put in, quickly. "Top secret's there for a reason. If IPSA High Command knows, that's good enough for me."

Raykins remained silent for a long moment. Then, slowly, brought a small cube out from her pocket. No bigger than her thumbnail. She turned it over in her hand, her face a blur of emotions and contemplations and consequences.

Then she tossed it over to Vivian.

Vivian caught it.

"For your eyes, and your eyes alone," Raykins said. "Can't risk direct digital transfer."

Vivian slid the cube into a reader.

Then felt her jaw drop, as she realized… what she was seeing.

"This is top secret," Vivian said. "Your notes on your mission for High Command." She shot her head up to stare at Raykins. "You could get in serious trouble for showing me this!"

Raykins looked away. "I… know." She paused. Then added, "It needed to go to someone I trusted. And… I realized… there's no one I trust more than you."

"It needs to go to IPSA High Command," said Vivian, turning back to the data. She squinted. "Who is this 'Doctor' anyways? And why is 'Sunglasses' so interested in him?"

"A Dalek-fighter, apparently," Raykins replied.

"I can see that," Vivian said. Taking in everything she was reading. "Time traveler. Defeated the Daleks on Usey, Spirodon, in the Encorto Cluster…" Gave an impressed whistle. "Ended the Dalek Invasion of Yxor!" Glanced up at Raykins. "Is this stuff for real?"

Raykins nodded.

Vivian took the cube out of the reader, and handed it back to Raykins, pointedly. "You definitely need to tell High Command about this," she said. "If there's any chance they can get this guy here, then—"

"I'm not telling them," Raykins said, in a very quiet voice, not taking back the cube. Hesitated. "Not… yet."

Once again, Vivian couldn't quiet take in what she was hearing.

Raykins ran her hands through her hair, then slumped down onto a nearby chair. "Truth is, Viv… I just don't know if I can trust them."

"High Command?!"

Raykins faltered. And Vivian could see real indecision leaking through her. Something was tearing Deb up from the inside, and she didn't know what to do about it.

"Viv," Raykins said, at last, in a low voice. "You know the Daleks are trying to create a Replicant that can set off our scans as a code 5. Right?"

"Everyone knows that," said Vivian.

"Well, what if… the Daleks got their hands on something that could help them achieve that goal," said Raykins. "Along with… a biological weapon. Someone who could literally tear the universe apart around IPSA and Korjensky and the whole human race, and shove us all into some backwater reality so the Daleks could take over the universe. If the Daleks got both of them — what would you do?"

"Blow up the Daleks' ship before it left the planet," said Vivian.

"Even if that biological weapon was a person — like you or me?"

"Yeah, but if the Daleks get that person," Vivian argued, "they'll wipe out the universe. I mean, one life versus the universe — you can't take the risk! You have to destroy that ship before Dalek Command even finds out about this weapon in the first place!"

Raykins nodded, slowly. "Congratulations," she said, in a dead tone of voice. "By blowing up that ship… you've just killed the only daughter of Bunfy Sompters."

Silence.

Then Vivian shouted, "What?!"

The whole thing whirling around in Vivian's head. The words just… not making sense! Not at all!

"Bunfy Sompters didn't have a daughter," Vivian insisted. "There are no records to show—"

"Our records on her are sketchy at best," said Raykins. "We don't know when she was born. When she died. How she created the Slayer or even — if my source is right — what her name is! But… all that aside… her daughter is on the Dalek Main Experiment Ship. The only Sompters left. And if I'd followed the protocols of IPSA High Command, she'd be dead."

Vivian didn't know what to say.

"It's been driving me crazy, just thinking about it!" Raykins continued. Threw up her arms. "All my life, I've been taught to follow IPSA High Command and, by doing so, live up to the ideals of Bunfy Sompters. But what if those two forces are in conflict? What if—"

"Maybe Sompters would have agreed with IPSA protocols!" Vivian offered. "To save the world — the universe — she'd have made any sacrifice! Maybe…"

Vivian faltered, at the look on Raykins' face.

Then slumped. "Yeah," Vivian muttered. "That argument didn't sound very convincing to me, either."

For a few long moments, neither of them said anything.

"So… if she's Bunfy Sompters' daughter… how'd she get here?" Vivian asked, at long last. "Shouldn't she be long dead by now?"

"Time travel," said Raykins. She nodded at the cube in Vivian's hands. "It's why I gave you that."

Vivian looked down at it. All the pieces coming together.

"She's got a connection with the Doctor!" said Vivian.

"Probably," said Raykins. "She's almost certainly here to lure him to this century. This galactic sector." Her eyes still fixed on that cube, leaning her elbows against her knees. "And I don't know how to feel or what to do about that."

Vivian thought a moment.

Reflected on the data she'd just read.

"He… deals with time anomalies, doesn't he?" said Vivian. "So… if this Bunfy-daughter isn't supposed to be here… and he found out Daleks were involved… he'd show up to sort it out!"

Raykins didn't answer.

But Vivian was sure that she was right. "You think this was all stage-managed, huh?" she said. "You think the Bunfy-daughter's here on purpose."

"I'm sure of it," said Raykins. "You read the report. Sunglasses wants the Doctor. I don't know why, or what for, but she was willing to risk Dalek extermination and wade into a war zone just to get information on him. Who knows what she'd be willing to do to actually get her hands on him."

Vivian looked down at the cube in her hands.

"She could do anything, Viv," said Raykins. "Feed the Daleks a dangerous super-weapon. Give the Daleks the ability to wipe IPSA from the face of the universe. Maybe even destroy this galactic sector. You name it! She's manipulative on a massive scale, and we're her pawns. The moment she gets the Doctor, she'll be out of here, and whatever she's fed to the Daleks will be used against us. We can't give them that chance."

"That's why you told me about him," Vivian realized. "As a warning."

Raykins nodded.

"If he shows up," said Vivian, "we have to protect him. Because if we don't… Sunglasses will snatch him up and leave us in a bigger mess than we started with."

"Yes," said Raykins. Then, sharply, added, "But be careful, Viv. She's manipulative. I told you. I… I wouldn't put it past her to have left all that data about the Doctor lying around on purpose. So she could set up a duplicate of him to fool us."

"A Replicant?" Vivian said. "Why would she…?"

"His blue box," Raykins cut in. Nodding at the cube. "It's how you can work it out. The Daleks have recorded its energy signature in his data file. It's always with him. Sunglasses could duplicate him, but she couldn't duplicate that."

Neither said anything.

Then Raykins sighed. "Better hook me up to High Command," she said. "Private link. I have to give them my report."

"I thought you didn't trust them with…?" Vivian began.

"I don't trust them with anything having to do with time travel, the Doctor, or… the connections all this has to our legends," Raykins said. "And even if I did… they'd never believe me."

Vivian gave a small laugh. "That's true."

"You believe me, though," Raykins pointed out.

Vivian grinned. "You know that already. Everyone on this ship would trust you enough to follow you straight into the middle of Dalek Hell. Just give us the word… and we're there."

"No," said Raykins. "You're staying here. I need you to look after… Mindy Hill."

Vivian thought it through a long while.

"Mindy Hill," she repeated. Then, her grin going even wider, added, "Oh, don't tell me. She's actually the legendary Willnoe, but you don't want anyone to know."

"She's… legendary," said Raykins. "Let's keep it at that."

"Knew it!"

"The reality remains the same," Raykins explained. "Regardless of anything legendary. The Daleks have captured an innocent civilian whose powers they could use to destroy IPSA, if not this whole galactic sector. We have to retrieve that civilian at all costs. IPSA High Command will send a highly-trained rescue party to help with that."

"And this… Doctor?" said Vivian.

"I'm leaving you to deal with that part," said Raykins. She nodded at the computer console. "Now hook me up to High Command. I've got a report to file."