A/N: I'll be setting this chapter more in the Doctor's point of view, just to experiment a little with things.
When the Doctor awoke, Elisabeth was already out of her chair. He'd sworn he hadn't been asleep for very long, just another few hours after she woke up screaming. After all, he didn't need as much sleep as she did, being a Time Lord.
Elisabeth came in from the toilet, her hair wet and washed. She walked across the room, settling back into the chair, stretching her back.
"Oh, you're finally awake, Doctor."
The Doctor got out of bed, ruffling his dishevelled hair with one hand. "Did you get much sleep last night, after...?"
"Of course I did, Doctor," Elisabeth replied, a subtle smile on her lips. "I slept very well, thank you very much."
"I don't believe you," The Doctor said, stretching the stiff muscles in his shoulders. "You've been up all night, I can tell, from the dark circles under your eyes, and the way you don't seem to look very focused."
"When since do I need to tell you the complete truth?" Elisabeth asked, stifling a yawn. "Go get dressed, Doctor. I'm certain there will be much to do today."
"Another day on the convention floor, so it seems."
"I'd want to get down to the secrets of the Daleks, or what the research faculty calls the 'Faithful Servants'. A wretched name, I suppose, seeing as how far they are from that." The Doctor said, lowering his voice, his gaze far out into the distance, examining the Daleks as they glided across the show floor, continuing to offer the people food. Let's see how much longer they can play this game, The Doctor thought.
"Would you like some tea, Sir?" A Dalek, blue and black, sidled up to the Doctor's side, holding a platter of light refreshments and tea. The Doctor shook his head, and the Dalek moved on.
"I think it'd be best that we go look for Professor Astrad, and we'd be able to have a fuller view of the situation, don't you think, Elisabeth?"
"When since have you called me Elisabeth? Hasn't it always been Elise?" Elisabeth stopped short, before shaking her head and turning away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be rude. I'm not my usual self today. Well, not since last night. I'm sorry I gave you a fright last night when I woke you up. I'm just-"
"I know, I know." The Doctor assured, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she slipped away from his grip, and she was visibly trying not to scowl.
"Let's just go find her, can we?" Elisabeth started again, avoiding the Doctor's gaze.
They found Professor Astrad near the control panel of the teleporter they had used yesterday. She welcomed them with a smile and a handshake. Up close, her face stood out with a few wrinkles across the corners of her eyes, and a few streaks of silver in her brown, curly hair. She seemed no older than fifty-five, in human terms, but something in those eyes suggested otherwise. She stood with an upright, confident posture, reflecting her success in the research faculty recent years.
"Oh, good morning," The Professor greeted, clasping her hands together. "How are you enjoying the convention? Do you have any questions about our latest projects?"
"So, Professor, could you explain a bit more on how the idea for these 'Faithful Servants' came about?" The Doctor started, glancing around the room.
"Well," The Professor gave a slight pause before continuing. "We found that our 'Faithful Servants' could do all the jobs that humans neglect nowadays, as the world continues to develop, everyone wants to move on to better jobs. And our little inventions ensure there is no need for humans to do all the laboring, all the hard, back-breaking work. They can also work on professions which require strict precision, as these robots are infallible; they are programmed to 100% accuracy. In a few years, after we spread this plan more widely, there will be no need for human soldiers, no need for human engineers, no need for any human, um, doctors." She gave a slight pause, watching their faces to make sure they understood.
"How can you be sure that your inventions will not go against their own masters?" The Doctor inquired, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Elisabeth slapped him on the arm, indicating that he shouldn't have put his hands in his pockets. "Hey, that's rude!" She chided. "Uh, sorry," She took a sheepish glance at the Professor before turning away.
The Doctor shuffled, waiting for the Professor's answer.
"They are impossible to reprogram, unless it is done using the main control panel, which we must never let the corrupt get their hands on."
"Hm. Interesting. We shall leave you now to go and..." The Doctor trailed off, leading Elisabeth by the arm.
"There's something I'm not getting." Elisabeth whispered, causing the Doctor to bend down to hear her amidst the crowd. "I thought that these Daleks were supposed to be hostile or something. I don't understand how they seem so at home here, serving the humans. They don't look like the type to serve anybody."
"Where did you get the idea that these Daleks were supposed to be hostile?" The Doctor stopped in his tracks.
"I was talking to somebody yesterday. Captain Jack Harkness. Said he died fighting the Daleks." Elisabeth gave a small laugh. "Doesn't seem possible. I think he's just a big ball of hot gas." Her expression changed, her complexion paleing. "Also, I had that-" She cut herself off. "I don't think I'm ready to talk about what happened last night."
"Something's been done to those Daleks. They won't behave like this on their own free will." The Doctor said, knowing something was very very wrong with them.
Elisabeth thought for a while. "Chemicals, or maybe reprogramming. It is possible, after all. I don't trust everything Professor Astrad says."
"No, she's certainly not trustworthy." The Doctor confirmed, the gears clicking and turning in his mind as he tried to come up with a logical explanation for the Daleks' behavior. There was no way that the Daleks would become this tame. The last time he had encountered them, they were their usual selves, screaming and screeching as they tried to exterminate him, same as always. There was something off about this whole situation, something he couldn't put his finger on. Somehow, he felt that the whole plot was just a set-up, and everyone a pawn, being controlled in the darkness by some puppetmaster.
Something's off with Elisabeth today, The Doctor observed, thinking back to her appaling behaviour, suddenly bringing up the fact that he didn't call her by her preferred name, and that she insisted that he take his hands out of his pockets while conversing with the Professor. Maybe she'd sensed something, too.
"Are you sure you've gotten enough rest last night?" The Doctor asked again, observing Elisabeth as she tried to hold back a yawn.
"I'm perfectly fine, Doctor," She snapped. "You don't need to worry so much."
"You certainly don't look so. Maybe you'd like a coffee or a tea. There's a refreshment bar somewhere, we passed it on our way in." The Doctor suggested. Elisabeth nodded, leaning her weight slightly onto him as they walked.
"Hello, Elisabeth. It's me, Jack. Don't you remember me? From last night?"
The Doctor watched Elisabeth as she looked up from her cup of tea, dropping the biscuit back onto the plate. She glanced up at the man who had approached them at their table. Elisabeth pressed her lips together before explaining to the Doctor. "Doctor, this is Jack. I met him in the hotel lobby yesterday - he seems to have some experience fighting these Daleks."
"A Doctor, huh?" Jack put his hands at his sides, glancing over the Doctor, scanning him like an object. "I had a friend I ran with once, also going by the title of Doctor."
"Well, we certainly haven't met," The Doctor said, and Jack pulled over a chair from the next table. "I'm sorry, we haven't done ourselves a proper introduction. I'm the Doctor. And you are?" The Doctor offered his hand, and Jack returned the handshake firmly, smiling.
"Just the Doctor? Oh, I thought Miss Elisabeth said you went by uh-"
"Just an alibi of mine." The Doctor explained.
"Captain Jack Harkness," Jack introduced, letting go of the Doctor's hand. "So, you. I'm sure you've come across these things before."
"Several times," The Doctor paused, leaning over to take a sip of tea.
"Doctor, how do you defeat these Daleks?" Elisabeth leaned in closer.
The Doctor put down his cup. "You hit them in the eyestalk, that's how. But I'd rather not fight them - it may cause a massacre. I'd prefer to disable them in another way, or just leave them alone. Perhaps they are just a peaceful faction, although that's completely impossible, the way Davros engineered them. They're meant to be mean and brutal, without a single fiber of goodness within their bodies. Makes me wonder whether they even get along with their own kind."
"Elisabeth?" Jack waved a hand in front of her face. Her eyes had gone a bit glassy - as if she was deep in thought. Too deep, perhaps.
She snapped back to her senses, avoiding everyone's gaze again. "Sorry, I'm just a little tired today. I didn't sleep too well last night."
"From what I hear, the Daleks are planning to send in their ship today." Jack said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I've been tracking Professor Astrad."
"How exactly?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow.
Jack smiled, a flash of his white teeth visible from behind his lips. He rummaged around in his pocket of his navy blue, pulling out a ring. The ring seemed pretty ordinary, just an normal trinket of some sort.
"I don't quite understand," Elisabeth said, picking up the ring and scrutinising it.
Jack took the ring back, pressing on the gemstone that adorned it. A small camera popped out. "This. Also contains a GPS tracker. The thing is, I like to get my information through various ways."
"Where'd you get this?" Elisabeth marvelled.
"Torchwood," Jack said, in a matter-of-factly way, as if this was some information the Doctor should've known. But he racked his mind and came up with nothing.
"I've got a replicate of this, which I've put on her. This is a spare."
The Doctor frowned, staring at the ring in his palm. "How did you...did you get this on her?"
"I have my ways, which I use to my advantage," Jack snarked, his gaze going to Elisabeth.
"How did you?" Elisabeth asked again. "I'm honestly interested to find out how you managed to persuade the Professor to put this on."
Jack leaned in, his hand sliding over Elisabeth's, and the Doctor watched as she widened her eyes in horror. Then she slid back in her seat, removing her hand from his grasp.
"I understand now," Elisabeth snapped. "You didn't have to demonstrate. Of course, how could I not have seen it coming?"
The Doctor cleared his throat, relieving the tension in the atmosphere. "Why are the Daleks here?"
"They seem to want something...or someone. And they'll comb the city if needed. They'll kill thousands of civilians, if they're their usual selves." Jack leaned back, pulling the pistol from his belt. "And I think we'll hardly stand a chance."
"Wouldn't it make sense that that want me, their greatest enemy? We can get away if needed, using my TARDIS." The Doctor proposed.
Jack shook his head and sighed. "They've taken your TARDIS hostage."
"What?" The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat, not expecting to hear that his longest travelling companion, his trusty Type 40, had been taken by the enemy. He settled down again, taking a deep breath. "That of course, is expected of them."
"What do we do?" Elisabeth furrowed her brow in concern.
The Doctor thought for a while, nibbling at a biscuit. "We find Professor Astrad. And get to the bottom of this mess."
After tea, the Doctor, Jack and Elisabeth returned to the main hall. The crowd had thinned, making it easier to survey the whole situation. They stood at the balcony, looking over the whole event.
"They've cleared the water from yesterday," Elisabeth observed, as they passed by the teleporter that stood on the upper floor.
The Doctor looked down, where there was still a visible puddle of dark water. "It hasn't dried. I wonder when they cleared it." He tried to take a step out of the puddle, but found that the water wasn't as thin as it seemed. It apparently had a bit more density, like a kind of gel. Perhaps a non-Newtonian liquid, one that displays the properties of a solid while stagnant and the properties of a liquid while it is in motion.
"So, where is she?" Elisabeth leaned on the railing, scanning the atrium for signs of the Professor.
Jack produced a device from his backpack. He then tapped a few coordinates into the screen, before having it search for the ring, which was part of his marvellous contraption. "She's not on this floor. In fact," Jack paused, with a puzzled expression, "She's gone underground."
"Then, how about my TARDIS? You said that the Daleks took it hostage." The Doctor recalled their earlier conversation.
Jack nodded. "They've moved it, Doctor."
"To where exactly?" The Doctor pressed on, wanting information.
"I don't have a clue," Jack responded, looking down at his device again. "Maybe we'll find it when we find the Professor." He turned to leave, looking back. "You two coming?"
"We'll be right along," The Doctor assured, pulling Elisabeth by the arm, snapping her out of her daze again. "You're not your usual self today. Is there anything wrong?"
Elisabeth shook her head. Then she ran a hand through her hair, her face twisted in an expression of horror. "What if the Professor...isn't who she says she is? I get the feeling that she's much more of a challenge that we think she is. I think...we shouldn't mess with her."
"I don't think that'll be the case," The Doctor said, placing his hands on her shoulders in a gesture of encouragement. "Brave heart, Elise. Everything's fine, at least for now."
The Doctor and Elisabeth followed Jack out of the hall, out of the centre itself. He was right - the TARDIS wasn't standing where it did the previous day. The Doctor frowned, going over to where it used to stand.
"Someone's been moving my TARDIS a lot. It's happened just a while ago while we were in Darrowby, right, Elise?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes, that seems to be the case. Tristan and I had no idea what just happened. It just dematerialised, just like being pulled out of our own space and time." Elisabeth explained, scratching her head.
"That's very strange. I've ran checks on the engines and controls, but nothing seems to have gone wrong. It wasn't the TARDIS' fault, it must've been the work of someone else, a mastermind at work."
Elisabeth took a breath as she paced around in shaky, nervous steps. She had gone visibly paler and beads of sweat had started to form on her forehead. The Doctor took the hankerchief from his coat pocket, dabbing on Elisabeth's forehead. "Oh, there's no need for you to do that," Elisabeth said, taking the hankerchief from him and doing it herself. What could've gotten her so worked up? Something's definitely going on.
"I think there's something you're not telling me." The Doctor said sternly, putting a hand under Elisabeth's chin, forcing her to make eye contact with him. To his surprise, she didn't bother pushing him away in a rush as she normally did. She simply took the Doctor's wrist in her hand, and slowly lowering it. She took his hand in both of hers. The Doctor saw her efforts to calm her breathing, taking deep, slow breaths.
"I think it's best we go follow Jack now. I'll tell you later, when I'm ready." Elisabeth promised, taking his hand as they made their way towards Jack, who had managed to break open a panel in the bottom of the building. A medium-sized hole, just enough to climb through.
"This should lead to the Professor's chamber." Jack said, standing up and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "Would you like to go first, Elisabeth? Or you, Doctor?"
Elisabeth took a stiff breath. "I'll go first."
"No, wait." The Doctor stopped her, before she could have a chance to move. He stepped over, lowering his voice. "I would normally ask you to stay in the TARDIS, but with it gone..." The Doctor thought for a moment. "Maybe you'd wait for us in the main hall? You really don't look well."
Jack looked Elisabeth up and down. "He's right. I think you should get some rest. Don't get yourself too tired out. You might need the energy for later." He winked, bending down and disappearing inside the building.
The Doctor bent down, peering into the darkness. "We'll only be gone a short while, I assure you." He surged forward, getting down on his hands and knees, feeling the warmth and the assurance of the light get further and further away, until all that was left was the cold, black void.
"Which way now?" The Doctor asked, finding the tip of Jack's shoe in the darkness.
The Doctor heard the creaking of the metal passage. "She's right below us. We're in an air vent." Jack announced. The Doctor felt around, finding a catch on the floor of the cramped tunnel. He undid the latch, sliding out of the air vent and dropping into a darkened corridor. Jack followed closely, landing with a confident thump on his feet.
"She shouldn't be far. Maybe in one of these rooms in the basement," Jack suggested, producing his device again. He frowned. "She's just-"
"Hello, Doctor." The Doctor whipped around, finding the Professor standing in the darkness, eyeing him like a lion would do to its prey. "I've got you just where I want to."
The Doctor tried his best to play to the situation. "Professor! I was just looking for you - what were you doing down here?"
The Professor shook her head in disgust. "Doctor, don't play these games with me. You know who I am."
"Who are you?" The Doctor asked, his tone harsh.
"Professor Myer Astrad. And my little friends here are so happy to see you!" The Professor gestured around them. The Daleks crept from the shadows, the bright lights atop their domes flashing on and off in an aggresive manner.
"I believe we must be going now," The Doctor said, but Professor Astrad strode over, circling the Doctor, with an amused look on her face.
"You're going nowhere, my dear Doctor," The Professor whispered, and the Doctor hadn't noticed what she was doing behind him. He almost jumped in surprise when he heard a snap, and to his horror he found that the Professor had bound his hands together behind his back. He could feel the cold metal cuffs on his skin, cutting off the circulation to his hands. Jack stepped forward, raising a pistol. He pointed the pistol at the Professor's forehead. At this range, the bullet would kill. It would pierce through her skull sharply, he was certain. There was something odd about her - familiar yet foreign at the same time. One of his old enemies? Perhaps, but he had faced so many of them. He couldn't run through all of them now, not at this time.
"I'm warning you, this thing isn't just for show. I'm very good with a pistol, if I say so myself." Jack smirked, holding the gun still.
The Professor simply laughed, unfazed by the immediate danger. "The Dalek ship will be on its way. And I've already got what they want."
"What do they want?" The Doctor demanded. The Professor leaned forward to whisper, her bright red lips almost brushing his ear.
"You, of course." The Professor's fingers closed around the joint of the Doctor's shoulder, pulling him down to her level. She was short, and even with high heels she was at least half a foot shorter than him.
"What's your deal in this? Why did you agree to collaborate with the Daleks?" The Doctor asked. "If you want to reveal your information, why don't you reveal it to the both of us?"
"Me? I'd like to get my hands on a certain someone," Spoke the Professor, pulling back and staring him in the eye. Her fingers grabbed hold of his collar, pulling him towards her, maneuvering him so that the Doctor was in between Jack and her. She was smart - getting him in the supposed line of fire.
The Doctor struggled against her grip. "I don't understand."
"Not you, you fool. I wanted your little girlfriend - the one you brought along in your TARDIS." The Professor released him, stepping away, but still keeping her eyes trained on him. "Don't kill the Doctor." She ordered the Daleks. Then she turned briefly to Jack, stealing a glance at him before facing the Doctor again. "Kill the other one instead." She said, gesturing at Jack.
"I've got to go now, and while the rest of you suffer down here," She paused, before keying in a few coordinates on a vortex manipulator strapped to her arm. "As you might have said, Doctor: 'Sorry, must dash!'" She made a last mocking comment, before she just vanished. In a millisecond she was gone, completely disappearing from the scene.
The Doctor and Jack held their breath, standing back to back. The Doctor struggled helplessly against his bonds and Jack had trouble - even he couldn't cover them so many at a time. The Daleks closed in, delighted to have their prize.
"Jack," The Doctor said,"When I say run-"
"We get the hell out of here, I know." Jack flashed a confident smile.
"And try not to get ourselves killed. They won't kill me - they want me alive." The Doctor noted, shuffling. He felt the chains around his wrists, clinking the shackles against each other.
Jack lowered his left arm, his right remaining outstretched, with the pistol still gripped firmly in his hand. "I've got a vortex manipulator, just like the one she used, on my arm. I've preset the coordinates. Would you just do me a favour-"
"With pleasure." The Doctor said urgently, slamming his thumb onto the button - well, at least he thought it was the right one. They were off in a flash. The Doctor didn't even felt like he had moved, but he was no longer in that dark passageway underneath the convention centre, but now above ground, right outside the convention centre. It was strangely dim - it wasn't even five o' clock yet, but it felt like the sun had already set.
The Doctor raised his gaze and discovered why.
The sky was blocked out, the sun no longer shining through to the surface. A great spaceship filled the sky. Lights on the underside blinked on and off as the Doctor saw the swarm of Daleks being dispatched from the ship, heading for the Earth below. The Doctor turned to Jack, knowing there was no time to lose.
"You can get these things off, can't you?" The Doctor moved his hands behind his back. "We'll need to make a speedy escape."
Jack frowned. "I can't get the cuffs properly off now. I'll require a cutter, and it'll take me too long to dig through my bag. I can separate the chain binding the two cuffs, though, using my pistol." Jack turned, taking aim. "Stand still, Doctor. I'm very good with this, I assure you. Just don't make any sudden movements or I might take off more than I intended to."
"Just do it." The Doctor sucked in a breath and put his hands as far apart as possible, and he tried his best not to flinch at the gun shot, which struck his eardrums like a cannon. When he dared to turn around again he was relieved to find that Jack had managed to do the job cleanly. The Doctor brought his hands in front of him, stretching the poor muscles in his shoulders, annoyed at the effort of swinging a chain with every movement of his wrist. But it would have to do, for now.
The Doctor watched as the Daleks rained down from the skies. "Come on. Let's go get Elisabeth." He turned to run, and Jack followed close behind.