Inside, Dalek, Disposal...
"Eugh!" Clara flung gunk out of her hair as the Doctor landed in the slimy liquid. "What is this stuff?"
"People." The Doctor answered, making Lucas pause as he was trying to get gunk out of his own hair. "The Daleks need protein. Occasionally, they harvest from their victims. This is a feeding tube."
"Is Ross here?" Journey asked.
"Yeah." The Doctor nodded. "Top layer, if you want to say a few words."
Journey grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, glaring daggers at him. "A man has just died. You will not talk like that!"
"A lot of people have died." The Doctor countered. "Everything in here is dead, and do you know why that's good?"
"There is nothing good about that!"
"Nothing is alive in here, so logically, this is the weakest spot in the Dalek's internal security." The Doctor said as Journey let him go. "Nobody guards the dead. Mortuaries and larders, always the easiest to break out of." He then turned towards Lexi, raising an eyebrow at her. "You alright?"
"Oh, I'm fine." She waved him off, wringing out her hair. "That drop was nothing. Remember when we were pushed down to the Dalek Asylum?"
"Ah, how could I forget?" He asked rhetorically before glancing at Journey. "Tell Uncle Stupid that we're in." He then looked around for a way out. "Aha! A bolt hole!"
"He'll get us out of here." Clara assured Journey. "The difficult part is not killing him before he can."
"Bolt hole." The Doctor said, pulling his sonic screwdriver out before pointing it at a large round grate, removing it. "Actually, a hole for a bolt." He looked around. "Does nobody get that?"
"Can't forget the puns either." Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Watch it." The Doctor warned as he crawled inside the hole, Lexi crawling in right behind him, everyone else following after her. "Decontamination tubes are hot."
•••
Inside, Aristotle, Lab...
"Anomaly threat displaced." The computer announced as Morgan continued to watch the schematic of Rusty (the Dalek) on the monitor. "Dalek levels returning to normal parameters."
"Rescue One to Mission control." Journey's voice came over the communicator.
•••
Inside, Dalek, Decontamination tube...
"This is Blue, Rescue One." Morgan answered as everyone was crawling through the narrow tunnel. "Report."
"The Dalek has an internal defense mechanism." Journey informed him. "We've lost Ross."
"What kind of defense mechanism? That thing knows you're in there to help it!"
"Yeah, well, who knows? It's a Dalek. We're going to continue the mission."
"Are you alright back there?" The Doctor looked behind him. "It's a bit narrow, isn't it?"
"My sweet," Lexi began, a humorless smile plastered on her face. "if you even finish that train of thought that I know is in your head, you're sleeping in the console room."
With that, the Doctor swallowed down what else he had been about to say before continuing on.
"She's totally his filter." Lucas whispered to Clara as they followed after the Couple of Time, both of them laughing to themselves and loving that the Doctor was just shut down by his own wife.
•••
Inside, Dalek, Room...
The Doctor hopped out of the tube first, then held out his arms. Lexi then grabbed onto his shoulders before he pulled her out. "What's that noise?" She asked, looking around and hearing a crackling sound as everyone else came out of the tube.
"Are you wearing a Geiger counter?" The Doctor pointed at Gretchen.
"Standard battle equipment." She nodded, taking it out. "That's just low level radiation."
"But stronger down here for some reason." The Doctor frowned a bit. "Gimme."
"Was that him?" Morgan's voice asked. "How's he working out?"
Journey frowned. "It's hard to say."
"Trust me, he's usually like this." Lucas said as he stepped up next to her.
The Doctor walked around the room a little, using the Geiger counter on some circuit boards before his eyes widened. "I've got it." He said. "I know what's wrong with Rusty."
"Please tell me that's good." Clara sighed.
"Well..." He cleared his throat. "You know how I said this was the most dangerous place in the universe? I was wrong. It's way more dangerous than that."
•••
Inside, Aristotle, Lab...
"Colonel, we have radiation indicators red-lining in here." Journey's voice reported over the communicator. "The Dalek could be more badly damaged than we thought."
"Copy that." Morgan replied.
"Old Rusty here is suffering a trionic radiation leak." The Doctor's voice said.
•••
Inside, Dalek, Body cavity...
"It's poisoning the Dalek and us." The Doctor said as he, Lexi, Lucas, Clara, Journey and Gretchen were walking along the base of the main body of Rusty. "Just as well we're here."
"Really?" Journey looked around uneasily. "Perhaps we should get out while we can. Why should we trust a Dalek? Why would it change?"
"That's a good question." Lexi looked up. "Rusty, what changed you?"
"I saw beauty." Rusty answered.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"In the silence and the cold, I saw worlds burning."
Journey frowned. "That's not beauty. That's destruction."
"I saw more."
"What?" The Doctor asked. "What did you see?"
"The birth of a star."
He frowned. "Stars are born everyday. You've seen a million stars born, so what?"
"Daleks have destroyed millions of stars."
"Oh, millions and millions. Trust me, I keep count."
"And yet, new stars are born."
The Doctor nodded. "Every time."
"Resistance is futile." Rusty said.
Lexi frowned. "Resistance to what?"
"Life returns. Life prevails. Resistance is futile."
"So you saw a star being born, and you learned something." The Doctor shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, Dalek, do not be lying to me." He then gestured for everyone to follow him. "Come on."
•••
Inside, Aristotle, Lab...
"Heading for the Trionic power cells, Colonel." Journey's voice reported over the communicator.
"Radiation approxing two hundred Rads." Morgan responded. "Danger levels."
"Radiation levels increasing." The computer informed.
•••
Inside, Dalek, Power cell...
"We're at the heart of the Dalek." The Doctor said, looking around as he lead the group into the power cell. Everyone appeared to be at the bottom of the 'cavern' they had seen from above when they first came into the Dalek, or at least an area that looked similar.
"It's incredible." Lucas looked up at the energy arcs above them, taking note of some sparking cables.
"Geiger counter's off the scale." Journey informed, checking. "Looks like it's about to blow."
"Good." The Doctor nodded.
Journey scowled. "How is that good?"
Lexi smirked slightly. "Let's just say he works better under a bit of pressure."
"Rusty, can you hear me?" The Doctor called.
"Doctor?" Rusty answered.
"Rusty, we've found the damage. I'm sealing up the breach in your power cell." He used his sonic on the power cell, where there was a crack in the casing, then nodded. "No more radiation poisoning. Good as new. There. Job done."
"That's it?" Clara eyed the power cell dubiously. "Just like that?"
"An anti-climax once in a while is good for my hearts." The Doctor nodded. "Rusty? How do you feel? Rusty?" He frowned, not hearing an immediate answer. "Rusty? Rusty..."
"The malfunction is corrected." Rusty said.
"What happened?" Journey frowned.
"Not entirely sure." The Doctor admitted.
Just then, lights flared on all over, making everyone wince.
"I think it's waking up..." Lexi mumbled, looking around wearily.
"Rusty, come on, talk to me!" The Doctor called. "What's going on?"
"The malfunction is corrected." Rusty answered. "All systems are functioning. Weapons charged."
"Oh, God, please, no." Lexi's eyes widened as she rushed up beside the Doctor.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"No, no, no!" The Doctor shouted.
"Exterminate! Exterminate! The Daleks will be victorious! The rebels will be exterminated!"
"Colonel?!" Journey shouted into her communicator. "What's happening out there?"
All anyone could hear was Rusty shouting exterminate.
Clara frowned and marched up to where the Doctor and Lexi stood. "Doctor, what happened?" She demanded.
The Doctor shook his head bitterly as Lexi bit her lip and turned, walking a few paces away. "Do you see?" He asked.
"Do I see what?"
"Daleks don't turn good. It was just radiation poisoning affecting its brain chemistry, nothing more than that. No miracle."
"Let me get this straight." Journey scowled. "We had a good Dalek, and we made it bad again? That's all we've done?"
"There was never a good Dalek." The Doctor shook his head. "There was a broken Dalek and we repaired it."
"You were supposed to be helping us!"
"Alright, that's it!" Lexi finally snapped, walking up to Journey, pointing a finger at her. "We tried. We gave it a shot. But everything doesn't always work out like we want it to. It can't all be sunshine and rainbows, can it?" She raised an eyebrow. "So if you can't grasp that reality, Journey Blue, then don't you dare say another word." She snatched the grenade Journey had pulled out and tossed it to Lucas, said man catching it with wide eyes. "But the day isn't done yet, and neither are we."
"We will be, though. In moments!"
"Oh, so much can be done in only a few moments." Lexi said, turning around. "The reason we came here today is because we thought we had found a good Dalek. And I don't think any of us would disagree, that if we had found one, that it would make all the difference in this big and vast universe we all live in."
"But it's impossible." The Doctor shook his head.
"Is it really, though?" Lexi quirked an eyebrow challengingly. "Remember what your last self said when we were stuck in that bubble universe with the human version of Idris? When we actually had to build a TARDIS?"
A look of remembrance then crossed the Doctor's face before it morphed into one of fondness as he gazed at Lexi. "It's not impossible as long as we are alive."
"Journey, what the hell's happening?" Morgan's voice came from Journey's communicator. "That thing's set the Daleks on us, and it's locked us out of our defenses. Journey, you're the Aristotle's only hope. I need you to destroy that Dalek, whatever it takes."
Journey swallowed. "Understood, Uncle."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah." She sighed. "Me, too."
"Right now, we are alive." Lexi told the Doctor. "Let's not waste that."
"Forget paying Clara, I need to pay you." He grinned, giving her a quick kiss before rushing over to where Journey and Gretchen were. "Whatever you're going to do, don't do it. This Dalek must not be destroyed. We can do better."
Journey's jaw dropped. "Are you out of your mind?!"
"No. I'm inside a Dalek. I'm standing where I've never been. We cannot waste this chance. It won't come again."
"What chance? I have my orders!"
"Soldiers take orders."
"And I'm a soldier."
"And this Dalek is a better soldier than you or any of the others will ever be." The Doctor told her. "You can't win this way."
"Bah!" Journey growled, then let go of another grenade. "So what do we do?"
"Something better."
