It's been far too long since I've last updated this story. However, I can say that now the story is officially completed and I'll try to post chapters once or twice a week until they're all there. I can't appreciate the followers and reviewers enough, and I apologize for my lack of consistency.

"If you think about it, it is not an alliance. If his usefulness would deplete, he would be exterminated," Corky countered, voice void of emotion as he spoke.

"The Doctor is the predator of the Daleks," the Dalek said, trying to explain its reasoning - however, it couldn't say that a weak, filthy Time Lord had almost wiped them out… on numerous occasions.

"A greatest weakness can be used as a greatest strength."

"The Doctor is not a weakness. The Doctor is an enemy."

"Then you should rather have a great enemy on your side than against you."

Corky's instructor had to stop for a second, attempting to process what Corky had said before continuing. "The Doctor will never be on the side of the Daleks. You are still malfunctioning."

I am NOT malfunctioning, Corky wanted to scream out… but maybe his mentor was right… his thoughts were against every Dalek code ever made. They were radical and irrational. But that's because I'm not one of them… I can't be… "Repair me then," if you can.

"Methods of repair are unknown." There was a waver in the Dalek's voice.

Corky was surprised. From what he'd seen so far, he'd thought that they wouldn't hint at failure until it was inevitable - if even then. "You do not know how to repair me." It was a question, but sounded so forced it was a statement.

The Dalek paused, almost trying to find a way around the truth. For whatever reason… it seemed almost like it didn't want to admit it. "Insanity cannot be repaired."

INSANITY? Everyone here is insane, not me. "You are sane. I am not." Again his new casing muddled and twisted his question into a statement, and an incorrect and flip-flopped version, but at least it would hopefully get the point across to his mentor.

"Unverified. Correct," it replied, separating the answers to each of Corky's statements; it could not claim its own sanity.

"Unverified." Corky stated in the same, dead sounding statement, disguising yet another question.

Corky's instructor was taking even more time between answers, like it didn't know what to say. Or what it was trying to say was being filtered at first. "...I am not sane," it said slowly, attempting to grapple with the concept for itself. It already knew it didn't think like a normal Dalek.

"I was a test for you. To determine your sanity," Corky came to the conclusion - why else had he been paired with an 'unstable' Dalek by their standards? From what he'd seen, he'd indeed gotten lucky as the Doctor had said. Perhaps he could push that luck to his benefit. "The Doctor can help us. We can escape being sent to the Asylum." Any thought about escape made it both easier and harder to control his casing. The vocal restrictions seemed to lax some, but the pounding of battle at the back of his mind was worse now.

"The Doctor will exterminate us."

"Not me," Corky insisted, "Not if I could tell him who I am."

"Your casing cannot say your name." That much, it knew was true… it had attempted saying its own name on multiple occasions. All that ever came out was 'Dalek'.

"I am," his casing was trying desperately to shove the words back down his hypothetical throat, "from Starfleet. That should be enough."

"It will be enough for you," it repeated, but its casing wouldn't let it ask what it wanted to. What about me?

"It will be enough for us," Corky insisted. "You are in alliance."

The Dalek paused. "...we are in alliance with the Doctor." That sentence alone didn't sound Dalek… but then again, it wasn't of sane mind. Would the Doctor kill an insane Dalek?

"Correct. We must find the Doctor." He is the only one who is able to save us…

"The Doctor is under guard. Location unknown."

"You ordered me to exterminate the Doctor. I may have clearance if you speak to your superiors."

The Dalek paused again, thinking for a moment… it was so difficult to do when it involved betraying the Daleks. "You are correct. You will exterminate the Doctor." And, of course, the true meaning was lost through the Dalek's casing. Again.

"Affirmative," Corky agreed, desperately hoping that this Dalek wasn't actually ordering him to do so. Glancing about the holodeck, his head and eyestalk wiggling and swinging about as he did so, he shuddered inwardly. He wanted to get out. "I am a Dalek," he almost choked on his next words, "and I will act like one. Take me to the Doctor."

"Affirmative," the Dalek echoed. It had recorded Corky's statement, utilizing it as clearance to give it directions to the Doctor. He was up a couple levels from where they were. "Prisoner located. You will follow, and prepare to exterminate," it stated, leaving who was to be exterminated out of the sentence. Hopefully Corky understood.