Chapter Twelve
For two days, Rose didn't interfere in the aftermath of the argument between the Doctor and her sister. She didn't know what it was about. She hadn't heard any raised voices but the atmosphere in the TARDIS was different when she woke up from her deep sleep. The Doctor was scowling to himself as he banged around the TARDIS, tinkering with things that didn't need tinkering with, and Zoe remained locked in her room. She didn't even let Rose in, preferring to ignore the knocks and calls through the door. The Doctor said that she was fine – her knee was a little battered and bruised and she was resting it. Rose thought that the two of them were idiots and needed to stop avoiding each other but she took the opportunity to continue her exploration of the TARDIS in the hope that, when she came back, they would have stopped being so stubborn and be friends again.
Unfortunately, she'd underestimated their stubbornness and idiocy.
Thankfully, the TARDIS seemed to be on the same wavelength as she had picked up a distress signal that had pulled them out of the Time Vortex. The Doctor told Rose to go and get Zoe whilst he struggled to maintain his control.
"Zoe, wake up!" Rose banged repetitively on her sister's door; she planned to annoy her until the door opened. "Zo-eeee! Zoe! Zoe! Zoe-Zoe-Zoe-Zoe-Zoe-Zoe-Zo –"
The door ripped open beneath her fist.
"What?" Zoe demanded, forehead turned down in anger and irritation.
Rose smiled brightly at her.
"Adventure time." She said but her sister looked singularly unimpressed. "Something's pulling the TARDIS off course. We need to investigate."
Zoe's frown deepened and she didn't move. Rose cast her eye over her. She wasn't wearing pyjamas exactly but they weren't the type of clothing that Zoe normally walked about in public in.
"You want to change?" She asked.
"Go on without me." Zoe said, waving her book haphazardly in the air.. "I'm going to stay and read."
"Nope." Rose said, snatching the book from her sister's hand and marking her place before tossing it back into the room and grabbing Zoe's hand. "I don't care that you and the Doctor have had a barney. I care that you're both sulking at opposite ends of the TARDIS. We're going to have fun today and get back to normal even if I have to force the both of you to do it."
Zoe grumbled and limped after her in her thick socks – prone as she was to cold feet, she normally wore the thickest socks she could when at home. The TARDIS was in the process of materialising at their destination when they entered the control room. Zoe cast her eyes towards the Doctor and quickly snapped them away when he looked around, the temperature in the room dropping and turning awkward. Neither of them spoke to each other as they followed Rose, who was still dragging Zoe by the hand, out into the dimly lit, carpeted area that was filled with display cases.
"So?" Rose asked, looking around. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Don't know." The Doctor shrugged, locking the TARDIS behind them. "Some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course."
"I didn't know that was possible." Zoe said before abruptly remembering that she wasn't actually speaking to her alien host. She clamped her mouth shut.
"Sometimes it is." He answered, making sure to look just past her so their eyes weren't able to meet. "Depends on the signal...and her mood."
Zoe looked around at all the display cases filled with alien artefacts. It had the look of a museum but it didn't feel much like one. Rose leaned close to one case.
"Where are we then?" She asked.
"Earth." The Doctor said unhelpfully. She slid an unimpressed gaze towards him. "Utah, North America. About a mile underground."
Rose's eyes sparkled. "And when are we?"
The Doctor's nose nearly touched the clear glass of one case, his breath misting the surface. "2012."
"God, that's so close." She muttered, looking to Zoe. "So I should be 26, and you should be 22."
"23." She corrected. "You missed a year, remember?"
"Oh, yeah." Rose said, squeezing Zoe's hand before releasing it to look around properly. "It's a great big museum. An alien museum."
"More like a collector's room." Zoe said, taking in the complete absence of dust. The Doctor glanced at her. "It looks far too clinical to be a museum. Someone must have a pretty expensive hobby to go around collecting all of this. Look –" she pointed at the small, engraved golden plaques. "Chunks of meteorite, moon dust. Apparently this is a milometer from the Roswell spaceship. Should've known that was real."
Rose made a disgusted sound in her throat, pointing back behind her. "That's a bit of Slitheen! That's a Slitheen arm! It's been stuffed!"
The Doctor brushed past both of them, breathing out in a soft, awed exhale. "Oh, look at you."
They both followed him to a glass display that contained a square metallic hand with two handles on the side. Rose peered at it, the plaque that was absent any useful information.
"What is it?" She asked.
"An old friend of mine." The Doctor replied, looking almost sad. "Well, enemy really. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."
He sounded sad, soft, and a little defeated. Zoe swallowed, uncomfortable with his display of emotion.
"Is that were the signal's coming from?" She asked.
The Doctor shook his head.
"No. It's stone dead." He replied. "The signal's alive. Something's reaching out, calling for help."
He reached out and gently touched his fingertips to the glass. An alarm started blaring all around them and Zoe jumped, startled out of the silence by the flashing red lights and the sirens that made her wince, heart pounding in her chest. The three of them warily at each other as armed guards rushed into the room, surrounding them, and, once again, Zoe found herself staring down the barrel of a gun. Every part of her started to sweat.
Rose slowly raised her hands and said so only the Doctor and Zoe could hear her. "If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A."
Wherever they were – and Zoe thought they were in some sort of underground facility if the lack of windows were anything to go by – they definitely weren't supposed to be there. The Doctor's psychic paper wasn't going to be able to get them out of trouble that time. It wasn't as though they had walked in through the front door. They had appeared on the very bottom level and explaining that away was going to be...interesting. They walked through the underground corridors with their armed guards – they were definitely in a private installation as no government force was so well-armed and they were too neat looking to be government soldiers. She walked behind the Doctor, her knee throbbing as his body exuded curiosity at their situation but lacking any of the worry that she felt.
She doubted she'd ever get used to having guns pointed at her.
They entered a small, somewhat cluttered office where the air conditioning whined softly in the background and tickled at the back of her neck. Her eyes zeroed in on the man sitting behind small desk. Perfectly tailored suit, obnoxious beard, smug eyes – he was definitely the man who owned the installation or underground bunker. He didn't spare them a glance when they entered, letting the younger man fuss over him, showing him various alien objects that were clearly new to the owner.
The younger man's eyes flickered over to them curiously, lingering on Rose for just a beat too long.
"And this is the last." He said, pulling his attention back to his boss. "Paid $8000 for it."
The owner took it carelessly in his hands. The Doctor stiffened at the disrespect.
"What does it do?" The owner asked.
"Well, you see the tubes on the side?" He asked, pointing with a perfectly manicured finger. Zoe rubbed her middle finger against the hangnail on her index, resisting the urge to bite it. "It must be to channel something...I think maybe fuel."
The Doctor dropped his hands into his pockets.
"I really wouldn't hold it like that." He said and Zoe lifted her eyes to the ceiling, a small smile threatening to spread across her face. She recognised his tone of voice.
"Shut it." Diana Goddard said, poking the Doctor in the back and earning a small, indignant ow for her troubles.
"Really though." The Doctor said, eyeing Diana with a scowl. "That's wrong."
The younger man looked hesitant. "Is it dangerous?"
"No, it just looks silly." The Doctor said and Zoe huffed out a small laugh although she was certain that he would get at least one of them shot. He reached for the item and firing bolts clicked all around them; Zoe's chest tightened. The owner eyed him for a moment before handing him the curved, palm sized object and the guns slowly. "You just need to be delicate."
The Doctor's fingers brushed softly and tenderly across the object and an ethereal tone of music filled the room. His fingers played several different notes and the owner leaned forward, fascinated.
"It's a musical instrument." He breathed.
The Doctor nodded and lifted his fingers from the surface. "And it's a long way from home."
"Here, let me." The man said, reaching out with eager fingers that reminded her of a child stretching out for a toy; the Doctor passed it across to him. Zoe and Rose both repressed winces at the sounds that were produced from the man's less than delicate touch.
"I did say delicate." The Doctor reminded him. "It reacts to the smallest fingerprint. It needs precision."
Holding his breath and focusing, the man was able to produce gentler notes that were easier on the ears.
"Very good." The Doctor nodded. "Quite the expert."
"As are you." He replied before tossing the musical instrument carelessly on the floor. Rose hissed in disapproval and though Zoe couldn't see the Doctor's face, she could well imagine his own tight look of disapproval at such greedy negligence. "Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor, this is Zoe and Rose." The Doctor said. Rose raised her hand and gave her fingers a little wriggle. "Who are you?"
"Like you don't know." The man scoffed. "We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world, and you just stumbled in by mistake?"
"That could be the title of his autobiography." Zoe said, ignoring the Doctor's look of offence that he shot her. "Trust me."
"The question is," he continued, ignoring Zoe. "How did you get in? 53 floors down with your little cat burglar accomplices. You're quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty."
"They're going to smack you if you keep talking like that." Rose snapped back, deeply unimpressed with the man in front of them.
"She's English too!" He laughed. "Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy. Got you a girlfriend."
The younger man, Adam, stepped forward. "This is Mr Henry Van Statten."
He said the name as though it was supposed to mean something but the three of them had never heard of him before. Rose raised her eyebrows.
"And who's he when he's at home?" She asked.
"Mr Van Statten owns the Internet." Adam said.
Rose scoffed. "Don't be stupid. No one owns the Internet."
"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right, kids?" Van Statten said with a grin that Zoe supposed he thought was charming but fell far short of the mark.
"So you're an expert in everything except the things in your museum." The Doctor concluded and he knew the type of man that faced him; he met hundreds before. "Anything you don't understand, you lock up."
Van Statten looked up at him. "And you claim greater knowledge"
"I don't need to make claims." The Doctor said simply. "I know how good I am."
Zoe and Rose exchanged a glance at the pissing contest they were witnessing. Van Statten stood up.
"And yet I captured you." He said. "Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?"
The Doctor shrugged. "You tell me."
"The cage contains my one living specimen."
"And what's that?"
Van Statten's dark eyes narrowed. "Like you don't know."
"Show me."
"You want to see it?"
"Jesus Christ." Zoe sighed, rubbing between her eyes. "Can you two put your dicks away sometime soon? All this testosterone is going to choke me."
"Goddard," Van Statten snapped, "inform the Cage we're heading down. You, English. Look after the girls. Go and canoodle or spoon or whatever it is you British do. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet."
"Yeah, this sounds more fun." Zoe said, pointing at the Doctor and Van Statten. She looked to her sister. "Mind if I leave you alone with –?"
She waggled her fingers in Adam's direction, who looked a little offended.
"Nah, go ahead." Rose replied, giving her a low high-five. "Someone needs to keep the Doctor out of trouble."
Van Statten looked like he wanted to protest her joining them but he ultimately said nothing and conceded to her accompanying them. The group left Rose and Adam behind where, within five minutes, Zoe and the Doctor were certain that Rose would have gleaned new and important information out of the man – she had a knack for extracting information from people. She was charming and friendly where the Doctor could be intimidating and Zoe blunt and awkward. They moved down the corridor, Zoe's cane – a rather ornate one that Rose had found in the wardrobe – clacked against the floor when she set it down to put her weight on it. The Doctor matched her pace, forcing the group to go at a pace that she found comfortable; despite her low simmering anger with him, she was grateful for his consideration.
They arrived in the outer work space of a heavily fortified room. Zoe rested her weight on her cane as Van Statten started to talk again.
"We've tried everything." He said. "The creature has shielded itself but there's definite signs of life inside."
"It's alive?" Zoe asked, horrified. "You've imprisoned a live creature down here? What gives you the right to do that?"
"Money, sweetcheeks."
"Zoe." The Doctor warned, his hand shooting out to grip her shoulder before she did something stupid like smack the smarmy look off Van Statten's face. She glared but nodded. "You say it's shielded itself. What has it shielded itself within?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Van Statten replied.
"Welcome back, sir." A scientist with the name SIMMONS stitched into his lab coat said, approaching them. "I've had to take the power down. The Metaltron is resting."
"Metaltron?" Zoe asked. "Is that it's name?"
Van Statten straightened. "Thought of it myself."
"It shows." She replied dryly and the Doctor coughed to cover his laughter.
Van Statten scowled. "I'd much prefer to find out it's real name though."
"Here." Simmons said, holding out a pair of gauntlets. "You'd better put these on. The last guy that touched it burst into flames."
"I won't touch it then." The Doctor replied, glancing back to Zoe. "Stay here."
"Happy to do so." She said, not intending to step through that door now that she knew someone had burnt to death.
"Go ahead, Doctor." Van Statten said, the doors opening. "Impress me."
The Doctor rolled his eyes and stepped through the doors into the darkened room. Zoe's stomach tightened at the sight of the doors closing on him. She stared at the door as Van Statten and Diana went to a desk fitted with monitors.
"Don't open that door until we get a result." Van Statten ordered.
Zoe frowned at the back of their heads, tightening her hand on her cane. She shifted so that she could better see the monitors that showed the Doctor, shadowed in the dark room that was illuminated only by the emergency lighting above the door. His entire body seemed relaxed and natural but she worried her thumb against the smooth handle of her cane. Van Statten said that the alien was alive inside of something. She assumed it must be a powerful protective layer that had the ability to transmit a signal or else the TARDIS wouldn't have been pulled off course. She wondered how many species were able to pull the TARDIS off course. She wondered how many of them were friendly, remembering the Doctor's comment about the metal head belonging to an enemy.
When one lived for nearly a millennia, she supposed one picked up enemies as easily as one picked up friends.
"Look, I'm sorry about this." The Doctor said, his voice distorted over the monitor. He sounded apologetic and a little exasperated. "Mr Van Statten might think he's clever but...never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor."
A white light blinked suddenly, appearing next to a circular blue glow. Clearly that had never happened before because the room burst into excited energy.
"Doc-tor?"
A voice like nothing Zoe had ever heard before croaked mechanically over the monitor.
"Oh my God." Van Statten breathed at the metallic voice that emerged from the creature. "It's talking."
Zoe remained focused on the Doctor. She had never seen someone so surprised and so terrified at the same time.
"Impossible." He breathed, horrified.
"The Doc-tor?"
Simmons hit a button and the room was flooded with light. To Zoe's eyes, it looked like a large, bad-tempered pepper pot that was held in chains.
"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" The creature cried.
The Doctor flew to the door, his fists hammering on it, his terror bleeding over into his voice as his voice cracked with desperation. "Let me out! Let me out! ZOE! Let me out!"
"Sir!" Diana exclaimed. "It's going to kill him!"
"But it's talking." Van Statten breathed and Zoe whipped around, bringing her cane crashing across the back of his head and shoulders with such force that it cracked right down the length. She slammed the end of it into Simmons's chest and pushed him back as the Doctor screamed her name.
"Open the fucking door, now!" Zoe yelled and Simmons stared at her, afraid, one hand clutching where she had jabbed him; Diana leaned across him and slapped her hand on the button that opened the doors. Zoe pulled back and ran with a strong limp to the room, intending to grab the Doctor and pull him out of there.
He nearly fell into her he was so close to the door and she caught him. She could feel his hearts thundering in his chest, his pupils narrowed with terror. The creature behind them continued speaking.
"You are an enemy of the Daleks!" It cried. "You must be destroyed."
The Doctor grabbed hold of Zoe, planning to push her out of the way when its gun arm twitched and nothing happened. It took a moment for the Doctor to realise that nothing had happened and his steps into Zoe faltered, his grip on her easing just a little. He looked over his shoulder.
"It's not working." He said, his voice deceptively normal.
Zoe's fingers gripped at his wrist. "What?"
The Dalek looked down at its gun arm and its impotent weapon. The Doctor laughed and his face seemed cruel and excited.
"Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you." He taunted. "The great space dustbin. How does it feel?"
"Doctor." Zoe hissed at him but he pulled himself out of his grip, dropping his hands from her waist and shoulder to saunter in front of the now-named Dalek with all the confidence that had been missing only moments before.
The Dalek waved its arm at the Doctor's approach. "Keep back!"
The Doctor stood inches away from it, bending at the waist to peer into the glowing blue eye piece. There was a cold cruelty in his words that Zoe hadn't expected from him.
"What for? What're you going to do to me?" He demanded. "If you can't kill, then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you? You're nothing. What the hell are you here for?"
The Dalek answered. "I am waiting for orders."
"What does that mean?"
"I am a soldier." The Dalek said. "I was bred to receive orders."
"Well, you're never going to get any." The Doctor spat. "Not ever."
"I demand orders!"
"They're never going to come!" The Doctor shouted, his anger cracking through his voice, his pain twisting in his words. "Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you. Ten million ships on fire. The entire Dalek race wiped out in one second!"
The picture he painted was a horrible one. The Dalek didn't believe him. "You lie."
"I watched it happen." The Doctor snapped back. "I made it happen."
Zoe stared at him, horrified. The Dalek looked at him out of its eyepiece.
"You destroyed us?" It croaked.
The Doctor wavered. "I had no choice."
"And what of the Time Lords?" The Dalek asked. Time Lords. The Doctor's people. Zoe knew that much though she hadn't asked more out of respect for his privacy.
"Dead." The Doctor answered, his words dull and lifeless, as though he was still numb to the reality of his words. "They burnt with you. The end of the Last Great Time War. Everyone lost."
"And the coward survived." The Dalek observed cuttingly and there was a long moment of silence between the two old enemies before the Doctor burst into action again, pushing aside his pain and grief at relieving the war.
"Oh, but I caught your little signal." The Doctor provoked it. "Help me! Poor little thing. But there's no one else coming because there's no one else left."
"I am alone in the universe." The Dalek said and it sounded sad to Zoe's ears as the realisation that it was the last of its kind began to sink in.
"Yep." The Time Lord replied with an unattractive joy.
"So are you." The Dalek noted. "We are the same."
"We're not the same!" The Doctor protested angrily. "I'm not –" he cut himself off abruptly. "No, wait. Maybe we are. You're right. Yeah, okay. You've got a point. Because I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve." His leapt towards the lever and grabbed it with both hands. "Exterminate."
Zoe screamed out in surprise and horror when the lever was pulled and the Dalek was hit with powerful electricity that wrapped itself around its metallic frame and electrocuted it. Its screams were agonising as it cried out and the Doctor just stood there and watched.
"Doctor! Stop this!" She cried.
"No." He said darkly.
"Doctor, please, stop!" Zoe begged him. "This isn't you. Please. Stop!"
He turned his head and she didn't recognise him.
His face was the same as it always was but everything else was different. Darkness, hatred, revenge, bitterness were all at home in the lines of his face, burning with an anger she never knew existed. The often times charming, most times grumpy alien who was fond of chips, humans, and the stars had been replaced with hatred and anger in physical form. It took her breath away and terrified her like nothing else.
"This is me." He said, moving to turn up the voltage.
She believed him.