Me, The Grounded (And Other Things From Skaro)

by The Wishbone

Grounded. Trapped on Earth. Such is the life of twenty-something Eliza Birchwood. One night, a gruesome murder in a back yard in Brooklyn leads her to face her childhood fear; the black Dalek that inhabits Midtown West. How did this strange machine come to be in New York? Little does she know that Sec isn't even a regular Dalek. And his plan to leave Earth goes horribly wrong...

25. Chapter 25: How to Elevate

Chapter 25: How to Elevate

Thud.

I open my eyes. How did I manage to fall asleep in a place like this?

Thud.

Yes. I remember now. I had spent the last hour barricading every possible entrance to the Tower as best I could. Dragging sheets of metal, trying not to cut my fingers on debris and shovelling rubble had taken its toll. I'm exhausted. I glance over at Sec. He still lies unconscious next to me, the cable trailing from his head like a bizarre umbilical cord.

Thud.

I stand up slowly as I realise what woke me. Something is throwing itself against the entrance opposite us. I feel my blood become icy.

The Daleks are attacking. At last. They took their time.

I look around. What should I do? I know our attackers are weak and broken, but I'm not willing to take any chances. The doors have been locked and disabled, but that hasn't stopped them before.

Carefully, I crouch down, and pick up a curved slab that must have fallen from the ceiling. It's incredibly heavy, but I can manage.

Protect Sec. I think. He's getting us out, and he can't defend himself. But I can.

The angular door opposite us shudders as another tremulous thud resonates through the air. The barricade shifts. A chunk of metal slides aside. Rubble begins to clatter off the top.

I straighten up, wondering if it would be better to lie low. I don't have any weapons. I could throw things, but even with my expert over arm it would make a pretty futile attack.

Thud. This time, an unhealthy creaking sound comes from the door. I notice the metal has dented.

This is it.

Any second now.

I stay crouched, wondering dazed how I ended up in this situation. I'm a twenty-three year old trainee police officer and prospective undergraduate, living in a tiny overpriced flat in New York City. I should not, by definition, be fighting hostile zombie aliens.

But here I am.

"Right you bastards," I say under my breath, and reminding myself of the fight with the Slyther. "Come and get it."

There is another great thud. Then silence.

And then I watch as the edges of the door glow red hot. With a blast that shakes the walls, the door keels forward, melted away. I duck behind my make shift shield.

"EXTERMINATE!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

The cries shatter the silence like the roars of gunfire.

I peer over my shield to see the first Dalek glide forward, like a tank. It is followed by another. And another. But they don't get far as they meet the barricade, and are forced to stop. They cannot climb or jump. I feel a surge of victory.

I glance back, seeing that the Hybrid is still oblivious.

Hurry up, I plead silently.

The glowing eye stalks roll, focusing in on me. I watch, helpless, as they aim their weapons. I know at least I tried.

"EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"

I throw up my shield to protect my face. And feel it pulsate as a beam of energy strikes it. No pain. I dare to open my eyes.

The Dalek that fired the shot has been thrown backwards, and I see smoke rising from it. I blink. What happened?

Then a second shot is fired, and I hold up my shield just in time to see a beam of light hit the shield, appear to bounce off, and hit the Dalek that fired.

The metal repels their fire.

I hear myself laugh. So I'm not helpless!

The Daleks stare at me stupidly.

Then they fire a rally of shots, screaming with rage. But now I'm ready. I dance across the platform, staying close to Sec all the time, every assault from the Daleks missing me. Perhaps all Daleks have terrible aim. Or maybe their illness makes it difficult to function. But either way, they are no match for Eliza the Magnificent and her Shiny Surface powers! The clangs, screech of Dalek machinery and blasts echo and reverberate around the domed space. Suddenly I feel like Wonder Woman. But my confidence doesn't last long.

A Dalek, with a large portion of its middle section missing, has begun firing at the barricade. Sparks and white hot debris leap off the pile, and I realise in horror that it has simply vaporised the barrier. It keeps firing, the gap growing larger and larger.

Distracted for a second too long, a blast catches the edge of my shield, throwing me off balance. I hit my head, and stare dazedly at the sizzling hole that has been melted out of my shield.

With a final sound of sizzling and an acrid burning smell, the Daleks break out of the barricade. They begin to roll forward. They fire again and again, and I worry that my arm will break with the weight of the shield, now substantially smaller. I have to lead them away from Sec. Distract them. I have to keep going, and pray that our plan will work.

As the Daleks advance, a revolting scent fills the air. It is partly burning flesh, as I recognise three blackened Units that must have been caught in the gas explosion Sec and I caused. But from the Dalek closest, the one with the damaged shell, there drifts a smell of rotting. It is a smell that I noticed around Sec when we first met, but much stronger and makes my eyes water. The specimen is no more than fifteen feet away. The white, rust-like infection clings to the edges around the gaping hole, and I cannot help but notice something limp and fleshy hanging out the side like a dead worm.

There must be a dozen Daleks in here, but one would have been too many. And in the passage behind, I can make out several more. I feel a morbid sense of defeat.

The Daleks closest to me mounts the slope to the control panel. It's not firing, and for a moment I wonder why.

With nowhere else to run, I raise my shield above my head. I don't have long. I wait for another laser beam. It doesn't come. The Dalek is very close. The stink of diseased flesh fills my nose, and I brace myself, holding my breath.

And then, there's a scrunching sound.

I feel something tug at the sheet of metal I hold in my hands. And watch, as it is twisted before my very eyes.

As it shrinks, bent like tin foil, the Dalek comes into view. It's using its plunger. The black suction cup is contorting, crushing the sheet as it goes. I let go of it uselessly.

The Dalek throws the now tiny ball of metal aside, its eye stalk staring right at me.

"Fucking hell." I think I say. I stagger backwards as the plunger reaches for my face. Sec was right. It is a formidable weapon. Pity I misjudged it.

I crawl backwards, until I am next to the Hybrid. I can't move any further. At least he'll die peacefully. He won't feel a thing. Me, however...

Another explosion sounds, much louder than any of the others. Dust and debris falls from the ceiling in a shower. Momentarily distracted, I look away from my attacker. And to my surprise, the Dalek looks in the same direction.

Suddenly, I notice the silence. The Daleks have ceased fire. They all swivel their domes to look behind me, from the source of the sound. I look up.

Something large, black, and conical is gliding through the air. Underneath it, several small round blue lights glow fiercely. At first, I mistake it for a very small, oddly shaped flying saucer. But then I see that it's another Dalek. I didn't know Daleks could fly. Why can't all the others? Then joy floods through me as I realise what it is.

Sec's casing.

The magnitude of the relief and hope I feel is overwhelming. It worked. The Rift is open. He did it! For a blissful moment, I am blind to the maddened monsters around me. The black Dalek's blue eye stalk glows down at us, surveying our surroundings. I feel something stir next to me, and the real Sec sits up, blinking heavily. In a single tug, he pulls the cable from his head, letting it drop to the floor.

The Daleks around us have all frozen. They don't know how to react. They begin to back away, as if the casing is a wrathful God that has come to smite them from above.

"IDENTIFIED!" One Unit screams. "DALEK OF SUPREME STATUS!"

The casings weapon swivels round.

"MOVE, ELIZA," I hear it warn, bulbs flashing. I obey. And notice that the Hybrid said the same words simultaneously. It's rather creepy, but I have bigger worries.

A bold of blue energy ripples through the air. It hits the Dalek next to me, which glows, and explodes in a shower of sparks and white flame. I throw up a hand to protect my eyes.

The Daleks back away as the twisted shell of the victim falls with a clang on its side. They suddenly seem fearful, and I don't blame them. The black unit certainly looks intimidating, and besides, they weren't expecting to be attacked by their own.

"So it worked then!" I say, with mock-casualness. Sec nods.

"Apparently so. You did not do so badly yourself. Now,"

There is a snapping sound, like someone cracking their knuckles. I look away from the hovering casing and recoil in shock as Sec begins to change. I had forgotten about that. And having never actually seen him transform before my eyes I have trouble associating with what I see.

But tentacles begin to extend out of his clothing, which begins to sag as he becomes smaller. His casing descends, its front beginning to open.

Sec, now resembling an extremely strange octopus, struggles into the casing, discarding the t-shirt and (I look away) sweat pants as he goes. He pulls the clothing in with a tentacle, and, with a meaningful look, the casing closes behind him.

"WARNING!" A Dalek announces. "THE SUPREME ONE AND HYBRID ARE THE SAME!"

"HE IS NOT PURE!"

"HE WILL BE EXTERMINATED!"

"Okay!" I cry, these announcements none to welcome. "What do we do now?"

"RIGHT; THE RIFT OPENED IN THE VECINITY OF THE IMPERIAL MONUMENT." Sec's casing announces in grating staccato tones. The change in voice is unnerving.

A laser beam misses me by a centimetre. I jump, suppressing a yelp.

"Good, great! But how do we get out?"

Sec's eye stalk swings round to face me, almost knocking me flat.

"HOP ON." He says.

"Pardon?"

"THE RIM AT THE BOTTOM OF MY CASING! STAND ON IT AND HOLD ON TIGHT."

I look down, and awkwardly step onto the surface at the back of the casing. There is enough room for my feet. But it becomes obvious that Daleks aren't designed to take passengers. I crouch, wincing, to get a grip on his side panels.

I look like I'm spooning a Dalek.

"I am not liking this position!" I inform him over the screams of the onslaught.

"I WILL NOT JUDGE." He buzzes at me wryly. "NOW... DON'T...LET...GO...ELEVATE!"

The casing wobbles. I increase my grip in panic. Steadily, we rise into the air. The floor begins to fall away and the world turns sideways.

We're flying. And I decide that I don't like it. I hold on, my fingers sweating and knees aching. I swear I'll slip.

The Daleks swarm below us, aiming into the air. But Sec dodges, swinging round to fire back, and I cling on trying very hard not to vomit again. We rise upwards to a curved gantry, and I hop off, my legs trembling. The twisted remains of an entrance lie before us, a curious symbol stamped above the door. None of the other Daleks can follow us. It's genius.

"COME ON; THIS WAY!" Sec calls and I break into a run as he hovers behind.

"So you can fly!"

"WE CALL IT ELEVATION."

"Don't mind me if I don't join you next time."

"IT MAKES THINGS EASIER. I HAVE SUPERIOR TECHNOLOGY. WE WERE NOT TO BE DEFEATED BY FEEBLE HUMAN STAIRCASES."

I snort.

"I did wonder. And all of them back there; they can't?"

Sec increases his speed, so that he elevates alongside me.

"THEY CANNOT, NO." He swivels his dome, glancing behind. "LOOK AT THIS CITY. KALAANN WAS DESIGNED FOR DALEKS. THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO. THEY WERE NOT SOLDIERS. THEY WERE EXPERIMENTS, NAVIGATORS, AND SCIENTISTS. THEY NEVER WENT ON ANY PRACTICAL MISSIONS."

I'm glad we have an advantage. But I keep myself in check. No is no time to become reckless; not when we're so close.

We have found ourselves in a passage panelled with steely triangles, speckled with rust and murky with age. It muffles all sounds.

"WE ARE NOW ENTERING THE EMPEROR'S SANCTUM." Sec hollers. "NOT FAR NOW."

But the screeching voices of the Daleks sound behind us, distant and muffled. The black Dalek takes the lead. A triangle of light appears at the end of the tunnel.

"Is that it?"

"YES! KEEP GOING!"

I don't need any further encouragement, and put on an extra burst of speed. The triangle becomes larger, and larger...

A blue bolt of energy sizzles past us, and I dive out the way. It ricochets off the walls, and hits the lock for the door in a spray of sparks. Momentarily disorientated, I look up. With an ancient scraping sound, the door begins to slide shut.

"No!"

Sec, seeing what has happened, slows.

"RUN ELIZA!" He commands. "QUICKLY; YOU CAN MAKE IT!"

Alarmed, I want to stop. What about him? Will he make it? I run, none the less, as the ever decreasing gap becomes smaller. There is barely enough room for me to fit. I throw myself to the floor, and scrabble under the gap. The cool air behind it stirs.

"SEC! Come on!" I shout back through the gap. For a split second, I see the blue eyestalk of the black Dalek staring wildly at me, before the now hairline crack closes with a monumental thud.

Silence.

I bang on the door, panic and frustration rising. He's trapped. I can't abandon him. I refuse to. I try the button, only to see a ribbon of black smoke rising from it. It's no longer working.

Then, a muffled voice sound's through the door.

"ELIZA, ARE YOU THERE?"

I throw my ear to it.

"Sec, I'm so sorry..."

"NO, DO NOT WORRY; YOU MUST KEEP GOING. I WILL HOLD OFF THE DALEKS."

"But-" I shout, but Sec cuts me off.

"THE RIFT IS IN THE TOPMOST CHAMBER OF THE IMPERIAL MONUMENT. BUT ON THE THIRD LEVEL IS A SECONDARY SWITCH. IT CONTROLS THE DOORS."

I feel hope flicker inside me.

"IT WILL HAVE A TRIANGLE STAMPED ABOVE IT;" He goes on. "I USED IT TO GET IN. YOU WILL FIND IT EASILY! NOW GO."

"Okay."

"YOU CANNOT MISS THE RIFT. IT WILL NOT CLOSE. WAIT FOR ME THERE."

"But, wait, what about the Daleks? What about their infection? Will you-" My words die in my mouth. I'm wasting time. If I want to help, I will have to move as quickly as possible.

"See you in a minute then. Good luck."

"YOU TOO." I hear Sec purr, and then I turn.

I find myself inside a huge stone chamber, lit by a reddish light. It reminds me of being inside a cathedral, and even has the same, slightly musty smell. The shape of the sloping walls is familiar. Yes. The reverse shape of the gigantic Dalek statue in the centre of the city.

A curving walkway winds around the wall, sloping upwards, and I begin to follow it. Up and up, until I am level with the beamed copper ceiling.

I burst out into a dilapidated room.

One level. I keep running, not caring that my feet hurt. I think I hear an explosion, and pray that I'm not too late. The next room I burst into nearly chokes me, and I blink smoke out of my eyes, seeing flames flicker feebly over a spilt fuel tank. How long has that burned for?

Two levels. I think of home. Think of blue skies, a soft warm bed. My skin feels itchy and gritty, and I think mildly of a long hot bath.

Third level. I drop off the walkway, and sure enough, the room appears to be filled with switches, placed at Dalek level. Far from disheartened, I spot the triangle switch almost immediately. It is the closest one.

"There you go Dalek Boy" I say to myself. I hit it, and it lights up, glowing red. I hear a distant grinding sound. Sec is out. Victory. We're both free.

I follow the slope once more, the circuit, very gradually appears to decrease. How tall is this thing anyway? I guess the switch room could only have been at the top of the skirt section of the stone Dalek, judging by the shape. But the trip is bearable.

Suddenly, my mind begins to wonder. I think of being back in New York, back in America, back on Earth, and seeing Dad again, and Melanie, and Malcolm. I'd have to pay Mom a visit too. But how will I ever explain all of this to them? Will I ever be able to go back to normal?

And then I begin to think about Sec. What about him? The Hybrid will go back to Manhattan, and be cooped up in a lab for the rest of his life, while I keep on living my life as normal. The thought is unpleasant, and I slow my pace for a moment. Sec's life barely seems worth living. He may be blamed for what happened. If I try to defend him, they may just tell me I have Stockholm syndrome. And I don't. I wasn't his captive.

My footfall echoing dryly around the walls, I ponder what to do.

I'll be there for him.

The conclusion is so unexpected, that I surprise myself. But then, I realise, of course I will. No matter what they say, he's not a monster. I have seen real Daleks, and I know the difference now. He's ugly as hell, but he has so much to give. He is one of the oddest, wisest people I have ever met, and there will never be another Human Dalek. And I don't think this out of pity. No. He's my friend now. I'll do whatever I can.

Finally, I reach the end of the walkway. The slope stops abruptly, and I find myself in a small, tubular corridor.

Light floods it, glowing at the end like a sunrise. I hear an electric, head-splitting hum, and realise it is familiar.

The Rift.

Yes!

I've made it!

Sec will be here any moment. We will outrun the Daleks easily, burst back through, close the Rift, and be free. The idea of home has never felt so sweet.

I round the corner.

And something rips through my chest. Blood splatters and my rib cage shatters. It's not a Dalek's laser beam or shrapnel from an explosion.

The thing that hits me is a bullet.