"Whoa!" Hanna gripped the door frame as she stepped into the TARDIS console room and the entire thing lurched dramatically to one side, only just managing to avoid being pitched onto the floor, "What's going on? Where are we?"

"We've locked onto a human ship out in the middle of a fleet of Daleks. We're going in to try to rescue the pilot." The Doctor replied, moving quickly around the console.

"Okay... why? What's happened?"

"War. There's always war when the Daleks are involved. I don't know which one, there are too many to keep track of. But there is always war. And there are people here that I could get back safely to their families. So I have the obligation to try."

"So what do we do?"

"We need to get in and out without being detected. I've locked onto the ship, it's being chased by several Dalek ships. At the moment where it's supposed to explode, we materialise in around the pilot and then pull out with them safely on board. There's a margin of error of less than a second so I have to be quick and I have to do it... now." He pulled a lever, dancing around the console. The TARDIS wheezed and groaned and a woman appeared inside the room with them.

As soon as they were away again, Hanna moved over to the woman, "Hey," she said softly, "Are you okay? I'm Hanna and this is the Doctor. What's your name?"

The woman looked up at them, confused and frightened by her new surroundings. "Where's my brother?" She demanded, scrabbling for her weapon and pointing it at them.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor." He said, taking a calm step towards her.

"He was right beside me." The woman continued becoming more aggressive, "Where's Kai? How did I get here?"

"I materialised a time capsule exactly around you and saved your life one second before your ship exploded but do please keep crying." The Doctor said as the woman ran down a set of stairs, visibly upset.

"Shut up, Doctor." Hanna told him before sighing, "Your brother is dead." She told the woman softly, slowly following her down the stairs, "He was dead before we got to you. I'm so sorry. We could only save you. He had to be left behind."

"You're very welcome." The Doctor added, "Considering we just saved your life. Put the gun down."

"Or what?" The woman said, moving round to climb back up.

"Or you might shoot me and then where would we be?" He replied.

"In charge of your vessel." She said, approaching him.

"You'd starve to death trying to find the light switch. Who are you?" He turned his back on her.

"I'm Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance. I demand you take me back to my command ship, the Aristotle, which is currently located-"

"No." The Doctor cut her off.

"Doesn't work like that." Hanna said, moving to stand beside him at the console. "Ooo is this for me?" she added, noticing a cardboard tray with three takeaway coffee cups slotted into it."

The Doctor glanced at her and pointed at one of them before returning his attention to Journey. "Try again."

"You will take me back to my command ship, which is currently positioned-"

"No, no." He cut her off again. "Come on, not like that. Not like that. Get it right!"

"You're our guest." Hanna added, sipping her drink, "Act like one."

Forcibly, Journey lowered the gun and her tone, "Will you take me back to my ship?" When the Doctor gestured as if to ask for more she added, "Please?"

He put his hand on the big lever on the console, "The Aristotle's the big fella parked in the asteroid belt, yeah?"

"It's shielded," Journey said as the Doctor pulled the big 'go' lever.

"More or less." He replied.

"That's the thing about our ship," Hanna said, "There's not much it can't get past." When the TARDIS landed she gestured towards the door.

"Dry your eyes, Journey Blue." The Doctor said as the woman opened the door and looked out, surprised to be on her ship, "Crying's for civilians. It's how we communicate with you lot." He moved past her out into the spaceship as she paused in the doorway to wipe her eyes.

Hanna smiled and handed her a tissue, "Here. And keep your chin up."

Journey smiled slightly and nodded her thanks, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose before pocketing the tissue and stepping out onto the Aristotle. She looked back at the TARDIS and frowned, "It's smaller on the outside."

"It's a bit more exciting when you go the other way." The Doctor admitted.

"Very true." Hanna said, closing the door behind her as she joined them. "Plus he likes it when people step inside and are all amazed. And pretty much every single one of them feels the need to point out that it's bigger on the inside. There was a podcast called that, back where I'm from. It was excellent."

"Back on topic." The Doctor said, walking away from the TARDIS and expecting them to follow, "This isn't a battleship, is it? Medical insignia. It's a hospital."

"We don't need hospitals now." a voice said. They turned and saw a bearded man walking towards them, flanked by two armed soldiers. Hanna paused. She was sure she recognised him from somewhere. "The Daleks don't leave any wounded." The man continued. "And we don't take any prisoners."

The Doctor looked from him to the soldiers and back, "I saved your little friend here, if that's in any way relevant to mention."

"That's true, sir. He did." Journey put in.

"Thank you." The man said.

"You're welcome." The Doctor replied, "I wish I could have done more."

"Then you should have." The man countered.

"Now that's just mean." Hanna said, "We saved Journey Blue from the Daleks and brought her back to you. Would you have wanted us to risk her as well on some kind of suicide mission trying to save more people who wandered into the Dalek's line of fire?"

"And who are you?" The man asked, turning his attention to her.

"Hanna MacKay. Human, brilliant and not in the slightest bit intimidated by soldiers." She smiled at him, "Good to meet you, sir."

The man looked at her for a moment before continuing talking to the Doctor as if she hadn't said anything, "You did save Journey. And for that I am personally grateful. However, the security of this base is absolute. So we're still going to kill you."

The Doctor paused, "Oh it's a rollercoaster with you, isn't it?" He said quietly.

"Shoot them, bag them and throw them outside." The man said.

"No! Stop!" Journey protested.

"I'm sorry! They might be duplicates." He replied firmly.

"Nah, I'm pretty sure I'd know if I was." Hanna shrugged.

"He's a doctor!" Journey said quickly. "And we have a patient. Don't we, Uncle?"

The man looked between her and the Doctor, "And what about the other one?"

"I'm his associate." Hanna told him, "Assistant, travelling companion... whichever one takes your fancy. Basically, where he goes, I go."

The man looked at them for a few seconds before nodding slightly, "Come with me."

"Why does the hospital need a doctor?" The Doctor asked as they were led down a corridor.

"The Aristotle wasn't always hidden. The Daleks got here before us." The man replied.

"So who are you?" Hanna asked, "Not collectively as a group, I can clearly see that you're soldiers fighting a losing battle against the Daleks. But you individually. And I don't give a crap about your rank, I want a name."

"Is she always like this?" the man asked, directing his question at the Doctor.

"Yes, pretty much. But she raises a good point. A name would certainly be useful if you want us to help you." The Doctor replied.

The man hesitated before sighing, "Morgan. Just Morgan."

"See, isn't this all so much better when we get along?" Hanna smiled.

"Wow!" The Doctor exclaimed as they were led into a room that contained a large clear topped cylinder with two benches of seats inside. He ran a hand along the top, "A moleculon nanoscaler!"

"And in English?" Hanna asked.

He looked at her, "It miniaturises living matter. What's the medical application though?" He added to Journey and Morgan before answering his own question, "Do you shrink the surgeons so they can climb inside the patients?"

"Exactly." Morgan replied, turning to continue leading them onwards.

"Fantastic idea for a movie." The Doctor said, following, "Terrible idea for a proctologist. Are you going to miniaturise me?"

"You're a doctor, aren't you?" Morgan said by way of an answer.

"So... yes." Hanna said, "Could you not have just said 'yes'?"

"I need him, I could still shoot you if you keep talking to me like that." Morgan snapped at her.

"Oh leave her, she's always like this. And if anything happens to her then I swear you will be made to regret it. One way or another." The Doctor's eyes darkened as he spoke.

"Is that a threat?"

"What do you think?"

"We're here," Journey interrupted before either of them could go any further.

"This, is your patient." Morgan said as the doors in front of them slid open, revealing behind them a battered old Dalek, blue eyestalk glowing faintly and cables and tubes protruding from the casing.

The Doctor stared at the Dalek, "No, you don't understand. You can't put me in there."

"Doc-tor." The Dalek intoned, "Doc-tor!"

The Doctor stepped forwards, "How do you know who I am?" He demanded.

"He doesn't." Morgan said, "We promised him medical assistance."

"Are you my doctor?" The Dalek continued to intone.

"We found it floating in space." Journey explained.

"We thought it was deactivated so we tried to disassemble it." Morgan continued.

"You didn't realise there was a living creature inside?" The Doctor asked.

"Not 'til it started screaming." Journey said coldly.

"Poor thing." Hanna said softly.

"Help me." The Dalek said.

"Why would I do that?" The Doctor retorted, "Why would any living creature help you?"

"Daleks will die." It replied.

"Die all you like. Not my problem." The Doctor turned away.

"Daleks must be destroyed!" The Dalek said.

"Hang on, what?" Hanna asked. "Must be destroyed? That is not normal Dalek speak. Also," She turned and looked at Morgan, "You called it 'he'."

"What?" Morgan looked at her, "Don't we have more pressing things to deal with?"

"No. You showed some... whatever the word is. You said that you promised him medical assistance. And when Journey started to call the Dalek 'it' you went along with what she said. But to start with, you call the Dalek a he. I don't get you, Morgan. I also don't know who you remind me of. Somewhere in the back of my mind you remind me of someone a very long time ago."

"All Daleks must die." The Dalek's voice cut over Hanna's rambling thoughts and brought their attention back to it, "I will destroy the Daleks. Destroy the Daleks! Destroy the Daleks!"

"We should get Clara." The Doctor grabbed Hanna's hand and pulled her quickly from the room, heading back the way they had come.

"Hey, where are you going?" Morgan called after them, "Are you going to help us or do we have you shot!"

"We'll help!" Hanna called over her shoulder, "The Doctor can never resist a good mystery. But we've got a friend, someone who will be absolutely invaluable to this operation. We'll be back in a minute." She turned and caught up with the Doctor, leaving Morgan and Journey looking slightly bemused.

"So we get Clara and then what?" Hanna asked as they arrived at the TARDIS, the Doctor quickly setting them in flight.

"And then we come up with a proper battle plan. Is that coffee still hot?" He replied.

She checked, "Mostly. It'll probably be fine."

"Good. We don't have time to get some fresh. We're already late."

Hanna sat up on her railing, "So what are we doing? We're getting Clara so she can join us on this jaunt into a Dalek?" She paused, "Into the Dalek. I know this one. Kind of."

"How many more do you kind of know? Honestly." He looked up at her.

She hesitated, "Two or three. Don't tell Clara."

"Why not?"

"Because it's better for her to not know. And I'm already shit scared about what's going to happen when there's nothing more about your future that I know."

"You'll be just like the rest of us."

"Is that not terrifying?"

He looked at her silently for a moment before nodding slightly, "Point taken."

She smiled, "So we go into the Dalek. Which is... what, malfunctioning?"

"Must be. How much do you know?"

"Episode aired two... three... some years ago. From my point of view, that is. I've got a magazine with an episode synopsis and that's... it. Apart from the backlog of facebook conversations with Lily and Beth which gives me some idea of the finer plot developments."

"We'll continue this later." The Doctor said as the TARDIS landed. He whisked the cardboard tray of coffee cups off the console and went over to the door, pulling it open and stepping out. Hanna was hot on his heels.

"Where the hell have you been?" Clara asked.

"You sent me for coffee." The Doctor replied.

"You know how we were off doing other things before the coffee got here?" Hanna said, leaning against the TARDIS, "That kind of tends to mean you're a bit off with your timings."

"It was three weeks ago." Clara said, "In Glasgow. Hanna, I told you to go so that this wouldn't happen."

"I got distracted." Hanna shrugged, "You won't believe what we're doing now!"

"Do I want to know?" Clara looked between them.

"Come on!" The Doctor said, turning back to the TARDIS. Hanna pushed the door open for them. The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at Clara, "Why were you smiling?"

"Was I?" Clara asked, "No I wasn't."

"Yeah you were. And that was a small 'I like that person' smile. Who made you smile?" Hanna grinned.

"Smiling at nothing, I'd almost say you were in love." The Doctor added, "But to be honest..." he stopped.

"Honest?" Clara pressed.

"I'd tread carefully if I were you, Doctor." Hanna said, perching up on her railing.

"You're not a young woman any more." The Doctor said.

"Yes, I am!" Clara protested, taking the coffee.

"Well, you don't look it."

"I do look it."

"Oh, that's right. Keep your spirits up." He said as she rolled her eyes and moved away.

"You do look it, Clara." Hanna called over, "He's just confused. Which frankly I get the impression is going to be a fixture with this new face."

"Clara, Clara, Clara, Clara, Clara, Clara. Clara, Clara." The Doctor repeated, swinging slightly down a set of steps to a blackboard before turning to her, "I need something from you. I need the truth. I can't ask Hanna, she knows too much about the past and the future to give me a here and now honest answer."

"Okay..." Clara said, slightly confused. "Right, what is it?" She sat down beside him on the steps. "What's-?" She stopped as he sighed heavily, "You're scared."

He paused for a moment, "I'm terrified."

"Of what?" Clara asked, glancing over her shoulder briefly at Hanna, who put her hands up in the air to indicate that there was nothing she could say or do at the moment.

The Doctor looked at his hands, "The answer to my next question. Which must be honest, cold and considered, without kindness or restraint."

Clara nodded slightly, "Sure you couldn't ask Hanna?"

He shook his head, "She knows too much. She's seen and scrutinised over so much of my timeline, her answer will be biased and she's not one to hold back on her opinions." He sighed softly, "Clara, be my pal and tell me... am I a good man?"

Clara was silent for a long moment, "I... don't know."

The Doctor sighed and stood up, "Neither do I. I know that Hanna will straight out say that yes I am but she sees me as the hero of the piece. The protagonist of a television program must always strive to be a good man. But I don't know if I am." He moved over to the console.

"Hey," Clara called after him, "No offence, but I've got plans."

He looked over at her, "I need you."

She sighed and stood up, moving over to join them, "Where are we going?"

He pulled the lever to set the TARDIS in motion, "Into darkness."

"This is going to be fun. And probably terrifying. So mostly fun." Hanna grinned at her, "This would never be any fun if there wasn't a liberal amount of danger involved. You excited yet?"

Clara grinned back, "Always. So what happened? What did you find? Where are we going?"

"There is a Dalek. On a spaceship." The Doctor said to her, "Which believes that its prime goal is to destroy the Daleks. That it's... good."

"A good Dalek?" Clara frowned at them.

"There's no such thing." The Doctor said firmly.

"That's a bit inflexible, not like you." Clara said, "I'd almost say prejudice."

Hanna sighed, "The only time I can remember Daleks going against their prime directive of destroy anything un-Dalek is either to pretend to be good little servants to humanity while secretly plotting to create more Daleks and thus wipe us out... or when the Doctor somehow spliced them with the 'human factor' and they became like three little children. Daleks do not become good."

The Doctor sighed at the pair of them, "Come on." He said as the TARDIS landed, leading them back out into the corridors of the Aristotle and towards the medical bay where they had left Morgan and Journey.

"This is gun girl. She's got a gun and she's a girl. This is a sort of boss one. Are you the same one as before?" The Doctor only paused in his brief explanation for Morgan to answer his question with a confirmation before continuing at the same rapid pace, "I think he's probably her uncle but I may have made that up to pass the time while they were talking. This is Clara, not my assistant, Hanna's my assistant, she's, uh, some other words."

"I'm his carer." Clara supplied, turning to wave briefly at a rather confused looking Morgan and Journey.

"Yeah, my carer." The Doctor agreed, "She cares so I don't have to."

The doors in front of them slid open, once more revealing the battered Dalek. "Doctor?" It intoned.

"Hello again," the Doctor replied.

"Will you help me?" The Dalek asked.

"Will you?" Clara asked.

"A Dalek so damaged, it turned good." The Doctor said grimly, "Morality as malfunction. How do I resist?"

"Is there anything you actually can resist?" Hanna asked, "Just... in general."

The Doctor looked at her, "Lots of things."

"Daleks must die. Daleks must die!" The Dalek said.

"So, what do we do with a moral Dalek, then?" Clara asked.

"We get into its head." The Doctor told her.

"Quite literally." Hanna added. "These soldier people have a way of miniaturising us so we can literally get into the Dalek's head. Which frankly..." she turned to Journey and Morgan, "Sooner rather than later. Chop chop."

"Yes, we were just getting to that bit." Morgan said, "come with us."

"Doctor, did you let Hanna pick her own coffee?" Clara asked as she followed.

"Yes. Why?" He replied.

"Have you forgotten the one rule of us getting coffee? Don't let Hanna decide. Because if she does she will have a double mocha latte with a shot of caramel and lots of sugar and caffeine has a tendency to up the sarcasm levels so frankly, it's better to not have her around people with twitchy trigger fingers."

"I'll have you know, I'm always like this." Hanna told her, "Awesome sweet coffee or not. I'm just not as good at toning it down." She grinned at her, "Plus it tastes so good."

Clara rolled her eyes, "See. Don't let Hanna decide on the coffee."

"Point taken." The Doctor said, "No more double coffees for Hanna."

"If we could get back to the task at hand." Journey interrupted, holding up a small circular device, "These are nano controllers. Once we're miniaturised they take over the molecular compression. When the mission is over, hit the button. She clipped one onto Clara's wrist and another onto Hanna's. "Are you sure you understand?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Clara replied.

"It's easy." Hanna added, "The bracelet keeps us small, don't press the button until we're done if we don't want to explode the Dalek and probably kill ourselves in the process. What is there to not understand?"

"No offence to you both but... this is a dangerous mission and you don't look the type." Journey told them.

"I still didn't catch your name." Clara said to her, looking up.

"Journey Blue."

"Blue?"

"Blue, yes. Problem?"

"No, I just met a soldier called Pink." Clara replied with a slight smile.

"Lucky fella."

"Lucky?"

Journey shrugged slightly, "From the way you smile."

"So uh, who makes you smile or is nobody up for the job?"

"My brother." Journey replied, her voice catching slightly, "But he burnt to death a couple of hours ago so he's really letting me down today. Excuse me." She turned and walked away.

"What are those ones for? I don't need armed babysitters!" The loud voice announced the arrival of the Doctor, who had gone off to talk with Morgan.

"We're not babysitters." The woman said.

"We're here to shoot you dead if you turn out to be a Dalek spy." The man added.

"Well that's a relief, I hate babysitters." The Doctor replied, somewhat consoled.

"Okay, listen up." Journey said, drawing all attention to her.

"Now remember, do not hold your breath when the nanoscaler engages. You'll feel like you want to, but you must keep breathing normally during the miniaturisation process."

"Why?" Clara asked.

"Ever microwaved a lasagne without pricking the film on top?" The Doctor asked by way of an answer.

"Boom." Hanna put in.

The Doctor nodded slightly, "Don't be lasagne."

"Everyone in." Journey said, moving past them and into the machine, "And be careful."

Hanna followed her in and sat down on one of the benches. She fiddled with the sleeve of her jacket, the only outward sign that she was in any way nervous.

Morgan's voice came over the intercom, "Nanoscaler engaging in five, four, three, two... Nanoscaler engaging, now!"

There was a sound of a machine powering up. Hanna forced herself to keep breathing as the pressure in the room seemed to increase. She kept fiddling with a stray thread she'd found on her sleeve, playing it between and around her fingers. The room shuddered and then everything went quiet.

Morgan's voice came over the intercom again, "Nanoscaling successful. Everyone okay in there?"

"We made it. Nobody popped." Journey replied into her radio. The chamber tilted briefly as it was picked up and carried over to the Dalek.

Hanna watched curiously through the clear walls of the chamber as they were placed in the eye stalk of the Dalek. The Doctor leaned over and touched the end wall which wibbled and allowed his hand to pass through the translucent blue. They all exchanged glances before one by one stepping through, everything wobbling strangely. It was almost like they were in some kind of blue goo, heavy and weightless at the same time.

"That was weird." Clara said as they reached the other side and found themselves with their feet firmly planted on a solid surface.

"You've seen nothing yet." The Doctor replied.

"This is both amazing and terrifying." Hanna said, looking around in wonder at the pulses of light flashing along the walls.

"What are the lights?" Clara asked.

"Visual impluses travelling towards the brain." The Doctor told them as they moved forwards along the eye stalk.

"Beautiful." Clara murmured.

"Welcome to the most dangerous place in the universe." The Doctor replied, glancing back at her.

"Entering the cranial ledge now." Journey said into her radio.

Hanna looked over to the group of soldiers, "What are your names?" She asked, "Just actual names. I don't really care for ranks."

The woman glanced at her, "Gretchen." She replied.

"And you?" Hanna added to the man when she didn't immediately offer his own name.

He looked at her briefly, "Ross."

Hanna nodded in a satisfied way before moving over to join the Doctor and Clara at the railing. The Doctor glanced at her, "Behold the belly of the beast."

"It's amazing." Clara said.

"It's huge." Ross added.

"We're small." Hanna corrected him, "This is... mad."

"How big is it?" Clara asked pointing downwards, "That living part compared to me and you right now?"

"You see all those cables?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah?" She replied, still looking.

"They're not all cables." He finished.

"The Dalek travel machine is the main bulk of the thing that we know as a Dalek." Hanna said, "But the Kaled creature inside needs to connect to everything. And it can't do all of that with only cables."

"You seem to know a lot about the inner workings of a Dalek." Journey pointed out.

"I've done my research." Hanna replied, "You clearly don't know anything at all if you didn't even know there was a living creature inside."

"Does it know we're here?" Ross asked.

"It's what invited us in." Journey answered him quietly.

The Doctor moved away slightly to have a look around, stopping at a bank of lights, "Now, this is the cortex vault." He explained, "A supplementary electronic brain. Memory banks. But more than that. This is what keeps the Dalek pure."

"How are Daleks pure?" Gretchen asked.

"Dalek mutants are born hating. This is what stokes the fire, extinguishes even the tiniest glimmer of... of kindness, compassion." He told them.

"Daleks were created to by the master race of the universe." Hanna continued, "And how can they be the master race without a deep centred hatred for all other living creatures? Without a desire to wipe out everything else?"

"Imagine the worst possible thing in the universe and then don't bother because you're looking at it right now." The Doctor took over. "This is evil refined as engineering."

"Doctor?" The Dalek's voice rang out through the chamber.

"Oh, hello, Rusty!" The Doctor replied, looking around. "You don't mind if I call you Rusty? We're going to need to come down there with you. Medical examination and all that."

"What? With all those tentacles and things?" Gretchen asked.

"How close do we have to get?" Journey added.

"Well, you know, we're never going to insert a thermometer from up here." The Doctor said, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"I wouldn't do that if I were-" Hanna started as Ross fired some kind of grappling device into the floor. "-you..."

There was a shriek and a bundle of pale pulses expanded out from where he'd hit. The Doctor ran over, "No! No, no, no, no! Stop! Stop! Stop, you idiot!"

Journey intercepted him, "We need to find a way down, this is the only way-"

"This is a Dalek, not a machine!" The Doctor yelled, "It's a perfect analogue of a living being and you just hurt it!"

"How would you like it if you invited something into your body while fully conscious and then it started firing metal rods into your bones?" Hanna snapped, "This is what you have just done to this Dalek!"

"So what's going to happen now?" The Doctor finished angrily.

"Oh God..." Clara said softly.

"What is it?" Gretchen asked.

"Antibodies?" Clara ventured, looking towards the Doctor, who had crouched down half behind one of the supports.

"Dalek antibodies." He confirmed as several small balls came flying down the corridor towards them. "Nobody move!" He added in a louder voice, "Any attempt to help him or attack, those things will identify you as a secondary source of infection. Stay still!"

The spherical antibodies flew around Ross, scanning him.

"If the Dalek invited us in here, why is it attacking?" Clara asked.

"Can you control your antibodies?" The Doctor said.

"Ross, stay calm. We're going to get you out of this." Journey said, taking control as best as she could.

"Can you?" Clara asked.

"Ross, swallow that." The Doctor said, throwing something over to him.

"What is it?" Ross said, catching it.

"Trust me." He replied.

Ross smiled slightly and swallowed it, "Now what?"

The antibodies continued to swarm around him. Then a beam of light came from the centre of one of them. Ross screamed and disintegrated.

"Oh my God! What's it doing?" Clara shouted as one of the antibodies absorbed the pile of dust that had only a few seconds before been Ross.

"The hoovering." The Doctor replied, fiddling with settings on the sonic screwdriver. "Gotcha!" He exclaimed, standing up.

"What did you give him?" Gretchen demanded.

"Oh, it's just a spare power cell but I can track the radiation signature." He replied, still messing with the screwdriver, "I need to know where they dump the bodies."

"I thought you were saving him!" Journey yelled.

"He was dead already, I was saving us!" The Doctor yelled back, holding the sonic aloft, "Follow me and run!"

"Come on!" Hanna called as the others hesitated before following him down the corridor, following the signal that the sonic screwdriver was receiving. The antibodies followed them.

The Doctor stopped at the edge of a gaping hole, "They've dumped him in here. Organic refuse disposal." He looked over the edge. "We need to get in there!"

"Why?" Clara asked.

"Does it matter?" Hanna snapped, "Those things are getting closer and I don't feel like being hoovered up by a Dalek antibody!"

"We don't know where it goes!" Journey protested.

"Yes I do. Away from here. Now in, in, in!" The Doctor yelled.

"Do as he says!" Hanna yelled, waiting for a brief moment for Clara to go first before jumping in after her, letting out a squeal that was a mixture of terror and adrenaline fuelled excitement. She landed with a splash beside Clara in a pool of slimy goo. "Well this is gross." She said, shaking what she could off her hands and pushing her wet and slimy hair back from her face, "Anybody got a towel? I'm a bad hitch hiker and lost mine."

"What is this stuff?" Clara asked as the Doctor and the others joined them.

"People." The Doctor told her, "Daleks need protein. Occasionally, they harvest from their victims. This is a feeding tube."

"As I believe I've said, gross." Hanna said. "People soup."

"Is Ross in here?" Journey asked.

"Yeah," The Doctor said, standing up, "Top layer, if you want to say a few words."

Journey grabbed his lapels and pushed him against the wall, "A man just died. You will not talk like that!"

"Because he was stupid enough to hurt a Dalek!" Hanna snapped, "And the Doctor just saved all ours lives from Ross' mistake. So shut the hell up because he is the only one who is going to get us out of here safely."

"A lot of people have died." The Doctor said, "All the people in here are dead, you know why that's good?"

"We're not dead." Hanna replied over the top of Journey's protests. "We're in here and we're not dead."

"Logically, this is the weakest part of the Dalek's internal security. Nobody guards the dead!" The Doctor said. Journey let go of him and turned away as he continued, "Mortuaries and larders. Always the easiest to break out of." He sighed and climbed through an opening into the next sector, "Oh, I've lived a life... tell Uncle Stupid that we're in." He stood up, "Ah! A bolt hole!" He activated the sonic and the large hexagonal panel in front of him started to rotate and unscrew.

"He'll get us out of here." Clara said to Journey and Gretchen, who still looked unimpressed, "The difficult part is not killing him before he can."

"Bolt hole." The Doctor said, moving the now removed bolt from in his way, "Actually a hole for a bolt. Does nobody get that?"

Hanna rolled her eyes, "I got it. It was awful." She said, clambering into the hole after him.

"Careful," He called over his shoulder, "Decontamination tubes are hot."

They crawled in silence for a while, the Doctor leading the way through the maze of tubes.

"Rescue One to mission control." Journey said into her radio after a short while. She paused to hear the reply before continuing, "The Dalek has an internal defence mechanism. We've lost Ross." Another pause, "Yeah well, who knows? It's a Dalek."

"Antibodies!" Hanna said in an exasperated voice over her shoulder, "It's a living thing, it has antibodies! If you hurt it like Ross did, it's going to retaliate!"

Journey sighed, almost audibly rolling her eyes, "We're going to continue the mission." she finished into the radio.

"Are you all right back there? It's a bit narrow, isn't it?" The Doctor said.

"Any remarks about my hips will not be appreciated." Clara replied.

"Oh, your hips are fine, you're built like a man." He said offhandedly.

"You're a very good looking woman, Clara." Hanna said with a smile, even though the other woman couldn't see it, "You can trust me on that one."

"Why? You looked?" Clara asked, slightly taken aback.

"Once or twice. Enough to notice, not enough for it to be weird. You're a good friend of mine, Clara. And what good friend hasn't looked at their other friends and gone 'hmm, maybe. No, but maybe'?"

"Oh... well thanks." Clara sounded a little happier now.

"Aha." The Doctor said as the tunnel finally ended and they emerged into a large chamber. "What's that noise?" He helped Hanna and Clara out of the tunnel, "Are you wearing a Geiger counter?"

"Standard battle equipment. That's just low level radiation." Gretchen replied as she climbed out of the tunnel.

"It's stronger down here for some reason," The Doctor mused, moving away through the electronic circuits. He came back quickly, "Give me it." He held his hand out.

Gretchen handed it to him and the Doctor moved away quickly, following where the clicking was loudest. Hanna followed him curiously. "You think this could be part of the problem?"

"I don't know. I've never been inside a Dalek before?" He replied. "I've got it. I know what's wrong with Rusty." He announced suddenly.

"Okay, that's good." Clara said. "Is that good?"

"Well, you know how I said this was the most dangerous place in the universe? I was wrong. It's way more dangerous than that."

"The glee in your voice worries me somewhat." Hanna said, following him as he once more began to follow the noise the Geiger counter was making.

"Old Rusty here is suffering a trionic radiation leak." The Doctor said, "It's poisoning the Dalek and us. Just as well we're here."

"Really?" Journey said, "Perhaps we should get out while we can."

"Where's the fun in that?" Hanna asked her, "We're here to help."

"Why should we trust a Dalek?" Journey protested, "Why would it change?"

"Good question." The Doctor replied, "Rusty? What changed you?"

"I saw beauty." Rusty replied.

The Doctor paused, "You saw what?"

"In the silence and the cold. I saw worlds burning."

"That's not beauty, that's destruction." Journey said angrily.

"I saw more." Rusty continued.

"What?" The Doctor asked, "What did you see?"

"The birth of a star." Rusty told them.

"Stars are born every day." The Doctor said, "You've seen a million stars born. So what?"

"Daleks have destroyed millions of stars." Rusty said.

"Oh millions and millions. Trust me, I keep count." The Doctor replied, continuing on his way through the chamber.

"And yet, new stars are born." Rusty said.

"Every time." The Doctor said, grunting as he clambered up a platform.

"Resistance is futile."

Rusty's remark made the Doctor pause again, "Resistance to what?"

"Life returns. Life prevails. Resistance is futile."

"So you saw a star being born and you learned something." The Doctor clarified, "Oh Dalek, do not be lying to me." He looked down at the others, "Come on."

They continued climbing for a while, Journey keeping Morgan updated with their progress as they went. Hanna looked around, "How much further?" She asked softly.

The Doctor looked at her, "Are you frightened?"

She looked at him, "Nah. We're inside a Dalek being gradually poisoned by radiation. Why would I be frightened?"

He smiled slightly and nodded, "Come on then. We're almost there." He climbed through into another much larger chamber, "We're at the heart of the Dalek." He announced.


Author's Note: Okay guys I am SOOOO sorry it's been so long since I last uploaded anything. Work and life in general has been getting in the way of writing and whenever I try to go back to it I remember just how much I struggle to enjoy series 8. It's good but... meh. But I am still writing. Please be patient with me. I'm working on it.