7. Manhattan 1930 (Part 2)
"These humans will become like me. Prepare them for hybridisation."
The Doctor and Tory sneak away behind some equipment as the pigmen take the others.
"Leave me alone! Don't you dare!" Martha yelled.
Then, Happy Days are Here Again, the same song from the park before, starts playing.
"What is that sound?"
The Doctor steps out, a radio in his left hand while his right hand holds Tory's. "Ah, well, now, that would be me." He puts the radio down by a Bunsen burner and walks up. "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera."
"Doctor!" It claimed, then scanning Tory as well. "And the Time Lady!"
"She's the Historian! She and the Doctor are the enemy of the Daleks!" Another added.
"Exterminate!"
"Wait!" The human-Dalek claimed.
Tory tilted her head, looking at the human-Dalek. "A new form of Dalek," she noted. "Human plus Dalek."
"The Cult of Skaro escaped both of your slaughter," he recalled, looking at the Time Lords suspiciously before landing his eye at Tory. "We thought you had died in the war. Never we expect the Daleks Destructor is alive. We realize too late."
The Doctor eyeing him, worry with the danger they're facing will be more dangerous with the Cult of Skaro, now that they know about Tory's identity. "How did you end up in 1930?" He asked.
"Emergency temporal shift."
"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, huh? Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world, but instead you're skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting." He walking around, then looking back. "All of which results in you."
"I am Dalek in human form."
"What does it feel like?" Tory curiously asked. After all, this is a rare case. As much as she despise the Daleks for murdering many people, including her best friend, she still wants to learn things that isn't common. Part of her is curious to know. "Dalek Sec, isn't it? Tell us what you're thinking right now."
"I... feel... humanity." Dalek Sec turns away.
"Good. That's good," the Doctor encouraged.
"I... feel... everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war," he continued. "Such... a genius for war."
"That's not what humanity means," Tory shook her head, disagreed.
"I think it does," Dalek Sec insisted. "At heart, this species is so very... Dalek."
"That's not the point!"
"All right, so what have you achieved then, with this 'Final Experiment', eh?" The Doctor demanded. "Nothing! Because I can show you what you're missing with this thing. A simple little radio."
"What is the purpose of that device?" One of them asked.
"Well, exactly. It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course. Then it's all just noise." The Doctor aims his sonic screwdriver at the little radio. It emits a shriek that hurts Sec, the Daleks, and the pigmen.
"Run!" Tory shouted as she, the Doctor, Martha and others prisoners escape. Both Time Lord still holding their hands together, never let go, even as they entering the sewer.
"Come on! Move, move, move, move, move!" The Doctor urged as he walks at front, leads the group to where Tallulah is standing, lost. "And you, Tallulah! Run!"
"What's happened to Laszlo?" Tallulah asked as Martha drags Tallulah as well.
The Doctor leads the group to the ladder with Tory's helping them from above the ladder. "Come on! Everyone up! Come on!" He said before climbs up and closes the sewer.
Later on, the Doctor and others return to Hooverville for safety. Right now, Tory sits beside Martha, near the fire, as the girls watch Solomon and the Doctor talking.
"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they want to breed?" Solomon asked.
"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies, and if I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. You've got to get everyone out," the Doctor warned.
"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go."
"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York."
"There's got to be a way to reason with these things."
"They will never be," Tory affirmed. "I've met them during the first day of the war. I witness the Daleks murdered my best friend and other children, even the adults."
She can remember that day, even if it's still blurly now. How the Daleks murdered students and teachers alike. The death counts reach into number 3000, a high number of loss. Parents are quite hysterical upon learning this, some just cannot accept their children's death. The remaining survivors had to endure the fact they're still alive from Dalek's invasion. But that's just the beginning of hell.
"Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they're vulnerable," the Doctor emphazised. "That makes them more dangerous than ever."
"They're coming! They're coming!" One of the man suddenly alarmed.
"A sentry. He must have seen something," Solomon realized.
"They're here!" The Sentry said. "I've seen them! Monsters! They're monsters!"
"It's started," the Doctor murmured, placing his hand at Tory's.
"We're under attack! Everyone to arms!" Solomon warned as rifles are handed out one by one to each man.
"I'm ready, boss," Frank mentioned, ready as he's holding a rifle. "but all of you, find a weapon! Use anything."
While some people ready to fight, some people just run away.
"Come back! We've got to stick together!" Solomon insisted. "It's not safe out there! Come back!"
The pigmen get into the camp and start grabbing victims.
"We need to get out of the park," Martha remarked.
"We can't, Martha," Tory disagreed. "They're everywhere. It's not safe to escape."
"We're trapped," Tallulah realized.
"Then we stand together," Solomon averred. "Gather round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together."
The armed men form a circle around the women, by the campfire.
"They can't take all of us," Solomon said as they stars shooting.
"If we can just hold them off till daylight," Martha hoped.
"Oh, Martha, they're just the foot soldiers," the Doctor addressed as he and Tory look above.
Martha and other follow their gaze.
"Oh, my God," Martha muttered.
A Dalek comes flying towards them.
Solomon looks bewildered. "What in this world is...?"
"It's the devil. A devil in the sky," the Sentry noted. "God save us all. It's damnation."
"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Frank fires his shotgun at the Dalek. The shot bounces off with a clang.
The Doctor stops Frank. "That's not going to work," he claimed.
Tory slowly take a deep breath and ready to use her power.
"There's more than one of them," Martha reported as a second Dalek swoops in and they start firing, blowing up the tents and anyone hiding there. Tory activates her power to shielding them from the attack. Everyone, except Martha and the Doctor, marvel by Tory's action.
"The humans will surrender," it ordered.
"Leave them alone. They've done nothing to you!" The Doctor command.
Solomon steps forward.
"No, Solomon. Stay back," the Doctor warned.
"I'm told that I'm addressing the Daleks. Is that right?" He asked, still insist of his believe. "From what I hear, you're outcasts too."
"Stop!" Tory demanded, fearing what might happen to him.
"Doctor, Tory, this is my township. You two will respect my authority. Just let me try." Solomon reminded them before continues. "Daleks, ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" He puts down his rifle. "Right. See, I've just discovered this past day, God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh yeah, terrifies me right down to the bone. But surely it's got to give me hope. Hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So, I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well? What do you say?"
"Exterminate!"
Without wasting time, Tory shield Solomon away, protecting him as the blast bounce back to the Dalek, destroying it.
"They just shot him on the spot," Martha realized the horror of Solomon almost got killed had Tory didn't use her gravity power like she did with the Carrionites.
"Daleks!" He shouted, moves forward, arms out to his side, and confronts the Daleks. "All right, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"
"Doctor, stop it!" Tory screamed.
"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy," the second Dalek claimed, ready to shoot.
"Then do it! Do it! Just do it! Do it!" The Doctor insisted.
"Exterminate."
Tory held up her palms, ready to destroy it using her gravity power when suddenly it said. "I do not understand. It is the Doctor." It seems like the Dalek had a conversation. "The urge to kill is too strong... I... obey."
"What's going on?" The Doctor asked as Tory lowers her palms, suprises by the sudden change, but still keep her guards up.
"You will follow," it responded. "The two of you."
"No! You can't go," Martha disapproved.
"We've got to go," Tory sadly said, holding Martha's hand. "This is rare, Martha. Daleks never change their minds."
"But what about us?"
The Doctor looks back at the people of Hooverville before facing the Dalek. "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"
"Humans will be spared. Doctor, Historian, follow."
"Then I'm coming with you," Martha steps in.
"Martha, stay here," the Doctor suggested. He and Tory cannot risking Martha's safety. "Do what you do best. People are hurt. You can help them. Let us go."
Martha look at them as the Time Lords look at the Daleks before striding off to follow them.
The Doctor pauses and looks back. "Oh, and can I just say, thank you very much." He takes her hand in his, and winks, then leaves with the Dalek while holding Tory's shoulder.
Tory curiously asked using telepathic. You gave the psyhic paper to her? Why?
The Doctor just shrugged. You'll know. Then, he notices how tenses her shoulder become. Historian?
DON'T ever do that, Tory snapped, not by anger, but by fear. I... I though I'm going to lose you.
The Doctor just gaped. He was blinded by anger to just died, to the point he didn't consider Tory.
I'm sorry, he apologized. I truly am. I never want to abandon you.
You said that after with the Racnoss situation, Doctor. You promised me you would never acting like that. But you almost killed yourself by letting the Plasmavore drank your blood. Then you let the Daleks to killed you.
He stared at her, feeling disappointed in himself as her eyes gazing with fear. How could he though that? First with the Racnoss, then the Plasmavore, and now with the Daleks. If he keep doing that, he might get himself killed and leaving Historian by herself, alone and broken.
I know what I did was wrong. But please, Historian. I had no intention to leaving you behind. I really don't want to leave you alone.
Tory looked away. She knows the Doctor never meant that, but it's still not okay for her. The Doctor just ready to died by the Daleks, the enemies who butchered their own people. She lost her best friend, she cannot bear to lose someone else to the Daleks. Even the Doctor, the person who's responsible for leaving Gallifrey to their own demise.
I know that, Tory admitted. But that doesn't mean I'm okay with that.
The Doctor just holding her shoulder, not saying anything.
Soon enough, they're escorted back to the lab. The Doctor, still upset, immediately starts in on Dalek Sec. "Those people were defenceless! You only wanted us, but no, that wasn't enough for you. You had to start killing, because that's the only thing a Dalek's good for."
"The deaths were wrong," Dalek Sec agreed.
"I'm sorry?" Tory startled.
"That man, their leader, Solomon. He showed courage."
"And that's good?" The Doctor asked.
"That's excellent."
"Is it me or are you just becoming a little bit more human?"
"No, you're not the only one," Tory agreed.
"You two are the last of your kind, and now I am the first of mine," Dalek Sec denoted.
"What do you want us for?" The Doctor demanded.
"We tried everything to survive when we found ourselves stranded in this ignorant age. First we tried growing new Dalek embryos, but their flesh was too weak."
"Yeah, we found one of your experiments. Just left to die out there in the dark," the Doctor snarked.
"It forced us to conclude what is the greatest resource of this planet. Its people." Dalek Sec throws a breaker switch and lights up the whole place. Floating above them are hundreds of covered bodies on stretchers. Dalek Sec brings one down for inspection. "We stole them. We stole human beings for our purpose. Look inside." The Doctor uncovers a man's face. Tory gasped a little. "This... is the true extent of the Final Experiment."
"Is... Is he dead?" Tory stammered.
"Near death," Dalek Sec corrected, "with his mind wiped, ready to be filled with new ideas."
"You mean Dalek ideas."
"The Human Dalek race."
"All of these people. How many?" The Doctor asked.
"We have caverns beyond this storing more than a thousand."
"Is there any way to restore them? Make them human again?"
"Everything they were has been lost."
"So they're like shells. You've got empty human beings ready to be converted. That's going to take a hell of a lot of power." the Doctor concluded. "This planet hasn't even split the atom yet. How're you going to do it?"
"Open the conductor plan," Dalek Sec ordered while showing the Doctor an animated graphic of their plan from a screen.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Empire State Building. We're right underneath that. I worked that out already, thanks," the Doctor mentioned. "But what, you've hijacked the whole building?"
"We needed an energy conductor."
Tory stares at Dalek Sec. "What for?"
"I... am the genetic template. My altered DNA was to be administered to each human body. A strong enough blast of gamma radiation can splice the Dalek and human genetic codes, and waken each body from its sleep."
"Gamma radiation? What are you..."
"The sun," the Doctor cuts in. "You're using the sun."
"Soon, the greatest solar flare for a thousand years will hit the Earth. Gamma radiation will be drawn to the energy conductor and when it strikes..."
"The army wakes," Tory finished.
"I still don't know what you need us for," the Doctor wondered.
"You both are genius. Consider a pure Dalek, intelligent but emotionless."
"Removing the emotions makes you stronger. That's what your creator thought, all those years ago," the Doctor recalled the encounter with Davros long ago.
"He was wrong," Dalek Sec disagreed.
"He was what?" Tory asked again, shock to hearing a Dalek saying that.
"It makes us lesser than our enemies. We must return to the flesh, and also... the heart."
"But you wouldn't be the supreme beings anymore," the Doctor noted.
"And that is good."
"That is incorrect," one of the Dalek refused.
"Daleks are supreme," another Dalek added.
"No, not anymore," Dalek Sec said otherwise.
"But that is our purpose."
"Then our purpose is wrong," Dalek Sec encountered, shocking the Time Lords again. "Where has our quest for supremacy led us? To this. Hiding in the sewers on a primitive world, just four of us left. If we do not change now then we deserve extinction."
"So you want to change everything that makes a Dalek a Dalek," the Doctor alleged.
"If... you two can help me."
The Time Lords just glancing each other. This might turns to be an interesting encounter they ever have.
"Your knowledge of genetic engineering is even greater than ours," Dalek Sec added. "The new race must be ready by the time the solar flare erupts."
"But you're the template. I thought they were getting a dose of you," the Doctor hypothezised
"I want to change the gene sequence."
"To make them even more human?" Tory guessed.
"Humans are the great survivors. We need that ability."
"Hold on a minute," the Doctor interjected. "There's no way this lot are going to let you do it."
"I am their leader."
"And they just gonna follow you?" Tory alluded.
"Daleks must follow orders," one of them claimed.
Another Dalek also adding. "Dalek Sec commands, we obey."
"If you two don't help me, nothing will change," Dalek Sec insisted.
"There's no room on Earth for another race of people," the Doctor mentioned.
"You have your TARDIS," Dalek Sec appealed. "Take us across the stars. Find us a new home and allow the new Daleks to start again."
"Do you think we should help them?" Tory asking him using their native language.
"It's better to try first," the Doctor suggested and asking Dalek Sec using English. "When's that solar flare?"
"11 minutes."
"Right then. Better get to work."
The duo trying their best to work it out. As Tory preparing the available equipments they need, the Doctor is checking the equipment and readouts with his glasses on. "There's no point in chromosomal grafting, it's too erratic," he deduced. "You need to split the genome and force the Dalek human sequence right into the cortex."
"We need more chromatin solution," Dalek Sec ordered.
"The pig slaves have it," the first Dalek said. The pigmen carry in a large crate. Laszlo is with them.
"What happens to them later?" Tory asked Dalek Sec.
"Nothing. They're just simple beasts. Their lifespan is limited. None survive beyond a few weeks. Power up the line feeds."
"That's..." horrible, Tory wants to say, but she restrain herself to do so.
The Doctor slowly walks to Laszlo, whispered as Tory busing herself with some wires. "Laszlo, I can't undo what they've done to you, but they won't do it to anyone else."
"Do you trust him?" He asked, glacing at Dalek Sec.
"I know that one man can change the course of history. Right idea in the right place at the right time, it's all it takes. I've got to believe it's possible."
Doctor, one of them spot you, Tory warned.
The man nodded as the Time Lords continue their work. While the Doctor did most of the work, Tory still assist him for any help he need, while also learning new technology surround her for benefit.
As the Doctor rushes up to a bunch of tubes, Tory helps him by extracts the solution inside with a syringe.
"The line feeds are ready," the first Dalek informed.
"Then it's all systems go," the Doctor noted.
"The solar flare is imminent. The radiation will reach Earth in a matter of minutes," Dalek Sec reported.
"Well then, get ready for it," Tory muttered as she and the Doctor fills a large syringe with blue liquid and puts it into a brass still.
"That compound will allow the gene bonds to reconfigure in a brand new pattern. Power up!" The Doctor ordered.
A pigman throws one set of breakers, and Laszlo throws the other.
"Start the line feeds," Dalek Sec commanded.
The liquid goes up plastic tubes to all the bodies hanging above them. It has got lots of bubbles in it.
"There goes the gene solution," the Doctor commented.
"The life blood," Dalek Sec responded.
And then, a klaxon sounds ringing with a red alarm.
"What's that?" Tory asked.
"What's happening? Is there a malfunction?" Dalek Sec demanded. "Answer me!"
"No, no, no, the gene feed!" The Doctor dashing to the controls to fix it. "They're overriding the gene feed!"
"Impossible. They cannot disobey orders."
A Dalek near the Time Lords raise their weapon at them. "The Doctor and the Historian will step away from the controls."
"Stop! You will not fire," Dalek Sec ordered.
But none of the Daleks obey him.
"He is an enemy of the Daleks."
"And so are you." The Daleks point their guns at Dalek Sec.
"I am your commander. I am Dalek Sec."
"You have lost your authority."
"You are no longer a Dalek."
"What have you done?!" Tory shouted.
"The new bodies will be one hundred percent Dalek."
"No. You can't do this!" Dalek Sec disagreed.
"Pig slaves, restrain Dalek Sec and the Time Lords."
Two pigman grab Dalek Sec while Laszlo grabs the Doctor and Tory.
"Release me. I created you. I am your master," Dalek Sec commanded.
Another alarm sounds.
"Solar flare approaching."
"Prepare to intercept."
"There's the lift," Laszlo noticed.
"After you," the Doctor said as the trio run. The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to get the lift doors open. When the pigman chasing them, Tory waves her hands, releasing some blast of gravity energy to knock them all, as the doors close, sending them down.
"W-What in the world is that?!" Laszlo asked, never seeing such a power coming from a young girl.
"Just some blast gravity energy," Tory replied, taking a deep breath. "I though I could give it a try. Never though it work." But the young Time Lady suspect something's wrong with Laszlo's condition. "What's wrong?"
"Out of breath. It's nothing," he replied. "We've escaped them. That's all that matters."
"You sure?" The Doctor asked.
Laszlo nods. But the Time Lords know that's not true at all. But they can't press him, knowing how determine Laszlo is to help. And there's some important issue they need to deal with.
"We've only got minutes before the gamma radiation reaches the Earth," the Doxtor denoted. "We need to get to the top of the building."
The lift arrives at their destination. Tory spots Martha, Frank, and Tallulah there.
"Doctor! Tory!" Martha called.
"First floor, perfumery," the Doctor mused.
"I never thought I'd see you again," Tallulah said, rushes over to Laszlo and he meets her halfway where they hug.
"No stopping me," Laszlo assured.
"We've worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast," Martha informed.
"That's great, Martha!" Tory cheerfully complimented, hugging her and release her after a while.
"And it's good to see you two, by thy way."
"Oh, come here." The Doctor grabs Martha in a big hug and twirls her about. He drops her abruptly as the bell dings and the lift doors close. He runs to try and stop it. "No, no, no. See, never waste time with a hug. Deadlock seal. I can't stop it."
"Where's it going?" She asked.
"Right down to the Daleks," Tory sighed.
"And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?" The Doctor asked.
"Er, 11.15," Frank answered.
"6 minutes to go. We've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."
"Gammon radiation? What the heck is that?" Tallulah asked.
"Later," Tory insisted as Martha leads the Time Lords outside, Tallulah and Laszlo following.
The Doctor looks out on the city. "Oh, that's high. That's very. Blimey, that's high."
"And we've got to go even higher," Martha added, showing them. "That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base. We've got to get them off."
The trio look up the wooden ladder leading to the base of the mast.
"That's not we, that's just me," the Doctor responded.
"I won't just stand here and watch you get hurt," Tory disagreed.
"Me too," Martha agreed.
"No, you two need to stick around, buying some time," the Doctor persistented, gently holding each of their hand. "I'm sorry, Martha, Historian, but you've got to fight." Tory looks unsure as the girl looking away from him. The Doctor slowly holding her hand, causing Tory to look at his eyes.
"I'm promise," he reassured her, and before the Time Lady can said anything, he already climbing up.
"Right," Tory muttered, hoping the Doctor will not doing something's stupid, as she's gazing around, staring the lift. "Prepare yourself, everyone!" Tory shouted, ready to fight as she's letting her hands swirming with dark purple energy of gravity, while Martha, Laszlo, Frank, and Tallulah have picked up makeshift weapons, facing the lift.
"The lift's coming up," Martha remarked.
"I should have brought that gun," Frank denoted.
"Tallulah, stay back. You too, Martha, Tory. If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill," Laszlo warned.
"The Doctor and Tory need us to fight. I'm not going anywhere!" Martha insisted.
"They're savages. I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth," Laszlo added, barely lifting his lump hammer.
"Laszlo? What is it?" Tallulah asked.
"No, it's nothing," Laszlo commented, before collapsed, leans against the wall. "I'm fine. Just leave me."
Tallulah kneels beside him and puts her hand to his forehead. "Oh, honey, you're burnin' up. What's wrong with you? Tell me."
"It must been the Daleks's doing," Tory reported, remembered what Dalek Sec claimed about their's lifespan is shorter. "When they turned him into this, the Daleks made his lifespan shorter."
"Great. One man down, we ain't even started yet," Frank said.
"It's not looking good," Martha commented.
'Nope."
"We're going to get slaughtered."
"Oh, that won't happen," Tory promised as thunder and lightning over the city.
"Wait a minute. Lightening," Martha realized, runs to the other end of the room. Tory and Frank follow. Upon looking Martha, whose taking some metal rods, they helping her arranging long metal rods from the outside across the room to the lift by use chairs to trail them in from outside, making sure they don't touch the floor.
"What the hell are you three clowns doin'?!" Tallulah demanded.
"Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still going to get hit. Great big bolt of lightening, electricity all down this building," Martha revealed.
"If we connect this to the lift... that means they get zapped by the eletric," Tory finished, looking at her proudly. "Great idea, Martha. Not bad."
"Oh my God, that could work," Tallulah realized.
"Then give us a hand," Frank said.
After some time, they manage to finish it, with Martha sets up a line of metal from the lightning conductor to the lift doors.
"Is that going to work?" Tallulah asked Martha.
"Should be," Tory replied.
"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank informed.
"Come here, Frank. Just sit in the middle and don't touch anything metal," Martha said.
"Yeah."
"Brave heart, everyone. Brave heart," Tory chanted.
They all huddle in the corner of the room, closing their eyes as the lightening strikes into the pipes to the lift, striking the pigmans, killing them in the process.
Slowly, they open their eyes and see the dead pig slaves in the lift. Tory begins to feel unease. Not because of the pigman's death, but because she feels something's... wrong.
"You did it, Martha," Tallulah said.
"They used to be like Laszlo. They were people... and I killed them," Martha muttered, solem.
"No," Tory disagreed, looking at Martha. "The moment the Daleks took away their humanity, they died.."
"What about the Doctor?" Martha wondered. "Tory, you said you two can sense each other. Can you feel him?"
"I barely can sense him," she whispered, unsure. "Something's gone wrong."
Tory, Martha, and Frank decide to check him out. Upon their way, Martha finds his sonic screwdriver. Tory becomes more unease as they climb up to the top. Her fears becomes true when find the Doctor's laying around, not moving.
"Doctor!" Martha called, rushing to him. "Doctor?! Look what we found halfway down." She shows him his sonic screwdriver. "You're getting careless."
"Oh, my head," he groaned.
"Hey," Tory greeted.
"Hey," he muttered with a smile, but lose it when the brunette punching his chest with her right fist. "Ow!"
"That's for scarring me twice today," Tory responded. "And we've got a problem. Some Dalekanium still attached."
That make the Doctor stands up, rushing below, as others follow him behind.
"The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan," he noted.
"How do we stop them?" Laszlo asked.
"There's only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first."
"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha asked, confused.
"We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Where can I draw them out? Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way."
"The theatre!" Tory gasped. "We can used the theater!" Her eyes looking at Tallulah. "Tallulah, can you get us inside?"
"Don't see why not."
"Is there another lift?" The Doctor asked.
"We came up in the service elevator," Martha mentioned.
"That'll do. Allons-y!"
The Doctor, Martha, Tory, Frank, Tallulah and Laszlo arrive at the darkened theatre.
"This should do it. Here we go," the Doctor said as he switches on the sonic screwdriver.
"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theatre in the dark," Tallulah remarked. "Listen, Doctor, I know you got a thing for showtunes, but there's a time and place, hunh?"
"Laszlo!" Tory cried as Laszlo falls into one of the chairs beside Tallulah.
"Laszlo, what's wrong?" Tallulah asked, sits next to him.
"Nothing. It's just so hot."
'But it's freezing in here. Doctor, Tory, what's happening to him?"
"It's getting worse," Tory realized, checking his temperature worrily.
"What are you doing?" Martha asked him, stood near Laszlo.
"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll wanna find their number one enemy. I'm just telling them where I am," he revealed, holds up the sonic screwdriver and turns it on.
"I'm telling you to go. Frank can take you and Tory back to Hooverville," the Doctor reminded.
"And I'm telling you neither of us are going," Martha insisted.
"Martha, that's an order."
"Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?"
Before Tory can said about her remark, the doors are broken down and the Human-Daleks march in from both sides.
"Oh, my God!" Tallulah gasped, helping Laszlo to stands up and shield him. "Well I guess that's them then, hunh?"
"Humans... with Dalek DNA," Martha muttered.
Frank moves to attack them but the Doctor pulls him back. "It's all right. Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."
"But what about the Dalek masters? Where are they?" Laszlo wondered.
Suddenly, there's an explosion on stage, causing Doctor and others duck behind the seats for cover. The Doctor and Tory peer over the seats, and, as the smoke clears, two Daleks appear, with Dalek Sec chained. The Doctor stands slowly and the others peek over the chairs.
"The Doctor and the Historian will stand before the Daleks," the Dalek ordered.
As others slowly stands up, the Doctor hold Tory as he steps over a chair and walks forward on the backs of the rows until reaches the front row before put her down.
"You will die, Doctor, Historian. It is the beginning of a new age."
"Planet Earth will become New Skaro."
"Oh, and what a wonderful world that will be," Tory mocked.
"That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember?" The Doctor gazing at Dalek Sec. "The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"
"My Daleks... just understand this. If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you," Dalek Sec remarked, but sadly, his words is nothing to them.
"Incorrect. We will always survive."
"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor and the Dalek Destructor."
"But they can help you," Dalek Sec insisted.
"The Time Lords must die."
"No, I beg you, don't." Dalek Sec crawls in front of one Dalek.
"Exterminate!"
Dalek Sec immediately stands up just as one Dalek fires, dies instantly.
"Your own leader," the Doctor commented with disgust over them. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him." He glances to the Human-Daleks. "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?"
"Warning. Dalek-Humans show increased levels of seratonin."
"If I'm gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh?" He challenged before adding to Tory, trust me. I will not be reckless. "The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them." The Doctor holds his arms out to his sides.
"Dalek-Humans, take aim."
The Dalek-Humans cock their weapons and aim them at the Doctor.
"What are you waiting for? Give the command!"
"Exterminate!"
The Doctor closes his eyes, holding his hand at Tory tightly as Martha ducks her head against Frank's chest. But nothing happens.
"Exterminate!"
Still nothing.
"Obey. Dalek-Humans will obey!"
"Not firing," Martha realized. "What have you done?" She addressed the Time Lords.
"You will obey. Exterminate."
"Why?" One of them asked. The duo look at him.
"Daleks do not question orders."
"But why?"
"You will stop this."
"But... why?"
'You must not question."
"But you are not our master. And we... we are not Daleks."
"No, you're not," Tory agreed.
"Sorry, I got in the way of the lightening strike," the Doctor mentioned. "Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom."
"If they will not obey, then they must die," the second Dalek claimed, shoots the foreman.
"Get down!" The Doctor warned as they all duck behind the seats and both factions fire on each other. While this happen, the Doctor wrapped his hands at Tory's head as the duo listening to the chaos ensue.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"Destroy the hybrids. Destroy."
"Exterminate!"
They heard two explosion happens at the Daleks before the Human-Daleks stop firing. Frank, Martha, Tallulah and Laszlo stand. The Doctor goes over to one of the hybrids, holding Tory in his grisp. "It's all right. It's all right. It's all right. You did it. You're free."
But a Dalek that still alive shouted. "The Dalek-Humans are failures. Destruct! Destruct! Destruct!"
All the hybrids grip their heads and scream in pain.
"No!" The Doctor yelled as all Human-Daleks crumble to the ground. "They can't! They can't! They can't!"
Martha joins him beside one of the bodies. "What happened? What was that?"
"They killed them," Tory answered gloomy. "An entire species... just died."
"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of the Dalek masters must still be alive," Laszlo mentioned.
The Doctor stands. "Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one."
A Dalek is still connected to the battle computer. The Doctor and Tory enter at the other end of the room. "Now what?" He asked.
"You two will be exterminated."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just think about it, Dalek... What was your name?"
"Dalek Caan."
"Dalek Caan," the Doctor echoed, walks forward. Tory stands still, observe. "Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated. Leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion. 'Cause I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another." He glances at Tory briefly, before facing Dalek Caan. "Caan... let me help you. What do you say?"
"Emergency Temporal Shift!" Dalek Caan just said before disappears, leaving wires hanging.
"Doctor! Tory!" Martha shouted at them, holding Laszlo alongside Tallulah. "He's sick."
Tory dashes to Laszlo, who is breathing heavily, wheezing. They lower him to the floor, Tallulah cradling him on her lap. "It's okay. You're all right," Martha assured him.
The Doctor approaches them and kneels.
"It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it," Martha noted.
"What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him?" Tallulah asked. "He says he can't breathe? What is it?"
"It's time, sweetheart," Laszlo whispered.
"What do you mean 'time'? What are you talking about?"
"None of the slaves... survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on 'cause I had you. But now... I'm dyin', Tallulah."
"No you're not. Not now, after all this." Tallulah glanced at the Time Lords. "Doctor, Tory, can't you do somethin'?"
"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H... just you watch us." The Doctor stands and takes off his coat. "What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one. Laszlo, just you hold on." The Doctor runs about the lab, mixing up a solution, still talking. "There's been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you right now, I am not having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way." The Doctor takes a stethoscope out of his pocket and puts it on. "The Doctor is in."
As Martha and Tallulah let the Time Lords put Laszlo in a nearby desk, trying to help him, Tory glances at some chemicals around and some wires.
"So what we're going to do?" Tory asked him.
"We need to fix his DNA cells so his body can sustain with longer lifespam," the Doctor replied as he's taking some nearby tool.
"And his appareance?"
The Doctor sighed. "I don't think we can do much for that," he sadly said. "Unlike the first transformation, reverse it is very complex and complicated, even to Time Lords. His genetic appareance might already broken to be fix."
"But the chances still exist, right?" Tory asked, grabbing a nearby gloves.
He rubbed his forehead. "Yes, it is. But like I said, it might too late..."
"I can deal with it."
The Doctor stared at her, bewildered. "What?"
"You hear me." Tory replied. "I can deal with it."
"Historian, are you sure?" He asked her, because it's not as simple as reading some information or theory. It requires some professional to do so.
She nodded. "I remember bits about genetic engineering from the Academy study. And recently, I discovered a book about genetic splicing. It has a lot information. Worth to try."
The Doctor isn't sure about this. Sure, he wants to return Laszlo back into human again. But part of him doesn't know if he can took such a risk, knowing if something's gone wrong, Laszlo will be in more ill condition. And he never want that happen to him, let alone letting her to do it.
But the look on her eyes and expression makes him unable to say otherwise. She knows the risk, yet she still taking it for the best. She's ready to take full responsibility of her action for what she will do next.
"Alright, then," the Doctor said. "Let's begin."
It took almost four hours. Four hours. But none of them stop working, despite clearly tired. Often the Doctor told Tory to take a rest, and vice verse as well. But they always refuse, never want to leave any precious moment to save Laszlo.
After four hours of hardworking passed, the duo finally able to save Laszlo's life and his old appareance. Tory feels proud to see the result as Tallulah and Laszlo kissed aftermath. She's quite glad her bold attempt to fix Laszlo's appareance is success, despite genetic isn't her top field. Then again, she's grateful that her knowledge able to save someone.
After all, that's the reason why she choose her title. She wants to learn history, in the hope to making the future a better life and avoiding the past horrible events ever happen. Although this isn't about her history knowledge, it still counts.
Right now, they all settle down back to Hooverville, waiting as Frank joins them.
"Well, I talked to Solomon, and I Solomon told them, and I reckon he might shamed one or two of them," Frank innformed.
"What did they say?" The Doctor asked.
"They said yes," Frank reported. "They'll give you a home, Laszlo."
"Thank you. I... I can't thank you enough," he said to him, and then, addressed the Time Lords. "And thank you. The both of you."
After they left, Martha decides to take some rest at her bedroom, while the Doctor and Tory conduct their medical check-ups for Tory's body. As far as they can tell, her body still sustainable, despite Tory's exhausted over using her power too frequent lately.
The Doctor acquires her medicines, just in case for her body to recover quickly and need more rest. But Tory simply cannot get rest, even after their adventures. Which is why, right now, Tory puts some book she borrow before back into the TARDIS's library, at the bookshelf, while intend to search more books for her preferences.
Just after put all of them, she spots the Doctor standing not far from her.
"Can we talk? Please?" He asked her
Tory stares him. "What is it?"
"I know how much you hate me being stupid," he began, "and I know how you might not forgive me for that. But please trust me, Tory. I truly never want to abandont you." He looks at her sincerely. "I... I just want you and others to be safe."
"You know I want to believe you, Doctor. Fully believe and trust you," she cuts him, playing her hair, holding her eyes from crying or being angry. That's the last thing she will ever do to him. To his surrogate brother. "But you just broke your own promise. How can I trust you completely if you cannot keep your word?" She sighed deeply. "I know I'm sound selfish and hypocrite right now. Criticize your own action while I'm not much better myself for feeling like this." She looks at him distantly. "I guess... what I really want to say is... make a promise you can't keep up or even sugarcoat it."
Before the Doctor can say anything else, Tory steps away from him, leaving the library and heading towards her bedroom. He feels nothing but a sting in his hearts.
He knows Tory still unable to forgive him for Gallifrey. She's trust him, but not completely. Even after all those adventures with Rose and Martha. Her stubborn attitude clearly doesn't help at all. Then again, she's not exactly an adult, despite her age said otherwise for humans.
Yet, despite knowing that, he wants to fix it, to make Tory can trust him completely.
The question is, how?
Note: I know it seems cruel for Ten, but he needs some reminder. After all, he almost got killed by his own mistake! (like letting the Plasmavore drank his blood or letting the Daleks murder him as he's shouting with rage). He needs to remember his action might ending up hurting Tory as well, physical/emotional.
As for Tory, she did a small progress with her emotion. Yes, she still stubborn with her emotion & opinion. But it's still much better than what she reacted at 'Christmas Invasion', when she's just shouting at Ten without remorse. Here, she's trying to control her rage and stubborness by telling him his mistakes and admitting her weakness as well. Tory knows her bad attitude at other people, but she cannot help but to stuck with that.
I'm actually cannot wait until to get into her future incarnations, with their quirks and different personality.