Series 1: Episode 6: Dalek P2:
Valarie ran to try and help him but was pulled back by another guard, one of her friends. "Help him, it's killing him!" She screamed at him.
"Don't, it'll make it worse. He's gone." Hugh whispered as he held her in a hug from behind, trying to keep her from getting to the man. She struggled for a few seconds before realising she couldn't do anything and sighed, becoming lax in his arms. He let go and she looked up to see Simmons gone and all that was left was his pile of worker's clothes on the floor. She pulled away, dragging both Rose and Adam out of the Cage as a Cage worker began to close the door.
She walked out and saw the Doctor on the screen talking and heard as he said. "A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat." He spoke and Valarie turned around to see the door closed but the keypad changing as she assumed the Dalek tried to get out. She watched as it changed numbers rapidly, going from one to the other in a flash. She watched, transfixed as were all the other, simply waiting for it to come out. She unhooked her gun and pointed it, ready to fight. An asterisk appeared one by one onto the keypad, indicating their imminent deaths and the door opened revealing the 'pepper-pot' officially pissed.
"Open fire!" The command came and bullets rained down on the Dalek, many from Valarie's yet it remained, sitting there.
"Don't shoot it I want it unharmed!" Van Statten shouted through the screen and Valarie ignored him, not wanting to die any time soon.
"Rose get out of there!" The Doctor shouted, his voice getting louder as he worried.
"Valarie! Take the civilians and get them out alive that is your job, got that?" Hugh asked, going into soldier mode as the bullets did nothing. The Dalek changed directions, providing them with the perfect cover as Valarie looked at Hugh, processing her orders and understanding what they meant.
"Hugh…" She trailed off, looking him in the eye as he put on his brave face and interrupted her.
"Go. Now." He spoke and she swallowed. "Be safe." He added and she smiled, before placing a kiss on his cheek and adding her own comment.
"You too." She smiled and turned to Adam and Rose who had been watching. "Move, move, move!" She shouted, moving her arms in the direction and stole one last glance at Hugh who smiled supportively before racing off after them.
She heard him say, "Abandoning the Cage Sir." And run off in the opposite direction and she smiled a little easier but had the ominous feeling growing in the pit of her stomach that this was far from over and one of them might not survive. She pushed it away, running with them as they got to a fleet of soldier.
"Civilians, let them through!" She shouted and the soldiers made way before returning to their battle positions. She ran after them but not before hearing a scream coming from behind her. She turned around and saw the dank, grey corridors as you always did but somehow, they seemed a little bleaker. She swallowed hard, pushing back the tears and turned back around, catching up to the two. They arrived at stairs and Rose marvelled at them.
"Stairs, that's more like it! Hasn't got legs, its stuck!" She smiled, holding Adam's shoulder. Valarie came up behind them and saw the Dalek approaching, the gunfire having died out, the soldiers along with it. Tears ran down her face as she let them fall, not having the energy to fight them anymore. She'd lost so many good friends in one battle and she had to protect two civilians who were her duty. It was fair to say, it was all catching up to her no matter how fast she ran.
"It's coming, get up them!" She shouted, keeping up the rear as they ran up them to the second flight, watching as the Dalek came behind them, stuck. It looked inquisitively up at them, its eyestalk moving to locate them. Rose let out a ragged breath and Adam boasted.
"Great big alien death machine. Defeated by a flight of stairs." He mocked as the Dalek remained strangely silent. Valarie knew she had to stick to protocol and she pointed her gun at it, resisting the urge to shoot.
"Now listen to me." She commanded, grabbing its attention. "I demand that you return to your Cage. If you want to negotiate then I can guarantee that Mr Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you, and maybe that was wrong," She spoke, still processing the recent events. "But people have died, and that stops. Right now." She demanded, her voice shaking slightly as she thought of Hugh and her lost friends. If he wasn't dead before, she had the hollow, empty feeling knowing he probably was now.
Instead of taking the shot for him, she had run away. It was disrespectful, rude and not in normal etiquette but it was a soldier's view and one she had to adopt to survive in that moment. So she could avenge her lost friends. "The killing stops have you got that? I demand that you surrender is that clear?" She asked, her voice hardening as her hand started to shake. She gripped her gun tighter, hoping to convey her message clearly.
"Elevate." The robotic voice croaked, not answering at all but simply doing what it said. Elevating. It levitated in the air for a few moments before going up the stairs, flying.
"Oh my God." Rose let out, terrified and Valarie's breaths became more ragged and cut off as she tried to find a way out from the situation.
"Adam, get her out of here." She ordered, turning to the shocked man. Rose turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Come with us, you can't stop it." She warned, tempting her.
"Someone's got to try. Now get out! Don't look back, just run! Run!" She shouted, letting loose with all she had, firing everything as Rose and Adam fled. The laser shooter pointed upwards, aiming itself on her and she timed it correctly, waiting until it had thought it had her and ducked as she felt the heat of the laser beam graze the skin on her back. She threw the gun at it, only to have it fall to the ground as a melted clump of metal and fled, running after the two of them while the Dalek was occupied with the stairs. Her back was bleeding, the stinging slowing her down slightly but the adrenaline making up for it. She ran after them, hoping to make it.
She saw the two running in front of her and saw Rose turn back and see her. "Keep going!" She shouted, still running and Rose followed her instruction, making it to the storage department where boxes were laid out everywhere. Valarie heard the instruction to hold their fire as she dodged one more laser beam behind her and see it hit the wall instead, making a mark. She followed them into the storage room and heard the General sigh again at another interruption. She put her hands up in surrender and went to Rose and Adam who breathed a sigh of relief at her survival.
Valarie started to pull them along with her, trying to get them out and complete her last mission tasked to her by Hugh and make him proud when Rose slowed down and talked. "It was looking at me." She commented and she ignored her, having her thoughts voiced through Adam.
"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us." He reminded her incredulously.
"No, but it was looking right at me!" She protested, pulling her arm out of her grip.
"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing, it's looking all around." Adam spoke, trying to describe the eyestalk. Rose shook her head, still believing in something she saw.
"I don't know, it's like there's something inside, looking at me like..." She trailed off, lost in her thoughts. "Like it knows me." She finished the thought, making Valarie involuntarily shudder. It was only a small one and unnoticeable but it was there.
"You think there's a creature inside?" Valarie asked, tipping her head and Rose nodded, still thinking it over. "Well, then we need to tell your Doctor. He's the expert." She cemented her plan, using her assertiveness to get them onside as they nodded along with her. But she quickly snapped out of it when her back started to sting more and she heard the General speak.
"On my mark." He warns and she pulled them along again, this time receiving no resistance.
"Come on, we have to go!" She spoke, her voice getting louder as she pulled them along.
"Open fire!" The General shouted and she ducked your head at the sound of the gunshots, Adam and Rose doing the same. Valarie led them away from the fight, not wanting to witness any more deaths or have an innocent witness it either. She heard the screams and covered her ears, more tears falling down her face as she ran, letting go of their arms and trusting them to follow by themselves. She ran up more flights of stairs, hearing the gunshots fade and the screaming start. Rose's phone started to ring and she answered, seeing the Doctor's name.
"This isn't the best time!" She excused, running up the stairs.
"Where are you?" He asks, getting straight to business.
"Level 49." Valarie replied, bypassing Rose and moving past her as she slows down.
"You've got to keep moving, the vault's being sealed off, up at level 46." He tells her and she sighed.
"Can't you stop them closing?" She asks, slowing even more.
"He's closing them." Valarie tells her at the same time the Doctor does. Rose looks at her, bewildered for a moment before she told her to move on. "Come on, hurry up!" She shouted and she started to move again.
"I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake, run!" The Doctor shouted, prompting Rose to push herself, gripping the phone. They make it to level 46 and see the door, sprinting for it.
"We're nearly there, give us two seconds!" Rose spoke, trying to catch up to Valarie and Adam.
"I'm sorry." The Doctor apologised, closing the bulkheads. Valarie makes it through first, ducking under and shouting for the other two to hurry up. Adam is next, rolling under but the door closes on Rose, trapping her before she can get through.
"Rose!" Valarie shouted, banging on the door as she pulled out her gun.
"Don't! Don't try and open it, we can't take that risk." Rose shouted in reply, stopping her as she faltered, putting it back in her holster for later. She then addressed the Doctor while Valarie kept banging on the bulkhead, slowly but surely, each attempt becoming weaker and failing to do anything. "Sorry, I was a bit slow." She apologised, talking into the phone. "See you then Doctor." She finished, her breathing turning ragged and short. "It wasn't your fault. Remember that ok? It wasn't your fault." She repeated and more tears stream down Valarie's face, knowing it was her fault instead. "And d'you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
Valarie waited on the other side of the bulkhead with Adam who is also grieving in his own way. He is silent and bowing his head when they hear the familiar shout of "Exterminate!" And the electrical pulsing sound that follows afterwards. Valarie sighs, sinking to the ground with sheer exhaustion and pain as she cries. Adam is the strong one, picking her up by her shoulders and helping support her back to the main base with Ms Goddard, Van Statten and the Doctor. The door opens and Ms Goddard is quick to help Valarie sit down. The Doctor turns on Adam and started to shout in an already angry rage.
"You were quick on your feet, leaving Rose behind!" He shouted, towering over him.
"I'm not the one who sealed the vault!" Adam shot back, refusing to back down.
"Doctor! Adam! Please stop!" Valarie shouts, raising her voice to be heard over the shouting. "D'you think that Rose would've wanted this?" She asks, leaving Adam silent.
"How do you know what she would've wanted, you don't know her!" The Doctor shouted, turning on Valarie.
"No, not as well as you I suppose!" She admitted. "But I know enough to know she wouldn't want fighting so shut up!" She shouted, holding her head up high. "Rose Tyler didn't scream when she died, do you think she would've have liked to hear your petty shouting?" She asked, looking him in the eye. "Wait," She stopped, thinking over her words. "She didn't scream. How is that possible?" She asked, looking to the Doctor as his anger fades and a glimmer of hope rekindles. Before he can say anything, the screen is turned on and everyone turns to it.
"Open the bulkhead or Rose Tyler dies." The Dalek threatened, Rose standing at laser beam's edge. Denise breathed a sigh of relief and placed her head on the table, trying to calm herself while she let the Doctor take centre stage.
"You're alive!" The Doctor breaths incredulously, walking to the screen.
"Can't get rid of me." Rose joked nervously, shifting from one foot to the other.
"I thought you were dead." The Doctor spoke sternly, forgetting the Dalek until it repeated itself.
"Open the bulkhead!" It screamed again, cutting through the moment.
"Don't do it!" Rose replied to the demand.
"What use are emotions, if you will not save the woman you love?" The Dalek questioned, shifting its laser shooter again. The Doctor turned to Van Statten who was saying every emotion in his facial expression and he moved to the computer with a few simple words.
"I killed her once. I can't do it again." He decided, opening the bulkhead. Diana bowed her head, wondering if any man could love her so much as she secretly smiled at his decision and Adam was torn obviously while Van Statten was angry. Valarie lifted her head in relief, having been looking at the Doctor with a glare, telling him to open that bulkhead or she would do worse than kill him.
"What the hell do we do now? You bleeding heart, what do we do?" Van Statten asked, angry and emotional.
"Kill it when it gets here." Adam suggested but Valarie shot down the idea.
"All the guns are useless and the only alien weapons are in the vault." She spoke with infuriated anger, hating the Dalek more than anything. Any earlier pity had faded into nothing.
"Only the catalogued ones." Adam reminded, making everyone look to him in surprise. The Doctor turned to him, shooting him a look saying, 'take me there and I won't kill you'. Adam complied, walking to the workshop with him while Diana tended to Valarie's wounds. It was dirty and most likely infected but Diana did what she could with the cleanser and bandaged it up, taking off the outer layers of the uniform. While she did this, Van Statten paced the room, fretting over what would happen and obsessing over his reflection in case he was to die. Valarie hobbled to the workshop with Diana supporting her and found it empty, deducing they had gone to save Rose in the main room with Van Statten. She demanded to be taken back there as Diana protested, saying it was dangerous. It didn't take long for her to be convinced as she glared at her.
They went back, finding the elevators were in use and waited, not planning to use the stairs any time soon. They waited and got in the elevator, gathering their strength and their wits if they were to potentially die any minute. The doors opened to see Van Statten backed up against the wall, begging. "I'm sorry, I just wanted you to talk!" He shouted, finishing his plea.
"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Dalek spoke and Valarie hobbled over to it, stopping when you saw Rose.
"Don't do it, don't kill him!" She stopped it, the eyestalk swivelling to face her. "You don't have to do this anymore." She reassured, looking it directly in the eye. "There must be something else, not just killing. What else is there?" She asked it as everyone in the room froze. "What do you want?" She asked in a desperate last plea. The eyestalk swivelled from one person to the other, back to Rose before it answered.
"I want… Freedom." It finally answered, looking at Rose who seemed taken aback at the request. They walked to the elevator and Diana held Valarie back, stopping her from following as it was almost certain she would die. They were sat there for what seemed like hours, waiting when Valarie got up, wanting to try and find them. She went to the lift with help from Diana who was taking control, being the only non-corrupted authority high enough to command and still alive.
They tracked them to the floor they'd come in from, every soldier lost and grieving over their losses. Diana ordered them to go home and console each other, leaving Valarie with Adam as they found Rose and the Doctor together. The base was a mess and she had to clean it all up. Valarie was lost in her life, wondering what to do with her life now but knew she wanted to see one thing before she did whatever.
She ran to Rose, screaming her name and after a long hug, finally moved away. "Rose! How are you alright?" She asked, checking her over, seeing she was ok and breathing a sigh of relief.
"The Dalek didn't shoot me. When I touched it, there was some sort of mutation and it hurt the Dalek," Rose sighed, the Doctor finishing it for her.
"So it killed itself." He told her as she watched intently.
"Oh my God." Valarie breathed, looking at the two of them. "I'm so sorry, I really am." She apologised repeatedly, more tears running down her dirty, cut face as she was obviously battle worn, the back of her uniform stained with blood.
"Hey, it's not your fault." Rose told her, wiping away the tears as she consoled her.
"Oh, there's something you've got to see!" She cheered up after a moment, stuffing the feelings back down and looking back up bravely. She started to pull Rose with her hand, running to the floor where Diana was, the Doctor running after her as she brought her to see Diana sending off Van Statten.
"What the hell are you doing?" Van Statten asked as Diana signalled to the soldiers to take him.
"200 personnel dead and all because of you. Sir." She spat in his face, disgusted by his mere presence. "Take him away, wipe his memory and leave him by the road someplace." She ordered, mimicking his own actions to his employees.
"You can't do this to me! I am Henry Van Statten!" He shouted in a feeble attempt to retain his identity. Valarie sniggered and she mock waved goodbye to the terrified man. Even The Doctor let a small smirk enter his features. He wouldn't approve of the method normally, but this man deserved every punishment he got.
"And by tonight, Henry Van Statten will be a homeless, brainless junkie living on the streets of San Diego, Seattle, Sacramento – Someplace beginning with 'S'." She smiled happily, turning on her heel as she set to work, a new life and purpose filling her.
"That, was amazing." Rose declared, watching as Diana walked away. It made her laugh as she looked to her newfound friends.
"Yes it was." She smiled.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Rose asked Valarie who sighed deeply, still lost on the answer herself. Her bags was splayed out around her, her stuff and mementos of other soldiers stolen with her. She'd already spent a long time writing letters and sending things with the last of her money to the soldier's families. She'd had help but she knew most of their families and her letters had a personal touch as she placed ascots and bracelets and rings in the envelopes themselves for the family to have while the bags were shipped, using Van Statten's fortune. She'd cried more than enough tears and felt raw, her skin scrubbed and her eyes dried.
"I don't know. I really don't. I can't go back, not now. I've had enough of soldiers and the army. But my life is too far gone now. What would I do?" Valarie asked, becoming too dark as she snapped out of it, looking up at the pitying Rose who smiled supportively as she sat. "Well, I could become a nanny." She suggested with a smile as Adam came into the room with his bags. "I've had enough experience with this one haven't I?" She asked, getting up and ruffling Adam's hair as he tried to dodge it, confused at her actions. Rose and Valarie both laughed as the Doctor exited the box, all set up and ready to go. At the sight of Adam, he visibly straightened, bristling as he crossed his arms.
"We'd better get out. Van Statten's gone forever." Adam smiled as the rest laughed together at the dictator's fate. "They're closing down the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it with cement, like it never existed!" Adam finished, looking around.
"About time!" Both Rose and Valarie spoke, laughing as they realised what they did.
"I'll have to go back home." He sighed, sad at not having his 'best job in the world' anymore.
"Better hurry up then, next flight to Heathrow leaves at 1500 hours." The Doctor informed curtly, pretending to look at his watch not even hiding his dislike for the supposed 'genius'. Valarie shook her head fondly, smiling at his jealousy.
"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars." Rose hinted, smiling as she remembered. Valarie bit her lip, trying not to laugh.
"Tell him to go and stand outside then." The Doctor replied, making Valarie burst out laughing, bending over. The Doctor seemed pleased with her response while Rose gave her a death glare, making her sober up quite quickly.
"Sorry." She apologised, before smiling at the Doctor when Rose turned back.
"He's all on his own Doctor." Rose moaned, fighting his case.
"So is your other friend, you're just going to leave her as well?" The Doctor asked, thinking he had her cornered.
"Well, I was coming on to that." Rose started, sounding like a naughty child.
"Rose!" The Doctor reprimanded.
"He did help." She added, raising a good point.
"He left you down there!" The Doctor spoke indignantly as he looked at her.
"So did you." Rose fired back. "Plus, so did Valarie and you're not holding anything against her are you?" Rose asked. Valarie didn't know what they were talking about and from the looks of it, neither did Adam.
"What are you talking about? We've got to leave!" Adam reinforced, walking away as Valarie watched them with an interested look.
"Plus, they're a bit pretty." The Doctor asked, tilting his head with an unspoken question.
"Everyone is calling me that today. Thanks but seriously, I don't have any self-esteem issues or anything." Valarie joked as she whispered to Adam who laughed with her.
"I hadn't noticed." Rose pretended, keeping a straight face.
"On your own head." He agreed, turning back and opening the door with a key.
"What are you doing? She said cement." Adam reminded them. "She wasn't joking, we're going to get sealed in!" He spoke as they entered the box. Valarie picked up her stuff and tapped the boy on the arm.
"Adam," She started, the Doctor's ears picking up on it as both Rose and him waited near the doors to see if they would follow or not. "Shut up." She told him as she walked in, making the Doctor smile with one of Rose's choices. "Doctor?" She asked hesitantly as she walked in with her hands in front of her, expecting it to be dark and small before being bathed in light, the magnificence of the TARDIS making her gasp in shock. Her 'o' quickly turned into a smile as she looked around the miracle of time travel. The Doctor smiled, waiting for Adam before he launched into his usual explanation.
The boy came in and the Doctor turned around, pulling a lever as the box started to thrum and move as Valarie gripped the bar tightly, terrified before apologising to her, not knowing an actual entity called the TARDIS was actually there, listening and steadying to console her. She thanked her, still not knowing as it was her own weird way of doing things. She could just feel the energy around the place and knew something else was there, even if they could not see it. The Doctor and Rose watched with shock as the TARDIS responded with a happy thrum at her words. "How did you do that?" Rose asked, walking forwards, Adam's shocked ramblings forgotten.
"Do what?" Valarie asked, moving further into the TARDIS as she looked around.
"Talk to the TARDIS. I haven't been able to do that since the Time War." The Doctor breathed, walking towards her with Rose as she shrugged.
"I don't know. I could feel her, I guess? She's everywhere, it's obvious but I never knew she was called the TARDIS. I didn't know I was speaking with her, I was just thanking the energy." She spoke, her words making sense to herself, not knowing whether it did or not to anyone else.
"She's something different. You made a good choice with this one Rose." The Doctor commended, walking back to the console as he declared the mystery somewhat solved with her explanation. He lovingly stroked the controls, hoping for the same reaction but only receiving a smaller one compared to Valarie's. He sighed but perked up as he saw Rose and Valarie watching. "Now, the TARDIS. You're obviously a bit confused right?" He asked, launching into his normal tirade as Valarie and Adam soaked it all in while Rose chipped in every now and then, both listening eagerly.
This was a whole new adventure and Valarie intended to enjoy every second she could. It may not be the conventional new life but it was something she didn't want to change at all. This was her life now, she had a new purpose. To take care of Adam and Rose and the Doctor. Her new friends, but also to better herself. She would not let this opportunity go to waste. She had so much knowledge at her fingertips, all she had to do was grab it, and not let go.
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