5. Retrieving the Doctor.

"I would never have thought there might be a shop specifically selling anti-Dalek products!" Alyssa asserts.
"But here it is!" Chloe's excited as they enter the shop.
It's a huge department store with some small equipment and some massive equipment.
"I want shielding and a tool recommended by a knowledge base for releasing shackles," Chloe says.
"There's a product look-up list device over there," Alyssa points out.
Chloe's dubious if it will show what she wants. "Alright, we'll have a look."

They wander over to the device.
"How do you use it?" Alyssa asks.
Chloe's only seen the Doctor use such a machine once. Usually, he knows just where to lay his hands on exactly what he wants and doesn't need this machine. She tries to recall how to use it.
An assistant drifts up to them. A robotic voice gently asks, "Can I be of assistance?"
Alyssa suddenly feels massively guilty. Here they are, planning to buy equipment to fool Daleks, or escape their custody. She steps aside and turns away, hiding her face.


There's no need to feel guilty. It's a shop selling anti-Dalek products!


"I need a tool to release Dalek shackles," Chloe says.
"You need only to address the machine," the assistant says and drifts away to assist someone else.
Alyssa looks to see who else needs help and nearly screams when she sees a Sontaran! .


The shielding screen is heavy, but, as Chloe says, Alyssa won't have to hold it up for long.
The store on Tantalus provided a shielding screen capable of withstanding continuous Dalek fire for long enough to release the Doctor... for a price! .
Naturally, it's heavy! Alyssa can only just lift it!
"We must arrive where the Doctor is accurately first time," Chloe says. "Then you can put it down! We can leave it there when we go..."


Chloe chooses to return to Skaro with Alyssa and the kit to a few moments after they previously left the Doctor, but this time right up close to the Doctor, in front of the Dalek. The heavy screen protects them from inevitable heavy continuous Dalek fire.

Chloe quickly undoes the shackles, releasing the Doctor, but the Doctor doesn't want to waste the heavy screen and insists on holding it up while Chloe activates her transport...


Chloe has a more urgent question for the Doctor on their return to her Tardis.
"Doctor, I need something to destroy all the equipment in their strong room. What can I use?"
"What equipment do they have?" the Doctor asks, "and how is it armoured?"

Chloe thinks for a moment. "I don't think they ever thought anyone would be able to get into their strong room - I don't think it's armoured. Oh, and I was looking for a memory chip backup device, but I couldn't identify one."
"Then we must destroy the lot!" the Doctor says, grinning. "I know just the kit! I've been unable to get near the place to do anything, but your transport enables..."
His superlative enthusiasm drops off as he sees Alyssa looking sad. He goes to her and sits with her.
"Sorry, we got carried away with the next step without truly thanking you."

The Doctor looks into Alyssa's eyes and sees a tear there.
"You joined in on a dangerous mission and got stuck in! You did wonderfully, and it's so important that we thank you and congratulate you."
Choe joins in, "We worked well together as a team, didn't we? And you still found time to follow the Doctor's instructions! You did brilliantly!"

Alyssa looks at her hand where she'd touched the Dalek. It's fully healed.
"Doctor, do I heal faster than others?"
It's a simple question. She's always healed quickly and given it no thought. The body heals. Being young, the speed of healing always seemed to be very adequately rapid.


Even just that our bodies self-heal is amazing. Even if it's limited, it's still amazing! We use it every day, even if we don't hurt ourselves, our body replaces itself gradually. Isn't that just amazing? It just gets imperceptibly slower as you get older.


"You do have regeneration," the Doctor confirms. "You do heal faster than others and so does Chloe." He grins. "I do, too. We have this in common."

The Doctor's aware Alyssa is using her question about regeneration as a distraction from other hurts from today, and possibly from before that. It's not the real issue, so the Doctor continues to stay to listen to her.

Alyssa warms to the prospect of having regeneration. It crosses her mind again that she knows so little about the Doctor and toys with asking him about himself but doesn't quite formulate the question in time.

"What did you enjoy today, and what did you find hard today?" he asks.

Alyssa smiles, thinking of bits she enjoyed. "Sailing serenely across the sea, not knowing where we were going, but knowing someone was taking care of that side of things."
Then her countenance grows heavier. "I screamed when I saw a Dalek dragging Chloe and she looked dead! That was awful!" She bursts into tears and sobs for a short while.
"It was great when we both realised we were both alright," Chloe says, trying to cheer her up.


Sometimes it's okay to just let a poignant memory trigger the sadness we need to feel, and let it be alright to feel that sadness. The tears bring healing that we need.


Alyssa looks up and nods.
The Doctor can tell she needs time to recover. "Let's take time to think about all these things. Shall we retrieve my Tardis from Skaro and then see if Devyon's sorted out any beds for you at home yet?"


It seems they're pausing their mission, but then they have a time machine!
The Doctor was so excited about being able to access the centre of Skaro!


After a good rest Chloe and Alyssa are ready to join the Doctor. He's been preparing something to destroy the equipment in the Dalek strong room. He's been wondering just when Chloe can take it there to maximum effect.

"Good morning," the Doctor greets them, sitting on a chair near the Tardis Console. "Slept well, I hope?"
Tardis time doesn't need a morning, but after their sleep time the Doctor sees fit to call it a morning.
"Good, good," Chloe says. "And breakfasted. I see you've prepared something for me to take there."

"Are we good to go?" the Doctor asks.

"I've been thinking about just when," Chloe says. "I've slept on it. See if you like my idea."
"Alright." The Doctor raises his feet up near the Console and a support for them suddenly protrudes ready for him to use to put his feet up. The Doctor points to it and smiles, "Just a little thing I've been working on." .

Chloe glances at the kit. "I'll need you to come with me to hold all that equipment while we travel. I can't hold it up. Is that alright?"

"Of course." The Doctor's taken this into account when preparing.


"I remember a Dalek went into the strong room before I went there with Alyssa, and when we went in, the strong room had only the one Watchful Dalek in it. So, it was empty before that. We could have a short while to drop the kit and arm it."
"Like it! Simple but effective!"
"I'm sure there's only about ten seconds," Alyssa says.
"That's long enough to drop off equipment," the Doctor says. "I'll give it a minute. Are you ready?"
He picks up the equipment he's prepared. Chloe touches the Doctor on his shoulder, thinks of the strong room on Skaro behind some Dalek equipment and activates her transport...


Alyssa might be a bit inaccurate there! So might Chloe!