Doctor Who and the Daughter of the Daleks.

Part Three-Rose in Peril.

Rose could do nothing more than lie there in abject terror after Linnena's calm statement. Linnena must have sensed this, for she laid a warm and gentle hand on Rose's cheek and said "Rose, I'm not going to hurt you; in fact the effects of the virus will not affect you at all. To rewrite your genetic code, the virus would have to infiltrate every cell in your body, and that's impossible. No, this virus will only affect the cells in your reproductive system. It'll be your children who will reap the benefits. Davros' mistake was to leave the hate in the Daleks, but if I purge all emotion and all feelings, take his modifications that much further, perhaps the humans can have a life free of all the emotions that have caused wars and misery throughout history." She was rooting around in a cupboard, and had found some leather straps and belts. She used a rivet-gun to rivet these to a nearby lab bench, and then, carrying Rose over to the bench, she used them to restrain Rose's arms, legs, and body.

"There, that'll keep you safe once you recover from the drug." She said.

For the next fifteen minutes, Rose thought frantically of how she could prevent Linnena from doing this thing, something she thought would benefit humanity. She thought through what she could say, discarded one idea, thought up a new one, then discarded that too. She still only had several loosely-associated thoughts by the time she realised she had recovered enough to speak. It would be very quiet, but it was speech.

"Linnena, please don't do this." She said hoarsely.

"Why not? You don't need these emotions." She said.

"What right do you have to say that?" Rose asked her. "You don't understand emotions and feelings, and how much impact they have on our lives."

"I've seen enough and read enough." Said Linnena bitterly. "War, murder, and misery.

"But what about art, caring, and love? Without emotions and feelings you cannot have these. How can someone or something without feelings understand the concept of beauty? How can a feelingless being have concern for others? How can it dance, sing, paint, write poetry, or make jokes without emotions to fuel the creative process?" Rose could see that Linnena was thinking about this, and she redoubled her efforts. "Linnena, it is true that some human emotions are bad and destructive, but some are good and constructive too. Sometimes you need the negative to experience the positive. How can you know how a good feeling feels if you've never experienced a bad one? It hurts, I know, I lost my Dad when I was little, he was killed, and it still hurts, but I still have my Mum, and I treasure her even more because of that. Linnena, please give emotions a proper try before condemning them. I can help you, I can explain more, and I can help you experience some of the joyful ones, and tell you how I beat some of the nastier ones. Some human emotions are helpful, even seemingly negative ones. Fear protects you, makes you want to stay away from things that might hurt you, and curiosity helps us find things out, try things out." Rose stopped, having run out of things to say. Linnena watched her, as a tear slipped from Rose's eye.

"You are scared." She said, a statement, not a question. "You are scared of me. Why."

"Because you threaten any children I may have. I don't want them to be shapeless, emotionless blobs requiring mechanical life support to live. I want them to know love, to know relief if they get lost and we find them. I want them to know what it's like to run and play in the air, in the sun, what it's like to have fun. That's what I want for my children, yet you plan to change all that, to make that impossible, and that scares me." Linnena looked at her, long and hard. Then she moved over, and undid Rose's restraints, helping the still-shaky Rose pull clear of them and stand on the ground. Linnena looked at her keenly.

"So, what do you suggest, Rose?" she asked.

"It's awfully quiet in there." Shobar said. "We don't have any idea what is going on in there."

The Doctor knelt by the intercom. Removing his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, he began taking off the cover.

"I may not wish to rush in, but I would like to establish some sort of dialogue with the girl." he said. "I think I may be able to turn on the speaker at her end, and perhaps activate the mike at her end-although I would prefer that she speaks back to us by choice."

The sonic screwdriver buzzed and hummed in his hand, flashed a few times, and then stopped. "That should do it!" he said. He depressed the button. "Linnena, this is the Doctor. Are you okay?"

Linnena jumped as she heard the Doctor's voice. "I thought I turned that thing off." she muttered. She approached the intercom, and Rose followed. Linnena switched the intercom to continuous two-way communications, got herself a seat, and sat down.

"I'm okay, Doctor, and so is Rose." she said. "What do you want?"

"It's more to do with what you want Linnena." said the Doctor. "You wanted to know the observer's point of view of the Daleks. I hope you're sitting down, because this could take some time. As you know, Davros was the creator of the Daleks, and from that mind-print, you probably also know about the war between the Kaleds and the Thals, the war the Daleks were originally created to fight in. However, the Daleks did not confine themselves to Skaro, although that is where I first met them..."

Rose listened as intently as Linnena while the Doctor talked, because much of this was new to her too. Linnena listened politely to the Doctor's account, occasionally interrupting for clarification, or to ask him to answer a question Linnena felt his account didn't answer. The Doctor answered Linnena's questions as best as he could, and Linnena listened intently. Linnena nearly turned the intercom back off when Shobar demanded once again that she come out, but a curt "Shut up Shobar!" and some quick talking by the Doctor stopped her.

During this account, Varros came with the paperwork, and the Doctor told Shobar to tell Varros what was going on while he continued talking. As the Doctor had warned, his account did take hours, but one of the other scientists, a man called Michael, kept getting him glasses of water from a tap in the lab next door. When he had finished, the Doctor asked Linnena if she had any more questions. She said she did not, but wished to be given some time to think.

Linnena moved away from the intercom, but did not turn it off, Rose noticed.

"Does that answer some of your questions, Linnena?" asked Rose.

"Yes, but I'm very confused. How can I have two wildly opposing feelings? One side of me sees Shobar and the others as friends and mentors-or did," she said, her face twisting with remembered pain, "but the other sees all humans as enemies to be dealt with-at times, even you, Rose, which is crazy, because you do seem to genuinely care about me and to have my interests, as well as your own, at heart. How can this be?" she asked Rose plaintively.

"Maybe it's because you do feel betrayed by Shobar, although I don't think he meant to do that. Your knowledge of humans is pretty much restricted to the ones you've met here, which can't be more than a couple of dozen at most. You yourself have admitted that you just don't go out. You can't judge a whole species on a few individuals. Even the Doctor discovered that about Daleks in Utah. He came across a Dalek changing its nature, which was unthinkable to him. Linnena, that Dalek couldn't change completely, it had been engineered aggressive, its primary purpose was to kill, but it exterminated itself rather than all other life, which from what the Doctor told me, is a first."

"Do you think that's what I should do?" asked Linnena, tensing. "Do you think I should do that, because it would be better for everyone else?"

"No, Linnena!" cried Rose. "That's not what I mean! I'm just trying to say that every person is different!"

"Good." said Linnena. "I would have seen you as the enemy if you had. The thing is, I know I'm just here to help find a way to neutralise the Dalek threat. I'm just a tool, a means to an end. What will happen when my purpose has been completed-or I fail? Will I be destroyed? Rose, I'm frightened, I could be so much more, I'm sure! Is it so wrong to want to just live, to be who I am?"

"No, Linnena, it's not." said Rose softly. "It's not wrong at all."

The Doctor, Shobar, Varros and the other scientists looked at each other. Through the intercom they had heard every word. Shobar looked at the Doctor. "I didn't realise she thought that." he said. "We all care for Linnena, but she will not take any time off, even when we suggested it."

"Maybe she was so eager to please you that she feared you would think less of her if she did." the Doctor said. "I think perhaps you should try speaking to her, explain that you do care about her and that her interests and desires are important to you."

"If she will speak to us." Shobar said. "Last time we tried, she cut us off."

"Maybe it is not so much who is speaking that matters." the Doctor said. "Perhaps what you say matters more."

Shobar thought about this for a moment. Then he turned to the intercom.

"Linnena?" he asked. "Could we talk? Please?"

Linnena jerked her head up. "What is there to talk about?" she asked. "All you care about is the work I do. Why should I work for you?"

"Linnena, forget the work!" said Shobar. "There is time enough for work later, and if you teach us each a little of what you know, we can help take some of the workload off your shoulders." Shobar said. Linnena did not respond, and it was Rose who broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Linnena, how long have you have lived amongst Shobar and the others for?" she asked.

"Seven years." said Linnena. "I spent the five before that growing and maturing in an artificial womb."

"You may only have a small representation of the human race to base your assumptions on, but I have seen and experienced many people, and until I hooked up with the Doctor, they were all human. In my experience, you cannot associate with other humans without feeling something for them, usually varying degrees of affection. I have known the Doctor for less time than Shobar and the others have known you, but already we care quite deeply for each other. In Utah, the Doctor preferred to risk the Dalek escaping from where it was trapped-and possibly killing millions- rather than risk it killing me. Okay, Shobar and the others may be dedicated scientists, and consider their-and your-work important, maybe even vital, but there is no way they have interacted with you for seven years without developing some sort of affection for you." Linnena still looked sceptical, but Rose could see hope in her eyes. She pressed her advantage, reaching over to give Linnena's arm a heartening squeeze. "Go on-ask them!"

"Well?" asked Linnena. "You heard that, I know. Is she telling the truth?"

"Yes, Linnena." said Shobar. "She is. Your well-being is more important than the work. I can only apologise for not realising sooner that you had so little self-worth."

"It's not just that." whispered Linnena. "I feel like you're all my enemies, and I don't know why."

"Actually, I have a theory about that." said the Doctor.

Linnena tensed. "Well, I hope you do, Doctor, because my hatred of you is very strong. It's taking all the restraint I have to not switch you off so I don't have to listen. I would like to hear your theory because I have never met you before, yet I feel hate and fear for you."

"You have never met me before, but your father did, and I suspect that the mind-print used on you was taken after many, if not all, his meetings with me. That hatred you feel, Linnena, is not your own, but that of your father, Davros. It was an unexpected and unwanted part of the mind print that gave you the scientific knowledge. Davros didn't like humans, either, in fact he disliked most humanoids. You never had a chance, Linnena, to experience your own personality, so you cannot know which feelings are purely yours, and which are shadows of Davros's personality, carried in the mind print." the Doctor explained.

"Is this possible, Shobar." Linnena asked.

"It makes sense. The mind-print was given to you during your last few months of maturation, before you became fully aware."

"So, what's to be done about it?" she asked. "Will I be locked away as dangerous? I couldn't stand that!" She began to cry.

"We could erase the mind-print." the Doctor said.

"What about the knowledge I need for my work? Would I lose that?" she asked.

"Not if you write down the most important bits, or even just use it. Neither will you lose the knowledge of how to do the work you have already done. Your own memories would not be affected, only the memories-and with it, the personality traits and feelings-of Davros."

"The work isn't so important, Linnena, that we would risk losing you, or leaving you like this" Shobar said. He turned to the Doctor. "There's only one problem. Linnena is the first recipient of a mind-print. We don't know how to remove it, or even if we can."

"Maybe you don't, and even I have only a vague idea of how to, but I do know somebody-or something-that could."

"You do?" Shobar asked hopefully. "Where?"

"Down in your storage area. My TARDIS." he said.

"There you are, Linnena!" said Rose, delighted. "The Doctor can help you! You can be your own person, and get rid of all these conflicting emotions! Just open the door and the Doctor can help you!"

"Yes, I will!" Linnena said, a smile of relief washing over her face.

Linnena moved towards the door, reaching for the keypad. She was about to key in an unlocking sequence when she stopped. Rose saw a quick wash of emotions-fear, mistrust, hope, hatred, uncertainty-ripple across her face, and, guessing that Linnena was stuck between two conflicting sets of emotions, found herself torn between the instinct to reach out to touch Linnena in a gesture of confidence, or to get away from her. The result was that Rose hesitated for just a second or two. However, it coincided with Linnena's battle within herself-which she had lost. She threw her elbow back, catching Rose in the stomach, winding her, and Linnena was on her before she could recover. She wrenched her round till, sitting on Rose, she could watch the door. Shattering a conical flask, Linnena seized a jagged piece of glass. She knelt on Rose's arms, her knees on her wrists, and her bottom on her chest. She used one hand to force up Rose's chin, and held the glass to Rose's throat with her other hand. Her eyes were wild.

"It's a trap!" she cried. "You mean to destroy me! Don't come in! If you try to, I'll kill her!" She looked at Rose. "Tell them!" she shrieked.

"She's holding glass to my throat." Rose called out. "Looking at her face, I think she means it!" she said. She closed her eyes, thinking 'Here we go again!'

"Darn!" swore Shobar. "What happened?"

"Aspects of Davros's personality are affecting her judgement." said the Doctor. "Let's just say that Hell would have frozen over before Davros would have trusted me."

"Well, we can't rush in, because she's said she'll kill Rose if we do, and Rose is fairly convinced she means it, so what do we do?" asked Shobar.

"We wait." said the Doctor. "The two personalities are in constant conflict with each other, and at some point Linnena's will overcome the shadow of Davros's. How long that will take, how long it will last, and how Linnena will react are unknown quantities. It's not a great plan, but under the circumstances, it's the only plan I have."

"Ouch!" said Rose, squirming a bit. "You have bony knees!"

Linnena regarded her coldly.

"Keep still. The more you wriggle, the more it is likely to hurt, and the more chance there is that my hand will slip."

"Linnena, I..." Rose found herself lost for words. She could think of nothing constructive to say. "I'm frightened." she eventually blurted out.

"Frightened...?" said Linnena. "Rose, I'm not going to kill you unless I absolutely have to. You're more useful, and more valuable to me, alive."

"That's some comfort, I suppose." Rose said. "Why?"

"Why?" echoed Linnena. Your DNA can be analysed, you can help replicate virus casings, and I can talk to you."

"Look, Linnena, this is not comfortable. If I promise, absolutely promise, that I won't take advantage of the situation, can you let me up? All I can think of at the moment is how much my wrists hurt."

Rose saw Linnena consider her request, and for a moment thought Linnena was going to refuse. However, she said "Any tricks, and I may not kill you, but it will hurt, and I may be forced to use the paralysis serum on you again. No funny stuff, Rose, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand, and I promise I won't try anything." Rose said.

Linnena, still holding the glass to Rose's throat, carefully got off her. She took the hand off Rose's chin, helping Rose to sit up. Rose could still feel the edge of the glass resting lightly against her skin. She considered breaking her word, but recalled Linnena's threat and decided it wasn't worth it if she failed. Anyway, she had promised, and Linnena had trusted her. Linnena's trust and friendship had helped her already today. Losing that trust could make things much more difficult.

"Linnena, I guess you've never had parents." Rose said. "I have my mum, but my dad got killed when I was little. Mum and I are kinda close, and when I went missing for twelve months, she was frantic. I'm an only child, Mum never remarried-though I think she fancied the Doctor on his first visit." Despite herself, Rose giggled, and Linnena giggled too, to Rose's surprise.

"Well, I guess he is kind of dishy." said Linnena. "I guess he's more your mum's age too. Did she flirt with him?"

"Yes." Rose said.

"Well, did he, you know, respond to the flirting?"

"Yes he did." Rose said, giggling again. "He got the heck out of her bedroom door!" This time, she and Linnena both burst into giggles.

"Linnena, are we friends?" asked Rose.

"Yes. You're a great friend, Rose." Linnena said.

"Can I ask you a favour?" Rose asked.

"Sure." said Linnena.

"Can you take the glass away from my throat? I'm not used to my friends doing that to me." Linnena looked at the glass in confusion, and threw it from her.

"What am I doing? Rose, I'm so sorry!" She threw her arms around Rose's neck and began crying. Rose just held her, hoping she was doing the right thing.

"Ssh, Linnena, it's okay, it's okay, we're friends, it's okay." she said. After a few moments, Linnena pulled away, moved to the door, and punched in a code on the door pad. It sprang open.

"Please, stop me before I threaten my friend again!" she said.

The Doctor and Varros had taken Linnena down to the TARDIS, each firmly holding on to one of her arms, just in case. It was a sensible precaution, because she started yelling and screaming and trying to get away, raving about the Doctor wanting to destroy her, and Shobar and the others bring in on the plot. Varros had managed to immobilise her long enough to sedate her, and they carried her to the storage room. In front of the TARDIS, the Doctor insisted only he and Rose enter with Linnena. Shobar objected, and refused to back down, so eventually the Doctor compromised on letting Shobar-but only Shobar-into the TARDIS with them.

He had laid Linnena down by the TARDIS console, and Shobar had knelt beside her and held her hand. The Doctor put a wire net over her head, connected up the wires trailing from it to the TARDIS console, flicked a few buttons and levers and then said "Okay, old girl, it's up to you." The Time Rotor had risen once or twice, and the TARDIS had begun making the noises Rose associated with takeoff, but after a while they ceased, and the console merely hummed, the Time Rotor glowing blue. Linnena flinched and twisted once or twice during the process, and once arched her back and cried out, while Shobar grabbed her and held her. It was over in fifteen minutes, and the Doctor removed the wire net, and called Linnena's name.

"H-hello, Doctor, Rose, Shobar." she said, a warm smile spreading over her face. She sat up.

"I feel rather drained...but I don't hate you any more, Doctor. I can still remember some of the memories, but they're more like dreams now. Rose, Doctor, would you join us for a meal?" Rose looked at the Doctor.

"You go ahead, Rose, I'll wait here for you. I don't do lunch."

"Promise you won't leave without me?" Rose asked.

"I promise." said the Doctor. Rose gave him a look.

"You've said that before and broken it." she said.

"Well, okay, you're right, I did, but I did come back, didn't I?" he said. "Rose, I won't go without you, I give you my word." He said. Rose nodded, satisfied.

"Okay, Linnena, I'll stay for a bite to eat, but then we have to go." Rose said. Linnena's face fell.

"But-you're my friend, Rose, how will I cope without you?" Rose patted her arm.

"You'll cope. Anyway, I want you to go out and make some more friends. Perhaps I'll come back, and when I do, I want you to introduce me to people!" Linnena smiled.

"Shobar has insisted I go out and learn social skills, so you're on!" she said.

Later that day, Rose went down to the storage bay, half-expecting to find the Doctor had gone anyway, but as he had promised, he was still there.

"Okay, I've retrieved all those samples they took from me, so I'm ready to go too." he said. "Have you said all your goodbyes, Rose?"

"Yeah, I'm ready to go too." she said. The Doctor held open the TARDIS door for her mock-gallantly. She walked in, and he followed her.

"So, where shall was go next?" he asked.

"Anywhere. You choose." she said, and then held up a finger. "Preferably somewhere where they've never heard of Davros or Daleks!"

"Coming right up!" he said. He smiled, and began to work the controls.

Outside in the storage room, the blue light began to flash, the TARDIS began to wheeze and groan, then slowly faded from view, taking the light and the noise with it.