We are back with more of Daleks in Manhattan.
Martha threw her hands up, the Doctor and Solomon following suit when she cocked the gun.
"Hands in the air, and no funny business." She insisted when Zuri did nothing.
"Zuri!" The Doctor whispered.
Zuri shook her head. "It's not a real gun, genius."
Tallulah shrugged. "It was that or the spear. What have you schmucks done with Lazlo?"
Martha lowered her hands slowly. "Uh, who's Lazlo?"
"Lazlo's my boyfriend. Or was my boyfriend until two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Lazlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother and then just vamooses?"
"Listen," the Doctor began, "erm, what's your name?"
"Tallulah. Three Ls and an H."
"Right, Tallulah. We can try to find Lazlo, but there are other's disappearing, every night."
"And there are creatures!" added Solomon. "Such creatures!"
"Whaddaya mean creatures?" She asked.
"Look," the Doctor interrupted. "Listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is..." He pulled the blob from before out of his pocket. "Because then I'll know exactly what we are fighting."
Tallulah made a noise of disgust but agreed to help. The Doctor set about scavenging equipment from the theatre, and Zuri took the opportunity to sit for a few moments.
Solomon headed back to Hooverville, stating that he had folks to protect, while Martha struck up a conversation with Tallulah.
Zuri was startled awake by a scream. Lurching forward, she caught the tail of the Doctor's coat as it disappeared down the sewer tunnel, and she let out a sigh before diving in after him.
"What's happening?" She huffed as she caught up with him, glancing over at Tallulah, who had thrown a coat over her stage costume.
"Zuri! It's not safe here."
Zuri just rolled her eyes at him. "They took Martha, didn't they?" She made sure that she kept moving even as she braced for the protesting. "Future knowledge. Let's go, I wouldn't want her to think we don't care or something." The sarcasm oozed from every word.
Before the Doctor could answer, Zuri pressed him and Tallulah against the wall, a hand over each of their mouths.
The Doctor tried to protest but froze as a Dalek wheeled right past their hiding place. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They survived. They always survive while I lose everything!"
Zuri took his hand as he ran the other through his hair in frustration.
"That metal thing?" Tallulah asked. "What was it?"
"It's called a Dalek," Zuri explained, allowing the Doctor to collect himself. "It's not just metal, it's alive. There's a creature inside the metal casing. An alien."
It was at that second that Zuri watched the Doctor's countenance change.
"I'm not leaving." She warned as he tried to lead them back up the tunnel.
He opened his mouth to protest, but they turned the corner just then and came face to face with a pigman. "Where's Martha?! What have you done with her? What have you done with Martha?" He demanded.
"I didn't take her." The pigman spoke.
"Can you remember your name?" the Doctor seemed surprised to get an answer.
"Don't look at me." the pigman was fighting to keep his face from the light, and Zuri felt a surge of pity.
"She still loves you." She whispered before turning to keep a watch on the tunnels, leaving the Doctor to interrogate and Tallulah to learn the sad truth.
The pigman was Lazlo, abducted by the Daleks and mutated. He escaped before they got to his mind, but it was too late for his body.
Lazlo led them down through the tunnels, sneaking around corners and ducking under pipes, until they found Martha and Frank, lined up against the wall as the Dalek rolled in front of them, appearing to be scanning them.
Martha protested loudly when it became clear they were dividing the group by intelligence to be turned into pig men or used in an experiment.
"You can't just experiment on people, it's insane! It's inhuman!"
"We are not human." The Dalek spoke. "Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."
The Doctor shuffled back quickly. "Look out, they're moving."
Lazlo took Tallulah by the hand and began leading her away from danger, while Zuri kept a tight grip on the Doctor's coat sleeve as he stepped into line with Martha and Frank.
"Just keep walking." He muttered as Lazlo return to play guard behind them.
"I'm so glad to see you," Martha whispered back.
"Yeah well, you can kiss us later, Frank too if he wants."
The Dalek led them through yet more tunnels before they arrived at a large open area being used as a lab.
"Report." The Dalek demanded.
"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution." A second Dalek answered, turning to face the group.
"Scan him," the first insisted. "Prepare for birth."
Zuri tilted her head. "Birth?" She muttered in the Doctor's ear. "What's he mean birth?"
"Hmm, and evolution..." He stroked his chin. "Martha, ask them."
"ME?! Don't be daft."
"Well I don't exactly want to get noticed, now do I? Part of the rescue and all."
Martha sighed. "Daleks! I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment? Report!"
"You will bear witness." The Dalek answered.
"To what?"
"This is the dawn of a new age." He still didn't answer the question.
"What does that mean?" Martha demanded.
"We are the only four Daleks, so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The children of Skaro must walk again."
Dalek Sec's shell let out a hum as it powered down, opening slowly with considerable amounts of fog, to reveal a human-Dalek hybrid. The clothing made it obvious that the human form was once Mr. Diagoras, but no more. His head had transformed into a more Dalek shape, with a mouth, one eye, and writhing tentacles. His hand looked more like claws.
"What is it?" Martha asked with a shudder.
Sec/Diagoras answered her. "I am a human Dalek. I am your future."
Up next... Evolution of the Daleks?