AN: Just like to say, thank you to all the reviews. I truly appreciate it. Anyway, on with the chapter.
Dalek
Underground Bunker
The TARDIS materialised inside a dark room, filled with glass cases of alien objects all lined up like an exhibit. The Doctor and Rose stepped out with Clara, dressed in a grey sweater over a lace white collar shirt and skinny black jeans. "So, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked, her voice echoing through the room.
"I don't know. It's a signal, drawing the TARDIS off course."
"Where are we?" Clara asked.
"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground."
"And when?"
"2012."
"God, that's so close. I should be 26." Rose mumbled.
"You'd be at my age then." Clara shrugged slightly, making Rose breath slightly.
The Doctor flicked a switch which turned on all the lights, revealing the room was the size of an auditorium, made entirely of dull grey bricks. "Blimey." Rose said at the alien objects. "It's like a great, big museum."
"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby." Clara said.
"They must've spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite and moon dust. That's the mileometer from the Roswell spaceship."
"That's a bit of a Slitheen. A Slitheen's arm has been stuffed." Rose said, gazing upon one case which held said arm, standing upright.
"Oh, look at you." The Doctor said sadly, drawing their attention to a case containing a grey robot head, with inactive wires coming out of where its neck should be and a thin line for a mouth. The eyes were shaped in a circle with a small notch in the corning, making it look like it's crying.
"Doctor? What is it?" Clara asked, grasping his hand, making him smile softly at her.
"An old friend of mine. Well…enemy." He mumbled. "It's the stuff of nightmares, reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old."
"Is that where the signal's coming from?" Rose asked.
"No, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out and calling for help." He placed a hand gently on the glass, causing a loud alarm to blare in the room, followed by a large group of soldiers rushing in and cocking their rifles at them.
"Well, if someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A." Rose teased slightly, only gaining a small smile from the two.
"Attention all personnel: Bad Wolf One descending. Bad Wolf One descending." A helicopter touched down before a middle-aged man with four soldiers stepped out and into the base to be welcomed by another four soldiers along with a woman and two younger men.
"Welcome back, Mr. Van Statten. On behalf of all of us, I want to wish you a very happy birthday, sir." The man rolled his eyes at the younger individual. "And the President called to convey his personal best wishes."
"The President is ten points down; I want him replaced." He demanded.
"I don't think that's very wise-"
"Thank you so much for your opinion, you're fired!" He clicked his fingers, making two soldiers seize the man and drag him away, pleading as he does. "Wipe his memory and put him on the road someplace. Memphis, Minneapolis, somewhere beginning with "M"." The woman rushed up to his side. "So, what do you think for next President? Republican or Democrat?"
"Democrat, sir."
"For what reason?"
"They're just so funny, sir?" She mumbled uncertainly.
Van Statten stopped, halting the group as he turned to look at her, while she gulped in fear. "What's your name?"
"Goddard, sir. Diana Goddard."
Van Statten looked at her with an impressed look. "I like you, Diana Goddard." He said, making her smile but more in relief. "Where's Adam, the English kid?"
"Sir." Said man comes forth. "I bought ten more artefacts at auction, Mr. Van Statten."
"Bring them on. Let me see them." He said, moving the group with him again.
"Sir, with respect, there's something more urgent. We arrested two intruders 53 floors down and we don't know how they got in."
"I'll tell you how they got in: In through the window." He quipped a bad joke, the group not laughing. "In through the window, intruder window, it was funny." He demanded, making them laugh awkwardly as he gave an arrogant smile. "Bring them in, let's see them. Diana tell Simmons I want to visit my little pet. Get to it!" He ordered, making them rush while Diana leaned against the wall and pressed her earpiece.
"Simmons, you'd better give me good news. Is it talking?"
"Not exactly talking, no." Simmons said.
"Then, what's it doing?"
"Screaming. Is that any good?" She rolled her eyes before moving to join the others.
The Doctor, Clara and Rose stepped into Van Statten's office, where Adam was showing the small collection of artefacts to him, his expression growing more bored by the second. "And this is the last. I paid $800,000 for it."
"What does it do?" He asked, his boredom being relieved slightly as he picked up the item, which was dark black and shaped like a coral, twirling it in his hand.
"Well, I'm thinking with the tubes on the side that it must be to channel something, like fuel."
"I really wouldn't hold it like that." The Doctor interrupted.
"Shut it." Diana warned.
"No, really. That's wrong." He said, ignoring her.
"Is it dangerous?" Adam asked.
"No, it just looks silly." He reached for it but heard the rocking of rifles at his back, until Van Statten raised his hand in an 'Ease' motion before handing the item to the Doctor. "You just need to be…delicate." He said, running the very tips of his fingers along it, creating a series of soft sounds almost like singing birds.
"A musical instrument." Clara said in wonder as he handed it over to her, before she created the same sounds, smiling softly as she did.
"And it's a long way from home." He said, smiling proudly at her.
"Let me." Van Statten said, taking the item from Clara's grasp and making her glare daggers at him while the Doctor restrained his urge to punch Van Statten in the teeth. He ran his hands roughly over the item, making everyone wince at the horrific sounds.
"He did say "Delicate"." Clara said, still glaring at him. After a moment, Van Statten eased his fingers and creating a sound that they considered…adequate. "Quite the expert." She said sarcastically.
"As are you." He retorted before throwing the item aside, gaining a more intense glare from Clara. "Who exactly are you?"
"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?" The Doctor interjected, stepping slightly in front of Clara.
"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artefacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake."
"Pretty much, yeah."
"The question is: How did you get in? 53 floors down with your cat-burglar accomplices. Quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty although, I'm not sure about her whole 'teacher' act." He pointed with a face too Clara.
"I'm going to detach something from you if you keep behaving like that." Clara growled.
"And she's a bossy northern, just perfect for you. I bet she'd be great for a night with." He winked lecherously.
"Are all business assholes like this?" Rose muttered sarcastically, placing a hand on Clara's to calm her.
"Dear me, you're all English." He said in mocking shock. "Hey, little lord Fauntleroy, got you a couple of girlfriends."
"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten." Adam interjected.
"And who's he when he's at home?" Rose asked.
"Mr. Van Statten owns the internet."
"Don't be stupid. No one own's the internet."
"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?" Henry winked playfully.
"And you're just about an expert in everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up." The Doctor deduced.
"And you claim greater knowledge?"
"I don't need to make claims; I know how good I am."
"And yet, I captured you, right next to the cage. What were you doing down there?"
"You tell me."
"The cage contains my one living specimen."
"And what's that?"
"Like you don't know."
"Show me."
"You really want to see it?"
"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone." Rose quipped, making Clara smirk slightly before returning to her glare.
"Goddard. Inform the cage; We're heading down. English look after the girls. Go and canoodle and spoon or whatever it is you British do. And you, Doctor with no name, come and see my pet." Henry said, walking everyone expect for Clara, Rose and Adam out of the room. The Doctor and Clara exchanged a soft, longing look before he disappeared.
"God, I can't tell if its either cute or annoying how you two can have entire conversations just by staring." Rose quipped.
"I heard that." Clara retorted, letting a sigh of relief out now that Henry wasn't in the room.
Arriving in front of a large, heavily guarded door, Henry inputted a code into the side, making it slide open slowly. "We've tried everything. The creature has shielded itself, but there's definite signs of life inside."
"Inside? Inside what?" The Doctor asked.
"Welcome back, sir." Simmons said, stepping forward and taking his large gloves off. "I've had to take the power down. The Metaltron is resting."
The Doctor crooked an eyebrow. "Metaltron?"
"Thought of it myself. Good, isn't it? Although…I'd much prefer to find out its real name."
"Here, you better put these on. The last guy that touched it…burst into flames." Simmons said, holding out his gloves.
"I won't touch it then." The Doctor said cheekily, making Diana smirk.
"Go on in, Doctor. Impress me." Henry said, motioning him inside. As soon as the Doctor stepped in, the door closed behind him. "Don't open that door until we get a result." Henry's voice floated like a whisper through an intercom, making the Doctor roll his eyes. The only light source inside the dark room, which was filled with strewn wires and tools was a small, blue light like an eye as the Doctor turned to look at it.
"Look, I'm sorry about this. Mr. Van Statten might think he's clever but never mind him. I've come to help, I'm the Doctor."
"Doc-Tor." An eerily familiar voice came through the room, sending cold shives down his spine. Shives that he nowadays only felt when Clara was in danger.
"Impossible." He said, terror in his voice.
"THE Doctor?" The lights then switched on, revealing a battered and broken Dalek staring at him. "Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"Let me out! Let me out!" The Doctor pleaded, banging his hand on the door.
"Exterminate!"
"Sir, it's going to kill him!" Diana protested.
"It's talking!"
"You are an enemy of the Daleks! You must be destroyed!" The Doctor paused as he turned to look at the Dalek, who went silent as it stared down at its weapon, unable to fire.
"*Scoffs* It's not working." He then laughed darkly and maniacally, making the Dalek move back ever so slightly. "Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you. The great space dustbin. How does it feel?!" He spat.
"Keep back!" The Dalek struggled against its chains fruitlessly as the Doctor approached him menacingly.
"What for?! What're you going to do to me?!" He then started to stalk around it, the eye-stalk following his every move. "If you can't kill, then what're you good for, Dalek?! What's the point of you being alive?! That makes you nothing. What the hell are you here for?" He asks with venom.
"I am waiting for orders."
"What does that mean?"
"I am a soldier. I was bred to receive orders."
"Well, you're never going to get any, not ever."
"I demand orders!"
"They're never going to come! Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you! Ten million ships on fire, the entire Dalek race wiped out in one second!"
"You lie!"
"I watched it happen! I MADE it happen!"
"You destroyed us?!"
That silenced the Doctor who stepped back slowly and ran his hands over his face. "I had no choice." He mumbled.
"And what of the Time Lords?"
Utter silence as he looked down. "Dead. They burnt with you. The end of the Last Great Time War. Everyone lost."
"And the coward survived."
"Oh, and I caught your little signal. 'Help me. I'm a lost, lonely, poor little thing.'" He said sarcastically. "But there's no one else coming because there's no one else left."
"I…am…alone…in the…universe?" The Dalek struggled to get these words out.
"Yep." He mumbled.
"So are you." The Doctor's face turned into rage. "We are the same."
"We're not the same! I'm not…" He trailed off, before a cold grin came onto his face. "No, wait…maybe we are. You're right. Yeah, okay. You've got a point." He started to back towards a console with a level. "Because I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve." He raised his eyebrows as the Dalek stared at him. "Exterminate." He said coldly as he flicked the level, causing electricity to arc through the Dalek as it writhed in its confines in agony.
"Get him out of there!" Henry demanded, making the door open.
"Ahhhh! Have pity!"
"Why should I?! You never did!" He flicked the lever again as two guards came in and restrained him before hauling him out of the room as Henry entered.
"Help me!"
"You've got to destroy it!" The Doctor called as the Dalek stared at Henry.
"I saved your life, now talk to me! Goddammit, talk to me!" He looked at him with a small smile. "The last in the universe and now…I know your name: Dalek. Speak to me, Dalek." Silence. "I am Henry Van Statten, now recognise me!" He demanded. Utter silence. He turned to Simmons. "Make it talk again, Simmons. Whatever it takes." Simmons nodded with a cold smirk.
Adam led Clara and Rose into his cramped workspace, Rose looking interested while Clara grabbed some items to inspect them albeit rather dully. "Sorry about the mess. Mr. Van Statten sort of lets me do my own thing, so long as I deliver the goods. Now, what do you think that is?" He held up a piece of metal, which Rose then inspected.
"A lump of metal?" Rose shrugs, making Clara snigger.
"Yeah. Well, I think, at least I'm almost certain, that it's from the hull of a spacecraft. The thing is, it's all true. Everything the United Nations tries to keep quiet: Spacecrafts, aliens, visitors to Earth…they really exist."
Rose sent Clara a mischievous look which made Clara nod to her with a wink. "That's amazing." She breathed, making him buy her act.
"I know, it sounds incredible, but I honestly believe that the whole universe is just teeming with life."
"I'm gobsmacked, yeah." Clara had to hide her giggles behind her mouth. "And you do what: Sit here and catalogue it?"
"It's the best job in the world."
"Imagine if you could get out there, travel amongst the stars and see it for real."
Clara dropped her shoulders, holding back a groan. Rose, he's not even that good looking. Ugh.
"Yeah? I'd give anything. But I don't think it's ever going to happen, not in our lifetimes."
"Oh, you never know. What about all those people who say they've been inside of spaceships and talked to aliens?"
"I think they're nutters."
After a moment, Rose smirked. "Yeah, me too." Clara smirked slightly as the two exchanged a chuckle. "So, how'd you end up here?"
"Van Statten has agents all over the world looking for geniuses to recruit."
"Oh right, you're a genius."
"Sorry but, yeah." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I can't help it; I was born clever."
At least the Doctor's ego is fun to watch.
"When I was 8, I logged on to the U.S Defence System, nearly caused World War Three."
Rose raised her eyebrows. "What, and that's funny, is it?"
"Well, you should've been there. Just to see them running about. Fantastic!" He said gleefully.
Clara clenched her jaw before taking a breath to calm herself.
"You sound like the Doctor." Rose said, Clara turning to glare at her which made her gulp. "Sorry." She whispered, making Clara nod slightly.
"Are you and him-"
"No, we're just friends." Rose cut him off.
"Good." Clara rolled her eyes.
"Why is it good?" Rose crooked an eyebrow.
"Just is." He mumbled slightly.
"So…wouldn't you rather be downstairs? I mean, you've got these bits of metal and stuff, but Mr. Van Statten's got a living creature down there."
"Yeah, yeah. Well, I did ask but he keeps it to himself. Although, if you're a genius, it doesn't take long to patch into the com system." He smirked slyly.
"Let's have a look then." Rose said, Clara moving to look over their shoulders.
"It doesn't do much, the alien. It's weird, it's kind of…useless. It's just liked this great big pepper pot." He said, inputting codes into his computer, which propped up a camera in the Dalek room, showing Simmons using a tool to torture it, causing loud screams to echo through the speakers.
"It's being tortured! Where's the Doctor?!" Clara demanded, speaking for the first time.
"I don't know." Adam said, slightly shocked at her outburst.
"I'm going down there." She said, moving to leave the room.
"You can't go down there; you don't have clearance." Adam protested.
"Then come along." Clara nearly growled, making him gulp and move hastily out of the room, Rose looking slightly worried for him but not because she liked him.
"The metal's just battle armour, the real Dalek creature's inside." The Doctor said as he, Henry, Diana and two soldiers moved into a large elevator.
"What does it look like?" Henry asked.
"A nightmare. It's a mutation. The Dalek race was genetically engineered; Every single emotion was removed except hate."
"Genetically engineered. By whom?" Henry asked in wonder.
"By a genius, Van Statten. By a man who was king of his own little world, you'd like him."
"It's been on Earth for over fifty years; Sold at a private auction and moving from one collection to another. Why would it be a threat now?" Diana asked.
"Because I'm here. How did it get to Earth? Does anyone know?"
"The records say it came from the sky like a meteorite. It fell to Earth on the Ascension Islands, burnt in its crater for three days before anybody could get near it and all that time it was screaming. It must've gone insane."
"Must've fallen through time, the only survivor." The Doctor mumbled, staring distantly.
"You talked about a war?"
"The Time War: The final battle between my people and the Dalek race."
"But you survived too." Henry pointed out.
"Not by choice."
"This means the Dalek isn't the only alien on earth, Doctor, there's you. The only one of your kind in existence." He pressed a different button on the elevator before clicking his fingers, the two soldiers then restraining the Doctor.
"What are you doing?!" He demanded.
"What you said earlier, Doctor. If you're an alien and I don't understand you, I'll have to lock you up." He smirked, the elevator opening as he led them into a dark room with a restraining table and a scanning tool in front of it. "Put him on the table." He ordered, the soldiers forcing the Doctor onto it before cuffing his hands and legs while struggled against them fruitlessly. "Now…smile." He said cheekily before pressing a button on the scanner. This emitted a red light that moved up and down the Doctor's chest, causing him to scream in agony while an x-ray of his body appeared on the scanner's screen, with two red signals flaring in the centre. "Two hearts! A binary vascular system! Oh, I am so going to patent this." He said, clapping his hands like a child getting presents.
"So, that's your secret." The Doctor breathed, holding back his pain. "You don't just collect this stuff, you scavenge it."
"This technology has been falling to Earth for centuries. All it took was the right mind to use it properly. Oh Doctor, the advances I've made from alien junk: Broadband. Roswell. Just last year, my scientists cultivated bacteria from the Russian crater, and you know what we found? The cure for the common cold. Kept it strictly within the laboratory, of course. There's no need to get people excited. Why sell one cure when I can sell a thousand palliatives?"
"Do you know what a Dalek is, Van Statten? A Dalek is honest. It does what it was born to do for the survival of its species. That makes that creature in your dungeon better than you."
"In that case, I will be true to myself and continue."
"Please, listen to me! That thing downstairs is going to kill every one of us!"
"Nothing can escape that cage, Doctor." Henry denied smugly, before pressing the button and making the Doctor clench in pain.
"But it's woken up! It knows I'm here! Van Statten, I swear, no one on this base is safe, no one on this planet!" He merely pressed it again, faking a yawn. "Aaah!"
"Hold it right there!" A soldier said, as Adam came into the room outside the Dalek cell with Clara and Rose.
"Level 3 access. Special clearance from Mr. Van Statten." Adam said, holding up a card and making the soldier halt his movements.
"If he insists." He mumbled, pressing a button to let them in before closing the door behind them. Clara moves towards it with Rose standing behind her.
"Hello. Are you in pain? My name's Rose and this is Clara. We've got a friend who can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?"
"Yes." The Dalek croaked weakly.
"What?"
"I…am…in pain. They…torture me. But still, they…fear…me. Do the both of you fear me?"
"No." Clara said softly, Rose nodding with her.
"I am dying."
"No, we can help."
"I welcome death. But…I am glad that…before…I die…I've met a Human who was not afraid."
"Is there anything we can do?" Rose asked.
"My race…is dead. I shall die…alone."
Clara looks at the Dalek in sadness before reaching to place her hand on it. "Clara, no!" Adam protested, making Rose's eyes widen. Clara touched the Dalek, causing her hand to burn slightly and making her withdraw it with a wince as they backed away.
"Genetic material extrapolated! Initiate cellular reconstruction!" The chains snapped away as sparks flied off the Dalek, while the door behind them opened and Simmons with two soldiers stepped inside.
"What the hell have you done?!" He demanded before moving to the Dalek, who raised it's 'arm' upwards. "What're you going to do? Sucker me to death?" He taunted until the arm shot out and grasped onto his mouth, cutting off his air supply as he struggled against it while the rest ran out of the room and shut the door.
"It's killing him! Do something!" Rose freaked.
A soldier pressed the intercom. "Condition Red. Condition Red. This is not a drill."
"I repeat, this is not a drill." Van Statten looked at the Doctor with pleading eyes.
"Release me if you want to live." He breathed.
Clara and Rose saw the Doctor come on the monitor. "You've got to keep it in that cell!" He demanded.
"Doctor, it's all my fault." Clara mumbled, making him look at her with worried eyes.
"I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out. That lock's got a billion combinations." A soldier protested.
"A Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat."
Sure enough, they turned to look at the door, which the lock showed a rapid cycle of numbers flying past until they stabilised, and the door opened, showing the Dalek staring straight at them. "Open fire!" A soldier ordered, making the other fire their pistol with him, which made the bullets just bounce of the Dalek, only leaving bare scratches.
"Don't shoot it! I want it unharmed!" Henry protested.
"Clara, Rose, get out of there!" The Doctor yelled.
"De Maggio get the civilians and get them out alive. That's your job, okay?" The soldier ordered.
"Yes sir." She said, before turning to the three. "This way, now!" She demanded, making them rush from the room. The Dalek ignored the soldier and moved towards a computer before raising its 'arm' and plunging straight into the screen, causing electricity to arc within itself and repair its armour, all the while it was screaming in agony.
"Abandoning the cage, sir." The soldier said. Diana moved to their computer screen.
"We're losing power. It's draining the base…Oh my god, it's draining the entire power supplies for the whole of Utah."
"It's downloading."
"Downloading what?" Henry asked.
"Sir, the entire West Coast has gone down."
"It's not just energy. That Dalek just absorbed the entire internet. It knows everything." They flicked the screen to show the Dalek in the vault, slowly backing away from the wrecked computer.
"The Daleks survive in me?! Exterminate!" It then fired at the desk, destroying it completely. "Exterminate!" It then fired at a nearby gas canister, causing gas to flood the room before turning around to look at the computer. "Exterminate!" It then fired, destroying the camera.
"That's the cameras down, sir." Diana reported.
"We've only got emergency power. It's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!"
"All guards to converge on the Metaltron cage immediately."
A group of six soldiers gathered at one end of a long hallway as the group ran up to them. "Civilians! Let them through!" De Maggio ordered, making them part ways as the four ran through them, while the soldier from the vault came around a corner and ran towards them, the Dalek moving slowly behind him.
"Cover the north wall! Red Division maintain suppressing fire along the perimeter!"
"Exterminate!"
"Aaah!" The soldier collapsed dead in the hallway from the blast, causing the group to fire upon the Dalek.
Raise shields. It commanded mentally as some of the bullets inched too close to its eye-stalk, before an invisible shield appeared around it, causing the bullets to melt only inches from its armour. "Exterminate!" It then fired four blasts, hitting with pinpoint accuracy and causing four soldiers to fall to the ground, screaming as they died. The Dalek heard more rifles being fired from behind, turning around to see another six soldiers before turning back round again. "Exterminate!" It fired two blasts upon the survivors before turning around.
"Tell them to stop shooting at it!"
"But it's killing them!" Diana protested.
"They're dispensable! That Dalek is unique! I don't want a scratch on its body work, do you hear me?! Do you hear me?!"
"Exterminate!" Firing six shots, it sent the last remaining soldiers to the ground, stone dead. Turning around without a word, it began to slowly move up the hallway again.
"That's us, right below the surface." Diana pointed to one of the computer screens, showing the schematic of the base. "That's the cage and right there is the Dalek."
"This museum of yours, have you got any alien weapons?"
"Lots of them. But the problem is that the Dalek's between us and them."
"We've got to keep that thing alive. We could just seal the entire vault, trap it down there."
"That would leave everyone trapped with it. Clara's down there and so is Rose; I won't let that happen. Have you got that?" The Doctor almost growled, silencing Henry. "It's got to go through here, what's that?"
"Weapons testing." Diana said.
"Give guns to the technicians, the lawyers, anyone and everyone. Only then have you got a chance of killing it."
The group of four ran through a door, entering a stairwell. "Stairs, that's more like it." Rose said in relief. "It hasn't got legs, it'll be stuck."
"It's coming! Get up!" De Maggio ordered, making them move up to the next level, only stopping to see the Dalek entering and staring down at the step-in front of it.
"Great big alien death machine defeated by a flight of stairs." Adam said smugly, causing Clara to roll her eyes.
"Now, listen to me. 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 that was wrong. But people have died and that stops right now. The killing stops, have you got that? I demand that you surrender, is that clear?!" De Maggio ordered with her pistol raised.
The Dalek turned its eye-stalk to stare at them. "Elevate." It then started to hover above the ground, moving slyly but slowly over the steps, staring at them with its every move as they looked at it in horror.
"Oh my god." Rose breathed.
"Adam, get them out of here." De Maggio ordered.
"Come with us, you can't stop it."
"Someone's got to try, now get out!" Rose and Adam moved up the stairs.
"Please! Don't do this!" Clara protested.
"Whatever happens, ma'am, it wasn't your fault. Have you got that?" Clara nodded weakly at her. "Now don't look back, just run!" Clara looked at her sadly before complying as they rushed up the stairs and through another door.
"Exterminate!"
"Aaah!" They heard the faint sound of a blast and her body hitting the ground before silence fell upon them, the only sounds being their rushing footsteps and panting breaths.
I thought you were the great expert, Doctor. If you're so impressive, then why not just reason with this Dalek? It must be willing to negotiate. There must be something it needs. Everything needs something." Henry rambled in shaking fear.
"What's the nearest town?"
"Salt Lake City."
"Population?"
"One million."
"All dead. If the Dalek gets out, it'll murder every living creature. That's all it needs."
"But why would it do that?!"
"Because it honestly believes they should die. Human beings are different, and anything different is wrong. It's the ultimate in racial cleansing and you, Van Statten, you've let it loose!"
"Positions!" The Commander yelled, causing all the armed men and soldiers to rush about, with at least ten men on the ground while six including the Commander stood on the overhead railing.
"The Dalek's surrounded by a forcefield. The bullets are melting before they even hit home, but it's not indestructible. If you concentrate your fire, you might get through. Aim for the dome, the head, the eyepiece, that's the weak spot-"
"Thank you, Doctor, but I think I know how to fight one single tin robot." The Commander said sarcastically before turning off his communicator. "Take aim!" He ordered, making everyone cock their rifles and aim to the other end of the room until Clara, Rose and Adam came rushing in. "Hold your fire! You three, get the hell out of there now!" He demanded, making them rush past the soldiers, turning back to see the Dalek slowly rolling into the room, who turned its eye-stalk towards them. Clara breathed a heavy sigh as she felt the back of her neck prickle, like someone was watching her, realising that the Dalek was staring straight at her as Adam and Rose pulled her away.
"It was looking at me." She mumbled.
"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us."
"No, Clara's right, it was looking right at her." Rose protested.
"Yeah, it's a sort of…metal eye thing, it's looking all around."
"I don't know. It's like there's something inside, looking at me like…like it knows me." Clara mumbled.
"Come on, we've got to keep moving." Adam said, making them rush despite Clara's distant thinking.
The TV in front of them flickered as the image of the Dalek surrounded by soldiers appeared. "What's it doing?" Henry asked in confusion.
"It wants us to see." The Doctor said grimly.
"On my mark." The Commander said as the Dalek moved forward slightly before staring at the ceiling and down again. "Open fire!" A loud, echoing sound flew through the room as everyone started firing at the Dalek, not letting up despite none of the bullets hitting home as the Dalek stood motionless. It then levitated until it was 5 feet off the ground before firing at the wall, shattering a fire alarm and causing water to rain from the ceiling. Setting a timer within itself for 30 seconds, it waited until it finished counting down, by that time the floor was covered in an inch of water, all the soldiers completely soaked through.
"Exterminate!" Firing at the ground, a large bolt of electricity arced through the water, killing all the soldiers on the ground instantly.
"Fall back! Fall back!" The Commander yelled.
"Exterminate!" The Dalek then fired at the drenched railing, arcing more electricity and killing those left until only the Dalek was left, the only sounds being the pattering of water as the Dalek floated back down to the ground in silence. The Doctor, Henry and Diana looked on with horror as it switched off the screen.
"Perhaps it's time for a new strategy. Maybe we should consider abandoning this place." Henry breathed while Diana glared at him.
"Except there's no power to the helipad, sir. We can't get out."
"You said we could seal the vault." The Doctor pointed, making Henry move to sit at one of the computers.
"It was designed to be a bunker in the event of nuclear war with steal bulkheads to close off the area."
"There's not enough power, those bulkheads are massive."
"We've got emergency power. We can reroute that to the bulkhead doors."
"We'd have to bypass the security codes, that would take a computer genius."
"Good thing you've got me then." Van Statten interjected.
"You want to help?"
"I don't want to die, Doctor, simple as that and nobody knows this software better than me." Diana looked up to see the screen switch on, the Dalek staring right at them.
"Sir." She breathed, making them look at the screen.
"I shall speak only to the Doctor."
The Doctor then stepped towards the screen slowly. "You're going to get rusty." He quipped weakly.
"I fed off the DNA of Clara Oswald. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveller regenerated me."
"What's your next trick?"
"I have been searching for the Daleks."
"Yeah, I saw. You were downloading the internet. What did you find?"
"I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes."
"And?"
"Nothing. Where shall I get my orders now?!"
"You're just a soldier without commands."
"Then I shall follow the primary order, the Dalek instinct: To destroy, to conquer!"
"What for?! What's the point?!" He roared, silencing the Dalek. "Don't you see, it's all gone. Everything you were, everything you stood for."
"Then what should I do?" It said weakly.
The Doctor gained a cold expression. "Alright then. If you want orders, follow this one: Kill yourself."
"The Daleks must survive!"
"The Daleks have failed! Why don't you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct?! Rid the universe of your filth! Why don't you just die?!" He spat. Utter silence until…
"You would make a good Dalek." It said, switching off the screen and making the Doctor blink for a moment before he turned around.
"Seal the vaults." He ordered, making him and Henry move onto the computer and type hastily on their keyboards.
"I can leech power off the ground defences and feed it to the bulkheads. God, it's been years since I've had to work this fast."
"Are you enjoying this?" The Doctor reprimanded.
"Doctor, they're still down there." Diana reminded him, making him take an earpiece and input a number into it.
"Blimey, you have some horrible timing, Doctor." Clara quipped despite her panting.
"Hello to you too. Where are you?" He asked, sighing in relief at her voice.
"Level 49."
"You've got to keep moving. The vault's being sealed off up at level 46."
"Can't you stop them closing?"
"I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait, and I can't help you. Please Clara, just run." He pulled up a schematic showing their life sign coming up the stairs to level 46.
"Got it, that's power to the bulkheads." Henry said.
"The Dalek's right behind them." He said, getting worried.
"We're nearly there give us two seconds!" Clara panted.
"Doctor, I can't sustain the power, this whole system is failing. Doctor, you've got to close the bulkheads." Henry pleaded.
The Doctor looked down at the keyboard with a sad face. "I'm sorry." He mumbled before pressing the enter key. The life signs reached the door making him stand up.
"The vault is sealed." Henry stated.
"Where are you? Clara, did you make it?"
"I think…I was a bit slow there. I'm sealed in." She panted, her words causing his chest to clench painfully. "Don't go blaming anyone, especially Rose. I pushed her through. Only one of us could make it."
"Clara." He breathed with wide eyes.
"It wasn't your fault either, okay? Remember that, it wasn't your fault. And do you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Thank you, Doctor, for everything."
"Exterminate!" Hearing these words, he ripped the earpiece away, tears coming into his eyes as he looked distantly.
"I killed her." He mumbled.
"I'm sorry." Henry said with pity.
He turned around with an empty glare. "I promised I'd save her life. I failed twice before, and I failed again and you're sorry?! I could've killed that Dalek in its cell, but you stopped me."
"It was the prize of my collection."
"Your collection?!" He roared, stunning them with shock. "Was it worth it?! Was it worth all those men's deaths?! Worth Clara?! Let me tell you something, Van Statten. Mankind goes into space to explore, to be part of something greater."
"Exactly! I wanted to touch the stars!"
"You just wanted to drag the stars down and stick them underground, underneath tons of sand and dirt and label them! You're about as far from the stars as you can get!" He breathed before his sadness came back. "And you took her down with you. First trip, she killed a sun with a leaf and now she…she's dead. She was 27 years old and now she's dead."
Clara looked back at the Dalek with bewilderment as it stood there, staring at her. "Go on then. Kill me. Why're you doing this?"
"I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose."
"They're all dead because of you!"
"They are dead because of us."
Clara clenched her jaw. "So now what? What're you waiting for?"
"I…feel your…fear."
"What do you expect?" She said shakily.
"Daleks do not fear, must not fear." It then fired at either side of her, making her flinch. "You gave me life! What else have you given me?! I am contaminated!"
Rose and Adam entered the room, with her looking at the Doctor with sadness. "I'm sorry." She mumbled.
"It wasn't your-"
"Open the bulkhead or Clara Oswald dies!" The voice of the Dalek rang through the room as the screen showed Clara standing beside it.
He laughed but more in relief. "You're alive?! I thought you were dead!"
"Can't get rid of me that easily, eh old man?" She quipped.
"Hush you." They smiled despite only he could see her.
"Open the bulkhead!"
"Don't do it, Doctor!"
"What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?"
The Doctor breathed knowing the Dalek was right while Clara had an internal struggle of denying the Dalek's words. He turned around to see everyone looking at him with wide eyes. "I killed her already and I lost her twice before that. Never again." He said sternly before pressing the enter key again, opening the bulkhead door as the Dalek and Clara stepped through the door.
"Well Doctor, what the hell do we do now?!" Henry exclaimed in fear.
"We can kill it when it gets here." Adam pointed.
"All the guns are useless, and the alien weapons are in the vault." Diana protested.
"Only the catalogued ones." Henry looked at him with a 'Are you kidding me?' look while everyone crooked an eyebrow at him. "This way." He said, leading the Doctor and Rose out of the room and into his workspace. The Doctor approached a container and started inspecting the items inside.
"Broken. Broken. Hairdryer." He said, tossing each item aside, making Adam place his face in his hands.
"Mr. Van Statten tends to dispose of his staff and when he does, he wipes their memories. I kept this stuff in case I needed to fight my way out one day."
"What, you in a fight? I'd like to see that." He said sarcastically.
"I could do."
"What're you going to do? Throw you're a-levels at them?" He sassed before picking up another item, gaining a smirk. "Oh yes, lock and load."
Inside the elevator, Clara looked between the door and the Dalek's twitching blaster with worried eyes. "Please, don't kill them. You don't have to kill them; you didn't kill me."
"But why not? Why are you alive? My function is to kill. What am I? What am I?!"
The door opened to show Henry standing there, his face growing more horrified at the sight of the Dalek. "Wait! Please, it's beginning to question itself."
The Dalek rolled forward slowly, ignoring her and making Henry back towards the wall. "Van Statten. You tortured me. Why?"
"I wanted to help you. I just…I don't know. I-I was trying to help. I thought if we could get through to you, if we could mend you. I wanted you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear, I just wanted you to talk!" He exclaimed in fear.
"Then hear me talk now. Exterminate. Exterminate. Exterminate!"
"Please, don't kill him!" Clara interjected, making the Dalek turn its eye-stalk to her. "You don't have to do this anymore. There must be something else, not just killing. What do you want?"
"I want…freedom." The Dalek said weakly.
Arriving into an empty hallway, the Dalek aimed its blaster at the ceiling and fired, causing a hole to appear with rumble falling to the ground as bright sunlight through, causing Clara to shield her eyes briefly. "Well, there you go. You made it." She said with a small smile as she felt the sunlight warm her body. "I thought I'd never feel the sunlight again."
"How…does…it…feel?" Small whirring sounds were heard inside the Dalek until its armour opened, letting the sunlight enter. Clara blinked as she saw the creature inside, which was like a small, wrinkled grey squid with a brain as its eye blinked, while raising a tentacle upwards yet rather weakly into the sunlight.
"Get out of the way!" She turned around to see the Doctor standing there with a gun, Rose behind him with a worried look on her face. Seeing the Doctor with a gun caused her blood to run cold. "Clara, get out of the way now!"
"No. I won't let you do this."
"That thing killed hundreds of people!"
"It's not the one pointing a gun at me." She said, almost coldly.
"I've got to do this; I've got to end it! The Daleks destroyed my home, my people! I've got nothing left!"
"Doctor look at it." Rose interjected, making Clara stand aside slightly to see the Dalek.
"What's it doing?" He asked.
"It's the sunlight. That's all it wants."
"But it can't-"
"It couldn't kill Van Statten. It couldn't kill me, it's changing. What about you, Doctor? I told you it wasn't your fault. What on Earth are you changing into?" Clara mumbled.
He looked on with widening eyes as he lowered the gun before looking at her, tears starting to come into his eyes.
"I couldn't…I wasn't…" He breathed, seeing Clara smile gently at him. "I'm sorry, Clara. I thought you died down there. I don't want you to…" He trailed off, making Clara nod at him slightly.
"It's alright, Doctor. It wasn't your fault." She mumbled.
"Why…do we…survive?" The Dalek said, its voice now weak yet gaining their attention.
"I don't know." The Doctor mumbled.
"I am the last…of the…Daleks."
"You're not even that anymore. Clara did more than regenerate you. You absorbed her DNA, you're mutating."
"Into…what?"
"Something new. I'm sorry."
"Isn't that better?" Rose asked.
"Not for a Dalek." He mumbled.
"I can…feel…so…many ideas. So much darkness. Clara, give me orders. Order…me…to die."
The Doctor and Rose looked at her with wide eyes. "I can't do that." She mumbled, tears prickling her eyes.
"This is not life. This is…sickness. I…shall not…be like you. Order my destruction!" Clara breathed, clenching her jaw but not in anger. "Obey! Obey! Obey!"
She looked down for a moment before looking back at him. "Do it." She croaked.
"Are you…frightened…Clara…Oswald?"
"Yes." She said, giving a sad smile.
"So…am I. Exterminate."
Clara backed away, standing beside the Doctor as they looked at the Dalek. It floated upwards before it formed a blue, hazy field around itself, which then burst with bright light and disappeared, leaving nothing behind. She and the Doctor looked at each other before embracing in a hug. "I'm sorry." He breathed.
"It wasn't your fault."
"Nor was it yours." He mumbled, making her hug him tighter. They parted slightly to look at Rose, who looked at them with sadness.
"Room for one more?" She quipped lightly, making them smirk as she embraced them both.
Diana stepped in front of Henry, who was flanked by four soldiers before nodding, making two grasp his shoulders and haul him away. "What the hell are you doing?!" He demanded.
"Two hundred personnel are dead and all because of you, sir. Take him away, wipe his memory and leave him by the road someplace." Diana said coldly.
"You can't do this to me! I am Henry Van Statten!"
"And by tonight Henry Van Statten will be a homeless, brainless junkie living on the streets of San Diego, Seattle, Sacramento. Some place beginning with "S"." She said smugly before turning to walk away from them.
"Little piece of home, better than nothing." The Doctor mumbled with a smile as he stroked the side of the TARDIS, Clara hugging his side.
"Is that the end of it, the Time War?" Rose asked.
"I'm the only one left. I win. How about that?"
"The Dalek survived. Maybe some of your people did too."
"I'd know, in here." He said, tapping his head. "It feels like there's no one."
"You really think that?" Clara mumbled sadly.
"Alright then, I've got you." He smiled softly at her, embracing her in a hug.
"Doctor, how much are you going to hug me?" She quipped lightly.
"I like hugging you, Clara." He admitted.
"Shut up." She blushed lightly.
"Also, you're short enough, so it's even better." He said with a sly smile.
"I said shut up!" She blushed harder, Rose sniggering at their exchange. Adam came rushing towards them, making the two loosen the hug.
"We'd better get out. Van Statten's disappeared and they're closing the base. Goddard says they're going to fill it with cement like it never existed."
"About time." Clara nodded.
"I'll have to go back home."
"You'd better hurry up, then. The next flight to Heathrow leaves at 1500 hours." The Doctor said.
"Adam was saying that all his life he wanted to see the stars." Rose said, making Clara roll her eyes.
"Tell him to go and stand outside then." She sassed, making the Doctor snigger.
"He's all on his own and he did help."
"He left Clara down there."
"So, did I, and you did too." Rose pointed out.
"What're you talking about? We've got to leave!" Adam said hurriedly.
"Rose, he's a bit pretty." The Doctor teased.
"I hadn't noticed." She said with a slight blush.
He exchanged a look with Clara who just shrugged, making him groan.
"It's on your own head." He warned as they entered the TARDIS.
"What're you doing? She said 'cement'. She wasn't joking, we're going to get sealed in. Doctor? Clara? What're you doing, standing inside a box?"
Rose popped her head out and grasped his arm. "Hurry up!" She admonished, pulling him in.
"What're you…Oh my god! It's bigger on the inside!" He exclaimed.
"No, it's smaller on the outside." Clara mumbled sarcastically, so only the Doctor could hear, who just sniggered at her as they piloted the TARDIS away and out of the vault.
AN: Thank you so much for reading and please leave a review if you wish. :)