Chapter Twenty-Seven: Doctor Who
"One has fallen."
"That's not all, Adama. I fear that Darakan will become a tomb for the rest. The enemy is closing on them from all sides."
"Zhaan, we must intervene."
"We are forbidden to take such drastic actions."
"I cannot stand by and let them perish!"
"The others will stop you. They entrusted us to set things right without becoming directly involved. Remember the rules and most importantly, how far we can bend them."
"I am with you, Zhaan."
"There's one last capable ally we can turn to. A man who can help them."
"Who is he?"
"He doesn't have a name, he is only known as the Doctor."
It was becoming very crowded as thousands of Allied troops and Cylons continued to fight bitterly over the planet of Darakan. Meanwhile, Sheba desperately pushed her Viper into a wild evasive maneuver as several Cylon Raiders chased her down.
"This is Silver Spars leader, I need assistance! I've lost all turbo thrust and the Cylons are closing in! Anyone, please!"
The Cylons seized the opportunity to cripple the leadership of the Colonial forces. "The Silver Spar Leader is vulnerable. Eliminate that ship."
Six Raiders closed in as Sheba continued to do her best to evade them. As the Cylons approached firing range, three Luxan fighters suddenly decloaked behind them. From her cockpit, Sheba watched her rear scanner and grinned.
"They make this too easy," she whispered before igniting the turbo engines and clearing away as the Luxans fired, destroying the surprised Cylons.
"Sheba, are you alright?" a concerned D'Argo radioed as he dispatched the last Cylon threatening the Silver Spar Leader.
"I'm good, D'Argo," Sheba answered with a chuckle. "I told you playing wounded would work."
"I'm glad you were correct, but I wouldn't try that trick again…" the Luxan began before calling to her urgently. "Sheba, one of their baseships is falling back!"
Looking toward the thick of battle, a single Cylon baseship was indeed leaving, heading back to the planet.
"What is it doing?" D'Argo wondered.
"It's not badly damaged and it doesn't look like a retreat, either," Sheba observed. "The Cylons want its big guns for something."
"For what?"
"Something must have gone wrong on the planet with our team. Either way, it can't be good for us!"
Rose Tyler studied her surroundings, in complete awe at the amazing sights and sounds… And, more or less, the curious odours! They were on another planet in some far corner of the galaxy, walking through what looked like a city market place that one would find on Earth… Except that it was filled with aliens of every possible type.
"What is this place?" She asked the tall male figure walking next to her.
"It's a commerce planet," the Doctor said but stopped, looking around as if he'd forgotten something. "But I'm not sure where. I believe it's somewhere between the Uncharted Territories and Tormented Space."
Rose shot him a tentative look. "Uncharted Territories and Tormented Space? 'A rock and a hard place' were already taken?"
"Don't let the names worry you. This area is perfectly safe," the Doctor promised. "Except, if you see a Scarran, just keep on walking. Avoid talking to the Nebari because they might try to cleanse your mind and don't eat anything until I okay it first…"
The Earth woman suddenly looked a little pale. "I thought we stopped here to relax for a bit."
"You have nothing to fear, we just have to blend in." The Doctor smiled reassuringly.
Pushing through the crowds, a scowling purple-skinned alien walked up to them, silver eyes glowing with hatred.
"Frelling Sebaceans!" It hissed as it spat at their feet before walking quickly away.
"What was that all about!" A surprised Rose demanded.
The Doctor's calm smile didn't change in the slightest. "Ah, he confused us for another species. Hungry?"
Around the corner, the Luxans continued to exchange fire with the Cylons entrenched at the far end of the corridor. They had already attempted one charge and had ended by losing several of their numbers before they could reach a quarter of the way. The Luxans were about to try again when Bra'tac and Colonel Green stopped them. They needed a better solution; a few well-placed LAW rockets might clear the Cylons out but they had none left.
Further back, O'Neill held Carter's motionless body for a moment more before carefully laying her down and closing her eyes.
Always by his friend's side, Teal'c remained silent but supportive, his presence comforting. The Jaffa watched as O'Neill rose to his feet and stared at Carter one last time before turning to Jothee and saying barely above a whisper, "Don't leave her alone."
The young Luxan hybrid didn't have to be told twice. "I will be here when you return."
It was then that O'Neill saw Sparky and several green Cylons standing just behind the young Luxan and his eyes grew hard. O'Neill started to march toward the machines fast. Teal'c hurried after him, afraid that his friend's grief was about to push him to do something foolish.
When O'Neill reached the Cylon leader, his voice was blistering with the need for revenge. "The Cylons are fortified at the end of that corridor behind us. I want you to clear them out! Do you understand me?"
Sparky did not respond for a long moment, studying the burning rage in the Human's eyes. The Cylon was most curious. 'Was this a display of the emotions anger and hatred?' the Cylon thought.
The Cylon filed this away for the time being to study later. Once done, Sparky nodded to Colonel O'Neill. "I understand."
"Did you have to scream at him?" the Doctor asked in disgust.
"Our waiter at the restaurant was a giant spider!" an outraged Rose responded.
"Of course, that's what his species is and you scared him witless."
"Scared him! I'm the one with the enormous fear of spiders."
"Rose, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, contrite.
"Tell you? We've been travelling together for barely two weeks and we still haven't worked our way around to telling each other our favourite music, let alone our greatest phobias."
"Beatles."
"You're scared of beetles?"
"No, the Beatles. You know, the all-guitar British rock band from the sixties, with bowl shaped haircuts that took America by storm?"
This factoid amazed Rose. "You were a Beatles fan!"
"I was. Well, another version of me."
"Other version?"
"Hello, Doctor."
Rose turned to her right and saw a bald, blue-skinned woman. She wore a white robe that seemed to shimmer when she moved.
The Doctor smiled as if he recognized the strange woman. "You are an Ancient!" he declared.
"Your reputation is truly warranted." The woman bowed her head, a smile of her own playing about her lips. "My name is Zhaan and it's an honour to finally meet you, Doctor, and your friend."
The Doctor returned her bow and gestured to his companion. "This is Rose Tyler."
Rose politely bowed, not sure what was going on or what an Ancient was. "Pleasure to meet you…" Rose began, but before she could stay another word, the Doctor spoke again.
"The relationship between the Time Lords and the Ancients may not have been sociable at times, long ago, but we always came together in times of need."
"As it has been for nearly three thousand cycles," Zhaan said. "Let me first say that I am truly sorry what happened to your people, Doctor."
"Do not blame yourself, Zhaan. What happened occurred long after the Ancients ascended to a higher existence. Now, I sense you are here for something urgent?"
"You are correct, Doctor. A war is engulfing this part of the galaxy and I can't interfere, so I seek others who can."
"You can't interfere? Why?" Rose asked.
"Because the Ancients have rules to keep beings of their power from behaving like gods," the Doctor said. He smiled as he continued, "But they are known to bend them from time to time."
Zhaan grinned. "That's correct, but there are some who do not care, like Iblis."
An immediate change came over the Doctor. One moment, he looked detached, without a care in the world, but now he looked angry. "Iblis? Is he somehow involved?"
Both Zhaan and Rose were shocked by the abrupt change in his mood.
"Yes, do you know of him?" Zhaan asked.
The Doctor ignored her question. "I will help you, but first, tell me everything that has happened so far."
The Cylon squad held its ground at the end of the corridor. With their heavy cannon, no one could possibly challenge their position without suffering horrendous losses. All they had to do was keep the invaders from reaching the base command centre until help could arrive.
For several Earth minutes, all was quiet and the Cylon squad leader thought they must have given up. It was then that he saw an incredible sight, rounding the corner, coming straight at them.
Several green Cylons carried the dislodged blast door in front of them like a shield. This tactic was not in the Cylon calculations!
"Open fire!"
The Cylons cut loose against their approaching green brethren with every weapon they had. The muzzle of their huge cannon blazed, projectiles striking the blast door with little effect, and the green Cylons kept coming until they were right on top of the defending squad. Just when they were about to be overrun, the heavy metal door the green Cylons carried was pushed deliberately forward and over, crushing several silver Cylons underneath, including the large tripod-mounted cannon.
With nothing between them now, the surviving defenders and the green attackers opened up at point-beams struck and exploded against hardened armor as the two sides continued to pour fire into each other. Slowly, the green Cylons forced their way forward.
Sparky was on point when his rifle was struck by a plasma bolt, leaving it a smoking ruin. He suddenly found himself confronting a gold Cylon who aimed its own weapon at him. With little choice, Sparky swung his useless rifle like a bat, smashing the opposing Cylon's weapon in a single blow.
Now, the two Cylons stood toe to toe and both machines instantly drew their swords.
Peering around the corner, O'Neill was quite impressed with what looked like two Roman gladiators about to do battle. Old Sparky and his wind-up men had broken through and were fighting it out with the remaining Cylons, but they looked like they could use a hand.
"Alright, we're going to clear out the last of the Cylons ahead of us," he shouted to the Jaffa, Luxans and SG teams behind him. "Everyone forward, and remember, don't shoot the green ones!"
Leading the charge, O'Neill was took the point with Teal'c just behind him. He could tell his Jaffa friend was worried about him, that his thirst for revenge would drive him to do something rash and stupid. Fortunately, O'Neill's years of military training helped him to keep a level head. Just do the job and complete the mission! But he wouldn't mind if the bad guys got in his way, giving him the chance to blow them away…
Two silver Cylons came into view, engaging three green ones. O'Neill raised his P-90 against his shoulder and rested the red laser targeting dot on the centre of a Cylon's metal chest plate. Squeezing the trigger, he fired a burst of heavy slugs that slammed into the Cylon, denting its armor and leaving pock marks behind. Holding the laser dot steady on the damaged spot, O'Neill fired again, and this time the armor-piercing rounds penetrated, instantly causing the Cylon limbs to stiffen and the entire machine to collapse.
The fierce clang of metal quickly brought O'Neill's attention back to Sparky, duelling it out with another Cylon. It was surreal to watch two humanoid-shaped war machines going at one another with mere swords, but he knew how much strength was behind every swing. The twirling and slicing of the blades were impossible to follow and both Cylons appeared to be equal in the struggle, but, as O'Neill observed, Sparky seemed to have an edge. Sparky was outthinking the opposing Cylon, second-guessing his every move.
In a blink, the attacking Cylon swung high, aiming to decapitate Sparky, but he had already ducked beneath the slicing blade. With amazing speed, Sparky drove up his sword blade, catching the Cylon under its chin and driving the point of his sword into the Cylon's electric brain and out the other side in a shower of sparks.
Victorious, Sparky let the dead Cylon fall backward to the floor, his sword still buried in its head. Immediately, the green Cylon salvaged another sword and rifle littering the area about him.
With the path to the base command and control cleared, they all pressed onward.
"I'm sorry, but who is Iblis again?"
Zhaan was about to speak, but the Doctor answered Rose's question first. Anger still firmly underlined his voice. "Think of a cancer that is constantly eating away at our galaxy and that's what we are dealing with. Except he's charismatic, soft spoken, offering people what they need, promising grand miracles and in return, all you have to do is make him your leader."
"You have met him before," Zhaan observed.
"I have travelled across this universe, backward and forward in time, and he's always there. I have seen the aftermath of his handiwork on many worlds. Mental cleansing on Nebari Prime is an example. His influence on their culture turned a simple and loving people into drones. His idea of perfection is complete and utter obedience to him without a single independent thought of your own. Those who he can't sway are eliminated and his favourite method of doing that is to turn their own technology against them."
"Against them?" Rose questioned.
"For instance, what he did to the Cylons." The Doctor explained, "They were a reptilian species when he somehow turned their own war machines against them. He did it on another world and I had a front row seat to the entire massacre. He tricked a sweet and innocent android into making toys for him. Reese didn't know what she was about to unleash."
Rose stared at him. "Who was Reese?"
"The android, that was her name." The Doctor's voice gave way to sadness. "In the end, her toys overran their world and all I could do was get as many people to flee through the stargate or take as many with me in the TARDIS as I could."
Rose wasn't sure if she was hearing this right. "Her toys destroyed a planet?"
"They were self-replicating, spider-like machines, each one an exact duplicate of itself. They consumed every usable resource in their path and killed anything that was a threat to them. And now, in a matter of just a few centuries, they threaten an entire galaxy."
"If this Iblis is planning to take over the galaxy, why is he taking his sweet time?"
"You must understand, Rose, with beings like Iblis, time does not matter."
"Doesn't matter?"
"Like me," Zhaan explained, "Iblis is an Ancient."
The enemy was just outside the sealed door to the command centre and the few remaining Cylons, seven in all, prepared to fight to the end. Locking out the controls to the base and the Mega Pulsar cannon, they armed themselves for the coming fight.
Taking up defensive positions, the Cylons waited for the enemy to storm through the only door leading into the command centre. As they waited, an unexpected sound began to pulsate throughout the room with ever-growing intensity. It sounded like an engine, humming loudly, and it was coming from behind them.
Searching for the source, the Cylons saw something appear along the wall of the command centre as it phased into existence. It was a small structure, about the size of a tall crate, just large enough to hold three or four men inside. The Cylons quickly determined it to be a possible threat and fired.
Seven blaster rifles discharged their lethal energies, but all of the shots simply fizzled out before striking the mysterious object that now stood before them.
Surprised, they scanned the object, which appeared to be a wooden booth, but their sensors indicated that it was much more. They determined that it was cloaked under camouflage fields, which hid its true form, and the power emanating from it was nearly immeasurable. The Cylons tried to scan the interior of the booth, but something inside retaliated by sending electrical feedback that instantly overloaded the Cylons' sensors and fried other critical systems. In seconds, seven Cylons collapsed on the cold, metal deck, their neural processors destroyed.
All was silent in the command centre before the door to it was blown in and Sparky's Cylons rushed through the opening, backed up by Humans, Jaffa and Luxans.
They all expected a fight, but instead found seven deactivated Cylons and one very out of place wooden booth.
Colonel Green and his team swept through the left side of the spacious control room, checking the prone Cylons on the floor before giving the okay. "Clear!"
On the other side, O'Neill did the same as the Jaffa and Luxans secured the area.
"What happened here?" Bra'tac wondered aloud as he stared at the dead Cylons.
O'Neill could only shrug his shoulder as he moved closer to the mysterious booth. It was painted a dark blue, with a sign placed above its double doors, spelling out in clear English, POLICE PUBLIC CALLING BOX.
For a moment, O'Neill wondered if the universe was playing another big joke on them. "So help me, if this comes with a punch line…" he grumbled.
The doors to the booth suddenly clicked and started to open. This caused everyone immediately surrounding it to level their weapons and wait for whoever or whatever to emerge.
A man stepped out and into the sights of O'Neill's P-90. He was perhaps in his mid thirties, sporting a close haircut, garbed in black and a leather coat.
"Not another step!" O'Neill commanded from just four feet away. "Who are you?"
The man looked at him and smiled, as if having a weapon pointed at him was a routine occurrence. "Do you want the long or short version?"
With everything that had just happened, O'Neill's patience was razor thin. "No games. Who are you?"
"Okay, the short one then. I'm the Doctor and I'm here on behalf of a friend of yours," the man said before getting a good look around and noticing the groups of Jaffa and Luxans all watching him with intense suspicion. Then he looked back at the human with the weapon aimed at his chest and became a little concerned. "You are the one called Colonel O'Neill?"
"How did you know that?"
The Doctor was relieved - they were in the right place and time, at least. "Your friend Zhaan asked us to come and help."
"Us?"
From behind the Doctor, Rose slowly stepped from the booth. O'Neill stared at her before turning to glare back at the Doctor. "Who else is in there?"
"Just me," Rose answered truthfully, keeping her hands up. "You have to believe us, we're here to help. Who do you think knocked out those metal men?"
Finally, O'Neill stopped and took notice of their voices, their accents. "You're British?"
"No, I'm not from Britain," The Doctor admitted. "I'm from another planet, but I spend much of my time there. Lovely country."
"Let me guess, you're an alien, too?" O'Neill looked at Rose, who cautiously smiled back.
"No, I'm from England. London, actually, if you want to know."
"Okay, this is what we're going to do." O'Neill gestured with his rifle to a spot away from the booth. "Just stand here for a moment. Colonel Green, check that booth out and make sure it's secured of anymore surprises."
"O'Neill!"
Teal'c's raised voice could only mean more bad news. "Somebody, watch these two!"
Two rather large Luxans volunteered and stood on either side of the intruders, keeping a close eye on the Doctor and Rose.
"Enjoying yourself, so far?" the Doctor whispered, smiling at the frowning Luxans.
"Ask me again when they don't kill us," Rose breathed back, staring at the huge Luxan in front of her. "Or eat us."
Colonel Green, Lt. Hailey and two other Air Force soldiers gathered in front of the booth before opening the door and peering in. For a moment, they all froze, glancing at one another before filing inside.
Across the command centre, O'Neill reached Teal'c's side. "What's the emergency now?"
"There." Teal'c pointed to the huge monitor running the length of the large wall they faced. It showed Darakan and the massive battle between their fighters and the Cylons. It even showed several Cylon warships and a particularly large baseship that was closing in on the planet. "That Cylon vessel is attempting to target this installation."
"Oh, hell," O'Neill cursed. "How much time do we have?"
"Perhaps a few minutes before we're in range of their weapons."
O'Neill raced over to Sparky. "Can you guys operate the base weapons?"
Without a word Sparky and several green Cylons gathered around the circular main control console. Sparky at first tried keying in a command through a touch panel, which resulted in a harshly beeping alarm and flashing red lights across the controls.
"The main computer is locked out," Sparky reported. "I cannot access the main weapon without the proper access encryption."
"Can we signal Cain and the fleet?" O'Neill asked.
"All transmissions are being jammed," Sparky answered, dashing that one last hope.
For a moment, O'Neill thought of getting everyone to retreat from the base, but he knew that the baseship coming at them would hit the area with the power of a nuclear strike. That was something you couldn't get clear of on foot in mere minutes. Then his thoughts were interrupted by Colonel Green's voice coming through his shoulder radio.
"Colonel O'Neill?"
"I read you, Green," O'Neill said, puzzled. "Why are you calling me on the radio? Where are you?"
"Ah… My team and I are still inside the booth. Sir, you have to see it."
O'Neill looked toward the booth. "You're all in there?"
"Colonel, I'm not even going to try and explain this. Just get over here and look inside!"
"Commander," Sheba pleaded to her father, "the Cylons are targeting their own installation. That must mean they've lost control. You can bring in the fleet and attack."
"Sheba, you know we can't risk that without confirmation. This could be a trap to lure us in."
"Father, do you honestly believe that?"
"No," Cain confessed to his daughter. "If it was just me, I would attack, but I can't risk this fleet, not with our alliance so fragile at the moment."
"They're going to die, father!"
"Don't you think I know that?" Cain replied angrily, but immediately calmed himself, saying, "There is nothing I hate more than to sit idly by. Do what you can from your end, but I can't risk this fleet until I know what is happening on the planet."
O'Neill disappeared inside the booth after SG-4 and didn't come back out. When he didn't return, Teal was prepared to go and investigate, but a shocked-looking O'Neill finally stepped outside. He took a few steps away from the wooden booth and walked completely around it once. Then he headed straight to the Doctor and his companion.
"Just who are you again and what is that?" O'Neill demanded while jabbing his thumb toward the booth.
"As I said before, I am the Doctor and that thing is the TARDIS, my ship."
"And you claim that Zhaan sent you?"
"Yes."
"Excuse me." O'Neill looked at Rose, who held up her hand rather politely. "If you haven't noticed, that big ship on that screen over there is getting closer to us."
"She is correct, O'Neill," Teal concurred. "We have less than two minutes. Time is against us."
O'Neill stared at the Doctor and decided to trust a man whom he had only just met. If he betrayed them, they were screwed, but, on the other hand, they are screwed anyway if nothing was done within the next few minutes. All the while, the Doctor just stood at attention, waiting for O'Neill to make up his mind, as if he was confident that he would make the right choice.
A second later, O'Neill made his decision. "Can your ship get us all out of here?"
"Yes," the Doctor said. "But I can do one better. I can get that gun to work right now."
"Do it!"
The Doctor quickly headed over to the main control console, where Sparky and his green Cylons stood over it, still trying to crack the encryption. The Doctor moved next to Sparky and gently urged the machine aside. "Do you mind if I try my luck?"
Sparky regarded him for a moment and quietly took one step back.
"Thank you," the Doctor said, pulling a pen-like flashlight from the inside of his leather coat. One end glowed a brilliant blue light as he waved the device over the console.
"We've got less than two minutes," O'Neill said, trying to hurry him up. "Can you do it befo…"
Suddenly, the console that the Doctor worked on came to life as various systems that had been locked out moments before came back online.
Triumphant, the Doctor stood up and pocketed his small device. "Done!"
It was hopeless, Sheba thought. There was no way that they could stop that baseship from reaching the planet and keep those defending Cylon raiders off their backs at the same time.
"D'Argo, we have to stop that baseship! Do you have any ideas?"
Sheba could hear the frustration in the Luxan's voice when he replied, "I would ram my fighter against it, if I thought it might make a difference."
"You and me both, my friend," Sheba agreed sadly before being forced to turn to meet another charging Cylon Raider.
The baseship drew nearer to the planet, preparing to settle into orbit and begin its bombardment, aiming to destroy their own ground installation to keep it from possibly falling into enemy hands.
From the planet's surface, there was a sudden flare of energy as a solid column rose up to meet the baseship. It struck the Cylon capital ship in its upper saucer section, splitting it open like a hit from a giant axe. Multiple explosions followed, spewing forth from the damaged section, widening the hideous scar even more.
Systems now damaged or disrupted, the once mighty vessel drifted out of control, sucked down into the planets gravity to a slow-burning death in the planet's atmosphere.
"D'Argo, did you seen that?" Sheba shouted into her comm, excited.
"Yes, Sheba. This can mean only one thing. They have control of the weapon!"
In the Cylon command centre, the Doctor watched the destruction of the Cylon baseship on the huge wall monitor. Next to him, Sparky and his troops quickly worked the gun controls to target another Cylon ship.
"Just some friendly advice," the Doctor whispered to Sparky. "You are aiming a little high."
Sparky stopped and fixed his single electronic transversing eye on the Doctor, but the Time Lord looked straight back unflinching, peering into that eye slit, searching for something until he found it.
"I offended you," the Doctor said to Sparky, surprising everyone in earshot. "I apologize. I'll let you get back to work."
When Sparky turned back to target another Cylon warship, O'Neill moved to the Doctor's side. "What was that all about?"
"Haven't you noticed? These Cylons who are travelling with you are developing emotions."
O'Neill had suspected something was weird about Sparky, but he never gave it much thought, just as long as the mean green machine kept backing them up in a fight.
"And you came to that conclusion just by staring at one for three seconds?"
"Of course. I am the Doctor."
"Just what are you a doctor of?"
The human-looking alien from another planet with an English accent just shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arms as he smiled, staring straight ahead to watch Sparky destroy another Cylon warship.
"A little bit of everything."
tbc...