Chapter 17 -- EXTERMINATE!

The Doctor nudged Kyra towards them, pressing the psychic paper into her hands. "Fangirl," he said firmly.

"I can be a fangirl. Squealing?"

"Fairly certain it's required."

"Just checking."

"After all," he added. "They are the Beatles."

He crept around the guards, heard Kyra start talking in a high, excited voice. He moved further backstage, following coils of cable and heavy-duty wire he was fairly certain was not around in 1963. At least not this common. Not this many, just for sound equipment.

There was something else.

He followed the lights, the sounds.

He peered around a corner.

There was a door straight ahead. He walked ahead, forcing casualness, tried the handle, then looked around and pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. A moment later, the door clicked open and he slipped inside.

There was a man strapped into a chair, hooked up to cables, wearing a sort of metal cap. The wall behind him was taken up with computer equipment he knew they didn't have in 1963. Some of the stuff they didn't have in 2063.

The only problem was, he was fairly certain he recognized the technology.

He walked in. "Hello? Are you awake?" He looked up. "Of course, with all this stuff hooked to you, I don't think you would be." He went to look at the computers more closely.

"Now why would anybody want to have you hooked up to this? Why would anybody want this kind of technology? What are all these cables for?"

He poked and prodded, peering into control panels and looking at circuits. "Oh! Oh! I get it! I get it! You, my friend, are a giant human-shaped remote control! Oh, that is brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

He frowned. "But what's your purpose? Certainly in this area, cybernetic studies would be frowned upon, to say the least. What are they using you for?"

He paused. "If I can save you, I'll be back," he said, even though the man couldn't hear him. He slipped back out the door and pulled it closed behind him. He relocked it with the sonic screwdriver, then turned to find Kyra.

He paused. Blink. Pulled on his glasses, as if that would help.

Then he grinned. "Oh, hello!"

"State your purpose, lower life form," the Dalek said in it's mechanical voice.

"I seem to have gotten a bit lost," he said. "Do you happen to know the way to the exit?"

There was a pause. "Identify yourself."

"John Smith," the Doctor replied without hesitation.

"Incorrect information. You are the being known as the Doctor. Correct."

"No, not a doctor," he said. "I'm a professor, actually."

"Incorrect information. You are the being known as the Doctor. Correct."

"All right. You've got me. Clever chap!"

"Exterminate."

"Oh, well, now, let's not be too hasty," he said quickly.

"The Doctor is a threat. Exterminate."

"Right then," he said, and bolted.

"You will halt! Exterminate! Exterminate."

"Kyra! Kyra! Come on," he said, grabbing her arm. "We have to go! We have to go right now!"

"Exterminate!"

"Oh, not again! Doesn't anything stay dead?"

"Apparently not! Run!"

"We really need to work on our communication!"

"Run!"

"I'm running, I'm running!"

"Hey, now, what's all this noise about?"

Kyra and the Doctor ran full-tilt into John Lennon, knocking him flat on his back.

"Shit!" Kyra scrambled back to her feet. "Sorry, Mr. Lennon. Sorry!"

"Exterminate!"

"Bloody buggerin' hell," Kyra hissed. "Now what?"

"Go! That way! Back to the Tardis! I'll meet you there!"

She nodded and ran for it.

"Oh, bloody hell, not those things again," Lennon groaned.

"You've seen one? When? Where?"

"Could you get off me, mate?" he said, and shoved free. "Yeah, back in Liverpool. We all seen it. It was like it was followin' us."

"Right, right," the Doctor said. "Get back in your little room. Don't come out. Don't let any of the others come out! Just stay there."

"And who the hell are you, mate?"

"Long story. Go!"

Lennon gave the Dalek one last look, then bolted.

"Well, all right," he said. "What's your name again? Dalek Caan?"

The Dalek went still. "You know us."

"'Course I do. You're the last of your kind! Or are you?"

"We are the last."

"So there's more than one of you?" he asked. "Interesting." He shoved his hands in his pockets and watched it. "If you're one of the last ones...where are the others?"

"That is no concern of yours. You will be exterminated."

"Oh, I highly doubt that." He took a couple steps back. "What do you want with them, anyway?"

"That is no concern of yours. You will be exterminated."

He reached out and pulled the fire alarms. The sprinklers kicked on. The alarm started blaring.

The Dalek prepared to fire, but there were people suddenly rushing everywhere. The Doctor took the opportunity to run. They weren't ready for such a confrontation -- they wanted to take the world by force, yes, but not until they knew the strengths and greatest weaknesses of the human race.

He had time.

TBC...