Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, any of the characters, places or alien species; those belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC Selene.
Foreword: Sorry this chapter is so late coming, guys! I was having MAJOR writers block with Gridlock, because, honestly, it is not my favorite episode; so, as a solution, I decided to skip writing that episode, but I will include little flashbacks at the beginning of this chapter to the important bits; like the Face of Boe and the Doctor talking about Gallifrey. If you guys REALLY want me to write out Gridlock, I totally will and maybe start a one-shot series connected to this, but I just couldn't bring myself to find good ideas to write into it. Hope that's okay guys! Hope you enjoy the chapter!
17. Daleks In Manhattan
Selene finished wrapping a scarf around her neck clearing her throat, which was thankful for all of the clean air it had been getting since leaving New New New New New York. Her clothes had been so permeated with the noxious fumes of the Motorway that she had decided to just toss them out; there was no use in keeping them if they would just make her sick. The Doctor had allowed Martha and her some time to rest-their most recent adventure had been rather nerve racking and exhausted. Martha had been kidnapped and Selene had nearly choked to death on the fumes of the thousands of cars that had been gridlocked for… years, actually. She and the Doctor had leapt from hovering car to hovering car, dropping lower and lower trying to find Martha, whose kidnappers had wanted an extra person to get into the fast lane… oh, and Selene had nearly been kidnapped as well, which had led to one of the most confusing, shocking moments she'd experienced to date…
Thrashing around in the arms of her would-be kidnapper, Selene began to cough from all of the car fumes, which were effectively strangling her. In a last ditch resort, she sank her teeth into his arm and he yelped and dropped her as they loaded the struggling Martha in the car.
"Leave her!" the woman called, "just this one will do!"
And then she was left alone on the cold grated ground, surrounded by the noxious fumes. Coughing as she sat herself up, Selene questioned why it was she always hit her head-if she were a companion in the show version in her world, that would probably end up being her trademark: banging her head on things. As the coughing persisted, she got onto her knees and looked up, eyes scanning the hazy catwalks. Just around the corner she saw the flash of a tweed coat… and then, she stared at the strangely familiar figure that was obscured by car fumes… the man seemed as though he were almost made of the gas as well, that was how fuzzy he looked. His smile was large and happy, his hazel colored eyes glinting with pure excitement. His rich chestnut brown hair flopped to one side, bouncing as he spun to face Selene; the look he gave her clearly said that he knew her… knew her well, in fact. And she knew who he was. He was excited-she recognized that look. He nodded at her and waved at her in a sort of 'come along' gesture, spinning on the heel of his Oxfords and straightening out his burgundy bowtie… the image of the future Time Lord dissipated as he jogged off…
Do you ever think you've seen someone or something you can't? she'd thought to herself.
That couldn't have been real. The only possible explanation for it was that she'd hit her head… that the fumes were causing hallucinations… or that there was some severe wrinkle in the fabric of space-time…
And looking back on it, a wrinkle or rip in the fabric of space-time wouldn't be the weirdest thing to have happened. She'd brushed it off because of her head, but the encounter still confused her… reminded her that each adventure was time that passed towards the Doctor's regeneration. If anything, it made her glad she had time with the Doctor. But that entire adventure had been emotional and exhausting-they'd met the Face of Boe as he was dying, something that had broken her heart and both of the Doctor's as well.
Selene was kneeling beside the gigantic head that was the Face of Boe, where he rested on the ground outside of his tank. He was dying, she knew that, and it made her heart clench.
"You don't have to die…" she murmured as the Doctor and Hame were quietly conversing and ignoring her.
"It is the way it must be…" he told her.
"But that isn't fair." The Face of Boe chuckled, his eyes staring up at Selene.
"Most things in life aren't, Selene," he said as Martha jogged into the room.
"What's that?" she immediately questioned, staring at the Face of Boe.
"It's the Face of Boe. It's alright. Come and say hello," the Doctor said gently, pretending he hadn't heard Selene's quiet words to Boe-she spoke as if she had known him for a while, when he knew, as a fact, that was the first time they'd met. Perhaps it was something to do with remembering the series, as though she had a connection with him that way-yes, that must have been it. "And this is Hame. She's a cat. Don't worry. He's the one that saved you, not me."
"My Lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying," Hame said softly and sadly, staring at Boe, who had saved her life once. The Doctor shook his head.
"No, don't say that. Not old Boe. Plenty of life left," the Time Lord said with hope in his voice. Boe sucked in a breath.
"It's good to breath the air once more…" he murmured.
"Who is he?" Martha asked curiously.
"I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years, isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now," the Doctor said sternly yet gently.
"Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most."
"The legend says more," reminded Hame, much to the Doctor's displeasure. His head whipped around, eyes glassy, voice shaky.
"Don't. There's no need for that."
"It says the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler."
"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?"
"I've seen so much… perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor," Boe told him, which made the quickly approaching reality seem all too true.
"That's why we have to survive! Both of us! Don't go."
"I must. But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone."
With a final exhale, the Face of Boe shut his eyes and the Senate room filled with Hame's weeping.
"Selene! Are you about ready?" called the Doctor's voice.
"Yeah, give me a moment more! Just need to tie my shoes!" she called back, crouching down to tie the laces of her tan suede boots. The last time she'd seen the Doctor-which was before her and Martha's nap-he'd been lost in his memories, thinking back on Gallifrey, his home, where he could never return...
"I lied to you, because I liked it," the Doctor had told Martha as he sat on a chair in the alley way, just to the side of the TARDIS, "I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky. I couldn't lie with Selene, she already knows the truth… I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else." His voice was saddened, distant. Martha looked to Selene, who nodded slowly, her eyes cast to the ground.
"What happened?" Martha asked curiously, leaning her forearms on her knees. The Doctor seemed initially hesitant to answer, but Selene reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing it comfortingly.
"There was a war. A Time War. The last Great Time War…" he began, recounting the tale, "My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky. Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet…" A wistful tone came into his voice. He could see every feature of his home in his head vividly, as though it were a painting in his mind. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song…"
The way he'd described Gallifrey, with so much love and with gorgeous words, she could tell how much he missed it, how much he wished he could still return home and see his family, his friends… how much of a burden being the last Time Lord truly was, and how much it had affected him. But, judging by the fact that moments ago he'd called out to her enthusiastically, he'd taken time to rest as well, and that was good-he didn't seem to do that too often.
Jogging back toward the console room, Selene climbed down the ladder that allowed her to descend from the upper walkway to the actual console; she spun around to face Martha and the Doctor, who were waiting for her as the Time Lord flicked about some controls.
"Ready to go?" he asked with a slightly cheeky smile, as though he knew something she didn't-and that was probably true.
"You betcha! What have you got lined up for us today?" she asked, leaning up against the console behind him.
"Oh, you know, a surprise!"
"Ooh, I do love surprises!"
"Then let's get going!" On the last word, he flicked the switch and spun around, laughing with enthusiasm. The TARDIS engines wheezed to life and they were hurtling through time and space again; gripping onto the console, Selene craned her head to look over at Martha.
"You feeling alright?" she called over the sounds of the TARDIS. Martha, who was smiling in excitement nodded enthusiastically.
"Absolutely brilliant, actually! Nothing a good rest couldn't take care of!" she replied.
"Well, that's good! 'Cause we've got a lot of adventuring to do!" the Doctor laughed again, the three stumbling as the TARDIS landed. Selene jogged to the door once she felt stable again and tossed it open, the hinges squeaking. Immediately her nose was graced with the familiar smell of the cool, brisk air the swept in off of the ocean; grinning already, Selene jumped out of the time machine and heard Martha follow.
"Where are we?" Martha questioned as she and Selene looked out to the Sound before them.
"Ah! Smell that Atlantic breeze! Nice and cold, lovely!" the Doctor exclaimed, grinning. Selene's grin widened; she knew she'd recognized that smell! Having lived in the Boston area her entire life, she'd known the smell of the Atlantic Ocean since she was very young.
"Isn't it always nice and cold?" Selene joked, tugging down the sleeves of her sweater so the covered her hands up to her knuckles. The Doctor giggled slightly as he held the tip of his tongue between his teeth.
"Say, Martha, Selene, have you met my friend?" he asked, turning around and gazing up at the sky. Above them towered a statue of a woman that had once glittered bronze, but now was a turquoise-ish green; her arm was held aloft, hand grasping a torch with sparkling golden flames. It was the Statue of Liberty.
"Is that…?" Martha trailed off in awe. Selene, feeling as though she acted like a child, jumped excitedly and clasped her hands tightly in front of her mouth.
"The Statue of Liberty! We're in New York! Actual New York, not New New New New New York!" she exclaimed, throwing herself at the Doctor in a hug. She'd definitely been feeling homesick and the Doctor had noticed that; he spotted the way her eyes became distant when Martha would ask a question about her home or her family, so he thought perhaps a trip to the United States could do her some good-and what better than a fun little adventure? He wound his arms around her waist and laughed at her energy.
"The gateway to the new world! 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.'"
"That's so brilliant!" Martha said as they all continued to stare up at the iconic statue, "I've always wanted to go to New York-I mean, the real New York, like Selene said. Not the New New New New New one."
"Well, there's the genuine article." The Time Lord turned around and faced the city skyline. "So good they named it twice. Mind you it was New Amsterdam, originally. Harder to say twice, no wonder it didn't catch on… New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam…"
"I didn't know that," Selene admitted, loving the biting wind of the Atlantic that swept across her face, "But, this New York is definitely not the one I remember… it's obviously a different time." Selene pointed towards the skyline. "The Empire State Building isn't finished… also, there aren't that many skyscrapers yet."
"They've still got a couple of floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around…"
"November first, nineteen-thirty," Martha said, staring down at a newspaper she'd retrieved from a nearby bench.
"You're getting good at this," the Doctor suddenly said before he saw the newspaper.
"That's nearly eighty years ago…" The Doctor took the newspaper from her hands as she spoke. "It's funny, cause you see those old newsreels, all in black and white likes so far away. But here we are. It's real. It's now! Come on then, you!" Martha laughed, lightly nudging the man's arm. "Where do you want to go first?"
"I think our detour just got longer," he admitted, showing both of the women the headline of the paper.
"'Hooverville Mystery Deepens.' What's Hooverville?" Martha asked curiously. Before the Doctor could eagerly reply, Selene interjected with,
"Hooverville is in Central Park, yeah? Well… how are we gonna get off this island?" she asked, gesturing to the open water around them. The Doctor's mouth, which he'd been holding open, shut suddenly as he thought over her words.
"Ah… right… well. I think we might just hail a ride," he said, removing the Sonic to point at a passing boat.
OOOO
The trio walked through Central Park after catching a ride with a jaunty fisherman and a trip in a taxi; they walked the curving paths through the large expanse of trees and fields in the middle of the city.
"Herbert Hoover, thirty-first president of the U.S.A. came to power a year ago. Up till then, New York was a boomtown! The roaring twenties. And then…" the Doctor said, beginning to explain, answering Martha's earlier question.
"The Wall Street Crash, yeah, when was that, nineteen-twenty-nine?" Martha asked, making Selene nod.
"Exactly. Economy dropped in a single night and left thousands of citizens unemployed. So, they formed Hooverville right here in Central Park-it's where they live seeing as they had absolutely no where to go," Selene finished, gesturing to the trees around them. Martha arched an eyebrow.
"What, they actually live in the park… in the middle of the city?" she asked. Selene shoved her hands in her pockets and let out a long breath.
"Hard to believe… but true."
Hooverville was a clumped mass of tents and ramshackle shacks with plumes of hazy smoke rising from rickety makeshift chimneys and firepits. Dozens of people milled about, ducking under laundry lines, walking their bicycles down worn out dirt paths and desperately trying to keep warm in their tattered clothing; the sick sat coughing and miserable, huddling in on themselves as others scanned newspapers for work opportunities, doing their best to search for a way out of the Hell they were forced to live in-Hoover said he'd give them a future to look forward to… where was that future now?
The Doctor, Selene and Martha would have expected to seem or feel out of place-they usually were, such as Shakespearean times when their choice of dress was debated, but everyone in Hooverville was used to seeing different sorts of people as their new neighbors-lawyers, bankers, waiters, actors, cabbies… the trio was just another addition to the pot that was their little community, and no one was there to question it… but it didn't stop the occasional odd glance. One man who was receiving a haircut from a former barber gave them a curious glance and two men warming themselves by a fire eyed them as they passed, noticing how clean and unscathed they looked.
"Ordinary people-lost their jobs, couldn't pay the rent, and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go," the Doctor said as they passed a makeshift road sign that read 'Broadway' and 'Brooklyn.' Selene looked around with a creased forehead, her arms crossed tightly under her chest, wishing she'd worn something more than a tank top and sweater; then, she thought about everyone around her, many of whom had less clothing than she did and she worried her bottom lip with her teeth. She'd read about Hooverville and learned about it in history classes, but experiencing it was completely different.
"Not one of the country's most glamorous times…" Selene murmured, stepping over a puddle.
Nearby, a fight broke out between two men-apparently one of them had stolen a loaf of bread from the other, and that had been the initiative for the scuffle. It carried on for a few brief moments before an African American man stepped out of a tent, sliding a hat atop his head. Spotting the fight, he called out,
"Cut that out! Cut it out right now!" A few bystanders pulled the two men apart, both of whom were still rearing and roaring to let their fists fly.
"He stole my bread!" calle doubt one of the men accusingly, pointing a finger at the other man.
"That's enough! Did you take it?"
"I don't know what happened. He just went crazy!" said the second man. The first man lunged forward, but was restrained by a few other men.
"That's enough!" the African American man, "Now, think real careful before you lie to me."
"I'm starvin', Solomon," the second man finally admitted. Solomon held out a hand, which the man slowly placed the loaf of bread into.
"We all starving. We all got family somewhere." He broke the loaf in half and gave it to either fighter. "No stealing and no fighting. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago, I fought in the Great War-a lot of us did! And the only reason we got through-because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."
Both fighters parted without anymore words and most of the crowd began to disperse. The Doctor nudged Selene and Martha saying,
"Come on." They began to step forward to walk beside Solomon. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here." Solomon stared up at the tall man.
"And, uh, who might you be?" he asked.
"He's the Doctor, she's Selene and I'm Martha," Martha said, gesturing to the person who belonged to the respected name. Solomon's eyebrows jumped up suddenly at the sound of the Time Lord's name. Selena smiled and waved, offering a soft 'hello' as the Doctor gave a small smile at the surprised look on the man's face.
"A Doctor? Ha! Well… We got, uh, stockbrokers, we've got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. The neighborhood gets classier by the day," Solomon said as he held out his hands to warm them over a fire that was boiling some stew.
"How many people live here?" queried Martha curiously. Solomon seemed to think about it, making estimates and guesses in his head.
"Any one time… hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville-we're a truly equal society. Black, white-all the same, all starving." He shuckled a bit. "So you're welcome. The three of you. But tell me, Doctor. You're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me." Solomon walked a couple of feet away so they could gaze up through a break in the trees nearby. He pointed up at the almost finished Empire State Building, which shone and towered in the sun. "That there is going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?" The Doctor began to quietly ponder the question as they followed the strongly-spoken leader of Hooverville. Selene drew her eyes away from the Empire State Building and offered an answer.
"Because the Fat Cats like being fat and pay no attention to the Alley Cats, even when they need the most help," she said with a bit of sass, earning a smirk from the Doctor and a laugh from Solomon.
"You've got moxie, I can respect that," he said as they neared his tent.
"So, men are going missing, is that true?" the Doctor asked, pulling out the newspaper from his coat-ah, the beauty of pockets that were bigger on the inside: they held anything. Solomon took the paper and let out a regretful sigh.
"It's true, alright," he agreed, stepping into his tent after dumping stale coffee into the burning embers of a dying fire.
"But what does 'missing' mean?" the Time Lord asked from the opening of the tent, holding the flap open. "I mean, people must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."
"Come on in." The three stepped inside, taking a seat where they could find it. The Doctor sat beside Solomon, who was staring at the paper intently as both women seated themselves across from them. "This is different."
"In what way?" Martha asked. There was silence as they waited for an answer inside the warm glow of the tent.
"Someone takes them… at night. We hear something, someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they've vanished into thin air…"
"And you're sure someone's taking them?" the Doctor asked, clearly listening intently.
"Doctor, when you've got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got-knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, a fire still burning," he said, hitting home with his visitors just how harsh it truly was.
"Have you been to the police?" asked the Englishwoman. Solomon gave a wry smile.
"Yeah, we tried that."
"Let me guess, they won't look into it because they think you're just homeless bums," Selene said flatly, tying her hair up to keep it off her neck. Solomon snorted in agreement and held out his hand towards her, stating she her assumption had hit the truth of the situation right on the head.
"So, the question is who's taking them and what for?" the Doctor speculated, tugging at his earlobe.
"Solomon!" came the cry of a younger voice. A boy, who looked about nineteen at the youngest, pushed the flaps open and peered inside, clearly having run a sizable distance. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here." Solomon was almost immediately on his feet, preparing to follow the young man, his visitors quick to follow. Back in the foggy light of the oncoming evening, the young man curiously stared at the three new faces. Solomon, seeing his confusion, gestured to the trio.
"Frank, this is the Doctor and his friends Martha and Selene. Doctor, Martha, Selene, this is Frank, he's a good man, very reliable and respectable," he introduced as they walked. Frank tipped his paper-boy hat in the direction of his new acquaintances.
"Pleasure to meet you," he told them, his voice holding a mid-western accent.
"Same to you!" the Doctor said with a cherry smile. "Now… let's see who this Mr. Diagoras is."
Mr. Diagoras just so happened to be a local business man flanked by two men in pinstriped suits; he stood atop a box as though he were preaching to the group of people before him.
"I need men, volunteers!" he said in a thick Brooklyn accent, gesturing to the clump of gathered people with his gloved hand, "I've got a little work for you and you sure look like you could use the money!"
"Yeah, what is the money?" Frank asked as he stepped up to the back of the group.
"A dollar a day!" The sound of scoffs resounded through the men.
"What's the work?" Solomon asked with a testy tone.
"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapse needs clearing and fixing."
"Geez, if this guy was trying to sell the work, he's not doing a very good job of it," Selene commented to the Doctor and Martha, both scoffing in agreement.
"Any takers?"
"A dollar a day is a slave wage," Solomon called out, much to the dissatisfaction of Diagoras, "And men don't always come back up, do they?"
"Accidents happen!" Diagoras said, using the typical default response. The Doctor tilted his head as he listened; the man sure seemed hell bent on grabbing some workers… Selene noticed the look on his face and she felt her spine stiffen-she knew that look. He was about to do something possibly dangerous but also completely necessary.
"What do you mean? What sort of 'accidents'?" asked the Doctor. Diagoras snorted.
"You don't need the work, that's fine! Anybody else?" The Doctor raised a hand. "Enough with the questions!"
"Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm volunteering," the Time Lord replied, "I'll go." Selene immediately raised her hand without any conflict, unlike Martha, whose hand slowly inched up into the air as she said,
"I'll kill you for this." The Doctor chuckled and looked down at Selene with a playful wink, causing her to smile and drive her free elbow softly into his side.
"Anybody else?"
Frank's hand shot up and was soon followed by Solomon. It seemed that Diagoras had gotten his work posse.
OOOO
The sewers hadn't exactly been what Martha had in mind when the Doctor said they were taking a detour. It stank something horrible and the walls were damp with God-knew what; all in all, it was dismal and horrible and she wanted to get out as soon as possible. Selene's nose scrunched up as she refrained from holding her sleeve up to her nose to block out the smell, which had caused her to gag a couple of times; instead of focusing on the smell, she tried to focus on flicking the switch of her torch on.
"Turn left. Go about half a mile," Diagoras instructed, directing his torch in the direction they needed to go, "Follow tunnel two-seven-three. Fall's right ahead of you, you can't miss it." Frank, who had some rope over his shoulder looked at the clean-shaken business man.
"And when do we get our dollar?" he asked.
"When you come back up."
"And if we don't come back up?" the Doctor asked, arching his eyebrows. Diagoras coldly met his eyes.
"Then I got no one to pay."
"Don't worry. We'll be back," assured Solomon.
"Let's hope so…" Martha murmured as they began to walk, the Doctor staying behind a moment to hold the icy stare of Diagoras.
"We've just gotta stick together," Frank reasoned, "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. Could hide an army down here!"
"So, what about you, Frank? You're not from around these parts, are you?" Martha asked after a couple quiet moments of weaving through the curving passages of the sewers. Frank laughed.
"Oh, you can talk. No, I'm Tennessee born and bred," he admitted with a sheepish smile.
"So how come you're here?"
"Oh, my daddy died. Mama… couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in camp, younger than me, from all over-Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon-he keeps a lookout for us. So, what about you? You're a long way from home."
"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too."
"And you, Selene? You sound American but I can't place that bit of an accent you've got," Frank inquired, making Selene turn around to walk backwards, since she and the Doctor had pushed towards the front a short while back. She laughed a bit and self-consciously tugged on her scarf.
"Boston-I grew up in the area, so I guess I've grabbed some of the accent, but not much. Hell, I'm surprised you caught ear of it!" she laughed with a smile. Frank chuckled and looked down at his feet for a moment.
"I'm used to accents, that's why I picked up on it-you're right, though, it isn't prominent, it just… clings to your voice when you talk fast." Selene blushed and laughed quietly. "You both stick with me and you'll be alright," he told both of the women with a boyish smile. He wasn't used to talking to women, let alone two women both of whom were quite pretty. Selene and Martha smiled at him, exchanging glances at the possible unconscious bit of flirting he'd just done.
"So, this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" the Doctor asked Solomon.
"Couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now, seems like he's running most of Manhattan," Solomon explained as they shone their torches around, following the directions said man had given them.
"How'd he manage that?"
"These are strange times. A man can go from being the king of the hill to the lowest of the low overnight. Guess for some folks it works the other way around."
"Whoa!" the Doctor exclaimed loudly, stopping as he stared at something on the ground. The object looked like a slimy, gooey, brain that glowed an unearthly green. It looked as though someone had just let it smack onto the floor, where it splattered unpleasantly. Selene's mouth screwed up in disgust and interest as she peered around the Doctor's arm. Martha, equally disgusted and intrigued, bent down and shone the light of her torch on the brain.
"Is it radioactive or something?" she questioned. The trio of time travelers, used to the weird and unexplainable, crouched down as Martha gagged. "It's gone off, whatever it is."
"Is it a brain, or something?" Selene asked as the Doctor slid on his glasses and leaned in closer. He slowly reached down and Selene gave him a look, her mouth dropped open, her eyes wide. "Ew, God, Doctor! Don't pick it up!" The Time Lord, however, did not listen and he picked up the slimy organ off the floor and lifted it up to eye-level, dragging it to a discomforting close distance to his face as he sniffed. "At least you're not going to lick it-Jesus, if you lick it…"
"I'm not going to lick it… but, both of you, shine your torches through it." Both complied and he stared at the gooey green matter in his hands. "Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"
"It's not human, I know that," she said, removing her hand from her mouth long enough to speak.
"No… it's not… And I'll tell you something else…" the Doctor stood and looked at Solomon and Frank, "We must be at least a half mile in. I don't see any signs of a collapse. Do you? So why did Mr. Diagoras send us down here?"
"Well, where are we now? What's up above?"
"Well, we're right underneath Manhattan."
"And that basically means we could be under anything from a five-star restaurant to a cheap bar that sells equally cheap liquor," Selene said, pointing the beam of her torch upwards, "We should keep walking though… you know, make sure we aren't judging the distance wrong." The Doctor smirked and nudged her arm.
"Smart idea; you've always got those, you know that?" he told her with a big smile. She returned it, locking eyes with him.
"I do try," she joked. The Doctor chuckled and then looked down at the blob of matter in his hands. After a moment of contemplation he looked back at Selene a bit sheepishly.
"Could I, uh, steal your scarf? Or a bit of it, maybe?" he asked. Sighing, Selene unwrapped the loop of her scarf so it hung at its normal length around her neck.
"If it means you won't have that disgusting slime all over your fingers, sure thing." She didn't really need the full length of the scarf anyway-it fell to about mid-thigh on her. She made to rip the scarf but Frank helpfully held out a pocket knife, which she accepted with a smile of thanks. Slicing off a good section of the blue and red fabric and handed the cut-off section to the Doctor and the knife back to Frank. She re-looped the scarf around her neck and found it to be a more comfortable fit. The Doctor wrapped the cloth around the blob of matter and wiped his hands on it as well before he stored it in one of his pockets; smiling at Selene, he bumped her shoulder as she rolled her eyes-sometimes he acted like a little kid and she loved that.
"Shall we move on?" Martha asked, gesturing forward, giving the two a slightly jealous look.
They all walked for another good seven or so minutes before they passed under a narrow beam of light that came from the manhole cover overhead. Solomon sighed and shook his head.
"We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothing," he said.
"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha inquired.
"It looks like it," the Doctor replied bleakly.
"So why did he want people to come down here?" asked Frank, sounding rightfully nervous.
"Solomon, I think it's time you took these three back. I'll be much quicker on my own," he said, nodding to Frank, Selene and Martha. Selene looked about ready to protest when a animalistic squealing sound echoed through the passages. Selene's eyes widened as she listened to the echo-she recognized that… that horrible, disgusting sound…
"What the Hell was that?" asked Solomon.
"I know that sound… I-I just can't place it…" she whispered to the Doctor, her hand coming up to grasp his coat sleeve. He nodded slowly as they all looked around.
"Hello?" called out Frank, voice bouncing off the walls.
"Frank"
"Shh!"
"What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" he asked in a whisper, "You'd be scared half mad down here on your own!"
"You think they're still alive?" questioned the Time Lord, eyes wearily sweeping the tunnels.
"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost." The squeal sounded again, and with the way sound bounced around in the tunnels, it was impossible to tell where it was exactly coming from, so it sent everyone's head whipping in every direction, trying to place it.
"I ain't never heard nobody make a sound like that," Solomon said in a hushed voice.
"Where's it coming from?" More squeaking sounded, which sent shivers down Selene's spine as she shone her torch around, an arm wrapping around her stomach nervously. "Sounds like there's more than one of 'em…"
"This way…" the Doctor said, following the louder of the squeals.
"No, that way," Solomon responded, gesturing to what was probably the way they'd just come. But the Doctor didn't listen. Martha began to shake as her beam of light landed on a huddled figure.
"Doctor…" she whispered shakily. They all turned their torches towards the figure, who was curled in on itself against one of the glistening walls.
"Who are you?" Solomon called out. The figure lifted its head, recognizing the sound of a voice.
"Are you lost? Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' about folk lost down here…" Frank said, his voice quavering as he spoke. The Doctor held up his hand a bit, nodding to the young man.
"It's alright, Frank. Just stay back… let me have a look…" The Doctor stepped forward slowly as though he were approaching a jumpy and potentially dangerous animal. "He's got a point though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here all on my own." The figure made a snorting, squealing sound. "But we know the way out. Daylight, if you come with us." The Doctor crouched down in front of the figure and shone the torch on its face, his brows raising, his mouth slightly ajar and his brown eyes wide with curiosity. The figure before him was human in stature… but a pig in features. "Oh, but what are you…"
"Is that, uh…" Solomon asked, struggling for words as Frank stared at the creature in shock, "Some kind of carnival mask?" The Doctor turned his head to stare at the people behind him.
"No, it's real." He looked back to the pigman sympathetically, who made a squeak that almost sounded like a whimper. "I'm sorry. But listen to me… I promise I can help. Who did this to you?"
"Doctor…" Martha murmured as they noticed shadows appearing on the walls. Then more pigmen rounded the corner, walking steadily towards them. "I think you'd better get back here."
"Doctor! Please!" Selene tried as he stood and began backing away.
"Actually, good point…"
"They're following you."
"Yeah, I noticed that. Thanks. Right then. Selene, Martha, Frank, Solomon…"
"What?" Martha asked, her voice squeaking with fear.
"I think, um… basically… run!"
They all took off in a sprint with Martha leading the group and the Doctor tailing it. They splashed through puddles with pounding hearts and nervous heads, trying to ignore the squealing that followed them.
"Where are we going!?" Martha called out, not knowing where to lead them to.
"This way!" The Doctor took the lead, leaving Frank and Selene at the back as he rounded a corner. They ran a couple more feet before passing an archway and doubling back to go through it. "Ah! There's a ladder, come on!" The Time Lord scrambled up first and Sonicked the manhole cover, pushing it out of the way as he clambered out. Martha was next and then Selene climbed up as fast as she could, the Doctor reaching down and grabbing her by the waist to help pull her out; Frank and Solomon to stared in horror at the group of pigmen who appeared, eyes glaring.
Frank grabbed a metal bar to defend himself, ditching the useless rope he'd been carrying over his shoulder.
"Frank, c'mon!" Solomon called as he climbed the ladder. Frank then dropped the bar and attempted to climb up, grabbing for Solomon's and the Doctor's hands as the pigmen grabbed at his legs and torso, dragging him down.
"Come on!"
"Com on!"
"Frank, I gotcha!"
"C'mon!"
"Frank! No!" the Doctor screamed as Frank was dragged away from his grasp, carried away by the pigmen. Solomon snagged the Time Lord by the collar of his jacket and tossed him backwards as he shut the manhole. The Doctor tumbled into Selene, sending them both sprawling to the ground, his back resting against her chest.
"We can't go after him!" Solomon called.
"Are you insane? We have to!" Selene cried as the Doctor shot back towards the manhole.
"I've got to go back down! We can't just leave him!" the Doctor shouted. Solomon dragged him up and grasped the lapels of the man's blue suit.
"No! I'm not losing anybody else!" Solomon pushed him away and pointed at the ground as Martha helped Selene stand. "Those creatures were from Hell, from Hell itself! If we go after him, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do! I'm sorry…"
"Alright, then, put 'em up!" called out a petite blond woman with a thick Brooklyn accent, who was pointing a revolver at the four. She cocked the gun as Martha's hands flew up immediately. "Hands in the air, and no funny business!" Once everyone complied she narrowed her eyes at them. "Now, tell me, you schmucks, what have you done with Laszlo?" Martha, completely confused, stared at the woman and said,
"Who's Laszlo?"
"Come with me. Yeah, that's right, all of ya!" the woman called out, waving the gun in the direction of the door, which was blocked by a few shelves of fairly random items ranging from fake marble busts to giant pots. Slowly, the Doctor took the lead, filing out into the hall with Selene close behind. Once they'd grouped in the narrow hall, the blond took them down the passage where she entered a cramped dressing room, where the gun toting woman sat at a dressing table, staring into the mirror as she still pointed the revolver at the assembled group. "Laszlo's my boyfriend. Was my boyfriend until he disappeared two weeks ago-no letter, no goodbye, no nothing." She pointed the muzzle of the revolver at her head carelessly, a cautious Doctor wincing. "And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Laszlo." She gestured wildly with the gun again. "I mean, what kind of guy asks you to meet his mom before he vamooses?"
"It might-might just help if you put that down," the Doctor said, gesturing to the weapon. She gave a questioning look at the tall man.
"Huh? Oh, sure." With that, she tossed it across the room where it landed on a pile of red silk cloth. Everyone jumped, worried it would go off. "Oh, come on, it's not real! It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."
"Any idea what happened to Laszlo?" Selene asked as the woman looked back into her mirror.
"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip-vanished."
"Listen, um… What was your name?" the Doctor asked, stepping into the room.
"Tallulah."
"Tallulah-"
"Three L's and an 'H.'"
"...Right, um, we can try and find Laszlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night," the Doctor explained, the tension in the area lessening as they learned Tallulah's name and the fact the gun was a prop gun, which made more sense that the room they'd appeared in was a prop room.
"And there are creatures… such creatures…" Solomon said, shaking his head as he thought back to the monstrous faces he'd seen. Tallulah arched an eyebrow and tilted her head to look at Solomon.
"What do you mean creatures?" she asked flatly.
"Look, listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is," the Doctor said, reaching into his pocket and removing the patch of Selene's scarf, unwrapping it to show the actress the disgusting blob of green matter, "Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting." Tallulah regarded the blob with a disgusted look and said,
"Yuck… Well… I'm sure the stage hand won't mind if I had some visitors… especially if you'll help me find Laszlo."
"We'll help you find Laszlo… now… it wouldn't be a problem if I utilized the prop room, would I? I need to make a gizmo-I love gizmos, they do so many interesting things," the Doctor asked, shedding his coat. Tallulah gave a shrug and nodded back down the hall.
"Help yourself. Just… get whatever that is out of my dressing room." The Doctor pocketed the blob again he turned to Selene who was leaning in the doorway with her arms crossed. His brows pulled together when he remembered he'd fallen atop her back in the prop room.
"Are you alright? I didn't… hurt you, did I? When we fell?" he asked, placing hand on her shoulder, genuinely worried. She smiled at him and shook her head.
"I mean, my ass hurts a bit, that floor was concrete, but, other than that and the fact the pigmen scare the crap out of me… completely unscathed," Selene assured him, "Now, go scour the prop room for whatever you need for your gizmo." Smiling he squeezed her shoulder as he and Solomon moved towards the prop room, the two sharing a look as he glanced over his shoulder while he walked away.
Tallulah propped her arm up on the back of her chair and gave a the two women a bright smile, seemingly brighter now that they'd promised to help her find her beloved boyfriend.
"So, you girls like show-biz?"
OOOO
Selene slowly made her way back towards Tallulah's dressing room, moving to the sides of the hallway to allow other showgirls to pass her as they jogged in precarious heels, their glittering red costumes casting crimson light on the tan walls. She'd decided to take a walk to clear her head while Martha stayed with Tallulah as she got ready; she had still been a bit wound up from the chase through the sewers and the loss of Frank-something she felt partially responsible for. The fact that most of her memories about the show were locked shut behind a door in her mind still bothered her-there were times where she wished she could shove it closed or pry it open, and it was one of those 'pry-the-damn-thing-open' moments. But thankfully the walk through the small theatre had done its job of clearing away any unnecessary thoughts that wouldn't help her at the moment.
Knocking on Tallulah's door, Selene stepped in and noticed that the blond showgirl was alone, precisely smearing on some more red lipstick. Selene's eyebrows creased as she noticed Martha wasn't there, concern beginning to wash through her.
"Where's Martha?" she asked, shutting the door behind her. Tallulah turned around and smiled, capping the lipstick.
"She's gone to go find a spot backstage where you two can watch; I thought it might be a decent distraction what with all this odd hullabaloo goin' on," she explained. Selene nodded and rubbed the back of her neck.
"That makes sense-a good show would be nice," Selene agreed. As she turned to open the door again, Tallulah said,
"Ya know, I see the way you look at that fella of yours, the one in the tan coat. It's sorta obvious how much you like him." Frozen in her spot, Selene slowly turned her head to look at Tallulah, swallowing thickly. She raised her eyebrows in slight worry-hopefully if it was obvious, it wasn't too obvious.
"Is it?" she asked slowly. Tallulah nodded and Selene leaned back against the door, running her fingers along the scarf around her neck. "Well, it isn't going to amount to anything." The blond laughed, almost in disbelief it seemed, and arched a delicate eyebrow, thinking Selene was joking. When her face remained unchanged, Tallulah's eyebrows drew together.
"You're serious. Well… I mean, have you noticed the way he looks at you?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"He looks at me like he normally does," Selene said flatly with a shrug of her shoulders. Face relaxing again, a tiny smile pulled up on Tallulah's red lips
"You really don't see it, do you? Oh, this is too cute! Honey, he likes you! The fella kept glancing your way when you were in the same room and that look he gave you as he was walking off-I know that look, darling. He may not realize it yet, but I think he's infatuated with ya!" Tallulah said, sounding excited that she was getting to explain the situation to Selene, who was staring at her with disbelief. That look they'd shared, it hadn't meant anything, right? In her mind, she sure hoped it had, but if she tried to look at it logically… well… logically… and in the tunnel, those smiles he'd tossed her way when she'd agreed to give him a scrap of her scarf… that was just… friendly, right? Nothing but… friendly…
"No, Tallulah, he isn't… infatuated with me. I'm just a friend. He's in love with someone else," Selene murmured, staring across the room distantly, thinking back to the smiling blond who was stuck forever in a different universe. Tallulah hooked an arm through Selene's and brought her over to a small couch, sitting down with her. She watched as Selene toyed with her scarf, pulling at threads that were dangling from one of the ends; Tallulah knew that Martha clearly had eyes for the tall man in the tan coat, but it had also been painfully clear that Selene did as well-and that he appeared to already reciprocate some of the feelings, even if he hadn't exactly noticed it yet. And it was all too obvious Selene wasn't noticing it because she was too focused on the fact that he apparently loved someone else.
"Darling, you're too caught up on thinking he couldn't see you more as a friend; if you can manage to jump off that silly train of thought, maybe you'd see what I'm talkin' about. Think you could try that?" Tallulah questioned with a smile. Selene looked over at her, the smile on the show-girl's face infectious. As her lips quirked upwards, she nodded.
"I can try-but, I'm fairly sure it's just a silly dream of mine, hoping he does…"
"Well, we all need to hold onto our dreams, don't we? Sometimes, if we hold on tight enough, they have enough power and enough truth to come true."
Selene went to stand with Martha once she and Tallulah had finished their little heart to heart-something she was apparently getting into the habit of having with people she barely knew, but people who had the right words to say. And she wholeheartedly decided she would try and take Tallulah's words to heart by keeping an open mind-but she highly doubted it would yield anything out of the norm. Side-by-side with Martha, she watched as Tallulah, in her glittering silver costume, stepped up to the microphone and began to sing.
"You lured me in with your cold grey eyes, your simple smile, your bewitching lies. One and one and one is three. My bad, bad angel, the Devil and me. You put the devil in me. You put the devil in me. You put the devil in me. My bad, bad angel, you put the Devil in me."
She's singing about love, how fitting and ironic, Selene thought to herself with a slight smirk as she watched the dancers before something caught her eye-across the stage, hiding in the dark, was a pigman who was also watching the performance, eyes locked on Tallulah as she danced. Straightening up, Selene saw a flash of memory behind her eyes-chaos on stage, Martha chasing after the pigman, screaming as she was taken underground.
Completely unphased by what chaos she was about to cause, Selene sucked in a breath and prepared to run across stage. Martha, who had followed her line of sight, gasped grabbed Selene's arm.
"C'mon," Martha murmured, pulling Selene onto the stage, where they both tried to hide behind one of the dancers, who muttered,
"What are ya doin'?" It was painfully obvious that they weren't blending in, so Martha grabbed one of the massive, crimson feathered fans that the dancers carried, trying to obscure her and Selene's faces from the audience. As they ended up beside Tallulah, keeping an eye on the pigman, who seemed different than the other's they'd encountered, Martha tripped and fell, taking down one of the dancers with a gasp.
"Hey, what are you two doin'?" Tallulah asked as Martha struggled to her feet, waving at the two women, "Get off the stage, you're spoilin' it!" Martha finally rose, about to point towards the pigman.
"Martha, no-" Selene began to say.
"Look!" Martha exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to the wings. Tallulah screamed in horror as the pigman gaped at getting caught. Suddenly, the stage dissolved into chaos and Martha was on the chase, Selene right on her heels, calling for her to stop. "Wait!" Martha cried as they ended up in the hall, the pigman disappearing into the props room. "You're different than the others! Just wait!"
"Martha, just stop! It's too late!" Selene called out as they barged into the prop room, which was completely empty, "See? He's gone, now shush!" She held a finger up to her lips, trying to see if she heard the presence of anyone else in the room. If what she'd had in her memory slip had been right… then they had to be on their guard.
The Doctor bounded backstage, the newfound information buzzing around in his head-that blob of matter was artificial and it's planet of origin was Skaro. Skaro! Panic had welled up inside of him as he realized that with Selene and Martha being off on their own, they were in a greater danger than he'd originally thought. He came upon a group of startled dancers, which included Tallulah, but not his two companions.
"Where are they? Where are Martha and Selene?" he asked Tallulah in a desperate tone, his glasses still in hand.
"I-I don't know! They ran off the stage!" she replied in a shaky voice.
As Martha panted to catch her breath, Selene heard a growl from her left, turning slowly, she suddenly found herself being grabbed and lifted up; a shocked scream ripping from her throat as she attempted to fight back with no success. Her heart beat rapidly and her mind was reeling. Martha screamed as well as she was shoved to the ground by the pigman, who had hefted Selene over its shoulder, jogging towards the manhole.
"Selene! Martha!" the Doctor cried out as he barged into the room, finding Martha sprawled on the ground in a state of shock. He quickly crouched down to help her stand. "Martha, where's Selene?" The woman merely stared at the manhole cover. "Martha!"
"I-it took her…" she murmured, eyes wide, body shaking. The Doctor followed her gaze and saw the manhole cover hadn't been put back into place properly. No… No, they couldn't have taken her! If those pigmen were truly some sort of creatures that originated from Skaro it could only mean that a bigger threat was lurking… one that would completely destroy Selene if his fears came true. His hearts were racing, his mind was jumbled and the only thing he could think to do was grab his coat and shrug it on, his face stern and his mind finally settled. He wouldn't let them take her-not on his life would they take her away from him.
"Where are ya goin'?" Tallulah asked as the Doctor and Martha approached the manhole cover.
"They've taken her," the Doctor said in a tight voice as he moved the manhole cover aside.
"Who's taken her?" Tallulah questioned again in a desperate voice, not getting an answer as the Doctor and Martha climbed down into the sewers. Sighing, the showgirl saw her only option if she was going to get answers and get Laszlo back. She grabbed a velvet coat and she followed.
OOOO
Selene was marched through the sewers, both arms held tightly by a pigman. She was struggling with valiant effort-and it had been enough to knock her hair loose from its ponytail, the dark curling locks now falling into her face as she cried out and yanked against her captor's grip.
"Let me go! I swear to God I will hurt you!" she shouted just before she was shoved up against a wall. She was surprised when her head didn't make contact with the damp cement, but she did flinch when the rancid breath of the pigman met her nose as it leaned in close. She glared as she caught her breath, her feet hurting from how much she'd stomped and dragged them across the floor.
"Pig," she spat as a line of men were being marched past her. Selene would never be sure if the pigman actually understood what she'd said, but it leered at her, snorting and snuffling with an unfavorable glint in its eye. She was so caught up in cowering away from the beast that looked as though it were about to rip her face off, she didn't notice the familiar young man who was being marched by in the line of captives.
"Selene!" whispered Frank, drawing her attention to him. Staring at him in relief, she said,
"Oh, thank God you're alive!" She was then shoved towards him, where he caught her in his arms, the two sharing an embrace. Selene buried her face in his shoulder for a moment, thankful that she wasn't going to be alone-too bad she hadn't remembered earlier, it would have soothed some of her panicking. "Oh, thank God…" They were pushed forward by the pigmen, who squealed at them loudly. Selene glared at them again as she faced front, still holding onto Frank's hand.
"Where are they taking us?" Frank whispered. Selene sighed and squeezed his hand, feeling comforted as she felt his chest bump up against her back.
"I wish I could tell you… but I think our best bet is to keep walking forward…" Selene told him, stumbling slightly over some uneven ground as together they walked towards the unknown.
OOOO
"Doctor, is she going to be alright?" Martha whispered as they wove their way through the sewers. The Doctor sighed and shone his torch around a corner.
"I won't be satisfied if she isn't alright-we're going to get her back safe and in no less than perfect condition," he said adamantly, keeping a slightly crouched position as they walked.
Martha watched him as he spoke, seeing the utter determination and the fear in his eyes-he truly would go to any length to get her back perfectly unharmed, that was perfectly clear and it always had been when they were around each other. Martha had almost immediately noticed the adoration and close-companionship they held for each other in the way they smiled or talked to each other-that was what initially convinced her in the hospital that they were actually married. The Doctor always had a protective arm around her shoulders or took her hand in his, sometimes slightly oblivious to the action he was carrying out; Selene constantly blushed at the little touches-even the accidental ones-and Martha knew the American woman fancied him. So to say that she was jealous about Selene and the Doctor's relationship was true-but such thoughts shouldn't be thought about in such a dangerous situation.
"When you said 'they've taken her,' who's 'they' exactly?" Tallulah questioned, clutching the velvet coat around her body, "And who are you anyway? I never exactly asked…" The Doctor, who thought he'd heard a noise went,
"Shush!"
"Okay, okay!"
"Shush, shush, shush, shush, shush!" He held out an arm to stop the two women as he straightened up, watching as a peculiar shadow began to appear on a wall just around the corner. He spotted the all-too familiar shape of an eye-stalk… and then around the bend came…
A Dalek.
"I mean, you're handsome and all that-" Tallulah's words were cut off suddenly as the Doctor clasped a hand over her mouth, dragging her back around the corner, with Martha following with confusion apparent on her face as they all squeezed into a tiny alcove. The Dalek slowly rolled down the hall, the eye-stalk slightly swiveling as it roamed forward. Tallulah and Martha stared at it in shock and confusion as the Doctor watched in horror. Tallulah yanked his hand away as the alien rolled down another hallway, leaving them behind.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no…" the Doctor murmured, stepping out from the alcove, watching his worst enemy disappear, "They survived… they always survive, they survive while I lose everything…" His worst fear had been confirmed. And that only made his hearts beat faster as a realization hit him square in the stomach like a sucker-punch. If the Daleks were behind the disappearances, behind the pigmen… then that meant Selene was in more danger than she had probably ever been in. If they recognized her then… if they recognized her… and they would… she'd be done for. But the Daleks wouldn't make it away this time. No. They would most certainly not survive while he lost everything again-he'd save Selene and the Daleks would burn.
"That metal thing?" Tallulah asked, "What was it?"
"Doctor… please tell me what that was," Martha pleaded, slowly stepping out of the alcove, her brows furrowed in worry. She'd heard his muttered words. Whatever that… thing had been could not be good.
"It's called a Dalek. And it's not just metal, it's alive," the Doctor ground out, his jaw tense, his eyes darkening.
"You're kiddin' me!" Tallulah laughed, stepping forward.
"Does it look like I'm kidding?" the Doctor almost growled, his head whipping around to stare at the two women with him. There was a deathly seriousness on his face, a fury creeping into his eyes as he spoke. Never before had Martha seen such rage inside the Doctor-whatever a Dalek was, it was not something to be trifled with, especially if it made the Time Lord that mad. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and anyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop till it's killed every human being alive."
"But… if that's not a human being… that kinda implies… its from outer space," Tallulah said with a hopeful smile, hoping he was only kidding around. The look he gave her, once again, said he wouldn't joke about with this sort of thing. "Yet again, that's a no with the kiddin'. Oi… Well, what's it doin' here? In New York?"
The Doctor merely glared with utter hatred down the sewer passage way, his feet ready to carry him forward.
"Whatever it is, I'm going to stop it and we'll save Selene before they get to her."
OOOO
Selene and Frank stayed huddled close together as the line had been stopped in the middle of a passage, any possible exit blocked by the pigmen. They'd been standing around for a good few minutes, and panic was beginning to rise up in Frank's throat.
"What are they keeping us here for?" he murmured to Selene. She shook her head and looked around, letting out a long-held breath.
"Well, let's just hope they're not about to eat us…" she said with dismal optimism. The pigmen suddenly began to jostle about and squeal excitedly, which worried Frank even more.
"What are they doing? What's wrong? What's wrong?"
"SILENCE. SILENCE!" came the gravely, mechanical voice of a Dalek, which made all breath leave Selene's lungs as she felt her knees go weak-she remembered now… sort of. The Daleks were behind the pigmen and all of the strange things happening in New York. And she suddenly knew that if they saw her face, if they recognized her from Torchwood Tower and the Battle of Canary Wharf, she'd be dead on the ground in mere seconds, her body a sign of their victory. And she was horrified. Absolutely horrified.
"F-Frank, give me your hat," Selene stuttered out, fear evident in her voice. He looked down at her in confusion, watching as she ducked her head and hid her face in his coat.
"What?" he asked, brows creasing. She looked up at him pleadingly.
"Frank, please give me your hat-if you don't, I'll be dead the moment that thing sees me, just trust me on this, I'll explain later," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. Noticing the utter terror in her eyes, Frank nodded and extracted his paper-boy cap from his pocket, handing it to her. Gratefully accepting it, Selene yanked it on and tipped the brim downward so it covered her eyes and the bridge of her nose. Carefully arranging her hair around her face, she tried to calm her breathing, eyes cast to peek from under the hat-brim, watching the Dalek's carefully.
"YOU WILL FORM A LINE!" proclaimed the Dalek as the pigmen shoved everyone into a line against the cold brick wall. "MOVE! MOVE!"
"Do as it says! Do you hear me? Do as it says!" Selene called out over the noise in the tunnel, hoping that, firstly, everyone would listen, and secondly, that she wouldn't be identified by her voice.
"THE FEMALE IS WISE! OBEY!" the Dalek said as it moved down the row, Selene ducking her head again as it passed, her heart racing far too fast.
"REPORT!" gurgled out another Dalek as it arrived, making Selene swear vehemently under her breath, eyes clamping shut. How did she forget this?
"THESE ARE STRONG SPECIMENS. THEY WILL HELP THE DALEK CAUSE," said the first Dalek, wheeling around to face the second, "WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT?"
"THE DALEKANIUM IS IN PLACE. THE ENERGY CONDUCTOR IS NOW COMPLETE."
"THEN I WILL EXTRACT PRISONERS FOR SELECTION!" Selene's breath caught in her throat as a man was held secure by a pigman, the first Dalek turning to him. "INTELLIGENCE SCAN, INITIATE." The plunger attached to the Dalek's body extended forward, coming to a stop mere inches from the man's face. It twisted around as it scanned. "READING BRAIN WAVES. LOW INTELLIGENCE!"
"You calling me stupid?" the man asked indignantly.
"SILENCE! THIS ONE WILL BECOME A PIGSLAVE!"
As the man was dragged off, the Dalek's continued down the line, inching ever closer to Frank and Selene, who were holding onto each other for support and comfort. Frank ran his hand up and down Selene's arm, his breath shaking as they watched the metal aliens creep closer.
"What are those things?" he whispered. Selene, shaking just as much as he was, sucked in a breath.
"Daleks-one of the most dangerous creatures in the universe. I've encountered them before, trust me on the dangerous bit… and… And if they recognize me, I'm dead," she whispered back just as the Dalek stopped in front of Frank. A pigman yanked Selene to the side and out of Frank's comforting arms as they scanned him.
"SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE," the Dalek announced as it slowly turned towards Selene. Her breath shook even more than it had been as the Dalek stopped before her and faced her square on; keeping her head ducked and the brim of the hat down, she watched as the plunger slowly inched up to her face. "INTELLIGENCE SCAN, INITIATE." After a couple of moments that seemed like years, the scan stopped. "SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE. THIS ONE WILL BECOME PART OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT." There was a slight pause after it spoke where it didn't move away, the blue light from the end of the eye-stalk bathing the lower half of Selene's face. Suddenly, terror once again gripped her heart as she thought that perhaps the Dalek had recognized her. Then, slowly, it turned away. "PRISONERS OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE TRANSGENIC LABORATORY."
The Dalek rolled forward and the line was forced to march forward. Selene let out a long-held breath and felt close to the verge of tears. She was sure she'd been found out, sure she would be dead. She and Frank walked stiffly in silence behind the Daleks, the air thick with tension. Then, as they passed a passageway that branched off… Selene felt someone take her hand.
"Keep walking," the Doctor murmured, squeezing her fingers before interlocking his with hers. He felt relief wash through his body as he finally got her back, knowing she'd be at least marginally more safe with him there. He heard a relieved breath whoosh through her lips as she looked over at him, tilting the hat brim up a tad.
"Oh, thank God you're back…" she murmured in reply, stepping closer to him so she could feel his warmth through his coat, "I'm so glad to see you."
"Yeah, well you can kiss me later," he joked in a serious voice, not noticing the blush that flooded over Selene's cheeks-she would if she could, honestly-and he kept his eyes forward, "You too, Frank, Martha, if you'd like."
Martha looked down at Selene and the Doctor's clasped hands and, once again, felt jealous pang through her body. It only worsened as the Doctor lowered his head closer to Selene's as he whispered softly to her,
"Are you alright?" Offering a shaky smile, she nodded.
"Yeah. It's a bit of a shock… thought I was dead for a minute there," Selene told him truthfully. He lips quirked upward, his smile the only bright thing in the darkness of their situation.
"I wasn't about to let that happen," he told her in a caring voice, once again squeezing her hand. Like always, Selene felt safer with him there, especially with the threat of the Daleks looming over them ominously and all-too real. Everything about the metal aliens was far too familiar-their quavering voices and the lights that flashed when they spoke… it brought back memories of pain and horror that Selene had never wanted to relive. But it looked like she was going to have to soldier through it, and maybe come out stronger on the other side… if she didn't die first.
The laboratory was large and crowded, cramped with odd machines and work lamps. At the very end of the lab, a black Dalek shook and smoked under the watch of two bronze colored ones. The line of prisoners was stopped and pushed to the side, where they were to await their fate. The Doctor placed a hand on Selene's waist as the final Dalek rolled forward to its brethren, his eyes glaring at them with a furious fire.
"REPORT!"
"DALEK SEC IS ENTERING THE FINAL STAGE OF EVOLUTION!"
"SCAN HIM! PREPARE FOR BIRTH!"
"Evolution…" the Doctor muttered as they peered at the quaking black Dalek.
"What's wrong with old Charlie Boy over there?" Martha asked, her brows furrowing.
"Ask them!"
"What-me?" Martha looked over her shoulder at the Doctor, who stood behind Selene, "Why don't you get her to do it?" There was a barely noticeable edge in her tone that was still present from the earlier bouts of jealousy she'd felt. Something flashed in the Doctor's eyes as his jaw clenched.
"No. They'll kill her on sight because they'll recognize her; they've never seen you before, so you have to do it!" the Doctor said in a urgent and almost harsh whisper, his hand sliding to the small of Selene's back.
"Don't be daft, I can't do it!"
"We don't exactly want to be noticed!"
"Just ask them what's going on, they won't do anything-not if this 'evolution' is that important," added Selene. Sighing with anxiety, Martha slowly stepped out of line, unable to believe she was about to obey what the Doctor and Selene had asked her to do.
"Daleks! I demand to be told. What is this… final experiment?" The Daleks turned around and rolled up to her. "Report!" she called out strongly, squaring her shoulders as much as she could.
"YOU WILL BEAR WITNESS."
"To what?"
"THIS IS THE DAWN OF A NEW AGE."
"What does that mean?"
"WE ARE THE ONLY FOUR DALEKS IN EXISTENCE, SO THE SPECIES MUST EVOLVE. A LIFE OUTSIDE THE SHELL. THE CHILDREN OF SKARO MUST WALK AGAIN!"
Suddenly, the bronze Daleks backed out of the way and allowed everyone to watch as the light in the eyestalk of Dalek Sec died, the metal shell suddenly sliding open to revealed a huddled figure inside. It shuffled out of the shell as everyone watched in confused horror; Martha's brows drew together and the Doctor's arm wound around Selene's waist protectively as she poked the brim of her hat upwards to a normal height. From the shell of Dalek Sec rose a humanoid figure. It wore Diagoras' pinstriped suit, but the creature inside was not human.
"What is it?" Martha asked in a whisper of horror.
The humanoid's hands were slimy and looked like it barely had fingers-its head was slimy and disgusting with what appeared to be a brain exposed at its top and a single eye occupied the center of what would be its forehead. It stretched and sucked a breath inward before it spoke.
"I… am… a human Dalek," it said, "I… am… your future!"
TO BE CONTINUED…
Afterword: WOW sorry for the late update! BUT HEY. THE CHAPTER IS FINALLY UP! :D So, that was part one of the Daleks in Manhattan episode and I'm kinda shooting for immediately writing up the next one (cross your fingers!) I hope you enjoyed it, I'm not too entirely sure about it's quality :-/ especially towards the end there.
REVIEW REPLIES!
The Yoshinator: I love the flirting in last chapter as well! :D Also, I was aiming towards Beatrice from Much Ado, since I dropped that her middle name was Beatrice :P I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!
grapejuice101: HE INDEED DID COMPARE HER TO JULIET! :D But the character I had initally thought he would model after her was Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing; and thank you so much for your help with this chapter, it really helped! Thanks again!
avalonclarity: I'm sorry I nearly killed you waiting last time! HOPE YOU DIDN'T DIE THIS TIME! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks again!
ShadowTeir: Sorry about the late update! But I hope you enjoyed the chapter despite its tardiness! The little moments between them are my favorite to write :D Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed it!
ash: I wouldn't dream of dropping this fic! It just may take me a bit to update with school craziness and what not; I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm really glad you love the story! Thanks again!
Jesse Wales: I can actually see Ophelia… but I'd thought Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing; my most sincere apologies I must give to you regarding the tardiness of the update-I hope no revolts were started! Thank you again, so much!
TeamTHEFT: I'm really glad you like it so far! I certainly hope you stick around for more! Thanks again!
And thank you to all those who have read/added to favorites/added to alert. It means a lot! :D
Thanks again for taking the time to read, it means a lot to me! Also, just something I feel I should mention…
Should Selene's name get replaced accidentally by one like 'Ana' or 'Juliet' or 'Rae' or anything like that, it's cause it's an OC from another one of my stories, NOT because I've copied someone else's story, as someone asked me if I did.
Anyone, I hope you enjoyed and HOPEFULLY since I'm on break, the next chapter will be up ASAP so I won't leave you all hanging on this cliff hanger! THANKS AGAIN!
~Mary