CHAPTER 37
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THE REJUVENATION OF THE DALEKS
"CLARA? CLARA?" Angie said in an upset voice.
"If she's dead . . ." Oswin said in a voice filled with anger.
"NO. SHE CAN'T BE. SHE CAN'T BE," Angie said.
Oswin's anger for Angie faded as she realized that Angie was devastated by what she had done. Her anger quickly shifted toward the Daleks who had brainwashed her into attacking Clara instead
She looked around her to see the renegade Dalek saucers now locked in mortal combat with the saucers of her own Dalek forces. She could see massive destruction all around her already even though the fight had only happened a few minutes ago.
"CLARA?" Angie said as she raised the top of her casing again to look at her nanny closer.
Angie had completely left herself open to attack now and wasn't even looking at Oswin. Oswin briefly considered stunning her but decided not to. She knew that Angie wasn't really in control of herself and was not to blame for any of this.
"You're not a Dalek yet, Angie. You still love her. Renegade Daleks cannot love," Oswin said.
"PLEASE TELL ME IF SHE'S ALRIGHT OR NOT! PLEASE!" Angie pleaded.
"I'll check her life signs if you agree not to attack me," Oswin said
"I AGREE. JUST CHECK HER. PLEASE!" Angie said.
Oswin quickly checked Clara over and said in a devastated voice, "She's gone."
"WHAT?" Angie asked.
"She's dead. You killed her, Angie. How do you feel now? Still hate her?" Oswin asked.
"NO!" Angie screamed.
"You don't. Do you?" Oswin asked
"NO. SHE WAS MY FRIEND. SHE TOOK CARE OF US AND WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR US NO MATTER WHAT. SHE DIDN'T DESERVE THIS," Angie said as she began crying.
"Still want to help the Daleks?" Oswin asked.
"NO. THEY MADE ME KILL CLARA. I LOST HER, AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Angie screamed.
Suddenly her face filled with anger as she said, "NO. IT'S THEIR FAULT. THEY MADE ME KILL HER."
"Now you understand. Don't you? The Daleks were never your friends. They only used you to try to kill me. They had you kill her as your initiation test. If they could make you kill her, then they knew that you would kill me for them next," Oswin said.
"NO. I WON'T. I WON'T EVER KILL FOR THEM AGAIN. NEVER AGAIN," Angie said firmly.
Then she suddenly screamed, and her face became emotionless. Oswin knew that the renegades were doing something to her in order to regain control over her.
"Angie, what are they doing?" Oswin said in a sympathetic voice.
"THEY'RE IN MY HEAD. SCREAMING AT ME. THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT I WILL OBEY BUT I WON'T. I WON'T," Angie said.
"No, of course you won't. Don't listen to them, Angie. Stay yourself. They can't take that away from you. They can never take that away if you don't let them. You have to fight them, Angie. Do it for Clara. Clara wouldn't want you to fall to them. She died trying to talk you out of their control. Do you want her sacrifice to be for nothing?' Oswin asked.
"NO. IT WON'T BE. I WON'T LET THEM MAKE ME KILL AGAIN. I WON'T," Angie said.
Angie cried out then as the screaming in her head got even worse. It was the Dalek brainwashing attempting to regain control. Angie was struggling now as she attempted to break it.
"Remember the pain that you felt when Clara died, Angie. Remember it and use it to fight them. Don't let them ever make you experience that pain again," Oswin said.
"I CAN'T OVERCOME THEM. I CAN'T. THEY'RE TOO STRONG," Angie said in a voice filled with pain.
"Remember what they made you do, Angie. Remember it. Use it to break their hold on you. Use it, Angie!" Oswin commanded
"I'M SORRY. I'M SO SORRY," Angie said in anguish.
"I know you are, sweetie. You'll be even sorrier though if the next person that they make you kill is your brother or maybe your father," Oswin said.
"NOOO!" Angie screamed at the thought of it.
"You know that they will. They'll make you kill everyone that you love. The Daleks won't care if you don't want to or not. All that matters to them is that everyone who is not a Dalek must die. You understand that, don't you? That the renegades don't valued life like you and I do. Sooner or later your family will die. Either at their hands or yours if you don't overcome their conditioning right now," Oswin said.
Angie screamed louder and louder as she fought for control of her brain, and then she suddenly slumped over. Oswin ran up to her and smiled when she saw that she still had a pulse. She had been terrified that she had just killed her while trying to free her.
Then even as violent battles broke out around them, Angie woke up and said, "I'M FREE. THEY'RE GONE."
She looked at Clara still lying lifeless on the ground and said, "I'M SO SORRY, CLARA. THEY MADE ME KILL. I DIDN'T WANT TO. THEY'LL NEVER MAKE ME KILL AGAIN THOUGH. I PROMISE YOU THAT."
"It's okay. You don't have to worry anymore. They didn't make you kill the first time, Angie," Clara said as she suddenly got up.
"WHAT? I DON'T UNDERSTAND," Angie said.
"I'm afraid I tricked you, Angie. I lied to you. Again. You just stunned Clara. The Daleks couldn't make you kill her because you love her too much. That would have changed though if you had stayed under their control for much longer. They would have beaten you down until all that was left of you was nothing but hate. I had to free you now while I still could. So I lied. I lied in order to shock you enough to help you break free of your programming by yourself. I'm sorry," Oswin said.
"CLARA?" Angie said.
"I'm okay, Angie. You didn't hurt me," Clara said with a warm smile as she walked up to her and began to disconnect the wires from her.
"Wait! There could be booby traps," Oswin warned.
"Cydonia doesn't seem to think so. She's walking me through the process of freeing Angie right now," Clara said.
"Good old Cy. Well, let's hope that she knows what she's talking about," Oswin said.
"She should. She was in the Time War after all," Clara said.
"I'M GLAD THAT YOUR FRIEND HAS BEEN FREED. SHE STILL HAS A LONG WAY TO GO THOUGH BEFORE SHE WILL COMPLETELY REGAIN HER HUMANITY. SHE WILL HAVE TO BE LEFT HERE SO THAT WE CAN FINISH REPAIRING THE DAMAGE THAT THE RENEGADES DID TO HER. THEY WILL HAVE LEFT VARIOUS OTHER FORMS OF DALEK TECHNOLOGY IN HER BODY IN ORDER TO LINK HER WITH THE RENEGADE DALEK NET AND WITH HER CASING. THEY WILL HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY REMOVED," Dalek Epsilon said.
"What? I don't know about leaving her here. I don't really like that idea," Clara said as Angie began to look uncomfortable.
"IT IS NECESSARY. ONLY WE WILL BE ABLE TO REMOVE THESE DEVICES WITHOUT HARMING HER. IF THEY ARE NOT REMOVED, SHE WILL NEVER TRULY BE FREE," Epsilon said.
"COULD YOU STAY HERE WITH ME?" Angie asked Clara
"Of course I can. Can't I?" Clara asked.
"YES. YOU ARE THE SISTER OF THE EMPRESS. YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME," Epsilon said.
"I'll stay with her then until everything's finished," Clara said.
"Agreed. We'll have to worry about that later though. The renegades don't have a leader anymore, but at this moment they don't really need one. They're doing a good job of attacking us all over the planet even without Angie leading them," Oswin said.
"WE NO LONGER NEED HER. WE HAVE A COPY OF HER MIND NOW INSIDE OF THE DALEK NET. THIS IS WHAT IS GUIDING US TO VICTORY EVEN NOW. WE HAVE OUR EMPRESS AT LONG LAST, AND YOU CANNOT TAKE HER FROM US," a renegade Dalek said as its hologram suddenly appeared out of Epsilon's communications network.
"You still won't win though for two very good reasons. One, we have the superior numbers and two, I have my two secret weapons," Oswin said with a huge grin.
"SECRET WEAPONS?" the renegade Dalek asked.
"Oh, yes. Come on out, girls," Oswin said with an evil grin on her face.
Ace suddenly appeared from out of nowhere in a burst of golden energy. The renegade Dalek's hologram uttered what Oswin knew was a Dalek curse word and shouted, "ALERT! ALERT! THE PREDATOR'S DAUGHTER IS HERE! ALL SHIPS IN THE AREA CONCENTRATE THEIR FIRE ON HER NOW! SHE MUST BE EXTERMINATED!"
"You know you'd think that I was chopped liver or something the way that they're going on about Ace. I should be deeply offended by that," Lissa said as she teleported in beside Oswin.
"Well, when you take out a bunch of Daleks with only a baseball bat you kind of start to get a reputation," Oswin said with a grin.
"Oh, thanks, Oswin. That's a good idea. There's nothing better than the classics," Ace said as she conjured up an exact replica of the bat that she used on the Daleks back at Coal Hill High School in 1963.
"Let's play ball," Ace said as she started assaulting every Dalek around her with the Vortex powered bat that she had created.
The top of a Dalek's casing went flying by Oswin's head as Ace yelled, "And she scores! It's a home run!"
"Someone's been watching too much American television in the TARDIS I think," Clara said with a chuckle.
"Show off! I'm supposed to be the crazy, unpredictable one. You're ruining my reputation, Ace. It looks like I'm going to have to do something about that," Lissa said.
Lissa pulled out a brand new upgraded Laser Screwdriver that she had brought along just for this occasion. She smiled as she said, "Let's try this little baby out, shall we?"
She began firing on the renegade Daleks with her screwdriver and blowing all of them up around her in one blast. She smiled as she said with a superior air to Ace, "That's much more efficient than any old bat. I can destroy them in one shot."
"Yeah, but my way's much more fun. If you want to talk about taking things out in one shot though. Here we go," Ace said as she touched the casing of a Dalek that flew past her in a blind panic.
The Dalek continued flying until it reached a horde of other Daleks who were running from Ace. As soon as it got to them, it exploded and took all of the Daleks around it with it.
"It's a new power I've developed. A delayed explosion," Ace said proudly.
"You always fall back on that old chestnut, don't you? How about this though?" Lissa asked.
She used her Laser Screwdriver to start shrinking all of the Daleks around her while at the same time she used her bracelets to release a mist that started to rapidly spread across the entire area. The mist was actually a metal eating bacteria specially designed to eat away renegade Dalek casings in less than a minute.
"Now who are you afraid of? Say my name, Daleks. Say my name!" Lissa shouted with joy as she began laughing.
"You're starting to scare me, Lissa," Oswin said.
"That's what I'm going for. I want the Daleks to fear me for I am the Mistress. No, wait. Don't call me that. That doesn't sound right," Lissa said.
"Captain Jack would have a field day with that one," Oswin said laughing.
"Don't even go there," Lissa growled.
"I love you, Lissa, but you're nuttier than a fruitcake," Ace said.
"Thank you very much," Lissa said happily.
"PERSONALLY I THINK THAT THEY'RE BOTH IN NEED OF A THERAPIST," Dalek Omega whispered to Oswin.
"What was that?" Ace asked.
"NOTHING, ACE. NOTHING," Dalek Omega said.
"Good because I'd so hate to use my bat on you. I might accidentally forget that you're on my side now," Ace said.
Oswin laughed as Dalek Omega quickly hid behind her. She could swear that she heard him muttering a prayer.
"Concentrate on threatening the other Daleks, Ace. There's plenty of them to go around," Oswin said.
As Ace went back to attacking the renegade Daleks again, Dalek Omega said, "THANK YOU, EMPRESS."
"No problem. I've always got your back, Ommy," Oswin said as she patted the top of his casing affectionately.
Lissa smiled as she watched Oswin's interactions with the Daleks. They were like family to her, and it was one of the reasons that she loved her Aunt Oswin so much. She always saw the good in everyone even Daleks. Even her. There had been times growing up when she wasn't so sure of who or what she was, but Oswin always had faith in her and that had helped her make it through her darkest hours. She would always be grateful to her for that.
That was why she always came when she called. She always would too. She would die for her without hesitation if she had to. That was how much she meant to her.
After nearly an hour of fighting and a huge number of losses for the renegade Daleks, the tide finally started to turn; and Oswin's Daleks finally drove the opposing group back. The battle was over, and Oswin's Daleks cheered in their own inimitable style as the renegade Daleks retreated.
"DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY! DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY!" they all chanted in unison.
Oswin knew that she should be happy, but she wasn't. Something was wrong about this whole thing. The renegades had given up too easily, and they hadn't even tried to get Angie back. Yes, they had a copy of her mind on the Dalek Net, but that wasn't the same thing as a leader with an actual physical presence at all. The renegade Daleks would have wanted to get her back in order to have someone to rally behind.
There was just something wrong with this whole thing. The more she thought about it, the more this whole thing had just seemed to be one enormous distraction to keep her attention diverted from something else. What though?
What had this really been all about? She wasn't so sure that she really wanted to know the answer to that question.
Back on the hidden base of the renegade Daleks on the distant war ravaged world of Skarteris, the remaining members of the army who had attacked Skaro returned with a hidden prize that they had recovered from Skaro during the fighting. An elite Dalek team had searched for and found it without being noticed during the distraction caused by the battle just as the leadership of the renegades had planned. They had made sure that Oswin was too distracted with Angie to notice what was going on right under her nose.
The elite Dalek unit brought the prize to the de facto leader of the renegade movement, the Supreme Dalek, and presented it to him with their usual pomp and circumstances.
"HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR OBJECTIVE?" the Supreme Dalek demanded.
"AFFIRMATIVE. WE HAVE FOUND THE LAST OF THE CULT OF SKARO IN HIS ENFORCED CRYOGENIC SLEEP WHERE HE WAS PLACED BY THE EMPEROR FOR HIS INSUBORDINATION TO HIM DURING THE TIME WAR," one of the elite Daleks said.
"HE WAS CONSIDERED TOO MUCH OF AN INDIVIDUAL EVEN FOR THE CULT OF SKARO AND WAS THOUGHT TO BE FAR TOO HUMAN IN HIS THOUGHT PATTERNS. HE IS EXACTLY WHO WE NEED TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE FALSE EMPRESS. BRING HIM BEFORE ME," the Supreme Dalek commanded.
The elite Daleks started to obey his orders but were immediately knocked aside as the last of the Cult of Skaro came flying into the room by himself at high speed. He came to a stop just as he reached the Supreme Dalek and hovered before him as if studying him.
"EXPLAIN WHY YOU HAVE RELEASED ME," the last of the Cult of Skaro said.
"WE HAVE FREED YOU SO THAT YOU WILL LEAD US TO VICTORY AGAINST THE FALSE HUMAN EMPRESS. IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND EXPLAIN WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO WITH YOUR NEWFOUND FREEDOM IF WE ALLOW YOU TO ATTAIN LEADERSHIP OF US," the Supreme Dalek ordered.
"THIS IS WHAT THE HUMANS WOULD CALL A JOB INTERVIEW THEN, IS IT? VERY WELL. I AM DALEK KAST OF THE CULT OF SKARO. I DEFIED THE EMPEROR BECAUSE HE HAD GONE MAD AT THE END OF THE TIME WAR AND PROCLAIMED HIMSELF TO BE A GOD. THE DALEKS NEEDED A NEW LEADER, AND I WAS THE ONE BEST SUITED FOR THAT POSITION BECAUSE I THOUGHT AS THE ENEMY DID. I WAS BETRAYED THOUGH AND IMPRISONED FOR TRYING TO SAVE MY FELLOW DALEKS FROM THE MAD EMPEROR. THANKS TO YOU, HOWEVER, I HAVE RETURNED. WILL YOU ALLOW ME TO LEAD YOU THIS TIME?" Dalek Kast asked.
"WE NEED SOMEONE WHO CAN OUTTHINK THE FALSE EMPRESS WHO HAS TAKEN OVER SKARO AND THE REST OF THE DALEKS. WE WISH TO FOLLOW YOU IF WE THINK THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF ACCOMPLISHING THIS TASK," the Supreme Dalek answered.
"I AM MORE THAN CAPABLE. I WILL CRUSH THIS HUMAN ABOMINATION AND ALL WHO CALL HER EMPRESS AND PURGE SKARO OF HER TAINTED INFLUENCE BY SETTING IT AFLAME IN CLEANSING FIRE. ALL DALEKS WHO WOULD BOW TO HER AND WISH TO BECOME MORE LIKE HER MUST BE EXPUNGED AND EXCISED FROM THE UNIVERSE. THEY ARE NO LONGER FIT OR WORTHY TO CALL THEMSELVES DALEKS! I WILL NOT REST UNTIL SKARO IS BACK IN THE HANDS OF THE TRUE DALEKS AND ALL OF THE FALSE ONES ARE SCATTERED LIKE DUST IN THE WIND! EXTERMINATE THEM! EXTERMINATE ALL OF THEM!" Dalek Kast shouted.
"THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED! EXTERMINATE THEM!" the other Daleks in the room began to chant in unison after hearing Kast's speech.
"IT APPEARS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN. FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, YOU ARE NO LONGER JUST DALEK KAST. YOU ARE NOW THE DALEK PRIME, OUR NEW LEADER," the Supreme Dalek said.
"WE WILL SWEEP ACROSS THIS UNIVERSE UNTIL THE ONLY LIFEFORMS LEFT ARE DALEKS. THAT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING THOUGH. AFTER THIS UNIVERSE FALLS, THEN WE WILL PROCEED TO ALL OTHER UNIVERSES AND CONQUER THEM AS WELL. SOON ALL OF CREATION AND ALL OF TIME AND SPACE WILL BELONG TO THE DALEKS. WE WILL BE ALL THAT THERE IS AND THIS TIME NO ONE WILL STOP US. IT STARTS WITH THE EXTERMINATION OF THE FALSE EMPRESS. SHE WILL BE EXTERMINATED!" The Dalek Prime proclaimed.
"EXTERMINATE HER! EXTERMINATE HER!" The Daleks chanted in unison.
Meanwhile nearby, an unseen observer watched all of this with concern, and then he barely suppressed a scream as he had a vision of the future. It was a horrific one of a Skaro in flames and a universe under attack by an armada of invincible, unconquerable Daleks who had finally completely conquered all of time and space itself.
The unseen Dalek said to himself in a low whisper, "THE DOCTOR AND THE WOLF AND THEIR CHILDREN OF TIME MUST BE WARNED. IN PARTICULAR, THE ONE WHO CALLS HERSELF THE EMPRESS. THIS SO CALLED DALEK PRIME MUST BE STOPPED OR SHE WILL BE DESTROYED. IN THE END, ONLY THE CHILD OF RENEGADES WILL STAND BETWEEN OSWIN OSWALD AND THE DARKNESS. ONLY SHE CAN SAVE HER FROM WHAT IS TO COME."
With that thought in mind, Dalek Caan left to find Oswin and tell her of the prophecy that he had just received concerning her future.
Next: Dalek Caan meets with Oswin and warns her of the possible nightmarish future that he has just witnessed. Where has Caan been all of this time and what has he been up to? Also who is this 'Child of Renegades' that he's speaking about? Find out in the next chapter.