Shareen vs the Universe
Evolution of the Daleks
Thanks to Sage1988, PhoenixReborn424 and Synchronously Anonymous for favouriting and following this story
The Doctor quietly slipped away behind some machinery as Sec recovered his bearings. "These... Humans will become like me." he said. "Prepare them for hybridisation." he ordered the pig men, who began to close in on Martha, Shareen and the other Human prisoners.
"Leave us alone!" Martha protested, "Don't you dare!"
"We are not becomin' like that thing!" Shareen growled, "Get your trotters off us, Porky!"
Sec then noticed Shareen at that moment and recognised her from Canary Wharf. "You!" he glared, "You are an associate of the enemy!"
But before Shareen could answer, Happy Days are Here Again began playing from somewhere nearby and everyone stopped, wandering where the music was coming from.
"What is that sound?" Sec demanded
The Doctor came out of hiding, a wireless radio in his hands. "That would be me." he said, putting the radio down. "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Etc."
"Doctor!" Sec snarled
"The enemy of the Daleks!" Dalek Caan roared
"Exterminate!" Dalek Jast shrieked, aiming it's weapon at the Time Lord.
"Wait!" Sec ordered, and Dalek Jast obeyed
"Well, then. A new form of Dalek." the Doctor remarked, stepping forward and eyeing Sec with disgust. "Fascinating and very clever."
"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter." Sec sneered
"Oi, the only slaughtering at Canary Wharf was by you lot!" Shareen snapped. "You tin cans deserved what you got!"
"How did ya end up in 1930?" the Doctor asked the Daleks
"Emergency temporal shift." Sec answered
"Oh, oh, that must've roasted up ya power cells, yeah?" the Doctor scoffed, striding away and looking about. "Time was, four Daleks could've conquered the universe but instead ya skulkin' away, hiding in the dark, experimenting. All of which results in you."
"I am a Dalek in Human form." Sec snapped
"Huh! Ya look more like a reject from Men in Black." Shareen snarked
"What does it feel like?" the Doctor asked Sec, "You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it?" he prodded. "That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of ya own. Tell me what ya thinking right now."
"I... feel... Humanity." Sec said slowly
"Good. That's good."
"I... feel... everything we wanted from mankind, which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war." Sec continued. "Such a genius for war."
"No, that's not what Humanity means." the Doctor said
"I think it does." Sec retorted. "At heart, this species is so very... Dalek."
"Hey, we are nothing like you evil tin cans!" Shareen snapped
"Shareen, let me handle this." the Doctor told her, and turned back to Sec. "Alright, so what've you achieved then?" he asked rhetorically. "With this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing! Cos' I can show you what ya missin' with this thing." He pointed to the radio. "Simple little radio."
"What is the purpose of that device?" Dalek Thay demanded
"Well, exactly. It plays music." the Doctor answered. "What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love with it. Unless you're a Dalek of course. Then it's just noise." And he aimed his sonic screwdriver at the radio, which emitted a terrible high-pitched wail that had Sec and the pig men covering their ears and the Daleks rolling back and forth in discomfort. The Doctor turned to the Humans. "Run!" he urged
The Humans didn't need telling twice and they all fled from the lab, the Doctor joining them.
"Protect the hybrid!" Dalek Caan demanded to the other Daleks
"Protect! Protect! Protect!" the Daleks all chanted.
~8~
Martha and Shareen led the prisoners through the sewer tunnels until they reached an intersection, unsure of which way to go. The Doctor rushed round to the front of the group. "Come on! Move, move, move, move, move!" he urged, leading the way down another tunnel. They found Tallulah in the other tunnel. "And you, Tallulah, run!" the Doctor hollered as Martha grabbed Tallulah's hand and pulled her along with them.
"What's happened to Laszlo?" Tallulah shrieked as she was pulled along.
The group soon reached the ladder leading up to the theatre. "C'mon! Everyone up!" the Doctor urged, and everyone scrambled up the ladder to the safety of the theatre storeroom. "C'mon, c'mon, just run!" the Doctor told the prisoners, "Just get out of here!"
"Oh, the stink in there!" Tallulah moaned as Martha, Shareen and Frank replaced the manhole cover, "Not to mention the cold!"
"Never mind that, that's the least of our problems!" Martha told her. "Doctor, can those Dalek things follow us up?"
"Yeah, but I don't think they will." the Doctor answered. "They're not strong enough to take on a whole city."
"But hold a minute, they need people. Is that right?" Frank asked. "For this experiment thing? Only we just escaped. So where's the one place they can go for replacements?"
"Hooverville." the Doctor realised
"We've gotta get back there, Doctor. We've gotta warn Solomon!" Frank hollered
"Then what're we waitin' for? C'mon!" Shareen hollered and everyone hurried away.
~8~
The group soon reached Central Park. "I got bracken in my toes." Tallulah moaned as they trudged along the grass towards Hooverville. "And what's with the insects? Don't they sleep? Oh, and there's mud! I got mud all over my feet!"
"You'll get my boot on ya feet if ya don't shut up!" Shareen snapped
"Oh, yeah? When did you get ya boyfriend turning into a pig?" Tallulah shot back then began to sob. "Stupid mud on my stupid feet."
Shareen took a breath. "Alright, I'm sorry." she said. "It's just that last time I saw the Daleks, they killed hundreds of people and took my best friends from me."
"Doctor, is Laszlo stuck like that?" Martha asked
"Oh, Doctor, say ya can help!" Tallulah pleaded. "You're a clever kinda guy. There's gotta be some'ing. Just say ya can!"
"I'm sorry." the Doctor said gravely.
"Ya mean he's gotta stay like a pig his whole life?" Tallulah stared
"There's nothing I can do."
Tallulah sniffled. "Well there ya go. Just my luck. Got any more bad news?"
At that moment, a group of homeless men came out of nowhere and aimed rifles at the group.
"It's me." Tallulah deadpanned, having no energy to deal with this. "I'm a jinx."
"Frank, tell 'em." the Doctor said
"Guys, it's me." Frank told the men. "It's ok."
Just then, Solomon came hurrying up. "Frank?!" he stared, "Frank!" And he hugged the young man in relief. "Is that you?"
"I'm home, boss." Frank laughed
"It's so good to see ya." Solomon said when they broke apart. "I thought you were... lost." He turned to the Doctor. "And you..." He extended a hand and the Doctor shook it. "Thank you, Doctor for... bringing him home.
"I'd save the gratitude, Solomon. It's not all great news." the Doctor said gravely.
~8~
The group were soon gathered round the fire in Hooverville, with Frank and the women sitting on crates while the Doctor explained to Solomon about the Daleks and their plans.
"These Daleks... they sound like the stuff of nightmares." Solomon said. "And they wanna breed?"
"They're splicing themselves onto Human bodies." the Doctor replied. "If I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. We've gotta get everyone out."
"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go." Solomon pointed out
"I'm sorry, Solomon, but you've gotta scatter." the Doctor urged, "Go anywhere. Down the railroads, travel across state, just get outta New York!"
"There's gotta be a way of reasoning with these things." Solomon said, not ready to give up just yet.
"No chance." Shareen said grimly.
"You ain't seen 'em, boss." Frank agreed
"Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they're vulnerable and that makes them more dangerous than ever." the Doctor told Solomon gravely.
Suddenly, a whistle blew and a man's voice yelled, "They're coming'! They're comin'!"
"A sentry, must've seen something'." Solomon realised, readying his rifle.
One of the two men who had been fighting over bread the day before came speeding up to them. "They're here! I've seen them, monsters!" he said, "They're monsters!"
"It's started." the Doctor said grimly
"We're under attack! Everyone to arms!" Solomon ordered, and people began rushing about, grabbing whatever weapons they could lay their hands on.
"I'm ready, boss." Frank said, "But all of you, find a weapon! Use anythin'!"
Some of the residents tried to make a break for it. "Come back!" Solomon hollered, "We gotta stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"
But it was too late. The pig men came out of the darkness and attacked everyone who tried to escape. "We've gotta get out of here!" Shareen urged
"We can't. They're on all sides." the Doctor answered, having used his superior Time Lord vision to check all axis "They're drivin' everyone back towards us."
"We're trapped!" Tallulah realised
"Then we stand together" Solomon decided, his army training kicking in. "Gather round, everyone come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together."
Everyone obeyed and gathered in a circle with those with guns as the outer perimeter as the pig men continued their advance.
"They can't take all of us!" Solomon said determinedly, and they opened fire, managing to take down some of the attacking pig slaves.
"If we can just hold them off till daylight..." Martha said hopefully
The Doctor looked skywards. "Oh, Martha, they're just the foot soldiers." he said grimly
Everyone turned and looked up. "Oh, my God." Martha breathed
"We're dead." Shareen murmured shakily
There was Dalek Caan flying through the sky straight towards them.
"What in this world?!" Solomon stared
"It's the Devil. A devil in the sky." the sentry panicked, "God save us all, it's damnation!"
"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!" Frank said determinedly, and fired at the Dalek. The bullets just harmlessly ricocheted off the Dalek's armour.
"That's not gonna work!" the Doctor scolded, pushing Frank's rifle down.
Then Shareen noticed something else. "Oh, this gets worse and worse." she breathed, for Dalek Jast then came flying into view.
The two Daleks promptly began their attack on the settlement, zooming about firing their weapons indiscriminately at anything and everything, causing explosions and starting fires which sent people fleeing, then the Daleks picked them off one-by-one. The Doctor watched the destruction with heavy hearts. It was the Time War all over again.
"The humans will surrender!" Dalek Caan crowed
"Leave them alone, they've done nothing to you!" the Doctor said angrily, stepping forward.
Solomon stepped forward and grabbed his arm.
"No, Solomon, stay back!" the Doctor warned him, but Solomon ignored him.
"I'm told that I'm addressin' the Daleks, is that right?" he said to Dalek Caan. "From what I hear, you're outcasts too."
"Solomon, don't." the Doctor warned
"Doctor, this is my township. You will respect my authority. Just let me try." Solomon told him, then turned back to the Daleks, walking closer to them. "Daleks... ain't we the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" He put his gun down as a gesture of goodwill. "Cos' ya see, I've just discovered this past day, that God's universe is a thousand times the size I though it was. And that scare me, oh yeah. Terrifies me, right down to the bone. But surely, it's got to give me hope... Hope that, maybe together, we can make a better tomorrow. So I... I beg you now. If you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us, and stop this fight. Well? Whaddaya say?"
"Exterminate!" Dalek Caan bellowed, and fired on Solomon, killing him instantly.
The inhabitants of Hooverville screamed. "No! Solomon!" Frank screamed, rushing over to Solomon's body.
"They killed him!" Martha whimpered in shock, "They just shot him on the spot!"
"You evil bastards!" Shareen yelled at the Daleks, her eyes blazing with fury.
The Doctor looked at Solomon's body, then at the panicked people. His patience finally snapped. "Alright, so it's my turn!" he spat, stepping in front of the Daleks, "Then kill me! KILL ME IF IT'LL STOP YOU ATTACKING THESE PEOPLE!" he bellowed
"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy!" Dalek Caan crowed
"Then do it! DO IT! JUST DO IT!" the Doctor screamed, "DO IT!"
"Extermin..." Dalek Caan began, then suddenly paused. "I do not understand. It is the Doctor." it said, apparently protesting orders from Sec. "The urge to kill is too strong." It then paused again for a moment as it received more orders. "I... obey." it said reluctantly
"What's goin' on?" the Doctor demanded, wandering why he wasn't dead yet.
"You will follow." Dalek Caan ordered him
"Don't even think about it, Peacock." Shareen told the Doctor, "It's gotta be a trap!"
"I've got to go." the Doctor told her. "The Daleks just changed their minds. They never change their minds."
"But what about us?" Martha asked, gesturing to all the terrified people around them.
The Doctor turned back to the Daleks. "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here!" he demanded, "D'ya hear me?!"
The Daleks paused as they waited for Sec's response to this demand. "The Humans will be spared." Dalek Caan said after a moment. "Doctor... follow."
"Then I'm comin' as well." Shareen decided
"Me too." Martha added
"No, you two stay here." the Doctor told them. "Martha, do what ya do best. People are hurt, you can help them. Let me go."
Martha looked at the other Humans and realised that the Doctor had a point, so she went back to help them while Shareen stayed where she was. "And what am I s'psed to do?" she asked the Doctor
"Just... do what ya always do." the Doctor told her, slipping something into the pocket of Shareen's leather jacket, then he turned and strode away with the Daleks. As he left, Shareen checked her pocket and saw that the Doctor had left his psychic paper with her.
~8~
The residents of Hooverville were soon hard at work cleaning up the mess from the Daleks' attack. In one of the tents, Martha was bandaging a man's arm when Tallulah entered with a pot of water. "Here ya go. I got some more on the boil." she told Martha
"Thanks." Martha acknowledged and turned to the man. "You'll be alright. It's just a cut. Try and keep it clean." she told him
"Thanks." the man said and left the tent.
Shareen then entered with a spare pair of boots from one of the women of Hooverville. "Here ya are, Tallulah. These'll stop ya getting mud on ya feet." she said, handing the boots to Tallulah.
Tallulah then sat down and swapped her heels for the boots. "So what about us? What'd we do now?" she asked
"Well, the Doctor gave me this, so he obviously wants us to do something to stop the Daleks." Shareen said, taking the psychic paper out of her pocket.
"What's that?" Martha asked her
"The Doctor calls it psychic paper." Shareen replied, "He uses it to get into places. But where does he want us to go?" she wandered.
~8~
Meanwhile, the Doctor had been escorted to the Daleks' lab. "Those people were defenceless!" he fumed, storming up to Sec, "You only wanted me, but no, that wasn't enough for you! You had to start killing cos' that's the only thing a Dalek's good for!"
"The deaths... were wrong." Sec said regretfully
"I'm sorry?" the Doctor stared
"That man, their leader, Solomon, he showed courage."
"And that's good?" the Doctor frowned
"That's excellent." Sec told him
"Is it me, or are you becomin' just a bit more Human?" the Doctor quizzed
"You are one of the last two of your kind." Sec said, "And now I am the first of mine."
"But what d'ya want me for?" the Doctor asked, confused by Sec's very non-Dalek behaviour.
"We tried everything to survive when we found ourselves stranded in this ignorant age." Sec explained, "First, we tried growing new Dalek embryos, but their flesh was too weak."
"Yeah, I found one of your experiments." the Doctor sneered, "Just left to die, out there in the dark."
"It forced us to conclude... what is the greatest resource of this planet? It's people." Sec continued. He flipped a switch and lights overheard powered up to reveal stretchers suspended from the ceiling. Then Sec flipped another switch and one of the beds lowered. On it was a body covered in a white sheet. "We stole them." Sec said, "We stole Human beings for our purpose. Look inside."
The Doctor pulled the sheet back to see a man lying comatose on the stretcher.
"This... is the true extent of the Final Experiment." Sec said, not noticing the other three Daleks moving their eyestalks to look at each other behind his back.
"Is he dead?" the Doctor asked
"Near death." Sec replied, "With his mind wiped, ready to be filled with new ideas."
"Dalek ideas." the Doctor spat
"The Human Dalek race."
"All of these people..." the Doctor sighed, looking at the stretchers, "How many?"
"We have caverns beyond this, storing more than a thousand." Sec replied
"Is there any way to restore them? Make 'em Human again?"
"Everything that they were has been lost."
"So they're like shells. You've got empty Human beings ready to be converted. That's gonna take a hell of a lot of power." the Doctor pointed out, "This planet hasn't even split the atom yet! How're ya gonna do it?"
"Open the conductor plan." Sec ordered one of his subordinates.
~8~
Inside Solomon's tent, Martha and Tallulah searched through the newspapers for any possible leads while Shareen paced around, tapping the psychic paper in her hand. Martha suddenly remembered something she'd overheard. "Wait a minute. Down in the sewers, the Daleks mentioned this... energy conductor."
"What does that mean?" Tallulah questioned
"I dunno. Maybe a lightning conductor or... Dalekanium!" Marth suddenly remembered, "They said the Dalekanium was in place."
"Hey, one of the Daleks was missing some of the metal on the back." Shareen added, "That must be the Dalekanium."
"But where's this 'Dalekeniun'?" Tallulah questioned
"Frank might know." Martha said, and they rushed out to where Frank was sitting, grieving for the loss of his father figure. "Frank?" Martha called gently to him, "That Mr Diagoras bloke, he was some sort of fixer, yeah? Get ya jobs all over town?"
"Yeah, he could find a profit anywhere." Frank replied
"But where, though? What sort of things?" Martha questioned
"You name it. We were all so desperate for work, you'd just hope Diagoras would pick you for somethin' good. Buildin' work, that pays the best."
"What sort of building work?" Shareen asked
"Mainly building that." Frank said, pointing over his shoulder at the Empire State Building in the distance.
~8~
Meanwhile, Sec was showing the Doctor an animated graphic of their plan. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Empire State Building, we're right underneath it. I worked that out, thanks." the Doctor dismissed. "But what, you've hi-jacked the whole building?
"We needed an energy conductor." Sec replied
"What for?"
"I... am the genetic template. My altered DNA was to be administered to each Human body." Sec pointed to the screen, which now showed strands of DNA. "A strong enough blast of gamma radiation can splice the Dalek and Human genetic codes." The DNA strands on the screen merged together. "And waken each body from it's sleep."
"Gamma radiation?" the Doctor frowned, and the screen changed to show a diagram of the sun. "Oh, the sun. You're usin' the sun."
"Soon... the greatest solar flare for a thousand years will hit the Earth." Sec explained, "Gamma radiation will be drawn to the conductor, and when it strikes..."
"The army wakes." the Doctor cut in. "I still dunno what you need me for."
"Your genius." Sec replied, "Consider, the pure Dalek. Intelligent, but emotionless."
"Removing the emotions makes you stronger. That's what your creator thought, all those years ago."
"He was wrong." Sec said, causing the Doctor to stare again.
"He was what?"
"It makes us lesser than our enemies. We must return to the flesh. And also... the heart."
"You wouldn't be the supreme beings anymore." the Doctor pointed out
"And that is good." Sec replied
"That is incorrect!" Dalek Caan burst out
"Daleks are supreme!" Dalek Thay agreed
"No! Not any more." Sec countered
"But that is our purpose!" Dalek Caan insisted
"Then our purpose is wrong! Where has our quest for supremacy led us? To this... Hiding in the sewers on a primitive world. Just four of us left. If we do not change now, then we deserve extinction."
"So you want to change everything that makes a Dalek a Dalek?" the Doctor frowned, not sure what to make of this.
"If... you can help me." Sec replied
~8~
Martha, Shareen, Tallulah and Frank had arrived at the Empire State Building and were taking a service lift up to the 100th floor. "I always wanted to go to the Empire State." Martha remarked. "Never imagined it quite like this, though."
"Me too." Shareen agreed. "Still, gives me one up on Zara. She never got to see this place being built."
"Where're we headed, anyway?" Frank asked
"To the top where they're still building." Martha answered
"Hey, how come those guys just let us through?" Tallulah questioned, "How's that paper thing work?"
"It's psychic." Shareen replied, "Shows 'em whatever I want 'em to think. According to this, we're building inspectors from City Hall."
Frank took the paper from her and saw that it did indeed state that the quartet were city building inspectors. "Huh, clever." he remarked.
~8~
"Your knowledge of genetic engineering is even greater than ours." Sec said to the Doctor, "The new race must be ready by the time the solar flare erupts."
"But you're the template." the Doctor pointed out, "I thought they were gettin' a dose of you."
"I want to change the gene sequence." Sec replied
"To make 'em even more Human?"
"Humans are the great survivors. We need that ability."
"Hold on a minute, though. There's no way this lot're gonna let do it."
"I am their leader."
The Doctor turned to the other Daleks. "Oh, an' that's enough for you, is it?" he questioned
"Daleks MUST follow orders." Dalek Thay stated
"Dalek Sec commands, we obey." Dalek Caan added
"If you don't help me... nothing will change." Sec told the Doctor
"There's no room on Earth for another race of people." the Doctor said
"You have have your TARDIS." Sec countered. "Take us across the stars, find us a new home. And allow the new Daleks to start again."
"When's that solar flare?" the Doctor asked
"Eleven minutes."
"Right then, better get to work." the Doctor said simply.
~8~
Martha, Shareen, Frank and Tallulah arrived at the 100th floor and entered the room which Mr Diagoras had been using as an office. "Look at this place!" Tallulah exclaimed, "Top of the woyld!"
Martha spotted the architectural plans. "Ok, now this looks good." she said.
"Hey, look at the date." Frank said, noting the date on the bottom of the plans, "These designs were issued today. They must've changed somethin' at the last minute."
"You mean the Daleks changed something?" Martha said
"Yeah, probably." Shareen said, flipping over to a paper underneath. "This one's from before, so whatever they've changed'll be on the top sheet, but not this one."
"Lay them out." Martha advised, "We can check them against each other." She pulled off the top sheet and placed it on the floor while Shareen took the one underneath and placed it alongside.
"The height of this place!" Tallulah spoke up, in awe of the view. "This is amazing!"
"Careful, we're a hundred floors up! Don't go wandering off!" Martha told her
"I just wanna see." Tallulah replied, and turned back to look at the view. "New York City." she sighed. "If aliens had to come to Earth... Oh, no wonder they had to come here." she said proudly.
~8~
In the lab, the Doctor was checking the equipment and readouts. "There's no point in chromosomal grafting." he said, "It's too erratic. Ya need to split the genome and force the new Dalek-Human sequence right into the cortex."
"We need more chromotin solution." Sec ordered his subordinates
"The pig slaves have it." Dalek Caan answered, and some pig slaves came in carrying crates. Laszlo was amongst them.
"These pig slaves, what happens to them in the grand plan?" the Doctor asked
"Nothing." Sec answered, his back to the Doctor. "They're just simple beasts, their life span is limited. None survive beyond a few weeks. Power up the line feeds" he ordered Dalek Thay
The Doctor crossed over to Laszlo, not noticing the three bronze Daleks sharing looks once again. "Laszlo, I can't undo what they've done to you." the Doctor whispered, "But they won't do it to anyone else."
"Do you trust him?" Laszlo asked him, gesturing to Sec.
"I know that one man can change the course of history." the Doctor replied, not noticing one of the Daleks eavesdropping on his conversation. "The right idea at the right place at the right time, that's all it takes. I've gotta believe it's possible."
~8~
Meanwhile, Shareen and Martha were studying the building plans closely. "I'll go and keep an eye out." Frank said, moving to the lift, "Make sure we're safe here. Don't want anyone buttin' in."
"There's a hell of a storm movin' in." Talllah remarked, joining the two time travellers.
"Hey, maybe that's what the Daleks're plannin' on." Shareen said. "I once had a teacher at school who liked to give us random facts and I can remember that he once said that the Empire State Building's always gettin' struck by lightning. I think he said that the spire conducted it. Maybe we should check the plans for that bit."
"Good idea." Martha smiled, "You're good at this, Shareen."
"Try tellin' Peacock and my parents." Shareen shrugged, "They don't think I'm particularly clever."
"Who's Peacock?" Tallulah asked
"The Doctor." Shareen replied, "I just like to call him that cos' he's so vain."
"So tell me, how did you two and and him hook up?" Tallulah asked
"Long story." Shareen waved her off, "And one I ain't got time to tell."
"I met them in a hospital, sort of." Martha told Tallulah
"Course, him being a Doctor." Tallulah nodded
"Actually, I'm the Doctor." Martha smiled. "Well, kind of."
"You're a physician? Really?"
"I was training. Still am, if I ever get home."
"You could be doctors together. What a partnership! Oh, it's such a shame. If only he wasn't so... different. Ya know what I mean?"
"Oh, you have no idea how different he really is." Martha laughed
"Yeah, he's a man, sweetheart. That's different enough." Tallulah said
"Tell me about it." Shareen snorted
"He had this... companion a while back." Martha said, going glum. "This friend."
"Rose." Shareen chimed in, "She was my friend too."
"And ever since then, it's just been him and Shareen." Martha continued, "But you know, sometimes one of us says something or does something and he looks at us, and I just sorta think... that he's not seeing me or Shareen. He's just remembering."
"Huh, you ain't got the worst of it, Martha." Shareen remarked, "I've had to put up with months of him telling me I wasn't as good as Rose. I ended up punching him the other day."
"Aw, listen, sweethearts, ya wanna get all sad, you wanna have a contest with me and Laszlo?" Tallulah asked
"No." Martha laughed softly. "But listen, if the Doctor's in with Laszlo now, there's every chance he could get him out."
"And then what? Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life, and they destroyed it." Tallulah sighed sadly.
~8~
"The line feeds are ready." Dalek Caan reported
"Then it's all systems go." the Doctor said, fiddling about with a last few things.
"The solar flare is imminent." Sec said, "The radiation will reach Earth in a matter of minutes."
"And we'll be ready for it." the Doctor replied, injecting a syringe into a tube. "That compound will allow the gene bonds to reconfigure in a brand new pattern. Power up!"
Lazlo and one of the pig slaves flipped a couple of switches.
"Start the line feeds." Sec ordered
One of the Daleks pressed it's plunger onto a pad and a blue liquid began to pour down tubes. "There goes the gene solution." the Doctor observed
"The life blood." Sec said poetically.
~8~
Martha and Shareen continued to study the plans when Martha suddenly noticed something. "Gotcha! Look. There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added something, see?"
"Added what?" Tallulah asked
Martha and Shareen looked at each other in realisation. "Dalekanium!" they said together
"Oh, we are good!" Shareen laughed, and she and Martha high-fived. "Ha! Didn't need no clever dick Time Lord to work that out, did we?"
~8~
In the lab, alarms suddenly started blaring. "What's that?" the Doctor frowned
"What's happening? Is there a malfunction?" Sec asked his subordinates, but received no answer. "Answer me!" he demanded
The Doctor checked a readout. "No, no, no, the gene feed! They're overriddin' the gene feed!"
"Impossible." Sec breathed, "They cannot disobey orders!"
The Doctor was trying to undo what the Daleks were doing when Dalek Jast aimed it's gun at him. "The Doctor will step away from the controls." it demanded, forcing the Doctor back.
"Stop! You will not fire!" Sec demanded
"He is an enemy of the Daleks. And so are YOU!" Dalek Caan growled as it and Dalek Thay held Sec and the Doctor at gunpoint.
"I am your commander. I am Dalek Sec!" Sec protested
"You have lost your authority!" Dalek Thay retorted
"You are no longer a Dalek!" Dalek Caan added
"What've ya done? What's goin' into the gene feed?" the Doctor demanded
"The new bodies will be 100% Dalek." Dalek Caan told him
"No! You can't do this!" Sec protested
"Pig slaves, restrain Dalek Sec." Dalek Caan ordered, "And the Doctor!"
Two pig slaves grabbed Sec while Laszlo grabbed the Doctor. "Release me!" Sec demanded, "I created you! I am your master!"
"Solar flare approaching." Dalek Jast announced
"Prepare to intercept." Dalek Caan replied
Laszlo meanwhile noticed the lift pinging. "There's the elevator." he told the Time Lord.
"After you." the Doctor nodded and they both made a break for the lift.
"The Doctor is escaping!" Dalek Jast cried, "Stop him! Stop him!"
The pig slaves rushed to intercept the Doctor and Laszlo, but they were already safely in the lift. The Doctor soniced the controls and the doors closed, protecting him and Laszlo from the slaves. "We've only got minutes before the gamma radiation reaches the Earth." the Doctor said, "We need to get to the top of the building." Then he noticed Laszlo panting. "Laszlo, what's wrong?" he asked
"Nothing. Out of breath." Laszlo waved him off, "It's nothing."
The Doctor frowned at this, knowing that it wasn't nothing at all.
"We escaped them, Doctor, that's all that matters." Laszlo tried to reassure him.
~8~
In the lab, the pig slaves forced Sec to his knees. "You have betrayed me!" he snarled at the Daleks.
"You told us to imagine." Dalek Caan retorted, "And we imagined your irrelevance."
"I was your leader! I am Dalek Sec! Obey me!" Sec demanded, but was only dragged away by the pig slaves.
~8~
The Doctor and Laszlo stepped out of the lift and into Diagoras' office. "Well, look who's here." Shareen said cockily
"Doctor!" Martha yelled, running up to them.
"First floor perfumery." the Doctor quipped, referencing the Are You Being Served? theme song.
"I never thought I'd see you again!" Tallulah said to Lazlo, running up to him and hugging him.
"No stopping me." he answered
Martha and Shareen led the Doctor over to the plans. "We worked it out. We know what they've done." Martha told him, "There's Dalekanium on the mast and it's good to see you too, by the way."
"Oh, come here!" the Doctor laughed, hugging Martha. They were interrupted by the sound of the lift pinging. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor groaned, rushing up to it and using his sonic screwdriver on the control panel. "It's a deadlock seal. I can't stop it."
"Stop it from going where?" Shareen asked
"Right down to the Daleks." the Doctor replied, "They're not gonna leave us alone up here. Frank, what's the time?"
"Uh, 15." Frank answered, looking at a clock.
"Six minutes to go." the Doctor muttered, "I've gotta get the Dalekanium down before the gamma radiation hits."
"Gammon radiation? What the heck's that?" Tallulah questioned
Martha and Shareen led the Doctor over to the unfinished part of the room and the Doctor looked out at the city outside. "Oh, that's high." he said rather obviously, "That's very... Blimey, that's high."
"And we've gotta go higher, I'm afraid." Shareen told him and pointed up a ladder to the mast high above. "See the mast up there? That's where the Dalekanium is. There's three bits of it at the base an' we've gotta get 'em off."
"That's not 'we'. That's just me." the Doctor told her.
"We're not gonna just stand here and just watch you!" Martha protested
"No, you're gonna have ya hands full anyway. I'm sorry, but you've both got to fight." the Doctor told them.
~8~
In the lab, Sec was chained up in a corner while the other Daleks were preparing for the gamma strike. "Confirm time until solar intercept." Dalek Caan ordered
"Gamma strike four minutes and counting." Dalek Jast reported
~8~
The Doctor climbed high up onto the scaffolding, the wind and rain pelting him. He reached the base of the mast, took out his sonic screwdriver and used it on the bolts securing one of the three pieces of Dalekanium in place.
~8~
In the lab, the lift arrived. "Pig slaves will take the lift." Dalek Thay ordered, "Find the Doctor. Kill him!"
~8~
In the office, Martha, Shareen, Laszlo, Frank and Tallulah had obtained makeshift weapons and were stood facing the lift. "The lift's coming up." Martha realised
"I should'a brought that gun." Frank sighed, regretting leaving it in Hooverville.
"Tallulah, stay back." Laszlo ordered, "You too, Martha, Shareen. If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."
"The Doctor needs me to fight." Martha objected, "I'm not going anywhere."
"They're savages! I should know. They're trained to slit ya throat with their bare teeth." Laszlo told her grimly
"Yeah, well, I've got this." Shareen replied, brandishing a heavy-duty rivet gun. "If Porky's brothers try anything with me, I'll nail 'em to the wall!"
Laszlo suddenly collapsed to the floor. "Laszlo? What is it?" Tallulah cried
"No, it's nothing. I'm fine, just leave me." Laszlo waved her off
"Oh, honey, ya burin' up." Tallulah fussed, "What's wrong with you? tell me."
"One man down, we ain't even started yet." Frank muttered, watching the lift indicator anxiously.
"It's not looking good, Frank." Martha agreed
"No."
"We're gonna get slaughtered." Martha cried, then she looked out at the storm outside and had a flash of inspiration. "Wait a minute, lightning!" And she rushed off towards the unfinished area.
Shareen realised what Martha was doing. "Oh, you're a genius, Martha." she breathed and rushed over to help her.
~8~
The Doctor was still struggling with the Dalekanium. He managed to get one panel off and moved to the second panel, the biting wind continuing to buffet him.
~8~
Martha, Shareen and Frank rushed about the office with scaffolding poles and placing them by the lift.
"Oh, you'll be alright, sweetheart. Don't worry." Tallulah reassured Laszlo, then turned to the others. "What the hell're you clowns doin'?"
"Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still gonna get hit." Martha told her, "A great big bolt of lightning! Electricity all down the building. Connect this to the lift, and they get zapped."
"Oh my God, that could work!" Tallulah realised
"Then give us a hand!" Frank snapped, and Tallulah rushed to do so.
~8~
"Gamma strike imminent." Dalek Jast reported, "In 40 rels. 39. 38. 37."
~8~
The Doctor was still working on the second panel when he lost his grip on his sonic screwdriver and it fell down to the base of the scaffold. The Doctor gave a groan. He knew that there was no time to climb down and retrieve it before the gamma strike arrived and now he had no way of getting the panels off.
~8~
Martha and Shareen had finished their handiwork and they joined Tallulah and Laszlo to take cover. "Is that gonna work?" Tallulah asked
"Guess we'll find out." Shareen replied
"I got it all piped up to the scaffold outside." Frank reported
"Come here, Frank, and sit in the middle and don't touch anything metal." Martha warned, and they all huddled together, bracing themselves.
~8~
The Doctor tugged at the panel with his bare hands, trying in vain to get it off, but it was too securely bolted to the mast and wouldn't budge.
~8~
"12... 11... 10..." Dalek Jast counted
~8~
The Doctor realised that there was only one thing for it, so he climbed onto the mast and wrapped his arms around it, clinging tight.
~8~
The lift arrived at floor 100 and the doors opened to reveal the pig slaves.
~8~
"Zero. Gamma strike." Dalek Jast announced
~8~
A bolt of energy struck the mast and coursed down it, through the Doctor, who screamed in pain. The energy then passed along the pipes to the lift, frying the pig slaves.
~8~
The energy charged down the building and into the Daleks' lab. "The army awakes." Dalek Thay crowed, and the stretchers began to descend from the ceiling. When they reached the floor, the bodies on them began to revive.
~8~
The energy receded and the Doctor fell back onto the scaffold platform unconscious.
~8~
The Humans and Laszlo looked up to see the pig slaves all slumped dead in the lift. "You did it, Martha." Tallulah cheered
"They used to be like Laszlo." Martha said sadly. "They were people and I killed them.
"No, the Daleks killed them. Long ago." Laszlo reassured her
"All the same, I'm not eating bacon again for a while." Shareen said. "Come on, let's see what's happened to Peacock."
~8~
The Dalek-Humans were all lined up in front of the Daleks. Dalek Thay approached the man the Doctor had examined earlier. "You will identify."
"I.. am... a Dalek." the man answered in a monotone voice
"Excellent." Dalek Thay crowed
"Begin the invasion of Manhattan." Dalek Caan ordered, "The population will be converted to Daleks."
"And from this island, we will conquer the world." Dalek Jast added
"Assume battle positions. Take arms." Dalek Caan ordered
The Dalek-Humans all turned left as one and marched over to a weapons rack and collected guns that were a hybrid of a tommy gun and a Dalek's gun.
~8~
Martha and Shareen climbed out onto the platform at the base of the mast where the Doctor was sprawled unconscious. "Doctor! Doctor?" Martha fussed, rushing over to him. "Look what we found halfway down." She held up the sonic screwdriver
"You're gettin' careless, Peacock." Shareen added
The Doctor opened his eyes. "Oh, my head." he groaned
"Hiya." Martha laughed in relief
"Hi." the Doctor answered back, "You two survived, then."
"So did you, just about." Martha laughed
"You look like hell, Peacock." Shareen added
Martha glanced up at the mast. "I can't help noticing there's Dalekanium still attached." she said.
The Doctor promptly lept to his feet, ready for action.
~8~
Dalek Caan trundled up to a bank of computers at the back of the lab. "War demands strategy. I am designated controller." it announced
"That was to be my position!" Sec spat
"You are unfit." Dalak Thay retorted
"Connect me to the military computer." Dalek Caan ordered, "I will coordinate all units."
~8~
The Doctor, Laszlo and the women stood in Diagoras' office looking out at the cityscape outside. "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing." the Doctor said grimly, "They'll be usin' the sewers, spreadin' the soliders out underneath Manhattan."
"How d'we stop 'em?" Laszlo asked
"There's only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first." the Doctor said
"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha asked
"We need to draw their fire." the Doctor thought aloud, "Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Where can I draw them out? Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way." He spun round suddenly. "Tallulah!"
"That's me. Three Ls and am H." Tallulah grinned
"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?" the Doctor asked
"Don't see why not." Tallulah shrugged
The Doctor turned, only to see the dead pig slaves in the lift. "Is there another lift?" he asked
"We took the service lift over there." Shareen told him, pointing to the lift in question.
"That'll do. Allons-y!" the Doctor grinned.
~8~
Dalek Caan was now linked to the computer banks by runs of cables. "Report status." Dalek Thay inquired
"Maximum efficiency." Dalek Caan answered, "I am now ready for full scale war."
"Control over Dalek humans?"
"Connection confirmed. All soldiers will take heed. All weapons will be primed." Dalek Caan ordered the Dalek-Humans.
~8~
Meanwhile, the Doctor, Laszlo and the women had arrived at the theatre. "This should do it. Here we go." the Doctor said and began fiddling with his sonic screwdriver.
"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theatre in the dark." Tallulah remarked. "Listen, Doctor, I know you got a thing for show tunes, but there's a time and place, huh?" Then she saw Laszlo slump down on a chair behind her. "Laszlo, what's wrong?" she asked him
"Nothing." Laszlo panted, "Just so hot."
"But it's freezin' in here." Tallulah said. "Doctor, what's happenin' to him?"
"Not now, Tallulah, sorry." the Doctor waved her off
"Didn't we talk about this, Peacock?" Shareen grunted
"What are you doing?" Martha asked
"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number one enemy." the Doctor replied, "I'm just telling them where I am." He held his sonic screwdriver in the air and switched it on.
~8~
An alarm went off in the Daleks' lab. "Sonic device detected!" Dalek Caan announced
"The Doctor survived?" Dalek Thay snarled
"Find him and exterminate!" Dalek Jast cried
~8~
The Doctor was still signalling with his sonic screwdriver. "I'm tellin' you both to go." he said to Martha and Shareen. "Frank can take you back to Hooverville."
"Well, tough cos' I ain't going." Shareen retorted
"Me neither." Martha agreed
"That's an order." the Doctor insisted
"I don't take orders from you." Shareen snapped. "You might be a Time Lord, but you ain't the boss of me!"
Suddenly, the doors burst open and the army of Dalek-Humans marched in. "Doctor! Oh, my God!" Tallulah gasped. "Well, I guess that's them then, huh?"
"Humans, with Dalek DNA?" Martha asked the Doctor
"It's all right, it's all right. Just stay calm. Don't antagonise them." the Doctor advised
"But what of the Dalek masters? Where are they?" Laszlo
He got his answer a moment later when an explosion went off and Daleks Thay and Jast rolled on stage with Sec chained up between them, crawling on his hands and knees like a dog. "The Doctor will stand before the Daleks." Dalek Thay demanded
The Doctor climbed up on top of the seats and approached the Daleks.
"You will die, Doctor, at the beginning of a new age." Dalek Thay crowed
"Planet Earth will become New Skaro." Dalek Jast gloated
"Oh, and what a world. With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt." the Doctor sneered. "That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new Empire, hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilisation?"
"Listen to him." Sec implored the Daleks.
"Oh, an' I'm sorry, Dalek Sec, forgive me, but how worlds have suffered like you?" the Doctor asked him. "How many victims? How many millions have wept in front of the Daleks and been shown no mercy just like you are now?"
"I know." Sec replied, a tear in his eye. "Don't ya see? I know!" He turned to the Daleks. "My Daleks, just understand this... If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you." he warned
"Incorrect! We ALWAYS survive!" Dalek Thay retorted
"Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor!" Dalek Jast gloated
"But he can help you!" Sec protested vainly
"The Doctor must die." Dalek Thay growled
"No, I beg you, don't!" Sec pleaded frantically
"Exterminate!" Dalek Thay bellowed, and fired at the Doctor only for Sec to stand in the way and the shot hit him instead. He gave a bloodcurdling scream and fell to the floor dead.
"Your own leader." the Doctor glared at the Daleks. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him!" He turned to the Dalek-Humans. "D'ya see what they did?" he asked them, "You see what a Dalek really is?"
"Warning. Dalek humans show increased levels of serotonin." Dalek Caan's voice warned over the Daleks' comms.
"If I'm going to die, let's give the new boys a shot." the Doctor said. "What do you think, eh? The Dalek humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptise them."
"Dalek-Humans, take aim." Dalek Thay ordered
The Dalek-Humans cocked their weapons and aimed them at the Doctor.
"What're ya waitin' for?" the Doctor goaded, "Give the command!"
"Exterminate!" Dalek Thay ordered
Nothing happened.
"Exterminate!" Dalek Jast demanded
Still nothing happened.
"Obey! Dalek-Humans will obey!" Dalek Thay demanded
"They're not firing. What have you done?" Martha asked the Doctor
"You will obey!" Dalek Thay shrieked, "Exterminate!"
One of the Dalek-Humans turned to the Daleks. "Why?" he questioned
"Daleks do not question orders!" Dalek Thay roared
"But why?" the man repeated
"You will stop this."
"But why?"
"You must not question!" Dalek Thay bellowed
"But you are not our master." the man retorted. "And we... we are not Daleks."
"No, you're not. And you never will be." the Doctor said, then turned to the Daleks. "Sorry, I got in the way of the gamma strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom." he gloated
"Well, ya could've told us that earlier!" Shareen grumbled
"If they will not obey, then they must die!" Dalek Thay growled and exterminated the man.
"Get down!" the Doctor hollered to Laszlo and the women, and they all hit the deck below the seats as a firefight between the Daleks and Dalek-Humans commenced.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Daleks bellowed as they managed to pick off a few Dalek-Humans.
"Destroy the hybrids! Destroy!" Dalek Caan's voice ordered over the comms.
"Exterminate!" Daleks Thay and Jast chanted
"Extermin..." Dalek Thay began, before it's upper section was promptly destroyed by concentrated fire from the Dalek-Humans. Moments later, the same fate befell Dalek Jast.
Everyone came out of their hiding places. "Yes!" Shareen crowed. "Haha! How'd ya like that, you metal bastards?!" she gloated to the Daleks' smoking remains.
"It's all right, it's all right, it's all right. You did it. You're free." the Doctor told the Dalek-Humans.
Suddenly, Dalek Caan's voice came over the comm again, "The Dalek humans are failures. Destruct! Destruct! Destruct!"
A high-pitched wail sounded and the Dalek-Humans all clutched their heads, before crumbling to the floor dead.
"No! They can't! They can't! They can't! They can't!" the Doctor cried as he realised what had happened
"What happened? What was that?" Martha asked, rushing over to check on the Dalek-Humans.
"They killed them, rather than let them live" the Doctor replied, "An entire species. Genocide."
"My God." Shareen breathed, appalled at this action.
"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed." Laszlo pointed out, "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."
"Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one." the Doctor said darkly.
~8~
The Doctor stood facing Dalek Caan in the laboratory. Shareen stood by his side, armed with one of the Dalek-Humans' guns. "Now what?" the Doctor glared
"You and your associate will be exterminated." Dalek Caan answered
"Not if I exterminate you first!" Shareen spat, and raised her gun ready to fire.
"Wait!" the Doctor said, pushing her gun down and turned back to the Dalek. "Just think about it, Dalek... what was your name?"
"Dalek Caan."
"Dalek Caan. Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated, leaving only you." the Doctor said, walking towards Dalek Caan. "Right now, you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion. Cos' I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another. Caan... let me help you. What d'ya say?"
"Emergency temporal shift!" Dalek Caan cried
"Oh, no ya don't!" Shareen growled and fired at the Dalek but was just seconds too slow, for Dalek Caan had vanished into thin air and her shots just hit the wall where it had just been. The Doctor gave a growl of frustration while Shareen threw the gun away in fury.
"Doctor! Shareen!" Martha's voice called, and she and Tallulah entered the lab supporting Laszlo, who didn't look well at all. He was rasping for breath and could barely stand. "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it." Martha explained to the Doctor
The Doctor knelt down by Laszlo and examined him carefully. "What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him?" Tallulah asked frantically, "He says he can't breathe? What is it?"
"It's time, sweetheart." Laszlo wheezed
"Whaddaya mean, time? What're ya talkin' about?"
"None of the slaves survive for long." Laszlo told her. "Most of them only live for a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on cos' I had you. But now... I'm dyin', Tallulah."
"No, you're not." Tallulah sobbed, "Not now, after all this. Doctor, can't you do somethin'?"
"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H, just you watch me." the Doctor said, jumping to his feet and tossing his coat aside. "What do I need? Oh, I dunno, how about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one." he grinned, rushing about mixing coloured liquids in beakers. "Laszlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age old enemies. And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now... I am not having one more death! You got that? Not one!" He used his sonic screwdriver to light a Bunsen burner and put his stethoscope on. "Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is in."
~8~
Next day, the time travellers, Laszlo and Tallulah were standing in Central Park with Laszlo wearing a hat to hide his porcine features when Frank walked up to them. "Well, I talked to 'em, and I told 'em what Solomon would've said, and I reckon I shamed one or two of 'em." he said
"What did they say?" the Doctor asked
"They said yes." Frank replied and turned to Laszlo. "They'll give ya a home, Laszlo. I mean, er, don't imagine people ain't going to stare. I can't promise you'll be at peace, but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for. People who ain't got nowhere else.
"Thank you." Laszlo nodded. "I-I can't thank you enough." And Tallulah hugged him.
~8~
Later, the Doctor, Martha and Shareen were back on Liberty Island on their way back to the TARDIS. "Do ya reckon it's gonna work, those two?" Martha asked
"Dunno." Shareen shrugged. "Stranger things've happened."
"Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York? That's what this city's good at." the Doctor said. "Give me ya tired, ya poor, ya huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig slave Dalek mutant hybrid too."
"The pig and the showgirl." Martha laughed
"The pig and the showgirl." the Doctor agreed
"Hey, we should sell that to Disney." Shareen remarked. "It could be their next big hit."
"It just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone." Martha said brightly
"Maybe." the Doctor said vaguely and turned towards the TARDIS.
"Meant to say, I'm sorry." Martha said as she and Shareen followed him.
"What for?" the Doctor asked
"Just cos' that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you. Think you'll ever see it again?" Martha asked as the Doctor unlocked the TARDIS.
"Oh, yes. One day." the Doctor answered ominously, holding the door open for Martha to enter.
"Yeah, well, I'm gonna be ready for it when we do." Shareen said determinedly. "I'll make that psychotic tin can pay for everything they've done." She then followed Martha inside and the Doctor brought up the rear, closing the door behind him.
Author's notes: And that's this two-parter wrapped up. It was fun writing Shareen in this chapter as she gets to snark at the Daleks and buddy up with Martha to work out what the pepper pots are up to. The Cult of Skaro were likewise fun to write. Working on series 3 reminds me of the good old days back in 2007 when we would tune into BBC1 every Saturday to watch the new episode from series 3. Yep, 2007/2008 was the golden age of Doctor Who. Random thing, those guns the Dalek-Humans used were pretty cool-looking props. Pity they never appeared again. So, hope you all enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to leave a comment and I hope to see ya next time!