Chapter 16
"Barbara?" Susan suddenly asked from the bed of fur she was sitting on.
The guard had taken them to one of the empty tents in the Camp. When they had entered the tent there had been nothing inside of it. The guard had grumbled as he stomped off to get them the beds made out of fur from some poor animal.
"Yes, Susan?" Barbara asked as she looked over from her own bed.
"Do you think there will ever be an end to wars? Not just here on Skaro, but on every planet in the universe?" Susan continued to ask Barbara. Nervously she started to play with the fur of the bedding she was sitting on. Her eyes shimmered as she fought back tears that threatened to show.
"Why can't people just get along with each other?" she continued to cry as she looked over to Barbara.
Barbara as she looked away from Susan. She thought over what was the best thing to say back to Susan. Slowly she looked back to the young girl. The young girl that not that long ago had been her pupil, but since entering the Tardis she felt that she was learning more from the young girl.
In this moment, Barbara was reminded that Susan was just a child. Susan was hunched up with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her face was pale as she played with the fur bedding she was sitting on. "That is hard to say, Susan." she started to explain to Susan.
Barbara looked up to the ceiling of the tent. She could feel Susan's eyes on her as Susan waited for her response. "History from Earth has shown that war happens no matter how hard people try to stop it." she continued to explain to Barbara.
"There are also just evil people out there. Who only get power through war." the Doctor suddenly spoke up from the fur bed he was sitting on.
Both Barbara Susan looked over to the Doctor.
"Like the Daleks?" Susan asked him.
Susan let out a small yelp as her hands covered her mouth when she remembered who was also in the tent with them. Quickly she looked away from the Doctor to Ian in the corner of the tent.
The corner that Ian was dark. The orange glow from the fire did not reach Ian's corner. His casing was so still that it was hard to believe that there was a living creature inside of it. The lens was dimmed with his eye stock dipped. The only sign that Ian had slipped into a deep sleep. He did need sleep after what he had been through at the hands of the Daleks.
"Well not ever Dalek." Susan whispered as Barbara stood up from her fur bed.
Barbara carefully walked around the large furs that lay on the ground as she walked to Ian. Gentle she placed a gentle hand onto his domed. Even when he was sleeping, Barbara could feel the static from the casing shields.
Well, his shields she had remind herself.
She looked to his eye stock. She watched as the blue glow of his lens brightened. His domed head swirled under her hand as his blue lens focused on Barbara.
Barbara kept her hand on Ian's domed head as she spoke, "Sorry Ian I didn't mean to wake you up. But I wanted to make sure that you are alright."
"I am alright, Barbara."
"What is it like in there?" Susan asked him from her fur bed. She smiled to him as his eye stock swirled around so that she was under the blue glow of his lens. "When you first got into the casing you said it was cramped. But you haven't complained about that in a while. Are you fully connected with the casing now? Can I see the inside of your casing? Because if you were we could get a better understanding of the Daleks and maybe with that we could find common ground between them and the Thals." she rambled as she looked at Ian with a curios clint in her eyes.
Ian's eye stock swirled away from to the Doctor. He didn't say anything to the older man. His eye stock fixed back on her. "Susan I don't think you should see what the Daleks have done to me." he told her in a firm mechanical voice. His eye stock then swirled to look at Barbara. "The same goes for you Barbara." he told Barbara.
"Oh no you don't Ian Chesterton!" Barbara shouted as she stepped into his line of sight. She was not scared as she looked into the blue glowing lens.
"Barbara-"
"Open the casing Ian!" she ordered him. "Don't look at him!" she growled as she saw his eye stock drifting towards the Doctor. Instantly Ian's eye stock snapped back to her.
"Ian we should also see what the Daleks has done to." Barbara gentle told Ian. She looked over her shoulder to see Susan had at some point stood up and walked closer to them. She looked back to Ian and once again ordered him, "Open your casing!"
Ian's casing jerked backwards at Barbara's order and tone. His eye stock was once again drifting towards the Doctor but he stopped. He could still hear Barbara's voice in his head. He had never heard her speaking to him like that before. Sure he had heard authority tone while she spoke to unruly students.
This was new. Every that was happening to them was new.
Brining his focus back to her. He was getting used to his vision being tinted in blue, but that was not stopping him wondering if with the Doctor's help he could restore more colour to his vision.
"Please Ian." Susan begged him as she stepped to stand beside Barbara.
Ian sighed which was distorted by his casing's mechanical voice, "Very well. Step back please."
He waited until they had stepped back given him space. With enough space he send the mental command for his casing to opening. His casing made a mechanical hissing as it opened. His single eye blinked rapidly as his vision adjusted as light flooded his vision. For a brief second he was blinded as he looked with his normal eyes. He was getting used to the visual feed from the casing's eye stock straight into his brain.
Cold air flooded into the open casing making him shiver. His tentacles wrapped around his body as the cold night crept into his open casing.
Susan shrieked and jumped back upon seeing him. "He looks like an octopus." she whispered.
"Oh Ian." Barbara whispered as her shaken hand slowly reached to him. She was so close to him that she could feel his body heat but she stopped herself. Drawing her hand away from him as she asked, "Are you in any pain?"
Ian looked at Barbara with his organic eye. His body deflated as he shank further into the cavity in his casing. His skin was pinched by the wires and cables that shank deep into his flesh. He looked away from Barbara as he muttered, "Not anymore."
Barbara bit her lip as her hand once again stretched out to him again. Her hand was trembling as she gentle placed her hand on him. Under her hand he winched away as she touched his exposed flesh.
Ian was trembling as he fought an internal battle. Being trapped inside of the metal casing was driving his human side insane. He missed feeling the air blowing through his hair and the sun on his face. He also missed interacting with other humans as a human. Then there was his Dalek side. It wanted to push her away. There was a whisper in the back of his mind that wanted to kill everything Dalek and not a Dalek.
"What does his skin feel like, Barbara?" Susan asked as she appeared beside Barbara. "Is it sticky? Slimy? Warm or cold?"
Barbara's hand fell away from Ian as she looked over her shoulder to the young girl. "Susan, he is not some creature you found on the beach. He is still Ian. He is still human." she sternly told the young girl. It was easy to see that she was excited, but Barbara was not impressed that she was seeing Ian as a creature.
Barbara looked back to Ian who was looking at Susan. "Even if he does not look like it now." she whispered.
Susan bowed her head as she apologised, "I'm sorry Barbara. It is just the first time I have seen something like a Dalek."
Once again there was a inquisitive gleam in Susan's eyes as she looked at the mutated created in the heart of the Dalek travel unit. She looked at all the wires that connected into Ian's flesh and where Ian's flesh connected with the mechanical components of the casing. "It's just fascinating to see such technology in action. Especially considering that he had been human a couple of days ago." she whispered to herself.
Her mind was dancing through all the other aliens all across the universe that needed technology to live. They had not as badly mutated as the Daleks. The Daleks were a new scientific wonder for her. They still scared her, but she was not going to let that get in the way of her finding peace between the Daleks and Thals.
Barbara turned around to face the young girl. She folded her arms across her chest as an unamused frown appeared on her face. "It is not me you have to be apologising to." she said coldly as she nodded her head in Ian's direction.
Susan stared at Barbara. Her mouth hanging slightly open as she stared at Barbara. Her mind had gone blank as she was brought back to what happened to Ian.
"Oh yeah." Susan quickly said as she looked to Ian. "I'm dreadfully sorry Ian." she apologised to him.
"It is alright, Susan. I understand." Ian reassured Susan. His single eye blinked as he lifted up one of his tentacles up. His brain was telling him that the tentacle he was looking at was a finger. A small bone claw grew out from its tip. He was still examining his outstretched tentacle as he said, "I also have many questions myself about all of this."
The Doctor hummed, "Many of these questions can be answered when we get back to the Tardis."
He stroked his chin as he studied Dalek technology. Their technology was something that he had not seen before. And he wanted to know. "Back at the Tardis I have proper technology that will allow us all to get a better understanding of Dalek technology." he admitted to his companions.
Barbara's head whipped between the two Time Lords. Her eyes wide as she listened to what they were saying. "Are you two really that eager to turn Ian into a lab experiment?" she snapped at both of them.
Firstly, Barbara looked to Susan. Bashfully the young girl looked to the tent's floor in order to avoid her glare. While when she looked to the Doctor, he simply stared back at her.
"My dear," the Doctor said as he stepped up to her, "this technology is advanced. But it is also primitive to our standards. Well Time Lord standards."
Barbara opened her mouth to say something but the Doctor kept speaking, "I simple want to get a better understanding of their technology."
Barbara's body tensed as the Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She looked down at the tent's floor as she muttered, "I still feel that this is all your fault."
She looked into the Doctor's strange face. His face was so old and yet his eyes were young. It was strange, but knowing what life he lived in it made sense. She had seen his eyes bright and full of wonder ever time they stepped onto a new planet. It was like a child seeing something new, despite the Doctor being their elder.
"But I don't hold that against you Doctor. We are just as much to blame. I can easily admit that because I know that we will still be arguing on whose fault it really is." she said to him.
"My dear, you are right about using arguing about whose fault it was." the Doctor reassured her. "At first I had not liked the idea of you and Chatterton storming your way into my Tardis, and my life." he continued as his arm dropped to his side. "But in the few adventures we have been on I must say that I was wrong about my first thoughts. I have enjoyed every adventure we have all been on together." he chuckled to her.
The Doctor looked away from Barbara and to Ian. A series look came to his face as he looked at what had become of Ian in the heart of the Dalek casing. His attention returned to Barbara and the worry was clear on her face.
Gentle the Doctor placed a hand on Barbara's shoulder as he gentle told her, "The main reason why I want to study Dalek technology is to see if there is going to be any long term effects on Ian's body and mind. And also to see if there is a way to undo what the Daleks have done to him."
Barbara sighed as she looked away from the Doctor to Ian. Her stomach dropped at seeing how sad Ian's ghostly face looked. She could not comprehend what he was feeling. She also had no clue what was he was thinking.
"I get that, Doctor." Barbara said as she looked back to him. "I just feel that Ian has been put through too much already."
Barbara looked to the tents floor. She wrapped the hem of her shirt around her fingers as she nervously bit her lips. "But do you think you could reverse what the Daleks have done to him?" she asked the Doctor without looking at him.
The Doctor hummed as he rubbed his chin. "That is hard to say at the moment." he admitted to her. "But once we get back to my laboratory back in Tardis I can get a better understanding of Dalek technology. And hopefully find a way to reverse to what the Daleks has done." he reassured her in a quite voice so Ian couldn't hear their conversation.
The Doctor looked over to Ian. Susan was once again talking to him. He couldn't hear what Susan was saying, but he knew his granddaughter. He knew that Susan would be asking a million question a second and not given Ian a chance to answer the last series of question.
The Doctor chuckled at how curios Susan was becoming. He knew that she was going to become a great scientist, just like him.
"I am just worried about how all of this is going to affect us all. Not just Ian." Barbara quietly said to the Doctor as she also looked to Ian.
"Doctor!"
Alydon and Dyoni both stumbled into the tent they were in. They were both covered in sweat and mud. Both panting as their lungs protested from the sudden surge of haste they had suddenly undergone. Tears streamed down Dyoni's face as she looked back the way they had just come from.
"What is the matter?" the Doctor asked them as they approached them. He carefully studied the two Thals and saw their terrified faces. He hummed as he started to connect the dots as to what was happening.
"The Daleks have attacked!"
Outside the tent a loud explosion boomed somewhere in the camp. Out in the camp a woman's shrieking scream was heard before another explosion ripped another part of the camp. Somewhere else in the camp a baby let out a wail before it was cut silent.
"Daleks?" Barbara asked as she looked over to Ian and Susan. Ian had moved to the point he was positioned in front of Susan. She couldn't help but shiver in disgust in watching the tentacles moving as he commanded his casing.
Still shivering she looked back to Alydon. He was panting as he constantly looked over his shoulder. Outside the tent she could hear the Dalek's war cries as they stormed through the Thal's camp. "But how could the Daleks leave their City? I thought only Ian could leave?"
"These Daleks that are attacking have different casings to the Daleks back in the City." Alydon responded back to Barbara.
"Dalek casings are different depending on the rank role of that Dalek." Ian spoke up as he glided closer to them. His single eye blinked as his eye stock swirled between them. "Also Daleks can travel through the forests because of the metal in the ground and trees." he continued to explain to them. "It's how I was able to leave Dalek City when I have a drone casing."
Ian's attention fixed onto Alydon. "This casing has a database of all Dalek ranks. Alydon, can you explain them?" he asked Alydon.
"These Daleks have green casings." came Alydon's respond.
Ian's eye stock twitched slightly. "Scout Daleks. The Dalek Supreme has been building more of them in order to find Thals all around Skaro." he responded back. "The Dalek Supreme has been pushing for more ways to find the Thals." he continued to explain to them.
Dyoni let out a yelp when she heard people screaming outside the tent. Slowly she edged towards the tent's entryway. Carefully she looked out the door to the camp. Her eyes widened at the carnage she was seeing.
Orange flames consumed many of the tents. Panicked Thal's were running in all directions, screaming as they ran. Her eyes widened as she watched an elderly Thal being shot by one of the Scout Daleks. A silent scream escaped as her skeleton became visible.
Dyoni covered her mouth as she gasped at the sight of the Daleks approaching towards their tent. Diving quickly back into the tent she looked to the others. "The Daleks are coming!" she cried. "They are going to find us."
Alydon stepped up to her. Silent he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a warm embrace. "We must fight back against the Daleks." he declared to them all. Alydon's gaze focused on Ian. His eyes were filled with determination even as the opened Dalek casing jerked.
"How? I'm sorry Alydon but I am only one. Scout Dalek units travel with 20 Daleks. They do this for maximum extermination." Ian spoke up. His eye stock jerked up and down as his organic eye looked to the Thal.
"Maybe we could use these Daleks for our plan?" Susan suggested from beside Ian. "They could take us back to the city. And that would give Ian," she continued as she looked to Ian beside her, "the chance he needs to take control of the Robomen and then destroy the city."
"Hm, that could work." the Doctor hummed back. He rubbed his chin in thought. "We do need to get back to the city. The Daleks can play a part in the destruction of their city." he continued quietly to himself.
"But are we really suggesting surrendering to the Daleks?" Dyoni asked from the embrace in Alydon's arms.
Outside the tent came more screaming as the Daleks continued to kill their loved ones.
"Surrender to the Daleks! Surrender to the Daleks! Or be Exterminated." came the screeching voice of the Dalek Scout Commander.
"Yes." Alydon said with determination. He pulled away from Dyoni. "It is the best way to protect our people. And it is also the best way to get Ian back into Dalek City without the Daleks getting suspicious." he said as he looked to Dyoni.
Dyoni shook her head as she gritted her sharpened teeth. "I still think this is too dangerous." she cried to Alydon. She stole a quick glance to Ian before she looked back to Alydon. "We cannot trust the Daleks!" she cried to him.
"We can trust one Dalek." Alydon reassured her. "You heard the plan back at the Council Tent." he continued as he looked to Ian. He nodded his head to the Dalek. He looked back to Dyoni and held her hands in his hands. "It is the best course of action we have against the Daleks." he gentle reassured her.
Dyoni sighed as she lovingly looked into Alydon's eyes. "I trust you Alydon." she said to him with a small quiver in her voice. "I just do not want to live in fear for the rest of my life." she admitted to him.
Alydon's clenched fist raised into the air as he declared proudly to them all, "We will not live in fear of the Daleks anymore!"
"I say," the Doctor said as he stepped in beside the two Thals, "we better get moving before our small window of opportunity closes."
Still standing beside Alydon and Dyoni the Doctor turned around to face Ian. He watched as Ian's casing hissed as it closed. He studied the Dalek casing as its appendages twitched. The domed head of the casing rotated around one direction and then another direction. While the casing's domed head rotated the eye stock twitched up and down. The blue lens dimed and brightened as Ian once again adjusted to being sealed away inside the casing.
"Now then Ian are you ready?" the Doctor asked Ian.
Ian's eye stock fixed on the Doctor. The blue lens of his eye stock bright in the dim lighted of the tent's inside.
"I am." came Ian's response as he silently glided around the fur beds towards the Doctor.
"Wait!"
Ian's eye stock rotated around to her. Barbara stared into his blue glowing lens. It was so unlike the Dalek Supreme's red lens. She did not know if it was because she knew that it was Ian behind that unblinking unliving lens.
"I think we need to mark Ian's casing. It will make it easier to identify him from another Dalek." Barbara suggested. Her mind flashed back to the Dalek that had pretended to be Ian back in the City's Control Room. "It will stop the Daleks from repeating past tricks." she voiced what she was thinking.
Susan clapped her hands together as a large smile spread over her face. "Grandfather, have you got a pen? I've got an idea." she declared to the Doctor. Stepping over the fur bedding to get to her grandfather near the tent's entranceway.
"I think I do." the Doctor hummed as he reached into one of his jacket's pocket. He kept humming as he searched his pocket and then to the other jacket's pocket. He kept searching all his jackets pockets until he finally declared, "Found one."
He brought out a pen from his pocket. With a proud smile to her plan he handed the pen to Susan who happily took it from him. He watched as she removed the pens lid as she quickly stepped up to Ian. Silently he watched Susan as she drew a Gallifreyan symbol under his eye stock.
"There." Susan happily declared as she stepped back from Ian. A large smile on her face as she happily admired her handwork on Ian's otherwise pristine silver casing. "That will make it easy for us to tell Ian apart from the other Daleks." Susan happily said as she gave the pen back to the Doctor.
Dyoni pointed at the circular symbol Susan had just drawn on Ian's casing. "What is the mean of that symbol?" she asked.
Susan looked to her a large happy smile on her face as she happily replied, "It is our written language. And it spells Ian."
"Good. Good. My dear." the Doctor chuckled as he put his pen back into his jacket pocket. "Now that we have a way to tell Ian apart from other Daleks. We can now commence with our plan."
Not needing any encouragement from the other, the Doctor turned and briskly walked out of the tent.
"Doctor wait!" Barbara hissed as she quickly followed him. "Don't rush out there! Its dangerous!"
"Grandfather! Wait for us!" Susan shouted as she quickly followed after the Doctor and Barbara.
A strange noise escaped from Ian that sounded like a sigh. It was such a strange noise coming from his casing. He swirled his eye stock around to Dyoni and Alydon. The two Thals were holding hands. Sad smiles on their faces as they looked into each other's eyes. Ian felt bitterness towards them. He would never find someone to love him as he was now. He could no longer kiss and hug the person he would love. Yet other people could still love each other.
"We better follow them." Ian said to them. His eye stock quickly swirled away from the two Thals. His casing moved to the tent's entryway. He did not need to look behind him to know that Alydon and Dyoni were still holding hands together as they followed him out of the tent.
Inside his casing, his tentacles and stomach churned as he fought back the bitterness he felt. He would not let the Dalek inside of him.