He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was certain of two things. He had not lost conscious when "It" happened & he was currently blind. Fiddling & fixing some the Tardis systems, he had been so lost in concentration that he didn't even connect the incessant buzz, rising consistently in tempo, with an attack on the Tardis. When he did, the light had burned through the walls of the console room & enveloped him. The sensation of transportation, evidently a crude but powerful matter transmitter, had been uncomfortable. Not painful or pleasant, but simply uncomfortable.
Taking stock of the situation, the Doctor extended his hand out, first to the sky, then to his side. There, he felt long strands of what he assumed to be grass, the stems long & unkempt. Slowly passing his hand along, his assumption was confirmed by further stems & the accompanying rustle.
"In a field." he muttered.
The Doctor passed a hand over his eyes, but saw nothing except pure white.
"Often the side effect of incorrectly optimised matter transmitter beams. The eyes are always the last to re-adjust...or at least that's what the Rani used to waffle about."
Slowly, the white wall before his eyes began to filter as pin pricks of darkness appeared here & there, like stars appearing out of the black of the night sky. All at once the remaining white faded & the Doctor was met with the sight of several large trees crowding his vision.
"Scots Pine, I shouldn't wonder." he said, languidly
The sky was largely blocked by the various pine tree branches, casting a dark pall over where the Doctor lay. Slowly, he lifted himself up, checking & patting himself in various places.
"Everything seems to be where it should be." he muttered. "Shouldn't like to be without a thumb or curl of hair."
Readjusting his scarf, he took in his surroundings. Various types of trees hugged closely together, whilst long, uncut grass spread out as far as was possible to see. Turning around, the Doctor gave a start & his expression turned grim.
Behind him sat a large shuttle craft, not a type he recognised, but it was evidently the kind used for ship-to-ship or planet-side landings. A bad feeling was beginning to creep over him, his shoulders feeling tight & his hands clammy. He had not long to wait when the shuttle doors slammed open & out emerged a sight he was not all keen to see.
Darting behind the nearest tree, the Doctors mind raced as the Dalek Supreme emerged & pushed it's way through the long grass.
The Black Supreme stopped some feet away from the tree the Doctor now used as a hiding place. Behind it, other Daleks began to pour out from the shuttle. Several Silver Drones spread out over the area, some checking their surroundings, others positioned as guards, the long grass scraping gently off their casings as they brushed by. One appeared from the top of the craft & surveyed the area. A Blue Squad Leader stopped short of the Supreme & watched it's commander closely for orders. The last to emerge was a Red Dalek, the Adjutant-Lieutenant of the Supreme, who stood near the ship.
"Come out from your hiding place, Doctor." came the Supreme's deep croak of a voice.
There was a few seconds of silence before the Doctor emerged, his face unreadable.
"Well, you've not killed me yet, so we're off to a good start. Of course, that must mean you need me for something."
The Dalek Supreme's eyestalk lifted & dropped, as if looking over the Doctor.
"Where is your TARDIS?" demanded the Blue Dalek
"You mean you don't know?" asked the Doctor.
"We trans-matted you to the surface of the planet when it became clear your ship could not be forced to land. It did, however, follow you here." replied the Supreme
Thinking back, the Doctor remembered he'd been tinkering & fiddling with various systems, the HADS being one of them, before the transmat broke through the Tardis' defences. Most likely the ship was now somewhere on the planet, but in the state he'd left it, it could anywhere. Slowly, he passed his hands into the pockets of his dark frock coat. In the left was what felt suspiciously like the Tardis Tracker. In the right, he wasn't sure, but had a sneaking suspicion, it had been a long time since he used them, not since the planet of War Games...
"And where is here exactly?"
"The doomed planet of Medway." answered the Supreme.
"You will guide us to your Tardis & take us to Skaro!" exclaimed the Blue Squad Leader, it's voice higher pitched than it's superior.
"In what way is it doomed?" asked the Doctor, ignoring the Blue Daleks demand.
The squad leader swivelled it's dome towards the Supreme, as if waiting for a command. The Black Dalek's eyestalk did not move from the Doctor's face as it replied.
" Approximately 315,360,000 rels ago, a colossal asteroid swept passed this planet. The velocity destabilised the planets orbit & it has now drifted into Inter-Galactic space."
"Then you & I shouldn't even be talking, this planet should be dead."
"The scientists of this world devised a solution which allows life to be sustained. You will take us to your Tardis."
"No I will not!" growled the Doctor, before adding nonchalantly. "Anyway, I don't know where it is."
"Then you are of no use to use." As it spoke, the Dalek Supremes gun-stick shot upwards towards the Doctors mid-section.
"Now, now don't be too hasty." he said quickly, but calmly. " You really shouldn't take the silly things middle-aged Timelords say so seriously. I do have a means of finding the Tardis, but what's the rush, if this planet can still sustain life in Dark Space, then there's nothing to worry about?"
Glancing past the Supreme Dalek, the Doctor observed the Shuttle Craft.
"Also your shuttle doesn't look to bad either." he added
The Dalek Supreme pushed forward slightly, it's gun stick still pointed at the Doctor. He had a feeling he was testing it's patience badly. If it was THE supreme, the one he had encountered multiple times before, then that wasn't a good idea.
"Our Fleet ship, the Tharkep, was investigating Dark Matter present in Inter-Galactic space between Mutter's Spiral & Andromeda when a systems failure destroyed it. Detecting this planet in the void between Galaxies, we piloted the Shuttle Craft to safety. We are marooned."
"Messing about with Dark Matter tends to have such effects." muttered the Doctor. If either the Supreme or the Squad Leader heard him, they ignored it.
"Whatever is sustaining the planet of Medway is now deteriorating. You will take us to the Tardis, obey, obey!" screeched the Blue Squad Leader.
"You have no choice, Doctor." spoke the Supreme, it's voice, tinged with malice, but still calmer than it's subordinate. "You are in our power."
There was a moment of silence. The Doctor, his face set grimly in the fading light, stared into the glowing white iris of the Supreme. The Black Dalek's eerie gaze remained unwavering & it was giving the Timelord a bad feeling.
"Just what are you thinking." thought the Doctor.
"We could simply kill him, Supreme Leader." offered the Blue Squad Leader, breaking the silence. "And take his time-ship tracker"
Taking his left hand out of his pocket, the Doctor pointed at the Dalek, his mouth open & eyes boggling.
"Ahhh, you could do that!" he grinned. "But you don't know what the damage threshold is on the tracker. A killing shot could easily destroy it, along with me & that would be bad for all of us. Especially me since I'd be mortally challenged, so it's a tie game I'm afraid."
"This is not a stalemate." croaked the Supreme. "You have no choice but to take us to your ship, if you want to live."
"Just once chance of escape" thought the Doctor. "Got to get out of the Supreme Dalek's line of fire."
"Well, the early cat catches the elephant as they say in Alaska, or so I'm led to believe." he said, striding forward between the two Daleks. Lifting his right hand out of his pocket he brought his arm down, throwing several darkly coloured balls onto the ground.
A sharp crack echoed around the clearing as smoke billowed out from where the balls landed. Taking his chance, the Doctor fled, ducking between trees & low hanging branches.
"Alert! Alert! Alert! The Doctor is escaping!" cried one of the Silver Daleks
"Do not fire!" exclaimed the Dalek Supreme.
As the smoke cleared, the Dalek Supreme turned & slid back to towards the shuttle craft. The Red Adjutant Lieutenant Dalek watched it's approach.
"Should we give pursuit, Supreme Leader?" it asked
"We will, but the Doctor will do his utmost to lead us off the trail. Awaken Experiments 01 through 25, they will be our eyes & ears. What of the abomination?"
"It slumbers in the forest village." answered the Red Dalek
Swivelling it's dome in the direction the Doctor had gone, the white glow of the Supreme Dalek's eye took on an eerie glow in the growing gloom. It was some time before it spoke again.
"We begin the pursuit!"
