Chapter Twenty-Six: Daleks in Manhattan
[TARDIS: Fated Pair Bedroom]
The Alchemist hums softly as warm water cascades over her, lost in the simple pleasure of her morning routine. She hears the faintest shuffle of footsteps behind her and rolls her eyes, already knowing who it is.
"Boo!" she shouts, spinning around with a dramatic flourish of her arms.
The Doctor yelps, jumping nearly a foot in the air before his feet betray him. With an undignified slip, he lands flat on his back with a groan.
"Oh, I did not mean for that to happen," she winces, stepping forward to offer a hand.
As soon as he is upright, she brushes her fingers over his back, her eyes glowing briefly as she reverses the injury.
He sighs in relief, grins, and pulls her under the rainhead with him, wrapping his arms snugly around her waist.
"Any clues about your lesson yet?"
The reminder makes her pout, "No. How am I supposed to remember what I forgot if I don't forget anything in the first place?"
The Time Lord chuckles, tilting her head back slightly as he helps rinse the conditioner from her hair, "Haven't a clue. Good luck with that."
She turns in his embrace, biting her lip before looking up at him with wide, imploring eyes.
"You... no. What do you want? No, no, no, she... we're taking her home... Amara, ugh... fine."
Beaming in victory, the Alchemist kisses him deeply before slipping from his arms. As she backs away, she begins to sing with playful exaggeration, "Boys, look at that man puttin' on that Ritz... You look at him, I can't..."
She snags two of their checkerboard towels, tossing one over her shoulder before darting out of the shower room, completely ignoring his grumbling about wanting to 'play.'
[Bedloe's Island]
The TARDIS materializes in the shadow of a white stone wall, its blue frame standing out starkly against the pale exterior. The moment the engines settle, Martha cautiously peeks her head out before stepping onto solid ground. Behind her, the two Time Lords emerge hand in hand.
"Where are we?" Martha asks, scanning her surroundings.
The Doctor takes a deep breath, a satisfied grin spreading across his face, "Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze. Nice and cold. Lovely."
"Martha, have you met my friend?" the Alchemist asks with a mischievous smile, gesturing behind her.
Martha turns—and looks up.
"Is that…? Oh, my God! That's the Statue of Liberty!" she cries, eyes wide with excitement.
"Gateway to the New World," the Alchemist declares, her voice warm with admiration, "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free!'"
"That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York, not the new, new, new, new, new one," Martha laughs.
"Well, there's the genuine article," the Doctor grins; his wife tugs him and Martha toward an overhang, sweeping an arm toward the skyline, "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."
"New Yawhk, New Yawhk!" the Alchemist calls out in an exaggerated attempt at the accent, utterly butchering it.
The others burst into laughter.
Martha steps forward, her brow furrowing, "I wonder what year it is, 'cause look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet."
She spots a copy of The New York Record lying on a nearby bench and picks it up, scanning the front page.
"Work in progress," the Doctor notes, eyeing the skyscraper in the distance, "Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around..." he pauses, grinning as he waits for his wife's answer.
"November 1st, 1930," Martha and the Alchemist say in unison; they glance at each other and giggle.
Martha shakes her head and the Alchemist looks at the paper over her shoulder, "Eighty years ago. It's funny because you see all those old newsreels all in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now," the Time Lady takes the paper and rereads it, "Come on then, you two. Where do you want to go first?"
The Alchemist purses her lips and holds up the paper to them, "I think our detour just got longer."
"'Hooverville Mystery Deepens'... What's Hooverville?" Martha asks.
[Central Park]
As they walk, the Alchemist explains, "Herbert Hoover, thirty-first President of the USA. Came to power a year ago. Up 'til then, New York was booming—The Roaring Twenties. And then..."
Martha nods in understanding, "The Wall Street Crash, yeah? When was that, 1929?"
"Yeah," the Doctor confirms, his expression darkening, "Whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. All of a sudden, the huddled masses doubled in number, with nowhere to go. So, they ended up here in Central Park."
Martha frowns, "What, they actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?"
The Alchemist nods and leads them into the heart of a sprawling shantytown—a sea of makeshift tents and shacks cobbled together from whatever scraps people could find. Smoke rises in wisps from small fires, and weary figures huddle together, wrapped in thin coats against the November chill.
Martha's gaze sweeps over the village, her expression somber.
[Hooverville]
The Doctor shakes his head, "Ordinary people lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent, and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America."
"No one's helping them," the Alchemist sighs, "You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."
A sudden commotion breaks out nearby, voices raised in anger. The three turn toward the shouting and approach cautiously.
"You thieving lowlife!" a man yells.
They arrive just in time to see him throw a punch, sending another man stumbling backward.
"I waited all morning in the bread line for a single loaf!" the first man shouts.
"I didn't touch it!" the second man snaps, shoving back.
"Somebody stole it!"
Before the fight can escalate, an older Black man steps out of his tent and strides toward them, his presence commanding instant attention.
"Cut that out!" he orders, stepping between them and pushing them apart, "Cut that out right now!"
"He stole my bread!"
"That's enough!" the older man fixes the accuser with a firm stare before turning to the other, "Did you take it?"
The accused man exhales heavily, chest rising and falling as he huffs in frustration, "I don't know what happened. He just went crazy."
The first man lunges again, but the older man grabs his arm, stopping him in his tracks, "I said, that's enough!"
His sharp gaze sweeps over them both, "Now, think real careful before you lie to me."
The second man deflates, shoulders sagging, "I'm starving, Solomon," he admits, voice low.
Solomon extends his hand, wordlessly demanding the stolen food. With a sigh, the man pulls a loaf from his coat and hands it over.
"We're all starving," Solomon reminds them, his voice steady but heavy with understanding, "We all got families somewhere."
Without hesitation, he tears the loaf in half and hands each man a portion.
The Doctor watches, raising his eyebrows, 'I really didn't expect to see another Solomon do the judgment of Solomon.'
His wife nods, equally impressed, 'Time travel—maybe reincarnation exists too?'
They exchange a glance, then frown. The closest thing they've ever seen is Regeneration. Even resurrection from the Matrix is long gone.
Solomon looks between the men once more, "No stealin' and no fightin'. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago, I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."
The two men nod reluctantly before turning away, each clutching their half of the loaf. The gathered crowd slowly disperses.
"Come on," the Doctor mutters, stepping forward; he turns to Solomon, "I suppose that makes you the boss around here?"
Solomon eyes the trio with suspicion, "And, uh, who might you be?"
"He's the Doctor, she's Ally, I'm Martha," Martha introduces them.
The Alchemist considers correcting her, but decides against it—she'll tell her later.
"A doctor?" Solomon shakes his head, amused, "Huh. Well, we got stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighborhood gets classier by the day."
He moves toward a small fire and rubs his hands together for warmth. The Alchemist joins him, offering a small, understanding smile.
Martha glances around, "How many people live here?"
"At any one time? Hundreds. Nowhere else to go," Solomon says; he scoffs, shaking his head, "But I'll say this about Hooverville—we're a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same. All starving. So, you're welcome, all of you."
Then his gaze shifts to the towering structure in the distance, "But tell me," he says, turning to the Doctor and gesturing at the Empire State Building, "You're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me. That's gonna be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that while people are starving in the heart of Manhattan?"
The Alchemist folds her arms, glaring at the skyscraper, "A poor plan in action," she mutters, "The Reconstruction Finance Corporation is what he's working on right now, and it's not going to work."
"Why's that?" Solomon asks, intrigued.
She exhales sharply, "Same reason this is happening now. Greed."
Solomon nods in grim agreement before stepping into his tent.
The Doctor watches him go, then holds up The New York Record, "So, men are going missing. Is this true?"
Solomon steps back outside, tossing his used coffee grounds into the fire. He looks at them, face set in a deep frown.
"It's true, all right."
"But what does 'missing' mean?" the Doctor tilts his head, "Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."
Solomon gestures for them to follow him inside, "C'mon in. This is different."
[Solomon's tent]
"In what way?" Martha asks as they all find a spot to sit.
"Someone takes them, at night," he explains, "We hear something, someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone like they vanished into thin air."
"And you're sure someone's taking them?" the Doctor frowns.
The Alchemist nods, "Yeah, they're not just picking up and heading for the rails?"
He sighs, "Doctor, Ally, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."
"Have you been to the police?" Martha asks.
"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."
"So the question is," the Time Lady's eyes narrow, "Who's taking them and what for?"
"Solomon!" a man calls from outside before sticking his head in, "Solomon, Mister Diagoras is here."
[Hooverville]
They approach a small group of Hooverville residents all standing before a man in a black suit and dark greased back hair.
"I need men," he calls out, "Volunteers. I've got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."
The young man they just met asks, "Yeah. What's the money?"
"A dollar a day."
The residents around him mumble about it being too low.
"What's the work?" Solomon demands.
"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"
"A dollar a day?" Solomon scoffs, "That's slave wage. And men don't always come back up, do they?"
He shrugs, "Accidents happen."
The Alchemist looks him over, 'He's lying... not sure about what, but he's lying.'
"What do you mean?" the Doctor asks, "What sort of accidents?"
Diagoras glares at him, "You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?"
The Time Lords instantly raise their hands.
He rolls his eyes, "Enough with the questions."
"Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor grins, "I'm volunteering. I'll go."
"Same," the Alchemist shrugs.
Martha raises her hand reluctantly and hisses to the pair, "I'll kill you for this."
"Anybody else?"
The young man and Solomon raise their hands as well and Diagoras nods before leading them off.
"So what's your name?" the Time Lady asks the young man.
"Frank, and yours?" he responds, nodding to the group.
"I'm the Alchemist but call me Ally, my husband is the Doctor and that's our friend, Martha," she answers with a kind smile as they walk.
He smiles back, "New to town?"
"You could say that."
[Sewers]
They stand around the bottom of the sewer as the rest of the group climbs down; the Alchemist already has her filters in; it reeks down here.
"Turn left," Diagoras explains "Go about a half a mile. Follow tunnel two-seven-three. Fall's right ahead of you, you can't miss it."
'He's lying again,' the Alchemist calls out.
The Doctor glances over and nods slightly.
Frank pipes up, "And when do we get our dollar?"
"When you come back up."
The Alchemist tilts her head, "And if we don't come back up?"
"Then I got no one to pay," he smirks.
"Don't worry," Solomon glares, "We'll be back."
Martha sighs, "Let's hope so."
The Doctor glances at his wife who is still eyeing Diagoras; she really doesn't trust him.
'Theory?' the Time Lord asks as they walk.
She shrugs, 'He's behind it somehow but... there's much more to this, much more.'
"We just got to stick together," Frank says to Martha, "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here."
"Hm," the Alchemist nods, listening to the footsteps overhead. She's going to have to block most of her auditory sense. It's too much.
'I can't hear much beyond everyone here right now.'
He turns to her, 'why not?'
'Whole city's above us, it's too loud, echoing; I needed to pull back,' she informs him.
The Doctor sighs and wraps his arm around her waist as they walk.
"So what about you, Frank? You're not from around these parts, are you?" Martha asks the young man.
"Oh, you could talk," Frank laughs, "No, I'm Tennessee born and bred."
"So how come you're here?"
He shrugs, "Oh, my daddy died. Mama couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over. Missouri... Oklahoma... Texas... Solomon keeps a lookout for us," he glances at Martha, "So, what about you? You're a long way from home."
Martha smirks, "Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too."
"You stick with me, you'll be all right."
"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" the Doctor asks Solomon.
"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now, it seems like he's running most of Manhattan," he explains.
The Time Lord frowns, "How'd he manage that then?"
"These are strange times. A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way round."
"Whoa!" the Doctor shouts the moment he's pulled back by his Bondmate.
The Alchemist merely gestures to the green and purple gelatinous blob with tentacles on the ground before them.
Martha grimaces, taking a closer look, "Is it radioactive or something?" she wafts at her nose, "It's gone off, whatever it is."
The Doctor kneels down after exchanging his torch for his spectacles and looks it over.
"And you've got to pick it up," Martha grumbles as the Time Lord lifts it off the ground, some of the liquid spilling over his fingers.
The Alchemist tilts her head, looking it over.
"Shine your torch through it," he requests and Martha does so, "Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"
She frowns, "It's not human. I know that."
"No, it's not. Ally, if you would?" he asks and she glares at it a moment before lifting her hand.
The Time Lady turns away and clenches her fists in fury, "I want to be wrong. Get a scanner going for it."
"Well... I typically hate the sound of that so I hate the sound of that."
She pulls out a specimen bag and the Doctor drops it in before he takes it and pockets it for later. The Alchemist tosses a DNA cleanser to him next and he wipes off his hands before pocketing that as well.
"...And I'll tell you something else," the Doctor says, glancing around, "We must be at least half a mile in. I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you? So why did Mister Diagoras send us down here?"
"Where are we now? What's above us?" Martha asks.
"We're right underneath Manhattan; we're at point ninety-two kilometers just about... a little over half a mile," the Alchemist explains, voice cold as she stares ahead of them and they continue to pace forward.
"We're nearly three-quarters of a mile in," the Alchemist tells the group a while later.
Solomon nods, frowning, "There's no collapse, nothing."
"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asks.
"Looks like it," the Alchemist dryly states.
She's not ready to tell Martha about her enhancements; not until the Doctor agrees to her being a full-time Companion. Besides, the last time didn't go so well so she's hesitant.
"So why'd he want people to come down here?" Frank asks, looking about.
"Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back," the Doctor says, gesturing to Frank and Martha, "Ally and I'll be much quicker on our own."
The Alchemist tilts her head and turns in confusion and he takes notice.
'What do you hear?'
'Pigs?' she replies in confusion.
Squealing begins echoing around them in the tunnels.
Solomon gasps, "What the hell was that?"
"Hello?" Frank calls out loudly.
Martha shushes him.
"Frank," Solomon hisses.
"What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" Frank asks him, "You'd be scared and half mad down here on your own."
The Doctor frowns, "Do you think they're still alive?"
"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here," the young man shrugs, "Maybe they just got lost."
"I think those people are more than lost..." the Alchemist admits with a tight frown earning a concerned look from Martha and the Doctor.
There is more squealing coming from the tunnels and the Alchemist adjusts her senses again.
'It's not just sus scrufa domesticus... it's... human as well,' the Alchemist tells her husband and he turns to her in alarm.
"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that," Solomon frowns.
"Where's it coming from?" Frank asks, looking about, "Sounds like there's more than one of them."
"This way," the Alchemist says about to stride forward toward where most of the sound is coming from.
"No, that way," Solomon calls and turns; his torch lands on a crouching figure.
The Alchemist pauses in her steps and eyes it; the being is huddled like a human but... she can make out pointed ear tips.
"Doctor? Ally?" Martha asks, concerned, and the pair approach.
Solomon asks, "Who are you?"
"Are you lost?" Frank questions as he approaches, "Can you understand me? I've been thinking about folk lost down..."
The Doctor rests a hand on his shoulder to stop him from going forward.
"It's all right, Frank. Just stay back," he whispers, "Let Ally and me have a look."
The Time Lady approaches his side and he continues, "He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you come with us..." he sees him then, "Oh, but what are you?" he asks.
The Time Lady sighs, holding up her hand before shaking her head in pity.
"Is that, uh, some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asks.
"No, it's real," the Time Lady explains, "They've spliced the DNA structure of a pig into a human to neutralize the desire to question commands; they're servants now. Something's taken control."
The Doctor swallows back his horror, "I'm sorry. Now listen to me. I promise we can help. Who did this to you?"
"Doctor, we need to go..." the Alchemist mutters, eyeing the filling tunnel behind them as more Pigmen enter.
"Ally!? Doctor? I think you'd better get back here," Martha calls out in fright, "Ally! Doctor!"
The Doctor and the Alchemist slowly back up, "Actually, good point," he says.
Martha watches in concern as the Pigmen follow the pair with their eyes.
"They're following you," she breathes.
"Yeah, we noticed that thanks," the Alchemist dryly states.
The Doctor nods, the pair still slowly walking backward, "Well then, Ally, Martha, Frank, Solomon..."
"What?" Martha asks.
He grimaces, "Eh? Um, basically... run!"
The Pigmen chase them back the way they came until they hit a junction.
Martha looks around, "Where are we going!?"
"This way!" the Alchemist shouts and begins to sprint to the right.
The Doctor turns and runs after her, the Pigmen right behind, "Follow Ally!"
"There's a ladder over here!" the Time Lady shouts and begins to climb, "Come on!"
The Alchemist uses her sonic screwdriver and opens the manhole cover above them, sliding it over, Martha, the Doctor, and Solomon behind him.
Frank picks up a steel T-Bar and begins to try and fight the Pigmen as Martha climbs up.
Solomon hesitates before climbing, calling out, "Frank, Frank!"
Frank heads up the ladder, noting that everyone is safely at the top; he makes it halfway before the Pigmen begin to climb up after him.
"C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" Solomon shouts,
Frank's legs are taken hold of by the Pigmen as Solomon and the Doctor attempt to grab his hand to pull him up.
[Props room]
"I've got you!" the Doctor shouts, straining to pull Frank up. "C'mon! Come on!"
But the Pigmen yank him from the Doctor's grasp, dragging him down the ladder and away.
"Frank!" Solomon cries.
"No!" the Doctor lunges forward, but Solomon pushes him back and slams the lid shut, standing firm in front of it—trapping Frank with the creatures.
"We can't go after him," Solomon gasps, still blocking the way.
"We've got to go back down!" the Doctor insists, his voice sharp with urgency.
"He's right! We can't just leave him like that!" the Alchemist snaps, glaring at Solomon over her shoulder, though most of her focus is on the person hiding in the shadows of the room.
"No. I'm not losing anybody else," Solomon pants, "Those creatures were from Hell—Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all. There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."
A woman with bleach-blonde curls suddenly leaps from behind a storage unit, leveling a gun at them.
"All right, then. Put 'em up!" she orders; they blink at her in confusion until she cocks the weapon, "Hands in the air, and no funny business."
They all comply—except for the Alchemist.
"I said in the air, ginger!"
She rolls her eyes but raises her hands after the Doctor nudges her.
"Now tell me, you schmucks—what have you done with Laszlo?"
Martha frowns. "Who's Laszlo?"
[Tallulah's dressing room]
The woman leads them to her dressing room, still keeping the revolver trained on them as she perches in a chair.
"Laszlo's my boyfriend. Or... was my boyfriend until he disappeared two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kind of guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"
The Doctor winces from where he stands in the doorway, "Yeah. It might... might just help if you put that down."
"It's fake," the Alchemist says dismissively, unfazed.
"Huh?" Tallulah glances at the gun, then drops it carelessly onto the seat, "Oh, sure. She's right. C'mon, it's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."
"I'd have gone for the spear, personally," the Alchemist remarks.
The Doctor gives her a pointed look, before poking her in the ribs, making her jump and smack his hand lightly.
"What do you think happened to Laszlo?" Martha asks.
Tallulah sighs, "I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next—zip. Vanished."
The Doctor nods, "Listen, ah... what's your name?"
"Tallulah."
"Tallulah. Good name," the Alchemist grins.
She smiles proudly, "Three Ls and an H."
"Right," the Time Lady says, "It means 'waterfall.' Look, we can try to find Laszlo, but he's not the only one. People are disappearing every night."
Solomon, still shaken, mutters, "And there are creatures. Such creatures."
Tallulah frowns, "What do you mean, 'creatures?'"
The Doctor quickly interjects, "Look, just trust us. Everyone is in danger. We need to find out exactly what this is," he pulls a small bag from his pocket, holding up the mutated blob, "Because then we'll know exactly what we're fighting."
Tallulah recoils, "Yuck."
[Props room]
The Time Lords sift through scattered equipment, gathering components for the DNA scanner. The Doctor can still feel the Alchemist's anger, simmering and growing since they first encountered the Pigmen. She hates being right about things like this. Every time her worst suspicions are confirmed, she makes him double-check the data—again and again.
He does it willingly. He knows it brings her some measure of relief, even if it's fleeting. She's seen too many Time Lords lose their hand preceptors over multiple regenerations. Even her brother.
Solomon enters, holding up a small radio, "How about this? I found it backstage."
"Perfect!" the Doctor takes it eagerly, "The capacitors I need. I'm just rigging up a crude little DNA scan for this beastie. If I can get a chromosomal reading, we'll know where it's from."
Solomon watches him work, frowning, "How about you, Doctor? Ally? Where are you from? I've been all over, and I never heard anybody talk like you two. Just exactly who are you?"
The Doctor blows dust off a component, "Oh, we're just sort of passing by."
The Alchemist exhales slowly, closing her eyes in frustration.
"I'm not a fool, Doctor."
"No, you're not," the Alchemist agrees softly.
The Doctor nods, "Sorry."
Solomon studies them both for a moment, then shifts his gaze toward the sewer entrance, "I was so scared, Doctor. I let them take Frank because I was just so scared. I gotta get back to Hooverville. With those creatures on the loose, we gotta protect ourselves. Ain't no one else gonna help us."
"Good luck," the couple calls after him.
"I hope you find what you're looking for. For all our sakes."
The Alchemist watches him go, her frown deepening as she turns back to the mutated sample, still glaring at the rotting flesh.
"I'm going to check on Martha," she mutters. "You got this?"
"Yep," the Doctor replies.
He knows the sight of it is making her furious. And he also knows—deep down—she's afraid of what it means.
[Tallulah's dressing room]
As Tallulah readies herself for the stage, the Time Lady walks in.
"Laszlo," she sighs, "He'd wait for me after the show. Walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose bud."
"That's lovely, Tallulah," the Alchemist smiles.
She grins at her, "Ain't it just?"
Martha asks, "Haven't you reported him missing?"
"Sure. He's just a stagehand," she scoffs "Who cares? The management certainly don't."
"We care," the Alchemist reminds her and Martha nods along, making the woman smile.
"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?" Martha asks.
She turns to her, "Okay, so then they fire me."
"But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars."
"Oh, honey," Tallulah laughs, "I got one song in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle. Which had nothing to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."
Martha winces, "Okay, I get it."
"It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on. Because if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going, hoping he's going to come back."
"I'm sorry, Tallulah. That's... really difficult to go through," the Time Lady says softly, thinking about what she put the Doctor through before he joined the war, he didn't even know if she was still alive.
"Yeah but... hey, you're lucky, you know!" she says, trying to swing the conversation, "You got yourself a forward-thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."
"Hah, I do, don't I!" the Alchemist laughs.
"Ya sure do, sweetie. Look at you both! Stunnin'. And let me see that ring, huh?" she asks, holding out her hand.
The Alchemist grins and shows her earning two gasps.
"Now that is something," Martha admits.
"It really is, Doctor's salary huh?" Tallulah gapes.
She shrugs, "Something like that."
"I'd do anything for a ring, simple one," the blonde woman sighs, "Still, you got to live in hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going because, well, look," she holds up the white rose, "On my dressing table every day still."
Martha smiles, "You think it's Laszlo?"
"I don't know. If he's still around, why is he being all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"
The Alchemist frowns, she has a theory as to why but doesn't understand how the man could have managed it.
[Backstage]
"Girls, it's showtime!" Tallulah announces.
Myrna glares, "Lois, you spoil my chasse tonight, I'm going to punch you."
"Aw, quick complaining, Myrna," Lois scoffs, "Go buy yourself some glasses."
"Come on, honeys!" Tallulah grins, "Take a look. Ever been on stage before?"
Martha smirks back at the Alchemist, "Oh, a little bit. You know, Shakespeare."
Tallulah makes a face, "How dull is that? Come and see a real show."
"I've seen a few, but I should really go check on my husband, he's almost done with that gizmo of his. You enjoy the show, Martha. Find me if you need me," the Time Lady tells them and walks off.
[Lighting gallery]
"This is artificial," the Doctor mutters, studying the scanner.
"I know," the Alchemist says as she approaches silently from behind.
"Whoever this is—oh, you're clever," he murmurs before shooting her a worried glance.
Slipping the stethoscope into his ears, the Doctor presses it against the genetically engineered creature.
The Time Lady frowns, listening in.
She speaks at the same time as him, "Fundamental DNA type four-six-seven dash nine-eight-nine."
"...Nine-eight-nine," he echoes before dropping the stethoscope onto the table; his eyes darken, "Hold on, that means... planet of origin. Skaro. No," he exhales sharply, "Which is why you're furious—and why you wanted to be wrong."
The Alchemist's frown deepens as she hears distant shouting and laughter from the stage and the audience beyond.
"Exactly," she confirms, already shifting into action, "And now we need to find Martha. Something's happening on stage."
She takes off, moving too fast for him to stop her.
The Doctor barely hesitates before running after her but her increased speed is too much for him.
[Backstage]
"Wait!" Martha calls, chasing after a Pigman.
"Martha!" the Alchemist sprints after her.
"But you're different from the others! Just wait!" Martha pleads.
The Alchemist catches up, "What do you mean 'different,' Martha?"
[Backstage]
"It was like something out of a movie show," Myrna gasps.
"Oh, that face," Lois whimpers, "I ain't never gonna sleep again."
The Doctor bursts in, scanning the room frantically, "Where are they? Where's Ally? Where's my wife?"
"I don't know!" Tallulah says, shaken, "Martha ran off the stage. I didn't even see Ginger out there."
[Props room]
"I mean different, he... he looks…"
Before Martha can finish, another Pigman grabs her from behind. She screams in fright.
The Alchemist reacts instantly, slamming her foot between the creature's shoulder blades to force it to release her friend—but it doesn't even flinch. Her stomach twists. They've increased their strength, she realizes.
"Martha!" the Alchemist lunges, but the Pigman drags Martha, screaming, down into the sewer.
[Sewers]
Without hesitation, the Time Lady leaps after them—only to be seized as well. She doesn't resist, letting herself be carried. Fighting now would be pointless. She needs to know what the Daleks are up to.
[Sewers Entrance
The Doctor and Tallulah rush toward the fading screams.
"Alchemist! Martha!" the Doctor shouts, his hearts hammering, 'Amara, where are you?'
'I assume I'm about to meet the Daleks.'
'Lovely, mind giving me a visual?'
'I already—ugh, just open the damn pathway, Theta.'
'Right, coming.'
The sewer entrance lid is slightly ajar—a clear sign of where he needs to go.
"Where are you going?" Tallulah demands as the Doctor shrugs his coat back on.
"They've taken them," he growls.
"Who's taken them? What're you doing?"
Without answering, he yanks the cover fully open and jumps down.
"I said, what the hell are you doing?" she shouts after him.
With an exaggerated sigh, Tallulah throws on her fur coat.
"Crazy guy," she mutters, then begins climbing down the ladder.
[Sewers]
"No, no, no, no—no way," the Doctor protests, shaking his head, "You're not coming."
"Tell me what's going on," Tallulah demands.
"There's nothing you can do. Go back."
"Look, whoever's taken your wife and Martha—they could've taken Laszlo too, couldn't they?"
The Doctor exhales sharply, "Tallulah, you're not safe down here."
"Then that's my problem," she folds her arms, "Come on. Which way?"
She turns left.
He pulls out his sonic screwdriver, linking it to his Bondmate's device, tracking her signal—watching what she sees through their connection.
"This way," he corrects, turning right.
Tallulah spins on her heel and follows him.
[Sewer 2]
"No! Let me go!" Martha shouts, fighting.
"Martha, you need to stop fighting back," the Alchemist orders.
Martha frowns but listens and she and the Alchemist find themselves pressed against a wall as a group of men is led past them.
"Martha, Ally!" Frank calls out, spotting them.
"You're alive!" the woman gasps, "Oh! I thought we'd lost you."
A Pigman pushes Frank forward and he stumbles.
"We need to move, just follow them," the Time Lady says with a glare.
Martha mumbles, "Alright, alright, we're moving."
"Where are they taking us?" Frank whispers.
"I don't know exactly," the Alchemist replies, "I know who to; but we can find out what's going on down here if we follow."
"Who is it? Who's doing this?" Martha asks, afraid.
"The Daleks," she whispers, "I can't explain now beyond what you know but... they're pure darkness. They hate everything in the universe. Just follow their commands, okay?"
Martha nods and the Alchemist quickly pulls a burgundy handkerchief from her pocket and ties it around the lower portion of her face before tucking her long hair into her dress; hoping this plan will work. Daleks are fairly oblivious in her opinion; so long as she reads as human, they won't bother to want to see her face.
"Why are you..."
She holds up a finger and shushes her.
[Sewers]
"When you say, 'they've taken them,' who's they exactly?" Tallulah asks, "And who are you anyway? I never asked."
The Doctor turns, hearing something, "Shush."
"Okay, okay," she scoffs.
"Shush, shush, shush, shush, shush, shush, shush," he hisses repeatedly, eyes focused on the wall ahead where the familiar form of Dalek's shadow is cast.
"I mean you're handsome and all..." she says and the Doctor covers her mouth with his hand, dragging her back into a service alcove until Dalek Caan wheels past.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They survived," he shakes his head in horror, "They always survive," the Time Lord swallows hard, "I can't lose her, not again."
"That metal thing? What was it?" Tallulah asks.
"It's called a Dalek," he explains, "And it's not just metal, it's alive."
Tallulah scoffs out a laugh, "You're kidding me."
"Does it look like I'm kidding?" the Doctor asks, glaring at her, "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."
"But if it's not a human being, that kind of implies it's from outer space," she gapes when he just stares at her, "Yet again, that's a 'no' with the 'kidding.' Boy. Well, what's it doing here, in New York?"
[Sewer 2]
"What are they keeping us here for?" Frank asks.
"I don't know," the Alchemist whispers.
"Personally, I've got a nasty feeling we're being kept in the larder," Martha replies.
Laszlo guides the Doctor and Tallulah to where they can see the Alchemist, Martha, and Frank.
The Time Lord relaxes slightly upon sight of his Bondmate's red hair. He knows she's slightly anxious and still furious but that she's just worried about him and the humans more than anything else right now.
The Pigmen guarding the group begin squealing in fear.
"What're they doing?" Frank asks, panicking, "What's wrong? What's wrong?"
"Shush," the Time Lady hisses.
Dalek Thay glides forward in its approach, "Silence. Silence."
Laszlo ducks away, hidden, and the Doctor watches on in concern.
Martha asks, "What the hell is that?"
"You will form a line," Thay orders, "Move. Move."
"Just do what it says, everyone," Martha calls out, "Just obey."
"She's right, obey," the Time Lady says, testing her plan.
"The females are wise," Dalek Thay confirms, "Obey."
The Time Lord's shoulders drop the moment he sees the Dalek roll away; she hasn't been noticed.
"Report," Dalek Jast orders as it glides in as well.
"These are strong specimens," Dalek Thay answers, "They will help the Dalek cause."
"Dalek?" Martha asks, "These are...?"
"Martha, shush."
"What is the status of the Final Experiment?" Thay demands.
'Final Experiment?' the Doctor questions her.
Jast replies, "The Dalekanium is in place. The energy conductor is now complete."
'Well apparently it involves Dalekanium which I don't like the idea of but otherwise, I have no clue and until I know what they're planning for us...' she trails off.
"Then I will extract prisoners for selection," Thay confirms.
'I'll ask Laszo,' he replies.
A Pigman drags a struggling older black man forward to be scanned.
"Intelligence scan, initiate," Thay announces as it attaches its sucker arm to the man's face, "Reading brain waves. Low intelligence."
"You calling me stupid?" the man glares.
"Silence!" Thay shouts, "This one will become a pig slave. Next."
"No, let go of me!" the man cries out as he's dragged away, "I'm not becoming one of them. No! No."
The Alchemist grinds her teeth; raging.
"Intelligence scan. Initiate."
"What are they doing?" the Doctor whispers.
"They're divided into two groups," Laszlo explains, "High intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."
'Did you hear that?' the Doctor asks, unsure if she's expanded her range or not.
'Yes.'
"Well, that's not fair," Tallulah complains.
"Shush," the Doctor hisses, focused on the Alchemist and Martha.
'Ally, you have to...'
She cuts him off, 'They're on low power and I'm currently appearing as human. Thay didn't recognize me. Just slip in after we're scanned.'
'I saw another in the sewer,' he replies.
"You're the smartest guy I ever dated," Tallulah whispers.
The Doctor turns to Laszlo, "And the others?"
'That's three then. Sec's the black one.'
"They're taken to the laboratory."
"Why? What for?"
'The one I saw was bronze.'
'Sec must be in the lab. He's their leader and they follow where he goes. That means they're all here.'
"I don't know," Laszlo shakes his head, "The masters only call it the Final Experiment."
The Dalek scans Frank, "Superior intelligence."
Martha is pulled forward, "Superior intelligence."
The Alchemist steps up, eyes shut, "Intelligence scan, initiate. Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment."
The Doctor exhales slightly, mind racing for a plan.
"You can't just experiment on people. It's insane! It's inhuman!" Martha protests.
The Alchemist rolls her eyes.
"We are not human," Thay states, "Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."
'I have the radio!' the Doctor shouts mentally.
"Look out, they're moving!" the Doctor whispers.
Laszlo leads Tallulah away, but the Doctor stays where he is.
"Doctor. Doctor, quickly!" Laszlo hisses.
'Great, we'll dance a jig,' she scoffs in his mind.
He waves him off, "I'm not coming. I've got an idea. You go."
'I was thinking more along the lines of using the sonic and increasing the resonance levels like we did with Donna.'
'Yeah, and I planned on crushing them with my bare hands, so your idea is way better,' she admits.
Laszlo convinces Tallulah to leave; he and the Doctor let the Daleks glide past then join with the humans and hidden Time Lady following.
"Just keep walking," the Doctor whispers from behind the Alchemist.
"Hello, love, good to see you."
"Oh thank goodness you're here too," Martha sighs, hearing him.
"Yeah, well..." he mutters, "You can kiss me later, Ally."
"Already planned on it," she smirks.
[Dalek laboratory]
"Report," Thay demands as they enter the laboratory where two more recognizable Daleks reside.
The Alchemist groans internally; four Daleks couldn't make it into the Void? This boyband is haunting her.
"Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution," Caan explains.
"Scan him. Prepare for birth."
"Evolution?" the Time Lord whispers.
'I'm more concerned about the word 'birth,'' the Alchemist dryly tells him.
The very idea of a Dalek procreating is horrifying to her.
"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha asks the pair.
"Ask them," the Alchemist whispers.
"What, me?" she scoffs, "Don't be daft."
"Yeah, well, I don't exactly want Ally and me to get noticed," the Doctor reminds her.
The Time Lady continues, "Ask them what's going on; like an order."
Martha nods, "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment? Report!"
"You will bear witness," Thay replies.
"To what?"
"This is the dawn of a new age."
Martha frowns, "What does that mean?"
"We are the only four Daleks in existence," Thay continues, "So the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again."
"Oh no, please no," the Alchemist whispers in horror at the very idea.
Sec's armor stops steaming, the light in its eye stalk flickering out. With a mechanical hiss, the casing cracks open, revealing a narrow figure crouched inside. It struggles to step out, and as it straightens to its full height, the casing seals shut behind it. The sight of Diagoras' familiar suit makes identification immediate.
Martha grimaces, "What is it?"
The figure turns, revealing a grotesquely mutated head—purple, misshapen, his single eye glaring out from distorted flesh. Though clothed in Diagoras' suit, his hands have transformed into claw-like appendages, twitching as he adjusts his posture.
Sec draws in a deep, rattling breath, "I am a human Dalek," he declares, voice resonating with eerie finality, "I am your future."
The Time Lords stare in horror. The Alchemist instinctively reaches back, fingers searching for the Doctor's hand. The moment she finds it, she grips as tightly as she dares—though not enough to hurt. He returns the grasp just as firmly.
She's never feared a Dalek before.
Until now.