Chapter Twenty-Seven: Evolution of the Daleks
[Dalek laboratory]
"These... humans will become like me. Prepare them for hybridization," Sec orders as the Doctor and the Alchemist slip behind a large piece of equipment.
She quickly fixes herself, adjusting her hair, while he tugs off her mask. Smirking, the Time Lady preps her ears, ready for what's to come.
The Pigmen close in on Martha and the other prisoners, one of them seizing her.
"Leave me alone!" she shouts, kicking out, "Don't you dare!"
The Doctor presses play on the radio, and Happy Days Are Here Again suddenly fills the room. The unexpected music halts everyone in their tracks, heads turning in confusion.
"What is that sound?" Sec demands.
The Doctor and the Alchemist peek out, then step into view—her holding the radio, him idly tossing his sonic screwdriver in one hand.
"Ah, well, now," she says, placing the radio by a Bunsen burner with a smirk, "That would be us."
They stroll toward Sec, full of curiosity.
"Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera," the Doctor remarks with a shrug.
"Perhaps Happy Birthday might be more apt," the Alchemist quips.
"Doctor. Alchemist," Sec glares.
"The enemies of the Daleks!" Thay declares.
"Exterminate!" Caan screeches, aiming its laser arm at the pair.
Sec abruptly raises a hand, "Wait!"
The Alchemist's gaze flickers between Caan and Sec, intrigued, "A new form of Dalek... fascinating."
The Doctor nods, just as surprised, "And clever. Very clever."
Sec's glare sharpens, "The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter."
"Of the Cybermen?" the Time Lady raises a brow, "You were handling that yourselves."
"Of the Daleks."
"Oh, I didn't slaughter them," she corrects with a smirk, "I deleted them."
Sec's expression darkens, but the Doctor merely shoots her an unimpressed look, "How did you end up in 1930?"
"Emergency temporal shift."
"Oh, that must have fried your power cells," the Alchemist scoffs.
The Doctor shakes his head in disappointment, "Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world. But instead, you're hiding in the dark, experimenting. And now, all of that... results in this."
"I am Dalek in human form," Sec proclaims proudly.
The Doctor frowns, "What does that feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. That is your name, isn't it? You've got a name, a mind of your own. Tell me—what are you thinking right now?"
Sec hesitates, turning away, his gaze drifting to the floor, "I feel... humanity."
The Alchemist watches him, puzzled.
"Good," the Doctor nods, "That's good."
"I feel... everything we sought from mankind—ambition, hatred, aggression, war. Such... a genius for war."
The Alchemist's expression darkens, "No. That's not what humanity means."
"I think it is," Sec counters, fixing his gaze on her, "At its core, this species is so very... Dalek."
The Doctor exhales sharply, "Alright, then. What have you actually achieved with this 'Final Experiment,' eh? Nothing! Because I can show you exactly what you're missing," he strides over to the radio, "A simple little radio."
"What is the purpose of that device?" Caan demands.
"Well, exactly," the Doctor smirks, "It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it..." he sways slightly, glancing at the Alchemist.
"Sing with it," she adds, amused.
"Fall in love to it..."
"Proclaim your love through it," the Alchemist reminds him with a smile; he grins back.
"Unless you're a Dalek, of course," the Doctor shrugs, "then it's all just noise."
With a flick of his screwdriver, he cranks the radio up.
A piercing, metallic screech blares from the speakers.
Sec clutches his head, gasping in agony. The Daleks reel in confusion, the Pigmen wailing in distress.
"Run!" the Doctor shouts, seizing his Bondmate's hand.
She doesn't hesitate—gripping his hand tightly, she pulls him along as they bolt for the exit, the prisoners fleeing ahead of them.
"Protect the hybrid!" the Daleks screech.
"Protect! Protect! Protect!"
[Sewers]
Martha leads the escapees through the sewers until she stops short in confusion.
"Come on! Faster!" the Alchemist shouts as she and the Doctor run past her.
"Move, move, move, move, move!" the Doctor continues as they lead them down the tunnels, "And you, Tallulah! Run!" the Doctor shouts, spotting her as they charge past.
"What's happened to Laszlo?" Tallulah calls as Martha grasps her arm and drags her with them.
The Alchemist spots a ladder in the darkness as the squealing Pigmen continue to catch up to them, "Come on!" she calls, gesturing to the escapees to go up ahead of her, "Everyone up! Come on!"
[Hooverville]
The group sits around the fire, discussing everything that just occurred with Solomon. The Time Lords stand before him, trying to convince him to get them to leave.
"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares," Solomon breathes out, horrified, "And they want to breed?"
The Alchemist sighs and crosses her arms, "They're splicing themselves onto human bodies, and if I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville."
The Doctor nods, "You've got to get everyone out."
"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go."
"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter," the Time Lord implores, "Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York."
He shakes his head, "There's got to be a way to reason with these things."
Martha scoffs, shaking her head, "There's not a chance."
"You ain't seen 'em, boss," Frank adds.
The Doctor ruffles his hair, frustrated, "Daleks are bad enough at any time, but right now they're vulnerable. That makes them more dangerous than ever."
"You want a creature from hell? Something out of your nightmares? They're creatures of pure darkness and they will destroy every last one of you," the Alchemist says, looking Solomon right in the eyes.
She turns then, hearing them approach on all sides, and the Doctor notices the move with concern.
"They're coming!" a man shouts between blows of a whistle, "They're coming!"
"A sentry," Solomon realizes, "He must have seen something."
"Yes, they've arrived," the Time Lady states with a hard voice. She can feel it starting; the desire to fight, to hold them back, and she pushes against it, fearing the drop after.
'Amara, you can do this,' the Doctor calls out in her mind, feeling the shifts in the empathic bond as she battles herself.
"They're here! I've seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters!" the sentry shouts as runs forward.
The Doctor sighs, "It's started."
"We're under attack! Everyone to arms!" Solomon calls out.
The men run around picking up rifles and other weapons.
"I'm ready, boss, but all of you," Frank says, holding a rifle, "Find a weapon! Use anything."
Solomon watches as some of the residents go running, "Come back! We've got to stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"
The Pigmen charge into Hooverville, grabbing men and women; forcing them deeper within the camp as they scream in fear.
Martha looks around, terrified, "We need to get out of the park."
"We can't," the Alchemist states, "They're on all sides. They're driving everyone back towards us. Creating a containment; fencing us in to attack all at once."
"We're trapped," Tallulah realizes.
"Then we stand together," Solomon nods, "Gather 'round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together," the armed men are forced to form a circle around the women by the campfire, "They can't take all of us!" they begin to open fire.
"If we can just hold them off 'til daylight," Martha whispers, looking around.
"Oh, Martha," the Alchemist says, looking up and waiting, "They're just the foot soldiers."
"Oh, my God," Martha breathes as a Dalek comes down from over the tree-line, hovering above them.
"What in this world..." Solomon trails off.
The sentry cries out, "It's the devil! A devil in the sky. God save us all. It's damnation."
"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Frank shouts and fires his shotgun at Jast; the bullets bouncing off.
The Doctor pushes down the rifle, "That's not going to work."
"There's more than one of them," Martha says as a second Dalek glides down; they begin aiming their laser arms and firing at the tents; explosions and fires shoot up around the shanty village.
"The humans will surrender," Caan orders.
"Leave them alone," the Doctor calls out, "They've done nothing to you!"
"We have located the Doctor and the Alchemist!" Caan calls out.
Solomon steps forward and the Doctor grasps his arm, "No, Solomon. Stay back; they'll kill you."
"I'm told that I'm addressing the Daleks. Is that right?" Solomon calls out. "From what I hear, you're outcasts too."
"Solomon, don't!" the Doctor hisses and the man frees his arm.
He turns to the Time Lord, "Doctor, this is my township. You will respect my authority. Just let me try. Daleks, ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" Solomon asks as he puts his rifle on the ground, "Right. See, I've just discovered this past day, God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares 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 beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well? What do you say?"
"Exterminate!"
Caan fires.
Solomon dies screaming as the blast of green energy slams into him, his body crumpling lifelessly to the ground.
"No!" Frank cries, rushing to his fallen friend, "Solomon!"
"They killed him," Martha breathes, horror-stricken as chaos erupts across the camp; screams ring out, people scrambling in terror, "They just shot him. On the spot."
"Daleks!" the Doctor bellows, throwing his arms wide as he strides forward, abruptly dropping the Alchemist's hand, "Alright, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"
"I will be the destroyer of one of our greatest enemies!" Caan screeches.
"Then do it! Do it! Just do it!" the Doctor beats his chest, teeth bared, "Do it!"
Caan shifts, taking aim.
"Extermin—!"
"Touch him, and I wipe you all out of existence!"
The Alchemist's voice cuts through the air like a blade. Her eyes burn with the untamed light of the Vortex.
Caan falters.
"How many have you killed to get to me, huh?" she demands, every word laced with fury, "Pure Daleks. That's what you are. You're on Time's list, every last one of you. Last time, I held back. What's to stop me now?"
"Exterm—!"
She raises her hand.
Gold erupts from her fingertips, luminous and thrumming with power. Caan and Jast recoil, fear rippling through their ranks.
"I flick one finger," she warns, her voice like steel, "and Jast is gone."
A hush falls over Hooverville.
The people stare, wide-eyed, whispering about angels and light. Martha stands frozen, transfixed—she's never seen power like this before.
But the Doctor...
He watches, horror creeping into his features. The golden glow surging from her hand is shifting, flickering—tinted with the telltale hue of blue. War-blue.
The color of destruction.
The reason they called her the Scarlet Tsunami.
A wave of raw energy, cascading across the battlefields of Gallifrey, swallowing entire Dalek fleets in an unstoppable surge of blue and gold.
She's feared this—using this. She knows the cost. The spike of adrenaline. The crash afterward. The spiral of depression and anxiety that will claw at her once the high fades.
"Stop!" Sec's voice crackles through Caan's comm, "I command you. Stop."
"I do not understand," Caan hesitates, "It is the Scarlet Tsunami!"
"But I want them both alive."
"The urge to kill is too strong…"
"I have decided. The Alchemist and the Doctor must live. And you will obey me."
"...I obey."
The Alchemist watches, eyes narrowed, as the Daleks lower their weapons.
Slowly, carefully, she forces herself to pull back. The Vortex hums in her veins, begging for release, but she clenches her fist, wills it to fade. The golden fire dwindles from her palm as she lets her arm drop.
And yet—the exhilaration still lingers. The raw, intoxicating rush of power.
It's near what she felt then. In the war.
She keeps her gaze glowing, a silent warning as she glares at Caan and Jast. They know what she's capable of. She wasn't bluffing—if she willed it, the Vortex would crush them in an instant. Their existence would cease.
'Amara…'
The Doctor steps beside her, his voice quiet, strained. His throat bobs as he swallows hard.
She spares him a brief, glowing glare.
'Not now, Theta Sigma. I am furious with you.'
He blinks, the weight of realization settling over him. He just gave her a reason to react and she did. Through the bond, he senses the tangled storm of emotions raging within her. The euphoria. The rage.
He sighs heavily, nodding to himself.
"What's going on?" the Alchemist calls out, her tone sharp, cutting through the tension.
She has no intention of acknowledging her husband right now.
"Bring them to me," Sec orders.
"You will follow," Jast commands.
"No!" Martha shouts, "You can't go!"
"We've got to," the Alchemist whispers, still glaring at the Daleks; her voice is low, taut with suspicion, "The Daleks just changed their minds."
Her gaze flickers toward Sec.
"Daleks never change their minds."
"But what about us?"
The Doctor's eyes sweep over the terrified people around them. His jaw tightens.
Then, he calls out, voice firm, "One condition! If we come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"
"Obey the Doctor," Sec commands.
"The humans will be spared," Jast confirms, "The Alchemist and the Doctor will follow."
Martha steps forward, resolve in her eyes, "Then I'm coming with you."
The Alchemist turns to her, gaze dark and piercing, "Do you want to live?"
Martha hesitates, then nods.
"Then stay here and be a doctor."
The Doctor steps in gently, "She's right. Martha, stay here. Do what you do best. People are hurt. You can help them. Let us go."
Martha nods, though her expression is tight with frustration.
He moves to follow the Alchemist, who has already begun stalking after the Daleks. But just as he turns, he pivots back toward Martha, flashing her a cheeky grin.
"Oh, and can I just say—thank you very much," he says, clasping her hand for the briefest moment.
She barely has time to react before she feels something pressed into her palm. The psychic paper.
He winks.
Then, without another word, he spins on his heel and rushes after his furious wife.
[Dalek laboratory]
The Time Lords are escorted into the lab, the pair having kept silent on their way in.
The Doctor strides up to Sec, "Those people were defenseless!" he shouts, "You only wanted us, but no, that wasn't enough for you! You had to start killing 'cause that's the only thing a Dalek's good for!"
"The deaths were wrong," Sec replies.
The Time Lady blinks heavily in confusion, finally dropping the Vortex, "I'm sorry?"
"That man, their leader, Solomon. He showed courage."
Her eyes narrow, "And... that's… good?"
"That's excellent."
The Doctor looks Sec over, glancing at his Bondmate in confusion and back, "Is it me or are you just becoming a little bit more human?"
"You are the last of your kind," Sec explains, "And now I am the first of mine."
The Time Lord demands, "What do you want us for?"
Sec sighs, "We tried everything to survive when we found ourselves stranded in this ignorant age. First, we tried growing new Dalek embryos, but their flesh was too weak."
"Yeah, we found one of your experiments," the Doctor scoffs, "Just left to die out there in the dark."
"Humans? You used humans next?" the Alchemist demands, having heard the many thudding of heartbeats in the room when they were here last.
"Yes, it forced us to conclude what is the greatest resource of this planet, its people."
The room is filled with light as Sec switches on a breaker, unveiling hundreds of covered bodies on stretchers hanging above them. The Human Dalek throws another switch and brings one down to show them.
"We stole them," Sec explains, "We stole human beings for our purpose. Look inside."
The Doctor reluctantly pulls back the shroud, unveiling a pale, human male.
"This... is the true extent of the Final Experiment."
"Is he dead?" the Doctor asks his wife, who holds up a hand away from the body.
She sighs, "Near death, his mind has been wiped, but his body is still functioning."
"They are ready to be filled with new ideas," Sec nods.
"Dalek ideas," the Doctor spits.
"The Human Dalek race."
The Alchemist swallows hard, "All of these people... How many?"
"We have caverns beyond this storing more than a thousand."
"Is there any way to restore them?" the Doctor asks, looking between Sec and his Bondmate, "Make them human again?"
"Everything they were has been lost," Sec denies.
'I don't know how to yet. There are too many,' the Time Lady silently admits.
"So they're like shells," the Doctor shakes his head, "You've got empty human beings ready to be converted. That's going to take a hell of a lot of power. This planet hasn't even split the atom yet. How're you going to do it?"
"Open the conductor plan," Sec orders and a screen comes on with a blueprint of the Empire State Building.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Empire State Building. We're right underneath that," the Doctor says as they approach the screen, "We worked that out already, thanks. But what, you've hijacked the whole building?"
"We needed an energy conductor."
"Using the Dalekanium," she mutters, "You've attached it to the mast, haven't you?"
"Yes."
The Doctor nods, "What for?"
"I... am the genetic template. My altered DNA was to be administered to each human body. A strong enough blast of gamma radiation can splice the Dalek and human genetic codes, and waken each body from its sleep."
He frowns, "Gamma radiation? What are you... Oh, the sun. You're using the sun."
"In eighteen minutes the greatest solar flare for a thousand years will hit the Earth," the Alchemist realizes, pursing her lips in frustration, "And the gamma radiation will be drawn to the Dalekanium when the storm hits."
The Time Lord sighs, "The army wakes. ...I still don't know what you need us for."
"Your genius," Sec answers, "Consider a pure Dalek—intelligent but emotionless."
She stares Sec down, recalling, "Removing the emotions makes you stronger. That's what your creator thought, all those years ago."
"He was wrong," Sec replies.
The Doctor gapes, "He was what?"
"It makes us lesser than our enemies. We must return to the flesh, and also the heart."
He shakes his head, "But you wouldn't be the supreme beings anymore."
"And that is good."
"That is incorrect," Thay says.
Caan continues, "Daleks are supreme."
"No, not anymore," Sec denies.
"But that is our purpose," Caan replies.
"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 confirms.
"If you can help me..." Sec trails off, seeing the Time Lady shaking her head, "Alchemist, do you not agree?"
"No, I don't. I remember what you did to our people," she glares, "The torture I saw on Skaro that you put them through."
"That was wrong as well, I'm sorry."
She frowns, "Sorry? You only think that now because you can feel. I saw their bodies strung up and injected with chemical after chemical on your orders."
The Doctor turns sharply to her, hearing this. It's not something his Bondmate has ever mentioned before, let alone an incident he heard of during the war. They were told that those who disappeared were all killed, the possibility that some of them were taken and tortured on Skaro is horrifying.
"Yet you freed them... I merely desire a people of my own, did your own leader not create you?"
"I'm not a creation," she scoffs, "I'm a Time Lady. I was born a Time Lady; I was forced to change along with so many others... and he was not my leader. Never."
"Hm, and did you not feel when you lost your planet and the rest of your species?"
Her expression doesn't waver.
"I feel it every day," she bites out; her voice is quieter now, but no less sharp.
The Doctor finally speaks, his voice low, "We both do."
"Then help me start a race anew so that I am not alone. Your knowledge of genetic engineering is even greater than ours. The new race must be ready by the time the solar flare erupts."
"But you're the template," the Doctor frowns, "I thought they were getting a dose of you?"
"I want to change the gene sequence," Sec informs them.
"To make them even more human?"
"Humans are the great survivors. We need that ability."
"Hold on a minute," the Doctor gestures to the other Daleks, "There's no way this lot are going to let you do it."
"I am their leader."
The Alchemist glances over at the Daleks, "Oh, and that's enough for you, is it?"
"Daleks must follow orders," Jast answers.
"Dalek Sec commands, we obey," Thay agrees.
'They're not going to listen,' the Alchemist says, looking away from them now.
'They apparently have to follow orders, even you said they follow him...' the Time Lord replies with a frown.
She scoffs in his mind, 'This is going to go completely sideways. The Cult of Skaro think for themselves. There is no way they agree.'
"If you both don't help me, nothing will change," Sec implores.
The Doctor shakes his head, "There's no room on Earth for another race of people."
"You have your TARDIS. Take us across the stars. Find us a new home and allow the new Daleks to start again."
'We can try,' the Doctor calls out.
"Fine," the Alchemist agrees aloud.
He turns to his wife, "When's that solar flare?"
"Eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds," she sighs.
"Right then. Better get to work."
They nod to each other and run over to the tables, Sec following behind them.
The Alchemist frowns as she scans a readout, "There's no point in chromosomal grafting, it's too erratic."
The Doctor nods, adjusting some of the equipment, "We need to split the genome and force the Dalek human sequence right into the cortex."
"We need more chromatin solution," Sec demands of the Cult of Skaro.
"The pig slaves have it," Jast replies and the Pigmen carry in a large crate.
"These pig slaves..." the Time Lord turns to Sec after spotting Laszlo, "What happens to them in the grand plan?"
"Nothing," Sec answers, "They're just simple beasts. Their lifespan is limited. None survive beyond a few weeks," he turns to the Daleks "Power up the line feeds."
"Laszlo," the Doctor whispers, and he approaches while the pair work on preparing the chromatin solution, "We can't undo what they've done to you, but they won't do it to anyone else."
He nods, glancing at Sec, "Do you trust him?"
"I know that one man can change the course of history. Right idea in the right place at the right time, it's all it takes," the Time Lord sighs, "I've got to believe it's possible."
"The line feeds are ready," Caan calls out.
The Doctor rushes over to his Bondmate, who's turning off the Bunsen Burner. She nods and he fills a syringe with the blue liquid, "Then it's all systems go."
"The solar flare is imminent," Sec informs them, "The radiation will reach Earth in a matter of minutes."
"We'll be ready for it," the Doctor says and injects the syringe into a line, "That compound will allow the gene bonds to reconfigure in a brand new pattern. Power up!"
A Pigman throws one set of power breakers, and Laszlo throws the other.
"Start... the line feeds," Sec orders.
Jast begins the process, and the chemical goes through the tubing to the bodies above them.
The Alchemist eyes it warily, "There goes the gene solution."
"The lifeblood," Sec confirms.
Just as it reaches the bodies an alarm sounds, "What's that?" the Time Lord asks.
Sec turns to the rest of the Daleks, "What's happening? Is there a malfunction? Answer me!"
The Alchemist watches her Bondmate as he reads off from the computer, "No, no, no. The gene feed! They're overriding the gene feed!"
"Impossible. They cannot disobey orders."
"The Doctor and the Alchemist will step away from the controls," Jast demands; aiming its laser arm at the pair.
"Stop! You will not fire," Sec orders.
"They are the enemies of the Daleks," Caan cries.
Jast confirms, "And so are you."
The Daleks all point their laser arms at Sec.
"I am your commander. I am Dalek Sec."
Caan glides forward, "You have lost your authority."
"You are no longer a Dalek," Thay calls out.
"What have you done with the gene feed?" the Doctor asks.
The Time Lady shakes her head, "You've increased it to one hundred, haven't you?"
"The Alchemist is correct," Jast confirms, "The new bodies will be one hundred percent Dalek."
"No!" Sec calls out, "You can't do this!"
Thay orders, "Pig slaves, restrain Dalek Sec and the Time Lords."
Laszlo comes forward and grabs the Alchemist and the Doctor's arms while another Pigman holds down their leader.
"Release me!" Sec demands, "I created you. I am your master!"
"Solar flare approaching," Caan notes as another alarm goes off.
"Prepare to intercept," Jast says, scuttling over to the computer.
The elevator doors ding open and Laszlo says, "There's the lift."
"After you," the Doctor quips, gesturing towards it.
The Alchemist snarks, "Ladies first."
Laszlo and the Time Lords run in; the Alchemist pulls out her sonic and flashes it on the lift, making the door shut faster.
"The Doctor and the Alchemist are escaping," Thay cries, "Stop them! Stop them!"
The Pigmen run towards the lift, but the doors shut in their faces.
[Lift]
"We've only got minutes before the gamma radiation reaches the Earth," the Doctor says as he hits the button for the top floor, "We need to get to the top of the building..." he turns to the mutant man, hearing him pant, "Laszlo, what's wrong?"
"Out of breath. It's nothing," he wheezes, "We've escaped them. That's all that matters."
The Alchemist sighs, helping him stand easier with her hand on his shoulder and also getting a read.
'He's dying,' she tells the Doctor.
The Time Lord sighs, nodding, 'Let's hope he can hold on a little longer. We might be able to get him stabilized.'
The lift bell dings, and they run out when the doors slide open.
[Works office]
"Doctor! Ally!" Martha shouts in relief.
The Time Lord grins, "First floor, perfumery."
"I never thought I'd see you again," Tallulah gasps, running towards Laszlo.
"No stopping me," he replies as she pulls him into a hug.
"We've worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast," Martha says, pointing to the plans, "And it's good to see you too, by the way."
The Alchemist rolls her eyes in amusement as the Doctor sweeps her into a spinning hug, "Oh, come here."
The lift doors shut, and it begins to descend, catching the Time Lords' attention.
"No, no, no," he mutters as he tries to bring it back with the sonic, "See, never waste time with a hug. Deadlock seal. I can't stop it."
"Where's it going?" Martha asks in alarm.
"Right down to the Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here," the Doctor growls before turning to his wife, "Ally, what's the time?"
"11:15," she answers.
He nods, "Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."
The Alchemist rolls her eyes, knowing very well she's not letting her husband go up there alone.
"Gammon radiation?" Tallulah asks, "What the heck is that?"
They run to the open work area to look up at the mast, standing high and proud above the city in the darkness.
"Oh, that's high. That's very..." the Doctor swallows hard, "Blimey, that's high."
"And we've got to go even higher," Martha explains and points up, "That's the mast up there, look. There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base. We've got to get them off."
The Time Lord turns to the woman, "That's not we, that's just me."
"Don't even think about it, Doctor!" the Alchemist shouts and starts climbing.
"Alchemist!" the Time Lord cries, alarmed.
She's already too far up for him to pull her off the ladder.
"I have better balance, but I can't do it alone. There's going to be a lot of bolts on that Dalekanium."
Martha shakes her head, "I won't just stand here and watch you both..."
"No, you're going to have your hands full anyway," the Doctor says, taking her shoulders in his hands, "I'm sorry, Martha, but you've got to fight."
[Mast of Empire State Building]
The thunder starts, and they look up. Both groan in unison.
"We still have higher to climb, come on," the Alchemist calls down as she continues her way up.
The Time Lady reaches the top of the ladder and climbs up onto the base, looking over the mast.
"This is not good," she admits and begins to work out the bolts on one of the pieces.
The Doctor shuffles onto the wooden platform and crouches next to her, starting on his own piece.
"When did you go to Skaro?" he calls out over the thunder and wind.
She scoffs, "Really, you want to do this now? Can't we throw it onto the later pile?"
"Something to pass the time," he replies as he gets a bolt out.
The Alchemist rolls her eyes, "The Skaro Degradations were an attempt at using other species to mutate with the Daleks, yeah?"
"I recall and not very fondly, yes," he grumbles.
"They figured out that the Scarlet Tsunami had Vortex abilities and wanted to capitalize on that... so they began abducting Time Lords. The only species with a touch of it."
He blinks hard as the wind picks up and the rain begins to pour in torrents.
The Alchemist sighs as she pries the piece off and tosses it from the mast before moving on to the last, "I couldn't exactly ask who told Rassilon, but he ordered me to get them back and destroy their research facility on Skaro. I was just able to make it out alive with everyone they captured. They had 927 Time Lords, and they got pretty damn close to figuring it out..."
"Damn," the Doctor whispers as his sonic screwdriver drops.
"Please tell me that wasn't your sonic, and you're just upset by what I just told you."
"Can it be both?" he asks as he tries to pry off the piece with his bare hands.
She glances at him and shakes her head, "That's not... that's not going to work. They're 7K bolts. Even I can't rip these things out," the Alchemist sighs as she looks up into the sky, "We have 43 seconds, and we have six bolts to go... I have an idea, and you're not going to like it."
"Does it involve holding on to the mast and hoping that the energy conducted through us disrupts the Human Dalek genetic template?" he asks, grimacing as he looks over.
"...Yes," she admits.
"Alright, let's give it a go. You're right, though; I don't like it," he comments as they begin to climb up onto the mast and wrap their arms around it.
"I love you?" she tries with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah... And you," he mutters, rolling his eyes.
The lightning hits the top of the mast and lights up the Time Lords. The Doctor screams in agony. Electricity moves along the conductor, through the scaffolding, and into the Pigmen, ready to attack inside the lift. The excess electricity then flows down the building's exterior and into the laboratory.
The Time Lords drop back down and fall onto the wooden platform. The Doctor passes out while his Bondmate huffs for breath before standing back up and walking over to his prone body.
A short while later, Martha and the others climb on top of the mast base and spot the Time Lords. The Alchemist is leaning against the mast, petting the Doctor's hair as he lies across her lap, still out cold.
"Doctor! Ally!" Martha shouts the moment she sees them.
The Doctor groans and begins blinking awake.
Martha kneels down and holds up the sonic screwdriver, "Doctor? Look what we found halfway down."
"He dropped it," the Alchemist deadpans.
Martha holds in a laugh, "You're getting careless."
"Oh, my head," he grumbles.
"Hiya," Martha grins.
"Hi," he mutters, "You survived, then."
"So did you, just about," she replies before looking up, "I can't help noticing there's Dalekanium still attached."
The Doctor jerks up, and the Alchemist helps him stand so they can climb back down.
[Works office]
"The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," the Alchemist explains as they look over the city, "They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan."
"How do we stop them?" Laszlo asks.
The Doctor frowns, "There's only one chance. We got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping through us first."
"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha asks, shaking her head.
The Time Lady looks over to the Doctor, "We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, we need to face them."
"Where can we draw them out?" He nods before gritting his teeth, "Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way," he gestures to the blonde then, "Tallulah!"
"That's me," she replies, "Three Ls and an H."
"The theater!" he grins, "It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?"
Tallulah shrugs, "Don't see why not."
The Alchemist grimaces, looking at the elevator filled with corpses, "Is there another lift?"
"We came up in the service elevator," Martha replies.
"That'll do," he nods, grabbing his wife's hand, "Allons-y!"
[Theater]
"This should do it," the Doctor nods as they enter the dark theater.
"Here we go," the Time Lady sighs as she turns on the lights with her sonic before adjusting the frequency again, trying to tune in to the Daleks down below.
Tallulah frowns, "There ain't nothing more creepy than a theater in the dark."
Laszlo drops down into a seat, panting and sweating profusely.
"Laszlo, what's wrong?" Tallulah asks, turning to him.
"Nothing. It's just so hot."
"But it's freezing in here," she frowns before turning to the Time Lord, "Doctor, what's happening to him?"
"Not now, Tallulah," he replies quietly, "Sorry."
"What are you doing?" Martha asks the Alchemist.
"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number one enemies," the Doctor answers, watching as his wife raises her sonic screwdriver into the air.
"I'm just telling them where we are," she explains, and it begins to beep.
"You need to get out of here, Martha. You all need to go," the Doctor says, turning to her.
"He's right. You're not safe," the Time Lady confirms, "None of you are."
"Absolutely not. I'm not letting you face them alone," she replies firmly.
He rounds on her, "I'm telling you to go. Frank can take you back to Hooverville."
"And I'm telling you I'm not going."
"Martha, that's an order."
She glares, "Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?"
The Alchemist whips her head toward the woman, "Never, never say that again, Martha Jones."
Martha swallows at the ferocious look on the Time Lady's face.
The doors are broken down and the Human Daleks march down the aisles, guns at the ready.
"Oh, my God!" Tallulah shouts in fright, "Well, I guess that's them then, huh?"
"Humans... with Dalek DNA?" Martha asks, eyeing them.
Frank readies himself to attack them, but the Alchemist grabs his upper arm, stopping him. She rapidly shakes her head, and he grinds his teeth, trying to pull away.
"It's alright, it's alright," the Doctor tells the man, "Just stay calm—don't antagonize them."
"But what of the Dalek masters?" Laszlo asks, looking around, "Where are they?"
The stage explodes, sending shrapnel everywhere and forcing the group to dive down behind the seats for cover. Two Daleks, Jast and Thay, appear with Sec on a chain and crawling on his hands and knees between them.
"The Doctor and the Alchemist will stand before the Daleks!" Thay cries.
The Time Lord couple exchange a look and firm nods before climbing onto the tops of the seats and walking a few rows forward in their approach.
"You will die, Doctor, Alchemist," Thay says, "It is the beginning of a new age."
Jast continues, "Planet Earth will become New Skaro."
"Oh, and what a world. With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt," the Doctor scoffs before nodding to Sec, "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, Daleks?" the Time Lady asks, "Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"
"My Daleks... just understand this," Sec implores, "If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you."
"Incorrect," Thay responds, "We will always survive."
"Now we will destroy our greatest enemies, the Alchemist and the Doctor!" Jast calls out.
"But they can help you," Sec says.
"They must die," Thay denies.
"No, I beg you, don't."
"Exterminate!"
Just as Thay shoots, Sec leaps up, taking the shot meant for one of the Time Lords, killing him.
"Your own leader," the Alchemist scoffs, "You destroyed Dalek Sec, the only Dalek to ever look to do good, the very one who gave you independent thought."
The Doctor nods, continuing, "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness, and you destroyed him," he looks to the Human Daleks, gesturing, "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?"
The Time Lords hold out their arms, hands held between them, and he cries out, "If we're going to die, let's give the new boys a shot! What do you think, eh? The Dalek humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptize them!"
"Dalek humans, take aim," Jast orders the Human Daleks, and they do so, preparing their weapons to fire.
"What are you waiting for?" the Alchemist shouts, "Give the command!"
"Exterminate!" Thay shouts, but there is no response.
Jast tries, "Exterminate!"
Still nothing.
"Obey," Jast demands, "Dalek humans will obey."
"They're not firing," Martha gasps, turning to the smirking Time Lords, "What have you done?"
"You will obey!" Thay orders, "Exterminate."
"Why?" one of the Human Daleks asks.
"Daleks do not question orders," Thay says.
"But why?"
'Recall to learn,' the Vortex calls out.
"You will stop this."
"But why?"
'Recall to learn.'
"You must not question."
'Recall what!?' the Alchemist shouts back, 'I don't forget!'
"But you are not our master. And we... we are not Daleks."
"No, you're not," the Doctor nods, turning to them, "And you never will be."
The Alchemist raises her free hand, gesturing to herself and her husband, "Sorry, we got in the way of the lightning strike."
He nods, adding, "Time Lord DNA got all mixed up. Just that little bit of freedom."
"If they will not obey, then they must die," Jast calls out and shoots the Human Dalek who questioned their creators.
"Get down!" the Alchemist shouts, and they all hide behind the seats as the Daleks and Human Daleks begin firing at each other.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!"
"Exterminate!" the Daleks shout.
Jast is destroyed, and Thay calls out, "Extermin..." before the Human Daleks take him out as well.
The firing stops as the group slowly stands back up, and the Doctor approaches the new species.
'Recall to learn,' the Vortex repeats strongly.
"It's alright, it's alright, it's alright. You did it. You're free."
'Why? Is that what you mean? Why...' the Alchemist whispers back, 'Why... why should I be afraid? I am free.'
The Human Daleks begin to hold their heads in pain, screaming.
"No!" the Doctor cries, "No! They can't! They can't! They can't! They can't!"
The Time Lady looks over, eyes glowing.
"I understand now. It's why I have these abilities in the first place. To transform everything and everyone around you for the better," she recalls, flicking her hand at the Human Daleks as they cry in pain.
The once-Dalek humans look around in confusion, hands dropping back down to their sides.
Martha looks between the humans and the Alchemist, "What happened? What was that?"
"I brought them back. Death... begets Life, and change begets change," she replies with a smirk, "They're not just human again... they're who they were born to be."
The Doctor grasps her by the waist and pulls her in, kissing her in relief.
She breaks it and shakes her head, "Not now."
"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," Laszlo comments, "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."
"Oh, yes," the Doctor nods, "In the whole universe, just one."
"We need to go to Caan," the Alchemist tells her Bondmate, and they run out to get into the sewers again.
[Dalek laboratory]
Dalek Caan stands alone in the lab, connected to the computer by multiple wires and cables.
"Now what?" the Doctor asks as he steps toward the Dalek.
"You will be exterminated."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." the Doctor mutters.
The Alchemist strides out of the darkness, "Just think about it, Caan, you're the last Dalek in existence. Your entire species has been wiped out, and the Cult of Skaro, the Daleks who were created to defeat me in particular, has been eradicated, leaving just you. "
"Right now, you're facing the only man and woman in the universe who might show you some compassion. Because we've seen one genocide: our own people," the Doctor frowns.
"And stopped one as well; I brought them back, Caan. They're human again with all of their original memories," the Alchemist tells him.
The Time Lord nods, "We won't cause another. Caan, let us help you. What do you say?"
"Emergency temporal shift!"
The Doctor leaps forwards just as the Dalek time jumps, leaving hanging cables and two furious Time Lords.
"Doctor! Ally! He's sick," Martha calls out as she and Tallulah help carry in the wheezing Laszlo, "It's okay. You're all right," she tells him before turning back, "It's his heart," she explains, "It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."
"What is it, Doctor?" Tallulah panics, "What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe. What is it?"
"It's time, sweetheart," Laszlo tells her, sweating profusely.
"What do you mean, time? What are you talking about?"
"None of the slaves survive for long. Most of them only live for a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on because I had you. But now, I'm dying, Tallulah."
"No, you're not. Not now, after all this," she denies before turning to the Time Lords, "Doctor, can't you do something? Ally, can you do that magic thing on him?"
The Alchemist sighs and shakes her head, "It's not that easy or easy to explain, but we can help."
"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H, just you watch me," the Doctor grins, "What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory?" he throws his arms wide, "Oh look, I've got one. Laszlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today, and it's my turn to save someone."
He runs over and begins working away at a few chemicals, "Way too many people have died. 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. Tallulah, out of the way," he presses his stethoscope to Laszlo's heart, "The Doctor is in."
"You might need a bit of alchemy for this one, love," the Time Lady smirks, watching him.
The Doctor turns to her and grins, "I think you're right, Alchemist."
Going over to the genome balancing solution he just worked up, the Alchemist pulls a few devices from her pockets in preparation.
"Alright," she calls out, "I think we can strip back the pig DNA if I use my energy on some of his blood and reverse the age by about a month or two. After that, we'll need to..."
"...Manipulate the stem cells and re-agitate the sequencing event!" the Doctor cuts in, excited, "And you already have a splicer in your pocket. Backup plan?"
"Pretty much, yeah," she laughs, and they begin to work in tandem.
"Thank you. I can't thank you enough," Laszlo says, shaking the Doctor's and then the Alchemist's hands an hour later.
They were able to get him most of the way human; his ears being slightly larger than before and his nose a bit flatter. Both he and Tallulah were more than okay with it, simply relieved that he would survive.
"We both can't," Tallulah agrees, hugging the Time Lords tightly in turn.
"Just be happy," the Alchemist grins and sends Laszlo a wink, discretely waggling the fingers of her left hand.
The former Pigman smiles and glances at Tallulah before turning back to her and nodding.
[Bedloe's Island]
"Do you reckon it's going to work, those two?" Martha asks as they look over the morning Manhattan skyline from in front of the TARDIS.
"I don't know," the Doctor murmurs, shrugging, "Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York? That's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, and maybe the odd pig slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid turned mostly human too."
"The pig and the showgirl," she laughs.
"The former pig and the showgirl," the Alchemist corrects.
"Ah, yes, former pig and the showgirl," Martha laughs, "It just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone."
"Yeah, I think it does," the Doctor grins before kissing his Bondmate on the cheek, making her smile.
Martha turns to them and sighs, "Meant to say, I'm sorry."
"What for?" the Time Lords ask.
"Just 'cause that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you. Both of you. Think you'll ever see it again?"
"Oh, yes," the Doctor nods as the Alchemist unlocks the TARDIS, "One day."
"But hopefully not too soon," the Alchemist mutters as they slip inside, pausing to look back over the city.
[Alchemist Private Sitting Room]
There's a soft knock on the door, bringing the Time Lady out of her meditative state. The Doctor suggested meditation might help with the side effects.
"You know you don't have to knock, right?" she calls out.
The door opens, and the Doctor peaks in, "I just didn't want to disturb you."
She gestures him forward, and he closes the door behind him, making her frown. Something is up for him to be aware of the way doors should be used.
The Doctor sighs as he sits next to her, "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"I jumped in front of those Daleks and..."
She interrupts him, shaking her head, "I forgive you, but I know you're not sorry for it."
"I am... you can feel that I am. I get angry at you for doing the same and..."
She shakes her head again, cutting him off, "Theta, my reactions are chemically and physically ingrained in me. They're automatic, against my will. What you did... It was a choice. You offered up your life to those Daleks and set yourself up as a target because you were angry and afraid. I hate them beyond anything, yes. Their very existence infuriates me. But I would never do something so utterly... insensitive and tactless."
"I scared you. It's why you used your abilities," he sighs.
"It's why they activated; I didn't bother to fight back. I was terrified for you," the Alchemist tells him, "What did you expect to happen after, huh? That I would live on without you; find our children and tell them their father gave up his life, and finding them so he could play target practice for a few Daleks?"
That stuns him, and she sighs heavily.
"I forgive you, I do. But what would they say if they found out?"
"They'd call me an idiot."
"You are."
"I am."
After a beat, he asks, "What was your actual lesson? I know you didn't forget why you chose your name."
The Time Lady frowns, "I was letting my fear of myself and my abilities control me and it's not something I ever let happen before... even when I was aware during the war. That was what I needed to remember... and so do you."
"The reactions though..."
"Will improve. 'Recall to learn,' that's what Teacher said. They often speak with double meanings; I'll learn to manage it. I'm not the Doctor though, you are. I need your help to do it."
The Doctor nods, "You need to give up caffeine and lower your sugar and salt intake. I want to start you on some more nutritional supplements and minerals. No alcohol; it's a depressant."
She sighs and nods, "No English tea either... we'll have to pick up some more herbal teas, or I may lose it."
He pulls her in and kisses her forehead, "There are plenty of other potential remedies from all over the universe as well, you can't take medications but... it's worth a look."
She frowns, "I still can't jump."
"I thought that was what your lesson was about, though? Recalling to learn?"
"Apparently not enough. I have a theory though..."
"Remembering where they are."
"Yeah... and that's going to take a while."