'This Doctor,' announced Light, 'is not simply a cave, but the entrance to
an underground civilisation!'
The Doctor couldn't believe his eyes and neither could Clara, as they were
ushered further inside the cave and down into the lower levels of the city.
'I had no idea,' said the Doctor, taking in his surroundings, 'What an
achievement.' he added. 'To think on top of us is a jungle and far below is
this city…'
'It's awesome!' whispered Clara. 'But if the Daleks find us, it'll be the
end of all this and all life on this planet…’ her words tailed away as she
gazed up at the Doctor and frowned.
'I had little choice, Clara.' explained the Doctor. 'Light was waiting for
us here, and without him… we stand little chance of defeating the Daleks.'
People of all ages, men, women, and children rushed out into the light. The
visitors had caused quite a stir, but it seemed they were expected. A woman rushed
forward, pushing her way past the crowd. Her face was recognised by the Doctor.
He was suddenly reminded of an adventure he had shared with the Ponds, as the
woman rushed towards him with her arms wide open.
'Hello, sexy!' he bellowed, as he hopped forward towards her. 'What are you
doing here?' There was a small pause, a chance for the Doctor and the creation
of the TARDIS to re-acquaint themselves with one another
'Have you not worked it out yet?' she asked him. 'The Doctor, the Keeper,
and the Light. All that was missing was me.' she smiled at him catching a glint
in his eye.
'That's right!' huffed the Doctor. 'The TARDIS!' he declared. 'Where is
she? I mean, you…' he said, correcting himself
'I'm right here,' she said, leaning in for a kiss. 'So why are you fussing
so?'
'Because I haven't a clue what all this is about,' he confessed. 'So we
pull all our resources together in an attempt to stop the Daleks, but why do we
need to? What's so different about facing Daleks this time?' asked the Doctor,
glaring at his companions.
'They've re-discovered their hatred for you,' grumbled the Keeper. ‘…and
why they hate you so –‘ The Keeper was suddenly interrupted as the cave walls
shuddered. There was the sound of gun fire from above, and in an instant Daleks
appeared.
'Take them!' cried one. 'The
Doctor and his associates are to be held captive until further orders are
received.'
All were now prisoners of the Daleks
~~~
The Doctor, Light, the Keeper, and the TARDIS were locked away in a cell on
board the Dalek mother ship. There were no bars to squeeze through, no hope to
hold on to. Instead, the unknown was all they lived for but as prisoners of the
Daleks. Clara was, however, lucky enough to have been taken elsewhere.
The Supreme Dalek was with her. She stared up at the eye stalk carefully
monitoring her. 'Kneel before me!' bellowed the Dalek. Its lights flashed
repeatedly as if excited by her presence.
'Why should I?' snapped Clara. 'Who do you represent?'
The Dalek's voice trembled. 'The
meaning in unknown.'
'You may be the Dalek Supreme,' Clara reminded him, 'but you're not in
charge here!'
'You know nothing, human!' bellowed the Dalek.
'Because you want something that the Doctor doesn't know anything about,'
she answered. 'You want the key to the TARDIS. You want the Doctor dead. But
the key is much more a part of the Doctor than you realise.'
'The Doctor is ours!' crackled the Supreme Dalek, its voice rising and
strengthening. 'And so is the key!'
'Daleks…' murmured Clara. 'They never listen.'
The Supreme Dalek's eye stalk swiveled around to another, and ordered that
the Doctor and his associates be brought to him.
'I obey!' responded the Dalek, as it trundled away.
'Even if you begin to query him,' hissed Clara, 'you'll get nothing out of
him. He doesn't even know what he's done to upset you!'
'There are records of the Doctor!' boomed the Supreme Dalek, 'The Dalek Archivist wants answers to the
gaps in our history. The key will provide these answers.'
'Ah-ha!' exclaimed Clara. 'That's what all this is about!' She jumped for
joy as the Doctor and friends entered.
'What do you want from me?' bellowed the Doctor. 'What now?'
'Is that so?' he cried, having to crane his neck to stare up at the dome of the Dalek. The Doctor was addressing the Supreme Dalek aboard the mother ship. He wasn't best pleased. Surrounded by thousands of Daleks, he stepped forward, demanding answers.
'You know why you were brought to us, Doctor,’ raged the Supreme Dalek, 'so do not play games with us!'
'But according to my associates here,' he answered, turning to face all those beside him. 'I am the Key!'
The Daleks who were surrounding the Dalek Supreme moved slowly forward towards the Doctor, reaching for him, pushing past his friends, to get a feel of the Time Lord.
'What's happening?' shouted the Doctor, 'What's going on?'
'YOU WILL BECOME AS ONE WITH THE MIND AND SOUL OF THE MACHINE!’ declared the Daleks.
~~~
The Doctor was in a chamber all alone. He had been strapped into a machine the Daleks had constructed, from which he was unable to look up. The Daleks filed into the chamber one after the other and glared down at him.
'Did you really believe you could out run the Daleks?' screeched one, its eye stalk almost squinting at the Doctor.
'I can try,' muttered the Doctor. 'Who knew you had it in you to keep up with me.' He didn't bother trying to making eye contact with the Daleks.
'We will have the Key!' yelled another Dalek, 'We must have it!'
'Well now you do,' hissed the Doctor. 'It's me, isn't it!' he murmured. 'And now you're going to kill me!'
'Yes,' answered the Dalek. 'The Key is ours.'
'So how about you stop babbling,' moaned the Doctor, 'and hurry up and get on with it.' he grumbled.
The Daleks switched the machine on, they "huddled" about the Doctor as the switches lit up.
'Now what?' blurted the Doctor, as he felt a sudden grip from under him. Beneath his head was a smaller machine, and it now held him tight within its grip. 'What is happening?' demanded the Doctor. The Daleks ignored his questioning and examined the information the machine was giving the them - access to key information.
'The Key is ours!' they chanted. 'Nothing can stop the Daleks!'
The Keeper, Light, the TARDIS (who liked to be known as Sexy), all looked to Clara for answers. She was telling them how the Daleks had an Archivist who sought the "Truth of the Daleks"
'What sort of truth?' whispered Sexy.
'Un-answered questions,' she replied. ' something to do with what they lost when I wiped their minds long ago.'
'I see,' said Sexy, still a little unsure. 'I guess the Doctor really is The Key after all.'
'What do you mean?' asked Clara.
'Well, it was all a game, you see,' she whispered, 'back on Gallifrey, that is.'
'What are you talking about?' sniffled Light, still trying to get used to the situation that was unfolding.
'It was said, when the child known as the Doctor was born, all would unfold as they are. That The Key would be sought after by all, all over the galaxy, and that if used would mean the end of everything; death and destruction for countless worlds across the entire universe.'
'And now the Daleks have the Doctor and wish to take The Key from him,' sighed Clara, 'and there's nothing we can do.'
Suddenly, and without so much as a sign of what he could see, the Keeper collapsed in front of them. It was true, thought Clara, he hadn't been saying much, but what was the matter with him? They could all hear the terrifying screams coming from the Dalek Supreme's chamber, but couldn't guess what was happening inside. All they knew was that the Doctor was in trouble, and that he needed rescuing. But now, without the Keeper, thought Clara, Light, and Sexy - they didn't stand a chance of defeating the Daleks
~~~
There were two Daleks guarding the prisoners. One had re-acted to the Keeper's sudden sickness and called for an inspection while another Dalek had arrived with a medical kit. As one operated the control to the cell doors the other prepared to enter with caution.
The Keeper was lying face down on the ground but the others appeared to have disappeared from the cell. The Dalek looked around cautiously with its eye scanning the cell slowly gliding forward and further into the cell both Daleks observed the cell in detail failing to see the other prisoners slip out. Clara smiled as she hit the controls and the door slid closed behind them.
The Keeper, despite his illness, had served some good, but Clara had spoken of how difficult the operation was, and how they'd have to leave the Keeper in the cell with the Daleks. The others didn't mind. There was a lot more at stake.
Unable to break the news of the prisoners' escape, the Daleks decided it would be best not to deal with the Keeper until the prisoners had been found.
'Have you any idea where you're going?' mouthed Sexy. She was following close behind Clara.
'I've no idea,' she replied. 'I'm following the arrows to the Dalek Control centre.' she continued.
'What's there?' Light murmured.
'I'm not sure,' she said, tinkering with a door, and realising that on the other side was a Dalek. 'Get back!' she mimed, as the Dalek approached. 'We'll try another route,' she whispered, once the Dalek had passed.
~~~