Resurrection (Doctor Who)

***Resurrection*** is the ninth episode of the second series of *Doctor Who* produced by *The 56Studios*. It concludes the story of *Resurface*.

## Story

The Doctor stared at the woman, eyes wide open.

“You’re *what*?”

“I’m the Doctor. I’m a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. I’m a traveler in space and time,” she said. “Just as you.”

“How? Are you a future incarnation? Are you the next one along?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m from a parallel universe. The same parallel universe that these Daleks came from.”

It was slowly beginning to make sense. “How did you get here? The Daleks said that you triggered an explosion that resulted in a black hole that they were dragged through into this reality. How did you pass through the Void?”

“The same way,” the other Doctor nodded. “I was on the Emperor’s ship when it detonated. I had just regenerated, and on my way back to the TARDIS, I activated the Oblivion Continuum. I hadn’t timed it quite right, though, and I was drawn into the singularity as I tried to escape. I was pulled through the vortex and exiled here. I tried to use my TARDIS to get back, but the rift had closed.”

“Travel between parallel worlds is impossible,” the Doctor said.

“Unfortunately,” she agreed.

He paused for a moment. “So you regenerated?”

“The Daleks shot me half a dozen times. I’m usually tough, but not that tough.”

“Which incarnation are you now?”

“Thirteenth.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not intent on dying any time soon, that’s for sure,” the other Doctor replied. A thought then crossed her mind. “Which incarnation are you?”

“Twelfth. Technically fourteenth. I’ve lost count at this point.”

“How is that possible? You’re constrained to twelve regenerations, aren’t you?” she was taken by surprise.

He nodded. “A thing happened,” the Doctor shrugged.

She watched him with interest. “Could I have a thing happen to me?”

“Perhaps.”

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds. The Doctor, still bewildered, ran a hand through his gray hair. Exhaling, he turned back to his counterpart.

“Why are you here? Like this planet specifically.”

“I’ve been marooned here for over a year. I knew that at least one ship of Daleks had survived my attack, and I was intent on tracking them down, but I found none. It wasn’t until I detected the signature of an emergency temporal shift that my suspicions were confirmed. As I went to investigate the other, I detected another signature here, and decided to investigate that first. And here we are.”

“Did you have a plan when you confronted this Dalek?”

The other Doctor looked at her rifle. “Yeah. I did.”

“So you solve things with guns?”

“Daleks, anyway. I’m sure that you hate them as much as I do,” she lowered the weapon again. “Don’t worry. I only kill Daleks.”

“The more you kill, the easier it becomes. That’s something I learned in the Time War.”

“As did I,” she agreed. “And I learned that sometimes, killing gets the job done. Even if it means sacrificing everything to do it.”

“What do you mean?”

She looked at him with confusion. “I destroyed Gallifrey to destroy the Daleks. Didn’t you?”

“I thought I had, but I have a reason to believe otherwise. Don’t you?”

“I saw Gallifrey as I fell through space dying. It’s gone. I’m sure of it.”

Silence fell between them again. The wounds of the Time War evidently cut deep for both of them, in similar yet different ways. The Doctor didn’t know what experiences he shared with her. What hurts did they share? What hurts didn’t they share? What triumphs?

“Anyway,” she sighed. “That Dalek has a Soifua Crystal now, and that means we’re in a lot of trouble.”

“What is a Soifua Crystal? What does it do?”

“It has the power to supercharge matter. They’re most likely to use it to power their Progenitor Ark. I’m not exactly sure what it does, and I’ve only heard rumors, but it has the potential to bring the Daleks back from extinction.”

“Does it have Daleks trapped inside it? Is it Time Lord technology?” the Doctor stepped towards her. “This universe’s Cult of Skaro had what was called a Genesis Ark. It was a Time Lord prison.”

“No. This one is said to actually be able to *create* new Daleks.”

“Is that possible?”

“The Cult of Skaro was responsible for developing new ways to survive,” she said. “So yes. It is possible.”

“Potential of success?”

“Very. The Cult of Skaro’s been working on this since the last Time War, and the rumors I heard is that it could work. The ultimate contingency.”

“And if they have the power, then they can regenerate their army,” the Doctor stroked his chin.

The other Doctor nodded. “Precisely.”

He steepled his fingers before dropping them and striding forward. He walked past the other Doctor towards the exit. “Then we should get to work. Come on.”

She turned to look at him before following. “What?”

“Come on!” he repeated, entering the darkness. “We’ve got work to do!”

“Just like that, you’re helping me?”

He stopped and turned to look at her. “I’m the Doctor. Of course I’m going to help you, even if you are my alternate self. Everyone needs help. So let’s get to work.”

She smiled. “I’ll drive,” she strode forward.

“What?” the Doctor looked after her as she disappeared into the darkness.

This Doctor’s TARDIS was very different than his own. The exterior was smaller and more retro than his own. It reminded him of the exterior that his TARDIS used to have in his earlier lives.

The inside itself was voluminous and dimly lit. Two spiral staircases ascended upwards around the console room, leading to corridors at the top, which led deeper into the ship. The platform that the console rested on was surrounded by a railing. The console itself was ornate and decorated in many futuristic controls. The time rotor extended all the way to the ceiling far above. Many pieces of metal and other technology was attached to it as it went up.

The Doctor looked around, taking in his new environment, while his counterpart began to begin the dematerialization. The engines began wheezing and groaning while the ship shuddered. Lights pulsated around the room. After a few moments, the Doctor joined the other Doctor at the console. He looked a the monitor that hung from a ring attached to the rotor. It displayed a scan of the vortex.

“So where are we going, Doctor?” she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “You mean that you didn’t have a destination in mind when you took off?”

“I like to talk as I travel,” she shrugged, moving to another part of the console.

“Well, if we’re dealing with the revival of the Daleks, we’re going to need some help.”

“Help? Why do you want to bring a date on this?” the other Doctor looked surprised.

“I need my companions,” he replied. “They’re very helpful.”

Her expression became grave. Clearing her throat, she looked at the controls. “The last time I traveled with someone, they died. All of them.”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s something you should be sorry for,” she said sharply. “War takes everything, and I’ve learned that in the most painful possible way.”

“So have I,” the Doctor stepped towards her.

“Then you’ve learned that it’s not worth it to bring them along, because they’ll only die because of you. You’ve learned that friendship and companionship will only lead to hurt? This is the plight of a lonely god.”

He frowned. “If you’re done being a downer, I’d like to get to work.”

She looked at him for a long moment before sighing. “Alright. But you’re responsible for them.”

“They can look after themselves,” he said.

“Where to first?”

Clara rode her bike through Coal Hill. Her jacket fluttered in the breeze behind her. The sun shone down on her from the lightly clouded sky. She continued driving before she turned down the road to her apartment. Riding to where she regularly parked her bike, she stopped and dismounted. Pulling her helmet off, she looked around as she ran a hand through her hair to fix it. Grabbing her bag, she headed off towards the stairwell.

It had been a good day. Her students had done well on their exams, and they were heading to the end of the school year. She was ready to be done teaching for the summer. Traveling to her apartment, she took off her jacket and began settling in for the night. She witched her dress shirt with a gray sweater.

Filling her kettle, she set it on the stove and stepped up to the window. Clara watched the clouds streaking across the sky. She then crossed into her living room and flipped on the television. Prime Minister Austin was speaking, but she wasn’t paying attention. Sitting down on the couch, she began flipping through a magazine.

As she read, however, she heard a noise in the distance. At first she thought it was her tea, but it was a groaning noise. Quickly, she got up and ran to the window. The TARDIS was fading into existence in the field outside her apartment. A smile broke across her face as she bolted out of the room and to the door. Grabbing her jacket, she ran out the door and down to the field. Leaving her apartment, the kettle became screaming.

In the field, she ran to the TARDIS. As she approached, she noticed that the box looked different. Maybe he redecorated. He did do that sometimes.

Reaching the door, she opened it and rushed inside. She inhaled sharply in surprise as she saw the console room before.

“Whoa,” Clara breathed. “You redecorated…”

“I didn’t, actually,” the Doctor appeared from behind the console.

As Clara stepped towards him, she saw a woman standing at the console with the Doctor. She wore strange clothes, which seemed strangely familiar to her. Stepping onto the main deck, she looked closely at her. The woman, seeing that Clara was onboard, slammed down a lever on the console. The ship shuddered, and they disappeared into the vortex.

“What is going on?” Clara asked the Doctor. “Who’s she?”

“She’s the Doctor too,” he explained to her, glancing at the woman.

“How does that work? Is she your future?” she crossed her arms.

“No. She’s from a parallel universe. The same parallel universe that those alternate Daleks came from. That’s why you’re here. We need to stop them.”

Clara stepped forward. “Wait. What? I thought they all died? I thought Missy and I killed them?”

“Well, they’re back,” the other Doctor said from the console.

The Doctor nodded. “They’re trying to regenerate themselves. If they succeed, there will be a whole new Dalek army in this reality.”

She took a moment to process this. Brushing her hair out of her face, she looked at the Doctor again. “Where are we going now?”

“To get April,” the Doctor replied.

“And to end the Daleks,” the other Doctor straightened her jacket. “Once and for all.”

April’s typewriter clacked as she typed into it. As she wrote, she occasionally glanced at her phone. Clara had gotten her a phone when they traveled to her time, just to keep in touch. The Doctor had done something to it so that it could work across time and space. It was a fascinating device, and it was only supposed to be used when she was alone and when she needed help. Otherwise it could alter the course of human history.

She continued writing. She had an article to finish by Monday, and she kept running into writer’s block. Taking a sip of her tea, she kept writing, but suddenly hit a wall. Slumping back in her chair, she stared at her typewriter for a long moment. She needed a break, but there simply wasn’t time for it. That’s when she looked at her phone again.

Biting her lip, she grabbed it and opened the texting app that Clara had shown her. She didn’t quite have a grasp on it, but she knew enough on how to send a message.

Just as she was about to start typing, however, she heard a familiar groaning filling her apartment. Leaving her bedroom, she came out into her living room where she was hit by a powerful breeze. The TARDIS was materializing in her apartment.

A moment later it solidified and the door opened. Clara peeked out.

“Come on, April,” she beckoned her inside. “We have to go.”

“Where to?” April asked, before she noticed that the TARDIS was different. “What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain on the way,” Clara said. “Just get it.”

Grabbing her jacket off a chair, she swiftly stepped into the TARDIS and they took off a second later.

The Progenitor Ark hummed as it glowed a bright blue. The device shook slightly as it worked. Energy flickered around it occasionally. The five Daleks watched it work, their green eyes fixated on it.

“HOW LONG UNTIL THE PROGENITOR ARK BEGINS TO MANIFEST DALEK SOLDIERS?” the Eternal Dalek asked.

“SOON,” Dalek Sec replied. “IT IS EXTRACTING WHAT IT NEEDS FROM THE SOIFUA CRYSTAL AND WILL BEGIN GROWING THE NECESSARY MATERIALS.”

“THE SURVIVAL OF THE DALEK RACE DEPENDS ON THIS PROJECT,” the Eternal Dalek reminded them.

“WE ARE AWARE,” Dalek Thay said.

“WE KNOW THAT BOTH VERSIONS OF THE DOCTOR KNOW OF OUR PRESENCE NOW,” Dalek Jast rolled forward. “BUT THEY CANNOT STOP THE RESURRECTION OF THE DALEKS.”

“THE DALEKS WILL RETURN,” Dalek Caan turned towards the Eternal Dalek. “AND THE DALEKS WILL REIGN SUPREME.”

“THE DALEKS MUST HAVE THE POWER TO CONQUER THE UNIVERS-,” the Eternal Dalek was responding when suddenly the front of the Ark split open and the panels retracted into the vessel.

Energy glittered and flickered within before a blue-plated Dalek rolled forward. Coming to a stop, it looked around at them.

“WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS?” it said, indicators flashing.

“SUCCESS!” Dalek Sec proclaimed.

They watched as another Dalek emerged from the light, and another, and another. Soon, there were a dozen new Daleks in the warehouse with them. The Cult of Skaro and the Eternal Dalek observed them.

“WE ARE VICTORIOUS!” the Eternal Dalek declared.

“NOT ONLY VICTORIOUS,” Dalek Caan rolled forth. “WE HAVE CREATED LIFE. DALEK LIFE.”

“PURE DALEK LIFE,” Dalek Jast added. “THE PUREST DALEK LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE.”

“THIS ARMY WILL BRING THE UNIVERSE TO ITS KNEES,” Dalek Thay watched the Daleks as they continued to emerge.

“WE HAVE FULFILLED THE EMPEROR’S COMMANDS,” Dalek Sec said. “WE HAVE SAVED THE DALEKS. DALEKS ARE SUPREME! ALL HAIL THE DALEKS!”

Across space, a large Dalek fleet traveled through a corridor of color as they sped through hyperspace. Onboard, the Supreme Dalek watched the scanner as they tracked the source of the energy emitted by the impure Daleks. As he watched it, Davros rolled up beside the Supreme Dalek.

“DAVROS,” he acknowledged him without turning.

“Supreme Dalek,” he replied.

“WHAT DO YOU NEED?”

“I want to implore you to reconsider,” the creator of the Daleks said. “Starting a war with these new Daleks is unwise.”

“THESE DALEKS ARE NOT PURE. EVERYTHING NOT PURE DALEK MUST BE EXTERMINATED!”

“Indeed, but you do not know whether or not these Daleks are impure, or simply just your counterparts.”

“I DO NOT CARE WHERE THEY ARE FROM. IF THEY ARE IMPURE THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

Davros rolled around to face the Supreme Dalek. He lowered his eye at him. “We could learn so much from these Daleks. Perhaps they have capabilities that we don’t have. We could help each other!”

“I KNOW YOU ARE A SCIENTIST, DAVROS, AND IN YOUR INANE WAY OF THINKING, YOU BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING NEW MUST BE STUDIED,” he paused. “I SAY THAT WE MUST BLOT OUT EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT LIKE US. WE ARE THE DALEKS, AND WE ARE SUPREME. WE DO NOT NEED TO STUDY OTHER DALEKS. WE ARE THE SUPERIOR SPECIES IN *EVERY* MULTIVERSE.”

Davros stared at him with a cold look, and the Supreme Dalek returned it.

“WE WILL ASSESS THESE PARALLEL DALEKS, AND IF THEY ARE A THREAT, THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED.”

“I still believe that you are making a mistake, Supreme Dalek.”

“MY SOLE PURPOSE TO LEAD THE DALEKS INTO SUPREMACY OVER ALL CREATION. I CAN NOT ACHIEVE THIS BY STUDY AND EXPERIMENTATION,” the Supreme Dalek’s eye narrowed. “GO BACK TO YOUR LABORATORY, DAVROS. YOU ARE NOT NEEDED ON THE BRIDGE.”

“Quite the contrary, Supreme Dalek,” Davros spun around to watch the scanner. “When you arrive at this planet with the parallel Daleks, you will need me to assess them. I invented the Daleks, which means that I know them better than any other being in the universe. You need to me to assess them.”

“WHEN THE TIME COMES, YOU WILL INDEED BE NEEDED TO ASSESS THE WORTHINESS OF THESE DALEKS. BUT UNTIL THAT TIME, YOU ARE NO NEEDED ON THE BRIDGE.”

Davros turned back towards him. The Supreme Dalek watched him intently. Sighing, Davros nodded and rolled towards the door. The red and gold plated Dalek watched him as he exited the bridge before turning his attention back to the scanner.

Outside as Davros returned to his laboratory, he pondered what future he had left with the Daleks.

On an abandoned city street on a planet on the other side of the universe, the TARDIS materialized. Energy flickered away from it as four people emerged from it. The two Doctor stepped out and immediately began looking for any signs of what they were looking for. The other Doctor had her rifle in hand. The two women merely took in their new surroundings.

It was a city, but run down. Nobody had obviously lived here in decades. The sky was covered in stars with a strange orange light coming from the horizon, acting like a filter.

“What is this place?” Clara asked.

“Rotuq,” the Doctor replied. “An abandoned civilized planet.”

“Why was it abandoned?” April asked.

“Natural disasters on the other side destabilized the planet and began drawing it towards the sun,” he pointed to the orange light. “We’re still in the habitable zone of the planet, but that light is from the sun hitting the planet at an unnatural angle.”

“So if we stay long enough, we’re burn to death?” Clara looked at him.

“Not for a few hundred years,” he shook his head. “While we’re here, it’ll be no warmer than a hot summer’s day.”

“Well, that’s nice,” April said sarcastically.

The other Doctor produced a small device and began looking at the display. “We need to get to work.”

“Yes,” the Doctor nodded, producing the sonic screwdriver. He scanned the area.

“The Daleks are that way,” he pointed to the southwest.

“I know,” the other Doctor replied, holding up her device, which had a red indicator blinking in the southwest part of the display. “Why do you think I’ve got this?”

“The sonic’s more efficient,” he held up his device.

“This gives me a map,” she answered.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and turned away. She smirked.

“Enough stalling,” he pocketed the sonic. “Let’s go.”

Together, the four of them moved towards where the Daleks were. The rubble and ash that littered the streets crunched under their feet. The city appeared as a war zone, reminiscent of the wars of their world, the women thought.

As they walked, the Doctor eyed the other Doctor’s gun. He looked at it uneasily. After a few moments, she noticed. Rolling her eyes, she groaned.

“You seriously can’t still be having an issue with my gun.”

“I have an issue with guns. I think that people who carry guns are stupid.”

“I’m you.”

He nodded. “I know. And I’m an idiot. Or genius. Maybe both.”

Clara sighed under her breath.

“We’ve already had this conversation, Doctor,” the other Doctor continued her strides. “I’m only going to use it against the Daleks. I’m not going to kill someone.”

“It’s the principle, Doctor,” he replied. “If we start making concessions, where does it stop? Guns against the Daleks leads to guns against the Cybermen, and then against Sontarans, the Sycorax, the Judoon-.”

“-Well that would be justified. Police brutality and all,” she cut in.

“-The Master.”

“My Master died early in the war. The Daleks obliterated his android body, and his consciousness dissipated moments later. He had been my companion, my friend. I take it that you don’t get along with your Master very well.”

“We’re in a weird place,” he said before realizing they were off-topic. “My point is that if you start treating one life form as less, then you treat all as less.”

“You think of the Daleks as life forms? Trying to act like they’re living creatures?” she seemed almost disgusted.

“I’ve seen the horrors that the Daleks have committed. I’ve seen what they’ve done – what they’re capable of – but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your values to stop them. There has to be a line that the Doctor must never cross.”

“The Daleks destroyed everything that I ever loved. They must be exterminated.”

“You’re beginning to sound like a Dalek.”

Immediately she stopped and aimed her rifle at him. The trio stopped and stared at the gun. The Doctor stood still, looking between her and the rifle.

“Hang on…” he trailed off.

“You will not compare me to one of those damn things! One of those engines of hate! Of war! I have sacrificed too much to stamp out their contagion to be called one of them! How dare you!”

“I was just trying to make a point-.”

“I don’t give a damn about what you think I should do! What I should be! Don’t think just because we’ve had similar experiences that you know who I am. I’m the Doctor! Just because we both hold that title does not mean that we are the same!”

“This is what I was talking about,” the Doctor said slowly, glancing at the barrel again. “If you continue down this path, maybe next time you’ll shoot first and consider the consequences later.”

The two Time Lords stared at each other for a long moment before the other Doctor dropped her gun and walked away to the southwest. Clara and April came up to the Doctor as he looked after her. The look in his eyes wasn’t one of anger, but of disappointment.

“Doctor,” April said quietly. “I don’t know if we can trust her.”

“I agree,” Clara nodded.

“We need to work with her to stop the Daleks. After that… we can figure out what to do with her.”

They watched as the woman continued towards where the Daleks were detected. Running a hand through his gray hair, the Doctor sighed.

“Come on,” he muttered before continuing forward.

Looking after him hesitantly, the women followed.

They walked through the abandoned streets of the city for some time. The other Doctor kept an eye on her device, which showed that they were getting close to where the signal was coming from. The three of them kept their distance from the parallel Doctor, while their Doctor fiddled with the sonic screwdriver.

As they were approaching an intersection on the further reaches of the city, they heard a loud voice echo in the distance, followed by another, and another. They all immediately recognized the voices as those of the Daleks. Coming to a corner, they looked around it to see a large warehouse across the road. They could hear the voices echoing from within. Lights flickered against the dirty windows of the building.

“That’s it,” Clara said. “Isn’t it?”

“Obviously,” the other Doctor said, obviously irritated. Clara scowled.

“So what’s the plan?” April asked.

“These,” the other Doctor reached into her pocket and produced four circular devices. The Doctor’s eyes widened at them.

“Are those-?”

“Black hole converters? Yes, yes they are,” she said proudly.

“Where’d you get these?” he asked.

“You wouldn’t want to know,” she said shortly.

“What do we do with them?” Clara inquired.

“Since there’s four of us, I figure that we each take one and set them on the four corners of the warehouse. Then, once we’re clear, we activate them, and they detonate and create a black hole which destroys the Daleks and the Progenitor Ark. This will put a final end to the Dalek empire.”

April tied her hair in a ponytail. “Wouldn’t the black hole destroy the planet?”

“It doesn’t matter,” the other Doctor replied. “This planet is doomed anyway. A small price to pay for destroying the Daleks.”

“This is going to be dangerous, yeah?” Clara looked at the Time Lords.

“Do you always have to state the obvious?” she groaned.

“Oi-!” she stepped forward but the Doctor grabbed her arm.

“That light is from the Progenitor Ark. That means that they’re already building new Daleks. We need to get moving, otherwise we’ll have an army on our hands,” he said.

The three women nodded. “Agreed.”

He looked at them for a moment before smiling. “Let’s go end the Daleks.”

Stealthily, they entered the warehouse. They knew their plan, and each of them carried one of the black hole converters. They had finalized their plan. They would first go to the main warehouse to see how far along the Daleks had gotten in their efforts, and get the lay of the land. They would then spread out and set the devices. After all four were set, they would run like hell back to the TARDIS.

They navigates the hallways of the warehouse. Eventually, they reached a metal staircase in one of the corridors. Slowly, they made their way up it, trying to make as little noise as possible. The other Doctor had her rifle ready, leading the way through the warehouse.

The staircase led upwards to another corridor. They made their way down it before they found a metal door. Using her sonic screwdriver, the other Doctor opened it and they moved through it. They came out onto a wide catwalk that overlooked the main area of the warehouse. Crouching low, they moved along it before stopping.

Below, they could see more than three dozen Daleks at the ready. There was a Dalek shaped device among them, which was split open and emitting a blinding light. Suddenly, in a burst of energy, a Dalek emerged from the light. It rolled out and joined the others.

“That’s it,” the other Doctor whispered. “That’s the Ark.”

“It looks like the Genesis Ark,” the Doctor replied. “But this is much more powerful.”

“It will create a whole army if we let it.”

Off to the side, watching the process, were four other Daleks. These Daleks were different. One was more robust than the others, and was plated in yellow and black armor. The other three were completely different from the rest of the Daleks. Their forms were sleeker and more streamlined. Two of them had blue and silver armor, while the fourth was jet black. The Doctor’s eyes narrowed.

“The Cult of Skaro,” he said bitterly, particularly recognizing Dalek Sec.

“And the Dalek Eternal,” the other Doctor said, pointing out the yellow one. “Charged with the continuance of the Dalek race.”

“Looks like he succeeded,” Clara said grimly.

“Big time,” the other Doctor agreed.

They watched as more Daleks emerged from the Progenitor. The other Doctor then got to her feet.

“Come on,” she readied her rifle. “We have to hurry.”

“Hold on,” the Doctor suddenly waved his hand.

“What is it?” April asked.

“One of the Cult is missing. There are supposed to be four, but there’s only three there.”

“Maybe in their universe there was only three?” Clara suggested. “Anything’s possible.”

“No. There’s supposed to be four,” the other Doctor nodded. “Where is he-?”

“INTRUDERS DETECTED,” a loud Dalek voice rang to their right.

Getting to their feet, they saw one of the Cult of Skaro rolling towards them across the catwalk. The Doctor recognized his identification tag as that of Dalek Caan. He quickly shielded his companions behind himself while the other Doctor raised her rifle towards the Dalek.

“INTRUDERS WILL BE EXTERMINATED!” the Dalek continued forward.

“We mean you no harm!” the Doctor said.

“I definitely mean him harm,” the other Doctor straightened her aim. Wrapping her finger around the trigger, she fired. A bolt of green energy shot from the barrel and flew at the Dalek. However, it exploded against an energy bubble that surrounded the Dalek.

After the smoke cleared, Dalek Caan rolled forward.

“EXTERMINATE!”

Firing his death ray, the bolt hit the other Doctor’s gun, causing it to explode in her hands. She stumbled back as the pieces clattered to the ground before her. Her hands were burned, and she looked up at the Dalek.

“You little piece of-.”

“We have to go!” the Doctor said, stepping forward. Producing the sonic screwdriver, he send a sonic pulse at Dalek Caan. It hit the Dalek and set him rolling backwards.

“Come on!” the Doctor yelled, ushered them backwards. They ran along the catwalk towards the door.

Below, the Daleks had taken notice of the commotion and opened fire. Beams of energy shot past them as they ran. Behind them, Dalek Caan recovered, and continued firing. They ran through the door and out in the corridor. Skidding across the floor, they continued their escape. Dalek Caan came through the doorway and fired after them.

“HALT. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED! RETURN AND FACE EXTERMINATION!”

Reaching the stairwell, they clattered down it. They rounded the corners quickly, making their way down. Bursting onto the lower level, they moved to run down the corridor to the exit when they were confronted by two Daleks rolling towards them. Moving to turn around, they saw two more Daleks rolling the other way. They were trapped.

“YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!” the Daleks cried.

The Daleks closed in. They stood back to back, readying for their impending deaths. However, the voice of Dalek Caan suddenly rang from the stairwell.

“HALT!”

He emerged from around the corner, hovering down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, he landed, and rolled towards the four. He seemed to scan them with his eye, before looking at the two Doctors.

“THE MALE AND THIS FEMALE ARE THE DOCTOR. THE MALE DOCTOR IS FROM THIS REALITY, AND THE FEMALE DOCTOR IS FROM OUR REALITY.”

“Surprise,” the Doctor said sarcastically.

“TAKE THEM TO DALEK SEC AND THE DALEK ETERNAL,” Caan turned to the four Daleks that had surrounded them.

“WE OBEY!” they said together.

The Daleks began to usher them down the corridor away from the door. The four of them kept together, surrounded by Daleks.

“What now?” Clara asked, keeping her voice low.

“We meet the Daleks,” the Doctor replied.

In the main area of the warehouse, the four travelers were escorted by the Daleks to the army. The new Daleks watched as they entered. The Cult of Skaro stared at them as they were brought before them. The Eternal Dalek’s eye narrowed.

“WHO ARE YOU?” the Eternal Dalek demanded.

“THEY ARE THE DOCTOR AND THEIR ASSOCIATES,” Dalek Caan said, rolling around to join the rest of the Cult.

“’THEIR?’ EXPLAIN,” Dalek Jast asked.

“THE FEMALE BELONGS TO OUR REALITY,” Dalek Sec rolled forward. “AND THE MALE IS NATIVE TO N-SPACE.”

“Guilty as charged,” the Doctor nodded.

Dalek Thay rolled towards the other Doctor. “HOW DID YOU SURVIVE YOUR ATTACK?”

“Well, if you attack someone and don’t walk away from it, then do you really deserve to walk away?” she asked.

“WHY ARE YOU HERE?” the Eternal Dalek asked.

“To put an end to you, of course. A final, definite end,” she said coldly.

“AND HOW WERE YOU PLANNING TO DESTROY US? BLACK HOLE CONVERTERS?” Dalek Sec looked at her.

“How-.”

“EMPTY YOUR POCKETS,” he looked at them. “ALL OF YOU.”

Reluctantly, they all pulled their black hole converters from their clothes and held them in hand. Dalek Caan looked at them and they exploded in an array of sparks. The miniature explosions forced them to drop the devices, where they clattered to the ground.

“BLACK HOLE CONVERTERS NEUTRALIZED,” Caan proclaimed.

“So now what?” the Doctor stepped forward towards the black Dalek. “Extermination?”

“CORRECT,” Dalek Sec answered. “YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS IN THIS REALITY, AND THEREFORE THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS IN EVERY REALITY. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

“Afraid we’ll destroy your new army?” the other Doctor glanced at the Progenitor Ark, which was still producing new Daleks.

“CORRECT,” Dalek Sec answered again. “THE DALEKS WILL BE SUPREME, FREE OF YOUR INTERFERENCE! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

The Dalek Sec aimed his gun stick at the Doctor. The other three Daleks aimed them weapons at one of the other three.

“ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!” Dalek Thay abruptly proclaimed.

“EXPLAIN,” the other Daleks turned towards him.

“A FLEET OF SHIPS HAS JUST ENTERED INTO ORBIT!” Thay said. “THEY POSSESS SIMILAR, YET DISTINCT, ENERGY SIGNATURES TO OUR OWN SHIPS.”

“Damn,” the Doctor breathed.

“What does that mean?” April asked.

“It means that the Daleks are here,” he replied.

“THE DALEKS OF THIS REALITY MUST HAVE DETECTED US AND HERE TO INVESTIGATE,” Dalek Jast speculated.

“IF THEY ARE HERE, WE MUST WORK TO ENSURE OUR SURVIVAL,” the Eternal Dalek rolled forward. “WE MUST NOT ENGAGE.”

“IF THEY ARE HERE TO EXTERMINATE US, WE MUST EXTERMINATE THEM FIRST!” Dalek Caan replied.

“THESE DALEKS ARE IMPURE,” Dalek Sec said. “THEY MUST BE EXTERMINATED. THERE CANNOT BE TWO DALEK EMPIRES IN THIS REALITY. IT IS US, OR THEM.”

“YOU CANNOT START A WAR,” the Eternal Dalek protested.

“I WILL NOT START A WAR,” Dalek Sec turned to him. “I WILL ONLY FIRE IF THEY FIRE FIRST. IF THEY START THE WAR, I WILL END IT.”

The two Daleks stared at each other. Dalek Sec then turned to Dalek Jast.

“DALEK JAST. THEY WILL BE TELEPORTING ONTO THE SURFACE. INVESTIGATE THEM.”

“I OBEY,” Dalek Jast said before turning and rolling from the room.

Dalek Sec returned to the Doctor.

“TELL US ABOUT THE DALEKS OF YOUR UNIVERSE.”

He exaggerated an intake of breath. “Well, they’re like you, but bronze. All four members of the Cult of Skaro are dead, with them killing themselves like a pack of animals. Well, you became animals, really.”

Dalek Sec rolled forward. “SILENCE! WHAT ARE THEIR CAPABILITIES. WHAT IS THEIR STATUS IN THE UNIVERSE?”

He thought about it for a moment. “At this point in history, they’re probably confined to a few planets in close proximity, slowly rebuilding their empire. There is a fleet up there, but that is the extent of their military strength.”

The black Dalek stared at the Time Lord. “WE WILL SEE.”

High above the planet, the fleet of Daleks hung in the night sky. Below, the city streets sat quiet when energy began to appear in the air before they exploded in a blast of light. The light faded and a squadron of bronze Daleks stood in the street.

The lead Dalek rolled forward and looked around.

“THE PARALLEL DALEKS HAVE BEEN TRACED TO THIS CITY. SPREAD OUT. SEEK. LOCATE. DESTROY.”

“WE OBEY!” the Daleks declared.

The squadron began to roll forward before they abruptly stopped as they saw another Dalek rolling towards them. As it approached, they were able to register the identification tag under its eyestalk as that of Dalek Jast, a member of the Cult of Skaro. Dalek Jast rolled to a stop several feet from the squadron. The two forces faced off.

“YOU CANNOT BE DALEK JAST. IDENTIFY YOURSELF!” the squad leader demanded.

“I AM DALEK JAST. MEMBER OF THE CULT OF SKARO. CHOSEN BY THE EMPEROR HIMSELF.”

“DALEK JAST WAS EXTERMINATED ON EARTH IN 1930. YOU CANNOT BE DALEK JAST.”

“I AM.”

“YOU ARE IMPURE. YOU CANNOT BE CHOSEN BY THE EMPEROR!” the Dalek leader shook as it spoke.

“IMPURE?” Dalek Jast said.

“YOU ARE NOT LIKE US. YOU MUST BE EXTERMINATED!” the squad leader said before firing. Immediately, the other Daleks fired also. The rays all struck Jast, exploding in a blast of light. They continued firing for several moments before ceasing.

The light hung in the air for a minute before fading. Dalek Jast was still standing, the last flickers of energy tracing his shield before dissipating. Dalek Jast stared at them before raising his own weapon and exclaiming.

“EXTERMINATE!”

Beams of light erupted from his gunstick. They struck each of the Daleks and they exploded on impact. They screamed as their armor burst into flames. Shrapnel clattered to the ground.

The smoke cleared and Dalek Jast observed the ruined piles of wreckage and burning Kaled. Turning, he traveled back towards the warehouse.

Aboard the Dalek ship, the Supreme Dalek and Davros watched the scene unfold. The Supreme Dalek shook slightly as he turned to one of the control stations.

“LOWER COMMUNICATIONS BARRIER! BROADCAST ON ALL KNOWN FREQUENCIES. I WILL SPEAK TO THE IMPURE DALEKS!”

The controls beeped and clicked as the Daleks opened the channel. As they waited, Davros rolled up beside the Supreme Dalek again.

“Are you happy, Supreme Dalek?” he asked mockingly.

“DALEKS HAVE NO SUCH CONCEPT,” the Supreme Dalek said flatly.

“Are you proud of what has happened?”

“DALEKS HAVE NO SUCH CONCEPT.”

“Do you believe that coming here to exterminate these parallel Daleks was the right course of action?”

“WE NOW KNOW THAT THEY POSE A THREAT TO OUR EMPIRE. WE MUST EXTERMINATE THEM IMMEDIATELY.”

“War will follow, Supreme Dalek, if you continue on this path. I implore you to reconsid-,” Davros was cut off as one of the Daleks exclaimed.

“COMMUNICATIONS CHANNEL READY.”

The Supreme Dalek looked to the display. “OPEN THE CHANNEL. I WILL SPEAK TO THE DALEKS.”

Davros looked on in desperation.

In the warehouse, Dalek Jast returned. He rejoined the Cult of Skaro as Dalek Sec turned to face him.

“REPORT.”

“THE THREAT HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED. THE DALEK SQUADRON HAS BEEN EXTERMINATED.”

“BUT MORE WILL COME,” the Eternal Dalek rolled forward.

“AND WE WILL EXTERMINATE THEM WHEN THEY DO,” Dalek Sec replied.

“WE CANNOT WAGE WAR. WE DO NOT HAVE THE POWER,” the yellow Dalek protested. “THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.”

“THEY FIRED FIRST,” Dalek Jast turned to him. “I MERELY FINISHED THE BATTLE. JUST AS WE AGREED TO.”

“YOU HAVE ENDANGERED THE DALEKS. EVERYTHING IS IN JEOPAR-,” the Eternal Dalek was cut off as Dalek Caan abruptly rolled forward.

“INCOMING OPEN-BROADCAST TRANSMISSION!”

Dalek Sec looked at him. “OPEN THE CHANNEL. LOWER COMMUNICATIONS BARRIER.”

“I OBEY,” Dalek Caan replied.

The Daleks all looked into the air. The four travelers looked at them before following their gaze. A blue holographic panel appeared in midair, flickering slightly. It was blank for a moment before it was covered in static. The static cleared and a red and gold Dalek appeared on it.

“*I WILL SPEAK TO THE DALEKS.*”

The Eternal Dalek moved to roll forward, but Dalek Sec cut past him.

“WE ARE THE DALEKS.”

“*WHO ARE YOU?*”

“I AM DALEK SEC. WE ARE THE CULT OF SKARO.”

“*EXPLAIN YOURSELVES. WHY ARE YOU HERE?*”

“WE CAME FROM A PARALLEL UNIVERSE WHEN WE WERE ATTACKED AND PULLED THROUGH A WORMHOLE. WE ARRIVED, TASKED WITH THE CONTINUANCE OF OUR SUPREMACY, A TASK THAT WE INTEND TO FULFILL.”

“*YOUR INTENTIONS ARE TO REGROW YOUR EMPIRE OF IMPURITY IN OUR REALITY?*”

“WE ALREADY HAVE. WE HAVE RESURRECTED OUR ARMIES, AND THEY ARE FAR MORE PURE THAN ANYTHING YOU COULD EVER HOPE TO ACHIEVE.”

“*YOU ARE JUST AS I EXPECTED YOU TO BE. YOU MUST BE EXTERMIN-,*” the Supreme Dalek sounded angry just as the Doctor abruptly stepped forward.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Now is this tense or what?” he said, a twang in his voice. “Isn’t this something?”

“YOU WILL BE SILE-,” Dalek Thay rolled forward but the Supreme Dalek had already seen him.

“*DOCTOR?*” he seemed to gasp.

“Yes. It’s me, your worst enemy! And look where I am, among the *impure* Daleks! Doesn’t that just make you mad?”

“*WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? EXPLAIN! EXPLAIN! EXPLAIN!*”

“Oh, you know me. That mysterious traveler who has stopped you at every turn. And I’m going to stop you, once again.”

“*YOU CANNOT STAND IN THE WAY OF THE DALEKS. WE WILL DEAL WITH THESE IMPURE DALEKS WITHOUT INTERFERENCE!*”

“Maybe there’s a way to resolve this,” the Doctor said. “I witnessed a Dalek civil war once, and I do not want to see one again. Let me talk between you. Let me help you solve this . There has to be a solution without both of you starting a war that will likely stretch across the cosmos, devastating countless lives. There will not be another time war. Not on my watch.”

“*YOU PROPOSE TO BE A INTERMEDIARY?*”

“Indeed,” the Doctor nodded.

“THIS IS UNWISE.”

“*This could work,*” a cold voice came over the transmission. They all looked at it to see a seated figure in what appeared to be the lower half of a Dalek roll into view. The Doctor looked at him with a look of shock.

“Davros,” he muttered.

“*I believe that an alliance could be beneficial to both of us. We can potentially combine forces and technology,*” Davros continued. “*It is worth negotiating. How about a meeting, now?*”

“*DAVROS. THIS IS UNWISE!*” the Supreme Dalek protested.

“I AGREE TO A MEETING,” the Eternal Dalek said.

“DALEK ETERNAL-,” Dalek Sec said.

“*We agree to this meeting,*” Davros flashed his silver teeth. “*We will be there soon.*”

The transmission abruptly cut. Everyone in the room turned and looked at the Doctor and the Eternal Dalek. His companions and counterpart were shocked, and while the Daleks could not visibly express emotion, it was evident that they were also surprised by what had happened.

“What have you done?” the other Doctor stepped forward.

“Trying something new,” the Doctor replied.

“WE CAN SAVE OURSELVES FROM WAR,” the Eternal Dalek said. “THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE.”

Suddenly, the Supreme Dalek, Davros, and several bronze Daleks exploded into the warehouse in a flash of light. The four of them tensed, as did the other Daleks apparently. The convoy rolled forward as the Cult of Skaro and the Eternal Dalek rolled towards them.

“DALEK SEC,” the Supreme Dalek looked towards the black Dalek.

“DALEK SUPREME,” Dalek Sec returned.

“Now this is fascinating,” Davros looked around at them, particularly interested in the Progenitor Ark, which was still birthing Daleks. “We have much to learn from you.”

“DO NOT GET AHEAD OF YOURSELF, DAVROS,” the Supreme Dalek boomed. “WE HAVE NOT FORMED AN ALLIANCE YET.”

“AND WE MAY NOT,” Dalek Sec replied.

“But you might!” the Doctor stepped between them. “You both have the potential for greatness. You both can learn from each other. The Cult of Skaro was the most advanced sect of Daleks in this reality. They strove for greatness. Now you have the opportunity to join forces with the Cult of Skaro, and together, I believe that you can do anything.”

“Interesting,” Davros said. “Good to see you helping the Daleks for once, Doctor.”

“Shut up.”

“WE MUST REMAIN PURE,” the Supreme Dalek said. “ALLYING OURSELVES WITH THESE FOREIGNERS WILL MAKE US IMPURE.”

“YES. THIS WILL THREATEN OUR PURITY. WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE,” Dalek Sec rolled forward. “WE WILL BE PURE AND THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

“Please. Please don’t do this,” the Doctor begged. “We can make this work!”

“NO. YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED, ALONG WITH THE REST OF YOUR DALEKS,” Dalek Sec exclaimed.

Dalek Sec fired. The blast hit one of the bronze Daleks and caused it to explode. Immediately, the bronze Daleks returned fire. Their bolts were absorbed by the Cult of Skaro’s shields, but their drones were not so lucky. They exploded in fiery balls, but their were more of the blue Daleks than the bronze Daleks. They were outmatched.

The four ducked down under crates in the warehouse. The other Doctor looked at him in disgust.

“You did this. You started a war!”

“What other option did I have?” he asked. “We were trapped-!”

“If we don’t stop this war, everything will die!” she got up, ready to move.

The last of the bronze Daleks was destroyed. The Supreme Dalek and Davros rolled backwards out of the line of fire, looking around. He was the last one. The other Daleks surrounded him and Davros. Trapped, the Supreme Dalek looked to Davros.

“YOU BROUGHT THIS UPON US. YOU DESERVE EXTERMINATION,” he boomed. “GOODBYE, DAVROS.”

In a flash of light, the Supreme Dalek vanished. The Daleks looked around in confusion, but they quickly focused on Davros, who was struggling with the controls on his chair, which seemed to have gone dead. He looked up as the Cult of Skaro approached him.

“YOU ARE DAVROS, CREATOR OF THE DALEKS?” Dalek Sec asked.

Davros swallowed. “I am.”

“I PRESUME YOU ARE A SCIENTIST JUST AS OUR DAVROS WAS?”

“I am,” he repeated.

“YOU WILL BE OF USE,” he said. “YOU WILL COME WITH US.”

“I can’t…” he trailed off before smiling. He began laughing. “Of course. My Daleks abandoned me, and now you welcome me with open arms. Fantastic! I will help you.”

“EXCELLENT!”

“DALEK SEC,” the Eternal Dalek turned to him. “THE FLEET WILL OPEN FIRE UPON US. IF WE ARE TO SURVIVE AND BEGIN PLANNING FOR THIS WAR YOU HAVE BEGUN, THEN WE MUST LEAVE.”

“AGREED. HALT THE PROGENITOR. ACTIVATE MASS SPACIAL DISPLACEMENT,” Dalek Sec looked around. He saw the Doctor, the other Doctor, Clara, and April, looking out from behind a crate. “WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN, DOCTOR. BOTH OF YOU.”

Slowly everything began to shake around them. There was an energy in the air. They glowed with light before in a blinding blast of white, they were gone. The four of them got up and looked around.

“This is war,” the other Doctor said through clenched teeth. “War, that I thought I ended. All the sacrifices of my life have been in vain.”

“I can fix this,” the Doctor turned to her.

“I’m sure you can, but this is still your fault,” she turned and walked away. “Now come on. I’ll take to your TARDIS so you can go on and have your little adventures while I save your universe. Or you can stay here and be obliterated by the Daleks. Either way; you’re useless to me.”

The Doctor and his companions looked after her as she left.

“Doctor, this isn’t your fault,” Clara tried to console him.

“Yeah. The Daleks are the ones who shot first. You were just in a bad position.”

“Perhaps, but I am still responsible for the outcome here. And it’s up to me to fix it. It’s up to me to stop this war.”

“Up to us,” Clara corrected him.

“Don’t think you’re going to do this alone.”

The Doctor smiled slightly. “Come on. We need to go. We’ll be back. I know we will.”

Together, the three of them ran off from that place towards the future.

## Characters

* Twelfth Doctor
* Clara Oswald
* April Leigh-Morgan
* The Other Doctor
* The Other Daleks
	+ The Dalek Emperor
	+ The Supreme Dalek
	+ The Eternal Dalek
	+ Scientist Dalek
	+ Strategist Dalek
* The Cult of Skaro
	+ Dalek Sec
	+ Dalek Thay
	+ Dalek Jast
	+ Dalek Caan
* The Daleks
	+ The Supreme Dalek
	+ Davros

## Gallery

Promotional cover for the story and its sequel.Textless version.
## Trivia

* The cliffhanger will be resolved in Series 3.