The Time of Change

Who I Am

Ten daleks stand in a V-formation at the gaping hole they just blasted in the wall. I clutch the Doctor's sleeve. They all look identical with similar copper outsides and black, protruding circular baubles. The one at the tip of the V slowly wheels toward us, the others behind it watching menacingly.

"A dalek has been killed," it proclaims in its staccato, high-pitched, automated tone. I shiver. "Where is it?" The robot rolls closer, and I feel terror overpower the pain in my stomach. My heart pounds violently against my ribcage. Suddenly, it appears to recognize who it is speaking to. "Doctor!" it buzzes.

My husband stands firm beside me, his expression blank. "Look where you're standing," he says levelly. I glance at the charred floor, and the dalek reverses so it can have a clear view.

"The Doctor is responsible!" it declares, the anger so concentrated that my breath catches. "The Doctor has attacked the daleks!"

The Doctor replies, "No, I didn't. Your friend killed itself because it was experiencing kindness."

The lead dalek is still for a moment, and the others turn their eyes to look at it. "Kind...ness..." it repeats.

"Yes. It had been saved out of kindness, and in turn it began to feel emotion. It died to avoid becoming good."

An electric blue beam of light shoots out from the dalek's plunger-like eye, and I duck just in time for it to whiz over my head. I hear it passing, the sizzle of the hottest light, and feel warmth on my head. I came within a centimeter of my hair being singed off. The Doctor moves me behind him and shouts, "It wasn't our fault! The dalek was weak and afraid."

"Our kind are not weak!" the robot screams.

"Yes, you are!" the Doctor says, his voice full and strong and powerful. My chest tightens. "You're murderers and cowards—monsters, the whole lot of you!"

The whole world is silent. I stare at his clenched jaw, a muscle jumping near his ear, and he reaches out for my hand yet again. The dalek wheels forward about a foot—not enough to be a threat. I watch it warily as the others move with their leader. Then, it says something that knocks me back on my heels.

"The Doctor destroyed his own people to save himself. You are the monster, not the daleks." They form themselves into a perfectly straight line, all their rays raised to point directly at us.

"And you will be exterminated," they say in unison.

My husband and I duck to avoid the ten beams of light that are discharged our way. They hit the door behind us, and it is blasted away from the wall. He pulls me down the stairs at lightning speed, but I slow the both of us down. The unborn child fights against any movement I make, and I lean against the wall two flights below, clutching at my stomach. "Annalise," he whispers, taking my hand in his and pressing it to his lips. Before I can so much as take a steadying breath, I hear the whir of dalek's wheels approach. I straighten off the wall, and together we start down again.

"Can daleks use the stairs?" I huff as we near the thirty-sixth floor about three minutes later.

"Maybe," my husband pants back, "if they fly."

I nearly trip. "Fly?"

"Yeah."

"Daleks can fly."

"Yes, unfortunately."

"That's helpful."

"I'm surprised you don't remember."

"Well, it wasn't very high on my list of important memories." He chuckles breathily, and I sigh. "What are we going to do?"

After a pause, he replies, "Just keep running, Annalise."