Clara & Me - Sentinel Of The Daleks

Domain Of The Daleks

"PATHFINDER, can you hear me? Cap, do you read us?" asked Lyon urgently, as she fiddled with the transmission settings of the pod in an attempt to re-establish communications with the main ship, which had abruptly ceased contact. But the only reply that came was static on the screen.

"I don't like the look of this," said Clara with a frown. "Something seems to be jamming our transmissions. It might be a good idea to turn back and see what's wrong."

"Now hang on a minute, young lady," said Lyon firmly. "Let's not go leaping to hasty conclusions. It could all be a simple equipment malfunction. There's no need to go around assuming the worst."

Suddenly the whole pod lurched a little violently and began gliding through the clouds apparently all by itself. Lyon wrestled with the controls, but was quite unable to get the pod back on course.

"Now what's happening?" asked Clara.

"We seem to be caught in the pull of a tractor beam," said Lyon as she continued flicking switches on the control panel. "It's pulling us towards the centre of the planet. I can't break us free of it."

The two accompanying crewmembers exchanged worried glances. "But that means there's some form of advanced life down there," one of them exclaimed. 'What if they're hostile?"

Before Lyon could responded, the pod passed through a particularly thick cloud and the source of the tractor beam became visible before their astonished eyes. It was a huge space station, cylindrical in shape and built out of some bronze-coloured metal. The whole construct looked inelegant and was clearly built more for function than appearance. At one end of the station was a large opening that led into a huge docking bay, and it was here that the pod was being dragged towards.

"Anyone-else getting a 'Star Wars' vibe here?" asked Clara worriedly as the pod glided into the docking bay and was gently put down on the metal decking. As soon as the pod was settled down, several doors slid open along the walls of the bay and a number of sinister, and all-too familiar, metal creatures emerged and surrounded the ship.

"Daleks!" exclaimed Lyon as she and the other looked on in horror through the pod's viewing port. "But what are they doing here?"

"I suppose we've just discovered some hidden base," answered Clara, "placed right at the heart of the planet where no-one would think to look."

The radio suddenly came back to life and the harsh monotone voice of a Dalek came through on the speaker. "HUMANOID LIFE-FORMS, YOU ARE NOW IN THE POWER OF THE DALEKS! RESISTANCE IS USELESS. THE THREE OF YOU WILL EMERGE AND SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY!"

A little puzzled, Lyon spoke into the speaker, choosing her words carefully. "I'm sorry, what makes you think there are three onboard? I could be on my own here."

"DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DECEIVE US!" snapped the Dalek. "OUR SENSORS DETECT THREE LIFE SIGNS ON YOUR CRAFT. YOU WILL EMERGE NOW OR YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!"

Clara whispered urgently into Lyon's ear. "They can't be picking up my life signs. I can't explain right now, but they don't yet know I'm onboard as well."

Although not understanding, Lyon could tell there was an advantage to be gained from this. "In that case you stay on the pod until the coast is clear," she whispered back. "Try and get a message back to PATHFINDER and get them to send help."

Outside the pod, the Daleks were getting impatient. "THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! EMERGE OR YOUR CRAFT WILL BE DESTROYED!"

The pod's entry hatch slid open and Lyon and her two crew-mates clambered out, whereupon the Daleks surrounded them.

"IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!" commanded the leading Dalek, distinguished by its blood-red casing.

Lyon stood stiffly to attention, looking defiantly at the Daleks. "I am Commander Jane Lyon of the starship PATHFINDER and I wish to protest at the way you hi-jacked my vessel. This act of utter piracy is..."

"SILENCE!" barked the Red Dalek, before it turned its domed head to address one of its subordinates. "TAKE THIS HUMAN TO THE INTERROGATION CHAMBER FOR QUESTIONING BY THE BLACK DALEK."

"I OBEY," replied the second Dalek, before it began to nudge Lyon forward with its sucker arm.

"Wait! What about the other members of my crew?" Lyon demanded, though she already had a horrible feeling as to what the Daleks had in mind for them.

"THEY ARE OF NO VALUE TO US," said the Red Dalek simply. "THEREFORE, THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED!"

Upon hearing this, the two crewmembers lost their nerve and tried to dart for the nearest door. But they never stood a chance. Every Dalek had already trained their weapons on them both and before a horrified Lyon could react, the ruthless aliens opened fire, blasting the two men down with their deadly rays.

"That was cold-blooded murder!" Lyon spat angrily at the Red Dalek. "There was no need for that!"

The Red Dalek was unrepentant. "THEY WERE INFERIOR CREATURES. ALL INFERIOR CREATURES ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE DALEKS AND MUST BE DESTROYED." It turned back to the other Daleks. "DESTROY THE HUMAN SHIP. USE FULL POWER. FIRE!"

"What?! No, you can't!" exclaimed Lyon. It was bad enough having her two crew-mates murdered before her eyes, but Clara was still on the survey pod, and the Commander could not bear the thought of watching the civilian's death occur as well. But the Daleks were already taking aim and within seconds, their intense lasers were blasting the small ship, making it glow an intense blue like a photo-negative, before finally bursting into flames. Lyon could only stare in dismay as her vehicle was reduced to a pile of smoking scrap metal, all too aware that no-one could have survived that.

"FOLLOW ME!" commanded one of the Dalek guards, pushing Lyon again with its manipulator arm. Reluctantly, the Commander did as she was told and soon the Daleks and their prisoner had filed out of the chamber.

No sooner did they leave, than a panel in the floor opened up a little and Clara Oswald peered through the gap, checking that the coast was clear.

"Phew, that was close," she breathed quietly. Luckily, she realised from experience what the Daleks might have had in store for the ship, and so while Lyon kept the Daleks talking, Clara used her Sonic screwdriver to open up a hatch in the side of the pod, enabling her to slip out of the craft, whereupon she discreetly opened up another hatch in the floor of the docking bay, enabling her to hide in one of the service ducts. No sooner had she gotten in and slide the panel back in place, then the Daleks destroyed the pod. It was fortunate that Clara had adapted her Screwdriver so that the Daleks would not detect its sonic waves, otherwise they would have discovered her presence at once.

Clara sighed, regretting that there was nothing she could have done to save the two crewmen. But at least she was alive and had a slim chance of rescuing Lyon and finding out what the Daleks were up to. And so, she began to crawl her way along the narrow ducting, hoping to find some clue as to what the Daleks were up to...