Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

Journey's End (Part 2)

"REPORT. TARDIS HAS BEEN LOCATED."

"BRING IT HERE," the Supreme Dalek ordered. "BRING THE DOCTOR TO ME. INITIATE TEMPORAL PRISON."

"TEMPORAL PRISON INITIATED."

The occupants of the TARDIS were blissfully unaware of the four Daleks outside until the power in the ship cut out abruptly. Brought sharply back to Earth, the Doctor darted to the console. "They've got us. Power's gone. Some kind of chronon loop." Before anyone could answer, the ship tilted with a sickening jerk.

"TRANSFERRING TARDIS TO THE CRUCIBLE."

Not far away, Jackie, Mickey, and Sarah Jane watched the blue box ascend into the sky from the cover of an abandoned car. "Those teleport things," Sarah Jane whispered to the other two. "Can we use them? If they've taken the Doctor to the Dalek spaceship, then that's where we need to be."

"It's not just a teleport, it's a dimension jump," Mickey explained. "Man, this thing rips a hole in the fabric of space."

"But can we use it?"

"Not yet. It burns up energy. Needs half an hour between jumps."

"Then put down your guns," Sarah Jane said.

"Do what?" Mickey asked, aghast.

"If you're carrying a gun, they'll shoot you dead," she explained, before stepping out from behind the car. "Daleks, I surrender," she called.

"ALL HUMANS IN THIS SECTOR WILL BE TAKEN TO THE CRUCIBLE," one of the Daleks said, swiveling around to face them.

"She's bloody mad!" Mickey hissed.

"Yeah, but Mickey, if they've got the Doctor, then they've got Rose," Jackie said, then set down her weapon and stepped out into the street as well. "And us. We surrender."

Mickey stared after her for a minute, kissed his gun, and set it down as well.

~~~

"There's a massive Dalek ship at the center of the planets," Jack said. "They're calling it the Crucible. Guess that's our destination."

The four still remaining stared at each other in silence, until their brief trip was over and the scanner beeped. "The Dalek Crucible," the Doctor said dryly. "All aboard."

"THE TARDIS IS SECURED," came the voice of a Dalek outside.

"DOCTOR, YOU WILL STEP FORTH OR DIE," the Supreme Dalek called.

"We'll have to go out," the Doctor said, glancing at the others. "Because if we don't, they'll get in."

"You told me nothing could get through those doors," Rose said, her tone slightly accusing.

"You've got extrapolator shielding," Jack added.

"Last time we fought the Daleks, they were scavengers, and hybrids, and mad," the Time Lord said. "But this is a fully-fledged Dalek Empire, at the height of its power. Experts at fighting TARDISes, they can do anything. Right now, that wooden door... is just wood."

Donna, on the other hand, was strangely silent compared to the other two, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

"What about your dimension jump?" Jack asked Rose.

"It needs another twenty minutes. And anyway, I'm not leaving."

"What about your teleport?" the Doctor said, fixing his gaze on Jack.