Back to Our Reality

THIRTEEN

There were Daleks everywhere.

"DALEKS REIGN SUPREME. ALL HAIL THE DALEKS."

"O...kay..." the Doctor breathed, looking around as he stepped out of the TARDIS. Behind him, the door pulled up but didn't shut. He didn't notice. The only thing he saw was the situation they had been brought in to. He figured that this must be the biggest Dalek fleet he had seen since the end of The Time War.

The thought filled him with more dread than he had ever felt in his long life and the more he thought about how he might try and work his way out of this, the fewer ideas sprang to mind.

He continued to look around, barely noticing Jack and Jackie's stunned silences. His eyes crossed to a larger, red-and-gold-coloured Dalek standing on what looked like a pedestal. The Supreme Dalek.

"BEHOLD, DOCTOR. BEHOLD THE MIGHT OF THE TRUE DALEK RACE."

"Oh, my God," Jackie said, more to herself than anything. She had heard about Daleks and had even seen what they could do at Canary Wharf, but she had never been in the presence of one and certainly not an entire fleet. However, she knew that both the Doctor and her daughter had. She remembered when that was and the fact that it had ended with the Doctor changing his face to stop himself from dying didn't do much in the way of providing her hope that she would survive this.

The three of them stood together, unsure about what to do – about whether there was anything they could do.

Because, right now, it looked as though they were at a loss.

There was a sudden click from the TARDIS behind them. The Doctor turned around immediately at the sound and ran towards the ship.

"I thought you locked it," Jack said as the Doctor tried – and failed – to open the door.

"I didn't, I meant to but I didn't." He continued to try and open the door, but it remained firmly shut. He turned back to the Daleks. "What have you done?"

"THIS IS NOT OF DALEK ORIGIN. THIS IS TIME LORD TREACHERY."

"Me?" the Doctor asked incredulously, walking further towards the Supreme Dalek. "The door just locked on its own."

"Maybe the TARDIS just locked the doors herself?" Jack ventured, hoping to calm the Time Lord he could see getting wound up. If the Daleks had realised that Rose was still in there, there was no telling what they might try and do.

The Doctor shook his head. "Her power's down, she can't do anything."

"NEVERTHELESS THE TARDIS IS A WEAPON AT IT WILL BE DESTROYED."

The sound of a hatch opened and the Doctor turned just in time to see the TARDIS fall down the hole that was left. He made for it, but there was nothing he could do to stop his ship from plummeting. His hearts pounded in his chest. Rose was still inside. Rose was still inside and there was nothing he could do to save her.

With pure fear in his eyes, the Doctor looked back at the Daleks, demanding them to explain where they were taking it. His eyes widened in fear and for a second he thought his legs might give way.

"But you've taken the defences down! It'll be torn apart!"

Upon hearing what the Doctor said, Jackie spoke. "But my daughter is still inside!" She turned to the Doctor. "You promised me she would be safe!"

The Doctor said nothing. Even if he had known what to say in that moment he would never have gotten the chance. The Supreme Dalek spoke instead; it's statement factual, it's tone uncaring: