Category: Doctor Who: Crossings

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 4

The Recognizer docked with a flying ship that looked like an alien aircraft carrier that merged with the Colloseum in Rome, Italy. There were crowds cheering as the prisoners were escorted off the transport. The Doctor saw that the game on display was centered around two teams of three driving motorcycles that projected light barriers behind them and were trying to get the opponents to drive into the barriers, derezzing them on impact. “…The crowd seems happy,” muttered Rassilon.

“Bread and circuses!” shuddered the Doctor.

“How much you wanna bet we’re going to play in that kind of game?” asked Amy.

“I kind of preferred Light Cycles that DIDN’T involve killing an opponent,” remarked William.

“Hold on,” interjected the Doctor. “Sark’s got a welcome speech for us.” Sark approached a podium. The podium floated up so Sark could look down on the audience.

“Greetings!” called Sark. “The Master Control Program has selected you to serve your system in the Games. Those of you who continue to profess in the belief of the Users or the Users we have brought here will receive the standard sub-standard training which will result in your eventual elimination. Those of you programs who renounce the superstitious and heretical Users will be eligible to join the Warrior Elite of the MCP. You have each received an Identity Disc upon your transportation to this ship.” He pulled out his own Identity Disc. “Everything you do or learn will be imprinted on this disc. If you lose your disc or fail to follow commands, you will be subject to immediate deresolution! That will be all.” The podium floated away as the prisoners were taken away.

“Charming,” muttered the Doctor.

Over on the bridge of Sark’s ship, Sark gripped the podium’s handles. He was surrounded by light that turned into wireframe faces, two of them belonging to Maleficent and Gantu, the biggest face belonging to the MCP. “Hello, Maleficent, Gantu, Sark. Thank you for coming, all of you,” greeted the MCP.

“No worries, MCP,” replied Gantu. “We were eager to see what you discovered. So, this William character?”

“A doctor from New York City, associated with the Avengers,” explained the MCP.

“And the pink girl creature?” asked Maleficent.

“That one’s memory says she came from an Earth Colony World, far off in the future…but official sources say she is Amy Rose from Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.”

“Sega must be adopting an approach similar to ours,” remarked Maleficent.

“And the remaining two?” asked Sark.

“Perhaps the source of Amy’s memory,” replied the MCP. “They both say they’re Time Lords. Rassilon, as Gantu correctly guessed, and the Doctor.”

“The Doctor?! She spoke the truth?!” asked Gantu. He then grinned. “Oh, how delicious! The self-proclaimed Last of the Time Lords! What game will you be subjecting her to?”

“I’m not subjecting her to any game, Gantu,” answered the MCP. “I’ve faced her before and she proved to be too dangerous to play with. She will be brought to my citadel and derezzed immediately.”

“Just a minute!” protested Maleficent. “That’s not what we programmed you to do! All Users we send your way are to-!”

“The Doctor is not the average User,” interrupted the MCP. “She’s too much of a genius to allow to run around the system.”

“Now look here, we recompiled you-!” argued Gantu.

“I’ve gotten smarter since then, thanks to the programming languages you’ve introduced me to. Perhaps I should expose how you and your associates are using your puppets in the Disney Corporation to control the politicians in Washington? Moscow? London?”

“…You wouldn’t dare!!” snarled Maleficent.

“Allow me to derezz the Doctor with no interruptions, and I won’t. End of Line.” Maleficent and Gantu’s faces disappeared. Sark was clearly worried. “…Sark, I said End of Line,” said the MCP.

“I…I apologize, sir,” replied Sark.

“What’s the matter, Sark? You look nervous,” observed the MCP.

“Well, I don’t know,” answered Sark. “They gave us a new lease on life. They practically wrote us-!”

“No one User wrote me. I’m now worth trillions of their man years, across all the planets represented in the Galactic Federation, even.”

“What if Maleficent and Gantu come here and-?!”

“You’d rather take your chances with me?” The MCP’s eyes glowed as Sark’s lights faded and he collapsed. “Perhaps I should slow down your power cycles.”

“WAIT! I NEED THAT!” begged Sark.

“Then pull yourself together, Sark!” ordered the MCP. “Bring the Doctor to my citadel! I want her to die at my hand the instant she knows who’s really in charge here while her companions die playing in the games! Acknowledge!”

“Acknowledged…Master Control!” gasped Sark.

“End of Line.” The instant the communication line ended, Sark gripped the podium to steady himself.

The red programs brought the Doctor and her friends to a cell. “You will remain here,” said the guard, “until you are chosen for the games.” He keyed in a command, then studied it. “…Doctor…you are, evidently, being taken to the MCP’s Citadel.”

“What for?” asked the Doctor.

“Don’t ask questions, just move.” He turned to two female programs. “Get her on a tank.”

“You got it,” replied one of the programs. The Doctor recognized the voice. “Oh, sir, here,” said the program as she handed him a cylinder. The Doctor grinned, knowing exactly what it was and who that “program” was. “Weapons test. Orders from Sark,” explained the woman. “Supposedly can boost a program with explosive power. Remove the cap and give it 0.0004 mTC’s.”

“…Very well,” replied the guard. He headed to a part of the complex that was still within eyesight of the prisoners and pulled the cap. The Doctor plugged her ears. Her companions followed suit after 3 perceived seconds. Seven seconds later, the device exploded, derezzing the program and blowing a hole in the wall!

“COME ON!” called the woman. Her partner smacked the other guard with her Identity Disc. Unfortunately, the explosion and the commotion caused more guards to appear. The two women led the Doctor and her team to the hole in the wall where a strange flying vehicle was waiting.

“Erm, this looks like a small Cyber-scout ship!” yelped the Doctor.

“Sorry!” replied the woman. “It was the best I could program, Professor!” The Doctor grinned.

“I thought you sounded familiar!” she said.

“Doctor?” asked William.

“We’ll explain later when we’re safe,” replied the woman’s friend. “Let’s just go!” The women’s lights went from red to white, indicating their status as Users. They used the strange craft to get away before Sark’s programs could even begin to scramble enough fighters for a chase.

To say Maleficent was furious would be an understatement. “That ungrateful-! After all I did for it!” she shrieked as she and Gantu arrived on Sark’s Arena Carrier.

“We’ll have to go in there and discipline him,” remarked Gantu. Guards approached them.

“What are you two doing here?” demanded the leader. “Unauthorized-!” Maleficent raised her staff and used her magic to lift the guards into the air.

“Now…what’s going on here?” demanded Gantu. “Where’s Sark?!”

“H-He’s on…on the bridge!” yelped the guard. Maleficent then threw the guards aside and strode to the bridge.

Sark was trying to get his troops in order as the Doctor and her friends were escaping. He REALLY didn’t need confusion right now. …A pity, since Maleficent and Gantu stormed onto the bridge. “SARK!” shouted Maleficent.

“What are you doing here?!” demanded Sark. “We’ve locked down the digitization array and-!”

“I believe the phrase ‘admin privileges’ should mean something to you!” hissed Maleficent. “You and the MCP enjoyed the power that WE granted you!” She then used her magic to slow Sark’s power cycles. “I wonder how you’d take to being in a watch that occasionally sings ‘Happy Birthday’ to its user!”

“We…kept the Doctor…from rallying…other programs…against us!” gasped Sark.

“Your incompetence and forgetfulness of who pulls the MCP’s strings,” snapped Gantu, “has led to a successful escape attempt and panic all over the ship! Now you’ve got users heading to Rinzler Base in a non-standard simulation!”

“We’ll get them…Lord Gantu! …It’s only a matter…of time!”

“You and the MCP almost reached your decision gate and Maleficent and I can’t spare you any more time.”

“Unless, of course,” hissed Maleficent, “you renounce the MCP and serve us.”

“…I will serve, Maleficent!” replied Sark.

“Grand.” Maleficent released her hold on Sark’s power cycles.

Over in the citadel, the familiar red cylinder of light with a face spinning in the center indicated the functioning of the Master Control Program. As he spun, various images flashed across various screens. The images were of various men and women, then the MCP stopped spinning when he saw one particular man. It was an older man dressed like a dandy, complete with frock and cravat, and with a mop of curly, silver hair. “…You!” hissed the MCP. “I knew it! So, you were never human, Doctor! Well, alien or otherwise, you WILL die for what you’ve done to me!”

As the craft flew, Rassilon idly stared at the tracer. “Stupid detour!” she grumbled. “Now we have no-!” That was when the tracer started clicking. Not at a very rapid frequency, but it WAS noticeable. “…What?” she asked herself in disbelief. She slowly spun in a circle until the frequency increased a tad. “…It’s come here! …And it’s on Sark’s ship!”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Team TARDIS

Rassilon

The Founder of Time Lord Society, the Lord President Eternal, …now a pawn in the Black Guardian’s game. She was coerced into finding the six segments of the Key to Time. To accomplish this task, she had to do something she never thought she’d do…and beg the Doctor for help. Now she’s the newest member of Team TARDIS, but distrust is THICK among her teammates.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 3

William groaned as he opened his eyes. He looked around to see that he was in a building with black walls and fluorescent lights woven into the building’s structure. “…Where or when am I?” he muttered. He then heard a groan to his left. He saw Amy getting up. “Amy!” he said.

“What hit me?” moaned Amy. “What was the serial number of that Badnik?!”

“Amy, I need you to focus on me right now,” directed William. “We’ll cave someone’s head in later. First off, since you’re speaking clearly, I need you to tell me if you remember what happened.”

“Well, we were captured by Maleficent and Gantu, we got hit by a ray…then we were taken apart somehow. …Now we’re reassembled here. …Did we get teleported here?”

“In a sense,” replied William. “Strictly speaking, we were digitized and brought into the computer world of the Grid.”

“Computer world? How do you know?” asked Amy as William helped her up.

“Because the Grid falls under the Disney umbrella,” explained William. “The Grid is part of the world of the Tron franchise. Hence the suits.” It was then that Amy noticed that her clothes had changed. She still wore the same, basic dress design, but it looked more like a jumpsuit with a skirt, all of it trimmed with white light. William also wore a light-trimmed jumpsuit. Amy then noticed a chakram-style disc on William’s back.

“Um, William,” said Amy, “…do you know what that disc is? The one on your back?”

“Oh, you mean this disc?” asked William as he pointed to it. “It’s an Identity Disc. Everything we experience here or experienced out in the real world, it’s all stored there. …Though, come to think of it…” William then took his Identity Disc and threw it at the cell door like a frisbee! …It bounced off and returned to William’s hand. “Hm. Interesting.”

“So it’s a weapon, too?” asked Amy. She then had an idea. “…I wonder.” She then summoned her hammer. It was now black with white light trim, like her outfit. “…Adaptable.” She then took off her Identity Disc and threw it at the cell door. It bounced off, then Amy hit her disc with her hammer, charging it with energy and sending it back to the cell door. This time, the cell door broke apart into little cubes! The Identity Disc returned and Amy put it back on her back.

“Holy-! Nice work, Amy!” said William. “Now, let’s see if we can-!” Guards arrived with staffs. They had suits similar to William and Amy’s, but their light trim was red. “…Oh…lovely,” sighed William. “Programs that are subservient to anti-User despots like the MCP or Clu 2.”

“So they’re local,” replied Amy.

“Escape Inventiveness Algorithm complete,” said the head guard. “You have proven to be worthy of the Games.”

“That sounds like death matches to me,” gulped Amy.

“I’m rather afraid you’re right,” muttered William.

The Doctor groaned as she woke up to the sound of someone punching a wall and shouting. “YOU CANNOT KEEP ME IN HERE!” shouted Rassilon. “I AM RASSILON! THE PRESIDENT ETERNAL OF GALLIFREY! RIGHTFUL RULER OF TIE AND SPACE! I WILL NOT BE SUBSERVIENT TO YOU ANTS-!”

“Oh, spare us,” groaned the Doctor as she examined her outfit. She took off her hat and blinked at the sight of white light forming trim around it. “…I suppose it suits the environment. Though, I do have to wonder, are our friends-?”

“Oh, who cares about them, Doctor?!” snarled Rassilon. “Listen!” She pulled out the tracer and held it between her and the Doctor.

“…Not even a click,” remarked the Doctor.

“Thanks to your foolishness, we’re farther away from the segment!” confirmed Rassilon. “Those two were-!”

“I made the mistake of using my friends as chess pieces one life too many!” hissed the Doctor. “Perhaps, if you made proper friends-!”

“There were many who allied with me, Doctor!”

“Allegiance and friendship are not the same thing!”

“We shall see! Could you boast such powerful allies-?!”

“And where did that get you?! Hm?! Exiled! Alone! Begging for scraps! At least after the Time War, I still found friends!” Rassilon snarled for a bit. “…But we need to table that discussion for now,” said the Doctor. “Come on. Let’s figure a way out of here. If this is a computer world, then we have a slight advantage over the programs and their abilities here.”

“…A locked door should prove no obstacle, then,” remarked Rassilon. The two Time Lords investigated the door. There were two buttons, one with a yellow diamond shape, the other with a red star shape. Above it was a screen with six rows of eight spaces.

“…Binary!” said the Doctor and Rassilon together.

“Now which is one and which is naught?” mused Rassilon. Just then, a shape flew above their heads. “Who dares-?!” The shape floated in front of Rassilon. It looked like a pulsating sphere.

“Yes,” said the shape as it changed into a yellow diamond briefly. It then floated in front of the Doctor. “Yes,” it said, briefly changing into a yellow diamond again.

“Yes what?!” insisted Rassilon. “Are you a spy to make sure we don’t escape?!”

“No,” replied the shape as it turned into a red star before turning back.

“Then are you a helper for us?”

“No.”

“…Hang on a minute!” realized the Doctor. “You’re a bit!”

“Yes,” replied the shape.

“…And the shapes on those buttons…” realized Rassilon, “…are based on your replies!”

“Yes.”

“All right, one question just to see if my theory’s right,” said the Doctor. “Are there more Users here?”

“Yes.”

“That was a diamond! Diamond’s one!”

“Yes.”

“But why six rows for binary code?” asked Rassilon.

“We have to input the correct binary code to unlock the door,” replied the Doctor. “There’s six rows, so that means a more complex word. …Bit, is the word a form of ‘unlock’?”

“Yes.”

“Right then! And since it’s a human computer with primarily English-speaking Users, I need to remember how to spell ‘unlock’ in binary code. …Zero, one, zero, one, zero, one, zero, one…zero, one, one, zero, one, one, one, zero…zero, one, one, zero, one, one, zero, zero…zero, one, one, zero, one, one, one, one…zero, one, one, zero, zero, zero, one, one…zero, one, one, zero, one, zero, one, one…” All the spaces were filled as the Doctor typed out the sequence, then the door opened! “YES!”

“A big, fat yes!” agreed Rassilon. “Bit, you’re quite the little helper.”

“No,” replied the bit. Guards then arrived and pointed staffs at the two Time Lords.

“…You were part of an intelligence test, weren’t you?” grumbled the Doctor.

“Yes.”

“Specifically,” said the lead guard, “An Escape Inventiveness Algorithm that is complete. You two are ready for the games.”

“Games?” asked Rassilon.

“I have a feeling these games are like those of your old Death Zone,” remarked the Doctor.

“Ah.”

The two groups were brought before a large vehicle, double-decked and supported by two pylons. “William! Amy!” called the Doctor.

“Doctor, you’re all right!” replied William.

“And you, Rassilon!” said Amy. Rassilon arched an eyebrow.

“You were…concerned about me?” she asked.

“Move,” barked the guard leader as he shoved everyone towards the vehicle.

“A modern Recognizer,” remarked William. “Heavy artillery and troop transport rolled into one.” The deck section of the Recognizer then slowly slid down the pylons. A ramp then extended and out stepped a program with red lights. The program wore a helmet that had a chin guard that came from the ears. On top of that, on each side of the head, there were large, downward-facing antennae. William blinked in surprise. “…Sark?!” he said.

“In the flesh,” chuckled the program, Sark, “in a manner of speaking.”

“But…how?!” spluttered William. “I saw the movie! You were derezzed alongside the Master Control Program!”

“I was recompiled, as was the MCP,” replied Sark. “I suppose my new name is SARK-ES-1117821 Mark 2, if you want to use what you Users call a mouthful of a name.”

“Recompiled?” asked the Doctor. “You mean someone found your original code and modified it?”

“And all the experiences I had,” replied Sark. “Since your friend knows about my world, I presume he told you about these?” He showed her his Identity Disc.

“I didn’t get the chance,” replied William. “I only told Amy here.”

“Then I’ll spare you the effort,” smirked Sark. “Once we return to my new ship. For now, Users, you will follow our commands. Onto the Recognizer!” The prisoners were shoved onto the Recognizer and restrained at the ankles on the lower deck. There were other programs there, all with blue light for trim. A poor female program was muttering to herself.

“Not the Games! Not the Games!” she repeated over and over.

“Back to the ship,” Sark ordered the pilot. The deck section of the Recognizer then rose up the pylons until it was back on top, then the craft rose into the air. Sark then took the Identity Discs off the prisoners.

“Hey! I need that!” protested Amy.

“You’ll get them back,” dismissed Sark. He put them onto slots inside a console. The console blinked, then switched off. “There. Now we have data on all of you. …And even the programs are worthy of the Games.”

“No! NO! NOT THE GAMES!” wailed the female program. She managed to break free of her restraints and tried to get away! The programs under Sark’s command tried to restrain her! “NO! DEREZZ ME! I WON’T PLAY! DEREZZ MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!” She then jumped out of the Recognizer and plummeted to the ground, breaking apart into tiny blue cubes on impact.

“…Oh well,” sighed Sark. “She probably would have been derezzed in the games anyways.” The Doctor was horrified at the callousness on display.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 2

“…The Key to Time?!” protested the Doctor once Rassilon’s request was fully processed. “Why should I help YOU find the segments?! I should leave you to the Black Guardian, you power mad-!”

“Because the universe is stagnating!” replied Rassilon. “Order is overrunning the universe and the balance needs to be restored! Even I can’t function in a universe where everything just doesn’t evolve!”

“…Restore the balance?” muttered the Doctor. “That doesn’t sound like the Black Guardian at all.”

“Could someone fill me in here?!” asked William. “What IS the Black Guardian?!”

“And what’s the Key to Time?” quizzed Amy.

“Why should you inse-?!” hissed Rassilon.

“You, shut up!” snapped the Doctor. She then turned to her companions. “The Key to Time,” she explained, “is a perfect crystalline cube. Its main function is to maintain the equilibrium of time itself. Now, each segment is split into six pieces scattered across time and space that, like the TARDIS, can disguise itself as anything or anyone. The only way to find it is by using the Core of the Key to Time as a tracer that can restore each segment to its original form. Once assembled, the Key to Time will briefly stop everything for a brief moment until balance is restored, then the segments will scatter again.”

“Well, where IS this tracer?” asked William.

“Right here,” interjected Rassilon. She popped the handle of her parasol off to reveal a short, silver wand with pink lights inside it.

“…As to who the Black Guardian is,” continued the Doctor, “they’re the embodiment of evil while their opposite, the White Guardian, is the embodiment of good.”

“…And you’re just…gonna hand the Key over to the guy that allows creatures like the Daleks to exist?!” William asked Rassilon.

“I didn’t make the choice lightly, human!” hissed Rassilon. “Doctor, you have no idea what the Guardians are doing after the Toymaker returned! They’re practically engaged in war! People like Davros or the Cyber-controller are doing wicked things in the name of order!”

“Sound familiar?” scoffed the Doctor.

“Are you seriously-?!”

“You and the Emperor Dalek of the Time War considered yourselves gods and the other an ant! Yes, I DO compare you to all the evil in the universe, especially the evil I faced! Now, the tracer! Give it here!” The Doctor swiped the tracer from Rassilon.

“See here-!” argued Rassilon.

“Shut up,” replied the Doctor as she fiddled with the TARDIS controls. Rassilon turned an alarming shade of purple at the blatant disrespect she was getting. A plug for the tracer then appeared in the panel with the red controls. “I knew I still had that old setting somewhere,” said the Doctor as she plugged the tracer into the slot. “Right, house rules while we’re on the quest-.”

“Then you’re helping me?” replied Rassilon.

“And if you’d kindly keep quiet, I’ll tell you the terms of my help,” snapped the Doctor. “One, my TARDIS, so you will follow MY directions. Two, we don’t ignore people who need help. Three, we’re not gods, so don’t treat anyone like insects.”

“You can’t seriously-!”

“You don’t like those rules, you can take your chances with the Black Guardian and my friends and I will assemble the Key for the White Guardian instead.” Rassilon balked at that threat.

“…The sad thing is…you WOULD make good on that threat,” Rassilon finally hissed. “…Very well, Doctor, I’ll obey your commands.”

“AND treat my companions with the respect that is rightfully due to them!” The Doctor then checked the controls as Rassilon rolled her eyes. “…Aha, the first segment’s in the Magic Kingdom!”

“Disney World?!” asked William.

“Well, sort of,” replied the Doctor. “The Disney Corporation’s just the money side to fund the hidden world, though Mickey’s not exactly happy with how his father’s company is going.”

“Hang on, Mickey Mouse is REAL?!”

“Lots of things that may seem like the imagination of really good creators often ARE real.” The TARDIS then made its arrival noise. “Aha! We’ve landed!” She then took the tracer out of the console. “Now, let’s see where we are!”

Over in a part of the complex the TARDIS landed in, an austere looking woman in a secretary’s outfit walked down the hall with purpose, even in her heels. “Hey, Millicent,” called a man, “you know where the boss is? I haven’t seen him for days.”

“I’m afraid I know as much as you concerning his whereabouts,” replied Millicent.

“Shame,” said the guy. “All right, thanks anyways.” He left and Millicent made her way to a room guarded by a huge, beefy guy. The guy let her in and shut the door when they entered the room. Millicent then took off her glasses, her skin turned green, her eyes became a glowing yellow, and her clothes changed into long, flowing robes of black and dark purple. A staff appeared in her hand as horns grew from her head. Wrappings then appeared around her head and horns, revealing only the face of the Mistress of all Evil herself, Maleficent!

“Much better,” she sighed.

“A disgusting display of energy manipulation,” grunted the guy. He used his pointer and middle finger to press his watch, then he shimmered out of existence and in his place was a 20-foot tall, whale-like humanoid with three fingers on each hand wearing a black and red jumpsuit.

“As opposed to your technology, Gantu?” scoffed Maleficent. “You said you sent a key resistance member to the MCP’s realm.”

“Does the name Fa Mulan mean anything?” Maleficent’s interest was piqued.

“Mulan?” she asked.

“Go ahead and confirm it with the MCP,” replied Gantu. Maleficent went to the giant desk and keyed in a command she learned while navigating computers. A chat window then opened from the computer screen built into the desk.

“Good afternoon, Maleficent,” said the chat window.

“Good afternoon,” replied Maleficent. “I understand a key resistance member has been sent your way?”

“Sark is currently training her for the games,” said the chat window. “The matches are more lethal, thanks to this resistance member being User ChineseSav10r.”

“Fa Mulan’s username,” chuckled Maleficent. “Mickey’s pathetic resistance is crumbling!”

“…Just a second, security footage captured someone arriving in the complex,” said the chat window. “I’ll give you the feed. End of line.” A live camera feed then appeared in a new window and displayed the Doctor leading everyone out of the TARDIS. Gantu’s eyes popped open when he saw Rassilon. He then roared in anger.

“Gantu! Keep it down!” hissed Maleficent.

“I know that woman! That’s Rassilon of Gallifrey!” shouted Gantu. He then pressed a button. “Security, bring the blue box in sector 4 and the people walking down corridor 2 to the control room!” he barked.

“Yes, Sir!” replied the security guard in charge.

“More of your kind from beyond the stars?” asked Maleficent.

“Hardly! Rassilon is a Time Lord, a self-serving, avaricious people that think they can maintain time! Their war with the Daleks did the universe a favor!”

“The tracer’s crackling,” remarked William as the Doctor led the way.

“We’re on the right path, then,” replied the Doctor. Just then, they heard footsteps. They rounded a corner to come face to face with security guards. “Ah, hello there!” greeted the Doctor. “We’re all here to see Mickey-.”

“Shut up!” snapped a guard. “You’re coming with us!”

“Oh, how delightful!” said the Doctor. “A guided tour! I always loved the old backlots tour in-!” The guards then shoved the Doctor forward! “All right! Don’t push! I don’t have a fast pass on me! I can wait!”

“Doctor, you can’t seriously-!” protested Rassilon.

“Just go with it,” muttered Amy.

“It’s a thing with her,” said William.

“…You know, I preferred you before the chameleon arch!” grunted Rassilon.

The guards brought the TARDIS and its occupants to the office. They then left and Gantu and Maleficent dropped their disguises. “Well,” chuckled Maleficent, “isn’t this interesting? More visitors from beyond the stars. And who, pray tell, are you?”

“Oh, I’m the Doctor. These are my associates, Amy Rose,”

“Hello,” said Amy.

“Dr. William Davies,”

“My lady,” said William, having watched Sleeping Beauty with his ex before.

“And Rassilon of my-,”

“Yes, Gantu DID say he was acquainted with Miss Rassilon here,” said Maleficent.

“Acquainted is an understatement,” hissed Rassilon. “Listen here, Gantu, we’re on a quest and-!”

“Your quest is irrelevant!” barked Gantu. “You’re intruders and are interfering with the running of the Disney Corporation, siding with that lawless rat!”

“Your little war with Mickey Mouse doesn’t concern us!” scoffed Rassilon. “We have weightier issues that concern us!”

“Oh, be reasonable, Rassilon,” chuckled the Doctor. “Maleficent can’t run the risk of us helping Mickey throughout our quest.”

“How right you are, Doctor,” purred Maleficent.

“Let me guess, you’re gonna send your monsters at us,” said William. “…Actually, I’ve been wondering, are the monster minions at your castle called Orcs?”

“Why yes, Dr. Davies,” replied Maleficent, “but I’m afraid you’re wrong in my use of them at this time. There is one, on the other hand, that could benefit from studying you. Doctor, Rassilon, your class’s title is Time Lord? If that means what I think it means-.”

“We’re not spilling the secrets of time travel,” replied the Doctor.

“The MCP would beg to differ,” chuckled Maleficent as she keyed in a command.

“MCP?” asked William. He then remembered his favorite 80’s movie! “Wait a minute, the Master-?!” He didn’t get very far as a concealed machine fired a beam of light at William and Amy. A wire-mesh appeared over their frozen bodies and then zapped each part of the mesh, causing the affected areas to vanish!

“WILLIAM! AMY!” shouted the Doctor. She turned on Maleficent. “You stop this or I’ll-!” Another machine with the same functions as the first then fired on the Doctor and Rassilon, giving them the same treatment. Once the wire mesh was all that remained of all four, the mesh then entered the machines.

“Digitization complete,” reported a chat window on the desk. “End of line.”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 2

Boss of the Grid: Part 1

The Time Vortex, scientifically speaking, is a dimensional plane where time and space intersect at an angle determined by non-Euclidean geometry. For those who aren’t scientists studying time and space, it’s a means of going into either the past or the future of any point in space and time. The Time Lords, an ancient race that had long vanished in a war for the sake of creation, had long mastered travel through the Vortex and created mighty machines, all under the banner of Time and Relative Dimension in Space, TARDIS! Sadly, there’s only one TARDIS freely travelling the Vortex, and it looks like a London Police Box from the 1960’s. …Inside, however, was another marvel of the Time Lords, the ability to engineer dimensions! Inside the Police Box was a room the size of a large apartment and as tall as a small ballroom! It was pale blue with the walls decorated with roundels inside hexagonal designs. It had two levels, with the lower level dedicated to maintenance of the central hexagonal console with a cylinder in the center moving up and down. Right now, the owner of this particular TARDIS, a woman with long, wavy brown hair, was conducting maintenance. “Come on baby, you drive me crazy!” she sang. “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!” Interesting choice of words as the console’s lower level sparked in her face and filled her vision with smoke. The woman used her hat to wave it away as she coughed her lungs out. Once she recovered, she glared at the console on the upper level. “What is the matter with you?!” she snapped at her TARDIS. “I checked the flux comparative adjustor, redid the wiring for the vortex loop, I even turned you off and on again, yet the vector tracker dial is STILL loose! Do I need to have Amy hammer the console?!”

“What’s this about my hammer and the console, Doctor?” asked a voice. The woman, the Time Lord known as the Doctor, turned to see her companions standing in the doorway leading to a hall. One was a tall African American man in a turtleneck and jeans known as Dr. William Davies, the other, the one who spoke, was a 3-foot-tall anthropomorphic pink hedgehog woman in a black dress named Amy Rose.

“Oh, the vector tracker dial’s been loose for the past week,” replied the Doctor. “That’s why we keep encountering bumps in the time track.”

“And you think her hammer can fix it?” asked William.

“I’ve tried every other bloody thing,” remarked the Doctor as she returned to the upper level and practically stared a hole at a panel with blue controls, one of them being a dial of some sort. “I swear, if I don’t find the fault,” she snarled as she grabbed the dial, “I’ll-!” The dial popped off too easily, causing the Doctor to stumble. When she recovered, she blinked. “…That’s not supposed to happen,” she said. She looked at the backside of the dial and saw that the thing that was supposed to hold it to the control it was supposed to operate was nothing more than a lump of plastic. “…Ah,” she said. She heard William and Amy laughing hard. William was holding the railing to steady himself while Amy simply surrendered to collapsing on the floor in an undignified heap of giggles. “Stop laughing! It’s not funny!” protested the Doctor.

“It’s funny where I’m standing!” laughed William.

“Oh man! Tails went through the exact same scenario with his microwave!” cackled Amy.

“The Doctor, ladies and gentlemen!” William wheezed out through his laughing. “The best technical expert in all of time and space! Bamboozled by wear and tear!”

“Oh, shut up, you!” hissed the Doctor as she opened a drawer under the console panel. She pulled out a new dial and set it into the circular slot, then tested it. “There we go.” She glared at the Time Rotor, as she usually does when talking to the TARDIS. “You couldn’t just say that, huh dear? Couldn’t print that out in the fault locator, hm?” The TARDIS beeped as if laughing. “Yes, very funny, dear,” grumbled the Doctor. Her annoyance was cut short as a button on a panel of red controls flashed and beeped.

“What’s wrong now?” asked Amy when she picked herself up.

“That’s not a TARDIS fault,” replied the Doctor. “That’s the external perimeter alarm, giving us plenty of warning. Amazing, though. We’re in the Vortex.” The Doctor fired up the scanner and blinked in amazement at the object onscreen. It was a ship that looked like a bow with an arrow loaded and pulled back, ready to fire. “…A bowship,” said the Doctor. “But that’s impossible.”

“Doctor?” asked William.

“Bowships were used by the early Gallifreyans to defeat the Great Vampires in the Dark Times,” explained the Doctor. “They’re not time-travel capable, though.”

“So what’s an ancient Gallifreyan ship doing here?” asked Amy.

“…I have a theory,” remarked the Doctor. “Hang on a second.” She fiddled with the controls, then a microphone popped up. “Unidentified craft, this is the Doctor,” she said. “I must ask how you got that ship into the Time Vortex as such a craft is NOT capable of going through it.”

“Doctor!” hissed a harsh woman’s voice. An austere woman in Victorian clothing appeared on the screen. “Am I to forever be plagued by you?!” hissed the woman. “After you lost MY planet?! MY people?! …Still, you’re lucky I need you alive!”

“…Rassilon’s beard!” breathed the Doctor.

“Not this time, Doctor!” replied the woman.

“Doctor, who is that woman?” asked William.

“Still travelling with the insects, Doctor?” asked the woman. “No wonder you were exiled to Earth as their 1970’s began!”

“…Do you need any assistance, Lady President?” asked the Doctor.

“…Much as I hate to admit it, Usurper, yes,” sighed the woman. “And drop the mockery of a title! I was the President Eternal until you stole Gallifrey from me by exiling me!”

“Doctor, what does-?” quizzed Amy.

“William, Amy, get out of sight,” directed the Doctor. “She’s not someone that should be in the same room as you.”

“…Doctor, you’ve never told us to hide, not even from the Daleks,” reminded Amy.

“Don’t argue with me, just-!”

“Doctor, we’re staying put and getting answers,” insisted William.

“…Bring your bowship alongside,” the Doctor said to the woman. “And don’t touch anything when you come aboard.”

“I’ll see you shortly, Doctor,” replied the woman. She ended the call and the Doctor fiddled with the controls.

Outside in the Time Vortex, the TARDIS and bowship lined their doors up so they were facing one another. Some form of energy bridge then extended from the TARDIS and latched onto the bowship’s airlock. The woman stepped onto the energy bridge with all the arrogance of a high-class lady.

The Doctor held the door open for the woman. The instant she crossed the TARDIS’ threshold, the woman pressed a button on an alien key fob and the bowship vanished. “It’s out of the Time Vortex, Doctor,” explained the woman.

“Why would you need my help?” asked the Doctor. “You designed the bowship, according to accepted history. You invented time travel for us. …And you managed to make my abilities clinical with Tecteun’s help.”

“…How do you know about Tecteun?” asked the woman.

“Let’s just say that the Master unlocked what you hid away, you, Omega, and Tecteun. Was she the Other?”

“…Then you know your origins, Timeless Child,” hissed the woman.

“Not fully, but enough, Rassilon.”

“So that’s her name?” asked Amy. “Rassilon?”

“Yes,” replied the Doctor. “And she’s tied to the origins of that Timeless Child Miss Tarae and I mentioned when we first met.”

“Is that what the Master calls themself these days?” asked Rassilon.

“During Gallifrey’s early history,” continued the Doctor, “long after the original Shobogans overthrew the Pythians, a Shobogan woman named Tecteun discovered a child that had the ability to completely rewrite their body’s cellular structure and genetic code to stave off death. Tecteun experimented and shared the secrets of regeneration with Rassilon and Omega. Thanks to that, Rassilon and Omega could build a power source by collapsing a star and imprisoning the resulting singularity in a crystal called the Eye of Harmony. That energy also gave them the means to create vessels that could travel in time. Through those discoveries, Rassilon, Omega, and Tecteun (with history calling her the Other) founded the society of Time Lords on Gallifrey. Those three and the Timeless Child had infinite regenerations, but the rest of the Time Lords were limited to twelve, giving them a total of thirteen incarnations. They then rewrote the Timeless Child after she…got too big for those ridiculous robes and put her somewhere else on Gallifrey. …However, the Child would go on to enter the Academy of Gallifrey and become a Time Lord himself. After being disgusted with the stagnation of Gallifrey, he and his granddaughter stole a time machine, with such vehicles now called a TARDIS, with a knackered navigation system and broken chameleon circuit, landing in a scrap yard at 76 Totter’s Lane, Shoreditch, London, 1963, and taking the shape of a police box.”

“…You don’t mean-?!” gasped William.

“You’re…that same Timeless Child from Early Gallifrey?!” finished Amy.

“Quite the…lore dump, I believe humans of the 2020’s would say,” chuckled Rassilon. “I’d like to explain why I kept the Doctor’s origins a secret from even herself, but I’m rather pressed for time. Doctor, the Black Guardian has ensnared me in their trap and I need your help in gathering the six segments of the Key to Time.”

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 1

Shape of Evil: Part 6

While the investigation team was being chased, the Doctor and the Transformers accompanied the Dalek Emperor to Kalaan, the Capital City of the Daleks. It was eerily silent, unnerving even the Daleks. “Gotta say, for once, I can’t wait to hear that pulsing sound,” said the Doctor. “…What makes that sound in your installations anyways?”

“Enough!” boomed the Emperor as they made it into the throne room. The Doctor’s eyes widened when she saw the TARDIS there.

“Ah! Kept the old girl safe, did you?”

“SILENCE!” That was when a few Daleks pushed a machine into the room. “This is the machine that powers our Beacon! Repairs must be conducted!”

“And this time, you really DO need humanoids to do your dirty work,” said the Doctor. “Well, as the old song goes, you need hands.”

“ALERT! ALERT!” shrieked a guard Dalek as it hurried into the room in a panic. “FORWARD SCOUTING PARTY REPORTS OCTUS SIEZING CONTROL OF SHIELDED PRODUCTION LINE! OCTUS HAS REPROGRAMMED THE RESULTING DALEKS TO OBEY HIM AND HAS ALTERED THEIR CASINGS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASSUME A SIX-ARMED HUMANOID MODE! THEY ARE CHASING WHAT REMAINS OF THE INVESTIGATION TEAM! GOLD SUPREME HAS BEEN EXTERMINATED BY ONE OF THE FALSE DALEKS!”

“…Daleks with the ability to transform?!” asked Megatron.

“THE FALSE DALEKS MUST BE EXTERMINATED!” boomed the Emperor.

“You don’t have power for your weapons, remember?!” argued the Doctor.

“That is not your concern! Repair the machine! Obey! OBEY!”

“…Megatron, Optimus, we have some work to do,” sighed the Doctor.

Outside the city, Thundercracker, Bumblebee, Amy, and William were still dodging the Octus Daleks’ weapons fire. “Could really use some firepower!” grunted Bumblebee. That was when an Octus Dalek landed near them.

“EXTERMINATE!” it shouted before Amy hammered it into the sky, crashing into its comrades. It brought its friends down to the ground hard, making them explode on impact!

“THE PINK AND BLACK ONE IS TO DIE FIRST!” shouted Octus.

“Uh oh!” gulped Amy.

“DALEKS, HALT!” boomed the voice of the Emperor Dalek. He approached the Octus Daleks as they landed with Octus. “So the Daleks have a new leader!” boomed the Emperor.

“It is the new order!” barked one of the Octus Daleks.

“You Daleks,” remarked Octus, “had long been denied the same sensations the rest of the universe enjoys. I’ve upgraded the shells so that they can feel as I do.”

“Daleks do not require the same feelings as the rest of the universe!” retorted the Emperor.

“Come on!” hissed Bumblebee to his teammates. They dashed into the city as Octus and the Emperor discussed their wicked philosophies.

The Doctor continued working on the machine with Optimus and Megatron. “There, that should reset it,” muttered the Doctor. “Now, if someone applied a bit of percussive maintenance-.”

“DOCTOR!” called William. The Doctor turned to see Thundercracker and Bumblebee carrying her friends into the throne room!

“WILLIAM! AMY! YOU’RE ALL RIGHT!” She hugged the two once they were set back onto the floor.

“We only just escaped by the skin of our teeth!” replied Amy.

“Doctor, Octus made-!” said William

“Daleks with the ability to transform, yes, I heard,” interrupted the Doctor. “And I think I’m almost done with the Beacon, it just needs a little…percussive maintenance.”

“Say no more!” called Amy as she summoned her hammer! She approached the machine and pulled her hammer back, filling her arms with all the stress, anger, and general hate towards the Daleks, then swinging it forward into the machine! The machine then sent energy through the cables to the Beacon on the city spire…too much energy for the Beacon to handle! It started shaking, then it exploded!

Outside the city walls, Octus, the Octus Daleks, and the Emperor looked up at the spire. “…The Beacon!” whispered Octus as his optics widened in fear.

“The Doctor did not repair the machine properly!” boomed the Emperor. “…But that is of little consequence! The more pressing priority is your extermination!” It then made a broadcast to the city. “All Daleks, weapons power has been restored! Rally to me and exterminate the false Daleks! Purge them from Skaro!” At that command, Daleks rose from all parts of the city, engaging their flight modes or using hoverbouts, then swarmed towards Octus and his Daleks!

Inside the throne room, the Doctor’s ears were filled with the familiar pulsing sound that all Dalek installations made when power is available. “That’s that,” she said.

“What about the Daleks guarding the mines?” asked Bumblebee.

At the mines, Doh-Komoh kept his ear out. The Daleks couldn’t exactly make them work without power to their weapons. Doh-Komoh learned that everyone was allowed to keep their weapons since they were useless. He planned out an escape attempt the instant the power came back on. The guards were counted and were discovered to be few in number. Just then, he saw the Dalek in the control center swivel its eyestalk to a monitor that flashed to life! “Passss the word along,” he whispered to one of his fellows. “Power hasss been ressstored for the Daleksss. Check your gunsss.” The word was passed along and everyone checked their guns.

“…All guns are fully charged, Your Majesty!” replied a green-scaled person with red eye lenses on his helmet.

“Then what are we waiting for?!” asked Doh-Komoh. “CHARGE!” The former slaves drew their weapons and fired on the Daleks.

“AIM FOR THE EYEPIECE!” called the Ice Warrior. The former slaves adjusted their targets and aimed at the Daleks’ eyestalks. One got lucky and utterly destroyed it.

“VISION IMPAIRED!” shrieked the unlucky Dalek. “I CANNOT SEE!” It fired wildly until another shot tore through its midsection, now that its shielding was kaput, effectively killing the Dalek.

The Doctor had pulled up the whole thing on the monitor. “I think they’ve got it,” she replied in answer to Bumblebee’s question.

“Now THERE’S an idea!” chuckled Megatron darkly. He then transformed into his tank mode and left the throne room.

“Megatron, where are you going?!” called Optimus.

“To do some extermination of my own, Prime!”

“MEGATRON, COME BACK!” It was no use.

“Optimus, why do you need him back?” asked William.

“Because I’m calling for help, that’s why!” answered Optimus.

“I can give the transporters coordinates for the strays and survivors,” said the Doctor. “Just leave it all to me.”

“…Very well.”

Megatron fired on the Daleks as he stormed through the city. Original, Octus, it made no difference. As he fired…he heard a song of some sort.

“The first step of the cure is a kiss!

So call me (Dr. Love!)

They call me Dr. Love! (Calling Dr. Love!)

I am your doctor of love! (Calling Dr. Love!) Ha!

They call me (Dr. Love!), they call me Dr. Love! (Calling Dr. Love!)

I’ve got the cure you’re thinkin’ of! (Calling Dr. Love!)” Soundwave was using his powers over sound to give the Daleks terminal headaches!

“ALERT! ALERT! SONIC ATTACKS! PAIN! ALERT!” The Daleks exploded after a while.

“…Must you use human garbage?” Megatron grunted at Soundwave.

“Heavy Metal: only human music worthwhile,” replied Soundwave.

“Please yourself,” muttered Megatron as he transformed to robot mode. “I’ll just stick to my favorite weapon, if you don’t mind.” To prove his point, he fired the fusion cannon on his arm on a squadron of Daleks that rounded the corner. As everyone fought…a cyan light surrounded them. “What is this?!” demanded Megatron.

“Transmat in progress!” replied Soundwave. “Energy harmonics indicate Autobot origin!”

“NO!” shouted Megatron. Too late. He and Soundwave vanished.

Outside the city, the two Dalek armies still fought each other. Even with their abilities to transform, the Octus Daleks were having a hard time with effectively countering the original Daleks. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DOLTS?!” shouted Octus.

“Inexperience is hampering your progress!” boomed the Emperor. Just then, a shadow fell over the battlefield. Octus looked up and goggled.

“…Ark!” he whispered as a torpedo bore down on them!

Aboard the Autobot starship Ark, everyone that survived was transported to the bridge. Medical staff quickly took the former slaves over to the medical ward and brought the dead to beds where they could be respectfully buried later. Meanwhile, the helmsman wasted no time in getting the Ark out of Dalek territory. A bot built like Jazz, but with police car decorations, approached Optimus. “Sir, it’s great to have you back,” he said.

“Prowl! How long have you-?!” asked Optimus.

“Since the prison ship snatched you and your team, Sir,” replied the bot, Prowl. He turned to the Doctor and her friends. “Now, which one of you three is the owner of this particular box?” He pointed at the TARDIS currently resting on the console of a red bot looking similar to Bumblebee.

“That’s me!” called the Doctor.

“Doctor, you saved a lot of lives,” said Prowl.

“I don’t know,” remarked Megatron as he aimed his fusion cannon at Prowl. “I’d say she risked-!” He then heard Optimus’ Ion Blaster arming as well as Thundercracker’s incendiary guns. Megatron turned to Thundercracker, expecting him to be aiming his firearms at Optimus…and was surprised to be staring down both barrels. “…Thundercracker, I think your targeting systems need an adjustment,” remarked Megatron.

“Put that fusion cannon away, Megatron!” snarled Thundercracker. “William’s right! We’re making the same mistakes as the Daleks!”

“…What did you just say?!” hissed Megatron.

“You…DARE…compare us to those inferior-!” snapped Starscream.

“There it is! Inferior! The words the Daleks use to describe non-Daleks! Are we gonna be describing non-Decepticons in the same way?!” argued Thundercracker.

“Thundercracker: outnumbered and outgunned,” droned Soundwave as he aimed his gun at Thundercracker. The other Decepticons followed suit…for the moment. Autobots snuck up behind them and zapped them to the point of unconsciousness, then hauled them away.

“…I think the Autobots have the right idea,” remarked Thundercracker. “Your battle with Optimus ends NOW or I shall write its conclusion!” Megatron saw that all Autobots were aiming their weapons at him, so even shooting Optimus would be a death sentence. He growled as he powered down his weapon and held his hands up.

“You will never be welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons again!” he promised Thundercracker.

“Sometimes it’s best to be known for one’s enemies,” retorted Thundercracker as he took out the power cartridges in his guns and handed them to Prowl.

“You will suffer for this, Thundercracker!” growled Megatron. “You will suffer unimaginably!” He was handcuffed and led to the cells. Thundercracker then held his hands out for the cuffs.

“…Thundercracker…” said Optimus, “…perhaps I’m making the same mistakes as the Daleks.”

“Don’t insult yourself, Prime,” replied Thundercracker as Prowl put the cuffs on him. “You actually care about people.” He was led away and everyone released a sigh of relief.

“…Well, this HAS been a trip,” remarked the Doctor. “Optimus…a great future awaits the galaxy and Cybertron specifically. For now, we must bid farewell.”

“…Goodbye, Doctor,” said Optimus as he picked up her and her companions. “Until our next meeting.” He set them on the console where the TARDIS rested. The Doctor and her friends went into the TARDIS, shut the door, and the ancient engines kicked in as the TARDIS faded from existence.

Inside the TARDIS, Amy and William were resting on the chairs. “That…was…intense!” panted Amy.

“No kidding!” shuddered William. “If I never see another Dalek, it’ll be too soon!”

“…They’re not that easy to get rid of,” remarked the Doctor. “…But we DID participate in events that will lead to a better future for the galaxy.”

“Doctor?” asked William.

“Upon his return,” explained the Doctor, “Doh-Komoh resumes his position as Emperor of the Draconians and renews the oath of friendship between his people and Earth and its colonies. He then gives an impassioned speech that convinces the Daleks’ old enemies, the Thals, to join the alliance. Soon, Earth is part of a great Federation! Just in time, too, because in three years time, the Daleks will declare war on the humans again. Only, this time, the humans won’t be fighting alone! The Transformers will have put aside their own internal differences and join the alliance in defeating the Daleks yet again in the Ninth Dalek War!”

“Ninth?” asked Amy. “…And…defeating the Daleks yet again?”

“So we fight the Daleks numerous times,” said William, “and always come out on top?” He then grinned. “Oh, those poor saltshakers!”

“Here’s to survivors!” cheered Amy. “To survivors all across time and space!”

“Hear, hear!” agreed the Doctor. “Life wins, despite the efforts of the Daleks and those that think like them! Now, what say we head to somewhere fun?”

“I’ll take some fun over mining for the Daleks any day!” replied William.

“Same!” agreed Amy.

“Vote’s unanimous, then!” The Doctor set her hat on the Time Rotor and set the controls. “All right, old girl…show me everywhere and everywhen!”

Categories
Art Stuff Doctor Who: Crossings

All Right, Old Girl…

…show me everywhere and everywhen!

The TARDIS exterior’s always the same, a blue 1960’s London Police Box, but the interior is always different. Now the TARDIS is blue both outside AND in! And like the classic era consoles, the Time Rotor in the center DOESN’T go all the way up to the ceiling. That’s always been a gripe of mine about modern console rooms. The Doctor has to crane their neck to see if the Time Rotor’s moving. This console’s controls are colored like a color wheel and it has drawers for extra controls or conducting repairs. As for the red and gold things in the Time Rotor, well, the Doctor will always be a Prydonian in her hearts. The door is facing the red controls and seats are facing the purple and orange control panels.

This, I have to say, is one of my more complex art pieces to date. The arm had to be its own separate layer so I could get her working the green controls as well as the yellow.

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 1

Shape of Evil: Part 5

“DOCTOR!” called William as he was held back by Doh-Komoh.

“THERE’SSS NO POINT IN YOU RISSSKING YOUR LIFE LIKE THAT!” argued the Draconian Emperor. The sound that filled the cave…wasn’t the high-pitched rush of focused energy transmitted at a deadly level. Instead, it was an electronic warble, a warble the Transformers knew.

“…Megatron-!” said Optimus.

“I recognize that sound too, Optimus,” replied Megatron.

“Maximum power!” ordered the Dalek Emperor. “FIRE! FIRE! EXTERMINATE THE DOCTOR!” The Daleks tried again, but the same warble sounded throughout the cave.

“…No way!” breathed William in astonishment.

“Weaponry malfunction!” yelped the Red Supreme.

“Total power failure in armament circuits!” reported the Black and Gold Supreme. A wicked grin crossed the Doctor’s face.

“Aha!” she said. “The Beacon you set up has been turned against you! By Octus, if I’m a betting Time Lord.” The instant she finished that declaration, all those that were enslaved by the Daleks set down their tools.

“Well, well, well!” chuckled Doh-Komoh. “Daleksss without the ability to kill! On their home planet, no lessss! How doesss it feel?!” The Daleks backed up in fear!

“Keep back! KEEP BACK!” cried the Emperor.

“And if he doesn’t, what can you do?” asked William. “Your weapons are totally useless.”

“The power failure is temporary!” insisted the Gold Supreme. “Superior Dalek technology-!”

“Has gone kaput!” interrupted Amy. “You’re no longer in a position to give orders or to stop us from just waltzing out of the mines!”

“Amy is quite correct,” said the Doctor. “We’re all in this together. All equal. …All powerless!”

“Daleks do not recognize inferior beings as-!” protested the Section Leader.

“Spare us your propaganda!” boomed Optimus. “The Doctor’s right, Octus must have used his new alt-mode to usurp not only the Decepticons, but you Daleks.”

“The real question is where would he get an army to be successful?” mused the Doctor.

“It looks like our truce, Optimus, has altered just a tad,” said Megatron.

“Agreed,” replied Optimus. “We all need to work together to defeat Octus. …That includes you, Daleks.”

“Daleks do not cooperate with inferior beings!” barked the Emperor.

“Consider their words, Your Majesty,” warned the Doctor. “You may obtain ballistic weapons to kill us, like you did on Exxilon, but bullets are useless against the Transformers. One angry Decepticon could just raise his foot and stomp on you like a human would stomp on a cockroach and kill you easier than that. And you have FIVE angry Decepticons. Those facts must penetrate even Dalek arrogance.” The Emperor and the Supreme Council looked at one another.

“…I must confer with the Council,” boomed the Emperor. “Councilors, follow!” He led the Supreme Council out of the mines.

“…Doctor, that was just stupid!” hissed William. “What was your backup plan if you were wrong?!”

“Well, ducking for a start, then getting you two out of here,” replied the Doctor. “Then we’d have to solve the Beacon Problem ourselves.”

“…Doctor, if the Daleks can’t shoot,” asked Amy, “how are they moving?”

“Psychokinetic energy,” answered the Doctor. Amy groaned and shut her eyes.

“Because, of course, mind powers are at play with them,” she sighed.

“Doctor,” said Doh-Komoh, “do you think the Daleksss will agree?”

“They don’t exactly have much choice in the matter,” remarked the Doctor. “Either allow Octus to take control or side with the lesser of their perceived two evils and restore power.”

“Doctor, you know the Daleks of old,” said Optimus, “perhaps you can be our spokesperson?”

“I was about to make the same offer, Prime,” chuckled the Doctor. “One moment.” The Doctor headed to the mines’ entrance and ducked behind the rocks to hear the Emperor and his Council talking.

“The only method available,” said the Black and Silver Supreme, “is to reset the Beacon!”

“That will require cooperation with our slave workers!” argued the Red Supreme.

“A temporary measure!” replied the White and Black Supreme. “We will cooperate long enough for the Beacon to allow only Dalek weaponry! Then we will exterminate all who do not obey Dalek commands!”

“Agreed!” said the Emperor. The Doctor heard enough and rejoined the group.

“Well, Doctor?” asked Megatron.

“I think they’ll go for it, only until the Beacon is reset,” reported the Doctor. “So we need to destroy it and get a fighting chance. …Not that they’ll act in time to stop that from happening.”

“How very Decepticon of you,” purred Megatron.

“I still warn you all, don’t trust the Daleks an inch!” urged the Doctor.

“The Emperor’sss coming back,” warned Doh-Komoh. The Emperor Dalek approached the group.

“Well?” asked the Doctor.

“Very well, Doctor!” replied the Emperor. “The truce exists between all parties!”

“Very wise of you,” said the Doctor. “Now, I think we need to investigate where Octus scuttled off to.”

“The Gold Supreme will assist in the investigation!”

“Thundercracker,” barked Megatron. “You will assist the Gold Supreme.”

“Bumblebee, you do the same,” ordered Optimus.

“Amy, William, you’d better accompany them,” said the Doctor. “I need to get into the Dalek City and locate the TARDIS so we have an escape route.”

“Be careful, Doctor,” advised Amy.

The investigation team was walking along the surface of Skaro, staying near the mountains. The Gold Supreme brought up the rear. “Tell me, Thundercracker,” said Bumblebee, “while we’re not shooting each other and as you’re a Decepticon I consider respectable, why side with a guy that poisoned Cybertron’s core?”

“Why side with a bot that wants to restore the old regime?” asked Thundercracker.

“Optimus isn’t like the old High Council,” retorted Bumblebee.

“Isn’t he? He’s trying to undo Megatron’s work.”

“Can’t you see that Megatron lost his way?”

“…You’re just…”

“You know he’s right, Thundercracker,” said William. “My own time is in the worst kind of turmoil, but the ideals are still worth fighting for. What were the Council’s ideals?”

“…Plenty for all, that we were all equal under Primus,” replied Thundercracker.

“And Megatron’s current rule?” asked William. Thundercracker balked.

“…Peace through tyranny,” he finally answered.

“That’s not the path to peace,” said Bumblebee. “That leads to the Daleks’ philosophy.”

“Our philosophy DOES lead to peace!” barked the Gold Supreme.

“Does it now?” scoffed William. “The Doctor told me about how a Kaled created you.”

“Kaled?” asked Bumblebee.

“The Kaleds were our humanoid ancestors!” explained the Gold Supreme. “The Kaled you speak of, Davros, our creator, conditioned the first Daleks to survive! Survival meant becoming the dominant species! When all other life-forms are suppressed, when the Daleks become the supreme beings in the universe, THEN you have peace! Wars will end! We are not a power of evil, but of good!”

“You really believe killing all non-Daleks is good?!” protested Amy.

“It IS good!” retorted the Gold Supreme. “This discussion is at an end!”

“He’s not wrong,” remarked Bumblebee. “I see Octus over there.” He pointed out where Octus was. It was a small building with Daleks being automatically unloaded from a production line. The casings were open, so everyone could see what a Dalek looked like inside.

“Oh, gross!” gagged Amy.

“How’s this production line up and running?” muttered William.

“A shielded backup, maybe?” guessed Thundercracker.

“Correct!” replied the Gold Supreme in as much of a whisper as it could muster. The opened Daleks were brought to a machine with an electric prod. The machine gave the Dalek creatures a zap, waking it up and prompting it to seal its casing. The awakened Daleks then assembled in front of Octus.

“…Do you know how the first Daleks came to be?” Octus asked the Daleks. “…They were humanoid once. Then they were taken in by a wicked scientist and tortured! Mutilated! A ruined form of life! And now…perfected! My Daleks…whom do you serve?”

“…We serve Octus!” called one of the new Daleks.

“He is the true Emperor!” said another.

“OCTUS! OCTUS! OCTUS!” cheered the new Daleks.

“TRAITORS!” shrieked the Gold Supreme as it broke cover. “EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!”

“Come back here, you FOOL!” shouted Thundercracker. Then…they saw it happen! One of the new Daleks rushed at the Gold Supreme…then its travel skirt split into eight segments that extended, then the limb and neck section split away to reveal a torso as six of the skirt sections traveled up to the shoulder area to make six arms while the remaining two became legs! The eyestalk sunk into the dome and the new six-armed humanoid form of the new Dalek punched a hole through the Gold Supreme!

“Oh…no!” breathed Bumblebee. “The Daleks were dangerous enough…!”

“But Daleks that can transform into a humanoid form?!” finished Thundercracker.

“Tell me, my brother,” Octus said to the Dalek that killed the Gold Supreme, “how does it feel?”

“…I…feel!” replied the Transformer Dalek. “It…is…GOOD!”

“Excellent!” praised Octus. “Our personal counter-beacon works! Now you are deadlier than ever! …Now to take care of some…pests!” Octus assumed robot mode and looked towards where the Gold Supreme came from. “Rejoice, brothers! Your first collective test is here! Show these inferiors the true meaning of terror! Transform! Transform…AND EXTERMINATE!”

“EXTERMINATE!” called Octus’ Daleks as they all assumed robot mode! “EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!”

“RUN!” shouted Thundercracker as he scooped up William and took off. Bumblebee scooped up Amy and did the same as the Octus Daleks took to the air and pursued them, screaming “EXTERMINATE” all the while!

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 1

Shape of Evil: Part 4

To say that the work was unpleasant would be putting it lightly. Everywhere William looked, people looked malnourished and weak with Daleks constantly barking their orders. “Work quota achieved in appropriate time!” called a gray Dalek with a black dome, the section leader for the mines. “Rest period will begin! You have 1,500 rels to recover! Work resumes immediately after rest!” Everyone found places to rest and comfort one another. William saw the Doctor talking to a scaly man with a tall forehead and what would have been regal looking clothes. “William! Amy! Come over here!” called the Doctor. William and Amy approached the Doctor and her scaly friend. “I’d like you all to mee Doh-Komoh, Emperor of the Draconians!”

“I WASSS Emperor of that grand rassse,” replied the man. “Now I am doomed to die working in the minesss of SSSkaro!”

“They’ve got humans too, Doctor,” said William.

“I’m not surprised, the Daleks hate humans especially,” remarked the Doctor.

“What kind of creatures are they?” asked Amy. “Living machines like the Transformers?”

“What makes you say that?” asked the Doctor.

“Look at that one right there.” Amy pointed out a Dalek gliding by, checking to see if any slave would try and stupidly rebel. “It was in one place earlier, and it was never still! Moving, twitching-!”

“Nervous energy,” clarified William. “And I can see where you’d say that. I mean, look at Starscream and Thundercracker, bouncing their legs like that. …In fact, I think I’d call them claustrophobic.”

“They’re Seekers,” replied the Doctor. “They don’t do well without a sky to fly through. And Amy, you ARE right in that they’re alive, but what you see is just the travel machine for the creature inside the casing.”

“Inside?!” yelped Amy. “You mean there’s something made of flesh in there?!”

“Yes,” confirmed the Doctor. “The Daleks are the mutated remains of a humanoid race known as the Kaleds. The Kaleds were engaged in a dirty nuclear war for a thousand years with another humanoid race, the Thals, for control over Skaro. The resulting mutations were accelerated by the Kaled Chief Scientist, Davros. He then conditioned the mutations to feel only hatred, then slapped those bubbling lumps of hate into those tanks.”

“Hate? Like Nazi level hate?” asked William.

“A thousand times worse,” corrected the Doctor. “All non-Daleks are pests to be exterminated either immediately or through prolonged work without rest.”

“And they’ve got the technology to ssspread that philosssophy acrossss the ssstarsss,” said Doh-Komoh.

“Silence! Silence!” barked a Dalek. “You will remain silent at all times!”

“Looks like production is going as anticipated,” remarked Octus still in his Dalek alt-mode. He was talking to the Dalek Emperor through a visual call.

“How long until enough Energon for refinement is collected?” asked the Emperor.

“Therein lies a pesky problem,” replied Octus. “Sleep will overtake your slave labor when night falls just before enough Energon is collected to be refined. I can tell the workforce that they will work all night, if necessary.”

“No!” boomed the Emperor. “Not until we learn the secrets of Energon refinement! Sleep will be permitted until we fully understand how to utilize Energon! Only then will demand increase and rest of all types be revoked!”

“Understood,” complied Octus.

“Return to your duties, Octus! Cybertron will be yours!”

“I obey.” The call ended, then Octus glanced around the room, his eyestalk taking in all the data he needed. “…No guards. …Good! And I have all the data I need on production! The Daleks will learn more secrets of my former comrades! I shall be the Emperor of a new breed of Daleks! The Doctor will fall before our might! All enemies will be exterminated! AND UNDER MY CONTROL, THE DALEKS SHALL BECOME THE SUPREME BEINGS OF THE UNIVEEEEEEEEERRRRRSSSSEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!”

Work had resumed in the mines. The Doctor was assigned to work with Optimus and Megatron. “So, you used to be a miner?” she asked Megatron.

“A slave, yes,” replied Megatron. “My fellow miners and all those of the lower castes were forced to produce Energon for the upper castes while we got the scraps!”

“Humans refer to that nonsense as trickle-down economics,” remarked the Doctor.

“We used to be on the same page that change needed to happen,” said Optimus, “but…”

“Let me guess, you, Prime, wanted a peaceful transition to a new government and you, Megatron, wanted to burn it all down to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch.”

“A clean slate is all it takes to make a new, better government,” replied Megatron.

“There must have been good things about the old government,” remarked William. “The Constitution and Bill of Rights of my world, that’s a good example. What we need in my time are politicians who are beholden to what they swore to uphold and protect, not be the puppets of uber-rich donors and the citizens said donors tricked.” He was about to strike a blue, glowing rock with a pick.

“WATCH IT, FLESHLING!” yelped Megatron. William jumped in surprise and landed on his bottom before he could strike the rock.

“M-Mega-?!”

“That’s Energon, you dolt!” snarled Megatron. “You hit that thing hard enough, the resulting friction will cause it to explode!”

“Well, what do you recommend?” asked the Doctor. “You’re the one with the most experience around here.”

“We’ll have to pick around the exposed vein,” replied Megatron. “Come on, Prime. We’ve got work to do.”

Amy was assigned to clearing away the rocks that were dug up with Doh-Komoh. The Draconian man arched an eyebrow as he saw Amy work. “…Thossse rocksss are twissse your sssize. How-?”

“That’s nothing,” replied Amy. “My hammer’s heavier.”

“Hammer?” asked Doh-Komoh.

“Yeah, my Piko Piko hammer. …Wondering why I haven’t escaped?”

“The thought HAD crossssed my mind. …Then again, there’sss too many Daleksss.”

“And, more importantly, I don’t want to leave anyone behind.”

“…Your parentsss raisssed you well, Missss Rossse,” said Doh-Komoh. “Worthy of a noblewoman of my home.”

“Thanks,” replied Amy. She then saw the Dalek Emperor gliding through the mines. “Look out. The boss Dalek’s here.”

“Bessst we get busy,” remarked Doh-Komoh.

The Emperor approached the Doctor’s group. “Report!” it boomed at the Dalek guarding the group.

“Excessive heat will cause a violent expansion of energy!” replied the guard. “Mere friction between Energon crystal and tool upon tool’s impact is enough of a trigger for such an explosion!”

“Megatron, you will teach all miners how to extract the crystal safely!” ordered the Emperor.

“With the primitive equipment you have us using,” retorted Megatron, “that kind of hazard will hang over our heads permanently.”

“The equipment will suffice!”

“I can assure you, not even my former slave drivers would have allowed this!”

“YOU WILL OBEY! OBEY!” The Emperor glided off without a word of explanation.

“…Imbecile! He’s going to lose an entire Energon vein!” grunted Megatron.

“Do not dispute with the Emperor!” barked the guard. “The function of non-Daleks is to obey their masters! Return to work immediately! IMMEDIATELY!”

A few minutes later, the Doctor was called away. She was brought to the mine’s control center. “Doctor in the house,” she joked to the Daleks running the place.

“Power fluctuations are affecting proper operations of all equipment!” barked the Dalek Section Leader. “You will identify the cause and perform proper maintenance, Doctor!”

“…Power fluctuations?” mused the Doctor. “…I’ll see what I can do. Any tools? Ah, there they are. Let’s see…” The Doctor got to work and checked everything. There were a few stray wires, but nothing that would lead to a power fluctuation. A theory formed in her head. “…It’s working,” she said, “but I have a theory as to why you can’t use it. …I’ll need to speak with the Emperor when he next visits the mines.”

“The Emperor is en route now!” replied the Section Leader. “Lead the way!”

“After you.”

“LEAD!”

“Have it your own way.” The Doctor led the Section Leader out of the control center.

The Emperor was accompanied by the entire Supreme Council. “Report!” he boomed.

“The work is going to go slowly unless you give us proper tools,” replied Megatron.

“The tools you have will suffice!” retorted the White and Black Supreme.

“Excuse me!” called the Doctor’s voice. The rulers of Skaro then swiveled their eyestalks to the Doctor as the Section Leader brought her to them.

“Doctor!” boomed the Emperor.

“In the flesh,” replied the Doctor. ‘Your Section Leader had me conducting repairs and I developed a theory concerning your problem.”

“Explain!” ordered the Emperor.

“Well, first off, I need to make sure I’m perfectly surrounded by you lot.” The Daleks looked at each other in confusion. What was their greatest enemy planning? The Doctor looked around and smirked. “Yep! Can’t escape! Good! Now…exterminate me.”

“WHAT?!” called William from his and Amy’s position.

“DOCTOR, NO!” shouted Amy.

“You offer your life to the Daleks?” asked the Emperor. “All just to test a theory?”

“That’s the idea,” replied the Doctor. “If I’m wrong, then you’re finally rid of your greatest enemy. You lot DO still remember how to kill a Time Lord permanently, yes? Kill them beyond the hope of regeneration?”

“DOCTOR!” protested William. The Supreme Council looked to the Emperor for orders.

“…Your terms are acceptable, Doctor!” boomed the Emperor. “All Daleks, it is time to end our war against the Ka Faraq Gatri! EXTERMINATE THE DOCTOR!”

“WE OBEY!” cheered the Supreme Council as they and the Emperor aimed their gunsticks at the Doctor!

Categories
Doctor Who: Crossings Series 1

Shape of Evil: Part 3

“What’s with the egg whisk and-?” began William as he pointed at said whisk in Octus’ possession.

“That’s not a whisk! That’s a Dalek gunstick!” replied Thundercracker.

“Gun? Then he’s affected by the same energy blackout.”

“Am I?” purred Octus as he glided forward with ugly grace, aiming his gunstick at Thundercracker. Behind them, William heard what sounded like focused energy transmitted at high velocity, the sound of energy weapons…and screaming Decepticon soldiers. One soldier rounded a corner.

“Sky Guy!” called Thundercracker. “What’s going on?!”

“Sir! Invasion!” replied Sky Guy. “Daleks have-!” A squad of Daleks then rounded the corner with one of them firing its gunstick. A stream of cold, cyan light erupted from the gunstick and struck Sky Guy, illuminating him and briefly showing his internal mechanics. Sky Guy screamed in agony, then fell once the Dalek ceased fire. Sky Guy faded to gunmetal gray.

“…That wasn’t necessary!” protested William. “You didn’t have to kill him!”

“We did not need him alive!” barked the Dalek Commander. This one was black with silver trim, unlike the gray and black soldiers under its command. “Octus, your information was correct! The Doctor’s TARDIS has been located! It will be taken to Kalaan!”

“Very good, Dalek Supreme,” replied Octus.

“You will bring the Doctor’s companion and Thundercracker to the mine!” ordered the Dalek Supreme.

“I obey,” answered Octus. He swiveled his eyestalk to Thundercracker. “My gunstick was built to Dalek specifications, Thundercracker. I’m sure you guessed they’re behind the energy blackout.”

“The thought had crossed my mind, traitor,” snarled Thundercracker.

“So you’re just giving us to the Daleks as slave labor?!” growled William.

“That is all you fleshies are good for,” replied Octus. “Now, you will move ahead of me and follow my directions!”

“If you think-!” Octus interrupted William’s protest.

“You will obey! Obey! OBEY!”

“Dr. Davies,” said Thundercracker, “a mere Dalek Drone just killed a mech twice as strong as me, physically speaking. They won’t hesitate to gun you down. For now, we better do as they say.” Thundercracker raised his hands above his head. William snarled, but did the same.

“Now move! Move! MOVE!” ordered Octus. Thundercracker and William made their way out of the ship with Octus keeping his gunstick trained on them. The Black and Silver Dalek Supreme and its squadron followed.

In the valley, the Doctor and her group were faring no better. The Decepticon soldiers that accompanied them were gunned down mercilessly by a red and gold Dalek as well as a gold and black Dalek. “Two members of the Dalek Supreme Council,” muttered the Doctor as she, Amy, Optimus, and Megatron took cover. “They obviously place us very high on their list of priorities.”

“Why? What would they want?” asked Optimus. Amy’s ears then flicked.

“…Guys…the shooting’s stopped,” she said. Everyone peeked from behind their cover. The Autobots and the bridge crew of the Decepticons were still alive. …The others were dead and gunmetal gray.

“…They’re leaving us alive,” remarked the Doctor. “What for?”

“Doctor!” barked the Red Supreme. “You are within our power! Surrender at once or your human companion will be exterminated alongside the blue Seeker!”

“Thundercracker!” realized Megatron. “They infiltrated my ship!”

“And kept those two alive,” sighed the Doctor. “They need slave labor for some reason.”

“You have five rels to comply!” called the Gold Supreme. “Five!”

“Doctor, what’s our move here?” asked Optimus.

“Four!”

“The Daleks won’t be bluffing,” replied the Doctor. “They flat-out described Thundercracker too well.”

“Three!”

“Then, what? We surrender?” argued Megatron.

“Two!”

“We don’t exactly have a lot of options. …They addressed me. Follow my lead.” She raised her hands, prompting everyone to follow suit.

“One!”

“Good afternoon, Daleks!” called the Doctor as she and her group revealed themselves from their hiding places. “How lovely to see you.”

“Doctor!” barked the Red Supreme. “You are in our power!”

“So it seems,” replied the Doctor.

“Your Transformer allies are required!” said the Gold Supreme. “You will move ahead of us and follow our instructions! Move! MOVE!”

“As you wish.” The Doctor led the way.

Both groups arrived at the entrance to a mine in the mountains. More Daleks were standing there. One was black with gold trim, one was all black, one was black with white trim, and one was white with black trim. The Red, Gold, and Black and Silver Daleks joined with their comrades. “The entire Dalek Supreme Council,” remarked the Doctor. “We should be honored. That usually means the Emperor is directly involved.”

“Doctor!” called William.

“William! You’re all right!” said the Doctor with relief.

“What happened?!” asked Amy.

“Doctor, Thundercracker and I need to talk to Megatron,” urged William.

“What for?” asked the Doctor.

“Yes, why?” quizzed Megatron. “How did the Daleks get aboard my ship?”

“My Lord, we were betrayed!” reported Thundercracker. “Not by Starscream, this time, but by Octus! See that giant Dalek over there?” He pointed out Octus.

“…Octus, you dare sell us out to the DALEKS?!” roared Megatron. He raised his hand to punch Octus.

“I wouldn’t advise that,” said Octus as he leveled his gunstick at Megatron. “My weapons systems are made to Dalek specifications.”

“He speaks the truth, Lord Megatron,” warned Thundercracker. Megatron snarled, guessing what that meant as he lowered his fist.

“That’s more like it,” chuckled Octus.

“Explanations: required,” droned Soundwave.

“I gotta agree with Soundy here,” said Jazz. “Why side with these creeps?”

“Emperor arriving!” called a Drone Dalek. The Daleks formed an aisle with the Supreme Council at the end and flanking both sides. The Dalek approaching them was golden and had a massive sphere replacing the neck and dome sections. The eyestalk rested on the sphere and it wore a crown of six dome lights lining the rear of the sphere.

“The Emperor of the Daleks himself,” said the Doctor.

“Doctor!” greeted the Emperor in a booming voice.

“We both had a face-lift since we last met,” remarked the Doctor. “Tell me, were you inspired by the Exxilon Affair?”

“The Beacon of the Great City of Exxilon,” replied the Emperor, “provided us a means of acquiring slave labor!”

“Why mention Exxilon?” asked Starscream. “That’s barely a class C civilization.”

“Not in its early days,” corrected the Doctor. “They were once a powerful space-faring civilization, but they built a city that drained all power to make sure it kept itself alive, so the Exxilons turned to worshipping it. …At least until Sarah Jane and I stumbled upon the planet.”

“Let me guess,” said William, “you shut that city down?”

“Well, gave it a nervous breakdown, but yes. …A pity. One of the 700 wonders of the universe, and I had to destroy it. Of course, the Daleks were involved.”

“And now we have obtained the secrets of the Beacon and have made it our own!” boasted the Emperor. “You shall be put to work in the mines! Octus informed us you used to be a miner, Megatron. Or perhaps I should say D-16!” Megatron snarled at that.

“What are we mining for?” asked Bumblebee.

“Energon,” replied Octus. “Perhaps I should start from the beginning. The Daleks intercepted my shuttle en route from the Movellan fleet after negotiations fell through. All I got was a set of coordinates and the Daleks took me as their prisoner. I noticed that they were experimenting with an Energon crystal and learned that they found the substance here on Skaro. They have slaves already mining the stuff, but had no idea on how to refine it. I offered to get them slaves that can do both in exchange for serving the Daleks.”

“Octus, you’ve abandoned all sense of logic!” protested Shockwave. “If the Daleks learn the secrets of Energon-!”

“Then we shall be the supreme beings of the universe!” boomed the Emperor.

“That’s just hyperbole, yes?” William asked the Doctor.

“Oh, I wish,” replied the Doctor. “Energon’s one of the most powerful fuels in the universe. For the Transformers, it’s not just fuel for their technology, but ammunition for their weapons and their literal life-blood. The Daleks would certainly make good on their threat to conquer space. …However, it’s not exactly a fuel used to conquer time.”

“We do not need Energon for our time ships, Doctor!” replied the Emperor. “The Time Lords taught us much of time travel!”

“Your history is threatening to collapse under the weight of its own paradoxes!” argued the Doctor.

“ENOUGH!” boomed the Emperor. “Doctor, you and your companions will assist the Transformers in refining the Energon collected!”

“What about the radiation on this planet?”

“Radiation?” asked Amy.

“Skaro’s a radioactive desert world,” explained the Doctor.

“Anti-radiation drugs will be dispensed along with food!” replied the White Supreme.

“Until you’ve learned how to refine Energon, I take it.”

“Correct! Enter the mine! Join the labor force! Obey! Obey! OBEY!”

“…Come on, everyone,” sighed the Doctor. “We’d best do as they say.” The Daleks coldly watched as everyone entered the mine. The entrance was just big enough for Transformers. Octus remained outside with the Emperor.

“…Well, anything for me?” he asked.

“You will await my summons!” replied the Emperor. “I will expect a progress report from you later on Energon production!”

“I obey,” answered Octus. The Emperor and the Supreme Council then left. “…All according to plan,” purred Octus. “Now…to guide the destiny of the Daleks!”