“Current reaction: ill advised,” droned the familiar voice of Soundwave as he approached a mech with wings and a beard.
“I can’t stand it any longer!” wailed the mech, Scourge.
“Feelings of hopelessness and isolation: shared,” said Soundwave.
“KEEP BACK!”
“Scourge, what’s the matter with you?!” barked Galvatron as he and the others arrived. Scourge saw the newcomers.
“Who are they?!” he demanded.
“I’m the Doctor,” replied the Doctor, “and I’m here to help.”
“Dr. Quill was here to help! He wanted to save us!”
“Scourge, please!” urged Dr. Quill.
“No! Those pills you made! I’ve taken mine without fail, now LOOK AT ME!” Scourge revealed his hand. It was covered in the mechanical equivalent of scabs and lesions! “They don’t work! He lied to us! THERE IS NO CURE! WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!” Galvatron then fired his cannon right through Scourge’s Spark Chamber! Scourge faded to gunmetal gray and collapsed to the floor.
“…There was no need for that!” hissed the Doctor.
“Scourge was a health security threat!”
“Poor Scourge,” sighed Dr. Quill.
“Dr. Quill, is this true?” asked First Aid. The silence Dr. Quill gave spoke volumes. “…You mean-?!”
“I’m sorry!” pleaded Dr. Quill. “I just…I wanted to give everyone hope!”
“A placebo effect,” the Doctor summarized. “…But that hope DID buy us time enough.”
“What do you mean, Doctor?” asked Amy.
“As we were rushing out,” explained the Doctor, “I took a look at the tissue and blood samples of infected patients and figured out that this virus is artificial in origin.”
“Artificial?” asked Dr. Quill. “You mean…germ warfare?!”
“Why would anyone make such a virus?!” protested Lurra Rus.
“To wipe out all life, presumably,” replied the Doctor. “Not just here on Mobius, but everywhere else on every planet.”
“But who would do that?” quizzed Amy.
“I’ll need to look deeper at the samples, but I have a theory.”
The Doctor got stuck into her work. Dr. Quill arrived. “How is it going?” he asked.
“I said I’d try to find a cure,” replied the Doctor, “but I can’t pluck one out of thin air. How’s everyone holding up?”
“Badly, after the revelation about my pills, Doctor.”
“Don’t be too harsh on yourself. It might not have been the best thing to do, but you gave your people hope.”
“Now they don’t even have that. Look, I must get back to my…Dell!” The Doctor turned to see the blank-faced man outside the door.
“Erm, I haven’t exactly finished a cure here,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure out how this virus mutates. If you could leave?”
“…I…obey,” replied the man. The Doctor froze.
“…What did you just say?!” she whispered. Dell then raised his hand and revealed a knife!
“Dell, what are you doing?!” protested Dr. Quill.
“I’m rather afraid Dell’s not under his own control!” replied the Doctor. Dell swung the knife, but the Doctor leapt aside. The two grappled, then the Doctor spun Dell around. Dell swung wildly, but the Doctor kept out of reach. Dell’s swings then led to him stabbing a machine and shocking him fatally! Dell’s body collapsed to the ground, releasing the knife. The Doctor then knelt by the body and examined his head and neck.
“Dell?!” asked Dr. Quill. The Doctor then found something and pulled a device off Dell’s neck.
“Drat,” grumbled the Doctor. “This only confirms everything.”
“Doctor, what-?!”
“Doctor!” called Amy as she and Lurra Rus arrived.
“Doctor, are you all right?! What-?!” Lurra Rus saw the body. “Oh my-!”
“The Doctor was forced into self-defense,” explained Dr. Quill. “But why Dell?! He’s not like this!”
“Not normally, I’m sure,” remarked the Doctor, “but Dell was taken by an alien race and converted into one of their obedient slaves. This component I got from his neck only confirms that this is the same race that made this virus.”
“What alien race is it?” asked Dr. Quill. “What planet did this virus come from?”
“From the laboratories on Skaro,” revealed the Doctor.
“The Daleks?!” yelped Amy. “They’re behind this plague?!”
“Yes. Unfortunately, germ warfare is something they excel in. Thankfully, I know their virus-creation techniques. I can synthesize a cure now.”
“That’s wonderful news,” said Dr. Quill. “It’s only a pity that it cost us someone’s life.”
“I’m afraid the Daleks already killed Dell when they put him through their mind-control processes. Odd that they would use Roboman technology. I would have thought their puppet tech was far superior for them.”
“Doctor, if the Daleks sent Dell to kill you-,” said Amy.
“Oh dear,” realized the Doctor. “They would very likely be coming here to ensure that the plague spreads. This whole thing is an experiment!”
“An experiment?!” said Dr. Quill. “To see how long it takes before we’re all six feet under?!”
“I…wouldn’t have put it so crudely, but yes.”
“There’s no way we can take on the Daleks in this state,” said Amy.
“We’ll have to try,” replied the Doctor.
Outside the center, Silver, Galvatron, and Goldbug were doing their usual patrol. “…Of all the revelations,” sighed Galvatron. “You know, Goldbug, it’s funny, after four million years of conflict, getting beat down, shot at, torn apart, THIS is how our lights go out?”
“Galvatron, if I might sound like Optimus for a sec,” said Goldbug, “this probably isn’t the end we imagined. But if this really IS the end…at least we’re ending it on a good note, trying to save people instead of trampling over them, deaf to their pleas over the sounds of our guns.”
“Guys, if we can concentrate,” interjected Silver. “Look, we can’t do nothing, but we can’t do a whole lot. Let’s just…do what we can.”
“…Probably the best course of action,” agreed Galvatron. As the three patrolled, they heard the roar of engines above their heads.
“Do you hear that?” asked Goldbug.
“It’s a ship!” replied Galvatron. “It’s coming in to land!”
“It’s heading for the old spaceport!” realized Silver. “We have to turn them away!”
“Come on!” called Galvatron. The group rushed towards the spaceport.
“What?! A ship?!” breathed First Aid in horror once he got the news. “We have to turn them away!”
“Can we get a visual?” asked the Doctor.
“The team said it was moving too fast for them to tell,” replied First Aid.
“I don’t like this at all,” muttered the Doctor. “I’m going out there.”
“We’re coming with you,” said Amy.
“You most certainly are not,” directed the Doctor.
“But Doctor-!” protested Lurra Rus.
“Amy, Lurra, please, for my sanity, stay here. You’d be a big help in protecting these people.”
“…Oh, fine,” grumbled Amy.
“I’ll be back as quick as I can!” The Doctor rushed out of the center.
The ship began its landing cycle as Silver, Galvatron, and Goldbug tried to wave it off. “GO AWAY! GO AWAY!” called Silver.
“THIS PLANET ISN’T SAFE!” urged Goldbug.
“It’s no use!” growled Galvatron. “They aren’t listening!” He then aimed his cannon.
“NO! Galvatron, put that away!” snapped Goldbug.
“One warning shot should do the trick!”
“And when was the last time you had your targeting systems recalibrated?!”
“Can we focus, please?!” snapped Silver. They then heard footsteps. They turned to see the Doctor arriving.
“I thought I’d see the ship myself and-!” She trailed off when she saw it. “…All of you, get back!”
“What?! Why?!” protested Galvatron.
“That’s a Dalek ship!”
“What?!” The ship lowered a landing ramp and the Daleks glided down with ease with the White Dalek Supreme leading the charge.
“Get out of here!” called Silver. “This planet’s under strict quarantine!”
“Silver, they’re the ones behind this plague!”
“The contagion is proceeding as planned!” barked the Dalek Supreme. “All survivors are to be exterminated! It is the order from the Emperor!”
“We obey!” replied the Daleks.
“Daleks, stop!” called the Doctor. “There’s no need to kill anyone else!”
“You are attempting to find a cure!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “We cannot have survivors! All life will be exterminated!”
“Show some mercy!” urged Silver.
“Mercy? There is no value or strength in mercy!”
“No value?! No strength?!”
“This conversation is at an end! EXTERMINATE THE HEDGEHOG!” Silver then used his psychokinesis to lift huge chunks of rubble into the air and fling them at the Daleks!
“UNDER ATTACK! UNDER ATTACK!” squawked a Dalek.
“DOCTOR! SILVER! RUN!” shouted Goldbug.
“Come on!” shouted the Doctor as everyone ran. She led them on a winding path, then they took cover. They caught their breath as the Daleks fanned out to begin their bloody campaign.
“Doctor, they can’t possibly be that ruthless!” panted Silver.
“They are,” replied the Doctor. “The Daleks hate all non-Daleks and will exterminate us all like pests. Man, woman, child, it makes no difference.”
“They’re behind this plague, aren’t they?” growled Galvatron. “Germ warfare is their signature weapon.”
“Yes, sad to say.” That was when a Dalek rounded the corner.
“Aliens detected!” it barked. “All shall…wait! You!” The Dalek waved its manipulator arm at the Doctor. “Your biology is not human!”
“No, no it’s not,” agreed the Doctor.
“Doctor, are you-?!” The Dalek cut off Galvatron’s protest.
“Doctor?! Did you say Doctor?!”
“…Thank you SO much, Galvatron!” hissed the Doctor.
“Whoops,” muttered Galvatron.
“YOU ARE THE DOCTOR!” screamed the Dalek in panic. “YOU ARE THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”