Time (Doctor Who)

Time is the fifth episode of the second series of Doctor Who produced by The 56Studios. It features the return of the Daleks and continues the story that began in Space.

Story
Alex, a young boy, walked the streets of the large city. He watched the people who passed him by, the people yelling and the vendors calling for business. He listened the vehicles as they whizzed along the street, and saw the ships fly through the air high above the skyscrapers. He hopped over puddles and quickly crossed streets with a crowd. Moving quickly, he hurried along his way.

He was eager to get to the harbor to see his mother. She’d been working long shifts at the construction, and he really missed her. She also didn’t know that he was coming, so she would be surprised. Or mad. His parents didn’t want him anywhere near the site until it was ready. But he had to see her.

Continuing his journey through the city, Alex walked down several streets before finally arriving at the harbor. Walking along the metal dock, he reached the open hatch that led to the underwater construction. Getting onto the ladder, he climbed down it. He came down into a long shiny-metal hallway. As he walked down it, he looked in awe at it.

His footsteps echoing, he passed by several workers, who took no notice of him as he went. Finally, he entered a room with a thick window looking out into the waters. There were several more workers in there, working on circuitry and other things. Alex’s young heart leaped in his chest as he saw his mother on the far side of the room. Jumping with excitement, he ran to her.

“Mom!” he called. “Mom!”

Looking around in surprise, she turned to see her sun running towards her.

“Alex?” Abigail asked. “What are you doing here?”

The boy ran up and embraced his mother, and she hugged him back, despite not knowing why he was here. Setting him down, she knelt to meet his eye line.

“Why are you here, Alex?”

“I came from school. I wanted to see you!” he said happily. “I never get to see you.”

“Does Mama know that you’re here?”

Guiltily, he looked down. “No, she doesn’t.”

She held his shoulders tenderly. “You can’t just run off like this. You have to let me and Mama know where you are at all times.”

“But you know where I am now!”

“Yes, but Mama doesn’t, and she’s probably worried sick.”

“I don’t thin-,” Alex began, but was cut off by the sound of Abigail’s communicator buzzing. She looked at him before pulling it from a pocket on her work clothes.

“It’s Mama,” she said, reading the caller idea. Standing up, she held it to her ear.

“Lauren, I have Alex here. He came to see me at work,” she said, speaking first so her wife wouldn’t speak hysterically, but she could tell that she was upset. “Yeah, he’s okay. He’s sorry for scaring you like this.”

She listened to Lauren on the other end. As his parents talked, Alex watched his mom pace back and forth.

“Hey, you know what? I’ll come home with Alex and then we can have dinner as a family. How’s that?” Abigail said. “I mean, the whole reason Alex came here is because I’m never home, with you, him, or the baby.”

Alex’s expression lit up at this.

“Okay. I’ll see you soon. Okay, I love you. Bye,” she hung up and returned the device to her pocket. She then turned to her son.

“Are you ready to go?” she asked, smiling softly.

At the dinner table, his mother Lauren was scolding Alex. Abigail was feeding their youngest, another son, and their middle child, a daughter was watching the scene with piqued interest. Alex was staring at his food as his mother lectured him.

“…What possessed you to just go out like that? You know you’re not allowed at the construction site!”

“I just wanted to see Mom,” he looked up at her. “I never get to see her.”

“It’s dangerous at Mom’s work! You know that! We’ve told you dozens of times, every time you’ve wanted to go and visit!”

“I know. I’m sorry, Mama.”

Abigail sighed. “This is my fault. They’re having us work really long hours to complete the bunker before the end of the month. I’m sorry I can’t be home with the family more often.” She looked at her wife. “And I’m sorry I can’t be home with you more often.”

Lauren smiled faintly, fidgeting with her wedding ring. “You’re providing for the family, and you’re providing a service to the city.”

Reaching out, Abigail held Lauren’s hand on the table. “Yes, but you’re my wife, and we’re supposed to be working together for our family, and I’ve left your burdened with the kids for so long.” She looked at their children. “You need to have both your moms here, and I’m sorry for not fulfilling that duty.”

“As long as you come home more often, I will be happy,” Alex said.

“Same,” their daughter, Sally, nodded.

“I’ll make sure of it,” Abigail smiled, looking at her family. “I promise.”

The next day, Alex was walking with his class down the street near the school. His teachers led the way towards the playground. As they walked, the boy thought about what his mothers had said. He knew his mother was going to try and make it home more often, but he also doubted that she would be able to fulfill that promise. He didn’t blame her, of course. He knew that she had to work in order to provide for their family.

Still, he wanted both his parents around.

They continued walking. The playground was coming up. Alex was near the back of the class, watching the ground. As they approached the park, however, he heard a strange noise beginning to fill the air. It sounded like some kind of wheezing. Stopping, he fell the back of the class as the others passed him by, not caring about what he was doing.

Alex looked around in search of the noise. He was standing in front of an alleyway, and it sounded like the noise was coming from it. Looking between the alley and his class, his momentary indecision was solved by the noise growing louder. Gathering his wits, he walked down the alleyway. As he walked, a continual breeze rustled past him.

Ducking behind a stack of pallets, he watched as a light appeared in the air further down the alleyway. Slowly, a large blue box began to fade into existence around it. In awe, he quickly pulled out a small glass rectangle and held it up. Pressing a red button that appeared on the screen, he began recording.

Energy shimmered around the box as it solidified. He could read the letting on top of it as ‘POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX,’ which the boy found especially strange. There was a loud thump as the groaning noises stopped. The box sat still for a moment before one of the front doors opened and three people emerged from it.

One of them was a tale man with gray hair and wearing a velvet coat. The other two were women. One had brown hair and the other had black hair. They looked around the alleyway with what seemed to be confusion.

“What are we doing here?” the woman with black hair asked.

“Yeah,” the woman with brown hair crossed her arms. “And why is it always alleyways?”

The man was looking into the distance before he reached into his pocket and produced a small blue device. Holding it up, he waved it around, a soft buzzing noise coming from it. After a few moments, he pulled it back and examined it.

“Strange. I can’t get a reading on where we are. The TARDIS won’t say either. It’s like there’s some kind of interference with the sensors.”

“What would be interfering with the systems?” the black-haired woman turned to him.

“Temporal energy, most likely,” he replied.

“Is that bad?” the other woman stepped towards him.

“Depends,” the man shrugged.

“Well, I can’t hurt to look around?” the first woman asked.

“That’s not really true,” he looked around the alleyway,

“But she’s right, though, isn’t she?” the second woman said. “I mean, we can look around, right?”

He stood still, still looking down the alleyway. He was tense, like he knew that they didn’t belong there. “We should leave. We should really, really leave.”

The women watched him with confused looks before he spun on his heel. “Alright. Let’s go.”

They were surprised. “Seriously?”

“Come on. Before I change my mind,” he began walking down the alleyway towards the street on the opposite side.

Eagerly, the women ran after the man as they left the strange blue box behind and headed into the city. Alex watched them go from his hiding place. He was breathing heavily. Knowing that he had to tell someone, he stopped recording, got up and ran back down the alleyway and out onto the street. Rounding the corner, he made his way into the park. As he did, his teachers saw him, looking at him with confused expressions.

“Alex?” one of them asked. “What are you doing?”

“I saw aliens!” he said, pointing to the street on the opposite side of the park. “They came in a big blue box that just appeared out of nowhere!”

They chuckled. They thought that he was playing a game. “And what kind of aliens were they?” another asked, smiling. “Did they have big tentacles?”

“No! They looked like people, but they’re aliens. I know it! They’re real!” he insisted.

“Are you sure?” one of them crouched down to meet his eye line. “Are you just playing a game?”

“I have proof! Look!” Pulling out his device, he held it up and showed the recording. As the teachers saw the blue box appearing from thin air, and the trio emerging from it, their eyes widened.

“We have to call the Protectors,” one of them said. “Now.”

The Doctor, Clara, and April walked down the city. The two women were looking around in awe. This was April’s first time in a place like this, and she couldn’t help but stare at the infinitely-tall skyscrapers. Futuristic vehicles passed by on the streets, while other vehicles soared through the air. They were also weaving their way through an endless ocean of pedestrians.

Clara had seen cities like this before, but they were still breathtaking to her. The Doctor, however, was still looking around the street, trying to figure out where they were.

“There’s something about this place that’s familiar to me,” he said. “But I have no idea why.”

“Could it be that thing where you’re remembering the future?” Clara suggested.

“Maybe,” he replied. “But probably not. I’m usually good at knowing what I’m remembering.”

“Yeah but you’re not remembering where we are right now,” April quipped.

He sighed. “This is what I get for traveling with a journalist. Always a joke.”

They walked for a while longer. Clara scratched her head. “You know what? I’m getting some kind of deja vu also. It’s not for this city, but something else. Something that I can’t quite put my finger on…”

“Well, wherever we are, I’d like to find out soon,” the Doctor said. “I hate not knowing things.”

“He really does,” Clara muttered to April.

They were approaching a small terminal on the street corner. Going up to it, the Doctor began playing with it. It seemed to require money, which they didn’t have. Pulling out the sonic screwdriver again, the Doctor used it to override the system. In a brief spark, he succeeded, and gained access to the terminal. Scrolling through the menus, the screen filled with information.

“There we are!” he said excitedly. “The date is January 23, 4763. It’s a Tuesday. I love a Tuesday.”

“It’s awfully warm for January,” April remarked, taking off her coat and slinging it over her arm.

“Well, even on colonized worlds, climate change is still a thing,” he continued scrolling through information. “Especially when humans are involved.”

“So it’s a colonized world, then?” Clara tried to get a look at the data.

“Yes, and I could tell before I got here. The sky’s not right, and neither is the air. Close, but certainly not Earth.”

“Can this thing tell us which planet?” April asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to-,” he continued zapping it with the sonic.

He was abruptly interrupted as they heard sirens coming down the street towards them. They seemed to be coming from all sides. Looking around in confusion, they saw several armored vehicles speeding towards them. Pedestrians quickly moved out of the way as they surrounded the trio. Immediately, over a dozen armed officers jumped from the vehicles and approached them. The three raised their hands.

“What’s going on here?” the Doctor demanded. These people were law enforcement, that much he could tell from the uniforms.

“We received reports of alien activity in the city, and the reports come with evidence linking you to the activity,” one of the officers said, producing a pair of handcuffs. Two other officers did the same.

“Whatever you’ve been told, it’s not true!” April protested as they bound her hands behind her back.

“We think that the evidence speaks for itself,” another officer replied.

Clara struggled as they were dragged away towards the vehicles. “We can explain!”

“You’ll have plenty of opportunities to do that, for sure,” the first officer nodded.

“This is outrageous!” the Doctor growled as they rifled through his coat pockets and found his various items inside. Seeing that there was too much to confiscate, they simply removed his velvet coat.

They struggled as they were forced into the back of one of the vehicles. The two women were forced in after them. Four guards climbed in, and indicated for them to take a seat on the benches. Reluctantly, they did.

As the doors closed and locked, the women looked to the Doctor.

“What’s going on? Why are they arresting us?” April whispered.

“Even in the future, prejudice exists,” the Doctor said. “The names change, but the street stays the same. Humanity may have gotten over its hate of their own kind, but moved to the hatred of those in space.”

“So basically they’re arresting us because we’re immigrants?” Clara asked.

“Basically,” he nodded.

She leaned back on the bench. “Well, isn’t that fantastic.”

“What are we going to do?” April pulled at her restraints, but to no avail.

“Nothing we can do,” the Doctor. “At least not right now.”

The engine roared into life, and the vehicle vibrated slightly. The convoy then pulled away from the sidewalk and onto the street, riding into the city. The pedestrians watched with surprise and confusion unsure of what happened or who the arrested were. After a few moments, they turned away and went back to their lives, forgetting about the spectacle they had just witnessed.

High above the planet, a fleet of saucers approached the planet. They drifted slowly towards it, spinning endlessly.

Aboard the ship, the eye of the Supreme Dalek stared at the display screen. The iris of his eye narrowed before he turned towards the Daleks at the controls.

“REPORT,” he ordered, the three bulbs on his red igniting at once.

“WE ARE APPROACHING THE PLANET,” one of the bronze Daleks spun around from the control panel it had been working at. “THE HUMAN POPULATION CANNOT DETECT US.”

“EXCELLENT. ONCE WE ARE IN RANGE, BEGIN THE EXTERMINATION OF THE POPULATION.”

“WE OBEY!” the Daleks on the bridge cried in unison.

Turning back towards the screen, the Supreme Dalek watched them approach the planet.

The Doctor pulled at chains binding him the table. Once they had arrived a the Protectors’ headquarters, the officers split them up between three interrogation rooms. As soon as they had closed the door, he had begun formulating a way to escape, but none were becoming apparent to him. It didn’t help that they had taken his coat, and it didn’t help that his restraints were very strong.

After a few minutes, the door opened and an officer entered. He stood in the doorway for a moment as the two glared at each other, before he came and sat down in the chair across from him. His badge had TILL printed in bold letters.

“So,” he said, leaning back. “Who are you?”

“That’s a loaded question.”

“Is it?”

He thought about it for a moment. “Depends on what you want to know.”

“Your name.”

“I’m the Doctor.”

Till raised an eyebrow. “And what kind of name is that? What are you a doctor of?”

“Everything,” he replied shortly.

“That’s pretty impressive,” he leaned forward. “Why are you here?”

“Sightseeing. It’s a big city.”

The officer shook his head. “No. We’re way past that now. We have video evidence of you and your friends appearing out of nowhere. You’re aliens, and with everything that’s happened in the last few years, we’re not gonna take any chances. If you pose a threat to the citizens of this city, it’s our job to stop you.”

“I don’t think it is,” the Doctor replied, crossing his legs and leaning back. “I’m not one of the dangerous ones.”

“It doesn’t matter. Any alien is a threat, no matter how nice they saw that they are.”

“And I thought racism was dead.”

Till looked at him before sighing. “Are you going to cooperate or not?”

“Oh, I’m certainly not.”

Looking at him for a long moment, he stood up, pushed his chair in, and walked to the door. As he opened it, he looked back at the Doctor.

“I’ll see if your companions will be a bit more talkative.”

And with that, he left the room.

“Why won’t you cooperate with us?” Till asked, leaned across the table toward Clara, who was getting visibly irritated.

“Because you just took us off the street and shoved us in a truck!” she replied.

“We had to act quickly based on the tip and the evidence that we were presented with,” he explained. “You could’ve been dangerous, for all we knew.”

“We were walking down the street!”

“That doesn’t prove anything. Walking down the street does not show innocence,” Till said.

“What more do you want? We’re not terrorists!” Clara insisted. “We’re just passing through!”

He chuckled. “Now we both know that’s not true.”

“It is! What more do you want?”

“I want you to cooperate with me!” he leaned forward. “You don’t want to make this any more difficult for yourself!”

Clara looked at him for a long moment with her large brown eyes before leaning back in her chair. “I’ve told you what happened, and you’re the one who won’t believe me. I can’t help you.”

He sighed, before standing up. “You’re the second one to tell me that today.”

“Maybe it’s true, then,” Clara said.

Till thought about it for a moment. “Maybe. But I’ve got one more interview to conduct.”

“Look. I’m a journalist. I know what it’s like to be questioned, or when someone’s trying to get an angle on me, so you can shut the hell up,” April said as Till sat down.

The officer looked surprised. “Why are you being so aggressive? I haven’t even asked you any questions yet.”

“I know how this is going to go, so I’m heading it off as soon as I can.”

He gave a half laugh. “I like you. You’re fiercer than the other two.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And how’s that?”

“They stonewalled me with a lot of words and frivolous storytelling. You’re stonewalling me up front,” he replied. “But we’ll get what we want. Eventually.”

“Since when is it okay to discriminate against people who are different from you?” April asked, leaning forward. “Because I honestly thought humanity would be over this by now. I thought everyone would be able to coexist.”

“You want to know why we can’t coexist? Why we take the threat aliens pose very seriously?” Till leaned forward also. “Because the last time that we encountered aliens, they almost took out our entire civilization. We were fledglings on this planet, and they came and nearly committed genocide against us. We had to adapt to survive, and to maintain this utopia, we have to protect ourselves.”

“But attacking anything differe-.”

“-Is what is necessary for protection.”

April leaned back. disgusted. “That’s what the Nazis used the justify their actions.”

He had no idea what she was talking about. “Who?”

She was surprised. “Seriously? You don’t know who the Nazis are?”

Till shrugged. April looked at him for a moment before falling back in her chair and chuckling. “I guess those who forget history are really damned to repeat it.”

“Repeat it?”

“Racism. Fascism. Take your fancy.”

He was about to reply before the door opened and another officer stepped in. They both turned to look at him. His eyes were wide, like he was panicked. Till noticed this, and stood up.

“Harrison? What’s going on?”

“You have to come to the command center. Now,” he said.

“I’m conducting an intervi-,” he protested, but was cut across.

“You’re need. Now,” Harrison interrupted.

Till bit the insides of his cheeks in frustration. He glanced at April, before nodded. Quickly, he moved towards the door, followed by Harrison. Together, the two of them left the woman alone. She watched the door for a moment before turning her attention to her restraints. As she did, she noticed something off about them. In the metallic fiber cable-like piece that connected the cuffs together there was a small tear. Looking at it for a moment, she began pulling on her restraints. She was pulling the cable against the ring fused to the table, rubbing the tear against the metal.

She did pulled for several moments before suddenly the cable snapped and she nearly fell back from the force of her pulling. April didn’t care about this, however, because now she was free. Getting to her feet, she quickly moved across the room to the door. Pulling the handle on the door, she was surprised to find that it was unlocked. They must’ve forgotten to lock it when they left. Slowly, she pushed it open.

Stealthily, she looked out into the corridor. It was deserted. Red emergency lights flashed around her. What had happened? Something to do with why Till was called away, she assumed. All she knew was that there were no officers around. Taking a deep breath, she left the room.

Walking along the corridor, she arrived at an intersection with two rooms that spilled off from the hallway. There were several terminals and desks around the room. Looking around for a moment, she found a metallic card, which she thought might be a key. Taking it, she continued down the hallway.

Coming to another door, she swiped the card and entered. Inside, Clara was pulling at her own restraints. She looked up in surprise at April’s arrival.

“What’s going on? How did you get out?” she asked, bewildered.

“That cop was interrogating me when they called him somewhere else. I was able to break free and found the place deserted,” she came over and swiped the card over the restraints. “Oh, and I found this.”

Clara removed the handcuffs and rubbed her wrists before standing up. “Okay. So what now?”

“We find the Doctor and get the hell out of here?” April suggested.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Together, the two women passed through the doorway. In the hallway, Clara looked around at the deserted area and flashing lights. They moved down the corridor before they stopped at another door. Swiping the card, they entered and found the Doctor inside. He looked up at them with confusion.

“How are you there?” he asked.

“I got out,” April said.

“You got out before I got out?” he raised an eyebrow. “That can’t be right.”

“That’s what happened. Till left and I was able to get out and find the keys.”

“Are you sure?”

“Doctor, this is wasting time,” Clara interjected.

“Oh yes,” the Doctor nodded. He sat there for a moment before speaking. “Well, let me out, then.”

Quickly, April came over and unlocked his restraints. He immediately got to his feet and paced around the room.

“Shouldn’t we go?” April asked.

“No. Something’s going on,” he shook his head, looking at the red lights flashing outside the room. “Something bad.”

“What are you planning?” Clara crossed her arms.

He stood and thought for a moment before running through the doorway. The two women looked at each other before following. The Doctor ran to the alcove and began rifling through the desks. The two women looked on in confusion before he pulled open a large drawer revealing all of their belongings, including the Doctor’s velvet coat. Clara retrieved her cellphone and wallet while April grabbed her bag. The Doctor slung his jacket over his shoulders and made sure that the sonic screwdriver was still there.

“Okay,” April secured her bag. “Now what?”

“This way,” the Doctor turned and ran down the corridor. They rolled their eyes before following.

The trio ran down the corridor, noticeably away from where the exit was. Just barely, Clara and April were able to keep up with the man as he ran.

“Where are we going?” April huffed.

“There’s a command center up ahead,” the Doctor replied. “Whatever’s going on, I need to know!”

“What if it’s the Daleks?” Clara asked.

“I have to know,” he repeated.

Rushing down multiple corridors, they eventually came to a significant set of metal doors. Pulling out the sonic screwdriver, he overrode the control panel and rushed inside. The women joined.

Inside was a large room with dozens of terminals. Men and women filled the chamber, all looking at a massive screen that filled the entire far wall. It appeared to show a sonar of some kind of the planet and its immediate surroundings.

“We’re picking up some kind of signal,” one of them said as they watched the screen.

The Doctor slowly stepped forward when he kicked a chair. Immediately, every officer turned and pulled their guns on them. The three immediately raised their hands again. Till, shocked, stepped forward.

“What the hell are you doing here? How did you get out?” he demanded.

April’s mouth twitched. “Well, you see, the handcuf-,” she said when she was interrupted by a loud static noise that filled the room.

Turning, they all looked at the monitor which abruptly went blank. They watched it, listening to the static before a piercing, sinister voice came through the speakers.

“'EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!'” it chanted.

“No…” the Doctor said quietly. Clara looked between him and the screen.

“Doctor. How are they here?” she asked.

“They always return,” he replied. “They always survive.”

“What is it?” April looked confused, but the voice was chilling her to the core. “What are they?”

“The Daleks,” the Doctor said darkly.

“What the hell are Daleks?”

“Machines of destruction. Their sole purpose is to destroy anything that is not Dalek. They view themselves as the masters of the universe,” he explained, staring at the screen.

“So they’re basically, what, space Nazis?”

“That’s a good way to put it, but instead of exterminating millions, they’ve exterminated trillions. I’ve encountered them time and time again all my lives, and I’m always sure I’m rid of them, but they never seem to die,” he expression became visibly angry.

The screen flickered back into view, and they could see a dozen circular objects approaching the planet at a high speed. The chanting of the Dalek continued to ring through the room, piercing their ears.

After a few moments, the Doctor stepped towards Till.

“Let me speak to them.”

“What? What is this? What’s going on?”

The Doctor’s tone was deathly serious. His gaze was sharper than ever. “If you don’t let me speak to them, we’re all going to die.”

A chill ran down Till’s spin as he looked at him. He swallowed. “What are they?”

“The Daleks,” the Doctor said. “And I am the only person who can help you right now.”

Till watched him for several moments before nodding. Stepping out of the way, he let the Doctor through. The Time Lord passed between the terminals to the front row. Producing the sonic screwdriver, he used it on the one of the consoles, which sparked as he changed it. Suddenly the screen went black. It stayed like this for several moments before it flickered back into life, and the red and gold Supreme Dalek was visible before them. Its eye narrowed as it took it what it was seeing.

“IDENTIFY YOURSELF!” it demanded, all three lights flashing.

“Oh, you know who I am,” he said.

“IDENTIFY YOURSELF!” the Supreme Dalek repeated.

The Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes. Looking up, he seemed to stare right into the Dalek’s soul.

“I’m the Doctor.”

The Supreme Dalek visibly recoiled. “''IMPOSSIBLE! THE DOCTOR CANNOT BE HERE. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE!''”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

“YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

He chuckled. “You know, I’m actually getting used to you lot constantly saying that sort of thing.”

“''YOU CANNOT STOP US, DOCTOR. WE ARE SUPREME. ALL HAIL THE DALEKS.''”

“What do you plan to do?”

“''WE WILL CLEANSE THIS PLANET AND IT WILL BECOME A PLANET OF THE DALEKS FOR THE GLORY OF THE DARLK EMPIRE. DALEKS WILL BE SUPREME OVER THIS WORLD.''”

“And what’s so special about this planet?”

“''ESPER IS OF A STRATEGIC VALUE TO THE DALEKS. WE WILL USE IT IN OUR CONQUEST OF THE UNIVERSE.''”

The Supreme Dalek’s words stopped the Doctor in his tracks. His eyes widened in realization as his lower lip quivered.

“Esper?” he muttered, barely even a whisper. “This is Esper?”

“''ESPER WILL BE CLEANSED. THE DALEKS WILL BE SUPR-''” the Supreme Dalek was cut off when the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver killed the link.

As they watched the screen filling with static, everyone was overcome with shock. No one knew what to say, and the room was completely silent.

Finally, someone spoke.

“What the hell was that?” one of the officers asked.

“The Daleks,” the Doctor said. “The Daleks are here… this is Esper… this is the day…”

“I thought the Daleks were a myth,” Till replied.

“They should be,” he turned away from the screen. “But they never are. You need to ready your defenses. They’re coming for you.”

“What are they going to do?” Till stepped toward him. “What do they want?”

“Didn’t you hear? They’re going to wipe you out! You have to fight them off, and now!”

Till watched the Doctor for a moment before turning to the room. “We have to move! The city’s in danger, and we have to protect it! Move, now!”

Everyone immediately scrambled to move. They rushed to terminals and began working. Till left to begin commanding the officers. The Doctor walked from the front of the room to the back where his companions were. They were watching the chaos erupting around them.

“Doctor, if this is Esper, then that means…” Clara trailed off.

“Time to go,” he said, striding toward the door.

“Where are we going?” April asked as they followed him out.

“Back to the TARDIS. We can’t be here,” the Doctor finally said as they walked down the corridor. “The timeline is at risk.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“We came here before, only it was in this planet’s future, and we learned of the destruction that happens today and for the next twenty years.”

“But Doctor,” Clara replied as they reached an elevator, which he bypassed with the screwdriver. “In the future, they said that we were there and that we helped before we left.”

“Well, I just helped, and now we’re leaving,” he stepped into the elevator as it arrived, followed by the women.

“That isn’t what they said,” she crossed her arms.

“Time is relative, and we’re doing what I think happened. End of discussion.”

“Doctor-.”

He turned to her, his gaze piercing. “End of discussion. I will not be responsible for the death and destruction here. I will not abandon these people after the Daleks begin their attack.”

“So you’re abandoning them before the Daleks attack?” April’s expression shifted to that of anger.

“Yes. That is what we are doing. I cannot stop the Daleks. If I do I will destroy the universe. We must leave. We must leave now.”

As the main Dalek ship hovered just above the atmosphere, the Supreme Dalek watched the planet below.

“THE DOCTOR IS ON THE PLANET. MAXIMUM EXTERMINATION. THE HUMAN CONTAGION WILL BE CLEANSED. THE DOCTOR WILL BE EXTERMINATED AT LAST,” he ordered, lights flashing.

“WE OBEY,” the Daleks replied.

Activating the controls, the energy cannons on the ships charged. Lights flashes on and off around the bridge as they readied their attack.

“SEND DRONES TO THE PLANET TO EXTERMINATE THE STRAGGLERS. NONE WILL REMAIN. NONE WILL SURVIVE!”

Moments later, the weapons were charged. Just seconds after that, the first shots were fired.

The Doctor, Clara, and April were running along the street after leaving the Protectors’ station. Sirens were blaring and people were running for their lives. They could see the Dalek saucers in the sky, threatening to rain down destruction on them all.

As they ran, they heard a loud noise high above them. Skidding to a stop, they turned and looked to see massive beams of blue energy hurtling towards the ground. The first struck a few miles away, a massive explosion following the impact. The next hit a skyscraper in the opposite direction, reducing it to nothing but rubble. The blasts continued to fall from the saucers, sending the city into flames.

Beams of red light shot from the planet, but had no effect on the attackers. They could see Daleks themselves in the air, flying towards the city among the chaos.

“Doctor!” Clara yelled as he continued running. “We have to help them!”

“We’ve done all we can! We’ve already saved them, they just haven’t gotten there yet!” he called over his shoulder.

“Please!” she cried, but he ignored her.

Not wanting to be abandoned, they followed the Time Lord. Emotions ran through them, the most prominent being a sense of helpless and sorrow for the people of this planet. For twenty years they would have to suffer under the Daleks, all because they had failed to stop them here.

After several blocks, and with the attacks getting closer and closer, they rounded a corner into the alleyway where the TARDIS was parked. Quickly, the Doctor produced his key and used it to get inside. The women looked out at the city before following him in.

In the box, the Doctor was standing on the controls, his hand on the lever. He seemed to want to go, but something was stopping him. Clara and April ran around to the other side of the console to face him.

“Doctor,” April said. “They’re dying out there! We have to do something!”

“How many times do I have to tell you?” his voice was sharp. “We can do nothing for them!”

“Yes, we can!” Clara replied, tears in her eyes. “I know we can’t stop the Daleks, but they’ll be wiped out if we don’t do anything!”

“What can I do without risking the continuum? What can I do without changing history?”

April shook her head. “This is wrong, Doctor. You’re letting some notion of continuance of an abstract concept take precedent over life!”

“Then you tell me why I have to help!” he looked up, anger in his face. “Tell me why I’m always the one who has to fix what someone else broke. Why do I have to pick up the pieces?”

Clara looked at him a long moment before smiling. “Because you’re the Doctor.”

Slowly, he turned to her. Their eyes locked as he let these words sink in. Finally, he smiled.

“Because I’m the Doctor,” he repeated. Pressing a few buttons on the console, he grabbed the lever and slammed it down. The room shook as the TARDIS began to dematerialize.

“Where are we going?” April asked again.

“To save people,” the Doctor replied, pulling out the sonic screwdriver. His smile grew even broader.

The Daleks were raining death and destruction down on the city. Civilians ran and screamed as they fired upon by the invaders. Many of them were struck by blasts of radiation, crying in agony as their skeletons illuminated before falling dead.

Outside the Protectors’ station, the officers were herding people inside as the Daleks closed in. Many were struck down, including several of the officers. Among the refugees were Alex and his family. His mothers were holding their children tight, keeping together as they rushed into the shelter.

Once inside, there were officers shepherding the civilians through a door that led to a stairway, descending into a deeper level of the station.

“Quickly!” an officer barked. “We have to move, now!”

They flooded down the stairwell. There were hidden tunnels underneath the building that would protect them from the Daleks for a time. They didn’t know how long, but they knew that it was their best chance to survive.

Once underground, there were officers who were guiding the civilians through a long tunnel. Their footsteps echoed around them, filling their ears. Above them, they could hear distant gunfire. Reaching the end of the corridor, they reached a large set of steel doors. Entering a code, the officers stepped back as the doors slid open.

“Inside!” one of them ordered. “Go!”

Without hesitating, they rushed into the room. It was a large bunker-like structure, with several beds and supplies laid out around them. They began spreading out so that they were no longer clustered together. As they did, one of the officers stepped forward and clapped her hands to get attention, even as more refugees came in.

“Alright!” she said. “We’re going to camp out here for a while before the threat has passed! Everyone get comfortable.”

There was a rumbling as they talked among themselves. Alex and his family, together, sat down on a bed and held each other close.

High above in the command center, the officers were coordinating counterattacks against the Daleks. Till was in command, dictating which actions to take. They were overwhelmed, and they weren’t sure if they were capable of defeating their enemy.

He didn’t know where the Doctor and his companions had gone, and he didn’t have time to worry about it. He couldn’t help but wonder that, the Doctor, with all his impossible knowledge, was failing to assist them in protecting their world.

The Daleks were covering the city. Large portions of it had already been reduced to rubble. He watched in horror as cameras across the city showed the Daleks soaring through the air and shooting down the civilians. He didn’t know how much longer they could last.

“Maximum firepower!” he said. “Target the saucers!”

“Our weapons are having no effect on any of them. The Daleks are immune!” one of the officers replied.

“Keep trying! We have to stop them!”

They continued working. However, a new set of red lights and sirens went off around the room.

“Sir!” one of the officers said. “We have incoming!”

“From where?” he turned to them.

“From… oh my god,” they said.

“What? What is it, dammit?” Till demanded.

“From the sk-.”

The station was struck by a massive beam of energy from the main Dalek saucer. The building exploded in a fiery ball. As the smoke cleared, the top half of the bulding was gone, and the shockwave killed the officers and civilians on the ground instantaneously.

In the air, the Daleks detected life signs yet in the structure. Several of them turned towards the smoking ruin.

“HUMANOIDS DETECTED,” one of them said. “THERE IS A STRUCTURE BELOW THE BUILDING.”

Another joined it. “THEY ARE HIDING. THEY CANNOT HIDE FROM THE DALEKS. THEY WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

“EXTERMINATE!” more Daleks joined them as they flew towards the building. “EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!”

Below the ground, the refugees were recovering from the earthquake. They had no idea what had happened. Everyone was okay, but their anxiety was heightened. They were beginning to panic, and the officers knew they had to keep calm.

“We don’t know what that was, but there is no need to panic. We have to stay calm!” she called.

Slowly, the refugees began to regain their cool. They were still on edge, however. Breathing a sigh of relief that the panic had stopped at least, the officer turned away to grab something to drink when they heard a loud voice come from outside the bunker’s door.

“EXTERMINATE!” it cried.

“No…” the officer gasped. “No…”

“''HUMANOIDS DETECTED. CONFIRMATION. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!''” the voice called, accompanied by others.

Quickly, the officers readied their weapons. The refugees began scrambling as they heard the Daleks approaching them. The Protectors flipped over tables and formed a barricade. They set up behind it, their weapons charged.

“Get back and get down!” they told the civilians. “They’re coming!”

They listened to the Daleks approaching, yelling their war cry. Sweat glistened on their brows and some of them whimpered. A second later the doors exploded inwards. Smoke and dust filled the air, blinding them for a moment. Through the smoke, they could see the blue eyes of the Daleks.

“EXTERMINATE!” they cried, their indicator lights flashing.

“Stop! Please!” the officer pleaded, her hands shaking. “We’re just civilians!”

“ALL HUMANS WILL BE EXTERMINATED. THIS PLANET WILL BE CLEANSED.”

The Daleks rolled forward, ready to attack. However, just as they were about to fire, a wheezing began to fill the air. Everyone looked around in confusion, but the bronze creatures seemed to tense as they heard the noise.

“TEMPORAL ANOMALY DETECTED!” one of them cried.

“IT IS THE DOCTOR. THE DOCTOR IS DETECTED!” another replied.

Slowly, a tall blue box began to fade into existence between the humans and their attackers. As it solidified, the door opened and the Doctor emerged. Alex perked up as he saw them. The Daleks rolled forward.

“THE DOCTOR WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

“No, he won’t,” he replied.

Raising the sonic screwdriver, he activated it. It glowed with a green light. Suddenly, the Daleks exploded with violent force. Shrapnel flew through the air and fell at their feet. Everyone looked on in awe at what he had just done.

April and Clara emerged from the TARDIS and saw the carnage.

“How the hell did you do that?” April exclaimed.

“Last time I encountered these guys, I was able to create a software that destroys their armor. Stayed with the sonic when I upgraded,” the Doctor explained. “Only works on this particular platoon, however.”

“Sp what do we do now?” Clara asked.

The Doctor looked around at the refugees. He then turned to one of the officers.

“You. Officer lady. You’re constructing an underwater bunker, correct?”

“Yes, we are,” Abigail stood up.

The Doctor looked at her before seeing Alex. He and the boy locked eyes before he winked. He then turned to his companions.

“Lead these people to the structure. Make sure they’re safe. It’s the only way to survive.”

“What about the Daleks?” April asked.

“I’ll take care of them,” he smiled.

“You’ll be safe?” Clara crossed her arms. “I can come with you.”

“No, you need to stay and help April. I’ll be fine. I promise. We know we left here. Time is on our side.”

The trio looked at each other for a long moment before they nodded. The Doctor turned and walked into the TARDIS. A moment later it began to dematerialize, leaving them alone. April and Clara looked at each other before they turned to the refugees.

“Alright. We’re going to the bunker!” Clara said. “It’s our only safe place from the Daleks, and we have to move, now!”

None of them objected to her orders, and they began packing their things. Clara and April watched them with hesitation.

“Do you think we can do this?” April asked.

“We did so in the future, so probably,” Clara shrugged. “Let’s get going.”

“THE HUMAN CONTAGION IS ALMOST EXTINGUISHED,” one Dalek reported on the bridge.

“EXCELLENT,” the Supreme Dalek said. “HAS THE DOCTOR BEEN LOCATED?”

“NEGATIVE. THE DOCTOR HAS NOT BEEN FOUND.”

The Supreme Dalek’s eyes narrowed as it watched the display screen. The Doctor had to be out there, and he must be found. He would be the Dalek who finally exterminated the Doctor.

Emergency lights suddenly went off around the bridge. The Daleks looked around for an explanation. The Supreme Dalek became angry.

“WHAT IS THIS? EXPLAIN. EXPLAIN. EXPLAIN!”

The TARDIS suddenly began to materialize in the room. Every Dalek turned to face it, their weapons at the ready. A moment later, the Doctor stepped out of the police box. He looked around at the Daleks surrounding him with a smile on his face, but in pale his eyes was utter contempt. He spun the sonic screwdriver in his right hand.

“DOCTOR!” the Supreme Dalek rolled off its platform towards him. “YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

The Doctor held up the sonic screwdriver. “No, I won’t!”

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? WHAT THREAT DOES A SONIC PROBE POSE TO THE MIGHT OF THE DALEKS?”

“Loaded on this device is a program that will disrupt your armor and force you to explode, he replied. “I am willing to use this to wipe every single Dalek out of the sky!”

“THEN DO IT, DOCTOR,” the Supreme Dalek responded. “DO WHAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO!”

“I want to give you a chance to leave,” the Doctor said.

“COMPASSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS,” he seemed to be mocking him.

“Really? Because I view it as my greatest strength. I show mercy because I care. And I have to care because no one else will. You say mercy makes me weak? I say that mercy makes me stronger than you can ever be.”

The Supreme Dalek’s eye narrowed. “CARING HAS MADE YOU WEAK. YOU MAY DEFLECT, FILL YOUR HEARTS WILL DELUSIONS OF NOBILITY, BUT I SEE THROUGH YOU, DOCTOR. I SEE YOUR SOUL. YOUR THREATS ARE EMPTY. IF YOU PLANNED TO WIPE US OUT, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IT BY NOW.”

“So you’re not going to surrender?” the Doctor asked.

“NO. DALEKS WILL BE SUPREME. ALL HAIL THE DAL-.”

Suddenly, the Doctor pointed the screwdriver at a nearby control console and activated it. The console erupted in a spray of sparks. A new flood of alerts exploded across the bridge, causing the Daleks to look around in confusion. The Supreme Dalek turned back towards the Doctor, who was smiling broadly.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” he demanded.

“Showed you mercy, but just enough to ensure the future remains intact.”

Daleks around the bridge began to explode. The ship shook, indicating that more and more were bursting into flames across the ship. Fires broke out. On the scanners, they could see that several of the ships had exploded, as well as many of their drones. The signal was being broadcast across the entire Dalek network.

“Don’t worry,” the Doctor tucked the sonic screwdriver into his pocket. “You’ll have enough Daleks to occupy this planet for the next twenty years. But when that time is up, I’ll be seeing you again, and that will be the last time we meet.”

As the ship spiraled out of control, the Doctor turned and stepped back into the TARDIS. The Supreme Dalek, seeing this, opened fire, but it was too late. The blue box began to fade out of existence, leaving the saucer in flames, and the Supreme Dalek yelling after him.

“WE WILL MEET AGAIN, DOCTOR. AND YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!”

On the surface of Esper, Clara, April, and the refugees saw the Daleks exploding in the air, and the saucers becoming balls of flame in the sky. Many of them cheered at the destruction, clapping. Clara and April smiled, and looked at each other.

“What just happened?” Lauren asked, looking at her wife.

“The Doctor did it,” April said. “He destroyed the Daleks!”

“Enough for us to get away, anyway,” Clara replied.

Down the street, they heard the groaning of the TARDIS. Turning, they saw it materialize. Together, the two women ran over to it as the Doctor opened the door. He stood there, but didn’t step out. They stopped and looked at him.

“Did you do it?” Clara asked.

“I did. I destroyed them,” he nodded, glancing at the refugees.

April shifted her weight. “So now what? We get them to the bunker?”

“No. We have to leave,” the Doctor shook his head. “We’ve done all we can>”

“But they still need help!” Clara objected.

“They said that we deserted them,” he explained. “So we have to desert them. I’m sorry, but that’s how it must be.”

They all looked at the refugees, who were watching from afar. They saw Alex and his family in particular. They all looked despaired.

“I don’t want to go,” April said.

“I know,” he nodded. “But we must.”

After a few moments, Clara turned and stepped into the TARDIS. April stood and watched the people of Esper, tears in her eyes. Trying to prevent herself from crying, April ducked into the TARDIS, rushing past the Doctor and out of the console room. He looked after her before turning and looking at the people one last time.

They looked back, and after a long moment, he stepped back and closed the door. Walking to the console, he began flipping switches and turning knobs. Clara sat on the upper level, watching with her knees tucked into her chest.

“Why?” she asked simply.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed the lever and slammed it down. The TARDIS shuddered as it began to dematerialize. The engines wheezed as they disappeared into the vortex. Sighing, the Doctor looked up at her.

“Time.”

They watched the box disappear. He had abandoned them, and they had no idea why. They were on their own, with their planet devastated and their people killed.

Slowly, the officer stepped forward and turned to the group.

“Come on, everyone. Let’s keep going.”

“Who was he?” Alex asked abruptly. “Who was that man?”

The officer watched him a moment, biting her lip. Finally, she replied.

“The Forsaker.”

Characters

 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Clara Oswald
 * April Leigh-Morgan
 * Alex
 * Abigail
 * Lauren
 * Sally
 * Commander Till
 * The Daleks
 * Supreme Dalek
 * The Protectors
 * People of Esper

Trivia

 * This story takes place after Space for the Doctor and his companions, but before the events of that story. The title of these stories represent the aspects of time travel portrayed in these stories.