CHRYSALIS

THE PARTING OF WAYS

The Daleks are in a state of panic.

One of them turns to me, "You know the Doctor! You understand him! You will predict his actions!"

"I don't know!" I shout, the Dalek glides dangerously towards me, "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you..."

"Predict! Predict! Predict!"

"Tardis detected. In flight."
"Launch missile! Exterminate!"

"You can't! The Tardis doesn't have any defenses, you're gonna kill him!" I shout.

"You have predicted correctly."

I tremble in fear.

I hear the sound of the Tardis materializing. I look around. A breeze blows my hair as I turn to see the faint outline of the Tardis slowly appearing around me. It surrounds me and one of the Daleks.

The Doctor's outline becomes more and more district, standing beside the console. When the engines stop he shouts, "Abby! Get down!"

I drop to the floor.

The Dalek fires at Jack, who is holding a gun of some kind. With it, he deflects the ray back at the Dalek, who explodes with a scream. I wince. Smoke billows from the remains of the Dalek and I get back up.

Once I'm on my feet again, I run to the Doctor and throw my arms around him.

"Feels like I haven't seen you in years." I whisper.

"Told you I'd come and get you."

We pull away slightly.

"I never doubted it."

"I did! You all right?"

"Yeah, you?"
"Not bad. Been better!" The Doctor goes over to the smoldering the Dalek and peers at it.

"Hey, don't I get a hug?" Jack asks.

"Come here!" I throw my arms around him.

"Welcome home!"

"Oh, thought I'd never see you again."

"Oh, you were lucky, that was just a one-shot wonder. Drained the gun of all its power supply. Now it's just a piece of junk." He tells me.

The Doctor carefully examines the Dalek with his sonic screwdriver.

The three of us bend over the Dalek, looking at it. The battle armor has been blasted away, giving us a clear view of the mutant inside.

"You said they were extinct. How come they're still alive?" I ask.

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they've vanished out of time and space." Jack says.

"They went off to fight a bigger war... the Time War..." The Doctor informs him.

"I thought that was just a legend." Jack speaks with surprise.

"I was there. The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them." The Doctor stares at the smoldering Dalek, "I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing."

"There's thousands of them now. We could hardly stop one. What're we gonna do?" I ask.

The Doctor speaks cheerfully, "No good stood around here chin-wagging! Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers, let's go and meet the neighbors." He heads down the ramp.

I follow him, cautiously popping my head out of the Tardis.

The firing stops and the Doctor raises his hands mockingly.