MEMORIES THROUGH THE STARS | {2nd - Stars Themselves Series}

Victory of the Daleks (3)

"Thousands will die if we don't get those lights out now," Poppy realises

"German bombers sighted over the Channel, sir. ETA ten minutes, sir,"

"Here they come. Get a message to Mister Attlee. War Cabinet meeting at oh three hundred hours. If we're all still here,"

The three eventually find themselves in Bracewell's office after some contemplating on what to do.

"Bracewell, put the gun down," The PM orders when they see him holding one, hunched over at his desk.

"My life is a lie, and I choose to end it,"

"In your own time, Paisley boy, because right now we need your help," Amy kneels down in front of him.

"But those creatures, my Ironsides, they made me? I can remember things. So many things. The last war. The squalor and the mud and the awful, awful misery of it all. What am I? What am I?!"

"What you are, sir, is either on our side or theirs. Now, I don't give a damn if you're a machine, Bracewell. Are you a man?" Churchill still has a cigar between his teeth

"Listen to me. I understand. Really, I do," Amy slowly takes the gun out of Bracewell's hand

"Look, there is a spaceship up there lighting up London like a Christmas tree. Thousands of people will die tonight if we don't stop it," Poppy kneels down as well, using a gentle tone of voice

"and you are the only one who can help take it down," Amy tells him.

"I am?"

"You're alien technology. You're as clever as the Daleks are, so start thinking," Amy stands up "What about rockets? You got rockets? Because you said gravity whatsits, hypersonic flight, some kind of missile?"

"It isn't a fireworks party, Miss Pond. We need proper tactical. Oh. A missile. Or..." The PM trails off

"Or what?" Poppy stands as well, joining Amy

"We could send something up there, you say?" Churchill asks

"Yes, well, with a gravity bubble, yes, but. Theoretically it's possible that we could actually send something into space," Bracewell confirms

"Bracewell, it's time to think big," he slams the papers on the table.

----------&----------

Parts of building dust fall on them as the bombs keep hitting. Bracewell enters with some form of radio thing

"At last. Are they ready?" The PM asks

"I hope so. But in the meantime, this will pick up Dalek transmissions," he hits the box and The Doctor and a shiny white Dalek appear

They can't really hear what the Dalek's are saying, but The Doctor is load and clear

"Which would be you, I'm guessing. Well, you know, nice paint job. I'd be feeling pretty swish if I looked like you. Pretty supreme,"

So, the white one is the Supreme Dalek.

"He's got company. New company. You've got to hurry up," Amy tells everyone right before Bracewell answers the phone.

"Yes? Right. Right, thanks," he puts it down "Ready when you are, Prime Minister,"

The plan is set in motion, But Poppy can only concentrate on the Doctor's safety. Meaning everything else around her is a blur and she's only focused on the screen.

"Question is, what do we do now? Either you turn off your clever machine or I'll blow you and your new paradigm into eternity,"

"And yourself," The Dalek reminds him

"Occupational hazard,"

"Scan reveals nothing. TARDIS self-destruct device non-existent," A blue Dalek speaks up

"All right, it's a Jammy Dodger, but I was promised tea,"

Poppy fights back a smile when he shoves it into his mouth.

----------&----------

Danny boy eventually is the only one left, and the lights switch off soon after that. Everything starts happening to fast for Poppy to keep track, so when The Doctor runs in and punches Bakewell in face. She's just as shocked as everyone else.

"Doctor!" Amy shouts in shock

"Jesus,"

"Ow," The Doctor holds his hand, causing Poppy to take it in hers and look at it properly

"You did just punch metal dear, what did you expect?"

"Sorry, Professor, you're a bomb. An inconceivably massive Dalek bomb," The Doctor explains

"What?" Bracewell asks, confused

"There's an Oblivion Continuum inside you. A captured wormhole that provides perpetual power. Detonate that, and the Earth will bleed through into another dimension. Now keep down," The Doctor kneels down and uses his screwdriver to open up his torso.

One of the five blue segments of a circle on Bracewell's torso turns yellow immediately.

"Well?" Amy looks down a them.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Never seen one up close before,"

"So, what, they've wired him up to detonate?"

"That doesn't really make sense," Poppy shuts down Amy's idea.

"Oh no, not wired him up. He is a bomb. Walking, talking, pow, exploding, the moment that flashes red,"

"There's a blue wire or something you have to cut, isn't there? There's always a blue wire,"

"Or a red one," Poppy adds "or yellow,"

"Neither of you are helping," the Doctor stands up ad starts playing with his screwdriver

"It's incredible. He talked to us about his memories. The Great War," Churchill says through a blow of smoke coming from his cigar.

"Someone else's stolen thoughts, implanted in a positronic brain. Tell me about it. Bracewell. Tell me about your life," The Doctor kneels down again.

"Doctor, I really don't think this is the time,"

"Tell me, and prove you're human. Tell me everything,"

"My family ran the Post Office. It's a little place," One of the sections turns yellow, the other having gone red "just near the abbey, just by the ash trees. There used to be eight trees but there was a storm..."

"And your parents? Come on, tell me,"

"Good people. Kind people. They died. Scarlet fever,"

"What was that like? How did it feel? How did it make you feel, Edwin? Tell me. Tell me now.

"It hurt. It hurt, Doctor, it hurt so badly. It was like a wound. I thought it was worse than a wound. Like I'd been emptied out. There was nothing left,"

Two red, one yellow and two blue segments now.

"Good. Remember it now, Edwin. The ash trees by the Post Office and your mum and dad, and losing them, and men in the trenches you saw die. Remember it. Feel it. You feel it because you're human. You're not like them. You're not like the Daleks,"

"It hurts, Doctor. It hurts so much,"

"Good. Good, good, brilliant. Embrace it. That means you're alive. They cannot explode that bomb because you're a human being. You are flesh and blood. They cannot explode that bomb. Believe it. You are Professor Edwin Bracewell, and you, my friend, are a human being,"

Four red, one yellow. Poppy seems to get an idea and crouches down, Amy following.

"It's not working! I can't stop it,"