Triumph of the Daleks

Introduction to Triumph of the Daleks.

By Alan MacKenzie 2008

Triumph is, without doubt, my most ambitious attempt to date at writing amateur Sci-Fi. It is far more complex than its predecessors having at its start, no less than three separate and concurrent plot-lines that draw together as the story progresses, to culminate in its exciting conclusion.

At 100,464 words in length excluding Appendices, it exceeds by half as much again, the earlier Quest of the Daleks (2006/65,800 words) and is over twice as long as Redemption of the Daleks (1993/49,000 words).

Technically, it has been far more demanding than either Redemption or Quest for, unlike the previous works, much of the action takes place on contemporary Earth entailing as a result, a considerable amount of research ensuring that depictions of existing locations are reproduced as accurately as possible.

While reintroducing many of the characters from Quest and throwing them into ever-more hazardous situations from which they must extricate themselves, Triumph also takes the opportunity to delve more deeply than hitherto, into the inner workings of the New Dalek World. Inspired by feedback received from readers of the first two parts of the Sagas of Ska-Rak, I have attempted to draw a picture of life on the New Skaro, its governmental structures and its day-to-day social infrastructure. In their turn, the Ska-Rakasians have the opportunity to learn about and comment upon, life on 21st Century Earth, an environment as alien and bewildering to them as theirs might be to us.

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Copyright Note

"Doctor Who" and the "Daleks" respectively are copyright property of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and of the Estate of Terry Nation, creator of the Daleks. This story therefore, is free fan fiction purely for the enjoyment of readers and does not attempt to make any financial gain from the use of these characters.

Cover illustration by Adam Bullock

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List of Appendices

Appendix (I): Technical Note

Appendix (II): Glossary of Ska-Rakasian Dalekese terms and expressions used in the Text

Appendix (III): The Ska-Rakasian Calendar

Appendix (IV): Ska-Rakasian Ranks and Titles

Appendix (V): A New Dawn

Appendix (VI): North Korean Army Ranks

= Prologue =

He floated in nothingness. Suffocating, grey, featureless blankness devoid of scale, dimension or form. His brain was numb, incapable of rational thought or decision. His leader was gone. His comrades were dead. He was alone. Entirely alone. His existence no longer had meaning; why did he live on? Why did he alone survive when all others of his kind had perished from the Universe? Why did he linger on, here, at the end of all things?

Slowly, painfully, thoughts and memories began to return. Faintly, as across a vast gulf of space, images, pictures, began to form in his mind. He saw again the chaos erupting all around him. He saw again his ambitions burning to ashes before him and, most powerfully of all... he saw again his mortal enemy, defenceless now, within his power to destroy forever but he had not done it; why had he hesitated? Why had he not acted swiftly and decisively, blasting to atoms he, who had plagued his people down through the ages, throughout all eternity...?