"Cyber threat irrelevant. Concentrate on the Genesis Ark." The returning Dalek said as it came back into the sphere room and all of the Daleks went over to the Genesis Ark while Galaxy and the others were by the wall. "Why are we being kept alive?" Mickey asked Galaxy as she was leaning against the wall. "Because I won't let them hurt them you. You know as well as they know what I'm capable of doing." Galaxy said and he knew she was indicating to her implants.
"They also might need us for something." Rose added and Galaxy nodded her head, the best thing she could think the Daleks using them as was leverage, for her or the Doctor she didn't know, what she did know was that she was ready to use her implants if need be, even if it meant Rose seeing.
The group were watching the Daleks in silence when Galaxy suddenly grabbed her head tightly, the same feeling she got when the Isolus drew the Doctor away, back then it wasn't so bad, but now it was so much worse and the emptiness was too much for her and it hurt her so much.
"What's wrong? Galaxy?" Mickey asked as he grabbed her when she staggered slightly. "I don't know." She answered as she took a breath, she really hated this similar old feeling. "I could teleport out of here and get help." Mickey said as he helped Galaxy sit down on the floor because he was afraid she would collapse if he let go of her, "But it only carries one and I'm not leaving either of you."
"You'd follow me anywhere." Rose said smiling gently as she moved to sit next to Galaxy who was stroking Astro's fur to distract herself, "What did I do to you all those years ago?" She asked him. "Helped me learn how brilliant Time Lords are, and how much we have to stick by them." He said smirking as Galaxy looked at his button.
"That's it..." She said making the two look at her. "What is?" Rose asked her. "I haven't been able to sense the Doctor at all, like the last time it happened but worse, it's because he's not in this world anymore, he's in the parallel one." She explained. "He is?" Mickey asked and she nodded her head. "The Cybermen wouldn't have killed him, not if they knew he had information on the Daleks which he does. But I can't sense him at all, it's exactly like back when I was with Jack."
Rose rested her head on Galaxy's shoulder when she heard the sadness in her voice, she hated hearing the Time Lady sound like that. "You've still got us, we aren't going anywhere." Mickey assured her as he took hold of her hand and she smiled at him. "I know, I'm proud of the man you've become Mickey, you were exactly were you needed to be."
Mickey smiled at her words, she had said the same thing when they were saying goodbye, and he found out she was right, he was able to help people to the best of his abilities, something Galaxy always wanted from him.
"Well, I can't think what the Daleks need with me. I'm nothing to them." Mickey said as he glanced at the Daleks. "You could be. Whatever's inside that Ark is waking up, and I've seen this happen before." Rose said thinking, "The first time I saw a Dalek, it was broken. It was dying. But I touched it. The moment I did that...I brought it back to life. As the Doctor said, when you travel in time in the Tardis, you soak up all this background radiation. It's harmless. It's just there. But in the Time War, the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply."
"I love it when you talk technical." Mickey remarked. "Shut up. If the Daleks have got something inside that thing that needs waking up..." "They need you." Mickey finished off. "There's also you Mickey," Galaxy told him, "Even Astro would be useful to them because you've both travelled through time." She explained. "But why would they build something they can't open themselves?"
"The technology is stolen." The Black Dalek exclaimed since it heard the last bit of it's conversation, "The Ark is not of Dalek design." "Then who built it?" Rose asked. "The Time Lords did." Astro told her as Galaxy sighed, the reason why she left the Doctor to return home was because they said they wanted her to work on it, of course that was just a front for what they truly had in store for her.
"This is all that survives of their Home World." The Dalek stated before returning to the Ark. "What's inside?" Rose asked as she looked at Galaxy. "The future." The Daleks called. "I don't rightly know, but it can't be good."
-9-
"Final stage of awakening." One of the Daleks said as they disconnected from the Ark and the black Dalek turned to Galaxy. "The Time Lady's handprint will open the Ark." "The Time Lady will not." Galaxy said shaking her head, she was trying to buy time, she had sensed the Doctor had returned from the parallel world and it was a matter of time he'd get to her and the others, so she needed to get as much time as she could.
"Obey or the humans and robot will die." The Dalek threatened and Galaxy frowned. "You will not touch them, nor will I let you." She said as she felt her arms tense. "Galaxy, don't." Mickey said as she walked toward the casket. "Place your hand upon the casket." The black Dalek told her and she rolled her eyes, she wasn't an idiot. "Before I do, I have a question. Since you obviously escaped the Time War like I did, do you know what happened to the Emperor?"
"The Emperor survived?" The black Dalek asked her and the others wondered what she was up to, really she herself didn't know, that was the thing that came to her head. "He did, until he came face to face with Armani, Rose if you ever wondered if I was known as something else like the Doctor it's that; Armani. Now, I met the Emperor when I took the Time Vortex in me to save the man I love and I turned the Emperor and his followers to dust."
"You will be exterminated!" The black Dalek shouted and pointed it's laser at Galaxy who tensed.
"I'd hold that thought for a minute." A voice called and they turned to see the Doctor standing there with his hands in his pockets and his 3D glasses on, Galaxy would think he didn't have a care in the world but she could see the stiffness in his posture as he looked at the Daleks.
"Alert, alert, you are the Doctor!" One of the Daleks exclaimed, and the Doctor just walked further into the room and went right to Galaxy, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly. 'You need to stop making a habit of this.' Galaxy chuckled slightly as she wrapped her arms around him. 'It's only happened twice, but don't worry I won't.' She told him as he placed a kiss on top of her head and took in her scent of fresh paint and strawberries that always carried with her regenerations.
"Sensors report he is unharmed." Dalek Thay stated as the two pulled away but the Doctor kept and arm around her, just for a physical contact. "That's me. Always." The Doctor said as he glanced at the Daleks. "Then you are powerless." The black Dalek said. "Not me. Never. How are you?" The Doctor asked looking at Rose. "Oh, same old, you know." She responded grinning. "Good! And Mickity-McMickey! Nice to see ya!" He said as he bashed fists with him.
"And you, boss." Mickey responded. "Astro, you've been behaving for Galaxy here?" The Doctor said as he smirked at Astro who shook his head. "I always am, it's you that doesn't." He responded and his tail wagged when the Doctor hit the spot he liked on his head when he stroked him. "Social interaction will cease!" One of the Daleks shouted. "How did you survive the Time War?"
"By fighting. One the front line. I was there at the fall of Arcadia. Someday I might even come to terms with that. But you lot ran away!" The Doctor responded, Galaxy and Astro were there as well, it had been falling around them as they went to find the Doctor. "We had to survive." "The last four Daleks in existence. So what's so special about you?"
"Doctor they've got names. Galaxy mentioned something called the Cult of Skaro." Rose notified him. "I am Dalek Thay."
"Dalek Sec."
"Dalek Jast."
"Dalek Caan."
"The Cult of Skaro. I thought you were just a legend." The Doctor said eyeing them, even Galaxy had, even if she had nearly been tasked with taking them out. "Who are they?" Rose asked. "They're a secret order above and beyond the Emperor. They were tasked to imagine, think as their enemy does. They named themselves and found new ways to kill." Galaxy explained.
Which was why her people came up with the secret project of the implants, they called it Project Armani. They wanted to enhanced a selected few to fight the Cult of Skaro or any other enemy, all died except Galaxy and they named her Armani.
Because she was a warrior, a weapon created by her own people.
"But that thing, Astro said it was yours. I mean, Time Lords. They built it. What does it do?" Mickey asked them as he gestured to the Ark. "I don't know. Never seen it before." The Doctor said. "Me neither, never got the chance." Galaxy added. "But it's Time Lord." Rose said. "Both sides had secrets buried way deep that not a lot of people knew about." Astro told her, biggest secret for the Time Lords would be the implants project.
"What is it? What have you done?" The Doctor asked turning to the Daleks. "Time Lord science will restore Dalek supremacy." Sec replied. "What does that mean? What sort of Time Lord science? What do you mean?" The Doctor asked him. "They said one touch from a time traveller will wake it up." Rose told him. "Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside your casting. Not feeling anything ever, from birth to death, locked inside a cold metal cage. Completely alone. That explains your voice. No wonder you scream."
"The Doctor will open the Ark!" Sec shouted. "The Doctor will not. You threatened Galaxy, my Galaxy. You're lucky you're still alive." The Doctor said and any and all jokes in his voice was long gone. "You have no way of resisting." Sec stated but he did roll back a bit at the threat.
"Well...you got me there. Although...there is always this." He said and held up his sonic screwdriver. "A sonic probe?" "That's screwdriver." "It is harmless!" "Oh yes. Harmless is just the word. That's why I like it. Doesn't kill, doesn't wound, doesn't maim. But I'll tell you what it does do, it is very good at opening doors." The Doctor turned the sonic on and the doors to the laboratory blew open before Jake and a Cyberman entered with guns.
"Delete! Delete! Delete! Delete!"
"Alert. Casing impaired. Casing impaired."
"Rose, Mickey, get out!" Galaxy shouted as she dove out of all the shooting and to Astro to keep him close before making for the door while Rose also did the same but ended up stumbling. "Fire power insufficient! Fire power insufficient!" Sec called and Rose was helped up by Pete. "Come on." He said as Galaxy caught Mickey going for his gun and she pushed it toward him. "Mickey!"
"Adapt to weaponry!" Thay ordered. "Fire power restored!" Sec shouted and the Daleks started firing back at the Cybermen, managing to destroy them. "Cybermen primary target." Mickey soon ran to the door to join the others and the Doctor closed the door. "Jake, check the stairwell. The rest of you, come on." The Doctor said and Jake ran off while the others followed the Doctor.
"I just fell, I didn't mean it!" Mickey said as they ran down a corridor. "Mickey, it's fine. They would've forced us to open it, you did your best, that's all anyone can ask." Galaxy assured him smiling, she wouldn't have him blame himself, not for this.
"You will be upgraded." They heard a Cybermen say as two of them stood ahead of them. "No, but you can't. Please." Jackie pleaded and the Cybermen were shot down by, "Pete?" "Hello, Jacks." Pete said as he lowered his gun. "I said there were ghosts, but that's not fair. Why him?" She asked. "I'm not a ghost." "But you're dead. You died twenty years ago, Pete."
"It's Pete from a different universe. There are parallel worlds, Jackie. Every single decision creates a parallel existence, a different dimension where..." The Doctor started but Jackie cut him off. "Oh, you can shut up." She said and he went back to standing with Galaxy and Mickey who were smirking at him. "Oh, you look old." Jackie said turning her attention back on Pete.
"You don't." He told her. "How can you standing there?" "I just got lucky. Lived my life. You were left on your own. You didn't marry, or..." "There was never anyone else. Twenty years, though. Look at me, I never left that flat. Did nothing with myself." She told him. "You brought her up. Rose Tyler. That's not bad." "Yeah."
"In my world, it worked. All those daft little plans of mine, they worked. Made me rich." "I don't care about that...how rich?" She asked him. "Very." "I don't care about that...how very?" She asked him making him chuckle. "Thing is though, Jacks, you're not my wife. I'm sorry, but you're not. I mean, we're both...You know it's just sort of...Oh, come here." Pete said before the two ran to each other, right into each other's arms.