Martha eagerly stepped out of the TARDIS. The Doctor followed, today dressed in his blue suit, then the Artist brought up the rear. "Where are we?" the human asked.
"Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze." the Doctor replied, taking a deep lungful of the air, "Nice and cold, lovely! Martha, have ya met our friend?" He gestured upwards and Martha found herself looking at the Statue of Liberty.
"Is it that? Oh my god, that's the Statue of Liberty!" Martha exclaimed in delight.
"We're in New York City, Martha. The land of opportunity." the Artist said, "Thought it would make up for New Earth."
"That's so brilliant." Martha said happily, "I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean, the real New York, not the new new one."
"Well, there's the genuine article." the Doctor said, and they all turned round to look at the Manhattan skyline across the water. "So good they named it twice." the Doctor continued, slipping an arm around the Artist, "Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."
"Wonder what year it is." Martha wandered, "Cos' look, the Empire State Building, it's not even finished yet." She pointed and they could see said landmark with scaffolding on the top floors.
"Work in progress." the Doctor remarked, "They've still got a couple of floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around..."
"November 1st 1930." Martha said, picking up a discarded newspaper off a bench.
"You're getting good at this." the Doctor remarked.
"Sorry, Martha." the Artist said, "I was aiming for the 24th century, New York in it's prime. Guess the TARDIS had other ideas."
"It's alright." Martha reassured her, "Nearly 80 years ago. It's funny cos' ya see those old newsreels, all black & white, like it's so far away. But here we are. It's real, it's now. Ha!"
"So, where to first?" the Artist asked the Doctor, who was looking at the paper.
"I think our detour just got longer." the Doctor frowned, showing them the headline in the paper.
"'Hooverville mystery deepens.'" Martha read, "What's Hooverville?" she asked.
———————————————————————————
After a ferry ride to Manhattan followed by a trip on the subway, the trio reached Central Park. "Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago." the Doctor explained, "Up till then, New York was a boom town, the roaring twenties. And then..."
"The Wall Street crash." Martha nodded, "When was that, 1929?"
"Yes, wiped out the whole economy overnight." the Artist said, "Thousands of people were left unemployed, and the huddled masses doubled, all with nowhere to go."
"So they ended up here in Central Park." the Doctor finished.
"What, they actually live in the park?" Martha questioned, "In the middle of the city?"
Soon, they reached a shanty town in the middle of the park, made up of tents and shacks occupied by ragged people. "Ordinary people, lost their jobs." the Doctor sighed, "Couldn't pay the rent, they lost everything. There're places like this all over America, and no one's helping 'em. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."
Suddenly they heard a voice yell; "Ya thieving low life!" And they turned to see a man knock another to the ground. "All mornin' I wait in the bread line for a single loaf!" he stormed.
"I didn't touch it!" the other man protested, but the first man wasn't listening. He promptly punched the second man again while two others tried to hold them back.
An older black man came out of a tent. "Cut that out!" he ordered, "Cut it out, right now!" And he managed to stop the brawling men.
"He stole my bread!" the first man fumed.
"That's enough!" the older man said firmly, then turned to the second. "Did you take it?"
"I dunno what happened, he just went crazy!" the second man snarled, causing the first man to try to lunge at him again.
"That's enough!" the older man ordered, then turned back to the second man. "Now think real carefully before ya lie to me."
"I'm starvin', Solomon." the second man sighed. Solomon held out his hand and the second man reluctantly handed over a loaf of bread he'd secreted in his coat.
"We all starvin'." Solomon told him, "And we all got family somewhere." He split the loaf in two halves and handed a half each to the two men. "No stealin' and no fightin', you know the rules." he told them firmly, "13 years ago, I fought in the Great War, a lot of us did. And the only reason we got through that was because we all stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."
"I like him." the Artist whispered to the Doctor, "Reminds me of you."
"Thanks." the Doctor smiled, "Come on." And the trio approached Solomon.
"I suppose that makes you the boss around here." the Doctor said to him.
"And, er, who might you be?" Solomon asked, eyeing the three time travellers suspiciously.
"He's the Doctor, she's the Artist, and I'm Martha." Martha introduced.
"A Doctor?" Solomon asked, brightening up, "Well, we got stockbrokers, we've got a lawyer, but you're the first Doctor. The neighbourhood gets classier by the day."
"How many people live here?" Martha asked him.
"Any one time... Hundreds." Solomon replied, "No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville, we a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same, all starvin'." He laughed slightly. "So you're welcome, the three of ya. But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learnin', right? Explain this to me." He pointed to the Empire State Building in the distance. "That there is gonna be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we've got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"
"Misguided priorities." the Artist sighed sadly. She and the Doctor had seen plenty of that in their long lifetimes. Sadly, there wasn't much they could do about it.
———————————————————————————
At the Empire State Building, men were hard at work trying to complete the famous skyscraper. In an office on the 100th floor, the foreman was arguing with a man in a black pinstripe suit and spats. "I'm tellin' ya, the men won't stand for it." the foreman said, "I mean, are you outta ya mind? I got 500 men workin' seven days a week, they're flat out, and you want us to go faster?!"
"The new masters demand it." the man in the suit said simply.
"But we're on schedule." the foreman protested, "What's the problem? Another month and we'll be done."
"The mast on this building needs extra work, completed by tonight."
"Tonight? No way! It's impossible."
"That's an order." the man said firmly.
"Oh yeah? Well, one word from me, and every man on this site stops work. So go on, tell ya masters that." the foreman retorted.
"If that's ya attitude, I think you should tell 'em yaself." the man said, then walked over to the lift and pressed the call button.
"Yeah? Well, I ain't afraid of no man in a suit." the foreman scoffed, "So, these new bosses, what's their names?"
"I think ya could say they're from outta town."
"Italians?"
"Bit further than that."
"How much further?"
"Beyond your imagination."
"Oh, what's that supposed to mean?" the foreman asked, "Who are they? Mr Diagoras, who we workin' for?"
The lift dinged and Diagoras stepped away. "Behold your masters." he told the foreman.
The lift doors opened to reveal Dalek Caan of the Cult of Skaro, flanked by two human-pig hybrids. "What the hell?" the foreman stared.
"I have been summoned. Explain. Explain!" Dalek Caan demanded.
"It can talk! How does it talk?" the foreman whimpered, backing away, "And what the hell are they?" He pointed to the pigs. "You've gotta be kiddin' me!"
"I'm sorry, my Lord, but this man is refusin' to complete the work." Diagoras explained to the Dalek
"Then we must replace him." Dalek Caan said.
"Is anyone gonna tell me what the hell is happenin' here?" the foreman whimpered.
"Use him." Dalek Caan ordered the two pigs, "Take him for the Final Experiment."
The two pigs grabbed the foreman. "What's goin' on?" he protested, "Let go of me! Let go! Get off me!" The pigs dragged him into the lift.
"The Empire State Building MUST be completed in time." Dalek Caan told Diagoras.
"It will be, trust me." Diagoras reassured, "Labour is cheap, and that man can be replaced."
"The plan must NOT fail. We calculate the gamma strike has accelerated. We need more bodies. IMMEDIATELY!"
"Yes, master." Diagoras grovelled and left the room.
———————————————————————————
In Hooverville, Solomon was just throwing out out coffee dregs when the time travellers approached him. "So, men going missing, is this true?" the Doctor asked, showing him the paper.
"It's true alright." Solomon replied grimly, taking the paper and going inside his tent, the trio standing by the flap.
"So how does it mean by 'missing'?" the Artist asked, "With all the people you've got coming and going, I doubt there's a register."
"Come on in." Solomon motioned for them to enter, and they did so. "This is different."
"In what way?" Martha asked.
"Someone takes 'em. At night. We hear something, someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanished into thin air."
"And you're sure someone's taking 'em?" the Doctor frowned.
"Doctor, when you've got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got." Solomon replied, "A knife, blanket, you take it with you."
"And these people's stuff are left behind?" the Artist asked him.
"Yes. Bread uneaten, fires still burnin', but no sign of them."
"Have you gone to the police?" Martha asked.
"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missin', big deal." Solomon scoffed.
"So, the question is... Who's taking 'em, and what for?" the Doctor mused.
Just then, a young man poked his head in the tent. "Solomon, Mr Diagoras is here." he said. Solomon grabbed his hat and followed the boy. The time travellers all shared a look, wandering who this Diagoras was, then they went out too.
Diagoras was standing with two lackeys, calling to the residents of Hooverville. "I need men, volunteers." he announced, "I've got a little work for you. And you sure look like you could use the money."
"Yeah, what is the money?" the boy, Frank, called.
"A dollar a day."
"What's the work?" Solomon asked.
"A little trip down the sewers." Diagoras answered, "Got a tunnel collapsed, needs clearin' and fixin'. Any takers?"
"A dollar a day is a slave wage." Solomon said, and the others murmured in agreement. "And men don't always come back up, do they?"
"Accidents happen." Diagoras said nonchalantly.
"What sort of accidents?" the Doctor questioned.
"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?" Diagoras asked. The Doctor put his hand up. "Enough with the questions."
"Oh, no, no, no. I'm volunteering. I'll go." the Doctor said. He felt that there was a connection between these so-called 'accidents' and the people disappearing, so it would be best for him to investigate by volunteering.
"Make that two of us." the Artist said, putting her hand up too. She shared the Doctor's suspicions and agreed that this was the best way to find out if they were right.
"I'll kill you two for this." Martha grumbled, putting her hand up too. She didn't really fancy trudging through a sewer, but since the Time Lords were her ride home, she had no choice.
"Anybody else?" Diagoras called, and Solomon and Frank put their hands up too.
———————————————————————————
They were soon all stood in a sewer tunnel beneath the New York streets. "Turn left, go about half-a-mile, follow tunnel 273." Diagoras instructed, "The fall's right ahead of you, can't miss it."
"When do we get our dollar?" Frank asked.
"When you come back up."
"And if we don't come back up?" the Doctor questioned.
"Then I got no one to pay." Diagoras said simply.
"Don't worry, we'll be back." Solomon said determinedly.
"Let's hope so." Martha shivered as the the group turned and began to head up the tunnel.
"We'll be alright if we stay together." the Artist said.
"She's right, it's easy to get lost." Frank agreed, "It's like a huge rabbit warren. Could hide an army down here."
"Yeah, we've seen that happen." the Artist muttered, remembering the Cybermen in the parallel world.
———————————————————————————
The group were soon making their way through the dank tunnels. "So what about you, Frank?" Martha asked, "You're not from round these parts, are you?"
"Oh, you can talk!" Frank laughed, "No, I'm Tennessee born and bred."
"So how come you're here?"
"Oh, my daddy died, momma couldn't afford to feed us all, so I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lotta runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon keeps a look out for us. So, what about you? You're a long way from home."
"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too." Martha shrugged.
"You stick with me, you'll be alright." Frank encouraged.
"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he?" the Doctor asked Solomon.
"Couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now, seems like he's runnin' most of Manhattan." Solomon replied.
"How'd he manage that, then?"
"These are strange times." Solomon answered, "A man can go from being the king of the hill to the lowest of the low overnight. Guess for some folks it works the other way round."
"Hold it." the Artist called, pulling both men back. She shone her torch on a glowing green blob on the ground.
"Is it radioactive or something?" Martha asked.
"Not in this decade, they haven't spilt the atom yet." the Artist told her, then handed the Doctor a handkerchief and he kneeled down over the blob.
"It's gone off, whatever it is." Martha muttered, covering her nose and mouth from the awful stench the blob was giving off.
The Doctor put on his specs and used the handkerchief to pick the blob off. "Shine ya torch through it." he asked the Artist, who did so. "Composite organic matter." he muttered, "Martha, medical opinion?"
"It's not human, I know that." Martha replied.
"Definitely not." the Artist agreed, then shone her torch down the tunnel. "And another thing, we must be at least half-a-mile in, and there's still no sign of any collapse."
"So why did Mr Diagoras send us down here?" the Doctor wandered.
"Where're we now? What's above us?" Martha asked.
"Well... we're right underneath Manhattan." the Doctor replied, looking around.
———————————————————————————
Meanwhile, Diagoras was in his office, showing five workmen the plans for the Empire State Building. "And here, the crowing glory of the Empire State Building, the mast itself." he said, "1,472 feet above New York."
"It's a beautiful thing, sir." one of the workmen, the new foreman, said. "And every single one of us is proud of it. My wife says it's like a spire reaching into heaven."
"Except the gate of heaven need a little decoration." Diagoras said, and showed them three bronze metal plates with golden orbs on them. "These plates have gotta fixed to the mast, right to the base itself."
"That's okay, shouldn't take too long." the foreman said.
"But the work has gotta be finished tonight." Diagoras told him.
"What? Are you tryin' to kill us?!" the foreman stared, while the others grumbled too. "We're flat out here, c'mon!"
"Don't argue with me!" Diagoras snapped.
"But sir, the men can't work up there at night." the foreman protested, "It's freezing! Ya hands go numb, you lose ya grip, ya fall."
"You don't get it." Diagoras snarled, "If ya won't work, I can replace you like that." He snapped his fingers. "Now, take those panels, and get going." he ordered.
The men conceded, and one stepped forward and picked up a panel. "What sorta metal is this, anyway?" he asked.
"Don't ask questions, just go." Diagoras retorted, and the man moved off then two others came forward and grabbed the remaining panels. "I don't care how cold it is, how tired you are, just get there and finish the job!" Diagoras shouted after them.
Once the men had gone, the lift door opened and Dalek Caan entered the room. "The conductor must be completed for our plan to succeed." it stated.
"Unemployment is such an incentive." Diagoras placated it, "It'll get done, don't worry."
"Daleks have no concept of worry." Dalek Caan retorted, gliding over to an unfinished part of the room.
"Yeah? Well, lucky you." Diagoras remarked, joining the Dalek and they looked out over the city.
"This day is ending." Dalek Caan observed, "Humankind is weak, you shelter from the dark. And yet, you have built all this."
"That's progress." Diagoras shrugged, "Ya gotta move with the time or ya get left behind."
"My planet is gone, destroyed in a great war, yet versions of this city stand throughout history. The human race always continues."
"We've had wars." Diagoras said, "I've been a soldier myself. And I swore then I'd survive, no matter what."
"You have rare ambition." Dalek Caan noted.
"Oh, I wanna run this city, whatever it takes, by any means necessary."
"You think like a Dalek."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Diagoras smirked.
"Your loyalty will be rewarded. Come with me." And Dalek Caan glided back to the lift, Diagoras following.
"Where are going?" he asked as the lift descended.
"You have been summoned by our leader." Dalek Caan replied.
"Oh, and about time too!" Diagoras grinned.
When the lift reached the bottom, the doors opened to reveal a vast laboratory, filled with Dalek equipment. Standing at the bottom of the room was Dalek Sec, recognisable by it's black casing. Diagoras walked further into the room, glancing at pig people, who were standing about.
"I bring you the human." Dalek Caan told Dalek Sec.
"I take it you're in charge?" Diagoras asked the black Dalek.
"Correct. I am Dalek Sec. Leader of the Cult of Skaro." Dalek Sec replied, and Dalek Jast and Dalek Thay rolled up alongside.
"Then, my lord Sec, I am honoured to meet you." Diagoras said, bowing, "Ever since you first made contact with me, transmitting your thoughts into the corners of my mind, tempting me with such images, such ideas... Oh, sir, I'd always dreamt that together..."
"Cease talking." Dalek Sec ordered.
"I just wanna let you know how grateful I am."
"I said cease! Slaves, secure the human."
Two of the pig people came forward and grabbed Diagoras. "But you don't need to do that, I'm on your side!" he protested, "I'm workin' with you! I'm your partner! I'm your friend!"
———————————————————————————
Meanwhile, the Doctor, the Artist, Martha, Frank and Solomon were exploring the tunnel further. "We're way beyond half a mile." Solomon observed, "There's no collapse, nothing."
"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.
"Looks like it." the Doctor frowned, getting ever more uneasy the further they went.
"So why'd he want people to come down here?" Frank wandered.
"Solomon, I think you'd better take these two back." the Artist said, "The Doctor and I can handle it from here."
Suddenly, they all heard a squealing from somewhere in one of the tunnels. "What the hell was that?" Solomon asked.
"Hello?" Frank called out.
"Shh!" Martha hissed at him.
"What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" Frank suggested, "You'd be scared half mad down here on ya own."
"You think they're still alive?" the Doctor asked him.
"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."
More squealing sounded. "I ain't heard nobody make a sound like that." Solomon frowned.
"Sounds like a pig." the Artist observed, and she and the Doctor flashed their torches in the direction the sound had come from.
"Where's it come from?" Frank questioned as more squeals sounded, "Sounds like there's more than one of 'em."
"This way." the Doctor said, flashing his torch down the tunnel.
"No, that way." Solomon said, flashing his torch down another tunnel, where a figure was huddled against the wall.
"Doctor, Artist." Martha called, attracting the Time Lords' attention.
"Who are you?" Solomon called to the figure, flashing his torch on it.
"Are you lost?" Frank asked, doing the same with his torch, "Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' about folk lost down here." He began to move forward, but the Artist stopped him.
"Stay back, Frank." she advised, "The Doctor and I will have a look."
The Time Lords cautiously approached the figure. "He's got a point, though, our mate Frank." the Doctor said, "I would hate to be stuck down here, all on my own. But we know the way out."
"We can get you outta here." the Artist added, "Let you see the daylight again."
They reached the figure and shone their torched on the face. It was one of the pig people. "Oh, but what are you?" the Doctor asked gently.
"Is that a... Some kinda carnival mask?" Solomon asked.
"No, it's real." the Doctor replied, then turned back to the pig. "I'm sorry, but listen to me. I promise we can help. Who did this to you?"
"Doctor? Artist?" Martha said urgently, "I think you'd better get back here. Now"
Both Time Lords looked up to see more of the pig people coming round the corner. "Good idea." the Artist said, taking the Doctor's hand, and they began to back away.
"They're following you." Martha said worriedly.
"Yeah, we noticed that, thanks." the Doctor said, "Well, Martha, Frank, Solomon?"
"What?" Martha breathed.
"I think um.. basically, RUN!" the Doctor hollered, and they all legged it down the tunnel, the pig people in close pursuit.
Soon they reached an intersection. "Where we going?" Martha hollered.
"This way." the Doctor called, leading them down another tunnel where there was a ladder. "There's a ladder, c'mon!" he urged, scrambling up the ladder. Once at the top, he used his sonic screwdriver to unlock the man hole and climbed out, then he grabbed the Artist's hand and pulled her up.
Martha reached the ladder and scrambled up after the Time Lords. Solomon reached the ladder, paused and turned to see Frank had stopped to try and fend the pig people off. "Frank!" Solomon called, then climbed up himself. Frank could see he stood no chance and ran for the ladder. "C'mon Frank." Solomon urged, holding out a hand for the boy.
"Come on!" the Doctor called, holding a hand out too. Frank took the hands but the pig people reached him and grabbed him, pulling him out of the men's grip.
"No!" the Artist called and leaned over ready to go after him, but Solomon pulled her aside and slammed the manhole down.
"We can't go after him." Solomon told the Time Lady.
"We've gotta go back after him. We can't just leave him there!" the Artist protested
"No! I'm loosin' anybody else!" Solomon told her, "Those creatures were from Hell!"
"He's right." the Doctor added, placing a calming hand on the Artist's shoulder, "If we go down there, they'll take all of us. There's nothing we can do, I'm sorry."
The Artist could see his reasoning, but before anyone could say anything else, a woman's voice from behind them called out; "Alright then, put 'em up!" And they all spun round to see a blonde woman aiming a revolver at them. Martha immediately put her hands up. "Hands in the air, and no funny business." the woman demanded, so the Doctor, the Artist and Solomon complied. "Now tell me, you shmucks. Whatta you done with Laszlo?"
"Who's Laszlo?" Martha asked, confused.
———————————————————————————
The woman led them all at gunpoint to a dressing room then sat down, keeping her gun trained on them. "Laszlo's my boyfriend." she told them, "Was my boyfriend until he disappeared, two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kinda guy asks ya to meet his mom before he vamooses?"
"Yeah, it might just help if ya put that down." the Doctor said, gesturing to the gun. The way she was waving it around unnerved him.
"It's not a real gun." the Artist said.
"Howdya know?" the woman questioned her.
"The barrel's solid." the Artist replied, "That's a show prop."
"Well, gimme some credit, it was either this or a spear." the woman shrugged, tossing the fake gun onto a chair.
"What do you think happened to Laszlo?" Martha asked, coming forward now that it was safe to do so.
"I wish I knew." the woman replied, "One minute he's there, the next... Zip, vanished."
"Listen, em, what was your name?" the Doctor asked.
"Tallulah." the woman answered.
"Tallulah." the Doctor nodded.
"Three l's and an h."
"Right. Um, we can try and find him, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."
"And there are creatures." Solomon added, "Such creatures..."
"Whaddaya mean, creatures?" Tallulah questioned.
"We don't know ourselves." the Artist told her, "But they could've had something to do with Laszlo's disappearance."
"We need to find out exactly what this is." the Doctor added, pulling out the blob they'd found in the tunnel out of his pocket, "Because then we'll know exactly what we're fighting."
"Yay." Tallulah squirmed, disgusted at the blob.
———————————————————————————
The Doctor, the Artist and Solomon were soon busy raiding a store room for pieces of equipment they could use. "How about this?" Solomon suggested, holding up a wireless, "Found it backstage."
"That's perfect." the Artist replied, taking the wireless and removing the back cover, "We can use the capacitors. We're gonna make ourselves a DNA scanner to work out what that thing is." She gestured to the blob, which the Doctor had placed on a desk.
"If we can get a chromosomal reading, we can work out where it's from." the Doctor added as the Artist flashed her sonic at the wireless' electronics.
"How about you two?" Solomon asked, "Where you from? I've been all over, and never heard anybody talk like you two. Just who exactly are you both?"
"Oh, we're just sorta passing by." the Doctor waved him off.
"I'm not a fool, Doctor." Solomon grunted.
"We know you're not." the Artist said, "The Doctor and I are like you, Solomon. We've both fought in a great war, and we lost our home, so we travel around together, going where the wind's blowing and lending a hand where it's needed."
Solomon accepted that, and moved back over to the manhole they'd escaped through. "I was scared, Doctor." he sighed, "I let 'em take Frank cos'... I was just so scared. I gotta get back to Hooverville. With those creatures on the loose, we gotta protect ourselves. Cos' no one else gonna help us."
"Good luck." the Time Lords encouraged.
Solomon nodded his thanks. "I hope ya both find what ya lookin' for, for all our sakes." And he went off on his mission.
———————————————————————————
Meanwhile, Martha was with Tallulah in her dressing room. "Laszlo... He'd wait for me after the show, walk me home, like I was a lady." Tallulah sighed, "He'd leave a flower for me on my dressin' table. Every day, just a single rosebud."
"Haven't you reported him missing?" Martha asked.
"Sure, but he's just a stage hand, who cares?" Tallulah replied, "The management certainly don't."
"Can't ya kick up a fuss or something?"
"Okay, so then they fire me!" Tallulah retorted.
"But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars." Martha pointed out.
"Oh, honey, I got one song in a back street revue, and that's only cos' Heidi Chicane broke her ankle, which had nuthin' to do with me, whatever anyone says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."
"Okay, I get it." Martha cut in.
"It's the depression, sweetie." Tallulah sighed, "Ya heart might break, but the show goes on, cos' if it stops, ya starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep goin', hopin' he's gonna come back."
She began to sob, so Martha gave her a comforting hug. "I'm sorry."
Tallulah dried her tears up and pulled back. "Hey, you're lucky, though. Ya got yourself a forward-thinkin' guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."
"Oh, we're not together." Martha said hastily, "He's with the Artist."
"Oh, the cutie that was with ya both?"
"Yeah. I'm just with them for the ride." Martha explained. "They're probably gonna take me home when they're done here." she sighed. She was starting to enjoy the travelling, and wanted a bit more before going back to reality.
"Well, ya gotta live in hope." Tallulah encouraged, "It's the only thing that's kept me goin' cos'..." She tailed off and picked up a white rosebud off a chair and handed it to Martha. "On my dressin' table, every day still."
"You think it's Laszlo?"
"I don't know. If he's still around, why's he been secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"
———————————————————————————
Meanwhile, in their lab, the Cult of Skaro were making final preparations for their experiment. "The chromotin solution is ready." Dalek Jast announced.
"Then our preparations are complete." Dalek Sec said.
"Whaddaya doin? Preparations for what?" Diagoras asked uneasily.
"This is the Final Experiment." Dalek Sec told him.
"Whaddaya mean? D'ya mean like these pig things?" Diagoras gestured to the pig slaves restraining him. "You're not gonna turn me into one of those? Oh God, please don't!" he begged, trying to get free.
"The pig slaves are primitive." Dalek Sec answered, "The Final Experiment is greater by far."
"But how does that involve me?"
"We need your flesh. Bring him to me."
"Halt! This action contradicts the Dalek imperative." Dalek Thay objected.
"Daleks are supreme, humans are weak." Dalek Jast added.
"But there are millions of humans, and only four of US." Dalek Sec countered, "If we are supreme, why are we not victorious? The Cult of Skaro was created by the Emperor for this very purpose. To imagine new ways of survival."
"But we must remain PURE." Dalek Thay insisted.
"No, Dalek Thay! Our purity has brought us to EXTINCTION!" Dalek Sec stated, "We must adapt to survive. You have all made sacrifices. And now, I will sacrifice myself. For the greater cause, for the future of Dalek-kind. Now bring me the human!"
The pig slaves began to drag a struggling Diagoras towards Dalek Sec. "But I don't understand." Diagoras protested, "Whaddaya mean? Get offa me!"
"Behold the true Dalek form." Dalek Sec told him, and it's casing opened up to reveal the mutant inside. "Now join with me."
"No! Get off me!" Diagoras protested, struggling in vain as the pig slaved dragged him closer, "I did everything you asked me! No!"
When he was close enough, Dalek Sec's tentacles latched onto him like a cocoon then the casing sealed up, encased both the mutant and Diagoras.
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Meanwhile, the Doctor and the Artist had finished making their makeshift DNA scanner and brought it onto a balcony in an empty part of the theatre. The Artist was making final checks on the scanner while the Doctor moved some stage lights on to it. "That's it. Just need to heat you up." he muttered, then he slipped on his glasses and both he and the Artist kneeled down to commence their scan.
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"Girls, it's showtime!" Tallulah called, and the showgirls all filed off to go on stage. Tallulah turned to Martha. "Come on, honey. Take a look. Ever been on stage before?"
"Oh, little bit, ya know. Shakespeare." Martha replied nonchalantly
"How dull is that?" Tallulah laughed, "Come and see a real show!" She grabbed Martha's hand and pulled her off towards the stage.
———————————————————————————
The Time Lords continued running their scan on the blob. "This is artificial." the Doctor murmured.
The Artist turned up the power on the scanner. "So it's been genetically engineered." she observed, "But who by?" she wandered.
"Whoever they are, they're clever." the Doctor replied.
———————————————————————————
Meanwhile, the show was about to start. The compere made the introduction, and the curtains opened to reveal Tallulah and her dancing girls. Tallulah began singing a song called My Angel Put the Devil in Me, and they all danced around the stage to it.
Martha stood in the wings, watching the performance with interest. Never had she ever imaged she'd be watching a stage show in 1930's New York. Suddenly, her eye was caught by a figure in the wings on the other side. It looked like one of the pig slaves, but not as transformed. It was watching Tallulah. Martha tried to sneak behind the dancers to get a closer look, but it didn't quite go to plan as she ended up accidentally tripping one of them up.
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Meanwhile, the Doctor was using his stethoscope on the blob. "Fundamental DNA type 467-989." he muttered. Something about that rang a bell, so he pondered over it. "989. Hold on, that means planet of origin..." Suddenly he turned to the Artist, eyes wide in horror. "Skaro!"
"Oh, no!" the Artist breathed, and they both promptly got to their feet and hurried from the room.
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"Get of the stage, ya spoilin' it!" Tallulah hissed at Martha.
"But look, over there!" Martha told her, pointing to the pig slave.
Tallulah abruptly screamed at the sight, and the pig slave scarpered.
Martha rushed after it. "Wait!" she called as it raced into the store room. "You're different to the others, just wait!" Martha called, hurrying in after it. She heard the clang of the manhole and there was no sign of the pig slave.
———————————————————————————
Outside, Tallulah and the girls were discussing the creature when the Time Lords came hurrying in. "Where is she, where's Martha?" the Doctor asked worriedly.
"I dunno, she just ran off the stage." Tallulah replied.
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In the store room, Martha was looking around for the pig slave when another one grabbed her, causing her to scream.
The Time Lords heard her and like lightening they ran off in the direction her scream had come from. "Martha?" the Artist called as they raced into the store room, but there was no sign of Martha.
The Doctor grabbed his coat and they both began to open the manhole into the tunnels. "Where're ya goin'?" Tallulah asked as she joined them.
"They've taken her." the Doctor answered grimly.
"Who's taken her, whaddaya doin'? Tallulah questioned as the Doctor scrambled down the ladder.
"We're going after her." the Artist told her as she climbed down after the Doctor.
Grumbling, Tallulah slipped a coat on and climbed down too.
"No, no, no, no way, ya not coming." the Doctor told the human.
"Tell me what's goin' on." Tallulah insisted.
"There's nothing you can do, go back." the Doctor ordered.
"Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could've taken Laszlo, couldn't they?"
"Tallulah, it's not safe. We don't know how many of those pig creatures there are down here." the Artist told her.
"Then that's my problem." Tallulah said stubbornly, "Come on, which way?"
"This way. And stay close." the Artist said as she and the Doctor pulled out their torches and led the way down the tunnel.
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Further down the tunnel, Martha was being dragged by two pig slaves. "Let me go!" she squirmed, trying to get free, but to no avail. They led her to a line of Humans being escorted through the tunnel.
"Martha?" a familiar voice called, and Martha looked up to see that Frank was in the line.
"You're alive!" Martha gasped in relief and hugged him, "We thought we'd lost you." One of the pig slaves pushed them. "Alright, we're moving!." Martha grumbled, falling into line in front of Frank.
"Where they takin' us?" Frank wandered.
"I don't know, but we can find out what's going on down here." Martha replied.
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The Doctor, the Artist and Tallulah had been walking in silence for a while when the human spoke up; "When ya say 'They've taken her', who's 'they' exactly? And who are you two, anyway? I never asked." The Doctor shushed her. "Okay, okay." she huffed, only for the Doctor to shush her again as he caught sight of a familiar shadow round the corner. "I mean you're a cute couple and all.."
The Artist put her hand over Tallulah's mouth and pulled her back into an alcove in the wall. "Keep quiet." the Time Lady hissed as they all hid. Both Time Lords' hearts nearly stopped as Dalek Caan glided past them. "They survived" the Artist trembled, "They always survive, while we lose everything." First their families, then their planet, then the Doctor's ninth incarnation, and most recently Rose, all lost thanks to the Daleks. The evil pepper pots just couldn't take a hint and die for good.
"That metal thing?" Tallulah questioned, "What was it?"
"It's called a Dalek." the Doctor answered, his voice full of terror and hatred, "An' it's not just metal, it's alive."
"You're kiddin' me!" Tallulah laughed.
"Do I look like I'm kidding'?!" the Doctor snapped, "Inside that shell, there's a creature born to hate. Who's every thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too."
"And it won't stop until it's slaughtered every single human being on this whole planet." the Artist finished.
"But if that's not a human being, that kinda implies it's from outer space." Tallulah scoffed, receiving pointed looks from the Time Lords. "Yet again that's a no with the kiddin'." she realised, "Oy, but what's it doin' here, In New York?"
———————————————————————————
Meanwhile, the Final Experiment was in full swing. "Stop the process. Dalek Sec is failing." Dalek Thay ordered.
"No. The Experiment MUST continue." Dalek Sec insisted weakly, smoke pouring from it's casing, "Administer the solution. We must evolve. Evolve! Evolve!" Dalek Jast complied and injected Dalek Sec with a syringe.
———————————————————————————
In the tunnel, the Time Lords were escorting Tallulah back the way they came. "It's too dangerous for you with Daleks down here." the Artist told her, "We're taking you back." They turned a corner only to come face-to-face with the pig slave from the theatre. Tallulah screamed, and the pig tried to make a run for it.
"Where's Martha?" the Doctor demanded, "What have you done with her?" He and the Artist went after him and managed to corner him.
"What have you done with Martha?" the Artist insisted, she and the Doctor shining their torches on his face to see that he wasn't fully converted.
"I didn't take her." the pig answered.
"Can you remember your name?" the Doctor asked.
"Don't look at me." the pig quivered.
"Do you know where she is?" Tallulah asked, coming forward.
"Stay back! Don't look at me!" the pig insisted.
"Who did this to you, the Daleks?" the Artist asked.
"The masters." the pig nodded.
"Why?" the Doctor asked.
"They needed slaves. They needed slaves to steal more people, so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."
"Do you know what happened to Martha?" the Artist asked.
"They took her. It's my fault. She was following me." the pig sighed.
"Where you in the theatre?" Tallulah asked.
"I never... yes."
"Why? Why were you there?"
"I never wanted you to see me like this."
"Why me? What I gotta do with us? Were you followin' me? Is that why you were there?"
The pig turned to face her. "Yes."
"Who are you?"
"I was lonely."
"Who are you?"
"I needed to see you."
"Who are you?" Tallulah insisted.
"I'm sorry." The pig tried to turn away again but Tallulah grabbed his arm.
"No, wait. Let me look at you." She pulled the pig into the light. "Laszlo?" The pig nodded. "My Laszlo? What have they done to you?" Tallulah sobbed.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Laszlo sighed.
"Laszlo, can you show us where they are?" the Artist asked him gently.
"But they'll kill you." Laszlo pointed out.
"If we don't stop them, they'll kill everyone." the Doctor said seriously.
"Then follow me." Laszlo conceded, and led them down the tunnel.
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Meanwhile, Martha, Frank and the other prisoners were all being kept in a chamber in one of the tunnels. "What're they keepin' us here for?" Frank wandered.
"I dunno. Got a nasty feeling we're being kept in the larder." Martha said nervously.
The pig slaves began grunting. "What're they doin'?" Frank wandered, "What's wrong?"
"Silence! Silence!" a harsh robotic voice called and Dalek Caan glided in.
Laszlo, Tallulah and the Time Lords were hiding in a tunnel nearby. Upon hearing the Dalek's voice, Laszlo swiftly motioned for them to get flat against the wall out of sight.
"What the hell is that?" Martha stared at the Dalek, then she turned round and caught a glimpse of the Doctor and the Artist in their hiding place.
"You will form a line." Dalek Caan ordered, "Move! Move!"
"Just do what it says, everyone, okay?" Martha advised everyone as the pig slaves began pushing them into a line, "Just obey!"
"The female is wise." Dalek Caan remarked, "Obey!"
At that moment, Dalek Thay glided in. "Report."
"These are strong specimens. They will help the Dalek cause." Dalek Caan answered.
"Dalek..." Martha muttered, remembering what the Doctor and the Artist had told her after New Earth.
"What is the status of the Final Experiment?" Dalek Caan questioned.
"The Dalekenium is in place. The energy conductor is complete." Dalek Thay answered.
"Then I will extract prisoners for selection." Dalek Caan said, and turned to the prisoners. A pig slave grabbed a man and held him in front of Dalek Caan. "Intelligence scan initiate." Dalek Caan held it's plunger arm in front of the man's face. "Reading brain waves. Low intelligence."
"You callin' me stupid?" the man asked indignantly.
"Silence! This one will become a pig slave." Dalek Caan said, "Next." The pig slaves led the protesting man away while the Dalek moved on to the next prisoner.
"They're divided into two groups." Laszlo explained to the Time Lords, "High intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."
"That's not fair!" Tallulah shrilled, only to be firmly shushed by the Time Lords. "You're the smartest guy I've ever dated." she said more quietly.
"What happens to the others?" the Artist asked Laszlo.
"They're taken to the laboratory." he replied.
"But why? What for?" the Doctor frowned.
"I don't know." Laszlo answered, "The masters only call it the 'Final Experiment'."
Meanwhile, Dalek Caan was scanning Frank. "Superior intelligence." it stated, before moving on to Martha. "Intelligence scan initiate. Superior intelligence. This one will become part of the Final Experiment."
"Ya can't just experiment on people, it's insane, it's inhuman!" Martha protested.
"We are NOT human." Dalek Caan retorted, "Prisoners of high intelligence will be taken to the transgenic laboratory."
"Look out, they're moving." the Doctor warned, grabbing the Artist's hand and pushing her flat against the wall, Laszlo doing the same with Tallulah as the Daleks moved out, taking their prisoners with them.
"Doctor, Artist, quickly!" Laszlo urged, making to go back the way they came.
"I'm not going." the Artist told him, "I got Martha into this, so I'm gonna get her out."
"And I'm not leaving." the Doctor added, "I've got an idea. You go."
"Laszlo, c'mon." Tallulah urged, tugging his arm.
"Can you remember the way?" Laszlo asked her.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Then go, please."
"But Laszlo, you've gotta come with me." Tallulah protested.
"Where would I go?" Laszlo pointed out, "Tallulah, I'm beggin you. Save yourself, just run! Just go!" he urged, and Tallulah complied then Laszlo re-joined the Doctor and the Artist.
They waited until the Daleks had passed by, then the Time Lords slipped into the line of prisoners between Martha and Frank while Laszlo pretended to be one of the guards. "Keep walking." the Doctor whispered to Martha.
"I am so glad to see you two!" she breathed in relief.
"Us too." the Artist replied, "I'm sorry, Martha. All I wanted was to take you somewhere nice, but now we're facing the most evil creatures in the universe."
"It's not your fault." Martha assured her, "You're not psychic."
———————————————————————————
The Daleks led the group into their laboratory. "Report." Dalek Caan demanded.
"Dalek Sec is entering the final stage of evolution." Dalek Jast reported.
"Scan him. Prepare for birth." Dalek Caan ordered.
"Evolution?" the Doctor murmured, wandering since when did Daleks evolve.
"Birth? Do they have to rub it in?" the Artist sighed sadly, subconsciously putting a hand on her stomach. The Doctor squeezed her other hand reassuringly. They recognised Dalek Sec, meaning that this was the Cult of Skaro, the reason why the Artist could no longer have children.
"What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?" Martha wandered, looking at the smoking Dalek Sec.
"Ask them." the Doctor instructed.
"What? Me?" Martha gaped, "Don't be daft!"
"We don't exactly wanna get noticed." the Doctor told her, "Ask 'em what's going on."
Martha took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Daleks. I demand to be told." The three bronze Daleks turned to her. "What is this Final Experiment? Report!"
"You will bear witness." Dalek Caan answered.
"To what?"
"This is the dawn of a new age."
"What does that mean?"
"We are the only four Daleks in existence. So the species must evolve. A life outside the shell. The children of Skaro must walk again."
And with that, Dalek Caan turned around, drawing everyone's attention to Dalek Sec. The black Dalek continued to smoke away until the light in it's eyestalk went out. Then it's casing opened to reveal Diagoras's body slumped over inside. The humans and Time Lords watched in horror as Diagoras climbed out and stood up. His head now looked like that of a Dalek mutant, with slimy purple skin, one eye and tentacles spouting out of it.
"What is it?" Martha breathed.
"I am a human Dalek." the mutant stated, "I am your future."
To be continued...