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It had been a week since the funeral ceremony
for Temmosus, Elyson, and Antodus. The band of Thals made their way
towards the Dalek City, their hearts still heavy from recent events, but
also filled with hope for what technology they might find within the now
empty city.
“Nearly there!” Alydon called back at the rest of the group. A murmur of
excitement went through them and Dyoni hurried to catch up to Alydon. He
smiled at her and she back at him. After Ian Chesterton’s threats to
offer her up to the Daleks, their relationship had been solidified.
“I’m worried for Ganatus.” Dyoni said.
“He has lost much. His wounds will take more time to heal than ours.”
Alydon said, wrapping his arm around Dyoni to comfort her. When he
looked over his shoulder back at Ganatus, he wondered if time would ever
heal his friend.
Ganatus knew he should feel more upset for his brother’s death, but all
he could think of was Barbara. If only he could find a way to reach her.
It seemed impossible, as her ship had simply vanished into thin air. He
wondered if the Daleks would have research on the matter.
They arrived at the Dalek City and entered the main building. Alydon
divided the band in half—one group would search for food, the other
would sort through the Daleks’ research and inventions. Dyoni led the
first group and Ganatus made his way with Alydon and three others to the
floor where the main research labs were.
They found themselves in a large open room full of computer terminals,
all equipped with round buttons, perfectly formed for a Dalek’s
mechanical hand. Each Thal started going through the data. One made a
joke how it would be easier if they had Dalek hands. Everyone laughed
except Ganatus, who was absorbed in the data. He wasn’t just looking, he
was searching.
There were several minutes of silence until Alydon cried out, “I’ve got
it!”
They all gathered around to see. The plans for reforming radiation into
heat energy were on the screen, however the heat would be used in laser
form, to kill.
“We can harness the energy and instead of concentrating it, we can
spread it throughout greenhouses to grow crops.” Alydon explained.
Everyone was excited. Right away, Alydon began putting the concept into
action. He sent two of the Thals to find the others and start a survey
of the wastelands around the city to locate the highest radiation
sources. He, Ganatus, and the remaining Thal, Mylanos, would start to
adapt the current blueprints into something that would work for the
greenhouses. Ganatus volunteered to go in search for the parts they
would need and left the room.
With no sound but the clanking of his footsteps on the metal flooring,
Ganatus suddenly felt very alone. Were Barbara here, he thought, she
would have no fear. His thoughts of her were interrupted when, out of
the corner of his eye, Ganatus saw something move. He looked over,
scanning the area intensely, but saw nothing except a small white door.
His curiosity now piqued, Ganatus made his way to the door and pushed it
open easily even though there was clearly a lock on it. He wondered how
this was possible, since all locks in the city would only open at a
Dalek’s touch. It was as if… He quickly forgot that thought as soon as
he saw what was inside the room. It was Barbara’s spaceship, or at least
an imitation of it. Its walls were metal, not a blue wood. Ganatus
scanned the room and saw a lever in the corner. He tried it, but it was
magnetic and wouldn’t budge. He looked around the room again for another
magnet or a large piece of metal. There was nothing but the ship and
bare, white walls. Suddenly he heard a metallic clanking and turned to
see the lever moving. Impossible, he thought. He was about to ask who
was there when the door to the ship opened. A bright, golden light
emanated from it, pulling him towards it. He couldn’t look away; he
couldn’t even blink. The time energy flowed into him and he felt himself
moving, but in a way he had never experienced. The room rushed around
him in a golden and white swirl of light and he felt the floor give out
below him. Then all went black.
When Ganatus came to, he was no longer on Skaro. Tapestries of reds,
yellows, and greens filled the gilded throne room he found himself in.
The clanking of swords and the yells from the crowd filled the great
hall. “Tegana!” “Marco!” they called.
Then he heard her voice clear as day. He turned around and there she
was, holding Susan and another dark-haired girl. “Barbara!” he called to
her. She didn’t respond. Ian Chesterton and the Doctor stood by them. He
called out to them in vain. They cannot hear or see me, he surmised, the
Daleks must have only developed a one-way portal. The emperor, who he
heard called Kublai Khan, summoned guards to stop the fight. Yelling
ensued among the men, and then a cry from all. The dark-haired sword
fighter called Tegana had killed himself. Ganatus ran to Barbara to
comfort her as she looked away from the scene, but there was nothing he
could do but watch Ian hold onto her. Marco gave the Doctor something
and the four travelers ran to the TARDIS. As Ganatus watched the
familiar disappearance he heard another voice that filled him with
dread.
“Ganatus,” the robotic, emotionless voice cried, “You have given me
life.”
The room spun again and Ganatus awoke to find himself back on Skaro. He
scrambled to his feet.
“Dalek!” he cried, “Show yourself! What do you want?”
“I require nothing more than the time energy you have given me.” the
Dalek said, coming into view from a dark corner.
“I don’t understand. How can you be alive still?”
“They took me from my casing, but forgot of my existence. So, I hid and
waited. And now with the time energy from you I will make my escape
through a temporal shift to save my kind. I will take the name of that
great leader, Caan, and lead the new Dalek race.” the Dalek said,
adopting the Dal spelling of ‘Khan’.
“But you are all dead!” Ganatus cried.
“I have seen the future. A great war is coming, the war of time, and I
shall save the Creator of my race.”
“I won’t let you!” Ganatus ran towards the electrical box by the door,
but he was too slow and Dalek Caan’s laser hit him, killing Ganatus
instantly. Dalek Caan initiated a temporal shift, and with that, Skaro
was free of the Daleks, at least for the time being.
© Copyright Lorena Gay, Andy W. Clift & Doctor Who Online, 2012.
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Written by:
Lorena Gay
Artwork by:
Andy W. Clift
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