Across the Darkened City (audio story): Difference between revisions

|featuring      = [[First Doctor]], [[Dalek Emperor (The Evil of the Daleks)|Two-One-Zero]]

On the planet [[Shade]], The [[Chaon]]s, an invading race of strange, amorphous creatures that ravenously absorb [[energy]], have reduced the [[City (Across the Darkened City)|city]] there to a desolate ruin. Separated from the [[First Doctor]] and [[Vicki Pallister|Vicki]], [[Steven Taylor|Steven]] has to join forces with [[Dalek Emperor (The Evil of the Daleks)|an unexpected ally]] to find his way back to [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]]. Ahead, lies a nightmare journey through the dark - a test of endurance and trust.

[[Steven Taylor|Steven]] is among a group of [[prisoner]]s held captive by the [[Dalek]]s, separated from [[First Doctor|the Doctor]] and [[Vicki Pallister|Vicki]] on [[Entropica]] after a failed attack. Despite Steven's protest, one woman is [[Murder|killed]] for being too weak to work. The rest are scanned prior to [[Roboman|robotisation]]. A prisoner revolt instigated by Steven and [[Mette]] sends the [[Dalek flying saucer|ship]] crashing on the [[planet]] [[Shade]]. One Dalek is damaged and so the other two destroy it because of its "deformity". One of them then proceeds to exterminate all of the prisoners, but is itself destroyed by the last Dalek, [[Dalek Emperor (The Evil of the Daleks)|Genetic Variant Two-One-Zero]], before it can kill Steven. Steven and Two-One-Zero are the only survivors and their only hope of escaping the planet is a [[transmat]] left by the Daleks on a previous [[Alien invasion|invasion]]. Two-One-Zero knows the codes which can return him to [[Skaro]], but with his drive units disabled in the crash, he needs Steven's help to traverse the ruins of the dark, vast city, which is swarming with vicious [[Chaon]]s.

Steven loads Two-One-Zero onto a cart which he can pull, but the damage wrought by the Dalek and Chaon invasions has left many roads impassible. They travel through a warehouse occupied by a Chaon to bypass one obstacle. At another, it begins to [[rain]]. A bolt of [[lightning]] strikes Two-One-Zero, leaving him immobile and unresponsive. Steven knows that without him, he will be trapped on the planet.

Two-One-Zero revives, using the charge from the lightning to repair some of his systems. As they continue into a street of buildings full of Chaons, Two-One-Zero instructs Steven to turn off his torch, ostensibly to save its charge or not to attract Chaons. However, Steven is able to make out in the darkness a mass [[grave]] of Shade's inhabitants slaughtered by the Daleks. He realises this is the real reason he was ordered to turn the torch off. Disgusted and furious, Steven threatens to destroy Two-One-Zero with a [[magnobomb]] he salvaged from the ship, but Two-One-Zero returns a warning shot with his [[gunstick]]. He claims he is "better" than other Daleks, and Steven calms himself down. As Chaons catch up with them, Two-One-Zero abandons his casing, which the Chaons devour. Steven carries the [[Kaled mutant|mutant]] and its translator device in a tarpaulin across a body of [[water]] and into the transmat station.

Without life support, Two-One-Zero is dying. He pleads to be sent back to Skaro, instructing Steven how to work the dais. Steven demands Two-One-Zero stick by the terms of their deal and give him the code for Entropica first. When a Chaon attacks, Steven places the mutant into a disused Dalek casing left in the station. It fights off the Chaon. Then he betrays Steven. Steven seeks cover behind the controls, knowing the Dalek wouldn't dare risk firing on them, and demands the code for Entropica. Two-One-Zero gives the code as 02943764 and Steven actives the control before he is fired upon. As more Chaons arrive, Steven receives contact from the Doctor, who gives him the code for Entropica. Steven notes it is different from the one the Dalek gave him. Quickly inputting the correct code before the Chaons devour him, Steven returns to Entropica and arrives at [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] where he is reunited with the Doctor and Vicki, his real friends.

Despite almost being destroyed for returning to Skaro in a different casing, making him difficult to identify, Two-One-Zero is the only surviving Genetic Variant. As such, he is declared the superior Dalek and is placed in the emergency container. He then declares himself [[Dalek Emperor]] and, intrigued by Steven's behaviour, orders that the Daleks' prime directive is to discover the [[Human Factor]] so that their enemies can one day be crushed and the [[universe]] conquered.

* [[Vicki Pallister|Vicki]] is frequently mentioned throughout the story but does not actually appear.

* Two-One-Zero becomes the [[Dalek Emperor (The Evil of the Daleks)|Dalek Emperor]] and decrees the Daleks must distill the [[Human Factor]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)|The Evil of the Daleks]]'')

* The [[Twelfth Doctor]] much later encountered [[Lumpy|a Dalek]] which claimed its nature had been modified. ([[GAME]]: ''[[The Doctor and the Dalek (video game)|The Doctor and the Dalek]]'')