Read Online Doctor Who - I Am a Dalek by Gareth Roberts - Free Book Online

its workings.
    ‘I am ready,’ she said.
    ‘Seven zero five nine galactic north by eight eight point five galactic west,’ said the Dalek. ‘Time factor: Earth date AD 500 million.’
    Kate’s fingers danced over the seal, setting the coordinates.
    ‘Very smart,’ the Doctor said, nodding. ‘The most peaceful time in future history,’ he added for Rose’s benefit.
    The Dalek lowered its eye-stalk. ‘The impure creatures of this future time care about peace. They know nothing of war, nothing of the Daleks. The one called Kate will come with me. She will plead for materials to rebuild my race. The creatures will supply them without asking questions. When we are ready, we shall emerge to conquer and destroy!’
    58

    Rose took the Doctor’s arm. ‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘It sounds far away.
    It gets us off the hook, but those people in the future are just like us.
    We can’t do it!’
    The bangle began to pulsate with golden light. ‘Stand back,’ barked the Dalek.
    The Doctor and Rose obeyed.
    The Dalek fixed its eye in the Doctor. ‘You will not follow.’
    ‘Never crossed my mind,’ said the Doctor innocently.
    ‘You will not follow. Because you will no longer exist.’ The Dalek raised its gun, aiming right at the Doctor. ‘The last thing I see before I depart will be your extermination!’
    ‘Of course,’ said the Doctor simply. ‘I made a deal with a Dalek.
    What do you think I expected? A handshake and a box of Terry’s All Gold?’
    ‘Activate the Time Ring!’ screeched the Dalek.
    Kate’s fingers moved over the controls.
    She heard Rose’s voice. ‘Kate, please. What’s inside you – fight it. I know you can!’
    ‘You waste energy,’ said Kate. ‘The Dalek factor is too strong.’
    Rose ran to Kate’s side. ‘Listen. All that stuff in your head. All the millions of planets and billions of years. I know what it’s like. Forget it. This morning, you missed the bus. What was the number of that bus?’
    ‘That is not important,’ said Kate. But she saw the bus, the silly rural single-decker, turning the corner on to the green. The number was 354.
    Rose carried on desperately. ‘Toby, your ex, the one who spent all the credit on your card. What did he look like?’ Kate saw Toby, thin-ning hair and paunch, the kind of man you settle for when there’s nothing else going. ‘What did you have for tea last night?’ Rose cried.
    ‘Custard?’ It was the first word that came into her head.
    Custard. Gloopy, yellow, pointless, tasty custard. Kate had never thought about custard before. Not thought hard about it. The Dalek part of her dismissed it. The human part imagined it pouring thickly 59

    over bread and butter pudding. She realised she hadn’t eaten for hours.
    But it was too late. The Dalek fired. ‘Exterminate the Doctor!’
    A glowing sphere of light formed around the Dalek. The blast fizzed harmlessly inside it.
    The Doctor clapped his hands together. ‘Custard!’ he cried. ‘She’s put a force field around the Dalek! Humans get hungry. What else do they do? Small things, big things, anything! We can reach her, get her to destroy it! Rose!’
    Rose took his cue. ‘ The X Factor ,’ she gabbled. ‘Floor polish. Contact lenses. Waiting for home delivery, some time between eight and six.
    Gas bills.’ She tried desperately to think. ‘People talking too loud on their phones in trains. Pointless internet arguments, with people you don’t even know. Kylie. When they ask “Do you have a Boots advantage card?”’
    The Doctor took over, speaking quickly and passionately. ‘Then there are the best human qualities. They’re inside you, Kate, and I’ve seen them. The potential that is bursting from every human. The explorer, determined to see something nobody’s seen before. Writing home to tell his wife he’s never coming back, he knows he’s gonna die, but he must tell her he loves her.’ He gestured to Rose. ‘More!’
    ‘My mum,’ she said, ‘waiting up