The Rescue

Dear Diary,

I cannot fathom the hatred that must exist inside these creatures. The Daleks and Thals could all live peaceably in this city, but the Daleks will not co-exist with any other species. They planned to irradiate their oxygen distributors and poison the entire planet of Skaro, making it suitable for only one lifeform: their own!

Even manacled and shackled to the wall, I desperately sought to halt this senseless, evil killing; even offering them the TARDIS if they would desist. I told them if they gave me back the link, I would help them, explain its secrets and its philosophy of movement, but they would not differ from their path.

As fate would have it, at this time we spied Chatterton on the videoscope as the the Thals entered the city at Level 8. The Daleks commenced their countdown sequence even as the Thals advanced and prevented the Daleks from sealing off Level 9.

Many Thals died in the ensuing chaos, but the Daleks were overpowered. Chatterton and Alydon freed Susan and myself from our bonds and we were able to disable the Daleks’ power source, putting a final end to five hundred years of destruction and to the Daleks!

In retrospect, I fear what may have occurred had they accepted my offer. The thought of these creatures with access to the secrets of space and time are chilling.

The Thals now have access to the Daleks’ technology, most happily for them the ability to make food by synthetic sunlight. My experiments show the soil is not so dead as we had believed, however, and I told Alydon he may yet live to hear birds amongst the trees and life return to the planet.

In many ways I envy the Thals this chance, this challenge of rebuilding a new world. I was once a pioneer amongst my own people, but I fear I am too old for such things. Perhaps I will return one day and live amongst their grandchildren.

We said our goodbyes, and it appears Miss Wright made quite a friend of Ganatus. Chatterton may be a bigger fool than I thought! (Although he did remember to take the fluid link back from the Daleks.

As I told Alydon, I never give advice but, in addition to telling him to avoid using the “compensators,” the Daleks’ term for their metal shells, I told him to always seek the truth. His is here, on Skaro.

Mine is out there. Amongst the stars.

Based upon the teleplay by Terry Nation, first broadcast on BBC 1st February 1964