“Doctor,” Space Security Agent Sara Kingdom asked.  “Who are you talking too?”

“Hmm, what?  What are you talking about, young lady,” the white haired old man in the frock coat replied irritably.

“You were talking to yourself,” astronaut Steven Taylor spoke up.  A handsome, brawny man from Earth’s future, the Doctor had rescued him from the planet Mechanus.  Steven had been held prisoner by the robot Mechanoids because he didn’t know their code.  But considering the option of either that or avoiding the native fungus creatures in the jungles, it wasn’t so bad.  “You were wishing somebody a Merry Christmas.”

“Talking to myself indeed young man,” the mysterious traveler in time and space known only as the Doctor snapped, straightening himself up.

“We only asked,” Sara said defensively.  A strikingly attractive young woman with reddish blond hair, she was from the 41st century.  Ruthless and determined, she was a dedicated member of the SSS, and coldly efficient in the execution of that duty.  She had joined the Doctor in an attempt to get revenge on the man responsible for her brother’s death.  “Because we appear to have landed.”

“What!  Oh my goodness,” the Doctor began dancing around the hexagonal control console, flicking switches and studying readouts.  “Hmm.  Yes, yes.  Hmhm, breathable atmosphere.  Yes, temperate climate.  Yes, I dare say it should be safe to go out.”

“So where are we,” Steven asked, joining the Doctor at the console, Sara not far behind.

“Hmm,” the Doctor said distractedly.  “Oh, uh, still on Earth my boy.  This time some two thousand miles and one hundred years from our last location.  It is March 13th, 1861.”

The Doctor switched on the scanner to reveal a huddle of wooden buildings.  The Doctor straightened up and placed his hands on his lapels and scrutinized the image on the screen with his companions.

“Doctor, where are we exactly?”  Sara said.

Checking the instruments, the old man rattled off information as it came up.  “Somewhere in the United States of America.  A place called Sweet Water, Wyoming.  Well, Nebraska Territory actually, it won’t be Wyoming for the better part of a decade yet.”

“Doesn’t look much like late winter too me,” Sara said, looking at the scanner.

“Yes,” the Doctor said slowly.  “Well it does look surprisingly mild for this area’s time of year.”

“So,” Steven said.  “Can we go out?”

“I don’t see any reason why not,” the Doctor conceded.  “Maybe the simplistic surroundings should give me a chance to think about our current situation.”

Presently the Doctor and his friends were on the run from the Daleks, a pitiless race of conquerors bent on universal destruction.  The Daleks had recently enlisted the aid of other galactic powers to create the Time Destructor.  Fortunately the weapon was useless without its taranium core, which the Doctor had stolen when he had infiltrated the Dalek base on Kembel.  They had so far been chased to several different planets in the forty first century as well as Earth in the nineteen sixties and nineteen twenties all in a desperate attempt to escape the wrath of the Daleks.  For now they seemed to have gained a brief respite.

As they exited the TARDIS - Time And Relative Dimensions Is Space - the Doctor cast a disapproving look at Sara.  “Eh, you might wish to change my dear.”

Sara looked down in confusion at her clothes.  She was wearing a simple one piece black jump suit that buttoned up at the side, with a small pouch strapped to her side and a white cross belt with laser pistol.  The standard uniform of any space security agent.

“What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“Oh nothing my dear, nothing,” the Doctor said hastily.  “It’s just that we don’t want to attract attention to ourselves and, er” - he really wasn’t sure how to explain social attitudes and fashions of the eighteenth century without giving a full history lesson of the area - “your uniform would attract quite a bit of attention in this time zone.”

Placing her hands on her hips, she demanded, “Well what am I suppose to wear?”

“You can try the wardrobe room,” Steven pointed to a pair of doors leading out of the control room.  “Just through there.”

“And what about the two of you?”

“Oh don’t worry about us my dear,” the old man said with a wave of his hand, completely missing the annoyance in Sara’s voice.  Steven’s shirt and slacks were completely acceptable for the time.  And the Doctor, as far as he was concerned, was always in fashion in his Edwardian gentleman style clothing.  “I am always in fashion.”

Sara sighed; she didn’t want to spend all day arguing about this and went into the wardrobe room.  She grumbled,  “I’ll be right back.”

Sara had found a simple tan dress and pulled it over her clothes.  She looked at herself in a full body mirror and hoped she looked acceptable.  Adjusting her gun so it couldn’t be seen through the garment, she joined the others outside.  The TARDIS exterior was infinitely variable, but for some reason or another it was locked in the shape of a police telephone call box.

“Will this do?”

“Yes, yes, you look wonderful Sara,” the Doctor said distractedly, barely giving her a glance, his eyes focused on the town in front of them.  Putting on his panama hat, he marched briskly toward the town of Sweet Water.  “Well let’s go you two.  Time waits for no man.  Or woman.”
 

Pony Express rider Noah Dixon galloped up to Horse Creek Station to collect his fresh mount.  He would’ve preferred not to stop at this particular station, but his horse was exhausted.  The reason he didn’t want to stop here was the station manager, Burt Fisher.  Fisher took every opportunity to insult, belittle and humiliate him; constantly calling him boy, tar baby or Tom.  If he had the time, Noah would’ve rammed every last insult down the greasy white man’s throat.  But the whole point of the Pony Express was to deliver the mail quickly and safely, which didn’t leave time for starting brawls.

Approaching the station, Noah waited for the typical call of “it’s the nigger” and then leap onto his fresh mount while throwing the bigoted bastard a contemptuous look.  Instead, only silence greeted him. Noah dismounted and looked around.  No fresh horse, no narrow minded station manager, just a deserted looking way station.

“Fisher, where are you,” Noah called.

When no one answered him, he began to get worried.  Fisher never missed an opportunity to degrade the black rider, but he never let it get in the way of his job or company schedule.

Noah heard horses whinnying in the barn.  The closer the dark rider got to the barn; the more he thought he heard someone, or something, moving around inside.  He called out a few more times, but received no answer.  A part of Noah wanted to run away and get as far away from this place as fast as he could, but he still needed a fresh horse.

Noah drew his pistol and gently nudged the barn doors open.  The horses were pacing in their stalls and snorting irritably.  Wonder what’s got them so skittish, Noah thought.  Advancing further into the barn, he tripped over something on the floor.  He stumbled for a few steps then regained his balance.  Looking down he found himself staring into the dead eyes of Burt Fisher.  Noah crouched down to examine the body.  The station boss’ face was twisted in agony.  Whatever had killed him, Fisher died painfully.

“Stay-where-you-are,” a booming, grating metallic voice ordered.  “Do-not-move!”

Noah looked up to see a nightmare bearing down on him.  The domed metal monstrosity bared down on him menacingly, waving what looked like a gun sticking out of the front of it.  Noah tried to run but got up too fast, and instead lost his balance and fell back on his butt.  Screaming in terror, Noah fired at the creature but the shells bounced harmlessly off the metal casing.  Noah turned and crawl/ran out of the barn and toward his semi-refreshed horse.

“Stop,” the creature cried and fired.  A thin line of light struck Noah and the black rider fell face down in the dirt.  Noah tried to get up but couldn’t feel his legs.  

Oh my God, Noah thought, I’m a cripple.

The metal monster came up to Noah and was joined by another.  
“You’re-legs-are-paralyzed. -The-effect-is-temporary.”

“What are you?” Noah said hoarsely.  He was somewhat relieved that he would be able to walk again.  But looking up into the monster’s one eye, it didn’t last.

“We-are-the-Daleks,” it grated.  “And-you-are-our-prisoner.”

“What do you want,” Noah said pulling himself into a sitting position; he could already feel the feeling coming back into his legs.

“Where-are-the-time-travelers,” it demanded.

“What?  I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You-lie. -We-tracked-their-temporal-signature-to-this-time-and-place. -I-repeat: -Where-are-they!?!”

The terrified rider moved his mouth silently.  All he wanted to do was get away from here.  He was sure that once they learned what they needed they’d most likely kill him.  The feeling was already returning to his legs, if he could just find some way of distracting them.

“Answer,” the Dalek commanded.  “Or-you-will-be-exterminated!”

That confirms that suspicion.  Noah threw his hands up in front of him in a feeble attempt to stop them from using their death ray.  “No, no wait, please.  I … I,” he groped for something to say.  “You just missed them.  They're, they're … uh … right there,” Noah pointed behind them desperately.  Miraculously, the Daleks turn in the direction of Noah’s finger.  Noah used their inattention to scramble into the house.  Seeing they’d been tricked the Daleks turned back to their prisoner, watching him trying to escape.

“Exterminate, exterminate,” they chanted 

Noah ducked into the house as the alien creatures opened fire.  The wooden structure disintegrated in a ball of lethal energy under the advanced firepower.  The Daleks observed the smoldering remains of the cabin with the briefest of interest before getting back to the business at hand.

“The-human-knew-nothing,” the lead Dalek stated.  “Activate-the-seismic-detector.  Scan the-entire-area.  The-time-travelers-must-be-found.  The-taranium-core-must-be- recovered.  Nothing-must-interfere-with-the-destiny-of-the-Daleks!”
 

Back in Sweet Water, oblivious to the fate of their colleague, the young riders were enjoying a rare night out at the Wild Horse Saloon.  Cody was regaling the girls with (exaggerated) tales of his exploits while the others flirted with the other girls, and generally having a good time.  Well, almost everyone.  In an obscure corner of the bar, Louise “Lou” McCloud sat watching the bar or more specifically the blue eyed young man talking politely to one of the saloon girls.

“I can tell you right now,” said a rough, familiar voice. Jimmy “Wild Bill” Hickok sat in the chair next to her.  “That’s as close as he’s going to get to her.”

At first, Lou said nothing.  Her and Kid had broken up almost a month ago, and the subject hadn’t been brought up since.  Although the break up had been more or less both their idea, she still rode in to the station hoping to see him there, flashing her one of those dazzling ‘welcome home’ smiles reserved especially for her.  Only to be reminded by his cool distance, that he didn’t feel that way about her anymore.  

Jimmy saw the sad, distant look in her eyes and sighed sympathetically.  He felt for her.  And for Kid.  He’d been where they were before.  He understood why Kid had courted Samantha and said the things he’d said about his relationship with Lou.  When he’d discovered the truth about Sarah Gentry and the reason behind her interest in him, he’d blown a month’s pay at Miss Grace’s on women and whiskey.  Anything to make the painful feelings she’d left behind go away.  Kid and Lou didn’t meant to hurt each other; they just couldn’t help it.  Maybe this was why he’d never tried to make a play for Lou himself?  He had enough problems of his own.  He didn’t need anyone else’s.

Lou looked liked she was about to say something when Deputy Barnett walked into the saloon.  He walked up to Kid and tapped him one the shoulder and whispered into his ear.  Kid nodded and politely excused himself from his company.  The nameless rider strode over to the table Lou and Jimmy were sitting at, and after a tense silence he said, “Teaspoon wants to see us.”

“What about?” Jimmy asked.

Kid shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Barnett just said he wants to see us at the marshal’s office right now.”  Kid’s eye’s lingered on Lou for a fraction of a second longer than he’d planned before adding, “Why don’t you two head over?  I’ll get Cody and meet you there.”

At the marshal’s office, the rider’s found a worried Teaspoon keeping vigil over a shell shocked Noah Dixon, sitting hunched over in a chair.  The black rider was shaking uncontrollably, his knuckles’ sheet white as his hands gripped his knees painfully.  There was a frozen look of terror on his face.

The other riders were stunned at the condition of their friend.  Noah had gone up against Indians, outlaws and slavers; faced some of the most dangerous situations that came with being a pony express rider and a black man.  What could have done this to him?

They looked to Teaspoon for answers.  Answers he couldn’t give.  He’d seen this before.  At the Alamo and Golliad where he’d first seen what war was really like.  In the eyes of Apache and Commanche raid survivors who’d watched loved ones butchered by Indian blades.  In Mexico where boys in uniform where cut to pieces by shrapnel.  And more times he didn’t want to remember.

“What the hell happened to him?” Jimmy growled, desperately trying to contain his infamous temper.

“I don’t know,” Teaspoon said, spreading his hands helplessly.  “Barnett found him running down the Horse Creek trail.”

“He was babblin’ something about metal monsters,” Barnett said.  “’Bout them killin’ ever’one at Horse Creek station and guns that spat sunlight.”

“What the hell’s that suppose to mean,” Jimmy finally exploded.

Everybody started talking at once.  An unintelligible cacophony of noise filled the marshal’s office.  Teaspoon tried to calm everyone down, but to no avail.  The overlapping dialogue continued until an authoritarian voice cut through the air, “May I offer my assistance?”

The group turned to see the Doctor and his companions enter the room.  The Doctor walked straight up to Noah.

“What the … Who the hell are you?”

“Hmm,” the Doctor said not looking up.  “I’m known as the Doctor, this is Steven Taylor and Sara Kingdom.”

It was Sara that caught the attention of the men.  It wasn’t her looks, although that was more than a small factor.  It the way she carried herself.  Watchful and alert, taking in her surroundings and everyone around her.  If Teaspoon didn’t know any better, he’d swear she was a lawman.

“Yes,” the Doctor said, mostly to himself.  “A classic case of shock induced catatonia.”

“Look,” Jimmy interrupted, irritably.  “Just who are - ”

“Oh do be quiet, young man,” the Doctor snapped.  Turning to Teaspoon he asked, “What is this young man’s name, constable?”

It took a moment for Teaspoon to realize that the Doctor was talking to him.  “It’s marshal.  And his name his Noah Dixon.”

The Doctor was only half listening as he focused on Noah.  “Mr. Dixon,” he said gently.  Then in a softer voice.  “Noah.”

The black rider slowly raised his wide eyes to meet the Doctor’s.  The enigmatic old man smiled benevolently and continued.  “Good, very good.  Now I want you to look at my ring and focus on my voice.  When I count to three, you are going to fall in a deep sleep.  Do you understand?”

Ever so slightly, Noah nodded.

“Good,” the Doctor smiled.  “Now, one.  Two. Three.”  Noah’s chin dropped to his chest.  “Young man, I’m going to ask you some questions.  And I need you to answer them to the best of your ability.  Do you understand?”

Again, Noah nodded.

“Excellent.  Now describe what happened to you.”

Noah related everything that had happened at Horse Creek.

“These creatures,” the Doctor asked.  “What did they look like?”

“Metal,” Noah said tonelessly.  “Looked like giant salt shakers.  Called themselves Daleks.”

The Doctor pursed his lips and rested his chin in the palm of his left hand.  So the Daleks had found them, but how?  They had shaken off their time trail.  How had they gotten here ahead of them?

“Constable,” he said.  “Do you know where this Horse Creek is?”

“Uh, yeah,” Teaspoon replied, not knowing what else to say.  In the span of less than a minute, this strange old man had strode into his office and taken over.  Who was he?  And what did he know about Noah condition?  “Do you know what’s wrong with him?”

“He’s suffering from a form of catatonic shock,” the Doctor lectured.  “He has seen something his mind believes cannot exist, so it refuses to accept what happened, forcing him to retreat within himself.”

“Will he be okay?”

The Doctor smiled paternally.  “He’ll be fine. I left a small hypnotic suggestion telling him to forget what he’d seen and replace it with something he can accept.”  The Doctor straightened up.  “Can you recommend a guide to show us the way to Horse Creek?”

“I was planning on going there and taking a look around myself.  I was gonna round up the boys and head out tomorrow around eight o’clock.”

“Good.  We’ll be there bright and early.  Come along you two, I’m sure a settlement like this has some sort of temporary residence.”  The Doctor and his friends were out the door before another word could be said.

Jimmy looked around the room at everyone there.  “Okay, what the hell just happened?”  All the others could do was look back at the young gunfighter, just as perplexed as he was.
 

Sara had been too restless to sleep, and the uncomfortable straw bed certainly hadn’t helped.  So after Steven and the Doctor had gone to sleep, Sara had slipped out into the night.  Examining some of the wooden buildings, she wondered how anyone could live in such primitive conditions, but had to remind herself of the time and place.  The whole idea of time travel still hadn’t completely sunk in, despite everything she’d been through.  She really hadn’t had the chance to accept it.  They’d been racing from one time to another since their escape from Kembel, trying to come up with a way of putting an end to the Dalek’s plans, Sara hadn’t had the opportunity to take in her knew situation.

Bored now, she decided to return to the hotel and try and get some much-needed sleep before tomorrow’s investigation.  Despite everything that had happened to her, she was still an agent of the Space Security Service and she had her duty to Earth’s safety.  And a death to avenge.

Turning around, she walked into the putrid smell of alcohol and a body that had apparently never heard of soap and water.  She looked into a fleshy, unshaven face of a particularly ugly man.  When he smiled, he revealed that he was missing quite a few teeth as well.  When he spoke a foul stench of homemade liquor swirled out of his breath, almost tangible in the night air.  “Yer pretty.”

Rolling her eyes as she waved her hand in front of her nose trying to clear the air in front of her, she said evenly, “I wish I could say the same about you,” and tried to step around him.

The drunkard blocked her way.  “But we’re just getting to know each other.”

“Get out of my way,” she said coolly.  “Please.”

The drunk’s stupid grin became a leer.  “But me and some friends of mine were really hoping to get to know you better."

Sara glanced over her shoulder and saw that too more equally disgusting looking reprobates stagger up behind her.  Despite the obvious danger she was in, Sara’s years of training and action in the field had taught her to keep her head in similar situation.

Taking a deep breath she said calmly, “I’ll ask this one last time.  I don’t want any trouble.  Step aside and let me pass.  Please.”

The cowboys howled with laughter.  This was a grand joke to them.  It sounded like this skinny woman was threatening them.  “Oh there’s gonna be trouble little lady.  The type we like.”

Sara sighed.  “If that’s the way you want it.”  Then slipped her arms around the fat drunkard’s neck.

The lush cowboy’s face showed pleasant surprise at Sara’s apparent change of attitude, until she drove her knee into his groin.  The cowboy screamed in agony, his voice rising a few octaves in the process.  Before the other two knew what was happening, Sara kicked back with her right leg, catching one of them in the chest.  The skinny cowboy let out a surprised gasp, his lungs fighting to get air in them, as he landed heavily on the muddy ground.

The third cowboy rushed her, bellowing with rage.  Sara dropped the fat cowboy, letting him curl up on the sidewalk to moan in unspeakable agony, while she face this new attacker. He tried to grab her upper arms, but she shook him off and grabbed his shirt lapels.  Twisting sideways and dropping to a crouching position, she used his forward momentum to flip him over her shoulder.  He gave a short yelp before landing in the horses watering trough.

“I’ll kill you bitch,” the fat cowboy growled painfully, still holding his injured pride.

Seeing him try to sit up and draw his gun, Sara kicked him savagely up side his head with her left foot.  She watched him flop back down like a beached walrus.  The cowboy she dunked in the trough struggled to get up, but Sara gave him a quick judo chop across the back of his neck.  He stiffened for a moment, then his body went limp.

The crack of a gunshot, brought Sara to her feet in a fighting position.  Expecting another assailant, what she found was the skinny cowboy she’d kicked in the chest nursing a bleeding hand.  She saw one of the young men from the marshal’s office standing about four meters away, holding a smoking pistol.

Sara relaxed slightly, but only slightly.  She didn’t know this boy or what his intentions were.  Although he didn’t look like he would try anything, she knew in her line of work that appearances could be very deceiving.  Like the idea of her brother of being a traitor.  Sara quickly pushed that thought aside and focused her attention on the young man in front of her.

“Are all your citizens so … forward,” she stated bitingly.

Kid flinched a little under her gaze.  It was direct, tense and demanded an explanation.  Just like Lou’s.  Kid quickly pushed aside all thoughts about the girl.  She had made it quite clear how she felt about him and if that’s the way she wanted it, fine.  That said he turned his attention back to the young woman.

“It happens,” he said.  “Men get off the trail and look for a little comfort.  Sometimes it doesn’t matter if it’s willing or not.”

“Well, as I think I’ve shown, it was definitely not willing.”

 “Yeah I’m pretty sure they know that now.  They’ll know enough not to bother you again,” Kid grinned.  After a beat of comfortable silence, he offered,  “I’ll take you back to your hotel.”

“That won’t be necessary,” she said brusquely, missing the sentiment.  Walking purposely past him, she said, “I know the way.”
 

The next morning, introductions were made and the two groups set off for Horse Creek Station.  Teaspoon had been called away to investigate some missing cattle at neighboring ranches, so he was forced to send his boys on alone to Horse Creek with the strangers.  With Cody leading, Kid, Lou, Buck and Jimmy followed on horseback, the Doctor, Steven and Sara followed on a buckboard.  The Doctor knew how to ride a horse, but it hurt his back, so he was content to steer the animals from behind.  Steven and Sara both came from times where riding horses was obsolete so had no clue as how to ride one.

Both groups would occasionally cast suspicious glances at the other.  Steven’s knowledge of the American West was feeble at best, but he knew Wild Bill Hickok.  He knew that Hickok was a frontier lawman and that he had a quick temper.  No doubt he’d already been in more than a few fights, but Steven doubted he’d ever faced anything like a Dalek.  He wasn’t sure they could count on him.  The Daleks were without a doubt more vicious and ruthless than any outlaw Wild Bill Hickok had ever faced or ever would face.

Jimmy had just as many questions about these people’s motives.  All he knew was that Noah had turned up ranting about monsters and then these three had showed up out of thin air.  Aside from their names, he didn’t know anything about them.  He was sure he couldn’t count on them.

When they arrived at the station everyone split up and began a search.  The riders were stunned at the burnt out remains of the bunkhouse.  What could have done that?  But the Doctor already knew.  Out of habit, Kid automatically paired off with Lou.  Realizing what he’d done he politely backed off and joined Sara.  Lou gave him a long look before joining Jimmy.

“Doctor,” Steven called.  “Over here.”

The Doctor found Steven crouched down on the ground near some odd looking tracks.  The old man was no frontiersman, but he could tell the difference between animal footprints and machine tracks.  “Yes,” the Doctor mused, mostly to himself.  “So the Daleks were here.”

“But how did they get here ahead of us?” Steven said earnestly.  “They couldn’t have overtaken us.  Could they?”

“No, no of course not my boy.  We would’ve detected their time trail in the TARDIS.”

“Then how-“

“I don’t know.”

“Doctor,” Sara cried out warningly.

A Dalek emerged from the barn.  “Exterminate!”

“Everyone,” the Doctor ordered.  “Take cover.”

The metal monster fired indiscriminately at the humans as they scrambled to get out of the way of the lethal fire.  All Jimmy could do was stare at the miniature tank.  When the metal creature turned its attention to him, he snapped to life.  Drawing both his pearl-handled colts and fired repeatedly at the Dalek.  Shot after shot, the bullets bounced harmlessly of the metal casing.  Jimmy began to scream seeing his most reliable tools having no effect.  He kept squeezing the trigger even after he eventually ran out of bullets.  Steven had to tackle the future legend to save his life as the Dalek gun spat fire.

The first thing Sara did was pull the period costume dress she was wear over her head and toss it away.  She couldn’t fight Daleks in that cumbersome garment.  Now back in her SSS uniform, she was as ready and formidable as before.  She drew her pistol and took careful aim at the back of the metal creature.  Her gun was too small to do any significant damage, but she was only trying to get its attention.  When it turned its attention away from that fool Hickok, she would shoot its eyepiece.  Blinded, the Dalek would be easier to dispose of.  Sara squeezed off one round.  

Several deep dents appeared in the metal armor.  The Dalek swung around to face this more serious threat.  Before it could bring its weapon to bear on the time traveler, Sara already had a bead on the stalk on the top of the dome.

“Miss Kingdom, Look out!”

Not knowing what Sara was planning, Kid did what he always did when he saw a woman in peril - he charged to her rescue.  He launched himself at Sara, knocking her to the ground.  Her shot went wide, miles from its target.

The Doctor found himself next to Cody, behind a large boulder.  “You wouldn’t by any chance be William Frederick Cody, would you?  And is that a Hawken rifle?”

“Uh, yeah,” Cody said.

“Good,” the Doctor said hoping all those stories about Buffalo Bill’s marksmanship abilities were not simply tall tales created by himself.  “Do you see that little sphere at the end of the stalk on the dome?”  Cody nodded.  “Do you think you could hit the white circle in front of it?”

The answer was obvious.  Of course he could.  He could shoot the tail feathers off a bird in flight.  But hitting something that small while it was moving would be difficult, even for him.  Cody answered, “Yeah, if it could stay still for a minute.”

“Leave that to me young man.” The Doctor stood up and yell,  “Yoo-hoo, Dalek.  It’s me, the Doctor.”

Hearing the Doctor, the Dalek looked in his direction.  As soon as he saw the white of its ‘eye’, Cody fired.  The bullet hit dead center, shattering the optic sensors.

“My-vision-is-impaired.  I-cannot-see.  My-vision-is-impaired-I-cannot-see.  Assist.  Assist.  My-vision-is-impaired.  I-cannot-see.  Warning.  Warning.”

Steven was the first to act.  He grabbed the Dalek and jammed the gun stick up.  Struggling with the monster he yelled, “Don’t just sit there, Hiccup, help me.”

“Hick-ok,” Jimmy growled, standing up.  “Hick-ok.”

The others all jumped up to help push the creature into the Platte River that run parallel with the station.  Suddenly finding itself swarming with aliens, the Dalek began to panic.  “Assist.  Assist.  Help-me!  Help-me!”

With one last heave they tipped the Dalek into the chilly water.  It waved its limbs for a few seconds gurgling incoherently before going still.

The Kid, meanwhile, was having it just as rough.

“You idiot,” Sara shouted.  “What did you think you were doing?”

Kid was stunned.  This wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for.  Even Lou never bit his head that viciously.  Kid sneered, “You’re welcome.”

“You’re welcome!” Sara exploded.  “You expect gratitude from me?  You almost got us killed!”

“I was trying to save your life,” Kid said defensively.

“And in doing so,” Sara was unforgiving in her attitude, waving her finger at him like a nanny scolding a toddler for eating sweets between meals.  “You almost ended both of ours.”

Sara stood up and brushed herself off.  Walking smartly over to join the others, she noticed Kid wasn’t following her.  Looking over her shoulder she saw he was still sitting on the ground.  Sara rolled her eyes at the cowboy’s apparent childishness.  He is certainly living up to his nickname, she thought.

“Are you coming?” she said impatiently.

“I can’t feel my legs,” Kid’s voice was a horrified hush.  His voice rising in panic, “I can’t feel my legs!”

Sara knelt down to examine his legs.  Kid began to babble.  “Oh my God, oh my God.  I’m a cripple.  I’M A CRIPPLE!”

Sara backhanded him hard across the face.  “Will you shut up,” she snapped, then softened her tone.  This era knew nothing of cellular regeneration and artificial implants.  Wheelchairs of this time were cumbersome and awkward even in the cities, so they were worse than useless in this environment.  As far as these people were concerned, if you couldn’t walk, you were as good as dead.  Speaking soothingly she massaged his thigh and said, “It’s only temporary.  Your proximity to the Dalek energy numbed your nerves.  All you have to do is to try and get the circulation back.”

Helping Kid to his feet, Sara supported him around the waist and helped him to walk/hobble over to where Steven and the Doctor were trying to open the Dalek’s casing.  Seeing Kid and Sara with their arms around each other didn’t improve Lou’s mood.  So far, a friend of hers had been driven half-mad, had been attacked by a monster that couldn’t be killed and once again Kid was throwing himself at the nearest pretty face.  Before she could spit out a comment about this, she noticed the strained looked on his face and the disjointed movements of his legs.  All angry thoughts flew from her mind at the sight of Kid hurt.

“Are you okay?” Lou asked, her voice full of concern.

“How do I look?” Kid answered a little more curtly than he intended.

“He’ll be fine,” Sara said impatiently.  Must everything done in this century be followed by an overly emotional outburst?  

Sitting Kid down on the Dalek, she began to knead the muscles in his thigh.  She pressed and squeezed the right areas, slowly bringing the sensations back, while Kid pounded on his right thigh with a balled fist.  His legs were pins and needles, proof that his condition was temporary.

Lou scowled at the apparently tender scene and turned her attention back to the strangers opening the metal monster.  When they got the top off and moved it aside, Lou leaned over and peered inside.

“Hey,” she said.  “I think there’s something in here.”

“Yes,” the Doctor said distractedly.  But when he saw how close she was to the opening, he snapped, “Get away from there!”

A tentacle whipped out and wrapped itself around her neck.  Lou let out a choked cry and flopped back into the water.  A blobby amoeboid creature attached itself to her neck emitting an inhuman shriek.  Lou thrashed around in the river trying to tear the creature from her neck but its grip only tightened.  The others were too shocked to do anything; all they could do was stand there and gape at the scene.

“Lou,” Kid cried.  Instinctively, he moved to help but his legs went out from under him and he crashed to the ground with a thud.

Buck was the first to regain his wits.  He drew his knife and threw it at the blob, impaling it dead center.  The creature gave a last painful shriek then went slack.  The Doctor wrapped the creature in a small blanket while Steven gently unwrapped the tentacle from around Lou’s neck.

The Doctor tossed the Dalek mutant back into it’s useless casing then said, “Now everybody get well back.”

Back at the cabin, everybody waited patiently for the Doctor to return from the river and hopefully get some answers.  The riders were trying to take everything they’d seen.  Mobiles machine that spat sunlight; a lethal blob of jelly; and a woman that fought monsters in black long underwear.  This was all so unreal, but what they’d just seen plus Kid’s useless legs and Lou’s bruised neck were testaments to the facts.

Steven saw the Doctor running towards them.  “Doctor, what’s wrong?”

Waving his arms, the Doctor shouted, “Get down!”

Suddenly the air echoed with a muffled explosion.  The following shockwave rocked every on their heels.

“What was that?”

“Dalek self-destruct device,” Sara said matter-of-factly.

The Doctor confirmed her deduction.  “I activated it as soon as everyone was clear.” Lowering his voice, he continued, “There are enough weapons of mass destruction on this planet.  They don’t need anymore.  Especially now, with the American Civil War weeks away from breaking out.”

“Alright,” Jimmy screamed, his frustration finally reaching its limit.  “What the hell is going on!  I just saw a giant potbelly boiler blow a hole the size of Teapsoon’s ass in the ground and a friend of mine crippled by a ray of sunlight.  Not to mention a bloodthirsty ball of goo.  Now I want some answers and I mean NOW!”

Before the Doctor and his friend could even begin to explain, three more Daleks emerged from the woods.

“There-are-the-time-travelers.  They-must-be-taken-alive.  Exterminate-all-opposition.  Exterminate.  Exterminate.  EXTERMINATE!”

“Run,” the Doctor ordered.  “Everyone, scatter.”

Everybody took off in different directions with the exception of Jimmy who did what he always did when confronted in a dangerous situation - he drew both pistols and fired wildly.  Unfortunately he failed to remember that he had used up all of his bullets on the last Dalek and hadn’t taken the time to reload.  Steven and Cody each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him away as his guns clicked harmlessly at the alien killer.

Steven rolled his eyes.  “Not that it would help, but they usually work better when loaded - Hiccup.”

Cody tried to suppress a laugh without success (well it was funny).

“Come along my dear,” the Doctor said taking Lou by her shoulders and turning her around.  “It’s time we were off.”  He looked up at Buck.  “Lead the way young man.”

“Wait,” Lou said urgently.  So preoccupied was she that she didn’t notice the Doctor call her my dear instead of young man.  “What about the Kid?”

“Sara will look after him, now let’s go.”

That’s what I’m worried about, Lou thought as she let the Doctor lead her away.

Sara was the only one not running.  Instead she stood feet apart, holding her pistol with both hands at arms length.  She took careful aim and fired at the closest Dalek.  The eyepiece exploded into several tiny fragments.

“Vision-impaired.  Cannot-see.  Vision-impaired.  Cannot-see.”

One more Dalek disabled; Sara turned to Kid and said, “Right, let’s get out of here.”

Kid tried to follow, but his right leg was still numb.  He sat down on the steps of the way station cabin.  “Go on without me.  I’ll only slow you down.”

Sara yanked Kid to his feet and shoved him toward the woods.  “Shut up and move.”

“Pursue.  Seek-locate-do-not-deviate.”

When he was sure they weren’t being followed, Steven told the others to stop running.  “Right, let’s catch our breath.”

“All right,” Jimmy announced frustratedly.  “Would somebody please explain what’s going on!”

Steven sighed and told Jimmy and Cody everything.  From when this nightmare had begun.  From their escape from Kembel to Katarina and Bret’s deaths to how they’d been dodging the Daleks ever since.  When he’d finished, Steven sat back and waited for their reactions.

Cody couldn’t believe any of it, but after everything he’d seen what else could he do, but believe.

Jimmy lashed out.  “This is all your fault, dammit.  Why did you have to come here?”

He grabbed Steven by his shirt as he ranted.  Suddenly he doubled over, the air forced from his lungs.  The future lawman dropped to his knees clutching his stomach, gasping for air.  Steven knew all types of fighting styles as part of his training for the space corps.  All he had done was jab Jimmy in a certain spot to knock the wind out of him.

Cody looked in disbelief at his friend.  Jimmy had been in a lot of fights and he’d never gone down with one punch.  When Steven looked up at him in expectation, he raised his hands in surrender and backed up.

The Doctor, Buck and Louise unfortunately, were not fairing as well.  A Dalek had been chasing them since they fled from the station.  Buck had hoped that his skills he’d learned as a boy and the rapidly disappearing sunlight would aid in their escape.  From an early age he’d been taught to blend in with the background and cover his tracks, but that didn’t seem to be working.

“I’m afraid the Dalek’s infra-red scanners can pick up the one trail you can’t get rid of young man,” the Doctor panted.

They hid behind some thick under growth, near a bluff.

“What’s an info-red scanner?”  Lou said.

“Infra-red,” the Doctor corrected.  “They enable the Daleks to follow our heat trail.  In short, they can see in the dark.”

Suddenly, the Doctor had a plan and quickly filled the others in on the details.  At his signal Lou jumped up and started running.  The Dalek turned its attention to the fleeing female rider.  The Doctor and Buck jumped up behind it and shoved the Dalek over the edge of a bluff into the river.  Landing on its back, the Dalek waved its limbs and fired wildly.  Lethal bolts of Dalek energy whizzed passed the Doctor and his friends heads, preventing them from getting close enough to finish the monster off.

“Come on,” the Doctor said.  “We can’t do any more here.  Let’s try and find the others.”

Night was falling quickly, but Sara knew that darkness would be no shield from the Daleks.  She was keeping a brusque pace but Kid was still limping behind, slowing her down.  The tactician in her told him to leave him and continue on her own.  But too many good people had died already and she would not be responsible for any more of deaths.  Not after Bret…

“Right,” she said in clipped tones.  “We’ll rest here.”

Kid sat down on a fallen tree log, rubbing his calves.

“How’re you doing?”

“Foot’s still numb.  The rest of my leg’s pins and needles, but it’s fading.  You really should leave me and find the others.  Let them know-”

“Goddess,” Sara was exasperated with this boy.  “No wonder the Confederacy lost your war.  You were all too eager to sacrifice yourself for the greater good!”

“What?”  Kid did not have a clue what Sara was talking about.  The South is going to loose the war?

Sara continued as if she hadn’t heard him.  “You don’t win a war by giving your life for your beliefs.  You win wars by making your enemies give their lives for their beliefs.  Now get up, we have to get moving.”

As they continued walking, Kid noticed that Sara kept him where she could see him.  They were either side by side or he was a step ahead of her.  He could feel her watching him expertly out of the corner of her eye.

“Okay,” Kid exclaimed.  “Why are you watching me?”

Sara didn’t even try to deny it.  “Because I don’t trust you.”

Kid was flabbergasted.  He sputtered, “Why?”

“Because you haven’t been straight with me.”

“How?”

“Your name for one thing.”

“I told you my name.”

“ ‘Kid’ is not a name.  That may good enough for your friends, but not for me.  In my experience, people who go by nicknames have something to hide.  Nobody except an idiot or an alcoholic would name their child ‘Kid’.  When you come clean with me about that, I’ll consider trusting you.”

Kid was silent for a long time before answering.  He was so overwhelmed by her forcefulness he sputtered, “Jack.  Jack Brown.”  Before he knew what he was saying.  

“There.  That wasn’t so hard was it.” Sara then started walking again

You have no idea, Kid thought ruefully, before following.  Her forwardness and grit reminded him so much of Lou.  God damn it, stop thinking about her!  It’s perfectly clear who she wants, so why waste time on her.  So why can’t I stop thinking about her?

After a few minutes, Sara finally gave up.  It was too dark to see where they were going, so they decided to rest for the night.  When she was sure Kid was asleep, she pulled a small metal disc from her tunic.  Space Security Agents weren’t allowed to carry personal items on duty, but this was extra special.  She pushed a button on the bottom side and a holographic picture emerged on top.  It was she and Bret on her graduation from the Academy.  She was beaming proudly in her new uniform with his arm around her looking as stern as ever, with just a hint of a proud smile faintly tugging at the edges of his mouth.

“What’s that?” A now wide-awake Kid asks wonderingly.

Sara quickly shut the hologram off and stuffed it back into her tunic.  “Nothing you need to concern yourself with!”

Obviously this was a sensitive issue.  Before Kid could apologize they both heard an unnatural rustling.  They quickly drew their weapons and fanned out trying not to loose sight of each other.

“Exterminate.”

Sara instinctively rolled to her left as a bolt of energy irradiated the spot where she had been.  She tried to retaliate, but the Dalek wouldn’t give her the chance.  Before she could bring her gun to bear, it fired forcing her to get out of the way.  Right now only her training and instincts were keeping her alive.

Kid was desperately trying to help.  He tried to shoot the eye-stock thing but couldn’t see it in the dark.  All he could see were the light on the side of its dome, glowing as it chanted ‘Exterminate’.

Because of thee numbness in his foot, he couldn’t detect how close he was to a bluff.  Without warning, his foot slipped over the edge and he fell.  Rolling down the muddy slope, he landed in the cold water.  Kid sat up trying to regain his bearings.  He looked up to see he had only fallen about three feet.  

Attempting to climb back up the slippery slope with freezing hands, he looked up to find another Dalek glowering down at him with its malevolent mechanical eye.  It pointed its gunstick at the Kid and ground out,  “Do-not-move!”

Meanwhile, the Doctor, Buck and Lou had reunited with Steven, Jimmy and Cody.  Reunions were brief and grim.  Everybody settled down for the night to try and get some sleep.  They had a lot to plan, but first they had to get some sleep. Lou and Steven took the first watch.

Lou stared out into the blackness wondering where Kid was.  She fingered the bite wound on her neck.  Despite everything that had happened, she was still trying to take it all in.  But right now all she could think about was Kid, all alone in the dark.  With those creatures.  And that woman.  What they had had was good, why did he have to demand more?  She wasn’t ready to get married.  It was that simple.  So why had turning him down been so hard?

She was still tracing the scar left behind by the Dalek mutant, when Steven walked up to her.  “How are you doing?”

“Okay,” she said folding her arms across her chest.

“You worried about your friend?”  Her silence was answer enough.  “Well don’t worry.  Sara will look after him.”

That’s what worries me, Lou thought.

The next morning, everyone was awakened to the sound of Jimmy screaming.  Jimmy came flying through the bush and landed with a thud on the dead fire.  Hickok scrambled to his feet while everyone else got up, weapons at the ready.  When there was no immediate threat, they all exchanged glances.

A moment later, Sara came jogging out into the open.  Her hair was matted and face was smudged with grime, but her uniform was, as always, immaculate.  Jimmy was beginning to wonder if fabric in the future mended itself.

The Doctor and Steven greeted Sara enthusiastically.  “Ah, my dear. How good to see you again.”

“Where’s Kid,” Lou asked anxiously.

“I don’t know,” Sara said.  “We ran into a Dalek last night and got separated.”

“Well come on.  We got to find him.”

“Keep that up Lou and I’m gonna start to think you care.”  Kid came stumbling out of the woods from another direction.  It took all of Lou’s self-control to stop from crushing him in a grateful hug.  “I fell into the Platte River trying to flank that metal monster.”

“How’s your foot?” Sara inquired.

“What?” Kid said.  “Oh, fine.  Never better.”

“Well,” the Doctor announced.  “I don’t think we should stand around like this out in the open.  Let’s get back to Sweet Water and try to come up with a plan of attack.”

On their way back to Sweet Water, Steven took the Doctor aside.  “Any guesses as to how the Daleks got here before us.”

“I don’t think those are the Daleks that have been chasing us my boy.  I think they are a different squad.”

“No I thought not.  Mavic Chen hasn’t made an appearance yet.”  The traitorous Guardian of the Solar Systems ego was too big to go this long with out making his presence know.  Chen had betrayed Earth to the Daleks in his mad attempt for absolute power.  His plan had been to steal the Dalek’s Time Destructor at the time the Daleks seized complete control of the universe.  But the Doctor and his friends knew better.  When Chen’s usefulness expired, he would be exterminated.  “But that still doesn’t explain how this squad of Daleks got here ahead of us.”

“No it doesn’t my boy.  No it doesn’t.”

Back at Sweet Water, the riders quickly filled Teaspoon in on what had happened at Horse Creek.  Teaspoon couldn’t believe what they were saying, but had no choice.

“So what do we do?” Teaspoon demanded to know.

“At the moment,” the Doctor said.  “Nothing.  The Daleks will have gone undercover by now.”

“That’s it,” Jimmy sneered.  “Do nothing.”

“Precisely my boy,” the Doctor continued.  “The Daleks will make their presence known soon enough.”

Later that night, Lou was brushing down one of the horse in the barn when Kid entered.  “Lou, can we talk?”

“What about?” She said, trying to sound indifferent.

“I want to say I’m sorry.”

That got her attention.  “About what?”

“About what I said.  The way I’ve treated you.  I didn’t mean any of it.”

“Then why did you say it?!”

“I only said it so the boys would leave me alone, about Samantha.”  Seeing her stiffen at the mention of the ex-school teacher’s name, he added, “And she didn’t mean anything to me.”

A short pause followed.

“So what now?” Lou said.  “I’m supposed to forgive you and pick up where we left off.”

“No,” Kid said sadly, although he wished it were that easy.

“So why-”

“Because I want to be friends again,” he explained.  “We can’t go back to the way things were, but maybe we can make things better now.”

Lou didn’t know what to say.  She was too overwhelmed.  Ever since she and Kid had broken up, all she could think about was how to get back together.  Jimmy had been a good friend throughout her ordeal, but…well, he wasn’t Kid.  Realizing Kid was waiting for a reply, she decided to be honest.

“Kid, I don’t know.”

“Lou,” he said gently.  “I don’t expect an answer right now.  I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

Without another word, he her kissed lightly on the forehead.  Lou quivered slightly at the contact as a wave of conflicting emotions washed over her.  Fear, longing, need and apprehension all churned inside her.  The moment was interrupted with the dinner bell ringing.

“Supper’s ready,” Kid said softly.

“Then we better go,” Lou said equally soft.

Early the next morning, Jimmy was in a bad mood.  Of course whenever Jimmy was in a good mood was a mystery.  He was going through his early morning ritual of cleaning his guns.  He needed something normal to do, to counteract the previous day. Yesterday had seemed like a bad dream, but one look at his fellow riders confirmed it was no dream.  Noah was still in shock.  Kid was more withdrawn and distant than usual.  Buck could be found praying to gods he had stopped believing in long ago.  Cody was furiously doing his chores, which was odd onto itself.  Lou was asleep but was absently touching the purplish bruise left behind by the blob.  

That and there were these strangers.  Jimmy still didn’t know what to make of them.  The old man known as the Doctor and Steven had gone back to something called a TARDIS to collect some equipment.  Sara had wanted to come but the old man had told here to stay here and keep an eye on things.

Jimmy looked up and saw Lou get out of bed and walk to the door.  This in itself wasn’t odd.  But the fact that she was walking out wearing nothing but her longjohns, was definitely strange.

“Hey Lou,” Jimmy called.  When she didn’t respond he intercepted her.  “Hey Lou, where’re you going?”

Lou had a vacant look on her face and was mumbling something that sounded like, “Recall.  Recall to time ship.  All units recall to time ship.”

She tried to walk past him, but Jimmy grabbed her arms and forced her to look at him.  Shaking her, he shouted, “Lou snap out of it!”

Lou struggled to free herself.  In the struggle, she grabbed his pistol.  Jimmy tried to wrest it from her grasp.  The gun went of and Jimmy felt a tearing pain go straight through his leg.  Jimmy screamed in pain but wouldn’t let go.  The look on Lou’s face confirmed that she’d finish the job given the chance.

The shot brought others running.  Kid wrapped his arms around Lou from behind, pinning her arms to her side. He wrestled furiously trying not to hurt her, but she obviously had no qualms about hurting him. The gun went off a second time, this time nicking Kid’s boot.

“Hold her steady,” Sara ordered.

“What do you think I’m trying to do,” Kid ground out.

Sara let loose a blinding blow across Lou’s face and the young woman went slack in Kid’s arms.  Kid scooped her up and carried her back to the bunkhouse.  Cody helped Jimmy to his feet and followed them.  The Doctor and Steven arrived as Kid was placing her gently on his bunk.  Louise had since opened her eyes and stared sightlessly at the ceiling.

“What happened?” The Doctor demanded. After they had finished telling him, the Doctor sat down next to her on the bunk.  “Louise,” he said in a soothing voice.  “Louise, look at me.”  Lou’s eyes turned toward him.  He held up his hand with the large blue ring on it.  “See this ring.  Keep your eyes on this ring.  When I count to three, you will fall into a deep sleep.  One.  Two.  Three.”

The Doctor waved his hand in front of her as he spoke.  Lou’s eyes followed its movements ever time it passed over.  At the sound of ‘three’, Lou’s head dropped limply across her pillow.  The Doctor continued.  “Can you hear me, Louise?”

“Yes.”  He voice was sleepy and distant.  The others had to strain to hear what she was saying.

“Now, can you tell me why you saw fit to shoot Mr. Hickok?”

“He was trying to interfere with my orders.”

“What orders were those, my dear?”

“Recall.  All units recall.”

“Who gave you these orders?”

“The Dalek Commander.”

The Doctor was momentarily stunned.  Kid began to ask a question, but the Doctor shushed.  “Where were you to recall too?”

“To the time ship.”

“Where is the Dalek time ship?”

Lou struggled to answer.  “I…I don’t…I don’t know.”

“Can you give me a geographic location?”

More confidently, she said, “One hundred and fourteen degrees north, thirty-eight degrees east.”

“Steven,” the Doctor said quickly.  “Give me that chrono-displacement detector I handed to you.”

Steven handed the Doctor an anhk shaped device with buttons and a small screen.  The Doctor punched a few buttons and it began to make a slow beeping sound.  Pointing it in a certain direction, the beeping got higher and faster until it became a high pitched whine.  It was so unbearably loud; everyone in the bunkhouse covered his or her ears in a vain attempt to block it out.

“What’s in that direction?” the Doctor demanded.

“Uh, Medicine Bluff,” Cody said.

“That’s where we need to go.”  With a burst of energy, the Doctor was on his feet and out the door.  As the others began to follow, the Doctor suddenly stopped and turned his attention back to the crowd.  “One of us should stay here.  Just in case.”  The Doctor pointed to the Kid.  “You young man.”

Kid looked like he was going to protest but changed his mind.  “Alright.”

“Doctor,” Steven spoke up.  “What is going on?”

The Doctor sighed impatiently.  “I believe this device of mine has detected the Daleks time ship.  Oh do try to keep up, young man.”

He turned to leave again, but Steven caught his arm.  “Now hold on, Doctor.  Just what are you planning to do?  We can’t just charge in there.  You of all people know that.”

“Steven’s right, Doctor,” Sara offered.

“Yeah,” Cody said, not wanting to be left out.  “Just let me an Buck patch up Jimmy and we’ll come with you.  I’m itching for a rematch.”

“And what about Lou?” Kid protested.  “You can’t leave her in that state.”

The Doctor, seeing he wasn’t going to win this argument, let out an irritated breath.  “Oh, very well.  But let’s be to long.”

The first thing he did was put Lou to sleep.  “She’ll rest now,” he said reassuringly.  Then turned back to everyone else and said in a stern voice, in fact he almost shouted, “Well, hurry up.  At the rate you’re going the Daleks could attack us at any minute.”

“Hold on a minute,” Jimmy said.  “Are going to explain why she shot me or not?”

The Doctor explained quickly, as if talking to a grade school science student.  “When the Dalek mutant attacked Miss McCloud it left some of its genetic material within her.  Dalek DNA is exremely aggressive.  It overrode her own autonomic functions, temporarily taking her over.”

Jimmy stared blankly at the old man.  He was none the wiser from the Doctor’s explanation, but couldn’t think of anything to say so he kept quiet.

“Will she be okay,” Kid asked worriedly.

“Yes, yes, my boy.  Now that she’s asleep, her natural immune system will eliminate the Dalek cells.”

A good twenty minutes later, Jimmy’s wound had been tended and they had stocked up on ammunition.  The Doctor, his companions, Cody and Buck were on their way to Medicine Bluff.

They rode for an hour before the terrain became to rough for the horse and they continued on foot.  Something for which the Doctor was grateful for, because riding a horse at his age did murder on his back.  Buck stayed with the horses while Cody joined the Doctor and his companions.  Cody was surprised at how well the Doctor was able to move through the forest with stealth-like ease despite apparent age.

The woods abruptly ended on a slope that led down to a flat open field.  In the center of the clearing was a small silver cylindrical building, about the size of two outhouses pushed together.  The Doctor nodded grimly.  “The Dalek time machine.”

Everybody stood at the edge of the forest for a long while just staring at the anachronistic machine.

“Well,” Cody said.  “Are we gonna stand here all day or what?”

As he moved forward, bolts of energy flashed pass them and irradiated the ground in front of Cody’s foot.  They looked up and saw a Dalek advancing on them.  “Exterminate.”

“Run,” the Doctor ordered.

The Doctor and his friends ran back the way they came, with the Dalek in hot pursuit.  The tin tyrant continued firing at the retreating humans.  Fortunately the dense forest offered timely cover.  Innocent trees and bushes were usually the victims of the lethal blasts.

Suddenly Steven had an idea.  Taking an end of Cody’s rope he hid behind one tree while Cody hid behind the other.  When the Dalek was close enough, Steven and Cody pulled.  The rope snapped up and stopped the Dalek cold.  With all their strength they slingshot the Dalek over a nearby cliff.  The tin tyrant tumbled over the edge and exploded on contact with the rocky ground.

Cody whooped with joy, but Steven was much more pessimistic.  “Let’s get out of here.”

Buck saw Cody, Steven, Sara and the Doctor running as fast as they could in his direction.  “What’s up?”

“No time for questions, Buck,” Cody said breathlessly.  “Just hop up on yer hoss and make tracks for the station.”

“They were expecting us,” Sara railed.

“How did they know we were coming?” Steven growled.

“I don’t know,” the Doctor said sharply.  “But I have some very nasty suspicions.  We must get back to the homestead, immediately.”

Back at the station, Lou was coming out of her trance-induced sleep.  She yawned, got up and stretched.  Lou could not remember the last time she had slept so well.  She felt like she had been asleep for a month.  Leaving the bunkhouse, Lou saw Jimmy sitting on the porch with a bandaged leg.  She asked how it had happened.

Jimmy gave her an odd look before saying,  “Was cleaning my guns.  It went off by accident.”

Lou didn’t believe that.  Jimmy cleaned his guns all the time and he never once shot himself.  She could tell he was keeping something from her, but she didn’t feeling like pressing him.  Instead she wanted to talk to Kid.  “You seen Kid anywhere?”

“You and him been awfully friendly lately.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

“Oh, nothing.”  Jimmy smiled.  It looked like no one was going to win the new pool.  “He’s in the barn.”

The first place she looked was Katy’s stall, and was surprised to not find him there.  Then she could clearly hear Kid talking to someone, but she hadn’t seen any strange horses in the yard.  And Jimmy would have said maybe something or someone had come to the station.  She found Kid in one of the empty stall, apparently talking to himself.  She stared at him incredulously for a moment before he turned to look at her.  Lou took a wary step back when she saw the look in his eyes.  They were empty, cold, malicious and… alien.  

“Kid,” she said cautiously.  “What’s wrong?”

She could hear a faint voice say, “The female knows.  Exterminate her.”

“I obey,” Kid said flatly.  It was not Kid’s voice.  It was grating and metallic.  The voice of a Dalek.

Lou tried to get away but Kid was too quick.  He grabbed her then wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed.  Lou struggled as she gasped desperately for air.  Clawing at his grip she looked pleadingly into Kid’s eyes trying to find some reason why he was doing this, but all she saw in return was a cold, grim stare focusing, determinedly on his task.  Realizing Kid wasn’t going to stop, she brought her knee up hard between his legs.  That got him to let go.  Lou gulped in much needed air and got out of the barn as fast as she could.

When Jimmy had seen Lou run out of the barn, at first he had thought that she and Kid had another fight.  But when he saw her face, she wasn’t crying, she was terrified.  Then he saw Kid.  He walked quickly after her, his movements were brusque and determined.  Then he saw the look on Kid’s face and that was when his defenses went up instinctively.  In his life he had seen that look before and it was usually on someone trying to make a name for himself as the man who killed Wild Bill Hickok.

Jimmy met Lou halfway, his hand instinctively going to his gun.  “Lou, what’s-”

“Jimmy,” she yelled desperately.  “Shoot him!”

“What!”

“That’s not Kid!”

Confused Jimmy pulled his gun and pointed it limply at his friend.  He didn’t know what was going on, but he wanted to find out.  Before he could ask, Kid slapped the gun out of his hand and punched him hard in the face.  Jimmy was totally unprepared for the blow and went down.  Kid pulled Jimmy up and before Lou’s astonished eyes lifted him off the ground with one hand.  Lou tried to intervene, but Kid viciously backhanded her to the ground.  Whatever doubts Lou had had, were now confirmed.  This wasn’t Kid.  No matter how angry of frustrated Kid had gotten with her; he had never hit her.

The thing that looked like Kid threw Jimmy against the bunkhouse wall.  Jimmy hit the wall so hard; he left his impression on the paneling.  The gunfighter slid to the ground and landed on his wounded leg.  Before he could even think of a counter-attack, ‘Kid’ was all over him.  He kicked Jimmy in the gut, then delivered a devastating uppercut.  Jimmy landed, stunned and winded on his back.  After getting a few more punches in his face, ‘Kid’ knelt on Hickok’s chest then wrapped his hands around Jimmy’s throat and squeezed.

Jimmy struggled to fight for air, but ‘Kid’ him pinned and was pressing his thumbs against his Adam’s apple.  Jimmy’s vision began to blur.  Everything was going gray.  Then it began to turn black.

When Jimmy’s body went slack, Lou was snapped out of her shock.  She saw Kid stand up and step away from his body.  There was no sign of shock of what he’d done.  No regrets.  No despair.  Just the grim look of a job well done.  Then the fake ‘Kid’ turned its attention back to Lou.

Lou looked around desperately for something to defend herself with.  She saw Jimmy’s discarded gun.  She crawled as fast as she could to it and scooped it up.  Pointing it at ‘Kid’, she said in a shaky voice, “Keep back.”

At first it paid no attention to the gun.  Then he stopped.  He began to shake and his face scrunched up in pain.  Shutting his eyes, he clasped his hands on both sides of his head, as if trying to keep out some terrible noise. Temporarily loosing his balance, he took an unsteady step back.

“Kill me,” Kid ground out through clenched teeth.

“Kid,” Lou said desperately.  “What’s wrong?”

“Did… sssomething to… me.”

“Who?”

“The Daleks!… Can’t fight it… much longer… please… kill me.”

 “I can’t,” Lou sobbed. The idea was unthinkable.

“YYYYou… have to… Pllllease… if you ever loved me… KILL ME!”  Kid face twisted back into a mask of hate filled rage.  His voice changed back to the heartless reverberation of the metal monsters as he growled, “EX-TER-MIN-ATE.”

As Kid lunged for her, Lou shut her eyes squeezed the trigger.  She fired over and over until she had used up all six shots.  Lou tentatively opened her eyes.  Lying prostate on the ground, unmoving, was the Kid’s bullet ridden body.  Not far from him was Jimmy, equally still.  This isn’t happening, Lou screamed internally shaking her head.  But Kid’s unmoving body was cruel proof of what she’d done.  Eyes bursting with tears, she sank to her knees, buried her face in her hands and cried uncontrollably.

Hearing the shots coming from the station, the Dalek hunting party hurried their pace to get back and find out what happened.  What they found when they got there was the last thing Cody and Buck had expected to find - Lou on her knees balling loudly.  Jimmy and Kid lying unnaturally still on the ground.

Everybody split up to check on each individual.  Cody and Steven went to check on Jimmy; the Doctor and Sara went to Kid; and Buck made a beeline for Lou.  When he reached her he tried to comfort her but all she did was scream mournfully and pull away.  Jimmy began to cough when Steven bent over to examine him.  The Doctor and Sara simply looked at Kid’s body.

“Miss McCloud,” the Doctor called.  “You might want to take a look at this.”

Buck was shocked at the old man’s callousness.  He wasn’t sure what had happened, but it was pretty clear Kid was dead and she may very well have been the one who pulled the trigger.  Whatever could have made her do that he couldn’t imagine.  But no matter what had been going on between the two of them it was obvious that she still loved him.

“God damn it,” Buck swore.  “Give her a minute.”

“Unless human beings in this time frame bleed white blood,” the Doctor continued, as if not hearing Buck’s out burst.  “I would say this isn’t the Kid.”

This statement got everyone’s attention.  Buck helped Lou to her feet and walked over to where Kid’s body was.  Cody and Steven helped Jimmy up and joined them.  Whatever Lou killed, it wasn’t Kid.  The thing that had been Kid, had a white spongy substance oozing out of his eyes, nose, mouth and the bullet wounds.  It was also shrinking like a water bag having the water drained out if.  The Doctor prodded it with his walking stick and more of the substance poured out of his orifices.  Cody reached out and touched it, but pulled his hand back as soon as it came into contact with the white goo.

“Yuck,” Cody exclaimed, wiping the goo off on his pant leg.

Lou’s mouth worked soundlessly, trying to form a question about what this was.

“A Dalek duplicate,” Sara said in a grim, matter of fact tone.

“Yes,” the Doctor concurred.  He had encountered something like this on Mechanus.  The Daleks had made a robot copy of him and sent it out to infiltrate and kill his companions.  Fortunately Vicki, who had stowed away on the Dalek time ship, knew about it and warned him and the others.  After a few close calls, the Doctor had managed to deactivate it.  But this copy looked more organic then mechanical.  Obviously the Daleks had switched from robotics to cloning.  Sara was already explaining this.

“Duplicates are Dalek infiltration weapons.  They capture someone they can use from the enemy’s side, scan his mind for memories and a brain print.  Grow a copy of him that is unquestionable loyal to him and implant the subject’s memories in its mind.  Then they send it back to collect information and spread dissention.”

“So what happens to the original?”  Lou asked worriedly.

“They are usually killed during the brain scan.  I understand it’s quite painful.  The Daleks’ have little use for prisoners.”

“So Kid is probably dead,” Lou’s voice was dangerously quietly.

“More than likely.”

Later that night, the Doctor was walking around the station going over the information at hand.  As he past the barn, he could hear crying.  The type of gut wrenching sobs you only read about in cheesy romance novels.  The elderly eccentric went inside and looked around.  He followed the sobs to the stall occupied by the nameless boy’s horse.

Inside he found the girl, Louise, sitting on a hay bail, hunched over with one hand covering her face.  Hearing the Doctor come in Lou’s head snapped up, revealing her tear streaked face.  The Doctor smiled benevolently and sat down next to her.  He pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to her.  Lou wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

They sat like that in silence for a moment before the Doctor spoke up.  “I understand you and the young man were more than just friends.”

Lou sniffed.  “That ended weeks ago.”

“Hmm,” the Doctor tutted.  “Strong feelings such as yours don’t just end, my dear.”

Lou could feel a second wave of tears building.  “Does it ever stop?”

“Not entirely.  Love isn’t known for being logical and accommodating.  I should know.  I’ve been where you are, more often than a man my age should be.”

Lou looked at the old man in surprise.  “I wasn’t always a silly old man, young lady.”

The girl laughed in spite of herself.  “I just don’t know how I let that thing fool me.”

“It fooled us all, my dear.”

“But the way it acted.  The way it moved.  The things it said.”

But Lou was thinking about their conversation in the barn after they got back from Horse Creek.  She’d hoped and waited for Kid to say something like that since they broke up.  But it had all been a lie.  Like their whole relationship.  The Doctor intruded on her brooding.

“In a way, it was Kid.  If what Sara is saying is true, then the Daleks effectively recreated him in their image.  He had Kid’s memories.  His experiences.  His feelings.”

“But they twisted it.  Made something that was halfway decent and made it no different than anything else in this rotten world.”

“Oh, I think that’s a bit harsh.  You’ve never seen it at its best.  But you are right about the Daleks.  All they’re capable of is evil.  An evil that must be fought.”  He gave Lou a reassuring smile.  “Come along my dear.  Best get some sleep.  Busy day tomorrow.”

The Doctor pulled himself to his feet and offered his hand to her.  Lou smiled in spite of herself and took his hand.  The Doctor put a comforting arm around her and led her back to the bunkhouse.

Early the next morning, everybody stood on at the edge of the clearing overlooking the Dalek time ship.  The enemy time vessel was still there, strikingly visible against the natural surroundings.  The Doctor was observing it through a pair of modified opera glasses.  When he was positive of no movement, he turned to the others.

“Right. Everything seems quiet.  Steven you come with me.  Everybody else wait here.”

There was an uproar of objections, but the Doctor shushed them.  “We do not have time to debate this!  The fewer people who go in the safer it will be.  Now myself and Steven are going.  The rest of you - WAIT HERE!”  So authoritative and final was the Doctor’s statement, no one offered any more objections when the Doctor and Steven set off toward the Daleks’ time machine.

When they were a few feet away from the time machine, a Dalek emerged from behind the capsule.  “Stay-were-you-are.  You-are-my-prisoner.”

The Doctor and Steven surrendered peacefully and allowed the metal monster to lead them inside.  They are lead to a holding cell where the Dalek informs them, “You-will-stay-here-until-the-commander-returns.”  The door shut abruptly after the Dalek rolled out.

Suddenly, there was a moaning sound from the back of the cell.  Steven and the Doctor turned around and saw the Kid.  Thinner and in need of a shave, but very much alive.  When the Doctor knelt to examine him closer, he saw two round burn mark on the side of his head.  Kid groaned and slowly came around.

“Take it steadily, my boy,” the Doctor said gently, helping him to his feet.  “How are you feeling?”

“O…okay…I think,” Kid groaned clutching the sides of his head.  “I feels like somebody dragged a pitchfork through my head.”

“Yes,” the Doctor mused.  “No doubt the after effects of the Dalek brain scan.  What is the last thing you remember?”

“Uh.”  The room was spinning for a moment.  When Kid finally steadied himself he mumbled, “They…they caught me after me and Sara split up.  I was brought here and they strapped me to some table.  After that all I can remember is my skull splitting pain.”

“What I can’t figure is why they haven’t killed us yet?”

“Daleks are a highly structured civilization,” the Doctor explained.  “The Daleks we’ve been dealing with are a drones and battle Daleks, not engineered to make their own decisions.  Just obey orders.  I imagine they just didn’t know what to do with you when you survived the scan, so they just locked you away until they see if they can find another use for you.

“Myself and Steven on the other hand are an executive problem.  We know where the taranium core is, so they can’t afford to exterminate us.  Not until they have confered with the Dalek Commander.”

“That’s comforting,” Steven groused.  “So what now?  Wait around to be interrogated?”

“Certainly not, Steven,” the Doctor said, rummaging through his coat pockets.  “I have been interrogated by Daleks before and I have no intention going through it again.  Ah-ha,” he cried triumphantly, pulling a comb from his left-hand pocket.

“A comb,” Kid said.  “How’s that suppose to help us?”

“These doors as magnetically sealed,” the Doctor explained.

“I see,” Steven cut in.  “And if we can squeeze something non-conductive in between them-”

“Exactly my boy.”

The Doctor and Steven began to examine the door, looking for the locking clamp.  They found on the floor.  It looked like a metal square bolted to the steel barrier.  The Doctor jammed the plastic comb under the door, and it whooshed upwards.  Steven and Kid looked around outside to make sure the coast was clear.  The prisoners stepped out into the hallway and set off for the control room.

As they neared a corner, a Dalek came around to face them.

“Halt,” it cried.

The Doctor and his friends turned and fled in the opposite direction, only to be met with another Dalek coming at them, from the way they’d come.

The prisoners stopped and raised their hands.  When the Daleks were close enough, Steven and the Kid sprang into action.  Each of them grabbed a Dalek by their plunger-arm and gun stick and wrestled to get it under control.  Steven, the healthier of the two, managed to jam the Dalek’s gun up and pinned it against the wall. Kid was fighting gamely, but the two days without food and the effects of the Dalek’s torture had taken their toll.  He was loosing this battle.  “Under-attack,” the Daleks chanted, trying to throw the humans off.  They began firing wildly in a desperate attempt to kill their attackers.  Despite Kid’s best efforts, the Dalek was able to draw a bead on the hapless astronaut.

The Doctor, who had been watching from the sidelines, saw the movement.  “Steven, look out!”

Steven rolled to the side as the Dalek fired.  Instead, the lethal energy hit the other Dalek, blowing its top off with a shower of sparks.  Where once there was a gleaming metal dome, was now a green blob waving its tentacles ineffectively.  Nutrients and other liquids poured out of the base on to the smooth flat floors.

The other Dalek finally managed to shake Kid off.  Kid hit the wall and slid to the floor.  He looked up to see the Dalek point its weapon at him, screaming, “EXTERMINATE!”

Suddenly, the Dalek exploded.  Kid was showered with bits of the Dalek’s casing and probably the Dalek creature itself.  The astonished you man looked up to see Steven through the smoking haze, holding a Dalek gun.

Steven and the Doctor helped Kid to his feet.  “Are you all right young man?”  Kid answered with a nod.  “Then lets get a move on!  We still have much to do.”

The three escaped prisoners made their way back to the control room.  Once there, the Doctor adjusted some of the controls on the console.  Kid and Steven tried to ask what he was doing, but he just shushed them irritably.  When he was finally finished, he stepped back from the console proudly.

“Well that should just about do it.”  Turning back to Steven and Kid he said, “I think it is time we left.”

“Doctor,” Steven said.  “What did you do?”

“I’ll explain later.”
 

Back at camp, people were starting to get restless.  Jimmy and Lou were ready to storm the ship.  Sara was trying to be diplomatic about it, but the weren’t making it easy.  Finally Lou tried to push her way past the SSS agent.  She wasn’t sure what happened next, but the next thing she remembered clearly was she was lying on the ground and her whole body hurt.  The other riders looked warily at the woman from the future and took a step back.

Suddenly, Cody saw three people running from the machine.  The first two were the Doctor and Steven.  The third took a little longer to recognize.  When he was close enough, Cody’s eyes bulged with shock.  Despite the whiskers and gaunt features, it was clearly the Kid.  The flamboyant rider cried out and pointed in the direction of the escapees.  

Jimmy helped Lou up so she could see the fugitives.  Her jaw dropped.  It was impossible.  He was dead.  They all said so.  When he was close enough, she threw her arm around Kid and hugged him tightly.  Kid was too tired to notice.  He simply hugged whoever it was holding him up.

Everybody badgered the Doctor with questions until he finally managed to shush them authoritatively.  “Just watch.”

The old man pointed a frail-looking finger down to where the Dalek time ship was standing.  Four more Daleks, with the red Commander Dalek in the lead, appeared out of the foliage and entered the time machine single file.  As soon as they were all inside, the machine made the familiar whining noise of take off.  Then something strange began to happen.  Instead of fading away slowly, the machine began to shudder and shake violently.  In an awesome sight, the time machine exploded into a pillar of light.  The beam stretched all the way up and past the heavens, then plunged back to the earth and disappeared.  All that remained of the Dalek time machine was a vague circular scorch mark in the grass.

The riders and the Doctor’s companions stared dumbly at what they had just seen happen, their senses unable to comprehend what they had just seen.  It was Steven, who had traveled with the Doctor the longest and was therefor the most experienced in dealing with the Doctor, who finally managed to make his voice work.

“What happened?”

“I caused a temporal feedback loop, where the Dalek time ship was forced to exist in the same space at the same time.  The end result: it destroyed itself.”  At there blank looks, he said, “I made it go boom.”

“Well,” Steven said.  “At least we won’t have to worry about the Daleks for a while.”

“I’m afraid that’s not true,” the Doctor said sadly.  “Those weren’t the Daleks that have been following us.  These Daleks were sent ahead of us.  The Daleks planted a homing device on the TARDIS back on Kembel.  That’s how they were able to predict we would land here and send an advance team to head us off.”

“So what should we do?”

“First we get back to the TARDIS and take care of that homing beacon.  Then we leave before that other Dalek Taskforce arrives.  I also sent a feedback pulse back to Kembel.  I fear the Dalek Supreme is in for a shock.”

Planet Kembel, 4000AD

In the control room, the Dalek monitoring the time ship announced, “Chronon-energy- surge-detected.” Just before the equipment exploded, taking the Dalek with it.

The Dalek Supreme ordered, “Send-message-to-pursuit-ship.  Intercept-craft-destroyed.  Pursue-and-capture.  The-taranium-core-must-be-recovered.  Nothing-must-interfere-with-the-destiny-of-the-Daleks!!!”