EXTERMINATE!

“EXTERMINATE!”

The cries echoed around empty streets. All the humans had been captured, or, in the worst cases, killed. At the head of the dalek invasion had been one referred to only as ‘the Supreme’.

The Supreme was different. Its casing was red, and adorned with gold half-domes. It had the standard dalek ‘sink plunger’ and gunstick.

An unearthly scream tore across the near-silence. This was followed by a thud, as a human body hit the concrete pavement hard.

“TAKE CAPTURED HUMANS TO THE VAULT!” the Supreme ordered.

“WE OBEY!” came the dalek replies.

All the humans were taken away to the dalek Crucible; their main spaceship. They were placed in a large room. There were sliding doors in all four walls. They glided open, admitting two or three daleks from each door. Ten stood around the perimeter of the room.

“What do you want us for?!” one human cried. An unearthly scream.

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“DISPOSE OF THE BODY. INCINERATE IT.”

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">As one dalek left, dragging the body behind it, another entered, to take its place.

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“YOU ARE ALL PRISONERS OF THE DALEKS. YOU WILL OBEY DALEK ORDERS. YOU WILL NOT QUESTION OUR AUTHORITY.”

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“Why!?” shouted another (living) person. “Why should we?”

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">This was followed by another heart-rending cry. The body was left on the floor, a lesson, a reminder, for the others.

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">Suddenly, the Supreme’s domed head swivelled to face me. It is facing me now.

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“N-n-nothing,” I stammer fearfully.

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“YOU ARE WRITING. RECORDS OF THIS MAY NOT SPREAD! EXTERMINATE!”

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">I’m terrified. I’m throwing this manuscript away now. As I do it, I hear the word:

<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Estrangelo Edessa'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">“EXTERMINATE!”