Post by Fitz Kreiner on Jan 30, 2010 1:40:37 GMT
17
To Live Is To Die.
To Live Is To Die.
The Cyber leader turned round from a silent communication with another Cyberman and strode across the control dome to another Cyberman.
“There are still humans at liberty in the base,” it said. “A search must be conducted.”
“Understood,” the Cyberman said, bowing a nod in reply before turning and walking from the dome.
Ulrich looked up from where he was sat. There was someone free in the base somewhere. There was only one person he could think of; Anneke van Weesenbeek, unless some other crewmen had managed to give the Cybermen the slip. Maybe there was a slim sliver of hope after all.
*
The science lab was silent as the Doctor and Wolfe worked together under the close scrutiny of the Cyberman. Its unreadable gaze covered several more spectrums than normal human vision, and it watched the process as it progressed. It was progressing faster than either human had accounted for. The presence of the male human calling himself the Doctor had sped up the progress.
The Cyberman was aware that there was something different about this human. He had been present throughout some important moments in Cyber history and had gained a vast knowledge of the Cyber race. This knowledge would become clear as soon as the work was complete and the human would be subjected to mind analysis and then converted.
A shower of sparks from the T-Mat cubicle caused the Cyberman to step forwards towards the two working humans.
“What has happened?” it asked, its electronic voice droning in the otherwise quiet of the labs.
“The reinstatement coils have fused to the spark eruption maker,” the Doctor said flatly, his glazed eyes falling on the Cyberman. “The fizzing fuse stopped fizzing temporarily.”
The Cyberman stepped forwards, looking from Wolfe to the Doctor. The female was staring at the Doctor, a human expression on her face that was unknown.
“I do not understand your words,” the Cyberman said.
The Doctor stepped back, holding a cable for support and pointed to where he had been working. “See, there,” he said.
The Cyberman looked from the Doctor to Wolfe. Both had the same energy wave emanating from them; Wolfe’s coming from the chip embedded in her cerebral cortex, the Doctor’s coming from the skull cap he still wore. Reaching to its chest unit, the Cyberman touched a control; the cap was still working at peak proficiency, controlling him.
Stepping forwards, the Cyberman moved towards the cubicle and looked at the section the Doctor was pointing at. An eruption of sparks and a bright flash exploded right into the Cyberman’s eyes, stepping back as the Cyberman reacted, the Doctor pulled at the cable he was holding and thrust it into the Cyberman’s chest unit. The high electrical current in the cable shorted the delicate mechanisms in the creatures’ chest unit, causing massive jolts to shoot through the Cyberman’s limbs. Flailing and thrashing, the Cyberman staggered back, a distorted electronic warbling coming from it as its chest unit sparked and sizzled, sections of it exploding out in small eruptions as thick and noxious smelling grey foam oozed out of the small grille at the front.
Wolfe watched as the Doctor thrust the power cable into the Cyberman’s chest. That type of insurgence could not be tolerated. She had concealed within her clothing a Cyber gun, and knowing what she had to do, withdrew it and stepped towards the Doctor. Either his programming had gone wrong or it had failed. Either way, his potential resistance to their cause would have to be eliminated.
The Doctor turned to see Wolfe advancing towards him, a Cyber gun pointed in his direction. Quickly, he sidestepped and spun as he stepped round the scientist, his arm reaching out swiftly and his long fingers grasping a pressure point on her throat. Wolfe’s eyes fluttered up into her head as she lost consciousness, and reaching out, he caught her as she fell and gently lowered her to the floor away from the mess of the now ruined T-Mat cubicle.
Straightening up, the Doctor tore the skull cap away from his head, and after turning it over in his hands for a brief examination, popped it into one of his many pockets.
“I don’t think you’ll be making your T-Mat tests as planned,” he muttered quietly as he looked at his handiwork on the cubicle before reaching up and removing a part and pocketing it. Glancing at Wolfe, he picked up the Cyber gun and taking a quick look around, slipped it into one of the drawers on a nearby desk. “Just for safety reasons though,” he smiled.
Looking round the lab, the Doctor walked round the desks and headed towards Professor Wolfe’s office. He’d seen a hidden door close in the corner when he’d first arrived in the science lab. It could mean only one thing; the Cybermen’s hidden passage. He could only assume that the shadowy figures he’d seen briefly were Tom and Christina, they’d found it and were heading to the Cybermen’s ship.
He took a step back and looked at the seemingly blank wall. There were no visible seams or anything that looked like a control that would open it. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aiming it at the wall operated it. The high pitched hum filled the room, but the wall remained closed. Frowning slightly, he twisted the dial that changed setting and tried again. The wall remained obstinately closed. The Doctor took another step back and thoughtfully tapped the head of the sonic screwdriver against his pursed lips as he thought.
He could always hack into Wolfe’s computer. It was likely that there would be some information there that he might find useful. Or would there? He remembered that Patrck’s men had done something similar and found nothing. But then, they didn’t know what to look for. He could try that. No, if someone came into the lab and saw him sat at the computer, Wolfe unconscious and the Cyberman dead then his cover would be blown. If he could get back into the dome, he might be able to get access to the base computer network and hack into Wolfe’s computer. That way, if the Cyberman and Wolfe were uncovered, he could always claim an alibi of being in the dome. The Cybermen must have known by now that Tom and Christina were at liberty, but not that they’d found the passage, otherwise they’d have been in the lab ages ago. Yes, that was it.
Getting to his feet, the Doctor fished in his pocket for the skull cap as he headed to the door. Positioning it carefully, he glanced around the room. The T-Mat cubical stood silent and unattended, the Cyberman and Wolfe’s unconscious body, thankfully, hidden from sight. It was risky, but he had to find out, plus the Cyber leader was in the dome, any information from the ship would go to him, and it would be better if he were there to discern what was happening. Pulling himself up to full height and allowing his eyes to glaze over again, the Doctor walked stiffly from the room and back to the dome.
*
“They’ve got the what?” Anneke asked in a hushed whisper.
“The TARDIS,” Tom replied. “It’s, well, it’s what we arrived in. On the moon that is.”
Anneke carefully rounded Tom to peer through the open doorway. The sight inside was like nothing she had ever seen before; the bridge of an alien spacecraft, but perhaps even more amazing was the presence of a blue wooden box in the middle of the room. There were three Cybermen in the room, one stood before a large bank of instruments and screens, and the other were paying careful attention to the wooden box. It was when the one with its back to her turned round she realised it wasn’t a full Cyberman and she realised with horror that she was staring at someone who had undergone conversion, someone she recognised from the base; Phil Johnson. He’d gone missing only the other day. She flung herself back from the door and into cover.
“What shall we do?” Christina asked.
“There’re only two of them in there,” Tom started.
“Three,” Anneke corrected him.
Tom glanced round the door to double check. “nuts,” he muttered leaning back. “Well, we’re outgunned three to one. But we do have surprise on our side.”
“One of them is Phil,” Anneke said, getting a blank look in reply from Tom. “Phil Johnson, he’s a friend. Can’t we help him?”
Tom edged passed her and took another glance, pulling back sharply. There was a great sadness behind his eyes and Anneke knew the answer before he even opened his mouth.
“He’s too far gone,” Tom replied. “He’s no longer Pete, he’s a Cyberman. He’s in the final stages of conversion. I’d be surprised if there’s any more than what remains of his face recognisable as human.”
Closing his eyes, Tom took a series of deep breaths, in and out as he hefted the Cyber gun in his right hand, poising himself for action.
“Stay here,” he hissed.
Before either Christina or Anneke could comment or argue, Tom burst from where he was stood and into the central chamber of the Cyber ship. The rattling sound of the Cyber gun seemed dimmed, even if it was only a few yards away, but the electronic howls of the Cybermen were louder. Almost as suddenly as it had started, the sound of the fire-fight stopped.
Carefully Anneke and Christina stepped forward from where they were pressed against the wall and cautiously looked through the doorway into the central chamber. Tom was stood in between the three fallen Cybermen, faint wisps of smoke coming from the end of the gun he held, he face a grim picture.
Crouching down by the partly converted Cyberman, Christina turned over the creature’s body over to look at its face. Johnson’s eyes had been removed and replaced with electronic sensors that dug into the skull through the flesh. What was left of the flesh on the face was stretched taught and had a deathly pallor. The easiest distinguishing mark as to who he was, the trio of moles forming a triangle on his left cheek, were still visible, an electronic probe embedded in the flesh in the middle of them, a thin wire running from it to the skull cap.
Vivid scars and wires ran from the face and down the neck, which was covered by a silvery white cloth which disappeared inside the strange metallic covering of the body. The same bandage material covered other parts of the body, with wires, pipes and metal tubes emerging. The sight was totally unpleasant and there was a mixture of clinical, antiseptic and decaying smells coming from the body.
Christina was aware of somebody stood behind her and turned round as she stood up. Anneke was standing looking down at Johnson’s body, her eyes wetting with tears.
“I’m sorry, Anneke,” she said, putting her hand on her shoulder.
“It’s ok,” Anneke said. “We only met up twice.”
“Still,” Christina said, gently squeezing her shoulder. “It’s not like you can’t form attachments on base.”
“Report,” the electronic voice caused all three occupants of the room to spin to face the larger of the screens in the control sections. A two toned base note filled the chamber after the voice.
Looking at the screen, Christina saw a large bulbous machine sat centralised, thick wires and tubing ran around the bottom. The noise seemed to be emanating from it, the electronic sound filling the chamber. A soft yellow glow was coming from the centre of the machine.
“Report,” it repeated, the light pulsing as it spoke.
“Cyber leader? Controller?” Tom asked stepping forward. “What are you exactly?”
“Explain,” the array commanded, its electronic voice filling the chamber. “What is this? Who are you?”
“I’m your worst nightmare,” Tom spat, pointing the gun at the screen. “Whatever it is you’re planning, it’s not going to work, and I’m here to make sure of it.”
“Illogical.” The Cyber planner replied the central chamber pulsing strongly as it spoke. “You cannot succeed. Our plans are advanced, all resistance will be overcome.”
“Bollocks,” Tom spat at the screen. “You just try me. If I have to take this ship to wherever it is you’re hiding and blast you out of space myself, then I’ll bloody well do that.”
There was a whirring noise from the screen as part of the array rotated as it took in what Tom had said. “Illogical. Our technology is too advanced for human comprehension.”
“I’m not human,” Tom replied, “And I’m fed up with you.” Raising his arm, he pointed the Cyber gun at the screen and fired.
Christina and Anneke ducked, shielding their faces with their arms as Tom repeatedly fired into the bank of monitors, small explosions and sparks erupting all around him, smoke filling the control chamber. The noise of the explosions and rattle of the Cyber gun died out, leaving an echo ringing around the chamber before it slowly dissipated, the smoke slowly drifting up to the domed ceiling, forming a greyish blue layer just above their heads.
“Why the hell have you done that?” Christina shouted at Tom, who was still stood immobile, staring at the wreckage of the control centre. “They’ll know we’re here now you stupid young sod.”
“Look around,” Tom replied, slowly turning to fix Christina with a cold stare. “Do you see any Cybermen at the doors? No, and why is that? Because the bastards haven’t heard us. The sound doesn’t travel far in these ships. Don’t ask me why. But if there are any Cybermen left on board, they clearly haven’t heard us.”
“What the hell was that thing?” Anneke asked, pointing to the remains of the screens.
“No idea,” Tom replied. “Whatever it was, it was like their controller or something. These Cybermen are about two thousand years less advanced than the first lot I met, they’re not all that, but I can’t say I remember seeing one of those things before.”
The sound of metal clanging against metal made Tom stop talking, spinning round to look towards the entrance they had used to enter the chamber.
“What was that you said about sound not travelling?” Christina jibed.
“Shh,” Tom hissed, waving her into silence as he sidled to the door and carefully peered out. “It’s your science team friends, with a couple of the base crew,” he said stepping back into the room.
“What do you mean?” Christina asked.
“At a guess, they’re bringing people in for conversion,” Tom replied as he started to rummage in the pockets of his jeans. “That means the Cybermen are really stepping the ante up somewhat.”
“They’re converting the base crew?” Anneke looked worriedly from Tom to the door before making to head for it. “We’ve got to help them.”
“What can we do?” Tom replied stepping towards the TARDIS. “They’ve probably already done something to the minds of the science team, and I did say that they’d try it on with the base crew.”
“Did you?”
“Didn’t I?” Tom said, pulling a key from his pocket and slotting it into the lock on the TARDIS door.
“What are you doing with that?” Christina asked stepping over.
“We want to beat the Cybermen, yeah?” he replied looking back at her and pushing the door open. “Then we need somewhere safe and where we can keep tabs on things, in you go.”
Christina and Anneke looked at each other bemused at Tom’s behaviour before looking back to him. With a smile and small shrug he turned and walked into the blue box. With another clanging of metal from somewhere behind them, the two women hurried and followed him into the TARDIS.
*
“Hello again,” Tom said as he stepped into the TARDIS. “God, I’m getting like the Doctor,” he muttered to himself as he pressed the button in the open roundel and the force field airlock dissipated. Stepping lightly down the steps, he walked to the console and placed the Cyber gun on the edge before pulling the scanner round and activating a roaming view, as he searched for a frequency to see into other areas of the Cyber ship.
“I don’t believe it,” Christina’s disbelieving voice came from behind him.
“Get used to it quickly,” he replied turning round. “Alien technology, at least it is to you, and it’s bigger on the inside.”
“What is this?” she asked, as she approached the console with Anneke close behind.
“The Doctor’s ship,” Tom replied pulling the door control. “I’m afraid we don’t have time for twenty questions, I’ve managed to get some views from inside the ship and it doesn’t look like we’ve much time.”
Christina looked up at the small monitor. For the size of the screen and appearance of it, the picture was remarkably clear, as if it were a high definition plasma screen. The image on it turned her stomach; she could see two Cybermen working in what looked like a charnel house. There were people, people she recognised at that, strapped into alcoves in the wall with body parts missing, flesh peeled back and bone and internal organs exposed, as spindly arms reached from the walls to perform gruesome surgical alterations on them, replacing body parts with mechanical parts.
Alongside this were figures in similar states of cybernetic conversion as she had seen Johnson in, one of them, his face now a grim parody of humanity, flesh peeled away and what looked like bandages covering parts of it was having the blank faceplate of a Cyberman fitted over the exposed organic matter, completing the look of the Cyberman.
“Is this what they’d do to us if they caught us?” She asked, her voice faltering slightly.
“Yes,” Tom muttered without looking at the screen.
Stepping back, Christina looked at the console. The gun Tom had brought in was sat on the edge. Picking it up, she reached for the control she’d seen him use to open the doors and operated it. Taking one last look at Anneke and Tom, she quietly crossed the console room and slipped out of the TARDIS.
“Is that what they did to you?” Anneke asked.
“Nearly,” Tom replied. “The Doctor saved me though, stopped them before they did too much damage. But it’s a long story.”
“Care to share?” Anneke asked, only to receive an uncomfortable silence in reply.
Standing back, she watched as the young Time Lord busied himself at the console, flicking switches and twisting dials. He seemed to be deep in thought and staring hard at the controls before he activated them. She had a feeling that he didn’t quite know what he was doing, and got an angered hush and hand wave when she voiced that thought. Turning to talk to Christina, Anneke found herself turning full circle with no sight of the doctor in the console room.
“Where’s Christina?” she asked, turning round again, peering into the alcoves the other side of the console.
Tom looked up, his eyes darting around the console room before falling on the open doors. “I closed them when you came in,” he muttered looking at them before his eyes fell to the edge of the console near the door control. “Oh no,” he breathed, rushing round to the scanner and pulling it down until he didn’t have crane his neck to look up at it.
Curious to his actions, Anneke walked round to beside him. He was twisting a dial on the wooden box that surrounded the scanner; the screen was flicking through scenes of the Cyber ship. How he was getting these pictures, she didn’t know, but judging from the fact that this place was larger inside than outside, she probably shouldn’t question just what it can do. The image flicked back to original image of the conversion chamber she had seen. It was then Tom paused it and she soon saw why; Christina was slowly walking into the middle of the room, the Cyber gun raised and pointing at the Cybermen.
“No, oh no,” Tom said softly.
He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, and Anneke could sense the conflict in him, whether he should go and help, even though they both knew there was little they could do. The two watched, helplessly, as Christina started to fire at the Cybermen as sparks erupted from two who were standing. Anneke could swear that she saw tears streaming down her friends face. She felt a lump rise in her own throat and her stomach twist as she saw Christina convulse, smoke starting to curl out of her collar and sleeve cuffs before her body crumpled in a heap to the floor.
*
The Doctor stepped into the dome. It hadn’t changed much since he’d left, the Cybermen were fewer in number here but the base crew were still working. He took a quick glance round and could see Jess sat at a computer, still under Cyber control, not too far from where Ulrich was working. Keeping his eyes off the Cybermen, the Doctor made a direct route through the dome to Ulrich and sat down at the computer next to him.
“Just act normally,” the Doctor whispered.
His mouth open, Ulrich stared at the Doctor.
“No, no, carry on as you were,” he whispered again staring at the computer as he started to access the files.
Turning back to his screen, Ulrich looked intently at the keyboard, keeping his head down. Somehow the Doctor was able to talk without moving his lips, like a ventriloquist, but he knew that he couldn’t do it.
“What the hell’s going on?” he asked. “You were under their control when you left here.”
“It’s an easy trick if you can do it,” the Doctor replied, tapping away at the keyboard. “They’ve never scanned anyone with a brain quite like mine before; I just had to let it think that it had taken control of my higher functions.”
“Oh, I see, I think,” Ulrich replied.
“What’s been happening?” the Doctor asked, taking a covert and furtive glance in the direction of the Cyber leader.
“Nothing much,” Ulrich said, pausing only as the Cyber leader approached.
“Why are you here?” it asked, looking down at the Doctor.
“I have been instructed to reroute some of the solar energy to the science lab and ensure that the Gravitron will not interfere with the T-Mat process,” the Doctor replied flatly, staring ahead.
“Proceed,” the Cyber leader replied.
“You fooled them,” Ulrich whispered once the Cyber leader had moved away.
“To them, it seems as though I’m still receiving their instructions,” the Doctor replied.
“What are you really doing?” Ulrich asked.
“Trying to subtly work a way at blocking the Cyber control signal,” the Doctor said, “if we can free the base crew, then that will certainly put a large spanner in the Cybermen’s plans. There’s only a few of them, and every problem has a solution.”
“You’re not suggesting we fight them are you?” Ulrich asked, looking up and forgetting to pretend he wasn’t talking to the Doctor. “Because if you are, we’ll get massacred.”
“No, I’m not saying that at all,” the Doctor replied. “Oh hello, something’s happening.”
Ulrich looked up to see what the Doctor was talking about. One of the science department team had entered the room and was stood before the Cyber leader. He could see the man’s mouth moving but wasn’t able to hear what he was saying, or read his lips. Whatever he’d said to the Cyber leader, it had caused the Cyberman to turn their way. The Doctor had seen it too, and Ulrich suddenly guessed what was about to happen. He could tell that the Doctor knew it too. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Doctor breathe in as the Cyber leader approached.
Reaching out, the silver creature grabbed at the skull cap that the Doctor wore and wrenched it from his head, several locks of hair seeming to come away at the same time. The action caused the Doctor to cry out in pain, clutching at his head and fall sideways off the small chair.
“Your ruse will not work,” the Cyber leader said slowly withdrawing the gun from underneath its chest unit and levelling it. “You were warned that hostility would be punished.”
With the now all too familiar deadly rattle, the Cyber leader fired.
