Post by Fitz Kreiner on Dec 13, 2005 16:20:46 GMT
“Careful!” The Doctor warned, “I don’t want to trip the wrong code.”
“I don’t want you to either Doctor. I figured out what this room is used for.” Tom replied.
The Doctor turned round, swinging the torch in the direction Tom was facing. Rows of shelving filled the wall behind them; each shelf was full of Cybermats. They were lying dormant, stored. Some lay on the floor awaiting the activation signal.
“I think you’d better be very careful.” Tom said.
“I agree, and quick as well, just in case!” The Doctor said. “I don’t like the idea of those things coming alive while we’re in here.”
“Messy!” Tom agreed, staring at the Cybermats through the gloom.
The Doctor worked in a tense silence on the lock, a few beads of sweat glistening on his brow.
“The airs getting stale, have you noticed?” He asked Tom.
“You’re noticing it too? I thought it was just me.”
“Small chamber; two people breathing the air.”
“Shall I open the TARDIS doors; get some air from there out here?”
“No, I don’t want one of those things getting in there.” The Doctor said referring to the Cybermats.
The Doctor turned back to the lock, and worked for what seemed like minutes.
“Ah!” He said proudly stepping back from the door as it slip open.
“You are aware we’re unarmed in the heart of the Cyber Empire?” Tom asked, quietly slipping out of the door.
“We don’t really need guns, besides I never carry them.” The Doctor wondered how many more times he’d have to say that today. “The Cybermen won’t kill us, and I feel confident that if we’re captured we can use our minds to beat them. We’re Timelords and they want our knowledge. Fight with your mind. Have you ever heard the old Earth saying; Brains not brawn?”
“It rings a bell.” Tom replied. “I know what you mean.”
The Doctor smiled a nod to the young Timelord pocketing the torch. He pulled a small tracer out of another pocket and cautiously made his way down a corridor, Tom close behind.
The Cyber Controller turned to the Coordinator.
<IS ALL PREPARED?> It boomed.
<YES CONTROLLER. ALL CYBERMEN ARE STATIONED AND READY>
<PREPARE. INFORM THE CYBERLEADER>
The Coordinator pointed to a Cyberman who activated a communications link.
<CONTROLLER> The Cyberleader said.
<ARE ALL UNIT STATIONED?>
<AFFIRMATIVE. WE ARE AWAITING ARRIVAL. THE PLAN IS ALMOST COMPLETE>
<AS SOON AS IT IS; YOU WILL RETURN TO CONTROL>
“WE WILL SUCCEED>
The communications link turned off.
<WE PROCEED WITH THE INVASION OF THE SONTARAN EMPIRE> The Controller said.
<THEIR DEFENCES ARE WEAKENING. THEIR NUMBERS ARE FEW> The Coordinator replied.
<ORDER THE INVASION. THEY WILL FALL BEFORE OUR MIGHT>
<INFORMATION> A Cyberman reported. <THE SUBJECTS HAVE ARRIVED CONTROLLER>
<COMMENCE THE TRAP> The Controller ordered turning to the larger screen.
The screen was split into sections, one showed the TARDIS sitting in the Cybermat store; the others images of the Doctor and Tom making their way along a corridor towards the time chamber.
“I’ve not got a very good feeling about this Doctor!” Tom whispered.
“What is it?” The Doctor asked, pausing to peer though an access panel in a door. “This is it!”
“It’s an obvious feeling, but I don’t feel safe.”
“We are in the heart of Cybercontrol.” The Doctor replied.
“Maybe I’m being paranoid.” Tom muttered following the Doctor into the room.
The Doctor walked towards the large structure in the middle of the room.
“They’re attempting to recreate Gallifreyan technology.” The Doctor said, astounded. “The fools.” He said, pocketing the tracer.
“That looks like…” Tom started staring at the structure in the centre of the room.
“Yes, like a TARDIS console. A very large TARDIS console. Time rotor going into the ceiling, all interconnected. It’s a bungled hotchpotch.”
“Will it actually work?” Tom asked
“It will cause enough damage to time to destroy billions of lives and planets throughout the universe.”
“No, there’s something else. I can feel it.” Tom said. “Us! It’ll work with us!”
“Us?”
“The Cybermen were getting the knowledge from me, right? So they’ll want us to get the rest of the knowledge to make a fully functioning time and space machine.”
“Yes,” The Doctor agreed “and what’s more; they’ve constructed a very advanced fluid link.” He added, picking up an elongated semi-transparent tube, a silver liquid could be seen inside.
Tom peered closely at it. “Mercury?”
“Yes.” The Doctor confirmed. “This link is incredibly advanced. A successful amalgamation of Cyber and Gallifreyan technology.”
“But with us, would it work?” Tom repeated his question.
“Without a shadow of a doubt.” The Doctor said gravely. “They’ve done very well; very well indeed.”
<THANK YOU DOCTOR>
The Two Timelords spun round to see the Cyberleader stood behind them, two other Cybermen flanking it. Each of the three doors to the chamber had Cybermen stood in the frames.
<YOU ADMIRATION OF OUR TECHNOLOGY IS UNDERSTANDABLE. WE WILL TRIUMPH>
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine, thank you.” Jess said looking back at Sanders and smiling. “Better now I’m back here, and to be honest I’ll be even better once the Doctor is back with the TARDIS.” Jess stood by the lieutenants’ station. She felt comfortable around Sanders.
Sanders looked up at the young woman. “You’re not,” She started in a low voice. “You and him?” she asked.
“What about me and the Doctor?” Jess asked.
“You’re not, together are you?” Sanders said, rather bluntly.
“Oh, no. No, no.” Jess said smiling. “Bit too much of an age gap, you wouldn’t believe it!” Jess turned away, “I still hardly can.” She added quietly. “No,” She said turning back, “I’m a poor, single 20th century student girl.” She smiled. “And that’s how I like it. I’m me!”
Sanders smiled back up at Jess, then turned back to her work station.
Jess stood and looked around the Command Deck. With all the commotion that had been going on, this was the first time she’d actually stopped to take in the surroundings. Sanders was sat at her console, in front of the large view screen. Bradbury was walking about the rear consoles, checking readings and ensuring technicians were carrying out their set tasks. Commander Edwards was stood talking to Jim Ford at what was Toms, console. Jess looked back at Bradbury; he was starting to move amongst the technicians quicker, checking readings against those from his own console.
“Sir.” He said. “We’re picking up some strange readings here.”
Edwards turned round. “Can you specify, Dave?”
“No sir. There are just some,” Bradbury faltered, looking for the right word, “Well, bizarre readings coming though.”
“Cybermen?”
“I don’t think so sir. There have been no special disturbances and no ships sighted in the vicinity. It also doesn’t seem like the same signals that the Cybermen were sending out.”
“Are you sure of that?”
”Yes, the Doctor managed to isolate that. I’ve been able to almost filter it out and stop it. This is something new. Something different.”
“I’m not detecting any anomalous readings.” Ford said.
“Me neither.” Sanders added, checking the consoles.
“Well, someone’s wrong!”
The crew of the command deck stopped and looked round.
“Well, I mean, you can’t all be right. Either there are some dodgy readings, or there aren’t.” Jess said.
“Well?” Edwards asked. “She’s right. Verify for me, now.”
“I don’t want you to either Doctor. I figured out what this room is used for.” Tom replied.
The Doctor turned round, swinging the torch in the direction Tom was facing. Rows of shelving filled the wall behind them; each shelf was full of Cybermats. They were lying dormant, stored. Some lay on the floor awaiting the activation signal.
“I think you’d better be very careful.” Tom said.
“I agree, and quick as well, just in case!” The Doctor said. “I don’t like the idea of those things coming alive while we’re in here.”
“Messy!” Tom agreed, staring at the Cybermats through the gloom.
The Doctor worked in a tense silence on the lock, a few beads of sweat glistening on his brow.
“The airs getting stale, have you noticed?” He asked Tom.
“You’re noticing it too? I thought it was just me.”
“Small chamber; two people breathing the air.”
“Shall I open the TARDIS doors; get some air from there out here?”
“No, I don’t want one of those things getting in there.” The Doctor said referring to the Cybermats.
The Doctor turned back to the lock, and worked for what seemed like minutes.
“Ah!” He said proudly stepping back from the door as it slip open.
“You are aware we’re unarmed in the heart of the Cyber Empire?” Tom asked, quietly slipping out of the door.
“We don’t really need guns, besides I never carry them.” The Doctor wondered how many more times he’d have to say that today. “The Cybermen won’t kill us, and I feel confident that if we’re captured we can use our minds to beat them. We’re Timelords and they want our knowledge. Fight with your mind. Have you ever heard the old Earth saying; Brains not brawn?”
“It rings a bell.” Tom replied. “I know what you mean.”
The Doctor smiled a nod to the young Timelord pocketing the torch. He pulled a small tracer out of another pocket and cautiously made his way down a corridor, Tom close behind.
The Cyber Controller turned to the Coordinator.
<IS ALL PREPARED?> It boomed.
<YES CONTROLLER. ALL CYBERMEN ARE STATIONED AND READY>
<PREPARE. INFORM THE CYBERLEADER>
The Coordinator pointed to a Cyberman who activated a communications link.
<CONTROLLER> The Cyberleader said.
<ARE ALL UNIT STATIONED?>
<AFFIRMATIVE. WE ARE AWAITING ARRIVAL. THE PLAN IS ALMOST COMPLETE>
<AS SOON AS IT IS; YOU WILL RETURN TO CONTROL>
“WE WILL SUCCEED>
The communications link turned off.
<WE PROCEED WITH THE INVASION OF THE SONTARAN EMPIRE> The Controller said.
<THEIR DEFENCES ARE WEAKENING. THEIR NUMBERS ARE FEW> The Coordinator replied.
<ORDER THE INVASION. THEY WILL FALL BEFORE OUR MIGHT>
<INFORMATION> A Cyberman reported. <THE SUBJECTS HAVE ARRIVED CONTROLLER>
<COMMENCE THE TRAP> The Controller ordered turning to the larger screen.
The screen was split into sections, one showed the TARDIS sitting in the Cybermat store; the others images of the Doctor and Tom making their way along a corridor towards the time chamber.
“I’ve not got a very good feeling about this Doctor!” Tom whispered.
“What is it?” The Doctor asked, pausing to peer though an access panel in a door. “This is it!”
“It’s an obvious feeling, but I don’t feel safe.”
“We are in the heart of Cybercontrol.” The Doctor replied.
“Maybe I’m being paranoid.” Tom muttered following the Doctor into the room.
The Doctor walked towards the large structure in the middle of the room.
“They’re attempting to recreate Gallifreyan technology.” The Doctor said, astounded. “The fools.” He said, pocketing the tracer.
“That looks like…” Tom started staring at the structure in the centre of the room.
“Yes, like a TARDIS console. A very large TARDIS console. Time rotor going into the ceiling, all interconnected. It’s a bungled hotchpotch.”
“Will it actually work?” Tom asked
“It will cause enough damage to time to destroy billions of lives and planets throughout the universe.”
“No, there’s something else. I can feel it.” Tom said. “Us! It’ll work with us!”
“Us?”
“The Cybermen were getting the knowledge from me, right? So they’ll want us to get the rest of the knowledge to make a fully functioning time and space machine.”
“Yes,” The Doctor agreed “and what’s more; they’ve constructed a very advanced fluid link.” He added, picking up an elongated semi-transparent tube, a silver liquid could be seen inside.
Tom peered closely at it. “Mercury?”
“Yes.” The Doctor confirmed. “This link is incredibly advanced. A successful amalgamation of Cyber and Gallifreyan technology.”
“But with us, would it work?” Tom repeated his question.
“Without a shadow of a doubt.” The Doctor said gravely. “They’ve done very well; very well indeed.”
<THANK YOU DOCTOR>
The Two Timelords spun round to see the Cyberleader stood behind them, two other Cybermen flanking it. Each of the three doors to the chamber had Cybermen stood in the frames.
<YOU ADMIRATION OF OUR TECHNOLOGY IS UNDERSTANDABLE. WE WILL TRIUMPH>
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine, thank you.” Jess said looking back at Sanders and smiling. “Better now I’m back here, and to be honest I’ll be even better once the Doctor is back with the TARDIS.” Jess stood by the lieutenants’ station. She felt comfortable around Sanders.
Sanders looked up at the young woman. “You’re not,” She started in a low voice. “You and him?” she asked.
“What about me and the Doctor?” Jess asked.
“You’re not, together are you?” Sanders said, rather bluntly.
“Oh, no. No, no.” Jess said smiling. “Bit too much of an age gap, you wouldn’t believe it!” Jess turned away, “I still hardly can.” She added quietly. “No,” She said turning back, “I’m a poor, single 20th century student girl.” She smiled. “And that’s how I like it. I’m me!”
Sanders smiled back up at Jess, then turned back to her work station.
Jess stood and looked around the Command Deck. With all the commotion that had been going on, this was the first time she’d actually stopped to take in the surroundings. Sanders was sat at her console, in front of the large view screen. Bradbury was walking about the rear consoles, checking readings and ensuring technicians were carrying out their set tasks. Commander Edwards was stood talking to Jim Ford at what was Toms, console. Jess looked back at Bradbury; he was starting to move amongst the technicians quicker, checking readings against those from his own console.
“Sir.” He said. “We’re picking up some strange readings here.”
Edwards turned round. “Can you specify, Dave?”
“No sir. There are just some,” Bradbury faltered, looking for the right word, “Well, bizarre readings coming though.”
“Cybermen?”
“I don’t think so sir. There have been no special disturbances and no ships sighted in the vicinity. It also doesn’t seem like the same signals that the Cybermen were sending out.”
“Are you sure of that?”
”Yes, the Doctor managed to isolate that. I’ve been able to almost filter it out and stop it. This is something new. Something different.”
“I’m not detecting any anomalous readings.” Ford said.
“Me neither.” Sanders added, checking the consoles.
“Well, someone’s wrong!”
The crew of the command deck stopped and looked round.
“Well, I mean, you can’t all be right. Either there are some dodgy readings, or there aren’t.” Jess said.
“Well?” Edwards asked. “She’s right. Verify for me, now.”
