Post by John Darnacan on Feb 17, 2008 13:42:45 GMT
Part 8 – The Mendarian Order
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Maynberc firmly escorted the Doctor and Faye into Churasti’s office. The twisted man turned to face them.
“Ah, the legendary Doctor,” Churasti sneered. “Luckily for you, we diverted you away from the Bremancy Republic. You might have gotten yourselves into a difficult situation, or worse, exposed them.”
“So you’re in league with the Cybermen,” the Doctor concluded, glancing at Maynberc’s cybernetics. Churasti snorted an awkward painful laugh. “Others thought they could control or make alliances with the Cybermen. But in the end it never…
“Doctor,” interrupted Churasti. “We are not allies of the Cybermen.”
“They why…”
“…why do we help conceal them? We are the Mendarian Order. In the ancient dialect, Mendaria translates as Mondas. We are the Mondasians who rejected the cybernetic implants which led to what you call the Cybermen. In those days, the Mendarians were a religious order who believed in the purity of the body. Cybernetics, even to cure and fortify our deteriorating bodies, was considered unholy.”
“Mondas was destroyed centuries ago.”
“True. I misspoke. We are descended from those original Mendarians who fled Mondas before it was destroyed. Those Mondasians who embraced the cyber-conversion process became convinced everyone must convert. At first, it was hailed as life-saving technology. Then it became a trend, then a dogmatic imperative. They insisted everyone become like them. Those who thought differently were considered foolish and ultimately labeled unclean. This attitude was considered altuistic. In their own misguided way, the Cybermen believed they were trying to save humanity. Free will did not seem to matter, like many who believe in the rightness of their cause. Different thinking was not tolerated. So we fled Mondas.” Churasti turned back toward the Doctor. “But we were never far away.”
“So, you watched while others resisted them and fought.”
“As our misguided brethren invaded other worlds, we realised that we had a moral responsibility to stop them. But they were powerful, and we were weak. So, we watched and learned their ways for millennia. We saw that too often opponents of the Cybermen moved too quickly. Yes, they struck serious blows, but never complete victory, because as long as a few Cybermen survive, they can replicate.
“But you’ve done nothing in all that time,” the Doctor responded reproachfully. Churasti’s misshapen mouth curled in a grotesque parody of a smile.
“Not so, Doctor. We are weak and relatively few in number, but we’ve always been in the shadows waiting, giving invisible aid to those who fought. Are you familiar with the weapon known as the ‘glitter gun’?”
“Yes, it shot minuscule gold particles to disrupt the cyber-respiratory system,” the Doctor answered impatiently, as if asked a ridiculously obvious history question.
“How do you think someone came up with such an unlikely idea? Someone just accidentally threw gold dust at a Cyberman for no reason?” Churasti asked sarcastically. “No, we made that discovery from years of covert research. We then clandestinely passed that knowledge on to those who could use it. We cannot afford to engage in such flamboyant heroics as you, Doctor.”
“If you are not in league with the Cybermen, they how do you explain this?” the Doctor asked, gesturing to Maynberc’s cybernetic arms and legs.
“I was captured by the Cybermen,” replied Maynberc. “The Mendarian Order rescued me.”
“That doesn’t sound very ‘covert’ to me,” the Doctor pointed out to Churasti.
“On the rare occasion, we have had opportunity to liberate victims of cybernisation, with the intent of discovering more about our misguided brethren. Unfortunately, Mayberc had his limbs already replaced, and lost his emotions before our agents liberated him.”
The Doctor and Faye turned to Maynberc.
“Lost his emotions?” Faye repeated.
“This is true. I have no emotions,” admitted Maynberc. “They were lost in the first phase of the cybernisation process. A random glitch in the program prevented complete indoctrination. But, I cannot feel joy or sorrow. However, on an intellectual level I know what the Cybermen are doing is wrong. So, I joined Brother Churasti and the Mendarian Order after they rescued me.”
“You can’t feel anything?” asked Faye. “Not even hate for what the Cybermen did to you?”
“I understand what they do, and why.” Maynberc replied in a very clinic manner. “I disagree with their cause, and work against them. But no, I cannot hate them.”
“So, what do you want from us?” the Doctor asked.
“You must leave the Andronos Solarsphere immediately,” Churasti stated.
“That’s it?”
“You are a known enemy of the Cybermen. If your presence here were detected by the Cybermen, it would disrupt their sense of security and our ultimate plans. I know it is against your way to walk away, but it is essential to our plan.”
“And what is your plan?” asked Faye. “Raise an army and fight them here on the SolarSphere?”
Churasti snorted dismissively, indicating no such action was being contemplated. “I am not at liberty to discuss our plans, but I can tell you it was put into place many decades ago. We are just as patient and deliberate as the Cybermen. Our subtle and covert timetable has been moving forward quite successfully. But all we’ve accomplished is threatened by your presence, here and now. Will you leave and let us proceed?” demanded the twisted monk.
“Very well,” agreed the Doctor. Faye could tell that leaving such a threat unresolved defied the Doctor’s very nature, but Churasti’s logic was irrefutable.
“Another Mendarian came into the room and handed Churasti a report. Churasti glanced down at it. A painful grimace crossed his misshapen face.
“We have just received a report that Gretchen Bauer has been captured by the Cybermen.”
“She was our guide,” exclaimed Faye.
“She was also one of our agents.”
“Then your plan is exposed,” concluded the Doctor. “Once she is cybernised, the Cybermen will know all about your order.”
“No Doctor, we are not amateurs. She has an SD-chip.”
“What’s an SD-chip?” Faye asked
“It is an automatic self destruct device inserted into the skull of our agents. It kills the individual during the cybernisation process, protecting our secrets and our order.”
“Then, your plan is safe,” concluded the Dcotor.
“No!” groaned the angry Churasti. “What I feared is coming to pass. Your companion, Deiter Ostermann has also been captured by the Cybermen.”
Faye gasped, “No!” She looked at Maynberc and imagined Maynberc’s horror being visited upon Deiter.
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To Be Continued...
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Maynberc firmly escorted the Doctor and Faye into Churasti’s office. The twisted man turned to face them.
“Ah, the legendary Doctor,” Churasti sneered. “Luckily for you, we diverted you away from the Bremancy Republic. You might have gotten yourselves into a difficult situation, or worse, exposed them.”
“So you’re in league with the Cybermen,” the Doctor concluded, glancing at Maynberc’s cybernetics. Churasti snorted an awkward painful laugh. “Others thought they could control or make alliances with the Cybermen. But in the end it never…
“Doctor,” interrupted Churasti. “We are not allies of the Cybermen.”
“They why…”
“…why do we help conceal them? We are the Mendarian Order. In the ancient dialect, Mendaria translates as Mondas. We are the Mondasians who rejected the cybernetic implants which led to what you call the Cybermen. In those days, the Mendarians were a religious order who believed in the purity of the body. Cybernetics, even to cure and fortify our deteriorating bodies, was considered unholy.”
“Mondas was destroyed centuries ago.”
“True. I misspoke. We are descended from those original Mendarians who fled Mondas before it was destroyed. Those Mondasians who embraced the cyber-conversion process became convinced everyone must convert. At first, it was hailed as life-saving technology. Then it became a trend, then a dogmatic imperative. They insisted everyone become like them. Those who thought differently were considered foolish and ultimately labeled unclean. This attitude was considered altuistic. In their own misguided way, the Cybermen believed they were trying to save humanity. Free will did not seem to matter, like many who believe in the rightness of their cause. Different thinking was not tolerated. So we fled Mondas.” Churasti turned back toward the Doctor. “But we were never far away.”
“So, you watched while others resisted them and fought.”
“As our misguided brethren invaded other worlds, we realised that we had a moral responsibility to stop them. But they were powerful, and we were weak. So, we watched and learned their ways for millennia. We saw that too often opponents of the Cybermen moved too quickly. Yes, they struck serious blows, but never complete victory, because as long as a few Cybermen survive, they can replicate.
“But you’ve done nothing in all that time,” the Doctor responded reproachfully. Churasti’s misshapen mouth curled in a grotesque parody of a smile.
“Not so, Doctor. We are weak and relatively few in number, but we’ve always been in the shadows waiting, giving invisible aid to those who fought. Are you familiar with the weapon known as the ‘glitter gun’?”
“Yes, it shot minuscule gold particles to disrupt the cyber-respiratory system,” the Doctor answered impatiently, as if asked a ridiculously obvious history question.
“How do you think someone came up with such an unlikely idea? Someone just accidentally threw gold dust at a Cyberman for no reason?” Churasti asked sarcastically. “No, we made that discovery from years of covert research. We then clandestinely passed that knowledge on to those who could use it. We cannot afford to engage in such flamboyant heroics as you, Doctor.”
“If you are not in league with the Cybermen, they how do you explain this?” the Doctor asked, gesturing to Maynberc’s cybernetic arms and legs.
“I was captured by the Cybermen,” replied Maynberc. “The Mendarian Order rescued me.”
“That doesn’t sound very ‘covert’ to me,” the Doctor pointed out to Churasti.
“On the rare occasion, we have had opportunity to liberate victims of cybernisation, with the intent of discovering more about our misguided brethren. Unfortunately, Mayberc had his limbs already replaced, and lost his emotions before our agents liberated him.”
The Doctor and Faye turned to Maynberc.
“Lost his emotions?” Faye repeated.
“This is true. I have no emotions,” admitted Maynberc. “They were lost in the first phase of the cybernisation process. A random glitch in the program prevented complete indoctrination. But, I cannot feel joy or sorrow. However, on an intellectual level I know what the Cybermen are doing is wrong. So, I joined Brother Churasti and the Mendarian Order after they rescued me.”
“You can’t feel anything?” asked Faye. “Not even hate for what the Cybermen did to you?”
“I understand what they do, and why.” Maynberc replied in a very clinic manner. “I disagree with their cause, and work against them. But no, I cannot hate them.”
“So, what do you want from us?” the Doctor asked.
“You must leave the Andronos Solarsphere immediately,” Churasti stated.
“That’s it?”
“You are a known enemy of the Cybermen. If your presence here were detected by the Cybermen, it would disrupt their sense of security and our ultimate plans. I know it is against your way to walk away, but it is essential to our plan.”
“And what is your plan?” asked Faye. “Raise an army and fight them here on the SolarSphere?”
Churasti snorted dismissively, indicating no such action was being contemplated. “I am not at liberty to discuss our plans, but I can tell you it was put into place many decades ago. We are just as patient and deliberate as the Cybermen. Our subtle and covert timetable has been moving forward quite successfully. But all we’ve accomplished is threatened by your presence, here and now. Will you leave and let us proceed?” demanded the twisted monk.
“Very well,” agreed the Doctor. Faye could tell that leaving such a threat unresolved defied the Doctor’s very nature, but Churasti’s logic was irrefutable.
“Another Mendarian came into the room and handed Churasti a report. Churasti glanced down at it. A painful grimace crossed his misshapen face.
“We have just received a report that Gretchen Bauer has been captured by the Cybermen.”
“She was our guide,” exclaimed Faye.
“She was also one of our agents.”
“Then your plan is exposed,” concluded the Doctor. “Once she is cybernised, the Cybermen will know all about your order.”
“No Doctor, we are not amateurs. She has an SD-chip.”
“What’s an SD-chip?” Faye asked
“It is an automatic self destruct device inserted into the skull of our agents. It kills the individual during the cybernisation process, protecting our secrets and our order.”
“Then, your plan is safe,” concluded the Dcotor.
“No!” groaned the angry Churasti. “What I feared is coming to pass. Your companion, Deiter Ostermann has also been captured by the Cybermen.”
Faye gasped, “No!” She looked at Maynberc and imagined Maynberc’s horror being visited upon Deiter.
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To Be Continued...