Post by John Darnacan on Mar 14, 2008 10:37:05 GMT
Part 11 – Choices
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“So, you’re not going to let us leave?” concluded the Doctor.
“If we let you leave now, you would only attempt to rescue your companion, thus alerting the Cybermen,” explained Churasti.
“Won’t arranging for a feedback overload also alert them? And how would you arrange for that anyway? Gaining access to their systems would be a considerable risk, wouldn’t it?”
“A far lesser risk than allowing you to charge in,” the old monk retorted.
“Perhaps by doing both, we can reduce the risk. Perhaps we can work together, pool our resources. I can be a formidable ally. If I know too much for you to release me, then why not bring me all the way in on the plan?”
Churasti was clearly considering this.
“But it’s a limited-time offer,” warned the Doctor. “Deiter and Ms. Bauer only have a few hours at most before the process is irreversible.” Churasti turned to his console to consider the Doctor’s offer. “You know, I think I figured the Ood’s role in the whole scheme of things,” the Doctor chided. “Interesting how the Ood don’t get cybernised.”
“They are agents of the Cybermen,” Churasti grunted dismissively.
“Or so the Cybermen think,” concluded the Doctor.
“Actually, the Ood are incapable of being converted. Their synaptic patterns in their brains are incompatible with cyber technology. And why should the Cybermen adapt their technology, when the Ood are so compliant? They’re the perfect agents.”
“Or double agents?” smirked the Doctor. “Most confuse the compliant nature of the Ood with stupidity.”
“Very clever, Doctor” Churasti admitted.
“No, you’re the clever ones. And quite patient.” The Doctor nodded in respect.
“You said the Solarsphere was a trap for the Cybermen. What kind of trap?” the Doctor continued pressing Churasti.
“An explosive one.”
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Once they arrived at Peenemunde, Captain Hauser assembled his men to give them their orders.
“This is a top secret research facility which has produced important weapons for the Third Reich, rockets of devastating power. But now the Russian army is getting too close. Nothing must fall into the hands of the enemy! Our orders come directly from Berlin.”
Captain Hauser dispatched small squads of men to various tasks, destroying equipment, the fuel depot, and certain key research buildings. Only Deiter and Hans remained.
“You two follow me,” ordered Hauser. They entered a small building filled with men wearing white lab coats. “Where is Dr. Von Braun?” the captain demanded.
A middle aged man stepped forward.
“I am Dr. Wilhelm Dietz. This is Dr. Johann Krueger. Dr. Von Braun left for the west two days ago, with some of the others. They should be at Nordenhausen by now.”
“Why did you not also go?”
“We wanted to secure and load as much of our work as possible,” explained Krueger.
“Your orders were to leave,” snapped Hauser
“Yes, but…” began Dietz.
“The Russian army is only a couple miles away! My orders are to destroy everything, so the Russians do not get their hands of the work done here. I’m afraid that includes any scientists who remained behind.” Hauser withdrew his Lugar and shot Dietz. The Captain aimed at Krueger next. There was nowhere he could run.
A shot rang out. But it was Hauser who fell. Everyone was in a state of shock. Deiter stood there with smoke coming from the barrel of the Russian rifle in his shaking hands.
“Deiter, what did you do?” Hans cried out.
“Saving lives,” said Dr. Krueger. He turned to Dieter. “Thank you. What is your name?”
“Corporal Deiter Ostermann.”
“Well Corporal, you are a very brave and heroic man.” Deiter didn’t feel very heroic. He had just shot his own commanding officer.
“It takes a special man to overcome his indoctrination,” said Krueger. “The world can use a man like that, especially in the current chaos.”
Krueger explained that the reason he had stayed behind was to escape to another part of the world where he could pursue peaceful science. He invited Deiter and Hans to join him.
“No, we must defend the Reich!” barked Hans.
“Don't be stupid young man. The war is lost. The Reich is over.” explained Krueger, as if trying to sooth a frightened child. “All that will remain are ashes and those of us who try to build a new future, not based on conquest, but on mutual survival.”
“Dr. Krueger is right, Hans,” added a slightly calmer Deiter. “There ……
“You can’t leave, Deiter.” Hans interrupted. “You must be like us!”
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Two Cybermen stood over Deiter’s cybernisation couch.
“Subject 9086651065 is demonstrating resistance to the indoctrination programming.”
“Resistance is irrelevant. It will only add minutes to the process. He will soon be like us.”
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“You’re going to blow up the entire Solarsphere? And kill everyone?”
“We may be willing to sacrifice, but we are not mass murderers.” Churasti grunted, finally deciding to open up to the Doctor. “We have set massive explosives to blow their entire section of the shell away from the SolarSphere. Following which, additional explosives will destroy the Cybermen.”
“No offence, but there are two major flaws in that plan. First, blowing the Cybermen into space may damage many of them, but they can seal their respiratory systems and survive in the vacuum of space for a fair period of time.”
“True, but they will be floating out in space without any propulsion. A battle cruiser could easily destroy survivors.”
“I suspected that might be the case. However, more importantly, if you blow away any section of the shell, the Solarsphere will become unbalanced. The gravitational pull of the inner star will cause the entire sphere to move out of balanced orbit. Everyone will be killed.”
“Not if we blow away a section on the exact opposite side of the sphere. Two simultaneous ejections will maintain the balance.” The Doctor nodded in approval.
“I assume any irregularities can be compensated for by the Solarsphere’s normal equilibrium systems?”
“Yes. The problem is we’ve had to move slowly. Placing the explosive too quickly, might have alerted the Cybermen. So, we’ve installed them during the normal maintenance cycles. We are not yet ready to execute the final plan.”
“Let me access your schematics and systems data. I just may have an idea.”
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To Be Continued...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“So, you’re not going to let us leave?” concluded the Doctor.
“If we let you leave now, you would only attempt to rescue your companion, thus alerting the Cybermen,” explained Churasti.
“Won’t arranging for a feedback overload also alert them? And how would you arrange for that anyway? Gaining access to their systems would be a considerable risk, wouldn’t it?”
“A far lesser risk than allowing you to charge in,” the old monk retorted.
“Perhaps by doing both, we can reduce the risk. Perhaps we can work together, pool our resources. I can be a formidable ally. If I know too much for you to release me, then why not bring me all the way in on the plan?”
Churasti was clearly considering this.
“But it’s a limited-time offer,” warned the Doctor. “Deiter and Ms. Bauer only have a few hours at most before the process is irreversible.” Churasti turned to his console to consider the Doctor’s offer. “You know, I think I figured the Ood’s role in the whole scheme of things,” the Doctor chided. “Interesting how the Ood don’t get cybernised.”
“They are agents of the Cybermen,” Churasti grunted dismissively.
“Or so the Cybermen think,” concluded the Doctor.
“Actually, the Ood are incapable of being converted. Their synaptic patterns in their brains are incompatible with cyber technology. And why should the Cybermen adapt their technology, when the Ood are so compliant? They’re the perfect agents.”
“Or double agents?” smirked the Doctor. “Most confuse the compliant nature of the Ood with stupidity.”
“Very clever, Doctor” Churasti admitted.
“No, you’re the clever ones. And quite patient.” The Doctor nodded in respect.
“You said the Solarsphere was a trap for the Cybermen. What kind of trap?” the Doctor continued pressing Churasti.
“An explosive one.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once they arrived at Peenemunde, Captain Hauser assembled his men to give them their orders.
“This is a top secret research facility which has produced important weapons for the Third Reich, rockets of devastating power. But now the Russian army is getting too close. Nothing must fall into the hands of the enemy! Our orders come directly from Berlin.”
Captain Hauser dispatched small squads of men to various tasks, destroying equipment, the fuel depot, and certain key research buildings. Only Deiter and Hans remained.
“You two follow me,” ordered Hauser. They entered a small building filled with men wearing white lab coats. “Where is Dr. Von Braun?” the captain demanded.
A middle aged man stepped forward.
“I am Dr. Wilhelm Dietz. This is Dr. Johann Krueger. Dr. Von Braun left for the west two days ago, with some of the others. They should be at Nordenhausen by now.”
“Why did you not also go?”
“We wanted to secure and load as much of our work as possible,” explained Krueger.
“Your orders were to leave,” snapped Hauser
“Yes, but…” began Dietz.
“The Russian army is only a couple miles away! My orders are to destroy everything, so the Russians do not get their hands of the work done here. I’m afraid that includes any scientists who remained behind.” Hauser withdrew his Lugar and shot Dietz. The Captain aimed at Krueger next. There was nowhere he could run.
A shot rang out. But it was Hauser who fell. Everyone was in a state of shock. Deiter stood there with smoke coming from the barrel of the Russian rifle in his shaking hands.
“Deiter, what did you do?” Hans cried out.
“Saving lives,” said Dr. Krueger. He turned to Dieter. “Thank you. What is your name?”
“Corporal Deiter Ostermann.”
“Well Corporal, you are a very brave and heroic man.” Deiter didn’t feel very heroic. He had just shot his own commanding officer.
“It takes a special man to overcome his indoctrination,” said Krueger. “The world can use a man like that, especially in the current chaos.”
Krueger explained that the reason he had stayed behind was to escape to another part of the world where he could pursue peaceful science. He invited Deiter and Hans to join him.
“No, we must defend the Reich!” barked Hans.
“Don't be stupid young man. The war is lost. The Reich is over.” explained Krueger, as if trying to sooth a frightened child. “All that will remain are ashes and those of us who try to build a new future, not based on conquest, but on mutual survival.”
“Dr. Krueger is right, Hans,” added a slightly calmer Deiter. “There ……
“You can’t leave, Deiter.” Hans interrupted. “You must be like us!”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two Cybermen stood over Deiter’s cybernisation couch.
“Subject 9086651065 is demonstrating resistance to the indoctrination programming.”
“Resistance is irrelevant. It will only add minutes to the process. He will soon be like us.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“You’re going to blow up the entire Solarsphere? And kill everyone?”
“We may be willing to sacrifice, but we are not mass murderers.” Churasti grunted, finally deciding to open up to the Doctor. “We have set massive explosives to blow their entire section of the shell away from the SolarSphere. Following which, additional explosives will destroy the Cybermen.”
“No offence, but there are two major flaws in that plan. First, blowing the Cybermen into space may damage many of them, but they can seal their respiratory systems and survive in the vacuum of space for a fair period of time.”
“True, but they will be floating out in space without any propulsion. A battle cruiser could easily destroy survivors.”
“I suspected that might be the case. However, more importantly, if you blow away any section of the shell, the Solarsphere will become unbalanced. The gravitational pull of the inner star will cause the entire sphere to move out of balanced orbit. Everyone will be killed.”
“Not if we blow away a section on the exact opposite side of the sphere. Two simultaneous ejections will maintain the balance.” The Doctor nodded in approval.
“I assume any irregularities can be compensated for by the Solarsphere’s normal equilibrium systems?”
“Yes. The problem is we’ve had to move slowly. Placing the explosive too quickly, might have alerted the Cybermen. So, we’ve installed them during the normal maintenance cycles. We are not yet ready to execute the final plan.”
“Let me access your schematics and systems data. I just may have an idea.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Be Continued...
