by Gerry Davis
Victoria lay down and let the sleep she had been fighting roll over her, comforted as she always was by the Doctor's gentle philosophy.
So slowly, it was not perceptible by a human, the Cybermat pushed open the top door of its chute, well concealed at the foot of the Cybermen bas-reliefs, and the supple, silvery body crept like a rat into the room. Then another, and a third. The Doctor sat still, his thoughts far away, perceiving no danger—until something touched. his foot. He started, looked down, rose up and jumped back out of reach.
'Jamie!' he shouted. 'Victoria! Callum! Wake up!'
The others started awake.
'Eh—' said Jamie.
'What... what is it?' said Victoria.
Callum was still sleeping heavily, a difficult person to wake. The Cybermat, its antennae tense with the proximity of human flesh, nudged cold against his foot, crawled nearer, and like a spider, ran up his body to his chest, its antennae pointing straight at his skull—homing in on his brain waves..
'Callum! Callum!' shouted the Doctor.
Callum grunted and started to wake up.
'Those terrible things again!' said Victoria.
Callum was awake now, staring down at the silver machine prickling up across his chest..
'DON'T MOVE!' said the Doctor, willing Callum to obey.
Callum froze as the creature swarmed up his chest, he could feel the antennae buzzing towards his head, the red eyes flashing in his face, already he felt a dizziness...
The Doctor edged nearer and nearer... Callum. didn't move. With a sudden jerk the Doctor whipped the Cybermat off Callum's shoulder.
The creature fell on its silver segmented back and like a fallen hedgehog, couldn't get its balance for a moment, its side legs trying to get purchase on the ground.
'Quick,' said the Doctor. 'All of you. Get over this side of the room. Don't make any sudden movements.'
They backed away slowly. Parry was still drowsy: he stumbled and fell over one of the rucksacks.
'Steady, steady,' said the Doctor, and Parry, seeing the Cybermats, pulled his body away, got up carefully and crept with the others to the controls side of the room. 'Now, don't panic,' said the Doctor in a firm quiet voice. 'We'll go to the Cyber-recharging room and shut them out.'
They backed away towards the door of the recharging room. Victoria was first, the nearest to the door. Suddenly she turned and screamed.
The others looked back: there were three more Cybermats, silver, segmented, squirming, progressing towards them with a faint buzzing, their antennae pointed at the humans' brains.
'Let's get out to the surface,' said Callum. 'Main doors—'
They took two steps, three steps, they were nearly there, when in through the passage to the main door came three more creeping Cybermats.
'Doctor!' cried Victoria.. 'We're trapped!'
The nine Cybermats now communicated with each other, in a series of small high-pitched bleeps. Their antennae moved towards each other as if they were co-ordinating some plan.
'Back there to the controls, everyone,' said the Doctor.
The Doctor and Parry backed to the control panel, and for a moment, the forward movement of the Cybermats stopped. They seemed undecided about which direction their victims had taken. The Doctor, pressed back against the control panel, looked around, thinking what he could do with the available weapons, control panel, lever, buttons, metal bars, stool, electrical cables...
'Quick, give me a hand,' he said to the Professor. He looked at the control board for a moment—and turned off a power switch. Then whipping a pair of clippers out of his roomy pocket, he grabbed a length of the stout cable running between the two parts of the control console.
He cut the cable free of the wall and started laying it down on the ground between them and the Cybermats, like a magic circle. Parry caught on fast, yanked down more cable and helped him.
The Doctor cut the other end of the cable free and jammed the two ends into two power sockets on the underside of the console.
'Stand back!' shouted the Doctor.
But Callum had drawn his gun and was outside the cable.
'Let's blast the filthy things,' he shouted, still shaken from the feel of the creature on his chest. He fired three times.
One of the Cybermats, knocked over on to its side, curled up like. a leaf in a fire, crackled, burst into smoke and the red eyes' lights went out. But the others crawled on, their antennae like missiles pointing with deadly accuracy.
'You're wasting your time,' said the Doctor. 'You can't kill them all with that. Do as I say. Come back here. Keep close to us.'
Callum turned and stepped back into the half circle of the cable. Towards the cable advanced the Cybermats, bleeping to each other, their antennae pointed, slowly and relentlessly.
The Doctor turned on the power. A spark seemed to arc along the cable from the tremendous voltage. The first three Cybermats swerved and skittered erratically around, travelling in circles, until they crashed into one another.
'There we are!' shouted the Doctor. 'The current will destroy them.'
The bleeping rose to a new high as if the small dynamos of the Cybermats were burning themselves out.
'What are those creatures?'.asked Professor Parry, scientific curiosity again uppermost.
They looked at the metal crustaceans, now completely disorientated, running in repeated circles, and, one by one, curling up, their segments crackling apart with the current.
The last Cybermat turned over, smoke rising from its casing, its silver legs stiffening, as the machine burnt out:
'How did you do it, Doctor?' Jamie said. It was all beyond his comprehension.
'By generating an electric field in that cable, I've confused their tiny metal minds. You might say they've had a complete—er, metal breakdown.' The Doctor smiled at his little joke.
'What about Klieg and Kaftan?' asked Victoria suddenly. 'The Cybermats have probably attacked them as well.'
'The testing room,' said Parry. 'We'd better go.' Klieg and Kaftan were standing just inside the entrance to the testing room.
'Ah, Klieg,' said the Professor. 'I must warn you—'
Klieg swung the Cybergun from behind his back.
'No, I must warn you,' he said, 'what can you do against this?'
He slowly raised the Cyberlaser and pointed it at. the Doctor.
'Look out, Doctor!' shouted Callum.
Callum rushed forward, the gun fired, Callum jerked back, clutched his shoulder and fell to the ground.
Parry started towards him but Klieg lifted the gun again.
'Get back,' said Klieg.
'You've killed him! You murderer!' shouted the Professor.
'No, no,' said Klieg. 'He is fortunate.'
'You mean you missed him,' said Jamie.
'Silence,' Klieg said. 'I could have destroyed him if I had wanted to.' He turned to Kaftan. 'Shall I kill them now?' he asked, casually.
'No,' said Kaftan. 'That won't be necessary,' she said. 'I'm sure the Cybermen will have a good use for them.' The Professor looked at her with disgust.
'You will make excellent experimental specimens,' she said.
'Let me help him,' said Victoria. 'Please?'
Klieg looked at Kaftan. She nodded her consent.
'But no tricks or I shoot,' said Klieg, lifting the gun.
They watched as Victoria went over to the wounded Callum, crouched down by him and gently opened his space-tunic to examine his wound. Then Klieg went over to the control panel and pulled the hatch lever.
'And you still hope to bargain with the Cybermen?' asked the Doctor.
'Certainly. But this time, on our terms,' said Klieg.
The grinding noise began again, and once again the heavy metal lid creaked up to vertical. Cold air from below chilled the room.
Klieg, the Cybergun in his hand reassuring him, went over to the hatch and looked down the still icy shaft with its gigantic rungs.
'I wish to speak. to the Con
troller,' he called. Then again, louder, 'I wish to speak to the Controller. I WISH TO SPEAK TO THE CONTROLLER!' His voice echoed back at him up the chill shaft.
11
The Controller is Revitalised
The Cybermen had heard. Klieg's voice, puny and human, came quavering along the tunnel to the cavern where they stood and conferred.
'That humanoid is not to be trusted,' said the first of the five Cybermen to the Controller.
'He is not important, we have power,' the Controller said in his deeper voice.
'Our energy units are nearly exhausted. We must go up to the revitalisation machine,' said the first Cyberman..
'The humanoids must first be destroyed,' said the Controller, adjusting the sequence of necessary events to fit in this detail. 'You will re-enter the cells to conserve energy,' he said, and in a great silver wave, the Cybermen began to step back into the honeycomb cells. 'We shall need the big humanoid, bring him to me,' said the Controller. Toberman was brought before the Cyberleader. 'Is he prepared?' the Controller asked.
'He is now prepared,' answered the Cyberman.
'Release him.'
Toberman took a step forward. He was now dressed in a loose white smock. His eyes were set, unseeing.
'Listen!' said Klieg excitedly at the hatch. He could hear the metallic thump... thump... thump of their feet along the tunnel. 'They're coming!'
He turned to the others, with a childish eager look on his face. 'Now, gentlemen, you will see how I shall use the power of the Cybermen!' he said gleefully.
'Use—maybe,' said the Doctor. 'But you'll never control a Cyberman.'
'Eric!' cried Kaftan. 'Behind you!'
Klieg, his heart hammering, turned back to the hatch. And there, silent, larger than they had dared to remember him, stood the great bulk of the Cybercontroller. He moved up another rung.
'Stop!' cried Klieg. He lifted the Cybergun, but his hands were trembling. 'You know what this weapon can do to you,' he said as steadily as he could.
The Controller stopped moving and stared at him as impassively as only the Cybermen could.
'That's better,' said Klieg. His voice was firmer. 'You are now under my control. Do you understand?'
The Controller said nothing.
'Do not think we logicians came here unprepared. We understand everything about you. We know you have little energy. We know you must come up to be revitalised, or you will perish. Agree to my terms, and I shall allow you to survive. Otherwise, you will be shut up below for ever. I shall destroy the control board with this weapon.' To the others, he -sounded like a child telling the waves not to fall, but Klieg was completely lost to reason.
'I will listen,' said the Controller.
Kaftan came up to Klieg and whispered, 'Make them release Toberman.'
'If you think that they'll listen to you,' burst out Jamie to Klieg, 'you're even dafter than I thought.'
'Silence!' shouted Klieg. He swung the Cybergun at Jamie. 'And sit down!'
Jamie shrugged his shoulders, unimpressed by Klieg, and sat down.
'Our first condition,' said Klieg to the Controller, 'is that you release our man.'
The Cyberleader looked down and gave a signal. 'I must come inside,' he said.
For a moment Klieg hesitated, then nodded. The Cyberleader stepped over the rim of the hatch and stood beside it, as Toberman climbed up into view behind him. Kaftan seemed the only human glad to see him, but he showed no sign of recognition. The Controller turned and faced him. Toberman looked back. They stood facing each other for more than a moment, then the Cyberleader stood aside and Toberman moved forward.
'Toberman!' cried Kaftan, touching his cheek. 'It is so good that you are back.' She indicated the Doctor and the others. 'Watch them,' she commanded, and Toberman, as he had always done, obeyed her.
'He looks all right, doesn't he?' said Jamie, who had been expecting to see Toberman wounded by the Cybermen.
'Perhaps,' said the Doctor, looking at Toberman sharply.
The Controller stepped forward.
'Stay where you are,' snapped Klieg, raising the Cybergun again. 'Do you agree to accept our plan?' asked Klieg.'
'Plan?' asked the Doctor.
Klieg took a deep breath and gave the Doctor a scornful glance.
'The conquest of Earth,' he said.
'What?' gasped the Professor. 'You must be quite mad.'
'Silence!' shouted Klieg. 'Your answer?' He turned back to the Controller.
What was going on behind the Controller's impassive mask? What was his computer brain making of the situation? The humans waited for his reply. 'We accept,' he said at last. 'We will give you some of our power devices.'
'Good!' said Klieg, sweating with triumph. He turned to the Professor. 'I told you an understanding could be reached. Now I shall let you be revitalised,' he said condescendingly. 'For you to survive, I realise it must be now. Right?'
The Controller inclined his head. 'Yes!'
'Come forward slowly,' said Klieg.
'Eric,' breathed Kaftan, tense, next to him. 'Be careful.'
Klieg brushed her aside. 'Leave this to me.'
The Controller walked forward step by step, slowly, as if his energy was draining out with every minute that passed. The humans shrank back from his terrible silver presence. He reached the door to the recharging room, turned around and turned his face first towards the group of humans, then to Toberman. Then he walked in.
The Doctor looked about him uneasily.
'You are absolutely crazy to trust them,' said the Professor.
'You think so ?' asked Klieg. He smiled. 'Then, perhaps you and your colleagues had better join him. Go on.'
He pushed the Doctor, Parry, and Jamie after the Controller. Victoria rose from Callum to follow them, but Klieg barred her way.
'The girl stays with us,' said Klieg. 'If there is any trouble, she is our hostage.' He nodded to Toberman. 'Close the hatch.' Toberman stood still. 'Do you hear me,' said Klieg loudly. Toberman just moved behind Klieg and folded his arms.
Klieg looked at him angrily, but Toberman just stood. there. Kaftan turned the closing lever herself. Tobernian stood as still as a Cyberman. She looked at him wonderingly, but his face was blank and gave nothing away.
The others followed the Controller into the revitalisation room filled with an awed compulsion to see what he would do. As he moved into the room, his steps were visibly flagging, the last few steps across the room to the control panel were almost in slow motion.
They watched, fascinated, as he pressed the lever to open the lid of the recharging machine. His motions had become stiff and jerky. As he lumbered forward to the recharging sarcophagus, he seemed about to topple forward with each laboured step. Finally, the silver giant stopped in front of the machine, teetering slightly as if unable to move.
'Look. It's too weak to get in,' said Jamie in awe. 'Shhh, Jamie,' said the Doctor.
After a moment the Doctor walked cautiously towards the fumbling Cyberman. He put out a hand towards it, but felt the chill from the silvery metal and drew his hand back.
'You seem to be in trouble,' he said to the Controller. With difficulty, the great creature turned his whole body so that he could see the Doctor.
'The... energy... levels... are low...' creaked his voice; no longer a magnificent array of chords, now a croak that moved in jerks like a stuck record needle. 'We... will... survive...' he went on. He waited, his great silver body drooping into massive immobility. The Doctor waited. 'You will help us,' said the deep voice, still imperious. 'You will help us.'
The Doctor waited and watched while the great black head drooped lower. He came to a decision.
'Certainly,' said the Doctor briskly. 'Jamie. Professor.'
'You're not going to help him?' cried Jamie, thunder-struck.
'Surely not,' said Parry. 'You can't support these... things.'
'I think it best,' said the Doctor with authority. 'Come on.'
The other tw
o moved over towards the Cyberman. They also stretched out their hands to the giant's arms, hesitated at the touch of the chill metal and drew back.
'It's all right,' said the Doctor quietly. Again they reached out and touched the huge arms, grasped them more firmly, and the three of them pushed the enormous weight of the Controller towards the inside of the sarcophagus. Now the Cybercontroller stood inside the form, weak but erect.
The humans propped him up and moved away.
'You... understand the... mechanism?' the Controller said.
'I think so,' said the Doctor. He went over to the controls, his hands in his pockets. 'One moment.' He examined the code system.
'Have you taken leave of your senses, Doctor?' yelled Jamie, rushing over and taking him by the arm. 'Let's get away from this room.'
'It does seem somewhat unwise,' said the Professor.
'We'll see,' said the Doctor mildly, operating the controls. 'Now, are you ready?' he asked.
The Controller moved his head very slightly. It was all the giant could manage.
The Doctor pressed the first lever, moved his fingers fast over the sequence of buttons, and immediately the buzzing noise started, the lights flashed, the floor trembled—and the lid began to move over the waiting form of the Cyberman.
'We will... survive..' rasped the voice. 'Weee... wulll... srrrvvv...' The words slurred and ran down as the lid closed.
The Doctor relaxed and put his hands in his pockets. 'There,' he said, smiling. 'Where would you rather have him—in or out of there?'
Casually he turned back to the control board and examined it.
'Och,' said Jamie, smiling in relief. 'You do give us a hard life of it, Doctor.'
'Ah, I see,' said the Professor. 'Good idea.'
The Doctor gave a wry shrug at the chorus of congratulation. The others did not notice his crossed fingers.
12
Toberman Returns
Victoria sat quietly in the Control room, still in the power of Klieg and Kaftan, trying to work out a plan of action. She realised that she was alone again, and anything she did would have to be her own decision. There was no one else around to help this time.