Chapter 5 Past and cost part 2
As the group blinked, they saw themselves in space again, yet on a white surface with craters and what looked to be to a base on the surface in the distance.
“Is that…the moon?” Dinky asked puzzled and her father nodded.
“Yes. This must be way in the future, given humanity has a base on the moon.”
Inside, they saw Ben, Polly and a man with longish, scruffy black hair and blue eyes, wearing a battered old frock coat many sizes too large, giving him a clownish appearance. Several men in numbered uniforms were with them.
A map of the Earth dominated one wall, and what looked to be like a probe was in a transparent dome on one side of the room with its power controls in an insulated room.
“Well, you know what this place is?” One of the uniformed men asked the man next to Ben and Polly.
“Well, it looks like some sort of weather control center? Ah, yes. And that's the thing with which you control the weather. That's the culprit, then.”
“Ay?” Ben raised an eyebrow, being unsure as the short man in his early forties concluded.
“That's what gave us such a bumpy landing. Some sort of gravity device?”
“Some sort of gravity device. You are from Earth, aren't you?” The apparent leader of the uniformed men asked in return.
“Yes."
“Well, where've you been for the past 20 years? Every school kid knows about the Graviton in there.”
“Ah, yes. It must be about the year 2050, Ben.”
“We've got a proper Rip Van Winkle here. It's 2070, in case you'd like to know.” He got corrected by the commander and smiled.
“There you are. I was only twenty years out."
“Well, before we all forget what century we're in, I'd better tell you why I've called you here.”
“Won't you introduce us first? I am a Doctor.”
This created confusion among the spectating group: He called himself the doctor, but was different and younger than the Doctor they had seen at the base where Monas got destroyed.
“Doctor? You're arrived just in time. We need your help.”
“Ah. Do you?” The doctor was curious.
“I'll see you in a moment. Now, this virus…”
“Well, I may be able to help you if you'll introduce us.” The doctor suggested and the commander noted.
“Right, Doctor. You'd better meet them all. We're all scientists here, you see. No room for idle hands, I see to that. Roger Benoit, beside you there, is my assistant. He takes over as Chief Scientist if anything happens to me. He's a physicist like me and Joe Benson there. Nils, our mad Dane, is an astronomer and mathematician as is Charlie here. Ralph, Jules and Franz are geologists. When they're not acting as cooks, looks-outs, general and, you know, handymen.”
“And this is where you control the Earth's weather? I see.” Was the conclusion of the middle-aged man
“The gravitron there controls the tides, the tides controls the weather. And from this console here we plot it all on that map. Simple, eh?” Benoit explained to them.
“Oh, yeah, very simple. Wish we'd had all this back in 1966.” Ben commented, received a chuckle by the doctor.
“Was it a bad year then?”
Just then, one of the workers collapsed and Doctor offered his services as the collapsed worker got brought to the sickbay, with the radio coming to life.
“International Space Control Headquarters Earth calling Weather Control Moon. Come in please."
“Hobson here.” The commander reported in, informing about the situation. Space Control reacted by quarantining the Moonbase. One of the crew informed Hobson that their latest communication with Space Control was listened in on by someone close to the base.
Also, several bodies of the sick were reported missing and the base had pressure issues
As the doctor looked for what caused this illness, Polly brought some coffee. Coffee? Sugar?”
Hobson nodded as he grabbed a cup. “Oh, thank you.”
“It's very hot. Doctor, what about you?”
“He nodded as well. “Thank you, Polly.”
“Well, Doctor, as I was saying, you've had your chance and you've come up with absolutely nothing. Now I want-“
Hobson never finished as a crew member he groaned in pain and collapsed after having .taking a sip of his coffee and the doctor reacted quickly
“Don't touch him! Let me look.”
To everyone’s horror, black lines spreaded quickly across the man's skin.
“Here, Charlie and you, what's your name, Ben, give us a hand to get him into the medical unit.” The commander ordered and the doctor warned,
“Try not to touch his skin.”
Hobson was about to take a shop and the doctor’s eyes went wide in horror
“Don't drink that!” He slapped it out of his hand, causing the commander to be irritated.
“What the hell?”
“It's the sugar! Don't you see? That's why the disease doesn't affect everyone. It's the sugar. Not everyone takes it. No, don't touch it.” For safety, the doctor used forceps to pick up the sugar dispenser and out some sugar onto a microscope slide.
“What are you doing?” Hobson wondered.
“Just be patient. Just as I thought. A large neurotropic virus.”
“What, like the space plague?”
”No. It's a large, infective agent that only attacks the nerves. That's why the patients have got these lines on their faces and their hands. It follows the course of the nerves under the skin.” The doctor explained and Hobson looked at him in disbelief
“That's all very well, but how did it get in here?”
“Oh, it is the Cybermen. I believe they have deliberately infected the base.”
“My men have searched every square inch of the base. There's no space to hide a cat, let alone a Cyberman! Anyhow, how did they get in?”
“One moment.” A hand went to the doctor’s head, tipping it.
“What is it?
“You say you searched all the base?”
“Yes. What of it?” Hobson did not understand.
“Every nook and cranny?”
“Yes.”
“No chance of anyone hiding anywhere?
“None whatever.”
“Did your men search in here?”
“Well…
“Did they?
“Well, there were always people in here, so they probably…” Hobson hesitated before cut off again.
“Did they search in here?”
“No!”
“But there's nowhere in here they could hide.” Polly stated.
The group rounded the sickbay until they come to a bed where a body is covered by a blanket, but large silver boots are sticking out and their expression became horrified.
“Oh, no. No, no, no.” Polly whimpered and the doctor pushed the others back.
The blanket got thrown off and a Cyberman with the hatch mouth leaped out of the bed. “Stand back. Stand back from that door.” He ordered.
“You're right. It is them.” Hobson realized and a fellow crew member rushed towards the cyborg with a metal bar. A second Cybermen stood up from another table and his chest glowed. The man fell to the ground, his body smoking as the doctor cried out in terror.
“No!”
“Remain still.” The other Cyberman ordered before the commander raised his voice.
“You devils. You killed him! An unarmed man.” He yelled but the former human was not caring for it as he turned to his fellow cyborg
“Get up. See that they remain there.”
“Yes.”
In response, the first Cyberman pushed a button on his chest.
“Operational system two now complete. Operational system two now complete. Ready to start Operational system three.”
“Understood. Operational system three will now begin.” Another Cyberman could be heard, before the reporting one turned towards the doctor
“You are known to us.”
“And you to me.” The man replied.
“Silence. Who is in command?
“I am.” Hobson answered in slight fear.
“You will be needed.”
“What have you done with my men?” He demanded to know, yet got a surprising answer.
“They will return.”
“They're not dead?” The commander’s expression became one of confusion.
“No. They are not dead. They are altered.”
“Altered? What have you done to them?” Ben shouted in slight disgust.
“They are now controlled.”
“If you do anything to my-“ Hobson shouted but got cut off
“You will do nothing.”
The second Cyberman examined the patients and then gets stopped at a male patient.
“This one has not received neurotrope X. Stand back.”
“Please, leave him alone. His head is hurt. He's had an accident.” Polly explained with fear in her voice.
“His head? Then he would be of no value. The others are ready for conversion.”
“You will now take us to the control center.” The first ordered Hobson.
“I'll be damned if” He cut himself off as the Cybermen pointed his arm at him. “It's through here.”
He the Cyberman and the Doctor left the room, while the other warned the remaining human
“You will remain here. If you leave you will be converted like the others.”
“It's about time that we heard from those two outside. Let's have a word with them.” Benoit commented in the control room as two technicians who were supposed to repair an antenna on the surface.
“All yours, Roger.” His collogue, Nils acknowledged.
“Surface party, come in, please. Surface party, come in, please. Surface party, come in. We are not receiving you. Over.” Benoit spoke into the radio, yet got no reply and turned to his fellow worker. “Can we see the control antenna from here?”
“No, Roger. It's just around that first block outside the main port.”
“Well, we'll have to send someone else out so get ready to-“
Both got cut off as the commander walked in, the Cyberman behind him as he warned, “Get back! Get back! These things are lethal.”
“No one will move. You will remain still. If you move you will be killed.” The Cyberman warned and Benoit became confused.
“What are they? How did they get in?”
As on command, the cyborg answered for him. “Silence. We are Cybermen. You will listen.”
“But you were all killed!”
“We are going to take over the Gravitron and use it to destroy the surface of the Earth by changing the weather.”
“But that will kill everybody on the Earth.” The doctor realized and the Cyberman gave a reply.
“Yes.”
“You're supposed to be so advanced. Here you are taking your revenge like, like children.” Hobson taunted, only for the Cyberman to ask,
“Revenge? What is that?”
“A feeling people have when”
“Feelings? Feelings? Yes, we know of this weakness of yours. We are fortunate. We do not posses feelings.”
“Then why are you here?” The commander did not understand.
“To eliminate all dangers.” Was the cold statement of the Cyberman.
“But you'll kill every living thing on the Earth.” The commander’s eyes went wide in terror but it did not faze the former human.
“Yes. All dangers will be eliminated.”
“Have you no mercy?”
“It is unnecessary. Keep watch on them.” The Cyborg said to his fellow Cyberman and moved away to activate his communicator. “Operational system four. Operation system four.”
“Operational system four complete. Entry to base now completed.” The Cyberman on the other end acknowledged and Hobson asked,
“Entry? How did you get in?”
“It was very simple. Only stupid Earth brains like yours would have been fooled.” The Cyberman replied and the commander gave a weak, fearful nod.
“Go on.”
“Since we couldn't approach direct, we came up under the surface and cut our way in through your store room, contaminating your food supply on the way. A simple hole, that's all.”
“A hole! That explains those sudden air pressure drops we've been recording.” The man exclaimed in realization
“Clever. Clever. Clever.” The Cyborg said in an almost taunting tone.
After that, three men walked in with neutral expressions, wearing what looked like headpieces as they entered the power room.
“But you can't send them in there without the protective helmets.” Benoit protested, only for the Cyberman to ask,
“Why?”
“The machine produces very intense sonic fields. Without the helmets, those men will be insane in a few hours.” He explained.
“How many hours?”
Benoit took a rough guess. “Twelve, possibly.”
It was enough for the cyborg to conclude. “Then there is no problem.”
“Why?” The French did not understand.
“Our purpose will be achieved before that.”
Fear was visible in Benoit’s eyes. “But what about the men?”
It was a cold answer that the Cyberman gave. “They will be disposed of.” Then he turned to the controlled men. “Prepare to align the field rectors. Main power into vortex generators now. Servo pumps to full pressure.
“Why did they go to so such trouble?” Hobson whispered to the doctor
“What do you mean?”
“Why didn't they operate the controls themselves?”
In response, the Doctor walked to the R/T unit and adjusted the volume and pitch It caused the controlled men to lose coordination, struggling to do their work.
“What is happening?
“There is loss of control.” The two Cybermen wondered what was going on and the man grinned as he spoke to himself in a sotto tone,
“Thought so. Sonic control. That should be easy.” He then reset the dials.
“Funny. Funny. Go to all that trouble to make the men do the work. Why? Do it themselves, easy. They're using the men as tools. Why? Don't know.” He paused for a moment.”
“Yes, I do though. There must be something in here they don't like. Pressure? Electricity? Radiation? Maybe.” Quick as a flash, he got it
“Gravity! Now there's a thought. Gravity. Oh, yes. Gravity.”
“Start probe generators. Realign the probe. Probe field to full power now.” The controlled men obeyed the Cybermen’s orders
“They'll devastate the whole Earth when that field takes hold.” Hobson whispered to Benoit, who nodded.
“We've got to do something.”
“Earth Control calling Moonbase. Come in, please.” The radio buzzed, yet the Cybermen held the crew back.
“Remain still.”
“Hello, Moonbase. Come in, please.”
“You will all be silent.”
“Moonbase, come in, please. Hello? Reading on five centimetre band. Come in. Your last routine signal was not received. Over. We are not receiving you. Over. If you hear us and cannot transmit, fire sodium rocket. We shall see flare.” The control center informed
“What does that mean?” The first Cyberman asked Hobson
“It's a distress rocket. It ejects sodium into space and then the sun lights the sodium into a yellow flare.” He explained.
“What will your Earth do if they do not see the flare?”
“Well, they'll think we're all dead. They'll do nothing.”
As on signal, the radio buzzed once more. “Standing by to observe flare. Standing by.”
The Cyberman turned the transmitter off and Hobson whispered to Benoit, “If they don't get our next transmission, they'll send up a relief rocket.”
Just then, one of the controlled men collapsed and the commander shouted in shock, "You'll kill them!“
“If you will not remain silent you will be put under brain control.” The second Cyberman warned and adjusted his control box and the controlled human jumped up again before there was a strange noise.
“Someone is there.” Then a high pitched noise followed, making the controlled men freeze.
“The beam is jammed.” The other Cybermen realized.
Both cyborgs turned on the doctor as Ben, Polly and another man stormed into the room. They sprayed what looked like foam on the Cybermen's chest units, which instantly bubble and dissolve. Clutching helplessly at their chests, the Cybermen collapsed.
The Doctor quickly removed the headpieces from the controlled crew, who were then rushed to the sick bay.
Then the scene switched to the moon surface and the ponies saw a saucer-shaped ship, its doors opened and two rows of Cybermen marched out and over the crater rim.
The Cybermen contacted the Moonbase to tell them that they had surrounded them and that resistance is useless. Hobson was defiant and replied that they had blocked their point of entry. He attempted to contact Earth, only to find out that the signal had been jammed through the Cybermen having destroyed the antenna. The crew speculated that all they need to do is wait it out for the relief craft that Earth would send due to the lack of communication with the Moonbase.
They were delighted to see the relief craft approach but became confused when it began to change course and accelerated. The ship was on a direct path towards the sun. The Doctor suspected that the only thing that would have caused this would be some sort of deflection from the Gravitron. They discovered Evans, the chief doctor of the base who had been the first victim of the virus, who had died shortly after the doctor entered the base, in control of the Gravitron and guilty of diverting the ship, being controlled by the cyborgs through a headpiece.
“Resistance is useless. All further ships from Earth will be deflected. Open the airlock to us. If you do not we shall destroy the base and you will be eliminated.” A Cyberman told them on the radio.
“You can fear us?” Hobson asked dumbfolded.
“Everything you have said in the past half hour has been overheard.”
“You can hear this too, then. We're not done yet and we'll fight you to the last man. You'll never get inside this base.” The commander countered determined.
“We are in it already.”
As the cyborg finished, a bang sounded and everyone clutched their throats and hangs on as the air rushed out.
“They've punctured the dome!” Hobson exclaimed in shock and everyone managed to equip oxygen masks, with him and Benoit trying to fix the hole.
They attempted to plug the crack with the commander’s coat but it got sucked out, yet had success in using a coffee tray.
Amongst the chaos, the Doctor noticed that Evans had collapsed and moved him from the control room, but it wasn’t over yet.
To Hobson and the Doctor's shock, another Cybership landed and a weapon was unloaded from it, looking like a pipe attached to a cylinder, requiring three Cybermen to hold it steady as they took it out of a crate. The crew got to cover, but the Doctor stoically stood his ground.
“Fire.” One of the Cyberman ordered and the weapon fired a laser beam. It 'bounced' off it, going upwards and the commanding cyborg stared, almost as in disbelief along the beams trajectory after it deflected before ordering, “Again. Fire.”
Yet again, the beam bounced off the base and he gave a sign to pack it back into the crate.
However, this gave the Doctor an idea. He asked if the Gravitron can be dipped so low it could have a bearing on the surface of the Moon. Benoit and Hobson said it has never been tried, but they attempted it.
Benoit put on a helmet and went into gravitron control, with Polly by the window to relay instructions, giving a thumb up to show they were ready.
As the Cyberman outside spread out, Benoit shook his head to signal that gravitron won't go any lower.
The doctor suggested trying it by hand but it wouldn’t swift.
“Ah, stupid of me. Of course it won't.” Hobson realized and the other man asked,
“Why?”
“Well, the angular cut out. It's obvious, isn't it?” The commander pointed out, “You see, there's got to be a safety cut out on the angle of the probe otherwise it might affect the whole base.” He then removed it and signaled his fellow crew member with a nod.
The Cybermen started to advance slowly. Yet as soon as they did, then stopped moving, staring towards the dome.
Their heads slowly looked down, as if they realized something was odd.
The leading Cybermen tried to make a step forward, yet started to float.
In surprise and what looked like slightly panic, the others looked to the ground, realizing what was happening, trying to hold onto something, waving around their arms.
As the cyborgs and their ships floated out into space, the crew let up a mighty cheer of victory.
The scene then switched to three Cyberman managing to hold onto one of the ships, managing to enter it and flew away.
It was here where the memory faded and the group was again in the white void.
“Those were the other members of Tyson’s team, no doubt.” Dinky started, “Yet, why would they do this?”
“I can’t tell but sense that the next memory will show us.” Luna replied.
“But there’s one thing I don’t get,” Derpy mumbled, “They recognized the doctor, but he was a completely different person.
“I think I have a suspicion, “Her husband spoke up, “He can change is appearance and personality but still retains the same signature.”
“Possible.” Midnight nodded before Luna lit up her horn for the next memory.