Chapter 11 Past and cost part 8
As they opened their eyes, the group noticed that they were in the sewers again, spotting two workers in blue overalls and hard hats doing inspections, with one of them spotting something. “What's that?” His torchlight pointed at a brick wall.
“Hang on a minute. We are under Fleet Street?” His co-worker wondered, only to be reminded,
“Well, you've got the map.”
He took a look at it and said confused, “According to this, there was work done here seven years ago. Three half walls with vaulted buttresses.”
“We must be in the wrong tunnel.”
“No, we're not.”
“Hang on, I'll check it out.” The first worked walked away, with the other one shining his light at a number sign on the wall.
“No, we are in the right tunnel.” He said, only to notice his co-worker was gone, looking for him. “David? David! David? You all right? David!”
He then screamed before something in the dark zapped him and he fell knocked out to the ground.
After blinking, they saw the same spot, but with three men in black clothing working on the same wall in an attempt to remove it. The first one had brown hair with matching eyes, the second was bald with brown eyes, with the third one sharing the colors of the first man.
They all got surprised as light glinted off an approaching silver humanoid. A Cyberman the ponies realized.
In response, the bald man drew a pistol. “Let him have it!” He fired but the bullet bounced off and the first man yelled,
“Hold your fire!”
“What's your game, Lytton?” The bald man demanded to know before Lytton raised a SMG
“Move back. Move back!” He warned before a doorway in the sewer wall slid open, revealing more Cybermen.
“My name is Lytton, and I am your prisoner, Cybermen.” Lytton calmly said, handing over the gun to the Cyber-leader, who broke it in half.
With a panicked expression, the bald man turned to run, only to face a Cyberman and he screamed.
Then the scene switched to the room the Cybermen where in, it was quite a big room. Machinery was mounted on the walls, with alcoves where humans were standing, blank faces. Among them were the two workers they had seen before, getting slowly outfitted with the headpiece and chest plate of the cyborgs. Only the face and arms were still visible organic.
It was a shocking scene for the ponies, now seeing firsthand how innocents got forcibly converted into Cybermen.
“How did you know where to find us?” The Cyber-Leader interrogated Lytton, who calmly,
“You have a ship hidden on the dark side of the moon. I tracked your transmissions.” He and the other man were standing in a corner, the third man was nowhere to be seen as the leader turned to a Cyberman that was painted black.
“Inform Moonbase our signals are being detected. They must increase the distortion.”
“You're quite safe. Earth authorities can't pick up your signals. It's beyond their technology.” Lytton assured them and the leader’s assistant pointed out,
“You were capable.”
“I am not from Earth.” He simply stated, which the leader acknowledged.
“So you have said.”
“But where do you come from?” His assistant asked.
“Vita Fifteen, in the star system six nine zero.”
“What is the name of your satellite?” The Leader wanted to know and the man answered as required.”
“Riften Five.”
“I have heard of that place. It is occupied by a race of warriors.”
“Who fight only for money, Leader. He is not to be trusted.” The assistant warned him, only for Lytton
This caught the ponies by surprise. Lytton was a mercenary, offering his servicers for the Cybermen. They couldn’t believe it, how could someone sell out his own species for a fate worse than death?
Blue may have been a mercenary too but she would never work for someone who would bring a fate like that, nor would Tybalt or Shadowplay, this was a standard for all three.
“Listen to me.” Lytton spoke up, walking towards the leader as the assistant warned him.
“You will show respect to the Leader.”
“I will do more than that. I will serve him, aid you in your cause.”
“If that is true, when you become as we are, you will serve the Cyber race well.” The leader explained but Lytton declined.
“Oh, no, as myself. You forget, Leader, I have been tracking your transmissions. I know why you're here.”
His reply caused the assistant to suggest, “He must be destroyed. He says he comes to aid us yet he carries weapons.”
“My gun was used in your cause. I didn't know he was armed.” The merc stated honestly and the Leader scolded dabbing a dinger at him,
“You should not have brought others.”
“I brought them as gifts for you to turn into Cybermen.” He explained but the assistant didn’t believe him.
“He lies, Leader.”
“Silence. There is logic in what he says. If he had wished our destruction, he could have betrayed our cause to Earth authorities.” The Leader countered and Lytton nodded.
“Precisely.”
“The Cyber Controller can decide their fate.”
With a weak grin, Lytton replied, “Thank you, Leader. Where will I have the honor of meeting him?”
In response, the leader stated, “If you know of our activities, you will know where he is.”
“I assume he is still on the planet Telos.” The man assumed and the Leader replied,
“He is.”
Yet this caused more surprise among the watchers. Telos, Cyber-Controller? Had the one the Doctor faced at the tomes survived? Or was there another one?
So many questions raced through their heads but they all knew they could only watch and see.
With that, the scenery switched to what looked like a quarry, with Cybermen watching over what looked like partially cyber-converted prisoners, as they had their limbs replaced, yet everything else looked still human, dressed in dark-green jackets with caps.
One of them knocked a Cyberman’s head off with a piece of pipe in a shower of sparks, while two other knocked one of the guards over. A third man rushed towards a guard top of the quarry but was shoot by it, falling backwards to the ground
“Stratton, grab the head! The head!” The first man yelled as two guards moved towards Stratton. He looked terrified at the one who had lost his head, as it staggered around with sparks before falling over.
As he made a dash for it, the cyborg on the cliff edge shot the head, destroying it in a small explosion. Yet both men managed to ran up an unguarded slop, escaping.
Back in the sewers, the third man held a knife to the throat of a man who was slightly surprised but not scared.
He was a tall man with long, curly, blond hair and green eyes. Similar to the Doctor on the freighter, he wore a plain white shirt with cherry question marks embroidered on the collar. His other clothes were a set of royal yellow trousers with black stripes and a patchwork frock coat, which had cuffs the same color as his trousers and featured patches of crimson tartan, scarlet, green, pink and maroon felt, peach wool, a woven back piece, checked collar and yellow and pink lapels.
Next to him was a trim young woman, her dark, shiny hair was short and straight, wearing pink shorts with a low-cut top.
She got introduced as Peri by the tall man, who called himself the Doctor. His captor ordered both against the wall to frisk them.
At the same time, in the hidden “outpost” of the Cybermen, the bald man whispered to Lytton as they watched the cyborgs working on consoles and patrolling, “You seem to have sorted them out. Wish I had your presence of mind.”
“Really?” The mercs asked slightly surprised, with his fellow human adding,
“How did you know all that stuff you told them?” He sounded puzzled and Lytton simply said,
“Perhaps it's true.”
“You said you came from Fulham.”
In an almost teasing tone, the merc replied, “You know, Griffiths, when I look at you, I often wonder why your ancestors bothered to climb out of the primordial slime.”
“That sounds like another insult, Mister Lytton.” Griffiths’ voice was one of slight anger.
As the scene switched, the ponies were briefly confused to see that they still saw alcoves where humans were converted, with consoles and machinery scatted around the room, but much bigger.
“Controller.” A Cyberman said and the watchers glanced upon a fellow Cyberman with highly domed head without the tubes to the ear pieces, more heavily built around the belly and thighs. “Two of the work party have escaped.”
“Who are they?” The Controller asked
“Stratton and Bates.” His lower-ranked cyborg stated and he concluded,
“That is to be expected. They will attempt to recapture their ship.”
“Shall I instruct the time vessel on its return to remain in orbit?” The Cyberman asked and the Controller instructed him,
“No, it must land. We need the ship here. It will also provide the escapees with an incentive. There will be some scientific value in studying how they attempt to evade their destruction.”
Then it switched back to the sewers, seeing how the Doctor had knocked down the man, with woman having grabbed the gun.
The man then calm introduced himself as Russel, being an undercover police officer that was investigating Lytton, who appeared suddenly a year earlier and committed several daring crimes with great skill.
In return, the Doctor concluded, “Not only is he from another planet, but he's also a professional killer. Back to the Tardis. It's a bit overcrowded down here.
They were unaware that the Cybermen had picked them up, as the Cyber-leader turned to Lytton. “Lytton, my scouts have located three humanoids in the tunnels.”
“Perhaps it's the old bill. They'll soon sort out this fancy dress party.” Griffiths suspected and the Leader asked,
“What does he say?”
“He implies it could be the police.” The merc explained to the Leader, who turned to his assistant.
“The intruders must be dealt with.”
“Yes, Leader.”
“This time they must not be damaged. We cannot afford to be wasteful.” The Leader added as he clenched both of his fists. “Our forces must grow in strength.”
In the sewers, Russel leaned against the wall with a surprised expression as he saw something and the Doctor asked, “What is it?”
“Look for yourself.”
In response, the Doctor and peers round the corner, seeing a silver figure and his eyes went wide in surprise. “A Cyberman.”
“I saw one of these things earlier. They must be all over the place.” Russel pointed out with slight fear but Peri was puzzled.
“What are they?”
“A particularly unpleasant alien life form.” The Doctor explained and reached for a small cylinder object with a red glowing tip
“Where are you going?” The police officer asked and Peri‘s expression became slightly scared.
“You want to fight it?”
“We can at least try.”
Russel did not understand, as he looked at the small device. “What can you do with that?”
“Shake it up a little. Wait, watch and learn.”
He waited patiently around the corner until the cyborg was near. As it come closer, he jabs the cylinder into the chest plate of the Cyberman. The Cyborg grabbed it, and struggled before collapsing and exploded. The Doctor then grabbed it’s gun.
This action resulting in a red light flashing on a console in the hidden outpost.
“A Cyber scout has been destroyed.” The assistant reported and the Leader ordered,
The attackers must be found.”
“Getting a bit rough, is it?” Griffith joked, imitating the voice of the cyborgs before the Leader squeezed his head between his fists, causing him to grunt in pain
“Remain silent or you will die.” He then let go and turned to the black Cyberman. “Transfer the humanoids to our ship and then seal this place. It must not be discovered.” Then back to his two prisoners. “You and you will come with me.”
They then discovered the remains of the destroyed scout, the cylinder still stuck in it. “Sonic lance from Earth?” Lytton was surprised as he expected it.
“An alien? That would make sense of the time distortion, Leader.” The assistant assumed and Lytton had an assumption.
“I can guess who it is. I've been expecting him to return. He calls himself the Doctor.”
Clenching a fist, the leader exclaimed, “Excellent.”
“You know of him?” The merc asked surprised and the assistant answered,
“He is an enemy of the Cyber race. His capture will serve our term.
“More so the capture of his Tardis.” The leader added.
Russel, Peri and the Doctor went up a manhole, coming to a junkyard, with the police member looking confused at an organ. “That wasn't here before.” He said before dragged in by the Doctor.
The latter enters the console room cautiously, yet got suddenly grabbed by a Cyberman. As the man groaned in pain, Russel took aim with a pistol and fired a shot.
In response, the cyborg let go, making zombie-like groans before Russel put two rounds into its 'mouth' to no immediate effect. Letting it out another zombie-like groan, the Cyberman stepped forward before its head exploded.
Russell then picked up the cyber gun as his pistol had jammed, with the Doctor still on the floor, trying to recover his breath. “How does this thing work?” He fired it against the wall creating sparks. “Sorry.”
Waving a hand, the Doctor warned, “Careful, there may be others.”
A Cyberman came through the interior door and Russell shot it, causing the cyborg to fell to the ground with a head as the chest sparked.
“Shut the main doors.” The Doctor ordered and Peri reached for the control but there was a small explosion.
“Ow!” She cried in pain.
“Peri, look out!” Russel warned as more Cybermen entered from inside and outside, with Lytton and Griffiths also entering, hands on heads.
Before anyone could react, a Cyborg hit Russel with it’s first at the neck. The man held it, stumbling around in pain before collapsing and the woman gasped, kneeling down to him.
“Destroy her. Destroy her at once.” The Cyber-leader ordered and Peri screamed in fear as a Cyberman took aim.
Wait!” The Doctor exclaimed as he jumped up, a slightly panicked expression. “Let's discuss this, shall we?”
“I agree.” Peri added with a barely noticeable whisper, but it didn’t matter for the Leader as he turned towards the man.
“There is nothing to discuss.
“If you want my cooperation, she must live.” The Doctor demanded only to be refused.
“We cannot agree to bargain, Doctor. It would be unfortunate if you were to be killed, but we should still have your Tardis.”
In response, the Doctor dove for the console and pressed a few buttons. “Not anymore, you don't. In precisely twenty seconds, you and it will cease to exist.” He said as the Leader looked at a monitor, a 20 countdown had started.
“Release the woman.” He ordered and his soldiers did as told, only for the Doctor to ask determined,
“How do I know you won't cheat and change your mind?”
You have my word.”
“I'm not sure that's enough.” Stated the man, being distrustful and the leader added,
“Also that of the Cyber Controller.”
This caused the Doctor to be surprised. “I thought he was destroyed.”
“No, merely damaged.” The Leader stated
“Where is he now?” He wanted to know, puzzled.
“On our home planet, Telos.”
In disbelief, the Doctor stared, then mumbled, “I see.”
With fear, Peri looked at the countdown, which had reached 3. “Doctor!”
Quickly reacting, he pressed a button and the countdown stopped at 1.
“Correct. We can now time travel. Set the coordinates for Telos.” The Leader ordered, with the man doing as told.
Then the humans got shit into a room. Lytton explained that the Cybermen have captured a timeship that landed on Telos and have great plans for that ship and the TARDIS as well. The Doctor asked him how he did know so much about Telos and the Cybermen's plans, but the only answer he got by the merc was,
“What does it matter? Just be grateful you're alive.”
Shortly after, a Cyberman entered, ordering the Doctor to come with him, with Peri led out too.
“We had an agreement.” The Doctor state in slight disgust as the Leader countered,
“The woman is unharmed. Telos is cold. She must have warmer clothing. I have kept my word but you have deceived us.”
Faking an innocent expression, the Doctor asked, “What have I done?” In response, two Cybermen gripped his shoulders and causing him to groan in pain.
You will disconnect the signal you are transmitting.” The leader demanded, the man nodded slight before thrown against the console. He pressed a sequence of buttons then nodded again.
The Cyber Leader casually backhanded him causing the man to stagger back right across the room with a surprised yelp. “You are foolish, Doctor. Next time, we will kill you.”
Then, the ponies found themselves in a large corridor with several doors on each side. It took the group only seconds to realize that those were the Cyber-Tombs they had seen before, with white steam in the air, indicating it was cold
Yet it had somehow an elegant appearance still.
A pair of large wrought iron gates materialized in a corridor and Cybermen led their captives out, with Peri now wearing a bright red catsuit.
“What happened to the organ?” Griffith wondered as he looked confused at the gate and Pero asked,
“Do you really want to know? Oh, this place is so cold!” She puffed into her hands.
The Doctor and Lytton looked around in awe as the former commented, “I'd forgotten how big they were.”
“I can understand why they call them tombs.” Lytton added.
“I'm pleased you two are so impressed. I find the whole place hateful.” The woman commented with an upset expression.
“Yes, I suppose the atmosphere is rather rancid.” Her friend added slightly fascinated.
“And it's freezing cold.”
“We have materialized in the wrong place.” The Leader realized, a slight hint of worry in his voice as he looked around.
“Really?” The Doctor asked innocent, with Lytton quietly commenting,
“He almost sounded concerned.”
“Yes. I wonder why?”
Then, the leader turned towards the humans. We must leave this place at once.”
“Why?” The Doctor asked clueless and the leader pointed at him.
“We have far to travel, and the Controller awaits your arrival.”
Suddenly, without any warning, a fist smashed out of one of the 'doors' and took a Cyberman's head off.
Lytton, Griffith and Peri used this to run as a manky green Cyberman emerged from the door. It was clear to the ponies that this was one gone mad through something.
The Leader pushed the Doctor out of the way to confront the maddened Cyberman. He blocked a punch by it, then pushed it to the ground.
“He must not be harmed.” The leader warned his assistant, who had grabbed the Doctor, who had a slightly started expression,
“What about the others, Leader?”
“They are unimportant.” He started and pushed the Doctor forwards.
Scared, Peri wandered through a corridor, trying to look through one door. A green slime Cyberman burst out and graved her, she screamed.
Out of another door came 2 slender humanoids out, armed with Cyber-guns. They looked pale and lean, with long fingers and fingernails, enlarged craniums and whitish skin.
They also looked like their skin was crystalline, reminding the ponies of Crystal ponies. They suspected those were the natives of Telos.
Both humanoids fired at the Cyberman. He groaned and staggers away, allowing both to take the woman into the cubicle they had come from, she protested, being still in shock.
The Doctor, on the other hand, was pushed inside a storage room. He shivered from the cold and puffed into his hands as another of those humanoids, wearing a cape, got up from behind some containers.
“Welcome.” It said in a feminine, echoing voice.
Surprised, the Doctor replied, “Hello. I'm the Doctor.”
“My name is Flast.”
In a cave, Peri woke up, gasping in surprise as she looked straight at one of those strange humanoids, who said in a calming voice, “Peace, child. We mean you no harm.”
“We rescued you from the Cybermen, at no inconsiderable risk to ourselves.” Another explained
Slowly calming down, still trying to understand, the woman mumbled, “Oh, yes. I'm sorry, I'm confused.”
“You must rest, then we will talk.” The first one advised and she asked,
“Who are you?”
“My name is Rost. This is Varne.”
“I'm Peri. I'm from the planet Earth.”
“We know, child.” Rost nodded and Varne added with slight sadness,
“We are Cryons. We no longer have a planet.”
In the storage room, the Doctor was surprised to see Flast, telling her, “I thought the Cybermen had destroyed the Cryons.”
“So did they, but as you see, some of us survived. Not many, but some. She replied and explained that the Cybermen intended to use the time vessel to prevent that Mondas would be destroyed one year later, much to the dismay of the Doctor, who stated in a puzzled tone,
“They can't! It's against all the laws of time!”
Blinking once again, the group saw now the rocky surface of the plantet, with Lytton and Griffiths walking through the landscape. Both carried backpacks, with the latter also having a Cyber-gun, opening his mouth with an irritated expression.
“This place is enormous. We'll never find them out here.”
“Yes, we will.” He assured him confident and the bald man pointed at a small PDA like device the merc was holding,
“That thing. What does it do?”
“It detects Cybermen, and there are two very close.2
“That's right.” A voice explained, it was that of Bates as he and Stratton emerged from a hill. “Don't turn round. Throw the gun down.” Griffiths did as told. “Now the bag. You're looking for us?”
“If you're Bates and Stratton, yes.” Lytton replied calmly.
Now the ponies saw that Stratton was wearing the neck plate and “head” of a Cyberman. The children couldn’t help but suppress a giggle, as with the trailing tubes and broken neck, it looked rather sad.
“So you found us.” Bates commented with distrust and Lytton countered,
“I think we can help each other.”
“Really?” The partially converted man mumbled as he frisked Griffiths, his expression became one of surprise.
“He's flesh and blood.”
This confused Lytton’s helper. “What's he talking about?” He asked as Bates turned Lytton around to check him.
“This one too.”
Now, the bald human started to understand, looking at the merc for an answer. “Are they Cybermen?”
“Almost.”
In response, Bates’ expression became one of hate and disgust. “This is what the Cybermen do to you.” He pulled off a glove to reveal a cybernetic arm with wires. Then he used it to squeeze Griffiths' hand, who grimaced in pain.
As Bates let go of him, he asked the prisoner. “How much of you?”
“Arms and legs. Their conditioning process doesn't always work.” Bates explained and he concluded,
“You're sort of rejects.”
“That's one way of putting it.”
“Will they do that to us?” The bald man feared, only for Lytton to calmly reply
“If they find us. But we won't be here. Like you, we want to steal the time vessel.” He pointed out to the two prisoners but Bates shook his head.
“We don't need you.”
“The time vessel needs a crew of three, at minimum.” Lytton pointed out, “Now, there are two of us and there are two of you. I don't know how you intend to get onto the landing pad, but I have a safe route. Through Cyber Control."
Bates then snatched a small computer like device from Lytton. “Where'd you get this from?”
“The Cryons.”
They then walked up to hatch not far away, leading into a tunnel, with Lytton watching the entrance as the others went up a ladder. As he was about to go up the ladder, he got grabbed by the ankle.
He screamed as he got pulled away, with the others unable to help him, continuing on.
Flask told the Doctor that the Cybermen’s weapon would be a comet that was approaching earth, Halley's comet, the Doctor assumed and looked for a way to open the door.
“I think I can help you. I managed to open one of these, but I couldn't do anything with it.” Flask explained, taking the Doctor to a pile of silver ammunition boxes and he looked at it in slight confusion.
“What is it?” It was full of white powder.
“Vastial. She explained, “It's a mineral, very common in the colder areas of Telos. It's also very unstable. In fact, you have enough in your hand to blow it off. At this temperature, though, it's quite safe, quite useless, otherwise the Cybermen would hardly have locked us in here with it.”
“How warm does it have to get before it becomes unfriendly?” The Doctor wanted to know and the Cryon warned,
“Ten degrees above zero. Fifteen, and it self-ignites.”
Keeping this in mind, the man reached for his Sonic Lance and worked on the door controls, then used a scoop to get some of the Vastial out of the box.
The door slid open a little way and the Doctor puts the scoop out in the corridor and closed it again.
Spotting it, the Cyberman walked over, reaching down for the scoop. It exploded and his arm caught fire, sparkling like fireworks. In a futile attempt, he tried to pat it out before its chest plate exploded.
Knowing that she couldn’t leave the room without dying, Flask pointed out, “There is enough explosive in here to annihilate Cyber Control.”
“Well, there's not much power left in this lance, and that stuff is very cold. It may not generate enough heat.” The Doctor replied and gave it to her.
She looked determined at it. “The Cybermen will not leave Telos.”
Then, the group saw how Lytton was brought to the Controller, a neutral expression as he got asked by the high-ranking Cyborg, “You have wasted both our time and energy. I know that you plan to steal or destroy my time vessel. You will tell me how it is to be done.”
In response, the Controller gave a sign and two Cybermen took hold of his hands and squeezed them.
Lytton tried to suppress a cry, his expression slowly becoming one of pain. In a matter of seconds, blood poured down them and he fell to the floor, screaming.
“You are foolish, Lytton. You could have saved yourself from pain. I told you you would tell us everything.” The Controller taunted as the two Cybermen pulled him up and he pointed towards the alcoves. “Now you will become as we are.”
“The time vessel is approaching Telos, Controller.” One of his soldiers told him and he replied,
“Excellent. Order it to land and have the Doctor brought to me.”
“Controller.” The Cyberman did as told, there was a beeping sound. “The Cyberman guarding the Doctor does not respond.”
“Show him to me.” Doing so as ordered, the monitor showed the open storeroom door. “The Doctor has escaped. He must be found.”
The Doctor ran through the corridors, stopping at a corner to see that the Tardis was guarded, yet at the same time, Peri with her two allies caught up to him, introducing themselves.
“How many Cybermen are inside the Tardis?” He asked them and Varne replied,
“We have no way of telling.”
“Then we must find out.” He ran to a tomb door and tried to shoulder his way but groaned in pau and asked, “Do you mind?”
Varne used her gun to blast the door. Inside was a green, dead, Cyberman lying on the floor, with the Doctor kneeling next to its head..
“What are you doing?” Peri asked confused and he replied,
“Cybermen have an inbuilt distress signal.”
“But this thing's dead.” she pointed out as he opened the faceplate.
To the horror of the ponies, unlike with Tyson, where was no visible face inside, just electronics
“The signal is mechanical, not organic. There may be enough power left in this battery to transmit.” The Doctor explained as he fiddled with it to get it to work.
“And achieve what?” She did not understand.
“A reaction from those inside the Tardis. The Cybermen have one weakness. They'll react to the distress of their own kind. When I was a prisoner in Cyber Control, I met a friend of yours.” He explained to her
“Flast?” Varne asked surprised as she realized. “But we thought she was dead.”
“If she isn't now, she soon will be. She's at the moment the living detonator of a bomb that could go off at any second and kill us all.” The Doctor added as he got the signal to work and a red light blinked.
At the storage room, the Cyber-leader searched the room, discovering Flask. “How long has the Doctor been gone?” He demanded to know and she simply answered,
“I don't know. I don't have an instrument for measuring time.” Then two Cybermen grabbed her shoulders, causing her to groan in pain.
“You will answer my questions.”
“I will not.” The Cryon refused and the leader decided.
“Very well, take her outside.”
They pushed Flast into the corridor. Steam started to come off her and she writhed in pain before dying. But she had done her work, as the ponies saw out of the corner of their eyes how the Vastial was quietly heating up by the far wall, visible by steam coming out of the box.
The scene switched and they saw the three men walking among a corridor, coming to a door, with Bates looking at the small computer.
“According to the map, the launching pad is on the other side of this door.”
“We made it!” Stratton exclaimed, only for the bald man to point out,
“Let's get aboard the ship before we open the champagne.”
“Give me that thing.” Bates grabbed the gun before asking, “Ready?” Both nodded.
But the moment he touched the door, there was a red-orange flash, he screamed and fell dead to the ground.
Both men started in shock, unable to process what had just happened. Then the door opened and they started to run but got shot in the back by the Cyberman.
With that, they looked at the room with the Controller again as he received a report. “The intruders have been destroyed.”
“Excellent. You will all accompany me.” He Controller replied and they all walked out.
Yet a gasp escaping everyone to see Lytton on one of tha alcove’s, undergoing Cyber-conversation.
His lower body had the silver overall, together with a half-finished chest plate, his lower arms covered in plastic and headpiece, everything connected to wires.
The man himself had an empty expression, yet he twitched, with his eyes showed that he was in pain.
Back with the Doctor, the ponies saw how he, Peri and the Cryons took cover behind pillars as two Cybermen came out of the Tardis to investigate the distress signal.
Rost managed to shoot one, his chest unit created sparks as he fell to the ground with a human-like cry. Varne stepped out to get the other, but got hit where she could open fire.
With a cry of pain, steam coming of her body, she fell to the ground. A third Cryon finished the Cyberman instead.
With grief, the Doctor looked at Varne’s body. I’m sorry.” He said to Rost, who replied,
“Please remove your Tardis from Telos before you have to be rescued again.”
“What about you, Rost?” He sounded worried but she assured him,
“We shall survive.”
“But Doctor, what about Lytton?” Peri added, He's been captured by the Cybermen.” She explained with worry as they made thee to the Tardis.
With a cold expression, the Doctor taunted, “That should make him happy.”
“You don't understand. He's working for the Cryons.”
This caused the Doctor to stop in confusion, looking at Rost as she followed them. “For you?”
“Yes, for us.”
“Well, you can't just let him die.” His companion pleaded with him.
In response, he looked towards the humanoid with a conflicted expression. “Where's he likely to be now?”
“In the laboratory.”
He nodded. “I'll see what I can do. Good luck.”
“And to you, Doctor.” Rost said as she watched both entering the Tardis.
Lytton’s eyes moved as he heard a creaking sound, seeing a blue police box materializing in the room and the Doctor stepped out, looking at him with a neutral expression.
“I know you.” Lytton’s voice was distorted, sounding in pain as the Doctor looked for a way to free him.
“That's right. And I'm just beginning to find out about you.”
“Did you put the sonic lance to good use?” The merc wanted to know”
“I did. Why didn't you say something?” He got asked in return by the Doctor, but it didn’t matter for Lytton as he stated with a painful expression,
“Now you must kill me.”
“I can help you. Hang on.” The Doctor stated, walking towards a computer console, as the partially cyber-converted man mumbled,
“The drug is affecting my brain. Irreversible damage.”
Having found what he looked for, the Doctor picked up a sharp instrument and walked back to Lytton. “I'm the Doctor. I'll tell you if its irreversible or not. Now just hang on.”
“I did my best. I kept my word.” Lytton explained as his savior tried to disconnect him from the alcove systems.
“I know.”
“Please, Doctor. Kill me.” Lytton pleaded before the door opened, with the Cyber Controller entering, weapon ready.
“Move away from him, Doctor.” He ordered, no noticing how the man putted the knife in Lytton's hand as he approached both. “Emotion is a weakness.”
In response, the Doctor shook his head. “I don't think so.”
“It brought you back for your friend and it will cost you your life.”
As the Controller reached both, Lytton stabbed it in the arm, severing a fluid tube. Green spurts everywhere as Lytton stabs again and again, with the Controller screaming in pain, punching hum to the ground.
The Doctor scrambles for the Controller's gun, shooting the Cyber-leader with it as he entered with his assistant. Pushed back by the hit, the leader got spun around, into his assistant, who got shot by the Doctor too. Then the Controller started flailing around, knocking the Doctor across the room.
Taking quickly aim, the Doctor hit the Controller into the chest-plate. It exploded and the cyborg fell screaming to the ground, exploding.
Breathing heavily, the Doctor stood up and checked Lytton, who was lying lifeless on the ground.
With a worried expression, the Doctor said, “I must help him.”
Peri had a face of regret as she was afraid to say, “It's too late, Doctor. He's dead.”
“I can't just leave him.” He protested but she insisted,
“You must. There's nothing you can do.”
“Why didn't he say something?” The Doctor wondered as he and Peri prepared to enter the Tardis, only for her to remind him,
“You never gave him a chance.”
Two Cybermen then spotted the shouldering box of explosive. One of them waved at the other to run, just moments before an explosion followed.
Another one. And another one.
Sparks flew through the air as one after another box exploded in a violent chain reaction.
Covering their eyes from the flash, they then saw the other prisoners, held captive in a small quarry by two guards before they watched a big explosion in the distance. They all closed their eye in acceptance as the guards took aim.
Several shots.
But the prisoners were still alive.
They all looked in confusion to see the guards destroyed, with three other Cybermen behind the destroyed Cyborgs.
“You are free to go.” One of them said and the human looked confused at each other. “The time-ship us intact, it’s just behind the hill. And don’t worry, it can be reversed what happened to you, the data’s on the ship.” The Cyberman pointed at a small hill just behind him.
The prisoners hesitated for a second before starting to walk, keeping their eyes on the cyborgs until they got out of sight behind a hill.
Seconds later, there was a loud roar of an engine. The three cyborgs took this as sign to walk towards a small incline, where a shuttle, same design the rouge at the freighter had used, was hidden. They used it to fly away and everything ended in the void again.
“So, they tried to change history in order to safe their planet, “Time Turner started, “A forbidden move, but a clever one, I admit.”
“Yeah, but poor Lytton, he hasn’t deserved this.” Tungsten added with pity in his voice, “But at least, his efforts haven’t been in vain.”
“Yes, Fletcher nodded, “He may have done some bad things apparently but in the end, tried to do good. The Doctor misjudged him, that even such people can be good.” He gave Blue a weak smile, which she returned.”
“Indeed.” Luna added as she took a deep breath. “The next memory is also the last one, it is the one of Tyson and his 2 fellow officers. I sense this took place on...the 23th November, 1988.“