threat of the cybermen

There had been an incident, an accident on the road. Traffic had been severely disrupted and people's lives were in danger.

Traffic police knew nothing of the danger that they were about to face, but they could hear it, something coming their way, and it sounded as though it carried some weight behind it. They’d done their best to shut down the district when what they heard appeared in the distance, moving fast and closer by the second. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before.

‘What is it?’ shouted Pete, the taller of the two Police Officers, ‘It sounds like one of those Transformers out of the movies!’

‘I suppose you could describe it as one of them,’ Steve trembled. He wasn’t sure who was scarred the most, him or Pete as they both edged their way back from the noise and shape of the object approaching. Other car users stepped out from their vehicles and looked back in the direction of the object too.

The two on-duty officers didn’t hesitate much more and made a run for it, as what manoeuvred over head was almost on top of them.

‘What is it?’ screamed a woman amongst the mayhem that ensued. The two officers had charged past her and the other fleeing men, women and children who had fled from their vehicles too. As they ran they didn’t see a man, calmly sitting on the roof of a car as the towering giant strode through the landscape. A woman got out of the car he was sat and also stared up at the machinery towering over her.

‘It's a Cyber King!’ the man shouted, a grin crossed his face. ‘And I would really run for it if I were you!’

The woman, Clara closed the door to the car and began to climb up onto the bonnet of the car. A hand was extended in order to help her finally onto its roof and she finally sat next to the Doctor staring up.

‘Is this what you put up with all the time?’ Clara asked.

‘Nearly all the time,’ he Doctor replied, and then no sooner as Clara was comfortable, as comfortable as anyone could be when a Cyber-King was strolling through the landscape the Doctor said, ‘Come along.’ and dragged her back down the front window of the car onto the road and ran after  the metal man.

Clara was doing her best to keep up with the Doctor, and shouted after him, ‘What on Earth do you think you're up to?’

‘Saving the Earth,’ he replied. ‘Hold tight!’ he shouted back at her as he swung himself up onto a ladder on the foot of the giant machine and helped Clara up behind him.

‘Once we get to the top…’ she bellowed, as they both continued their climb. ‘What action do we take when we find who’s in charge?’

‘We give them an option,’ shouted the Doctor. ‘Two options: live or die.’

‘You do this all the time, don't you?’ she replied.

‘Now and again,’ answered the Doctor. ‘Just think of it all as something to do…’

They climbed the Cyber King until they reached the top and there, waiting for them was the Cyber Controller.

It is the Doctor!’ the Cyber-controller called, alerting other Cybermen who were standing guard.

‘Oh, now hold on,’ said the Doctor. ‘Easy does it. You don’t want to kill us,’ he added, ‘Because I think you may need us!’ He tiptoed forward, his arm slightly extended holding his sonic screwdriver.  ‘I guess with eye sight as good as yours you’ll be able see exactly what I'm holding in my hand, eh?’ he asked, ‘But I've fixed it up with some super improvements. My sonic screwdriver is now ever so sonic, that when I switch it on,’ he gave a willing demonstration, with the flick of his wrist, ‘It's so loud; having modified it, as you do... that all the nuts and bolts aboard this ship fall to bits.’

Suddenly, the legs of the machine began to topple.

What did you do?’ demanded the Controller.

‘Not very bright are we? As I’ve said,’ the Doctor reminded him. ‘I've modified the sonic screwdriver. The vibrations given off have shaken up this ship!’ He spun around to face Clara and held her hand tightly. Together, they hopped over-board, managing to grab a ladder and climbed down the Cyber King. ‘I predict a massive bang,’ he said, reaching the ground below. He held his arms out for Clara to fall into. When she did, they hurried along.

‘Not to mention the road being closed for some time,’ she added.

Having made it to safety, they watched from a safe distance as the Cyber King plummeted to the ground. There was a massive explosion. The police cordoned off the road and UNIT arrived on the scene.

‘I think we'd better get out of here,’ said the Doctor, adjusting his bow tie.

‘I think you might be right,’ replied Clara. ‘If the Cybermen ever work out you were a part of this… I daren’t say what they'll do.’

‘Probably have me join them and become one of them,’ remarked the Doctor. ‘They're a funny old lot.’ He chuckled at the thought. ‘Come along," he said, ‘We have work to do!’

~~~

Chapter One: Remembering 

'New York have a great deal of work to do,’ said Clara, both were now safely aboard the TARDIS once more. ‘Did the Cybermen specifically target New York or have they an ulterior motive?’

‘I shouldn't have thought so,’ replied the Doctor. He was resting on the console. He was breathless and feeling quite unfit. ‘The Cybermen are ruthless. To have them stomping around in New York without so much as a reason would make no sense at al.’

‘So they came here for a purpose, then?’  Clara asked. ‘I wonder what that could possibly be?’ she asked him.

‘I've no idea,’  he replied, ‘Could be any number of reasons. You know what the Cybermen are like.’

Clara stared at him oddly. ‘What makes you think I would know what they're like?’ she asked.

‘Well they’ve invaded Earth in your time,’ said the Doctor. ‘They're despicable, utterly grotesque, and they mean far worse than they let on.’

‘I've no doubt about it,’ she muttered. ‘But today we saw, what you call, a Cyber King thrash through the New York, treading on cars and kicking things about. How do you get used to it all?’ she asked.

‘It's nothing to me,’ answered the Doctor. ‘You just learn to get on with things. I've been running all my life. Why should I stop now?’

‘Thing is,’ whispered Clara, ‘I think I know who you are.’

‘Well, keep it to yourself,’ said the Doctor. ‘I'm rather enjoying not knowing.’

The console began to wheeze again as the TARDIS dematerialised.

‘Does she always do that?’ Clara wondered. ‘It's beginning to give me a headache.’

‘Yes,’ said the Doctor, ‘she does!’ He glared at her rather puzzled by her expression. ‘You've got a headache because of all the questions you ask!’

‘Well,’ she said, smoothly, ‘It's the only way to learn, which reminds me, where are we heading?’

‘Cardiff, actually,’ he responded, adopting a slightly Welsh accent. ‘2016. Quite far ahead into your future. The reason: the TARDIS needs a boost, and it'll get what it needs via the rift.’

‘You mean that time energy thing that caused something of a panic there back in 2005?’ she pondered.

‘Yes, actually,’ said the Doctor. ‘Finally! Someone who was around when we were busy saving the Earth!’

‘Who was it then?’ she asked.

‘The Slitheen,’ replied the Doctor, ‘A nasty lot.’ He controlled the speed of the TARDIS as it shot through the space-time vortex. But he wasn't watching for the un-expected.

‘Any explosions at all?’

The Doctor frowned. Where had he heard such a response as this? An image of a woman stuck in his mind. ‘You're beginning to remind me of a friend,’ he said.

She gasped in amusement. She circled the console and appeared on the other side of the Doctor. She gazed up at him, starry-eyed. ‘Was she as feisty as me?’ Clara pulled at her dress, and let her hair down with one tug.

The Doctor gasped. The TARDIS was materialising. He looked up from the controls and glared at Clara. ‘We've arrived,’ he said. ‘Would you be so good as to have a little look outside? You can be my scout!’

Clara wandered across the console room towards the doors. She peered outside and gave the Doctor a “thumbs” up.

‘Excellent!’ he said, rushing up behind her. ‘Because I honestly didn't think we were going to make it.’

The Doctor was confused. He was in a panic. Clara knew that something wasn't right, but she couldn't work out what. It was then that she saw it. But she had felt it first. There had been a tremble in the earth.

Squeezing past her, the Doctor discovered the impossible truth of a mistake he'd made aboard the TARDIS.

~~~

Chapter Two: Tea and Tricks 

The Doctor was stunned. His silence said it all.

‘What is it?’ asked Clara. ‘What the hell is it?’

The street lights were flickering on and off. Sirens were coming from all directions. The wind was blowing newspapers up and down the street and people were running for their lives for fear that the aliens had returned to Wales.

The Doctor turned to face Clara. She was standing in the doorframe. ‘It's us,’ he said, ‘We did this.’

‘What do you mean we did this?’

‘Something I'd forgotten of the past,’ said the Doctor. ‘The activities of the “4.5.6."

‘Is that a bus?’ remarked Clara.

‘Not quite,’ replied the Doctor. ‘But since then, since the “4.5.6.” the rift was deactivated, until now.’

‘What do you mean, until now?’ she asked him.

‘It responds to us because the TARDIS and the rift are two compatible alien technologies. As soon as we arrived, the TARDIS fed off its power, and this is the result: a barren city, living in fear...of us.’

‘This really is our fault,’ said Clara, ‘and those sirens we heard,’ she continued. ‘They've found us!’

Three black vans appeared, screeching to a halt within yards of the TARDIS while a helicopter swooped overhead. From which a spotlight fell on the blue box while several police officers  appeared on the scene.

‘Quickly!’ urged the Doctor. ‘Shut the doors, now!’

Clara did as she was told. Closed the doors and locked the Doctor out, but for him, there was no time to scramble inside. An officer, glad in black uniform and heavily armed, approached him and led him away from his ship.

‘You have some explaining to do!’ shouted an officer, who appeared to be the one in charge. ‘This hasn't been active now for some considerable time.’

‘Well I'm a Time Lord!’ declared the Doctor. ‘And time is something I'm fairly familiar with.’

One of the black glad, armed men approached, handed him a note and promptly marched away. The officer looked concerned as he stared at the blue box, and then back at the Doctor. ‘You're known to us, it seems.’ he said. ‘Sorry for the confusion, but you do understand why we want to contain the power of the rift.’

‘Of course,’ said the Doctor. He read a badge worn by the officer. ‘I see you work for UNIT. I'd like to ask a few questions.’

The rift energy consuming the area slowly drained away.

‘It must be the TARDIS,’ mumbled the Doctor, ‘She must have recharged her batteries, as it were.’

‘Your TARDIS,’ grumbled the officer, ‘nearly caused devastation and chaos!’

‘I can only apologise,’ replied the Doctor. ‘We didn't know.’

‘Well now you do,’ said the officer.  ‘Fancy a cup of tea?’

Again, the Doctor was stunned. ‘I'd be delighted,’ he chuckled.

Strolling off for some tea, the Doctor looked back at the TARDIS to glimpse Clara staring back at him. He shook his head, as if to tell her to stay put, but she simply wouldn't listen. She raced after him, appearing at the side of the officer, with a cheeky grin on her face.

‘She's with you?’ he said, ‘Isn't she?’

The Doctor nodded. ‘She is,’ he replied and gave her a disapproving look.

Walking and talking, Clara ignored the look he gave and asked, ‘Where are we going?’

‘For a pot of tea, apparently,’ grinned, the Doctor. ‘Come along.’

‘Oh, very British.’ She whispered.

~~~

Chapter Three: Not of this world 

The office they now entered was cold, dark, and empty. It had been un-used, until now. The officer in charge entered, the Doctor and Clara followed.

‘Take a seat,’ he said. ‘I'll put the kettle on.’

He searched the cupboards until he found one.

‘You still haven’t introduced yourself,’ stated the Doctor.

‘You may call me Alfred Johnson,’ he murmured, as he collected several mugs together, the sugar tea bags and a tin of dried milk from one of the cupboards above the work surface where the kettle was now located.

The Doctor and Clara took a seat. They were watching Alfred closely. Neither knew who they were dealing with. ‘You're not from this time, are you?’ asked the Doctor, studying his movements. ‘You may work for UNIT but with a name like Alfred,’ he chuckled.

The man they thought was a respected UNIT officer now sat down opposite them.

‘You're right, of course,’ he said. ‘I came through the rift,’

‘When it was active, you mean?’ wondered Clara. ‘So you've been here a while,’ she mused.

‘Do your UNIT superiors know?’ asked the Doctor. He sat forward, glaring at Alfred. ‘I mean, are there any records of you at all?’

Alfred sat bolt upright, no longer slouching in his seat, and swiped a pistol from his belt. He held it up to the dim light of a lamp-shade and tightened his grip on it, as he aimed it at the Doctor. ‘I hope you're not going to give me away,’ he growled.  ‘After all, I've offered to make us some tea?’

The Doctor shook his head. ‘No, no, I was just curious, that's all,’ he trembled.
Alfred leant back in his seat and frowned. ‘I've adopted a false identity,’ he replied, ‘As a way of avoiding being locked up. You see some unusual things came through the rift,’ grumbled Alfred, ‘and you're one of them!’

‘You mean the TARDIS?’  blurted the Doctor; the kettle boiled and Alfred got up to make the tea.

‘No, I don't mean the TARDIS,’ shouted Alfred, ‘I mean you!’ He stirred three tea bags in three separate mugs. ‘Are you the Doctor, by any chance?’ The gun was quickly back in his hand and pointed directly at the Doctor’s head. ‘Tell me who you are!’ demanded Alfred, ‘Because you see,’ he muttered, ‘I know what you are, and I have a sneaky suspicion as to why you've come.’

‘With that kind of attitude,’ protested Clara, ‘He won't say a thing!’

‘Alright,’ said Alfred, adopting a friendlier tone of voice. ‘Let's put it another way, shall we?’ He turned away from the Doctor and held the gun up to his own head. ‘This is your last chance!’ he yelled.

‘I'm sorry,’ said the Doctor. ‘I won't tell you anything.’

Alfred pulled the trigger and he instantly fell to the office floor. Clara rushed towards him, glaring back at the Doctor. She knelt beside the body, and the blood of the UNIT officer.

‘You could have saved him,’ she shrieked, painfully and with regret. ‘He didn't have to die. Not like this.’

‘It's clear that he was a double agent,’ said the Doctor, ‘working for UNIT and the Cybermen. Not a particularly genius strategy but I suppose it worked for him.’

He sounded cold, heartless.

‘But he's dead!’ stated Clara. ‘How did it work for him, exactly?’