The Doctor began to turn away from the scene a laser bolt of energy hit the airlock door, 'Oh my giddy aunt!!' he declared ducking down for safety as another bolt struck. Then suddenly it stopped as the great heavy airlock door 'whooshed' open and the two Cybermen entered.
When he looked up from his hidden position behind one of the terminals, the Doctor could see that Layton's fate had been sealed: another bolt of energy hit the poor fellow square in the chest, the force of which knocked him backwards against the wall of the room and then finally to the metallic floor.
'Oh dear, there was no need for that!' shouted the Doctor, 'the fellow was of no threat to you!'
'He was not important,' said one of the Cybermen.
The other said, 'Where is the human known as the Doctor?'
'Tell us,' said the first, 'or die!' it rasped as they both levelled their weapons at the Doctor.
'What do you want with this...this, Doctor?' said the Doctor, nervously.
'He is know to us,' rasped one of the Cybermen. Every step it took towards the Doctor, the Doctor took another back, until his back was up against a wall of the control room.
'Oh? Am I...I mean, is he?'
The Cyberman stopped in front of him. The Doctor moved to his left and as he did so the Cyberman's right arm shot out, hitting the metallic surface of the wall blocking his way with a similar and instant action as the Doctor tried to move to his right.
Trapped, the Doctor said, 'What do you want him for?' he stuttered slowly sliding down the wall and ducking beneath the left arm of the inhuman figure before him. The creature turned and moved to grab the Doctor.
'Leave him.' stated the Cyber-controller. 'Doctor, you will help us, or die.' the controller rasped.
'But, I'm not the Doctor...I'm not the one you're looking for.'
'All humans aboard the vessel have been accounted for.' The creature moved towards the Doctor. 'They are either dead or in the process of transformation.'
'Transformation?' asked the Doctor.
'Yes. The Cyber-race must continue!' the Cyber-controller stated. 'Observe.'
The Doctor watched as the Cyber-controller moved towards one of the control panels set within the wall of the control room and as it operated the switches all of the various screens around the room flickered into life. The view they displayed were of silver, coffin-like shapes all lined in a row; life support systems from which the Cybermen had emerged from their long sleep, now contained the human forms of some of Gamma J's crew members.
'What is this?' shouted the Doctor, 'What have you done to those people?'
'They are to become like us.'
'But I thought, the Cybermen had killed all the human crew of this station?' asked the Doctor, anger, rage, building up in his voice.
The Cyber-controller moved to stand at the Doctor's side. 'A few of the humans were selected as good specimens for Cyber-conversion.'
'Specimens? These are human beings!'
'The best kind of bipeds to be converted!' stated the Cyber-controller. 'Now. Doctor. You will tell us the plans of Earth's forces.'
'Me?' whispered the Doctor, 'But I've only just arrived. I know nothing about Earth's plans.'
'You will tell us their plans or be you will become like us.'
'Why?'
'Our spies have informed us that the Earth fleet are mobilising in this sector to attack the Cyber-fleet and must dock here to refuel. They must be crushed before they can carry out their plan!'
The Doctor was suddenly caught off guard as the Cyber-controller grabbed the Doctor's arm forcing him to his knees. While another Cyberman moved over to his side and grabbed his free arm and together they lifted him off the ground and over to one of the consoles, dropping him into a chair that had remained upright when the Cybermen had entered the control room. He began to struggle, but one of the Cybermen held him in the seat as another forced him to wear a form of helmet that began to hum gently with power.
The energy through the helmet began to build up and the Doctor's face began to contort in agony as the energy grew even more. The Doctor struggled to say, 'What...what are you doing?'
'You will tell us the plans of the Earth's fleet or die, Doctor!'
'No...no...no! The pain!!' cried the Doctor.
'The interrogation machine will force the information from your mind and with Cyber-technology we will be destroy the Earth fleet and begin our conquest of the planet Earth. All humans will become like us! All humans will become Cybermen!'
The Doctor was squirming in the chair struggling with the interrogation machine. Then he stopped still. Opened one eye and looked around the control room at the Cybermen as they monitored the readings of their machines.
'The Doctor is resisting, Controller.' said one of the Cybermen.
'Then increase the power to maximum!'
The Doctor flinched in the chair but rather than allow the machine to take control he began to use the machine to his own benefit and began to look deep within the technical elements. 'Mmm,' he muttered, 'so they want to use Gamma J, by turning its nuclear fuel cells into a bomb! Oh my word!' His final words raised in volume, and quickly the Doctor turned to see if he had been noticed, but the Cybermen continued with their routines. He grinned to himself, and closed his eyes.
The Doctor flinched in the chair but rather than allow the machine to take control he began to use the machine to his own benefit and began to look deep within the technical elements. 'Mmm,' he muttered, 'so they want to use Gamma J, by turning its nuclear fuel cells into a bomb! Oh my word!' His final words raised in volume, and quickly the Doctor turned to see if he had been noticed, but the Cybermen continued with their routines. He grinned to himself, and closed his eyes.
'Controller.'
'Report.'
'The Doctor has ceased to function. There is no information.'
'And we have not discovered anything. Dispose of the body.' said the Cyberman coldly.
One of the Cybermen detached the interrogation machine from the Doctor's lifeless body and in one swift movement lifted him over its shoulder, turned and left the control room. As the Cyberman made its way towards an airlock, the Doctor's eyes flickered open and from the sleeve of his left arm produced his sonic screwdriver. As the whirring sound of his sonic screwdriver sprung into life he began to work on the control panels located in its back. Within seconds, the Cyberman began to stumble and its wiring began to spark and sizzle at the Doctor's sabotage.
The Doctor saw his chance. He jumped down from the Cyberman's shoulder as it struggled to control itself with its balance. It tried to speak but nothing came from its contorted mouth. It's arms flailed around out of control.
The Doctor fell backwards against the metallic walls with a thud and watched as the Cyberman waved its arms uncontrollably. It inadvertently grabbed at its plastic tubes ripping them from its torso forcing blood to spray around the corridor until finally it fell to its knees and collapsed inert on the metallic surface with a clanging thud.
The Cyberman's body twitched as its life ebbed away. The Doctor cautiously moved over to the creature and gently turned it over onto its back. He looked at its blank staring eyes, its mouth fixed open. He could see that these Cybermen still retained the vestiges of human life; bone, tissue, flesh, blood. But the machine that had been crafted onto it's body was what had kept it alive. If, thought the Doctor, you could call it life.
'Now, I have to get to stop the Cybermen from carrying out their plan,' he picked himself up off the floor and looked around the corridor he was in. ' I'm sure I left the TARDIS near here.' he said aloud to himself. A section of the wall of the corridor caught his eye and set within it, behind a glass plate, were several weapons of which he recognised instantly. 'A glitter gun!' he declared and using the sonic screwdriver began to remove the glass plate
~~~
The Cyber-controller continued with the plans to destroy the Earth fleet. He observed the screens before him, watching as the Cybermen moved through the corridors of the vast space station while others were busy transforming the remaining crew members into new Cyberman.
One screen caught the attention of a Cyberman and indicated to the Cyber-controller the remains of the Cyberman that had been ordered to dispose of the Doctor's body. 'The Doctor is alive! There is no logical explanation!' The Cyber-controller slammed a fist down onto the consle before him sending sparks and debris in different directions. 'Find him. He must be destroyed!'
'Yes, Controller.' said another Cyberman and left the control room to carry out its orders.
'The Earth fleet will rendezvous with the space station in two hours.'
'Then make final preparations for their destruction!' intoned the Cyber-controller
~~~
Meanwhile, having managed to remove a glitter gun from the storage unit set within the wall, the Doctor cautiously made his way along the corridor he was in. He felt uneasy about carry the weapon, but it was the only means to hand to try and stop the Cybermen from carrying out their plan.
He suddenly stopped upon hearing the familiar scurrying sounds of Cybermats moving in the shadows. 'Oh my...' he said and started to pick up speed and as the Cybermats came in to view, the quickened pace became a run. 'Oh my giddy aunt!' his words echoing down the corridor and as he turned the corner into the next section he came face to face with two Cybermen.
He skidded to an abrupt halt. 'Oh dear,' he said. 'I was looking for the control room.' he lied.
'You will come with us. You will become like us.' the Cybermen stated.
'Oh, must I?' the Doctor asked and pointing the glitter gun in the direction of the Cybermen, opened fire spraying fine gold filaments over their chest units forcing the two Cybermen to their knees as they chocked, gasping for air. He cautiously moved around the squirming figures in the corridor and headed back towards the control room.
In the control room the Cybermen continued with their task. The Cyber-controller had observed the Doctor's movements so it was no surprise to them that the Doctor now stood in the doorway of the control room aiming the glitter gun in their direction.