Last of the Cybermen ( audio story ) Publisher ' s summary . It ' s been ten years since the final assault on Telos , the last act of the Great Cyber War . Thanks to the Glittergun , humanity prevailed — and the half - machine Cybermen were utterly obliterated . Out on the furthest fringes of the galaxy , however , they left their mark — in the form of a giant Cyber - head , hundreds of feet high . A monument ? A memorial ? A tomb ? The Doctor , the Cybermen ' s most indefatigable adversary , sets out to investigate . . . but he fails to return to his TARDIS . Leaving the Ship , his two companion s — brave Highlander Jamie McCrimmon , and super - intelligent Zoe Heriot — find a stranger in the Doctor ' s place . A stranger in a coat of many colours , who insists that he ' s the Doctor — transposed in time and space with one of his former selves . . . But why here ? Why now ? Has the universe really seen the last of the Cybermen . . ? Plot . Part one . On a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt , Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot wait in the TARDIS for the Doctor to return , after he left the ship over an hour ago . The two are worried , not only because he ' s been gone for so long , but also because of the electrical storm occurring outside . The two then notice the Doctor on the scanner , running over a ridge and heading for the TARDIS . A flash of light occurs , and the Doctor vanishes . The two leave the ship to find him . Upon leaving the TARDIS , they note that the gravity of the planet is stronger than on Earth . Their search leads them to a gully right by where they last saw the Doctor . A voice calls out to them from below and they look down to see a strange man laying down there . The man calls to them by name , delighted to see them . Zoe asks the man why he is laying there , to which he replies that he fell . When Zoe then asks him if he broke any bones , the man takes the time to check every one of his bones . By the time Jamie and Zoe join him , he ' s discovered that the only injury he has is a stubbed toe . The man remembers that he was running in some woods , he stubbed his toe on a root , then a flash of light occurred , and he suddenly found himself on this planet , only to fall down the gully . Jamie tells him that they ' re looking for the Doctor . He disappeared while running past the gully , so he must have fallen down it . Zoe realises immediately , that the stranger must have switched places with the Doctor . She points out that they may just switch back again , but the man wonders if something sinister is responsible for the transposition . He decides that they should head back to the TARDIS , cause knowing himself , his former self is likely to get to the TARDIS and send a distress signal to him with the telepathic circuits . Jamie is confused as to who the man is , as he hasn ' t introduced himself yet , but Zoe caught onto the things the man said and has already realised who he is . The stranger is the Doctor . Jamie rejects it immediately , as the stranger looks nothing like the Doctor . Zoe reminds him of a time in which he told her that the Doctor changed his face once before . Jamie reveals that it was Polly who told him that , but that she was also one to tease and mess with him . The Sixth Doctor brings up the time Jamie ' s face got changed in the Land of Fiction , which is enough to fully convince Zoe of the Sixth Doctor ' s identity . Jamie is still not convinced , and surmises that the Doctor was running from this stranger , and that the stranger has knocked out the Doctor and hidden him somewhere , with his goal being to steal the TARDIS . Zoe realises that Jamie ' s theory is wrong , pointing out to the two what the Second Doctor was really running from , a Cyberman , who has just arrived . Jamie waits for the Sixth Doctor to prove that he is the Doctor , by telling them to run , which the Second Doctor would likely say in this situation . However , the Sixth Doctor notes that running would be pointless , as the other side of the gully is too steep for them to outrun the Cyberman . Jamie decides to start throwing rocks at the Cyberman . Zoe notices that the Cyberman is acting oddly , but Jamie keeps throwing rocks at the Cyberman , causing it to fall . The Doctor also noticed the Cyberman ' s strange behaviour , so he and Zoe decide to investigate it . The three manage to climb out of the gully , only to stare in surprise at the sight of a giant Cyberman head , built on the top of a mountain . Jamie asks if it ' s a statue or a monument , but the Doctor points out that the Cybermen don ' t build monuments . Zoe walks over to the edge of the ravine that the Cyberman fell down , but can ' t see anything . The Doctor provides her a torch from his pockets . The three can hear the Cyberman calling out for help . The Cyberman starts making a beeping noise , which the Doctor recognises as a distress signal , which is likely to call down more Cybermen from their citadel on the mountain . The ground under Zoe ' s feet gives way , causing her to fall into the ravine . The Doctor calls down to Zoe , asking her if she ' s okay . Zoe is fine , but there is no way for her to climb back up . Jamie decides to head back to the TARDIS to get some rope . He doesn ' t want the Sixth Doctor to come with him , as he doesn ' t trust him , but the Doctor points out that Jamie can ' t get in without the key , which the Doctor has . Jamie takes it to mean that this man stole the key from the Second Doctor . Zoe , completely annoyed by this , tells the two to get going . The Cyberman keeps pleading for help . Zoe asks him why he ' s doing so , when she realises something . This Cyberman can feel pain , so she quickly helps it out from under the rock its leg is trapped under . The Cyberman gets to its feet and advances on Zoe . Meanwhile , the Doctor and Jamie arrive at the TARDIS . Jamie is still wary of the Doctor , much to his exasperation . The Doctor ponders for a moment over where he can find some rope , before noticing the old chest in the corner . The Doctor goes through the contents , noting several items that are in it , before finding mountaineering gear . The two return to the ravine and scale down it , only to find no sign of Zoe or the Cyberman . The two deduce that the Cyberman kidnapped Zoe and took her to the citadel . The two climb back out of the ravine , talking about the things that have been happening . The Sixth Doctor is worried , as he has no recollection of these events , even though he should . He thinks that these events only happened because of the transposition . The two hear a noise and look up to see an anti - gravity flyer hovering above them . Jamie calls out to it , hoping to get the attention of the pilot . The Doctor is against it , as they have no idea who the pilot is . The two start fighting , and are knocked out by a stun beam , shot at them from the flyer . The Doctor wakes up to find out that he and Jamie are in a storeroom , restrained with plastic cuffs . As the Doctor doesn ' t have a sonic screwdriver , the two have to use Jamie ' s knife to cut their restraints . As they work on escaping , they notice that the only thing in the room with them are some metal boxes . Meanwhile , Zoe is being interrogated by Zennox and the Cyberman . Zoe refuses to tell them anything until the Doctor and Jamie are brought here . She is still angry for the Cyberman kidnapping her and bringing her to the citadel , but pauses , when the Cyberman surprisingly apologises . The Cyberman reveals he ' s not a true Cyberman . The three are joined by Frank , who reports that he retrieved the Doctor and Jamie , but had to stun them because they were fighting with each other , much to Zoe ' s annoyance . Frank and Lanky , the Cyberman , explain that Lanky is a fighter pilot in the Great Cyber War , who was captured by the Cybermen . Frank managed to free Lanky before they could convert Lanky ' s mind , but it was already too late for his body , which had been completely converted . Zoe asks for conformation that there are no Cybermen here , which surprises the trio . After all , the Cybermen were wiped out ten years ago , thanks to the invention of the Glittergun . Meanwhile , the Doctor and Jamie successfully cut through their cuffs . The two look at the door and the Doctor notes they need a small electrical charge to open the door . The battery from his torch would ' ve been enough , but that was lost when Zoe fell . The two decide to check the contents of the boxes for something to use . Jamie tries to open one with his knife . Zoe tries to convince the trio that she and her friends are nothing more than travellers who didn ' t come here on purpose . Zoe is worried that the trio may be here to revive the Cybermen , but the three quickly point out that the citadel isn ' t a Cyberman tomb . The group is joined by Findel , who claims to have worked out the problem of a logic gate . Zoe realises that the four are from a museum and are here to collect relics . As Findel explains what he ' s worked out , Zoe offers to help them , as she is a genius , in exchange for her friends being released . Zennox decides to release only one of her friends , and to release the other one when Zoe has solved the logic gate and granted them access to the rest of the citadel . When Zennox mentions that the two are being kept in the storeroom , Findel reacts with shock , because the storeroom is where an infestation is located . Jamie successfully opens the box , and to the horror of the two , a Cybermat is inside . It emits a signal , causing more Cybermats to enter the storeroom from a grate in the wall . The Cybermats quickly surround the two . The Doctor and Jamie are trapped . Part two . The door opens and Lanky and Frank helps the two out of the room , quickly closing the door behind them . However , one Cybermat manages to get out , but Lanky quickly deals with it by squashing it . The Doctor recognises the uniform that Frank is wearing , that of a soldier in the Great Cyber War . Jamie asks what Frank is doing , hanging out with a Cyberman . Lanky leaves , fed up with being mistaken for a Cyberman . Meanwhile , Findel understands what Zoe was talking about before with the logic gate , and cracks it , allowing him to operate the controls , managing to open something . But , he miscalculates and gets electrocuted by the console . Zoe checks Findel and discovers he ' s dead . Zennox doesn ' t care and instructs Zoe to power down the console . A Cyberman walks in , having come from whatever it was that Findel opened . Frank explains to the Doctor and Jamie about the deal they made with Zoe about the logic gates , which the two remember from the time they were in a Cyberman tomb . Frank explains that this place isn ' t a tomb . The three hear Zoe shouting for help and run to go help . The Cyberman starts strangling Zennox , but suddenly stops as it runs out of power . The Doctor , Jamie , and Frank arrive . The Doctor looks at the Cyberman and realises it was am automated sentry . Findel suddenly springs back to life , talking about how he screwed up at the console . He talks with Zoe about it , leaving Jamie confused . Zennox asks the Doctor if he is also a mathematician , but the Doctor says he ' s just a doctor who dabbled in it a little . Lanky joins them , having noticed an opening has appeared in one of the corridors , but trails off at the sight of the deactivated Cyberman . Zoe realises that the sentry must have come from that opening . Jamie is worried more Cybermen could come from there , but the Doctor disagrees . Nevertheless , the Doctor wants to investigate . Jamie and Frank agree to come with him . The Doctor makes sure that no one will touch anything else until he returns . The Doctor , Jamie , and Frank arrive at the opening . Behind the opening is a lift . According to the Doctor , Cybermen don ' t care for stairs , as they are inefficient . It ' s the same reason why there are no buttons in the lift . Since opening the first logic gate opened the lift , the second one must move it . As Frank contacts Zennox , Jamie asks the Doctor if operating this lift is a good idea , to which the Sixth Doctor says that it isn ' t , but it ' s probably what the Second Doctor would ' ve done . Frank reveals that Zennox was apparently listening in the entire time . Zennox instructs Lanky to operate the controls , as his Cyberman body is insulated . Lanky shuts down the first logic gate . The door of the lift closes , trapping the trio inside . The Doctor agrees with the logic of closing one gate before opening the next . However , as Jamie points out , this means there is no turning back . As Zoe and Findel get to work on the next equation , Jamie gets impatient and asks what they ' re waiting for . The Doctor points out it will take time for Zoe and Findel to solve the equation . Being trapped in the lift makes Frank remember being cooped up in a cockpit , waiting for the enemy to show up , from the days of the Cyber War . At that moment , Zoe and Findel solve the second logic gate and Lanky activates it , causing the lift to move . The lift arrives at its destination . The trio emerge from the lift to find themselves in a dark hallway . The Doctor finds this odd , as the lights should ' ve turned on when they arrived . The lift door closes behind them , thwarting the Doctor ' s plan to find something to jam the door open . Frank accidentally reveals his arm is a weapon , something he was trying to keep a secret from Zennox . Zennox tells them to advance to the next gate , but it ' s so dark , that they can ' t see . However , some of the lights start turning on . But , Frank and the Doctor realise something . The lights weren ' t designed to turn on in the presence of humans . Sure enough , there are two Cybermen in the hallway with them , also sentries like the one in the control room . The Doctor and Jamie drop to the floor as Frank fires his gun , a weapon designed with a ricochet setting . A door at the far end of the hallway opens , having been opened by the next logic gate . The trio quickly run for it , with Frank using his gun to slow down the advancing Cybermen , even successfully taking down one of them . The doorway turns out to be another lift . Frank tells Zennox to get the others to quickly close the logic gate . However , there ' s a problem , as Zoe and Findel are arguing over a decimal place . The Doctor orders them to just go with whatever Zoe says . As the remaining Cyberman approaches , Frank shoots at it again . However , he miscalculates the distance , and the shot bounces back and hits him . At that moment , the lift door closes . The Doctor checks Frank ' s injury , and determines that the injury isn ' t a serious one , just a burn . Zoe learns from Findel that a group the two used to be part of when they were in school was closed down , because some of the members formed a secret society during the Cyber War . They called themselves the Brotherhood of Logicians , and believed the war was pointless . They thought people should become more like Cybermen . The authorities found out and shut down the group , forcing everyone to take drugs to reduce their intelligence , including Findel . It was why Findel was surprised to hear Zoe mention being a former member of the school group , as those who were in the group , but not in the Brotherhood are ashamed of having been a part of the group . The Doctor is getting impatient at the long wait for the next logic gate . Jamie is in no rush to encounter any more Cybermen . Frank , having noticed that the Doctor has experience when it comes to the Cybermen , asks him what he thinks is at the top of the citadel . The Doctor has no idea . Frank reveals Zennox ' s desire to claim some untouched hoard of Cyber tech . Frank is worried about what would happen if such technology fell into the wrong hands . The Doctor shares his worries and thinks it ' s a good idea to be cautious of Zennox . Jamie claims that the Second Doctor would ' ve had her pinned as a bad person from the start . The Sixth Doctor wonders if that is why he was brought here . Frank says that Zennox isn ' t a rotten person . But it seems to him that the average civilian is a bit eager to presume that the Cybermen are a thing of the past , something that belongs in museums and shows . Before Jamie can tell him about things from the future , the Doctor asks Frank why he believes the Cybermen are still a threat . Frank remembers something from the final assault . He saw the space sonar overload . Before he can get into much detail , the lift starts moving . The lift arrives at its destination . The trio emerge to find themselves on a narrow walkway . As the Doctor laments over the Cybermen not having use for handrails , the lift door closes behind them . Jamie is glad that they can see the other side and moves to cross , but the Doctor stops him , having realised the walkway is part of a maintenance infrastructure , which means it ' s full of Cybermats , heading right for the trio . Zennox notices the problem that the trio have run into . Zoe thinks it ' s not a problem , due to the fact that the Cybermats are programmed only to perform maintenance . Findel points out that that is the problem . Anything humanoid registers to the Cybermats as a Cyberman . When a Cyberman doesn ' t release the correct signal , the Cybermats will try to repair it by entering the body . Zoe and Findel start to work faster on the next equation . The Doctor notes there ' s no way back , no way left , and no way right . Frank notices something and tells the two to look up . Above them are cables , stretching across the ceiling . The three decide to use the cables to swing across to the other side of the walkway , avoiding the Cybermats . Jamie and the Doctor grab onto the cables , but Frank can ' t come with them . He reveals that more than just his arm was replaced , making him too heavy for the cables . He decides to take a chance with the walkway , hopefully distracting the Cybermats away from the Doctor and Jamie . He gives them his communicator , and then charges down the walkway . Zoe and Findel solve the next equation and Lanky quickly triggers the controls . Zoe asks Zennox if the three made it . Zennox tells her that the Doctor and Jamie made it to the next lift , but Frank did not . Jamie asks the Doctor what ' s next . The Doctor got a glimpse of the control array when they were back in the control room , and reveals that this lift will take them to the last stage of their journey , the top of the citadel . The lift arrives at its destination . The Doctor and Jamie emerge to find a room containing a Cyber - Planner . The Doctor asks Jamie if they have already encountered Cybermen on Earth in 1975 . Jamie confirms this , stating it was just a few weeks ago . The Doctor is confused on why Jamie doesn ' t recognise what a Cyber - Planner looks like , but Jamie reminds him that he was out of commission for a while , due to being shot in the leg . The Doctor examines the Cyber - Planner and notices damage to the brain pan . The Doctor deduce s that the damage was caused by a lightning strike . The Doctor reminds Zennox about the weather outside , but wonders if the citadel is the cause of the weather . Zennox asks the Doctor if he can uninstall it without damaging the connections , causing Zoe to realise that the Cyber - Planner is what Zennox is after . The Doctor has realised this , too . After all , a Cyber - Planner would make quite the museum piece , but it could also be repaired — not by the Cybermats , who are unable to do it , but by the Second Doctor himself ; that , proclaims the Sixth , is why the Second was summoned here . Zennox has no clue what he ' s talking about , and asks him again if he can safely remove the Cyber - Planner . Zoe tells the Doctor not to do it knowing how dangerous a Cyber - Planner is , and Zennox orders Findel to restrain her . He refuses , and when Zennox threatens him he pulls out a pistol ; Zoe asks why he ' s doing this , but Lanky points out Findel is not aiming the gun at " her , " but at Zennox ; he ' s decided this expedition is wrong and must end . Zennox proclaims that Findel is bluffing and calls his bluff by pulling out a pistol of her own . The Doctor asks Zennox to calm down , proclaiming that they can still come to some kind of arrangement , but Zennox doubts that due to the next stage of her plan . The Doctor thinks it ' s to repair and reactivate the Cyber - Planner , saying it ' s impossible ; Zennox agrees : What she really wants is to upload a new consciousness into the Cyber - Planner . The mind she decided on was Findel ' s , but he no longer wants to do it . Neither does Zennox , so she shoots him . The Doctor now realises why Zennox let him get all the way to the Cyber - Planner . Zennox needs a brilliant , logical mind to install into the apparatus , a mind that is half - machine already , to reactivate the beacon . That ' s what the citadel is , a beacon to summon the last of the Cybermen . Lanky agrees to help her , but only as long as Zoe and the Doctor aren ' t hurt . Zennox shoots Lanky . She knows she can ' t kill him with her pistol , but the Cybermen never managed to disable his ability to feel pain , so she can make him suffer . Zoe then realises whose brain Zennox wants to upload into the Cyber - Planner . . . . Jamie is confused , so the Doctor explains that while Zennox brought Findel here to be the mind to power the beacon , a better candidate has emerged : Zoe . Part three . Zennox thanks the Doctor for bringing Zoe to the citadel . Before the Doctor can say anything further , Jamie takes the wire ; an annoyed Zennox asks him to put the Doctor back on . Zoe pleads with Zennox to let her talk to Jamie ; she ' ll make sure they cooperate . Zennox agrees and hands her wire over to Zoe , who quickly tells Jamie to stop whatever Zennox has planned . Zennox fights with Zoe . The Doctor has Jamie give him back the wire , telling Zoe to stop and put Zennox on . Jamie has had enough and decides to destroy the Cyber - Planner , but the Doctor points out that Zennox will kill Zoe if he does so . Jamie points out that the Doctor doesn ' t know that for sure , but the Doctor states that he doesn ' t need to in order to reach that conclusion . He warns Jamie that he is not the man he used to be , which Jamie is willing to put to the test ; he starts fighting the Doctor . The Doctor tries to convince Jamie to stop , as fighting like this is pointless . Jamie won ' t listen , completely fed up with the Doctor ; however , Jamie gets close and whispers that if they pretend that the Doctor has knocked him out , then he can get the jump on Zennox when she gets here with Zoe . The Doctor goes along with it and the two pretend to fight . Zoe can hear the sounds of the two fighting over the wire and asks if that ' s what they ' re doing . Zennox is annoyed and tries telling whoever has the wire to stop fighting . She points out that she only needs Zoe ' s mind , but can arrange for the Cybermats to take other parts . The Doctor comes back on the wire , telling Zennox that he ' s dealt with Jamie . He tells them he will use the control array in the room he is in , allowing him to open the route up . Jamie asks the Doctor if Zoe and Zennox are coming . The Doctor tells him they are , as soon as he opens the route . The entire citadel is a slave to the master array . Jamie thinks that ' s a bad setup , but the Doctor disagrees , saying that such a setup is a logical one . The Doctor figures that the system was why Zennox sent the Doctor , Jamie , and Frank up first , and also to deal with any problems she might have encountered . Jamie thinks they should come up with a signal , for the Doctor to let Jamie know when to strike . The Doctor brings up Jamie ' s previous encounter with the Cybermen again , but then asks what Jamie , Zoe , and the Second Doctor were up to after that . Jamie recounts everything they went through after that , ending it on their encounter with the space pirates . The two get back to discussing what they should use for their signal , but before the Doctor can suggest anything , Jamie stops him , having recognised the look on the Sixth Doctor ' s face . The Second Doctor has the same look whenever he ' s hiding something . Jamie eventually comes up with the name Madeline as it ' s something the Doctor can ' t say accidentally at the wrong time . Zoe and Zennox arrive in the lift . Zoe asks the Doctor if he hurt Jamie , but the Doctor assures her that Jamie will be just fine . Zennox tells the Doctor to remove the head of the Cyber - Planner ; from what she understands of the technology , electrical energy from Zoe ' s brain will regenerate the damaged components . Zoe doesn ' t think that ' s possible , but the Doctor disagrees . He trails off suddenly , but quickly covers it up . Zoe asks Zennox why she wants to summon the last of the Cybermen . The Doctor tells her it ' s the old story of Zennox knows best , but no one listens to her . With the Cybermen on her side , everyone will have no choice but to listen . The Doctor says there ' s a more important question . What ' s the point of it all ? Zennox doesn ' t answer and instructs the Doctor to continue the preparations . The Doctor finishes detaching the head . He freely admits to Zennox that the Cybermen were a formidable force at the height of their power , but all that ' s left now are a few scattered survivors , little more than space scavengers . The Doctor knows this , having met some of the survivors . The remaining Cybermen would be easy prey for Earth ' s defence systems . Bringing them all together would accomplish nothing more than their extinction . Zennox reveals that she doesn ' t care about the scavengers . Her goal is to summon the fleet of ten thousand ships hiding in a particular region of space . The Doctor finds that hard to believe , because of the location . He would have been more inclined to believe in other locations that he lists , but accidentally names a cluster with a name similar to Madeline . Jamie attacks , but Zennox fires her pistol , hitting Jamie and creating a hole in the wall . Zennox quickly realises that the fight was faked . She instructs Zoe to move away from Jamie . Getting the conversation back on track , she confirms that the Cybermen are right here , above their heads . The Doctor takes a look in the sky through the hole in the wall and states that he can ' t see any ships . Zennox assures that they are there . Jamie brings up what Frank said before about the space sonar . Zennox asks Zoe if she will cooperate . Zoe agrees to do so , provided that Jamie and the Doctor are allowed to leave . The Doctor tries to talk Zoe out of doing this , but Zoe doesn ' t listen . She asks Zennox if this will hurt her , but Zennox assure her that it won ' t . Jamie points out that she won ' t feel anything ever again . The Doctor tells him to stay back . The upload begins . Zoe describes it as some kind of x - ray vision . She can see through the whole planet . Zennox tells her that it ' s due to her consciousness being routed through the citadel ' s sensors . She tells Zoe to look up at the sky . Zoe does so , but she ' s no longer in control . The Cyber - Planner has reactivated , and is now using Zoe as its mouthpiece . The Doctor instructs Jamie to come over by him , by the hole in the wall . Zennox easily notices this . The Doctor knows that Zennox won ' t keep her word , now that Zoe is a slave to the Cyber - Planner . Zennox agrees , but calls him out on his bluff of going through the hole . As they are five hundred feet up , on a planet with stronger gravity than Earth , there is no way they could survive jumping out the window . The Doctor jumps through the hole anyway , taking Jamie with him . It turns out that when the Doctor trailed off earlier , he was being contacted by Frank , who is still alive . He ' s able to talk to the Doctor , because Zennox left her wire back in the control room . He had come up with a plan to help the Doctor and his friends escape . When the Doctor and Jamie jump out the hole , they end up landing on the anti - gravity flyer , being driven by Frank . The Doctor instructs Frank to take them to the TARDIS . Zoe regains control of her body and tells Zennox that the Doctor will come back for her . Zennox corrects her with the word " us " , instead of " her " . Zoe corrects her , with the word " you " , but then she says " us " , as her mind is being taken over . Zennox tells her that logically they must hurry and reactivate the beacon . The trio arrive at the TARDIS . Jamie asks why Frank is still alive , as he should ' ve been killed by the Cybermats . It turns out that all the veterans of the Cyber War were given shots to counteract the effects of the Cybermen . The Cybermats took one taste of Frank , and then retreated . He then made his way back down to the control room they started in . The three disembark . The Doctor tells the other two to keep an eye on the northwestern horizon , while he goes into the TARDIS . He wants to be notified on any change in the beacon . At that moment , the beacon activates , sending a pink beam of light into the sky . Frank knows what ' s going on , for when his space sonar overloaded in the final battle , ten thousand Cyber ships vanished . He tried to warn his superiors about the missing ships , but they refused to believe him . Jamie points out that he can ' t see any ships . The Doctor asks Jamie where he thinks the ships disappeared to . Frank answers that they might have disappeared into warp space . The Doctor agrees and that is why they positioned the citadel on this planet . It was so they could launch a final counterattack on the edge of Earth ' s galaxy . The only reason the attack didn ' t happen before was because of the Cyber - Planner getting damaged . They ' ve been stuck in warp space this entire time . The Cyber - Planner announces that a spacial disruption is forming above the planet . Zennox realises that the Cybermen are coming through . She tells the Cyber - Planner to open a channel to the fleet leader . The Doctor and Jamie enter the TARDIS . Jamie asks the Doctor what he plans to do . He suggests that they go and rescue Zoe . The Doctor says it ' s too late to stop the fleet from arriving . Jamie tells him they should rescue Zoe anyway . The Doctor agrees , but points out that they won ' t be doing the rescuing . This time , they need to call for help . The Doctor goes over to the chest and searches for the Time Lord hypercube that the Second Doctor took from Quadrigger Stoyn . Jamie finds the pieces of the cube . The Doctor instructs Jamie to lay out the pieces in a circle . The Doctor sits in a meditative stance and concentrates , causing the pieces of the cube to assemble together . He explains that the cube contains a message . Jamie asks who he plans on sending the message to . The Doctor apologises to Jamie , as he is using the cube to contact the Time Lords . Jamie asks him who the Time Lords are . Zennox asks the Cyber - Planner where her channel to the fleet leader is , but the Cyber - Planner tells her an advance party has been dispatched . A Cyber - Leader is coming to take control . Zennox proclaims that she controls the Cyber - Planner , so therefore she logically controls everything . The Doctor explains that the Time Lords can put an end to this whole ghastly business . They are his own people . Jamie thinks that it ' s okay , but the Doctor disagrees . However , there is no other option for him to take . Jamie wonders if the Doctor ' s hesitance is due to the transposition of the two Doctors . The Doctor admits to that . However , this also has to do with a certain future adventure the Second Doctor , Jamie , and Zoe will soon experience , where the Second Doctor will be forced to call the Time Lords for help . The Doctor explains how he broke the rules of Time Lord society and what will happen to the Second Doctor afterwards , including being forced to regenerate into his next incarnation and being exiled to Earth . He then tells Jamie that he and Zoe won ' t join the Third Doctor in his exile . Instead , they ' ll be sent back to their original places in time and space , with no memory of their time with the Second Doctor . Jamie suggests that they go through with the call , then get Zoe and hide in the TARDIS . The Doctor points out that all of this is his fault . The Second Doctor had the sense to not get involved with this . The Sixth Doctor thinks his former self scouted out the situation , saw that there was no way Zennox could get to the Cyber - Planner without help , and chose to leave . If the transposition had not occurred , the Second Doctor would ' ve left with Jamie and Zoe hours ago . But thanks to the Sixth Doctor ' s involvement , the Great Cyber War is about to start again , and Earth will be annihilated . The Doctor decides to turn himself in to the Time Lords , only this time , he can ' t defend his actions . He thinks this may be why the transposition occurred . Frank enters the TARDIS and tells them they need to see what ' s going on outside . The three exit the TARDIS and see the ship carrying the advance party of Cybermen landing on the planet . The Doctor presumes their task is to secure the citadel . Jamie suggests they go and destroy the beacon , but the Doctor points out they don ' t have the firepower to pull it off . Jamie suggests a kamikaze manoeuvre , and decides to do it himself . The Doctor tells him it won ' t work , as the beacon is projecting concentrated light , which will melt the flyer the second it crosses the beam . Jamie suggests they use the TARDIS . The Doctor figures if he put the TARDIS in hover mode , and disabled the HADS , then it could work . But , he decides to do this alone , without Jamie . The ship ' s mass is great enough to destroy the beacon , but he has no idea what damage the TARDIS will sustain in the process . The Doctor needs Jamie to be in a fit state in order to rescue Zoe . The Doctor quickly steps into the TARDIS and lifts off . The Cyber - Planner announces that the advance guard has landed and the Cyber - Leader is coming . Zennox orders the Cyber - Planner to seal the gates . When it refuses to obey , Zennox threatens it with her pistol . The Cyber - Planner calmly states that the pistol is not effective against Cyber technology . Zennox points out it only needs to be effective on Zoe ' s head . The Cyber - Planner suddenly puts out an alert . The advanced guard have noticed an unidentified object on a collision course with the beacon . The Cyber - Planner then identifies the object as the time - space vessel piloted by the time - space criminal known as the Doctor . Zennox orders the Cyber - Planner to tell the Cyber - Leader to do something about it . Jamie and Frank watch as the TARDIS approaches the citadel , but a Cyber saucer appears , moving to intercept the TARDIS . Frank tries to contact the Doctor . The Doctor hears him , but tells him that he can ' t do much about it . The Cybermen start firing at the TARDIS and successfully shoot her , causing the TARDIS to spin towards a crash landing . The Cyber - Planner reports that the capsule has been incapacitated and that the Cybermen are moving to capture it , but Zennox doesn ' t care . The Cyber - Planner states that Zennox wants to conquer Earth , but Zennox reveals she wants " science " to conquer Earth : she wants Earth ' s future to be dictated by logic , by adherence to strict scientific principle . She wants to bring the humans and the Cybermen together , but the Cyber - Planner refuses to cooperate . The door opens and the Cyber - Leader comes in and shoots Zennox ; the Cyber - Planner reveals the war caused the Cybermen to realise humanity will always resist them , so they ' ve decided to destroy Earth instead . As she dies , Zennox realises how logical that choice is . Jamie and Frank run over to where the TARDIS crashed . The door opens revealing a wall of fire . Jamie runs in and rescues the Doctor , despite his protests . Once he recovers , he tries to go back in , but Jamie holds him back . The Doctor reveals the hypercube is still inside the TARDIS . If he can ' t send a message to the Time Lords , then everything is lost . Frank then points out that things have gotten worse , as the Cybermen have arrived and surrounded them . The Cyber - Planner announces that new orders have come in from the Super Controller . The Cyber - Leader proclaims that now they will win the war . Part four . The Doctor counts down from three and Zoe wakes up , revealing that she is with the Doctor in a holding cell on one of the Cyber ships currently travelling through warp space . She looks around and notices two chairs with restraints , wondering why they weren ' t strapped into them ; the Doctor tells her that they were , but Zoe herself released them . He tells her that when they were first brought in here , her mind was still a slave to the Cyber - Planner , but she was detached from the beacon and a secondary Cyber - Planner put in her place . The Doctor was then able to persuade the Cyber - Planner in Zoe ' s mind to transmit unlock codes to the chairs , something he admits took a prolonged bout of logical arguing . Upon Zoe asking how she is back in control of her body again , the Doctor reveals he used his fob watch to hypnotise the Cyber - Planner into deleting itself . Zoe then asks him where Jamie is . The Doctor tells her that he is being held hostage in the citadel , along with Frank , presumably to ensure the Doctor ' s cooperation . The ship starts shaking , which the Doctor knows means that the ship is exiting warp space . Zoe asks him where the ship is exiting to before realising they must be heading to Telos . The Doctor corrects her : They ' re not heading to Telos in the present , but rather Telos ten years in the past — the day of the final battle of the Cyber War . In the past , Frank reports to his commander on what he saw before his sonar overloaded . The commander tells him that she detects nothing . She orders him to rejoin the rest of his squadron . He asks if the commander has heard anything from the missing member of his squadron , but there ' s been no response , even though his comm remains open . Frank then pauses , notices a Cyber ship has appeared , heading for the central city . The commander orders Frank to return , but Frank refuses , pretending that he can ' t hear her . In the future , Frank is telling this story to Jamie , while the two of them are being held captive in the citadel . Jamie doesn ' t care about Frank ' s war stories . All he cares about is finding where the Doctor and Zoe are . Frank realises that the ship the Doctor and Zoe were taken away in looked very familiar . Jamie gives up in his attempt to use his knife to cut through the Cyber cuffs . All the two of them can do is wait . In the past , a Cyberman escorts the Doctor and Zoe underground . The Doctor states that they don ' t want to be on the surface of Telos with the bombardment going on . Zoe points out that they shouldn ' t even be here at all . The Doctor notes that no major changes to the timeline have occurred , yet . Zoe asks the Cyberman where they ' re going . The Cyberman tells them they are going to see the Super Controller . The three arrive at the chamber of the Super Controller . The Controller orders the Doctor to step forward . Zoe notes how large the Controller is . The Controller tells them it ' s because sensors throughout him link his intelligence to every part of the Cyber Empire . The Controller suddenly shouts in pain , something that both the Doctor and Zoe notice . The Controller denies this , stating that pain is a human concept . The Doctor points out that the Controller is connected to every part of the Cyber Empire , including every area of the surface being bombarded , every Cyber ship being shot down , and every Cyberman being killed by a Glittergun . The Controller admits that it is what it is experiencing and that it will cease to function because of this , in 2 . 5 cycles . However , before that happens , the Cyber fleet will reach Earth and destroy it . However , the Controller intends to survive . The Doctor asks how it intends to do that , when there is no ship anywhere nearby that could support its mass . Zoe asks him if the TARDIS could do that . The Controller informs her that the TARDIS was critically damaged when it crashed . The Doctor confirms this . The Controller reveals that with the TARDIS out of commission , it will have to use another vessel . It plans to transfer itself into Zoe . The Doctor tells the Controller that it won ' t work , as Zoe ' s brain is too small to handle the consciousness of the Controller . The Controller points out that her mind is compartmentalised , she is half - machine already . That is how she was able to channel a Cyber - Planner . Zoe refuses to be the Controller ' s vessel . She states that she will hypnotise herself , but before she can get the Doctor to pass her his watch , the Controller has her restrained by the Cyberman . The Doctor offers his own mind , but the Controller refuses and orders for the Doctor to be taken to be converted into a Cyberman . The Doctor questions the Controller on the point of doing so . After all , Telos is going to fall , so there ' s no point in creating more ground troops , something that the Controller confirms . The Doctor then points out it would be more logical for him to be killed , rather than converted . He then addresses the other Cybermen in the room , pointing out that the Super Controller has gone mad . The Controller silences the Doctor , and tells him that the conversion unit is connected to the Controller . When the Doctor begins undergoing the conversion , the Controller will be aware . The Doctor accuses the Controller of wanting to feel his pain . The Controller orders for the Doctor to be taken away . Before he leaves , he apologises to Zoe for failing to stop this . In the future , the Cyber - Planner receives new orders . The fleet is to mobilise in 1 . 09 cycles . The Cyber - Leader confirms the orders . In the past , the Cyberman take the Doctor to the conversion unit . The Doctor is still trying to convince them of the Controller ' s madness . The Cyberman ignores him , forcing him to get in line with the other prisoners who are to be converted . In line , the Doctor meets the past version of Lanky , who has yet to be converted . The Doctor introduces himself . Soon , it ' s Lanky ' s turn to enter the unit . However , one of the Cybermen , who is Frank in disguise , suddenly intervenes , stating that the two remaining prisoners are not to be converted . The Cyberman asks him why they shouldn ' t be converted . Frank tells the Cyberman that Lanky is a good friend of his . The Doctor notices that Frank is carrying a Glittergun . The Cyberman has figured out that it isn ' t talking to another Cyberman . Frank shoots the Cyberman , killing it . The Doctor realises the problem with what has just happened . Frank arrived too soon , before Lanky ' s body was converted , meaning the timeline has been altered . In the future , a Cyberman enters the room where Jamie and Frank are being held . The Cyberman reveals himself to be Lanky . Jamie notices that Lanky is human under the suit , being able to see from the hole in the chest unit , caused by Zennox ' s blaster . Lanky reveals the truth about what happened when he nearly got converted . He never was converted , having been saved in time by Frank . Now that the secret has been revealed , he no longer needs to wear the Cyber suit and disconnects the voice box . In the past , the Doctor starts to tell Lanky that he was supposed to be partly converted , but decides not to tell him . He greets Frank and helps him get the headpiece of his Cyber suit off . Frank notes that they all should get out of here , but the Doctor tells the two to go ahead without him . He needs to go rescue Zoe . Frank and Lanky decide to help the Doctor rescue Zoe . In the future , Jamie asks why Lanky was going around pretending to be a partially converted Cyberman . Frank tells him it made Zennox more willing to hire them , and Lanky tells him it was because the Doctor knew him as a Cyberman . Lanky tells Jamie that they met the Doctor ten years ago on Telos . They couldn ' t reveal the truth until the Doctor and Zoe were taken back in time , in order to preserve the timeline . Frank says that this is no time for more explanations and asks Lanky to remove their cuffs . Lanky tells them that they will soon be getting Glitterguns , which he had " the boy " go get . " The boy " arrives , revealing himself to be Findel . He apologises for being late , as he nearly ran into a Cyber patrol . Jamie asks how Findel is alive , and Lanky reveals it was because Zennox didn ' t shoot him in the chest unit . Lanky isn ' t the half - converted Cyberman , Findel is . Findel reveals it was when he was back in school , a part of that one group . The tutors convinced some of the students to prove their devotion by replacing parts of their bodies . Lanky tells him to hand him the Glitterguns . The four need to go take out the beacon , so Zoe can do her thing . In the past , Frank notes that they ' re getting low on ammo . The Doctor tells them to cover the rear , as he ' ll go take on the Super Controller . The Doctor enters the Controller ' s chamber and threatens the Controller . Only , something is off . The Controller isn ' t saying anything and Zoe is attached to some cables . Zoe reveals that she isn ' t Zoe . The Controller has already transferred itself into Zoe ' s body . Frank and Lanky , who disobeyed the Doctor and followed him in , watch in awe as the cables life the Controller off the ground . The Controller points out the Glitterguns are useless against it , due to being in Zoe ' s body . The Doctor tells Frank and Lanky that this means Zoe ' s brain is being overwritten . Soon , her mind will be gone forever . In the future , the Cyber - Planner updates the orders from the Controller . The fleet is to mobilise in 0 . 10 cycles . The Cyber - Leader confirms the orders . Jamie , Frank , Lanky , and Findel enter the room and attack , killing the Cyber - Leader . The Cyber - Planner orders for other Cybermen to come protect it . Frank asks Findel if he can disconnect the Cyber - Planner . Findel says he ' ll try . In the past , the Controller senses that the fleet is in warp space . It will be within its reach in 0 . 09 cycles . Frank asks what fleet it ' s talking about . The Doctor reveals the existence of a fleet of ten thousand ships , ten years in the future . The Controller is preparing a coordinated attack . He tells Lanky to forget he just said that . When Lanky asks why , the Controller reveals that the Doctor came from that future . Before it can say more , it screams in pain from the bombardment of Telos . Zoe uses that moment of weakness to retake control of her body and tells the Doctor about the cold fusion reactor that just went critical . The Controller begins to reassert its control over Zoe , but fades away again . Zoe reveals it ' s because the Cyber - Planner is screaming in pain . The beacon has been shut down . She tells them she needs to concentrate on bringing the Cyber fleet back to Telos . But , if she does so , the timeline changes to one where the war doesn ' t end today . So , she ' ll call the fleet back , but won ' t tell them to stop . This will cause the ships to crash into the planet , wiping out all the Cybermen and ending the war . However , this will also ensure Zoe ' s death , as she ' ll need to remain behind to ensure the ships crash . The Super Controller emerges again , telling Zoe not to go through with her plan . The Doctor is in agreement with the Controller . In the future , Jamie asks what happens now , now that the Cyber - Planner has been disconnected . Frank tells him that there ' s a sacrifice that needs to be made . He and Lanky tell Jamie about what happened to Zoe , how she planned to sacrifice herself to destroy the Cybermen . Jamie can ' t believe that this is what is going to happen . In the past , the Doctor asks Zoe to let him disconnect her from the Controller . Zoe refuses , intent on destroying the Cybermen to avenge the deaths of everyone who died against the Cybermen , including he friends who died when she first met the Cybermen , when they invaded the Wheel . Zoe pleads for the Doctor to allow her to sacrifice herself . Frank and Lanky understand , saddened to see such a brave girl having to die . Lanky tells the Doctor it ' s time for them to go . The Doctor refuses to leave . If Zoe is going to go through with this , then she won ' t be dying alone . Zoe tells the Doctor to be reasonable . The Doctor refuses . Suddenly , the Controller emerges again , but suddenly vanishes . Zoe describes it like a gate suddenly came down , which the Doctor realises is a logic gate . Someone else has interfered , taking Zoe ' s place as the vessel for the Controller . That someone turns out to be Findel . Findel is communicating from within the Cyber - Planner , in the future . Jamie asks what is going on , but Lanky tell him to leave Findel alone . Findel has made his choice . The sacrifice that he and Frank were talking about wasn ' t Zoe , but Findel . In the past , the Doctor realises that Findel intends to go through with Zoe ' s plan , and bring the Cyber fleet down on Telos . Zoe points out that it will cause Findel ' s mind to be trapped in the Controller , killing him . Findel lowers Zoe to the floor , allowing the Doctor , Frank , and Lanky to disconnect her from the cables . Zoe begs Findel to not go through with this , but he refuses to stop . In the future , Jamie asks what happens next . Frank tells him that the TARDIS couldn ' t be used to leave , so they used Frank ' s ship to leave . Jamie asks where the Doctor and Zoe are now . Frank tells him that they didn ' t make it to Frank ' s ship . In the past , Zoe tells the Doctor that they can ' t just leave Findel to die . The Doctor points out that the fleet will hit in 0 . 06 cycles , not enough time to do anything to save him . The ceiling in the passageway collapses , separating the Doctor and Zoe from Frank and Lanky . In the future , Frank and Lanky explain about the corridor caving in from the bombardment . In the past , the Doctor tells Frank and Lanky to leave them behind , as there ' s no way for them to get around the debris . What matters now is preserving causality . In the future , Frank tells Jamie that the Doctor then gave them their instructions for what to do when they next meet him . Frank was worried it would go wrong , when Zennox almost shot the Doctor and Jamie . Jamie yells that it has gone wrong , as this means the Doctor and Zoe are dead . In the past , Findel announces that the fleet will collide with Telos in 0 . 03 cycles . The Doctor and Zoe reach the TARDIS . Zoe was able to guide the Doctor here , because she saw where the ship was being kept , while she was linked up to the Controller . The two step into the damaged control room . The Doctor had been hoping that the TARDIS would ' ve started regenerating by now , enough to grant the two some protection . Zoe asks if the TARDIS is dead . The Doctor tells her that the TARDIS is inert . She needs Artron energy to kick start the process . She needs to latch onto the time vortex , but they are currently in fluid time , adrift from continuity . The TARDIS was never supposed to be here , after all , and neither were the Doctor and Zoe . Zoe asks him if there is something they can do . The Doctor tells her that if Frank and Lanky didn ' t make it out in time , and meet him in the future , it would erase this timeline . The Doctor wonders if that ' s what went wrong . Outside , Findel announces that there are only 0 . 02 cycles left . In the TARDIS , the Doctor laments that all of this is his fault . Zoe points out that the war could still end . What makes that happen is the Sixth Doctor ' s involvement . The Doctor points out if that was true , the TARDIS would ' ve already come back to life . He states that the Second Doctor had the right idea to run away . Zoe says that doesn ' t make sense . Why would the Second Doctor run away from a Cyberman ? The Sixth Doctor points out that they saw that he did . Zoe questions whether the Second Doctor ' s arrival on the dwarf planet really was an accident . The Sixth Doctor realises what she ' s getting at . Someone summoned the Second Doctor ' s TARDIS to the dwarf planet , so he could be swapped with the Sixth Doctor . Zoe states that the Cybermen are about to be destroyed , because the two Doctors switched places . But , in order for that to happen , the Second Doctor needed to go to the dwarf planet . What the Sixth Doctor and Zoe need to do is close the circle , by sending the Second Doctor a message , getting him to go to the dwarf planet . The Sixth Doctor states that the Second Doctor would never fall for the message . He would think it ' s a trap . Zoe agrees , and that was why the Second Doctor had Jamie and Zoe stay behind in the TARDIS . Outside , Findel announces that the fleet will crash in 0 . 01 cycles . In the TARDIS , the Doctor states that Zoe ' s idea is nothing more than just an enchanting theory . The problem with her plan is that the telepathic circuits are as damaged as the rest of the TARDIS , meaning they can ' t send a message . Suddenly , the telepathic circuits come online . Zoe tells him it means she is right . Since they have realised that they need to send the Second Doctor a message , time is no longer fluid , and the TARDIS has begun regenerating . Zoe tells the Doctor to hurry up and send the message , because the fleet will hit any second . Outside , the ships collide with Telos , bringing an end to the Great Cyber War . In the future , Jamie , Frank , and Lanky watch Findel call out Zoe ' s name , before dying . Lanky decides that they should go have some tea , before taking Jamie back to Earth . Suddenly , Frank hears the sound of the TARDIS materialising , meaning that the Doctor and Zoe successfully escaped Telos . The Doctor and Zoe watch from the scanner as Frank ' s flyer lands nearby . He confirms that the TARDIS has landed in the same spot as it did before . Zoe asks him if it ' s all over now . The Doctor confirms that it is over for the Cybermen . There will be a few scattered survivors , but without the Super Controller ' s influence , they ' ll be unbalanced and emotional . They might even want revenge . Zoe tells him that ' s not what she was asking . She was talking about the transposition . Whoever was responsible wasn ' t targeting the Cybermen , they were targeting the Doctor . The Doctor agrees . He has been attacked by someone well acquainted with the Doctor ' s personal history . The Doctor notes that whoever it was has failed . It ' s just a pity that he won ' t remember this . Zoe points out that he ' s still here . The Doctor tells her it will take a while for the timelines to adjust and restore the two Doctors to their proper places in time and space . He notes that the TARDIS has almost fully restored herself . This means that the Second Doctor will soon reappear . When he does , time will snap back , and Zoe won ' t recall that the Sixth Doctor was ever here . The doors open and Jamie joins them in the TARDIS . With him here , the Doctor notes that soon , things will go back to the way they were . Jamie tells him not to be so sure . He tells Zoe what the Doctor told him about their future . Zoe asks the Doctor to confirm this , which he does . Jamie thinks that he and Zoe could leave with Frank and Lanky instead , avoiding that future . He points out that they ' re not far off from Zoe ' s original time , so she ' ll have no problem fitting in . Zoe considers this , and all the good she could do to help those like her and Findel . The Doctor tells them that time doesn ' t work like that . He tells them to look at his hand , which is turning transparent . The transposition is reversing , and the Sixth Doctor is fading away , back to where and when he should be . Zoe tells Jamie that if they plan to leave , they must go now . Jamie points out that it means they ' ll miss the Second Doctor ' s return . The Sixth Doctor tells them to look at the scanner . On it , they can see the ridge where the transposition occurred . That ridge is where the Second Doctor will reappear , any moment now . Jamie think they should wait a moment , so they can see the Second Doctor again . Zoe tells him that they can ' t . If he wants to keep his memories , he has to go now . The Sixth Doctor tells them that they won ' t remember him . But , he will never forget them . At that moment , he fades away . Zoe only has enough time to say that he is gone , before both she and Jamie forget everything that has just happened . Once again , they ' re waiting in the TARDIS , during an electrical storm , for the Second Doctor to return . They even start having the same conversation they had just before the transposition occurred .