Salvage (Doctor Who)

***Salvage*** is the tenth episode of the second series of *Doctor Who* produced by *The 56Studios*. It features the return of Kate Stewart, Petronella Osgood, Darren James, Olivia Angstrom, and the Cybermen.

## Story

On a distant planet in a distant galaxy in a distant time, fires burned in a large city. Smoke filled the air. Bolts of energy fell down on them from massive ships in the sky. On the ground, men, women, and children ran through the streets as the hulking figures of the Cybermen chased them.

“DELETE>” they said as they fired upon the citizens.

Dozens of Cybermen marched through the streets, shooting down civilians while grabbing others and dragging them away for conversion. The defenses of the city had already been destroyed, with the soldiers either killed or assimilated.

The Cyber-Leader stood in the street and watched over the destruction. Its blank stare was unwavering as it observed. Behind it, a Cyber-Lieutentant came up beside the leader. The lieutenant turned to face it.

“LEADER>” the lieutenant said.

“REPORT>” the leader replied.

“WE HAVE LOCATED THE SHARD>”

“TAKE ME TOO IT>”

“I OBEY>” the Cyber-Lieutenant said, before turning and stomping away. The Cyber-Leader followed.

The two Cybermen marched through the streets, moving through the destruction and carnage. They stepped over bodies and walked through raging fires and rubble. They moved down several streets before entering a tall building. Several Cybermen were stationed in the lobby. One of them walked up to the black-handled leader and slammed its fist to its chest in salute.

“LEADER>”

“WHERE IS THE SHARD>”

“THERE IS A HUMAN FAMILY THAT HAS BEEN HIDING THE SHARD IN THEIR HOME>” the Cyberman replied. “I WILL TAKE YOU TO IT>”

The group of now three Cybermen marched through the lobby to the elevator. The doors slid open to admit them and they crossed the threshold. The Cyberman used its technological abilities to override the control panel and force the elevator to ascend. It shook as it began to move upwards.

Moments later it stopped and the doors slid open. There were more Cybermen outside. They saluted as they saw the leader. The Cyber-Leader and its soldiers moved through the corridor, led by the Cyber-Lieutenant. They reached the middle of the hallway and stopped at an open door with two Cybermen on either side. Stepping through it, they entered the apartment.

A family of six sat huddled in the middle of the living room as three Cybermen stood above it. They had their weapons trained on the six of them. Everyone turned to look at the arrival of the Cyber-Leader.

The father looked at the Cyber-Leader with fear. “Please… please… don’t hurt us.”

The leader looked down at the family. “YOU FEAR> FEAR IS WEAKNESS> WE WILL REMOVE FEAR>”

“We don’t want any trouble… we don’t have anything of value to you…”

It stared at him with dead eyes. “INCORRECT>”

“What?”

“I KNOW YOU HAVE THE LIGHT SHARD>” the Cyber-Leader replied. “WE WANT THE LIGHT SHARD>”

“I… I don’t have it!”

In a surprisingly quick movement, the Cyber-Leader grabbed the man by the neck and raised him off the ground. His family screamed as he choked. “YOU LIE>”

“I… don’t…” he gagged.

“IF YOU DO NOT HAND OVER THE SHARD IMMEDIATELY, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL BE DELETED>”

The man struggled, but there he could not free himself from the Cyberman’s grip. He looked at his family below, who was looking on in terror. He knew that it was his duty to keep the ancient relic safe, but he also knew that he couldn’t sacrifice his family to fulfill his duty. Sweat formed on his brow as his mind raced.

“GIVE UP THE SHARD OR YOU WILL BE DELETED>” the Cyber-Leader demanded, its grip tightening.

“Okay! Okay! I’ll… I’ll give it to you!” he gasped.

The Cyber-Leader set the man down forcefully. He fell to his knees, taking in lungfuls of air. His wife tired to crawl to him, but she was grabbed by the neck by one of the Cybermen. She screamed as it lifted her up.

“Let her go!” he demanded of the Cybermen.

“NOT UNTIL WE TAKE THE SHARD>” the Cyber-Leader looked down at him.

He stared at the Cyber-Leader with hatred in his eyes. Finally, he got to his feet and walked over to a wardrobe on the other side of the room. Opening it, he reached in and extracted a black box. Bringing over to a table, he set it down. The Cyber-Leader joined him, watching him intently. Uncomfortably, the man set his hand on the box, and it glowed before it opened. As the casing lifted, a glaring light erupted from the box.

The Cyber-Leader shoved the man aside and reached into the box and pulled out the object. It glowed brighter before the light faded, as it was revealed to be a glowing shard of a stone orb. It examined it with great interest.

“Alright,” the man approached the Cyberman. “You’ve got what you want. Now leave us alone!”

Staying silent for a moment, the Cyber-Leader suddenly lifted its arm towards him. Its blaster unfolded and fired. A bolt of electricity shot through the air and hit him. The man screamed in agony before dropping to the ground.

His family cried out in horror when the other Cybermen raised their wrist blasters and opened fire. The family was consumed by electricity, screaming as they were electrocuted before they fell in a smoking pile on the floor.

The Cyber-Leader replaced the shard in the box and closed it. The leader then turned to the Cybermen.

“WE HAVE ACQUIRED THE LIGHT SHARD> IT IS TIME TO LEAVE>”

The Cybermen then left the apartment. The Cyber-Leader remained for a moment, watching the bodies on the floor for a moment before picking up the box and leaving the room.

They had returned to the main Cyber-Ship. Arriving on the bridge, the Cyber-Leader handed the box off to another Cyberman, who in turn left the room with it. It then stepped up to the main platform.

“WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION HAS BEEN ASSIMILATED OR DELETED>” the Cyber-Leader asked.

“EIGHTY-SEVEN PERCENT, LEADER>” the Cyber-Lieutenant replied.

“OBLITERATE THE REMAINING POPULATION> ANY SURVIVORS WILL BE CRIPPLED>”

“WE OBEY>” the Cybermen around the bridge said in unison.

Readying the controls, the ship shuddered as the weapons primed. The Cyber-Leader watched as they targeted the planet. A second later they opened fire. Beams of energy flew from the ship and hit the ground. They could see the explosions from space. Massive balls of fire like candles in the night. They continued firing, more and more explosions erupting across the surface of the planet.

Suddenly, the lights on the bridge turned red as an alert rang out. The Cybermen looked around for an explanation.

“WHAT IS HAPPENING>” the Cyber-Leader demanded.

“AN EARTH EMPIRE FLEET HAS DROPPED OUT OF HYPERSPACE>” a Cyberman replied.

The image of a large fleet appeared on the screen. There was a half-dozen ships there, compared to their three ships. They were drifting through space towards them. They could see the flicker of their canons charging.

“THEY ARE TARGETING OUR SHIPS>” one Cyberman said.

“OPEN FIRE>” the Cyber-Leader ordered.

Just as it ordered, however, the Earth Empire ships opened fire. Beams of red light shot through space and struck the three Cyber-Ships simultaneously. They erupted in massive balls of fire as they broke apart immediately. Cybermen cried as they were crushed or sucked out into space. The fragments of the ships then began to drift towards the planet, caught by its gravity. Catching fire, they plummeted downwards through the atmosphere and to the surface.

Years later.

Glass crunched under the Doctor’s shoes as he stepped over them. Behind him, Clara and April looked at the destroyed looming around them. Rubble and decayed bodies littered the ground. There had been a massacre here, and it made them sick to their stomachs. They had been gunned down in the streets and left there to rot.

“What happened here?” Clara asked.

They walked for a few more moments before then came across a massive silver body lying on the ground. They stopped and looked it. Its dead robotic eyes stared up at them. Clara immediately recognized it, but April was unfamiliar.

“The Cybermen,” the Doctor said. “The Cybermen did this.”

“What are the Cybermen?” April crossed her arms.

“Humans that evolved themselves to the next level of being,” he replied. “Now their purpose is to make everything else like them.”

“So they’re monsters?”

“Old enemies of mine,” he crouched down to examine it closer. “They never seem to die.”

“Why did they do this?” Clara looked around at the destruction.

“The Cyber Wars,” he stood back up. “They came here for something, and we’re here to find out what.”

“What’s going on? What’s here?” April asked.

“An energy signature very similar to that of the Darkness, but also very different,” the Doctor straightened his jacket. “Come on.”

They moved deeper into the city. The streets were different, but yet all the same. Bodies littered the streets among the rubble and wreckage of the apparent massacre. What all of this had been for, they did not know. It seemed senseless. Why all this killing? Why all this destruction? What did it accomplish? What did it gain?

The Doctor was scanning around with the sonic screwdriver. He led them down another street, which was much the same as the others they had gone down. They walked for a few moments before April saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and looked at where she had seen it.

“Uh, guys?” she said.

They stopped and turned to face her. April was about to continue when a number of figures emerged from the ruins and moved to surround them. They were humanoid, and they were armed. They then aimed their weapons at the trio, and the trio stood back-to-back as they were surrounded by the new arrivals. The Doctor held the sonic screwdriver tightly in his hand.

“How come we’re always at gunpoint?” April muttered.

“Occupational hazard,” Clara replied, obviously irritated.

“Identify yourselves!” one of them, a woman, barked.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” the Doctor growled.

“You’re in no position to demand anything,” one of the men replied.

The Doctor groaned. “Alright. I’m really sick of constantly being held at gunpoint and having to explain who I am. I’m the Doctor. This is Clara and April. We’re here looking for an object of immense power to save the universe from the Darkness.”

His words seemed to have struck a chord with the group. They exchanged surprised glances with each other. It was as if they knew exactly what he was talking about.

“You mean… the Light Shard?” one of them, a girl, asked.

“Be quiet, Sara!” the first woman hissed.

“Yes, that’s what I think it is,” the Doctor nodded.

“We’ve already suffered enough because of that damn relic,” the woman said, stepping towards the Doctor. “You’re not getting it.”

“The fate of the universe depends on it,” he replied. “Please. I don’t mean any harm.”

“The Cybermen pillaged this world in search of it. We’re the only survivors of their attack. That Shard has brought only destruction, and it’s better lost.”

“Lost?”

“The Cybermen took it onto their ship just before it was shot down by the Earth Empire.”

“The Earth Empire was here?” the Doctor asked. “Why are you people still here?”

“They abandoned us,” the woman said shortly.

“They didn’t detect life signs on the planet, and they assumed that everyone had been killed by the Cybermen,” the man explained. “The ash and smoke in the air must’ve interfered with their scanners.”

“But the Cyber-Ships are still on the planet?” the Doctor asked.

“Yeah. The wreckage in is in the wastelands outside the city,” he pointed to the east.

“Then take me to the main ship,” he stepped towards them. They tensed.

“Why would we do that?” the woman sneered.

“The Darkness is an entity of immense power and destruction. It has been ravaging the universe for hundreds of years… perhaps even thousands… and the Light Shard has the potential to finally destroy the Darkness. But I need to have it if I’m to know if I can use it to that end,” the Doctor said, his pale blue eyes piercing the survivors. “Take me to the ship.”

They all shuddered. Finally, the woman nodded.

“Alright. We’ll take you there.”

A smile broke across the Doctor’s face. He clapped his hands together. “Lovely. Lead the way.”

Earth. Present day.

Olivia Angstrom walked between her soldiers as they readied themselves for the mission. She smiled at them as she passed. She was proud of the forces that she had been able to amass right under U.N.I.T.’s nose. They knew of her, yes, but that had been a calculated risk. They still had no idea who she truly was or what she was plotting.

The war between the humans and the Zygons had not gone as she had hoped. The Doctor had intervened, just as he always did. He was always fixing the messes that he made, and was heralded as a hero… even as a messiah. That’s why he needed to die.

She reached her office at the end of the warehouse and entered. Inside was a man sitting on her couch. He stood to attention as she entered.

“Ma’am,” he said.

“Jacob,” she replied. “Is everything ready for tonight?”

“It is,” he nodded. “I’ve got the guard schedule right here.”

Reaching into his pocket, he produced a flash drive. He handed it to her and she inserted into her monitor on the wall. Immediately, it lit up with a chart of the guards that were to be positioned at the Tower of London that night when they were to strike.

“Excellent,” Olivia smiled, turning to him. “Absolutely excellent.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he smiled in return.

“Will the targets be on duty when we breach?”

“Yes. All three of them.”

“Fantastic. Soon, we will bring U.N.I.T. to its knees just long enough for us to cut off its head. Then, we will have the power to kill the Doctor, and the human race will finally be free of this contagion that he has unleashed on us. We will be victorious!”

“How do you know he will come?” Jacob asked hesitantly.

“He’s the Doctor,” she smirked. “He always comes.”

“Of course, ma’am,” he nodded hastily.

“Go back to the Tower. Get ready for our arrival.”

“Yes ma’am,” Jacob bowed his head before leaving the room.

She watched him go through the window in her office before turning back to the monitor. Her smile continued to broaden as she thought about their destiny awaiting them that night.

Across space, the helmet of a solitary Cyberman sat in the dust amongst the wreckage of the crashed Cyber-Ships. Its dead eyes stared out in the wasteland surrounding it before it was picked up by the Doctor. He examined it for a moment with indifference before dropping it back into the dirt. Brushing off his hands, he turned to the his companions and the group of survivors.

“Which one is the mothership?” he asked.

“That one,” the woman, Grace, pointed to the ruins directly ahead of them. “That’s the ship the Shard would be on.”

“Then that’s the one we go to.”

Grace strapped her weapon to her back. “This is as far as we go, Doctor.”

He looked at her. “Really? Just when things were getting interesting?” he seemed disappointed.

She nodded. “We have no idea what’s on that ship; what could be lurking. We want no part in it.”

“These ships open a lot of old wounds,” the man, Derek, said. “We’re rather they stay closed.”

“I can understand that,” the Doctor nodded. “But you lot have weapons, and if there are things on that ship, I’d like you there to… handle them.”

The survivors shifted uneasily. Clara, noticing this, walked over to the Doctor.

“You can’t make them do something they don’t want to do,” she whispered. “The Cybermen committed genocide against them. We can’t ask them to-.”

“Alright,” Grace stepped forward. He voice trembled slightly. “We’ll help you.”

“Thank you,” he said gratefully.

“No time to lose, then,” Derek charged his rifle. “Let’s go.”

Together, the group marched towards the ship. As they walked, they saw the remains of the Cybermen’s fleet. The twisted and mangled silver bodies littering the ground around them, thrown from the wreckage by the force of the impact. As he observed them, the Doctor noted that these Cybermen were of the warrior class, which he knew to have been primarily active in the later Cyber Wars.

After several minutes of walking, they reached the ruins. There was a large fissure in the hull, leading into darkness. They looked at it hesitantly.

“Anything could be in there,” April crossed her arms.

“No. Not anything,” the Doctor said grimly. “Just Cybermen.”

They all looked at him. He noticed their looks and smiled.

“Come on, then.”

Climbing up, the Doctor slipped through the fissure. Standing there for a moment, they one by one entered the crack after him, and into the darkness. Inside, they found that the narrow tunnel that the entrance led to was lined with loose wiring and shrapnel. As one, they crawled through the damaged layer of the ship, looking at a faint light up ahead. They continued pushing forward. before coming out into a dimly-lit corridor.

The Doctor produced the sonic screwdriver and scanned up and down the hallway. Looking at the readings, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“No Cybermen detected.”

Grace readied her weapon. “We’ll see about that.”

“Which way, Doctor?” Clara inquired.

He thought about it before scanning again. He then looked corridor to the left of where they came. “There’s an energy signature this way. It’s the same energy that the TARDIS detected.”

“Then let’s hurry up and find the shard,” Derek said. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“Follow me,” he said, moving swiftly down the corridor, the sonic in front of him. They followed.

As they explored deeper into the ship, they found that the interior was largely intact. The disabled bodies of the Cybermen lay in the corridors. They watched them closely for any sign of movement, but they appeared to be long dead. It didn’t make them any less unnerving, however.

They traveled down several corridors, following the sonic screwdriver. Climbing over a chasm in the floor, they continued for a while before they reached a large blast door. The Doctor stopped at it, the screwdriver indicating it. Gathering around it, they watched as the Doctor ran his hand along the door. Stepping back, he pointed the sonic screwdriver at it and activated it. Nothing happened for a moment before the door suddenly slid open.

At once they were blinded by a glaring light emerging from inside the room. They held their hands up to block it as the Doctor stepped inside. Crouching down, he reached for the source of the light. Feeling rough stone brush against his fingertips, he wrapped his hand around the object and picked it up. Standing, he held it up. Slowly, the light faded, and they were able to see that it was a white stone shard. Clara and April saw that it resembled the Time Shard that they had found in New York, and Gravity Shard that they had recovered from the Ice Warriors.

“Doctor,” Clara stepped forward as the Doctor examined it. “Why does that-?”

“-Look like the Time Shard and the Gravity Shard?” he finished her sentence for her. “Because it was cut from the same orb.”

“Orb?” April repeated.

“Yes,” he said. “One side of them is smooth, while the other is rough and jagged, indicating that it was part of a larger stone orb. One of several pieces, and we already have two. Now this is three. I estimate from this that there are six shards in total.”

“You mean there are more of these things out there?” Grace asked.

“That is indeed what I mean,” he looked at the shard.

They were looking a the shard also when something suddenly moved out in the corridor. They all tensed. The Doctor pocketed the shard as they looked out to see what it was. In the darkness, they could see silver shapes emerging from where they had come from. As they approached, their heavy footsteps echoed in their ears.

“DELEEEETE>” they said, their voices distorted.

The Cybermen shuffled forward, obvious that they were heavily damaged. The circles in their chests glowed brightly in the shadows, indicating that there were nine of them in the corridor. Their arms were extended outwards, those of them that had arms.

The survivors raised their weapons. Immediately, they opened fire. Blasts of energy shot from them and hit the Cybermen. Even in their damaged state, however, they were impervious to their attacks. The Doctor, realizing this, the Doctor grabbed Grace’s shoulder.

“Your guns don’t work!” he yelled. “We have to move. Now!”

Ceasing their fire, they turned and bolted down the corridor. The Doctor stood for a moment, watching them approach before turning and following. They ran down a number of corridors as the Cybermen chased them. They had no idea where they were going; only that they had to get away from the Cybermen.

After several turns, they reached a dead end in the form of a large locked door. Immediately, the Doctor began working on it as the survivors fired at the approaching Cybermen for cover.

“This is the bridge!” the Doctor said, overriding the controls.

With a spark, the door slid open. Immediately, they all rushed inside. The Cybermen were closing in just as the Doctor closed the door again.

Falling against the damaged controls on the bridge, they collectively caught their breath. Outside, the Cybermen were banging against the door, trying to get in. They looked at it before turning to the Doctor.

“What now?” Derek asked.

Before the Doctor could respond, the bridge suddenly powered up. The lights came on and the controls hummed with life. A second later, there was a beeping noise coming from the main console. Going over to it, the Doctor’s eyes widened before he stepped back and used the sonic to shut down the console. It sparked before going dark. The beeping stopped.

“What was that?” Clara asked.

“Distress signal,” he said, leaning against the console. “Not good.”

“Does that mean that the Cybermen will be able to find us?” April stepped forward.

“Yes,” he nodded gravely. “And able-bodied Cybermen at that.”

“What do we do?” Grace asked.

“Get the hell out of here,” the Doctor answered while the broken Cybermen outside continued to bang against the door.

On a Cyber-Ship on the other side of the star system, one of the consoles lit up with an alert. It beeped until a Cyberman matched to it and turned it off. It looked at the readings. The Cyber-Leader turned to it.

“WHAT IS IT>”

“WE HAVE RECEIVED A DISTRESS SIGNAL FROM A CYBER-SHIP>” the Cyberman replied.

“WHERE>”

“ON A PLANET IN THIS SYSTEM>” it reported.

The Cyber-Leader turned back to the scanner. “PLOT A COURSE FOR THE SOURCE OF THE SIGNAL>”

“I OBEY>”

The ship shuddered as it began moving across the system towards the planet. Everything lurched as they jumped across space before reappearing just above the planet. They saw it on the scanner, with an indicator of where the distress signal had originated. It was a downed Cyber-Ship in a wasteland of other destroyed ships.

“SEND A SQUADRON> INVESTIGATE THE SIGNAL>” the Cyber-Leader ordered.

As the Cybermen on the bridge began to fulfill the order, the leader stared at the planet displayed on the scanner.

“THERE WILL BE OBSOLETE MODELS ON THE SHIP> INTRUDERS AND OBSOLETE MODELS WILL BE DELETED>”

On the ship below, the damaged Cybermen were beginning to break through the blast door. The survivors set up around the room, ready to fire. Clara and April were shielded by one of the control consoles. The Doctor was looking through the controls, desperate to find a solution. The door was breaking down… they were getting in…

“They’re almost through!” Derek said.

“The systems are too damaged!” the Doctor said. “I can’t find a way to stop them!”

Sparks rained from the door as it was pulled an inch open, and then another, and then other. The survivors tensed, ready to open fire. The door was opening… they were almost through…

Blue light abruptly flashed from outside. Cybermen cried out before they heard the sound of metal clattering to the ground. Everything was silent for a moment, the survivors and the trio standing still, waiting to find out what happened.

The door suddenly slid open and a dozen shiny Cybermen appeared. They had their wrist cannons at the ready. The damaged units lay dead at their feet. They looked around the room, taking in the humans inside. For several seconds nothing happened before the survivors opened fire. Beams of energy shot through the air and hit their arm. The blasts ricocheted off their armor, inflicting no damage. Despite this, they continued their assault.

Moments later, their weapons ran out of power. They looked at them for a moment before the Cybermen spoke.

“DELETE>” the lead one said.

“Get down-!” the Doctor yelled.

The Cybermen opened fire. Bolts of electricity shot through the air. The Doctor and his companions took cover, but the survivors were not so lucky. Each of them was hit by a bolt. They screamed in agony as electricity covered their bodies before dropping to the ground, smoke trailing from their corpses.

The Doctor, Clara, and April stayed hidden. From their hiding place, they could see Grace’s dead eyes staring at them. The Cybermen stepped onto the bridge.

“WE KNOW YOU ARE HERE> REVEAL YOURSELVES AND FACE YOUR DELETION>”

Taking a deep breath, the Doctor stood up. He held his hands high as the Cybermen took aim at him.

“Don’t shoot! I’m the Doctor!”

They stopped. “THE DOCTOR>”

“Yes, that’s me! The Doctor!” he nodded vigorously.

“THE DOCTOR WILL BE DELETED>”

“No, I won’t, because I have something that you want,” he reached into his pocket and produced the Light Shard. The Cybermen looked at it intently.

“HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE>”

“Take us to your ship, and I’ll tell you all about it,” he said as Clara and April slowly stood up to join him.

The Cyberman watched him for a long moment before replying.

“COME WITH US>”

The Cybermen marched up to the trio. The lead one forcefully took the Light Shard from the Doctor’s hand. They then ushered them towards the door, surrounding them so they could not escape.

Leaving the chamber, the Cybermen escorted them back through the ship. They had left the dead bodies of the survivors in the room, there to forever remain. They climbed back through the fissure and out into the wasteland. They led them through the wreckage to a shining shuttle. As they approached, the ramp descended from it. The Cybermen forced them onto the ship and into seats. Beginning the takeoff sequence, April leaned over to the Doctor.

“What’s the plan?”

“I haven’t worked that out yet,” he said. “But I will.”

“I hope you do it soon,” Clara muttered as the ship took off, flying into the sky and through the atmosphere, disappearing into space.

Earth. Present day.

Colonel James took a seat across from Kate Stewart at her desk in her office in the Tower of London. She smiled as she leaned forward on her desk.

“Colonel,” she greeted.

“Kate,” he returned.

“What can I do for you?”

“Well, I wanted you to know that we have a possible lead on Olivia Angstrom’s operation.”

“Really? Interesting. Is it a viable lead?”

“Possibly, but I’ll have to look into it more. We’re tailing someone we believe to be involved with her gang, but nothing is confirmed yet,” Darren replied. “She runs a very tight ship. We know her name, but we know absolutely nothing about her or her future plans. She tried to start a Zygon civil war to wipe them out, but what her next move is is a mystery.”

“She’s a formidable force for someone so… small,” Kate cleared her throat. “Hopefully your lead proves viable.”

“I hope so, ma’am,” he nodded. Hesitating a moment, he continued. “Should we call the Doctor in on this one?”

Kate shook her head. “Not until we have something. We can’t bother him if we have nothing to show for it.”

“Understood, but I would like to have a contingency in case things get heated and the Doctor doesn’t come on time.”

“I’m already working on that, Colonel,” she said, grabbing a folder from her desk and handing it to him. He opened it and began reading.

“Torchwood? I thought they were gone?” he seemed surprised.

“As their own organization, yes,” she replied. “But Captain Jack Harkness is still out there, working with a small team to combat alien threats. They and the Doctor were involved with the defeat of the Kasaavin in Cardiff a few months back. Agent Carter made contact with them shortly thereafter and the Captain has agreed to work on behalf of U.N.I.T.”

“Could be interesting, ma’am,” he agreed. “Although from what I’ve heard, Jack Harkness can be a bit…”

“Much?”

“I was going to say conceited, but that’s a more delicate way of saying it.”

Kate smiled. She looked at her hands before continuing. “If Olivia is as intent on destroying us as she seems to be, then we must have all hands on deck to put a swift end to her.”

“I agree,” he replied.

“Keep pursing this, Colonel,” Kate extended her hand towards him. He took it and nodded.

“Yes ma’am,” he stood up. Turning, he moved to the door and left the room.

He began walking across the command center and down one of the tunnels when he ran into an officer. He was a young man, no older than thirty. He stopped in surprise when he saw the Colonel standing there. His name tag read “BENSON.”

“Colonel James!” the man exclaimed.

“Benson,” he read the tag.

“Jacob. Jacob Benson, sir,” he nodded quickly.

“What’s going on, soldier?” he asked.

“Oh. Nothing sir. Nothing at all,” Jacob replied, sweat beginning to form on his brow.

“You seem a bit tense,” Darren raised an eyebrow.

He ran his sleeve across his forehead. “Oh, you know, just a lot of work.”

The two stood there for a moment, an awkward silence hanging between them. Finally, Jacob ran his hand through his hair.

“Alright. I’ve got to go. Thank you, Colonel,” he quickly moved past him, further into the base.

The Colonel watched him go, his eyebrow raised. There was something off about that soldier, but he wasn’t sure what. If Darren didn’t know better, he’d say that he wasn’t just nervous – he was afraid. Watching him disappear around the corner, he turned and strode down the tunnel, deeply troubled by what he had just experienced.

The shuttle was approaching the Cyber-Ship. It shuddered as they maneuvered towards the shuttle bay. Clara and April shifted uncomfortably in their seats, while the Doctor stared at the Cybermen surrounding them with determination. The lead one was watching him, the Light Shard in its hand. The Doctor hadn’t yet figured out how they were going to escape, but he knew that it had to come soon.

They landed in the shuttle bay. The door opened and they were ushered down and out onto the Cyber-Ship. Dozens more shuttles were docked there, and countless Cybermen marched around them. Their squadron guided them towards a door on the other side of the bay. It hissed open as they approached, and they passed through.

Escorting them, the Cybermen moved them through the ship. The corridors they traveled down were identical to the ones on the ship below. Coming to the door to the bridge, they watched it slide open, and were forced through.

Inside, the Cyber-Leader turned to face them. Its black handle bars stood out against its silver armor. Stepping down from its platform, it marched towards them.

“YOU ARE DOCTOR>” it asked.

“That’s what they call me,” he looked up at it.

The lead Cyberman of the squadron stepped forward and handed the leader the Light Shard. It lifted it up and looked at it.

“WE HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS>” it examined the shard.

“What for, exactly?”

It turned back towards him. “TO WIN THE WAR>”

“The war you started.”

“ALL HUMANITY MUST BECOME CYBERFORM> WE ARE ADVANCING THAT GOAL>”

“You can’t possibly hope that that shard will give you victory,” the Doctor groaned.

“IT WILL DECIMATE THE ARMADA OF THE EARTH EMPIRE> WE WILL CONVERT THEM TO CYBERFORM.”

“You most certainly will not,” he protested.

“YOU HAVE NO STANDING>” the Cyber-Leader looked to the two women. “TAKE THE FEMALES FOR CONVERSION> THEY WILL BE ASSIMILATED>”

Immediately, two Cybermen grabbed hold of them and began dragging them towards the door. Clara and April screamed struggled as they were dragged away. The Doctor tried to run after them, but was grabbed by another Cyberman.

“You can’t do this!” he yelled.

“Doctor!” Clara cried.

“Get the hell off!” April said to her captor.

“I’ll save you!” the Doctor called as they disappeared through the doorway. “I’ll save you!”

The door closed. The Cyber-Leader turned to the Doctor.

“THERE IS NO SAVING THEM> THEY WILL BE UPGRADED> THEY WILL BECOME LIKE US>”

“No,” the Doctor turned to the Cyber-Leader, his eyes blazing. “They won’t. I’ll save them, and you won’t live to regret what you’ve done.”

“YOU WILL DO NOTHING> YOU WILL BE DELETED>” the Cyber-Leader replied.

“You have no idea how many times you lot has said that,” he growled.

“THIS TIME, THE PROMISE WILL BE FULFILLED>”

The Cybermen raised their arms and aimed their wrist blasters at the Doctor. Electricity crackled in the barrels, casting a flickering blue light on the Doctor’s features. His eyes darted between them, his mind racing to find a way out. Seeing the Light Shard, he knew he only had one recourse.

“The Darkness.”

They stood still. The Cyber-Leader stared at the Doctor.

“WHAT ABOUT THE DARKNESS>”

“So you know about it?”

“WE HAVE HEARD THE LEGENDS> THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT IT EVER EXISTED>”

“Well, supposing that the Darkness did exist, I believe that that shard has the power to destroy the Darkness, and I need it to save the universe from it.”

“THE UNIVERSE IS OF NO CONCERN TO US> WE WILL ASSIMILATE THE UNIVERSE, AND NOTHING WILL STAND IN OUR WAY> NOT EVEN YOU> YOU WILL BE DELETED>”

They readied their weapons again. The Doctor had exhausted his strategies, and stared at the Cybermen with cold resignation.

Suddenly, the lights on the bridge turned red and an alert rung out. The Cybermen looked around for an answer. One of the Cybermen stationed at one of the consoles turned to the Cyber-Leader.

“AN EARTH EMPIRE SHIP HAS ENTERED THE SYSTEM>”

“WHEN WILL IT ARRIVE>”

On the scanner, an Earth Empire ship suddenly appear, energy rippling from it before it faded away. Just as the Cyber-Leader was about to give an order when the ship opened fire. Bolts of red energy shot from its cannons and struck the Cyber-Ship, cutting through its defenses with each. Explosions erupted across the ship. Everything shook, knocking them off-balance. Pieces of debris fell from the walls and ceiling, crushing several Cybermen beneath them.

The Cyber-Leader was forced to drop the Light Shard. It hit the floor and slid across to the Doctor’s feet. Grabbing it, he looked up at the Cyber-Leader as it regained its balance. It saw him, and struggled to step forward. Spinning around, the Doctor ran to the door, which slid open as he rushed through it and down the corridor.

“THE DOCTOR IS ESCAPING>” the Cyber-Leader said. “HE MUST BE DELETED>”

The Cyber-Leader marched forward through the door after him. Two other Cybermen joined it as it went.

Outside, the Doctor nearly lost his footing as he ran through the destructing ship. It was breaking apart all around him as the Earth Empire continued its assault. He ran past Cybermen how didn’t notice him, instead focused on the crashing ship. He had to find Clara and April before they were killed by the destruction.

Skidding across the floor, he turned a corner and continued running, only to be surprised by the sight of his two companions running towards him. The two parties came to a halt in the middle of the corridor.

“Doctor!” they exclaimed.

“Clara! April!” he said, looking between them. “How did you escape?”

“A pipe came from the ceiling and crushed the Cybermen, but we managed to escape. Just barely, too,” Clara explained quickly.

“Thank god,” April breathed.

Behind them, the Cyber-Leader and the Cybermen appeared around the corner, marching towards them quickly. They had their wrist blasters at the ready, and were approaching quickly. The trio looked at them before the Doctor grabbed their hands and ran down the corridor with them in tow.

“Come on!”

They rushed down another corridor, cracks appearing all around them. The Cybermen were following in close pursuit. Everything shook, and it was difficult to keep their footing. As they ran, a chasm suddenly appeared in the floor ahead of them. Skidding to a halt, they looked down and could see the planet through the fissure below them, growing larger by the second.

Behind them, the Cybermen were closing in. They took aim at them.

“DELETE>” the Cyber-Leader declared.

“We have to jump!” the Doctor said.

“What?” the women said in unison.

“It’s all we have!” he replied, looking back at the Cybermen. “It’s jump, or we die!”

“Or both!” April protested.

“Together!” he ignored her, grabbing their hands again. Looking down into the abyss, they took a deep breath, and jumped. They bridged the chasm and landed on the other side. Just as they landed, the floor on the other side abruptly gave way. The Cyber-Leader and the Cybermen fell through it, screaming as they fell into the void.

The trio watched them go, disappearing in the atmosphere of the planet. They were breathing heavily.

“We have to go. Now!” the Doctor said quickly. “We have to get to the shuttle bay!”

Again, they took off. They wove their way through corridors, past Cybermen who were breaking down with the ship. Everything was crumbling around them. After turning nearly two dozen corners, they found themselves at the blast door of the shuttle bay. Rushing through it, they came out into the large area. Just like the rest of the ship, the bay was breaking apart.

“This way!” the Doctor led them towards one of the shuttles. Using the sonic screwdriver, he overrode the locking mechanism and the ramp descended. Climbing up it, the Doctor rushed to the controls and began the launch sequence.

Pieces of the Cyber-Ship hit the hull as they fell from the ceiling. The women looked around as more and more gave away. Suddenly, the shuttle shuddered as it began to ascend into the air, and the Doctor piloted it towards the open bay doors. Activating the thrusters, he looked back at them.

“Hang on!”

Punching it, the ship jolted forward. They blasted through the air and out the bay doors just as the shuttle bay exploded. Behind them as they flew away, they saw the Cyber-Ship erupt in a ball of fire. It was blinding, stinging their eyes as they watched it. The Earth Empire ship lingered where it was before it shot off into space again, its work done.

Resting, the women breathed a sigh of relief. The Doctor, breathing heavily as well, piloted them back towards the planet. He then reached into his pocket and produced the Light Shard. It glowed warmly in his hand. As they flew through space, they gathered around the Shard, watching it shine like a star in the night.

Earth. Present day.

It was night when the convoy of large black vehicles rode up to the Tower of London. They stopped at the gate as the U.N.I.T. soldier approached them from his post. Stepping up to the window, he looked in as the window was rolled down. There were soldiers inside, dressed in what appeared to be U.N.I.T. gear, but something was off about them.

“Papers,” he said, eyeing them suspiciously.

“We don’t need them,” the soldier replied before he produced what appeared to be a gun. Just as the U.N.I.T. soldier was about to react when he was consumed in a black of blue light. His skeleton was illuminated as he screamed in agony before dropping to the ground.

Looking at the body, the soldier then shot the control panel in the box beside the gateway, which exploded. The gate then rolled open, and the convoy immediately rolled through it.

Coming to a stop outside the Tower, they were dormant for a moment. Suddenly, over a dozen U.N.I.T. soldiers emerged from the building and came into formation. They had their guns at the ready. The convoy did nothing. The lead one wrapped his finger around the trigger.

“Open fire!” he yelled.

The soldiers immediately opened fire. The bullets, however, merely broke against the vehicles. They were heavily armored, however, with nearly impossible strength. Sparks flew as their ammunition shattered. After several moments, they ceased firing, and saw that they had indeed inflicted no damaged on any of them.

The window of the lead one rolled down again and a small object was thrown from it. It landed feet from the soldiers, and they gasped as they saw it.

“GRENADE!” they yelled just as it went off.

Blue light exploded from it, consuming them all. Their skeletons were illuminated as they screamed in agony. As they light faded, they dropped to the ground, all dead. The doors to the convoy opened and dozens of heavily armored soldiers emerged. They all had weapons based on Dalek technology. One of them was Jacob Benson.

The last to emerge was Olivia Angstrom. She wore armor, but not as heavy as the other soldiers. She carried one of the handheld death rays with her, apparently ready to fight.

Olivia smiled as she looked at the dead bodies on the ground.

“Come on. Let’s move in and take what is ours.”

Together, they moved towards the doors. Jacob Benson ran up to the control panel on the side of the door and entered the password. The doors immediately split pen and they rushed in. Inside, several soldiers were stationed and immediately opened fire. The insurgents took cover before returning fire. The two groups exchanged fire for several moments, with a handful of Olivia’s forces being shot. However, the U.N.I.T. soldiers were overwhelmed, and quickly fell.

The battle won, they stepped into the Tower of London. Olivia stepped over their bodies as she led the way, her army following in her wake.

An alert rang out in the command center. Kate emerged from her office as both Osgoods ran up to her.

“What’s going on?” Kate asked.

“We’re under attack!” one of the Osgoods replied.

“Heavily armored and skilled insurgents have breached the base and are making their way here,” the other explained. “To this room. To us.”

Colonel James then appeared through the doorway and hit a button on the panel. The blast door closed, locking in place. The other doors around the room did the same, sealing them inside. He then ran up to Katem breathing heavily.

“It’s a massacre out there,” he said. “They’re killing us!”

“How are they doing this?”

“No idea, but we don’t stand a chance,” he moved over to the wall where a rack of guns sat. He grabbed one and cocked it. “But we’re going to have to make a stand.”

Around the room, the other officers moved to grab weapons. The Osgoods stayed to the side while Kate grabbed her own weapon. She then stepped to the center of the room and looked around. She took a deep breath.

“We’re under siege, and they’re coming for us,” Kate said. “We’re going to make our stand here, even if we fall. It’s our duty to protect the world, and it’s our time to stand and fight. Are you with me?”

They were silent. After a few moments, they stepped forward and nodded. The edges of Kate’s mouth twitched.

“Now. We have to-.”

The blast door suddenly exploded inwards. They took as debris flew over them. Getting back up, several of them were immediately struck by beams of energy. Skeletons illuminated, they screamed, before falling to the ground. The others ran to take cover while firing at their attackers, but were shot down.

Kate and Darren rushed behind a desk and opened fire. They managed to fell several of them, sending their heavily armored bodies crashing to the floor. Blood splattered on the ground like paint. They continued firing, but were grossly outnumbered.

One of the Osgoods dove behind a control console. The other Osgood was moving to take cover but she was grabbed by one of the soldiers. She struggled, but could not break free. Olivia stepped up and aimed her gun at Osgood’s head.

“Surrender or she dies!” she yelled.

Seeing this, the two immediately ceased. They looked at each other, knowing that they couldn’t risk Osgood. Reluctantly, they set down their guns, and stepped out with their hands raised. The other Osgood did the same. Slowly, they stepped to the center of the room.

“Good,” Olivia smiled.

Suddenly, she opened fire. The beam consumed her and she screamed in agony before collapsing to the ground, dead.

“NO!” the three of them screamed.

Colonel James, in a fit of anger, reached down and grabbed a pistol from a deceased soldier. He immediately opened fire, hitting several of the soldiers, including Jacob Benson. Aiming it at Olivia, he fired. She dodged it and returned fire. The beam hit him and his skeleton was illuminated as he withered to the ground. Kate looked on in shock at the two deaths she had just witnessed. Osgood had collapsed to the ground, crying over her sister’s body.

“Now,” Olivia stepped forward towards Kate, looking up at her.. “For the real reason I’m here.”

“And what the hell is that?” Kate said through gritted teeth.

She smiled even broader. “The Black Archive. I want to kill the Doctor.”

## Characters

* Twelfth Doctor
* Clara Oswald
* April Leigh-Morgan
* Kate Stewart
* Petronella Osgood
* Darren James
* Olivia Angstrom
* The Cybermen
* Grace
* Derek
* Sara
* Jacob Benson

## Gallery

Promotional cover for the story.Textless version.
## Trivia

* This story is split between two narratives, a first for this series.
* The way the Cybermen speak is changed from the first series, where the Cybermen were depicted by speaking in italics, while in this story they speak in all caps with a > at the end of their sentences, based on the *Doctor Who* novel *Illegal Alien*.
* This story is the first to feature the deaths of major characters.