Chapt 7

The cyberman that had been John Lumic stood in the room filled with empty cyberman bodies. It was like standing in a graveyard, but he had no emotions and so felt nothing. He had also felt nothing when he had pushed the girl into the machine that would change her forever. He had listened to her pleading and watched as tears rolled down her face, he had seen the fear in her eyes and the terror in her voice as she had tried to reason with him, but he had still felt nothing. He thought about his lack of emotions, and realised that he should be horrified at what he had done, perhaps scared of what he had done, but it was as if he was watching from a distance. He felt nothing and therefore could be hurt by nothing. That was how he escaped from the fire, when that cursed Time lord had pushed him off his blimp and sent him falling to his certain death. But as he was falling his head remained clear, not clouded by panic as any humans would have been and he was able to save himself.

Now he was waiting, waiting for his prototype to be made. Waiting to see if the new wave of cybermen would be a success. From behind the hidden metal door in the room he could hear whirring and slicing noises. The girl had screamed for a whole five minutes before falling silent when the operation had started but CyberLumic had ignored it completely. Fear was a thing he no longer had to suffer with, and if the girl pulled through, then she wouldn't either.

Suddenly the door hissed open and a wave of acrid smoke billowed into the room. A shape could be seen silhouetted against the white light issuing from the room. If CyberLumic had had any emotions then he would have smiled as the first new Cyber2.0 came into view. It looked just like Suki, with her pale skin and dark hair, but CyberLumic knew that the flesh was all genetically engineered, even the hair was artificial. That way the body wouldn't age, as was the original idea. Under the fake skin was a metal skeleton, with all the joints of a human skeleton, but fifty times stronger. The cyber2.0 had no organs, but it had artificial nerves built into the flesh. The only part that was truly left of the human Suki was the brain, cradled in the metal skull, floating in artificial chemicals. Extra parts had been added too, such as anti-gravity boosters in the soles of its feet and laser beams in it's knuckles.

The Cyber2.0 stared at CyberLumic with its eyes, made with a living tissue version of glass, and bowed to him. It spoke in a strangely jerky feminine voice.

"I am Cyber2.0. I am the newest upgrade. Everyone shall be upgraded. Anyone who is not upgraded shall be deleted."

CyberLumic jerked his head in a nod, "Can you blend in?"

"Yes master." This time when the Cyber2.0 spoke, its voice was Suki's exactly. The metallic quality had gone and anyone could believe that this creature was a normal fifteen-year-old girl.

For the first time in years CyberLumic wished that he could feel proud about his creation, or happy that it went right, but the inhibitor chip by his cold, metal heart stopped him. "Then let us go forward and together we shall carry on my noble work."

"Open you stupid, stupid thing!" yelled the Doctor, whacking both fists on the SIDRAT's closed doors, "You'd open for Charcoal, you worthless piece of…" Suddenly the doors opened and the Doctor when flying head first through them. Luckily he landed on a pile of dirty washing, but when he got up with an old pair of knickers on his head he really didn't see the funny side.

WHAT'S UP WITH YOU? AND NICE JEANS BY THE WAY.

The SIDRAT's message flashed up on screen just as the Doctor managed to untangle himself from one of Charcoal's lacy tops that had got caught on his shirt button. The Doctor was still wearing the T-shirt and jeans that Mrs Jones had given him. Grumbling he went to the room under the floor where all the wiring was and got changed into a clean suit from the SIDRAT wardrobe.

WHAT IS UP WITH HIM?

The SIDRAT asked Rose. Rose, who had just made a cup of tea, sat down on the sofa (which was also covered in clothes and decked in fairy lights). "He's just stressed. The Cybermen are back and he thinks they have a master plan. Why wouldn't you let us back in?" she asked.

I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HILARIOUSLY FUNNY TO LET HIM WALK THROUGH BRIGHTON IN A SOPPING WET SUIT. THE CYBERMEN ARE BACK? OH NO, I'M SCARED OF CYBERMEN.

"Is there anything that you're not scared of?" she wondered out loud.

YEAH, CHOCOLATE… UNLESS IT'S POISONED.

Rose shook her head. The Doctor, now back in his usual suit and black converses, flopped onto the sofa next to Rose.

"I've been thinking…" he began.

UH OH. NOW I REALLY AM SCARED. HELP! GET ME OUT OF HERE!

"The cybermen didn't particularly need Suki, they just needed someone who would come with them without to much fuss, which makes me think that there aren't that many of them left, or rather, left at the moment. Anyway, they found someone who was easy to manipulate and the went out of their way to get her, that's why they homed in on Suki."

"But why did they need someone?" Rose asked.

"I haven't got that far yet." Sighed the Doctor.

Chapt 8

Charcoal sat for hours on the balcony of her old room, just staring out over the city. In the daylight all had become clear to Charcoal. The house had been built on a hill, and her room was on the third floor. From the small balcony she could see for miles in every direction. She could see the city spreading out lazily all the way down to the sea that sparkled like a carpet of crystals in the distance. She felt the warm breeze that ruffled her hair and the warm sun on her face. The sky was blue and cloudless, and even though she was in a ghost of the former Gallifrey, Charcoal couldn't help being elated. She was home.

She turned to her room. It was just as she had left it on that morning, the morning everything had changed. The toys were still scattered haphazardly over the red carpet, and the homework that she had been struggling on was lying forgotten on the table. It was as if she had never left. Charcoal closed her eyes and suddenly she was back in her room, before anything had happened…

She opened the bedroom door and flung herself on the bed. Her little sister, Star had been the centre of attention, yet again. This time it was because she had got a crummy gold star at school. Charcoal sat up slowly and looked around her room. It was dark, the light outside was fading fast. She sighed. Oh how she wished something would happen, something to make her stand out. She hauled herself to her feet and went to look out of the window. She could see the sun setting just over the horizon, turning the whole sky blood red. Charcoal lay her head on her hands and stared at the sea in her distance, but after a few minutes she jerked upwards. Something had caught her eye. A glint of metal in the undergrowth, the crack of a twig. She lifted her head to try and get a clear view, and saw it. A Dalek. She knew what it was, but not that she should be scared of it. She cocked her head to one side and smiled at it.

"Hello little Dalek. What are you doing here?" The Dalek turned to face her and she suddenly began to feel scared. It didn't move and she began to back away.

Suddenly in the distance, as if it had been turned on with a switch, people started to scream. Charcoal stood on the balcony, her eyes locked with her periscope of the Dalek. She didn't dare move. Suddenly her mother raced onto the balcony and grabbed her hand. Charcoal's mother's gaze landed on the Dalek and for a split second neither of them moved, then suddenly she opened her mouth to scream. At the same moment a flash of blue light issued from the end of its laser and hit Charcoal's mother in the chest. She collapsed to the ground, dead, still holding onto Charcoal's hand.

Charcoal couldn't scream. She watched the metal monster, as it moved towards her. The screaming was getting louder. Charcoal could see the bright lights in the city, and more disturbingly, flashes of blue laser. Suddenly charcoal's dad appeared on the balcony. He took in the whole scene, the Dalek in front of Charcoal, his wife lying dead on the floor, still with her hand grasping Charcoal's wrist, the dead man's grip. He slowly walked up to Charcoal, never taking his eyes off the Dalek. He prized open the dead woman's hand with out flinching and led Charcoal slowly away.

"How did you do that?" He said as soon as they were safely barricaded in the kitchen. He had brought Star down form upstairs and the three of them were hiding. "How did you stop it from killing you?" His voice was harsh and Charcoal was scared, "You should be dead. Why didn't it kill you?"

Suddenly the barricade exploded and three Daleks came in. Charcoal's dad froze, then pushed her towards the Dalek's. She fell to her knees in front of the lead one. She was so close to it that she could almost touch it. None of them moved. She stared up at them with frightened eyes and they stared impassively down.

"So it's true." Charcoal and all the Daleks turned to look at Charcoal's father. He was staring at Charcoal with a mixture of fear, hatred and amazement on his face, "It's true, you are a…" A flash of blue laser stopped him mid-sentence. He crumpled to the ground, the same expression on his face. Star gave a terrified squeak.

Charcoal took Star's hand and pulled her away from the Dalek's, always making sure to have herself between her sister and them. The followed her with their metal gazes, but none of them moved. She backed away, pushing Star behind her. Still they didn't move, they just continued to watch her.

And so they were running through the city, with people running in every direction. Charcoal remembered the fear, the lights, she remembered the quay, her sister hitting the ground, screaming, the SIDRAT calling to her…

"Oh my god!" Charcoal was back in her room, lying on the carpet, breathing heavily. She slowly sat up. Her nerves were still rattling around inside her head. She got to her feet and walked slowly downstairs. She needed a cup of tea. If it made the Doctor feel better then it was sure to work for her. The kitchen was tidy. There was no sign of the barricade, or of the struggle. It was almost as if it had never happened. A hissing noise made Charcoal spin round, fumbling in her pocket for her laser gun. It was the kettle boiling its self. Charcoal started at it. "How…" she began, but then stopped, shaking her head. She poured the tea (into a conveniently placed mug that already had a teabag in it) and in poured some of the still in date milk from the fridge. She was surprised to find a fresh doughnut on a plate in the sitting room. She picked that up, and, hardly breathing turned on the T.V. Her favourite episode of The Tompsons was on. She shook her head and sat down to watch it.

"But how is all this happening? This planet has been inhabited for about six hundred years." Breathed Charcoal.

SIX HUNDRED YEARS, UNTIL TODAY. Replied the T.V.