four
Opaque darkness.
Lilly could see swirling mists, not unlike the fog machines that was part of Hannah Montana's stage show.
In the mists, she could see what looked like various peoples from various ethnic backgrounds.
"Hey!" Lilly shouted. "I need help! How do I get outta here?"
They can't help you, Lillian. No one can.
Then all the people screamed in unison, as if part of a single organism.
"You will remain still," a Cyberman said in its electronically modulated voice.
"Do as he says," Jack told Robby Ray and Heather.
"I imagine you're going to upgrade us," Jack said.
No time for swashbuckling heroics.
"Upgrade us?" Heather said. Then the realization hit her.
"What have you've done to Lilly..."
The Cyberleader ignored her.
Robby Ray restrained her. "I don't think she's here."
"No need," the Cyberleader said, to Jack's shock and in confirmation of Robby's statement. "We have sufficient numbers."
A panel opened up revealing a good number of dormant Cybermen.
The wrong Cybermen.
They were the ones from the parallel Earth. The ones doing the talking were obviously 'originals'.
Telosians.
Instead of the Cybus Industries Logo on their chest unit they had a more complex mechanism.
"You're from the future," Jack realized.
"You have knowledge of the Cyber Race? Logical conclusion: you have either encountered us before or you are associated with the Doctor."
Bit of both.
Inside a strange visual device, the images of a small man wearing a tan coat and a young girl wearing a bomber jacket appeared. The Seventh Doctor and his companion Ace.
"I've never seen them before," Jack said.
"Yet you know the Doctor."
"I've met him on occasion.What's that to you? He's not here."
"Unfortunately for you and your companions," Cyberleader said.
"Never mind us.What do you want with them?" Jack asked in reference to the Parallel Earth Cybermen.
"They possess immunity to a weakness inherent in us. Where they came from is irrelevant; they will be augmented to serve our cause."
"Let me guess; return to the 26th century and replenish your forces," Jack said.
Cyberleader bore down on Jack. "This is proof."
"Proof of what?"
"That you have a rudimentary knowledge of time travel."
"Won't do any good," Jack said. "I'm stuck here."
"That still will not save you. We know about the Rift." Cyberleader motioned to a device. "With this we can open up the Rift and gain access to the other Earth. It will be the new Telos. Our forces will grow in strength. The Cyber Race will spread across two universes."
"So this is the cure for your weakness?" Jack asked.
"What weakness?" Heather asked.
"They're allergic to gold," Jack said, face-to-face with the Cyberleader.
"What?" Robby Ray said.
"Perfect non-corrosive metal. Interferes with their respiratory replacements."
"Just how do you know all this?" Heather asked.
Jack said nothing; he was pressing some kind of contraption on his left wrist.
Tosh and Angel had to settle for audio. No CCTV in the tunnels.
They listened intently as Jack spoke with their 'hosts'.
Gwen and Miley could hear everything too.
"What's Cybermen?" Miley asked.
Gwen looked at her. The American Government successfully retconned its people into forgetting what the world governments referred to as Doomsday. Other nations were having a little more difficulty.
"Something nasty."
"But my dad's down there! So are Lilly's mom and your boss."
Gwen noticed another reading on the monitor inside the SUV.
"Tosh! Are you picking this up?" Gwen said.
"Yeah, it's strong. Not alien; I can't tell what it is."
"Any way you can amplify this?" Angel asked.
"Not without difficulty," Tosh said. Ianto joined the pair.
"They're still down there?" Ianto asked.
"In sewers teeming with Cybermen," Tosh replied.
Ianto's face fell; memories of the Battle of Canary Wharf and its subsequent consequences flashbacked through his mind.
Suddenly, all communications went off.
"Leader," said a Cyberlieutenant. "All transmissions have been terminated." His, or its voice was somewhat higher in contrast to the low octave tone of the Leader's.
"This is your doing," the Cyberleader said, turning to Jack.
"That's not all," Jack said. He touched his wrist device again.
Now was the time for swashbuckling heroics.
The Cybermen's equipment flickered; the disturbance was enough to cause one of them to drop its weapon, (later described by Jack as a 'rapid-fire photon rifle') which Robby Ray instantly picked up.
"Get back to the surface, now!" Jack said. With Heather between him and Robby Ray, they did just that.
"Daddy!" Miley said. She ran to hug him. Then she noticed the gun.
"Get back, darlin', those Cyberthings aren't far behind."
As if on cue with his words, the Cybermen emerged from the sewers.
"Aim for their chest units!" Jack said. Robby Ray fired and a Cyberman crumpled to the ground, screaming in its modulated voice.
Jack went to the back of the SUV and produced a couple of exotic looking guns.
"Give me one of them," Heather demanded. She wasn't quite convinced that the Cybermen hadn't captured Lilly.
"Sorry, not for civilian use." He gave the other one to Gwen.
"Let's see how these work on the originals," Jack said. Gwen fired, and the Cyberman twirled about as energy arcs danced across its cybernetic frame. It fell to the ground.
Jack didn't have so much luck. Like the Borg from Star Trek TNG, the other Cybermen adapted to the weaponry.
Okay, Jack thought.
"Your weapons are useless," The Cyberleader intoned. "Put them down or the girl will die."
One of them had Miley.
One by one Jack, Gwen, and Robby Ray laid down their arms. Cybermen completely surrounded them.
"A futile attempt," The Cyberleader continued. "As you can see, we have completely adapted to your weapons."
"Adapt to this," said a female voice.