The four Daleks charged at Olivia, Jake and Rajesh, chanting ''Exterminate!''. Olivia could think of only one thing to try to stop them killing them all immediately.
''Daleks!'' she called, ''You're the Daleks, am I right?'' she asked. The creatures stopped in their tracks and stared at her in shock. ''21st Century human who knows about the Daleks, and the Time War. You need me alive. And my friends.''
''Yeah,'' Jake lied, his blaster gun still trained on the creatures, ''Daleks!''
''And me,'' Rajesh played along.
The black Dalek commander studied Olivia for a moment, then turned to Jake and Rajesh, and then back to Olivia, ''You will be necessary,'' it decided, before turning to one of the three standard Daleks behind it, ''Report: what is the status of the Genesis Ark?''
''Status: hibernation,'' the Dalek replied in a high pitched voice.
''Commence awakening,'' the black Dalek ordered, ''The Genesis Ark must be protected above all else.'' The four turned to the strange, Dalek shaped device behind them and placed their sucker arms against slots.
''What the hell are these things?'' Jake whispered to Olivia once the Daleks were ignoring them.
''The worst things in the world,'' she answered fearfully. Olivia shook her head. Just a few minutes previous, she had been horrified at the thought of the Cybermen coming back and had been begging it to not be true. The universe had answered her prayers by sending them something that was on another level of horrific.
Meanwhile, the Doctor, Jimmy and Alice were captured by the Cybermen.
''These metal things are gonna kill us!'' Alice sobbed into Jimmy's chest, ''I'm so scared, Jimmy!''
''I know,'' he soothed, ''But I brought you here, and I promise I'll get you out safe, Al!'' He looked into her puffy, red eyes. Her face was so tear streaked that her glasses had slid to the edge of her nose. Jimmy tugged them off and gently wiped the tears off Alice's face. He then softly placed her glasses back over her eyes. Alice sniffled and gave Jimmy a grateful smile. Although his priority was keeping Alice safe, Jimmy kept thinking about Olivia. She was trapped down there with whatever had emerged from the sphere, and Jimmy hoped to whatever deity was listening that it hadn't disposed of her already.
The Cyber Leader marched up to Yvonne, ''You will talk to your central world authority and order global surrender,'' it rasped.
''Oh, do some research,'' Yvonne scoffed, ''We haven't got a central world authority.''
''You have now,'' it said as the Doctor observed it through his 3D glasses, ''I will speak on all global wavelengths. This broadcast is for human kind. Cybermen now occupy every land mass on this planet, but you need not fear. Cybermen will remove fear. Cybermen will remove sex and class and colour and creed. You will become identical. You will become like us.''
The Doctor, Jimmy, Alice and Yvonne watched through the window as humans fled the Cybermen in the streets. The army soon arrived to fight against them, but although they managed to take down a few, the metal men blasted their way through all opposition. London was in flames.
''I ordered surrender,'' the Cyber Leader intoned.
''You fool,'' the Doctor snarled, ''You think that if you take over people's homes, and march through the streets killing people, they won't attempt to resist? They aren't your Cyber drones just doing as they're told!''
''Which of you is least important?'' the black Dalek questioned, gliding towards the three humans.
''What do you mean?'' Olivia asked.
''Which of you is least important?''
''That's not how we work here,'' Olivia argued.
''Designate the least important!'' the Dalek bellowed.
''This is my responsibility,'' Rajesh decided, stepping forward to address the creatures. ''I er, I represent the Torchwood Institute,'' he introduced, ''Anything you need, you come through me. Leave these two alone.''
''You will kneel,'' the black Dalek ordered.
''What for?''
''Kneel!''
Rajesh did so, kneeling in front of the black Dalek.
''The Daleks need information about current Earth history,'' the black Dalek announced.
''Yeah, well, I can give you a certain amount of intelligence but nothing that will compromise Homeland security...'' Rajesh began.
''Speech is not necessary,'' the black Dalek interrupted, ''We will extract brainwaves.'' It and two of the standard Daleks rolled towards him, their sucker arms enveloping his head.
''Don't!'' Rajesh begged, ''I... I'll tell you everything you need. No. No!'' He screamed as his skull was crushed completely. Jake tried to stop them harming his colleague and friend, but Olivia stopped him, knowing how futile it was to attempt to fight the Daleks.
All the Cybermen on the top floor suddenly turned to face their leader.
''Scans detect unknown technology active within sphere chamber,'' the Leader declared, ''Cybermen will investigate. Units 10 65 and 10 66 will investigate sphere chamber.''
Two Cybermen that had been shoving around members of staff marched up. ''We obey,'' they said, marching off.
The Daleks released Rajesh's corpse, his skull being completely crushed.
''His mind spoke of a second species invading Earth infected by the superstition of ghosts,'' the black Dalek said.
''You didn't have to kill him,'' Olivia muttered.
''Neither did we need him alive,'' one of the standard Daleks sneered at her.
''Dalek Thay,'' the black Dalek said, turning to the Dalek that had spoken, ''Investigate outside.''
''I obey,'' the sneering Dalek said, moving out of the room.
'Thay?' Olivia thought to herself. Since when did Daleks have names?
''Units open visual link,'' the Cyber Leader ordered. A second later, Yvonne's computer displayed footage of the two Cybermen's vision, ''Visual contact established.''
''Establish visual contact,'' the black Dalek ordered, ''Lower communications barrier.'' A projection appeared on the wall, displaying what Dalek 'Thay' was seeing. Olivia and Jake saw two Cybermen come into the Dalek's view.
The Doctor went deathly pale as the two Cybermen came face to face with a Dalek. Jimmy gasped quietly. Olivia had been in the sphere chamber with a Dalek! He realised how likely it was that the girl was dead.
''Identify yourselves,'' the Dalek ordered.
''You will identify first,'' one of the Cybermen demanded.
''State your identity. ''
''You will identify first.''
''Identify!'' the Dalek bellowed in frustration.
Jake couldn't help but laugh at the bizarre proceedings that were taking place between two mechanical creatures.
''Illogical, you will modify,'' the Cyberman ordered.
''Daleks do not take orders,'' the Dalek said.
''You have identified as Daleks.''
''Outline resembles the INFERIOR species known as 'Cybermen','' another Dalek voice shouted over the screen.
''There's more than one,'' Jimmy breathed.
''What are Daleks?'' Alice asked Jimmy nervously. Jimmy didn't answer. Alice was already terrified of the Cybermen, and Jimmy didn't want to tell her that the... thing on the screen was the living embodiment of evil, a creature so powerful it could conquer the entire planet by itself. He didn't want to make his girlfriend any more frightened than she already was.
''Phone,'' the Doctor whispered to Jimmy, who pulled out his phone and handed it to the Doctor. The Time Lord placed a call to Olivia, who answered quickly, but did not speak. ''Olivia's alive,'' he confirmed to Jimmy, who breathed a sigh of relief.
''We must protect the Genesis Ark,'' yet another Dalek voice screeched. How many were there?
''What's a Genesis Ark?'' the Doctor wondered, putting on his 3D glasses and staring at the screen.
''Our species are similar, though your design is inelegant,'' the Cyberman remarked.
''Daleks have no concept of elegance,'' the Dalek dismissed.
''This is obvious,'' the Cyberman agreed, ''But consider, our technologies are compatible. Cybermen plus Daleks. Together, we could upgrade the Universe.''
''You propose an alliance?'' the Dalek wondered.
''This is correct.''
''Request denied,'' the Dalek decided.
''Hostile elements will be deleted,'' the Cyberman declared, and the two pointed their guns at the Dalek. They fired, but their laser beams had no effect at all.
''Exterminate!'' the Dalek called, firing at both Cybermen and killing them instantly.
''Open visual link,'' the Cyber Leader said, bringing up direct footage from the sphere chamber, showing a black Dalek commander, ''Daleks, be warned: you have declared war upon the Cybermen,'' the Cyber Leader announced.
''This is not war,'' the black Dalek jeered, ''This is pest control.''
''We have five million Cybermen. How many are you?''
''Four.''
''You would destroy the Cybermen with FOUR Daleks?!'' the Cyber Leader scoffed.
''We would destroy the Cybermen with ONE Dalek,'' the black Dalek sneered, ''You are superior in only one respect.''
''What is that?'' the Cyber Leader asked just as the Doctor leaned forward behind him.
''You are better at dying,'' the black Dalek sneered, ''Raise communications barrier!''
The screen went blank and the Doctor ended the call to Olivia.
''Wait!'' the high pitched Dalek ordered as the screen went blank, ''Rewind image by nine rels,'' bringing up the moment the Doctor leaned in, ''Identify grid seven gamma frame.'' The screen zoomed in on the Doctor, ''This male registers as enemy.''
''The female's heartbeat has increased,'' the black Dalek rounded on Olivia, ''Identify him!''
''Do you really wanna know who that is?'' the blonde teased, ''That man is the Doctor.'' The three Daleks scaled back in fear. ''Now you're in trouble,'' Olivia said with a smirk.
''Quarantine the Sphere Chamber,'' the Cyber Leader ordered, ''Start emergency upgrading. Begin with these personnel.'' The Cybermen began to drag Alice and Yvonne away, along with the rest of the staff.
''No, you can't do this!'' Yvonne protested, ''We surrendered! We surrendered!''
''Get off me!'' Alice screamed, ''Leave me alone!''
They started to grab Jimmy and the Doctor too, but the Cyber Leader stepped forward, ''Keep these two,'' it ordered, and the Cybermen released them, ''Their increased adrenaline suggests they have vital Dalek information.' '
''JIMMY, PLEASE HELP ME!'' Alice screamed as she was dragged away, ''YOU PROMISED TO PROTECT ME! YOU CAN'T LET THEM TAKE ME AWAY!''
''I am gonna get you out of here, I promise!'' Jimmy shouted at Alice before her, Yvonne and the rest of the staff were dragged out of sight. Jimmy ran his hands through his hair furiously. This situation could not get any worse. Olivia was trapped by the Daleks and now Alice was trapped by the Cybermen! ''Fuck!'' Jimmy shouted out loud.
Dalek 'Thay' returned to the sphere chamber, ''Cyber threat irrelevant,'' it evaluated, ''Concentrate on the Genesis Ark.''
The four Daleks began to circle the strange device and placed their sucker arms on the slots.
''Why are we being kept alive?'' Jake wondered.
Olivia considered for a moment, ''I think I know...'' she murmured.
''What is it?'' Jake asked.
The Doctor and Jimmy sat in the main office, staring at the ground in frustration.
''You are proof,'' the Cyber Leader remarked as it marched up to them.
''Of what?'' the Doctor spat venomously.
''That emotions destroy you.''
''Perhaps we are,'' the Doctor began, before hearing the distinct sound of teleport systems, ''Although I'm a big fan of hope, and here it comes.''
He watched as several masked, black-clad troops teleported into the main room, all carrying large blaster guns. Their commander barked out an order and they opened fire on the Cybermen in the room, destroying them immediately. The Cyber Leader stormed over to confront them, but the commander whirled around and fired his own gun, blowing the Leader apart.
The Doctor and Jimmy regarded the intruders warily, unsure whether they were yet another group of hostiles intent on causing trouble.
''Doctor! Jimmy!'' the commander called, ''Good to see you both.''
His voice was familiar.
It was Jimmy's voice.
The commander removed his mask to reveal himself as identical to Jimmy.
''Jamie?'' the Doctor questioned.
''In the flesh,'' Jamie confirmed with a smirk, ''If the Cybermen can come through, we can as well.'' He turned to his troops, ''Defend this room. Chrissie, they're gonna try and create a new Cyber Leader. I need you to monitor communications. MOVE!'' The troops did as they were told, the Doctor observing them all using his 3D glasses.
''How can you teleport from one world to another?'' the Doctor asked Jamie.
''With these,'' Jamie said, taking out two large, yellow buttons on chains, throwing one to the Doctor and the other to Jimmy.
''How did you get this technology?'' the Doctor questioned.
''We've got our own version of Torchwood,'' Jamie muttered contemptuously, ''They developed it. Do you wanna come and see?''
''NO!'' the Doctor called, but Jamie had already activated the dimension jump, taking them to the exact same spot in the other universe. The top floor looked different, but it was much darker and there were wires lying around. This place had clearly been abandoned for a while.
''We found out what Torchwood were doing,'' Jamie explained, ''The People's Republic are in charge now.''
''We need to get to back, right now!'' the Doctor urged.
''Liv and Alice are in danger!'' Jimmy agreed.
''That'd be Miss Olivia Alison,'' a cold female voice remarked. Molly Alison, or at least this universe's version of her, stepped into the room, followed by two masked troops. She was wearing a similar military uniform, ''My daughter.''
''We don't have time for this,'' the Doctor argued, ''We must get back!''
''We're in charge here,'' Molly warned dangerously, ''And you're not going anywhere.''
''I could transport out,'' Jake remarked, ''But it only carries one and I can't just leave you here.''
''Thanks,'' Olivia said, ''That means a lot.''
''But why are they keeping me alive?'' Jake wondered.
''Insurance,'' Olivia theorised. Jake gave her a confused look, so she elaborated, ''The first time I met one of these things, it was weak. Almost dead. But I touched it and it healed.'' She recalled that day, her mind trailing to the fact that it was then that she had realised how she felt about Jimmy. ''The Doctor said that when you travel in time, you soak up this... background radiation. It's harmless, but the Daleks evolved so they could use it as a power supply. That's how that Dalek healed, and maybe that's what they need for this Ark thing.''
''Insurance?'' Jake repeated, still confused as to what she meant by that.
''I've travelled in time,'' Olivia explained, ''I've got background radiation. They need me to touch the Ark, but they know I won't do it if they kill you.''
''But if you refuse, they'll kill you,'' Jake pointed out.
''Exactly! Then who's going to open it?''
''Why would they build something they can't open themselves?'' Jake wondered.
''The technology is stolen,'' the black Dalek interrupted loudly, ''The Ark is not of Dalek design.''
''Who built it?'' Olivia asked.
''The Time Lords,'' it answered, making Olivia gasp, ''This is all that survives of their Home World.''
''What's inside?''
''The future!''
Oooh, will Alice be upgraded? Is JImmy having second thoughts about his relationship?
