Chapter 3

Jack and the old man quickly dashed down an alley close by, distancing themselves from the crowd that witnessed their fight with the orderlies.

"Cybermen?" Asked the old man. "Are you sure?"

"The chest plate I saw was conclusive enough for me," confirmed Jack. "The patients looks like the Mondasians Cybermen we fought in World War Two London. This is the 51st Century. Mondas was destroyed in 1986."

"Yes, I know. I was there."

"But how can they be here now?"

The old man looked thoughtful, and said, "I've encountered a good deal of Cyberspecies throughout my lives: Mondas, Telos, Planet 14. I always assumed that they were branches of the same species. Lately, I've been entertaining the thought that perhaps it's more an issue of parallel evolution."

"So the Cybermen are developing independently on this colony?"

"Look at the conditions here, Group Captain: a cold, barren world. Look at these people, the streets, the decrepit buildings. This is a dying people. A dying people embracing cybernetics for survival. This is another Mondas."

"Sounds like a viral meme."

"That's just it! It's a viral, parasitic concept. In every case, the people lose their humanity. Emotions and individuality cast aside…"

"Halt!" Shouted a familiar voice. It was the soldier from outside the colony, now out of his artic uniform and in a black and blue BDU. His squad of seven soldiers were behind him, rifles aimed at the time travelers.

"I take it you have issues with our little altercation with the hospital hoodlums?" Asked the old man. "Does it matter that they started the fight by trying to kidnap my friend here?"

"The orderlies have the authority to apprehend patients who haven't been discharged," said the soldier who identified the old man as not being human outside the colony.

"We haven't been here longer than half an hour! We couldn't possibly be patients."

"There are Cybermen in that hospital," said Jack. "Do you know what they are?"

"They're just legends from ages past," said the leader. "Long since gone from the galaxy."

"No," said the old man shaking his head. "They're here, right now, arising from your desperation to survive."

"This is ridiculous, Lieutenant!" Protested the female soldier. "They need to be returned to the hospital."

"I'm aware of my responsibilities, Parker," the Lieutenant snapped back.

"You know," said the old man eyeing Parker suspiciously. "They only tried to capture my friend here. Not me. It's as if they knew I wasn't human, and, therefore, not a candidate for conversion. I wonder who they could have learned that from."

"Parker," said the Lieutenant, "take the men back to HQ. I'll return these two to the hospital."

"Alone?" Asked Parker.

"You have your orders, Sergeant!"

"Yes, sir!"

Once Parker and the other soldiers marched away, the Lieutenant lowered his weapon, and said, "Do you know what is happening in that hospital?"

"Who did you lose?" Asked the old man.

Tears began to form in the Lieutenant's eyes. "My sister. She went missing a month ago."

"I'm sorry," said the old man, full of sincerity.

"People keep going missing. The official story attributes it to the declining conditions of the colony."

"Why haven't you called for help?" Asked Jack. "No one had heard from you in over a year."

"That's when we lost our subspace transmitter," explained the Lieutenant. "It just stopped working one day."

"And no one is this entire colony could fix it?" Asked the old man.

"No one."

The sounds of a disturbance came from the street. The three men looked out from the alley. Four large figures in bulky, green armor came marching down the street, led by a slim figure with a cape and helmet.

"That's just great!" Said Jack. "First Cybermen, and now Ice Warriors."