7. Nice Outfit?
The Cyberman steps into the Tardis, pushing Crystelle aside, Miranda style. "Who are you? Intruders must be questioned before upgrade or deletion."
"Nice outfit!" Ben says. He reaches and pulls at the Cyberman's metal bodywork.
The Cyberman turns on him. "Who are you that you would touch a Cyberman and think that you could get away with it?"
"Please," Crystelle says. "Ben didn't mean any harm."
"Ben," the Cyberman says. "Noted."
Ben realises that he has made an error. "Sorry." Then he turns to Crystelle and hisses, "you didn't have to tell him my name."
"He would have found out sooner or later," Crystelle hisses back.
"Just four humans," the Cyberman comments. "A pitiful show against the might of the Cyber Army!" He wonders if there is a shortage of humans.
"Who are you?" Andy asks.
"Koman is my name," the Cyberman says. "Not that it means anything to you."
"What is your rank?" Andy hopes he can distract the Cyberman while they think of a strategy to get him out of the door!
"Centurian Koman. I command a hundred Cybermen. They are outside, armed, and awaiting my every instruction."
Feeling outnumbered and out gunned, Crystelle still needs a lead on where to find Koshan, Commander of the Cyber Fleet.
"Where are the Cyber Fleet Commanders?"
"As if I would tell you anything!" Koman says.
"Are they well?" Andy hopes to catch Koman off guard.
"Disgraced! Our Cyber Fleet Commander disgraced himself."
"Where do disgraced Cybermen go to?" Andy asks.
"To the dungeon, where you are going now. All of you. There you will wait to be questioned before deletion."
"I think not." Ben folds his arms in a defiant gesture.
"You will be deleted." Koman says.
"You haven't questioned him yet," Andy says.
"He resists. He will be deleted. Delete. Delete." Koman wants to make an example out of Ben so the others may be more compliant. Koman raises his arm and gun ports become visible. "Delete. Delete."
There is a brief noise. Ben falls.
"No," Crystelle says, valiantly. She moves between Koman and Andy.
"You will both be deleted," Koman says. "I have only to call just one Cyberman from outside and you must capitulate. I have a hundred. Calling one Cyber Warrior."
One Cyber Warrior from outside the Tardis door enters. It all seems hopeless.
"We must do as he says and go with him," Crystelle says.
"But we may never get back here," Andy objects.
"It's alright, I have a plan," Crystelle whispers to Andy.
Koman turns to face Crystelle. "Tell me your plan."
"I bluffed," Crystelle says. "Take them and kill me now." She relies rather heavily on her single regeneration.
"You haven't been questioned yet," Koman says.
"I'm not going," Crystelle insists.
"Nor am I," Andy says. Although he has taken one of the regeneration tablets, he still fears the pain that might happen on the way to regeneration but puts a brave face on it.
Koman repeats his plan. It is more of a procedure. "You will be questioned before deletion. Calling more Cyber Warriors in."
More Cybermen enter the Tardis and they are all physically carried out of the Tardis. They are all herded into the middle of the group of Cybermen and marched off. Only Ben is left in the Tardis. We hope his regeneration works!
Crystelle does click her fingers as she goes, and the Tardis door closes behind them.
Is that the end of their campaign? Is that the end of them? Deletion sounds rather final!
Might Ben regenerate? Might Ben save the day? Ben knows nothing of how to fly the Tardis, or even what it is.
Cyber Holdings.
After being marched for miles, they arrive at a fortress.
"This is your Cyber Holding facility," Koman says. "No-one ever escapes. No-one ever has, and no-one ever will."
"Hopeless, then," Geoff says. "Glad we didn't have weapons, though. They would just have slaughtered us back there."
"That might be better than incarceration, then deletion, whatever that is," Andy says.
Their cell is indicated to them and they all have to go in.
After the Cyber guards have all gone, Andy asks, "what was your plan, Crystelle?"
"I was hoping they would kill me, leave me for dead, I could regenerate, and I could ask our Transport to track you, bring the Transport to you and rescue you. But I have a second plan." She doesn't want to leave them without any hope. "I have the Transport Summoner key fob. I can call the Transport when we need. But we need to find out where Koshan is."
"This is a massive place," Geoff says. "He could be anywhere."
"Are we the only prisoners?" Crystelle asks. Then she calls out more loudly, "Hello, anybody there?"
In a nearby cell a Cyberman stands up. "What's the noise about? You can't hope to escape."
"What's your name?" Crystelle asks.
"I am Kofen."
"Why are you in here?" Crystelle asks.
"I was described as defective."
"What was defective?" Geoff asks.
"I recalled my childhood," Kofen says.
"Sure! That's tough!" Geoff says.
"Do you know where Koshan, Cyber Fleet Commander is being held?" Crystelle asks.
"Yes. I can find out." Kofen consults his data banks. "Directly above us. But you can't hope to get there."
"We'll try, Crystelle says. "Can everyone stand over here please? Give our Transport somewhere to land?" She presses her Tardis summoner key fob. There is a zizzing sound, but no Tardis appears. Why is there no Tardis?
They are all dispirited, especially Crystelle.
"Oh dear. Shame about your plan," Andy says, consolingly.
"Let's all sit down and pray," Geoff suggests.
They all sit down on the floor.
"What's that door over there?" Crystelle asks. "I'm sure it wasn't there earlier." She goes over to see. The door opens to her touch. Behind the door is the Tardis insides. "It materialised behind us!"
They all go in and close the door.
Ben is already in the Tardis having regenerated.
"To the cell above us, then," Geoff says. He meant it as a Tally Ho rally sort of statement.
As the Voice Control is on, they arrive there unaware that they have moved.
Crystelle is poking around the Control desk. "I don't know how to make it go short distances." She is covering for not knowing how to get the Tardis to move at all! She walks across to the Tardis door.
"Oh well," Geoff says. "Back to the cell, I suppose. Any other ideas?" He opens the Tardis door. A Cyberman is standing just outside the door.
This could be out of the frying pan and into the fire!