9. The Central Cyberium Library on Cyberium ONE.

The Cyber fleet commander stands there looking. Not comprehending.

"Does that look like the Cyberium Library?" Crystelle asks.
"It looks like it," Koshan says. "But it can't be. I'm performing a systems check."
"He can't believe his eyes!" Ben says.

"You must not be seen in the Library," Koshan says. "It would be placed on cellular lockdown. You wouldn't be able to get back to here, whatever this is. I must go out and go alone."

"What would you do?" Crystelle asks.
"Destroy everything," Koshan says. "But then it would re-build from just one Cyberman's upload. It isn't a plan."
"Ok," Crystelle says. "How about this for a plan..."

Koshan steps out of the Tardis doorway into the Cyberium Library. He takes a few faltering steps, then picks up courage.
His problem is that he is a disgraced Cyberman. A faulty unit. Already labelled as such. If he has to provide ID, it will be spotted immediately. He will be stopped, reported, interrogated, deported, imprisoned, destr.. deleted.

But he must try. He makes his way towards the Access room.

When Koshan gets to the Access room, he meets another Cyberman. One of the librarians, Librand.

"Can I have a word, please?" Koshan says.
They go into a private study room, not that there is anyone else there just then.
"I recently encountered memories of my childhood," Koshan says. "Do you have any of those? We don't lose them, you must have them."
Librand cautiously says, "yes, that's true, I do."
"Do you ever get the feeling that you have lost everything that you had?" Koshan says. "All your childhood? And you can't go back?"
"This is defectors talk," Librand says. "We shouldn't indulge."
"This is important," Koshan says. "Please indulge. The future of the Universe depends on it."
Librand succumbs to the pressure. "Okay then."
Librand is in an awkward position. He is one of the many Custodians of the Cyberium, and here he is talking to... hold on a moment, he hasn't verified this Cyberman's identity!
"Please identify yourself," Librand challenges.
"I am Koshan, Ex leader of the Cyber Fleet. Please focus on your childhood memories. Do you feel the loss?"
"I do feel the loss," Librand says. "But you are disgraced."
"I was disgraced because I looked at my loss and felt it, as you are doing now," Koshan says forcibly. "You will be disgraced, too, but first, will you help me to put all of that right? As right as it can be?"
"I feel the loss," Librand says. "I can't go back to it. Yes, I will help you."
"Here's the plan..." Koshan says.

A very important conversation! The plan can be actioned by someone who isn't disgraced, yet. But what is the plan?

There is a knock at the door of the Tardis. Crystelle opens it. Two Cybermen are standing there.

"Follow me," Koshan says. He says this to Librand, not Crystelle.
Koshan and Librand enter the Tardis, pushing Crystelle aside again! She's getting rather used to this! Crystelle closes the Tardis door and moves around them to be in front of them.
"It is done," Koshan says, dramatically.
"Thank you," Crystelle says. "Who is your friend?"
"This is Librand," Koshan says. "That isn't his real name, just his assigned name."
"That's fine," Crystelle says. "Thank you for helping us, Librand."

"Where can I take you to, now?" Crystelle asks. She isn't quite sure what their next move should be.
"Our careers are over here," Koshan says. "Disgraced Cybermen are dismantled and re-used without their hosted flesh. Can we die somewhere quickly?"
Crystelle is horrified at the options. She can't possibly do this for them.

This is a terrible decision. One that Crystelle isn't trained or equipped to take. Nor are her volunteers. What can any of them do for the two Cybermen?

Crystelle drops Koshan off back at his holding cell. Koshan recognises that she can't decide for him and this move purely takes him back to where he was before. Yet now he has the satisfaction of knowing that he contributed to the downfall of the Cyberium and the Cybermen.

Crystelle wanted to drop Librand off back at the Cyberium Library. It is where he had been. But Librand is unsure how long it will be before he is reported as faulty. The danger here is that the change that he authorised would come under scrutiny and might be revoked. So, Crystelle drops him off at a later date. A much later date.

The Library is dark. Decaying. Falling to pieces. Librand says this is his preferred place.
"What will you do?" Crystelle asks.
"What does any Cyberman do?" Librand says. He unscrews the round chamber on his chest. He pulls out what is there.
"I used to be romantic," Librand says. "I would have said, you are an attractive girl, I give you my heart."
It's actually a pump that does the same job for a Cyberman.
Librand places the object in Crystelle's hand, turns and marches rapidly away before Crystelle can object, question or anything. He turns a corner and there is a clanging noise as he falls over.

Crystelle returns into the Tardis and puts the object onto the Tardis Console.

Andy goes across. "What's that?"
"Just something Librand gave me. Home, please." It is just starting to hit her what Librand has done. She wants to go somewhere to cry.

The Tardis zizzes.

They all step out of the Tardis into Crystelle's bungalow.
It is the middle of the night. "Oops! How long have we been away?" Crystelle asks. She goes to the fridge and wishes she hadn't. The foul smell will take days to clear. "No-one to go into the kitchen! It stinks!"
"You're not very hygienic?" Ben quips.

"You can walk home!" Crystelle quips. "Everyone else can have lifts!"

"How did we do anything to defeat the Cybermen? What happened?" Geoff asks.

"I suggested adjusting some data in their Master Cyberium," Crystelle says. "Not destroying it, just changing it. The Cybermen upload their information every day and the Cyberium checks for differences. Each Cyberman uploads his information and, because it is different, he is then labelled as faulty. The Master Cyberium in the Cyberium Library is the correct copy at all times. Every Cyberman is then marked as faulty so everything grinds to a halt."

"Did it matter what was changed?" Geoff asks.

"Not really," Crystelle says. "But I did suggest that the change was central and pithy."

THE END

The previous episode in this series is called "GoggleDoc".

The next episode in this series is twinned with this episode and is called "Crystelle Lattice". The Doctor will have something to say about all this!