"Can you broadcast this signal to the Policemen in the colony?" asked Rhea frantically.
"I guess so" replied the geek.
"Well get to it" replied Rhea impatiently. "The Doctor and his friends will need our help!"
Moments later, there was a loud and terrible screech coming out of Rhea's shack that filled the camp. Rhea and the geek held their ears. She ran back outside and rounded up a party of people to drive to the colony. Moments later, Rhea was inside a large transport carrying a backup radio transmitter with a band of people.
The silent weapon was proving effective on the Cybermen pushing the Doctor, Martha and Jack to the conversion chamber. Without warning, the Cybermen just froze on the spot as though waiting for instructions that never came. After untangling themselves from the grips of the Cybermen, the Doctor, Martha and Jack ran towards President Lohan's office.
Martha was unsure that the President's office was the right place to be running towards. Jack shared her concern.
"Shouldn't we be trying to get the TARDIS back Doctor?" he shouted above the deafening sound the just activated intruder alarm.
"There's a lab not so far away. I saw a sign when we came in. I reckon they're trying to poke around inside the TARDIS" replied the Doctor. "Besides, I reckon these Cybermen do much more than Police work. They're giving their undesirables a higher purpose"
Newby, the forensic scientist, lazily slotted the key taken from the Doctor into the lock of the Police Telephone Box. As she turned it nothing happened. Charles, who stood beside her, was unimpressed. He passed her Martha's key. Once again, nothing happened. Newby handed both keys back to Charles.
"Looks like your theory was wrong" the scientist said with a smirk.
At that moment, there was a polite knock on the laboratory door. Charles and Newby looked at each other in disbelief. Charles walked over to the door and opened it violently. There was no-one there. He took a pace outside, but little did he know that Jack was pressed against the wall. In a split second, Jack struck a fierce blow to Charles's face and grabbed his gun. Jack signalled to the Doctor and Martha and, together, they entered the lab. Charles was on the floor clutching his face.
"Everybody back towards the window" shouted Jack, wielding Charles's gun.
The scientists shuffled back towards the window nervously looking at Jack. Martha looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of the TARDIS keys. She couldn't see them. Outside, Martha could hear someone hobbling away. She turned to Jack and then she rushed out of the lab after the head of Police. Confident that the scientists couldn't get into the TARDIS, Jack rushed after her. The Doctor, on the other hand, looked around the lab. On one of the workbenches he spotted something of particular interest – a fusion drive unit.
"Ah, so that's it" he said, smiling at the scientists. "You want to take over the Earth don't you?" Spotting that both Martha and Jack had gone, the Doctor ended his conversation there and walked casually out of the lab. Peering behind the door as he did so, he announced "back in a mo".
Charles Valli burst into the President's office. Exhausted, he gave his brief report.
"It's no good sir; the constables are all out of action. Something's messed up their control signal."
"My dear Mr Valli", replied the President, "you have only had access to the basic models."
He flicked a hidden switch on his desk, which revealed a secret entrance. Out of the entrance walked two Cybermen, completely unaffected by the signal the Police constables had been affected by.
At that moment, Martha and Jack burst into the office wielding Charles's weapon. The Cybermen turned to face them. With their right arms outstretched, the Cybermen aimed their weapons at Martha and Jack.
"Don't shoot!" shouted the President. He turned to Jack.
"I'd strongly advise that you drop your weapon" he said. "No fancy blocking signal of yours will affect these soldiers; they have an intelligence of their own"
The Doctor walked into the room.
"Not interrupting anything am I?" he said cheerily as he entered. Then he turned to face the Cybermen. His face sunk. The Cybermen in front of him weren't simple slaves; they seemed to be more like the sort he'd encountered on many previous occasions: cold, ruthless and completely uncontrollable.
"Nice of you to drop by" said the President, leering at the Doctor. "Your blue box in the laboratory intrigues me. It's certainly no ordinary craft and it's classified."
The Doctor knew immediately what the President was suggesting.
"Oh, you'll never get into my ship. You and your Cybermen faithful aren't going to succeed in taking over the Earth. I won't let you."
President Lohan rolled his eyes lazily.
"It's not that important anyway" he said. "I already have a craft capable of the journey and I have an army ready and waiting to pilot it. Your craft would make the Earth less suspicious, but I gather from your presence here that they already are"
He signalled to the two Cybermen.
"Take them into the Ark. I want them to witness our victory".
Once again, the Doctor, Martha and Jack found themselves in the grip of their metal adversaries and heading into a large, dark hanger.
In total fear, Charles rushed out of the President's office and ran towards the Police headquarters. President Lohan was unconcerned. Soon Charles Valli and his fellow officers would cease to be of any use. The Earth would be his next project. In around a month's time, the model race he had established on Golgafrincham would be the model for all Human beings.
On the outskirts of the colony Rhea peered through her binoculars looking for any signs of the Policemen she had hoped would have been de-activated. To her surprise she could see not a single one.
"Coast's clear" she announced cautiously.
The transport began its slow and steady progress to the government complex.
Nicola had joined the expedition, hoping to rescue her new-found friends. She was deeply uncomfortable with the lack of robot Policemen patrolling the streets. Something was wrong, and she was sure it wasn't to do with the rebel's control signal either.
Rhea received a message from the camp. It was from the geek:
Sorry to disturb you, but there's no power at the camp. Hope the signal's worked. You're on your own from now on.
"Great!" Rhea sighed. "We'll just have to hope our backup works"
When they reached the compound, they found a pair of Human Police officers guarding the gate. As soon as they spotted the transport, the two Police officers opened fire on it and raised the alarm. Nicola dropped to the floor of the vehicle at shots ricocheted over her head. The Policemen were no match for the two dozen rebels though and they were soon disposed of. Rhea jumped out and crept carefully towards the gate. She grabbed one of the passes and, reaching though an opening in the gate, pushed the security pass into a slot and watched the gate open. She watched as the vehicle entered the compound.
It wasn't long before other Policemen, all armed to the teeth with large rifles, came bounding out of the main Police building. A fire fight was soon underway. Nicola, not wanting to take part in the fighting, sheltered behind the transport and waited for it to end.
The fight didn't last long. After a couple of minutes everyone stood silent, staring wide eyed at the roof of the Presidential palace. A large section of the roof began to slide open. When the roof had opened fully, a large spaceship emerged from it. The Cybermen's spacecraft, bound for Earth, was about to take off with the Doctor, Martha and Jack onboard.
End of Chapter Five