Chapter 21: Rise of the Cybermen

Jack presses the button and the screen comes back on.

A man in a lab coat presses a button, and backlights a humanoid figure. He states it has passed every test and is working. A man in a wheelchair moves forward and tells the man working is not the correct term as that only applies to machines. The man apologises and says alive is a better word. Lumic asks if it can hear him and the scientist tells him it might be in shock.

"Brain? As in a human brain?" Donna asks. Ten nods, looking angry.

"They put a human brain in a metal body? They want a better robot or something?" Martha frowns in disgust and concern.

"Something like that." Ten mutters scornfully.

Lumic asks if it knows him and it replies he is John Lumic.

"Cybermen." Nine breathes. "Just brilliant."

"Like the head that we saw in the museum?" Rose asks. He nods.

Kendrick points out they still need approval to make new life but Lumic doesn't seem to care as he knows they will not allow it. When Kendrick states it is his duty to report it Lumic orders the Cyberman to kill him which it does.

"Oh my god." Rose whispers.

"Who bets he is doing this just because he wants to be one himself? He's in a wheelchair so wants to create a new life form where he doesn't have to be." Martha rolls her eyes.

Lumic uses the intercom on his wheelchair. He orders his captain to set course for Great Britain.

"Why is it always London the target?" Jack laughs.

In the TARDIS, Rose and the Doctor are talking about one of their adventures until Mickey interrupts to ask what happened. They stop laughing and the Doctor tells him he had to be there.

"Mood killer." Jack teases.

"So not bringing him this time around." Nine mutters to himself.

He then asks why Mickey is holding a button down. Mickey tells him he told him to and the Doctor asks when. He tells him about half an hour ago and the Doctor says he can let go now. Mickey asks how long it's been since he could let go and the Doctor awkwardly tells him twenty nine minutes.

"You forgot I even existed!" Mickey accused.

"Of course not." Ten protested weakly. "We wouldn't forget him would we Rose?"

"Never." Rose bites out between chuckles.

Mickey accuses the Doctor of forgetting him. The Doctor unconvincingly protests he was just calibrating and knows exactly what he is doing.

"Yeah right." Sarah-Jane laughs.

The time rotor blows up. Rose asks what happened and the Doctor states the time vortex has just gone.

"That's impossible." Jack yelps, wide-eyed.

"I'm rather quickly learning nothing is impossible." Ten smirks. "The amount of things I've seen with this lot that should have been impossible."

He yells for them to brace themselves as they are going to crash. The TARDIS comes to a sudden stop, and gas masks drop from the ceiling. The power is off.

"The gas masks are new but other than that seems like a normal landing." Rose teases.

"Oi! I'm not that bad." Nine sniffs.

The Doctor asks if everyone is alright. Then states the TARDIS is dead. Rose asks if he can fix it and he replies there is nothing to fix. The last TARDIS in the universe is dead.

"It can't be. We've been in it." Martha gestures to her and Donna as Nine looks down sadly.

"I want to know how the time vortex just vanished." Nine mutters.

Rose says they can get help as they've landed they must be somewhere. The Doctor tells her they fell out of the vortex and would be in nothingness. Mickey cuts in saying otherwise known as London.

"London?" Sarah-Jane asks.

"Parallel universe?" Nine looks at his future self, wide-eyed. He remembered him saying Rose got stuck in a parallel universe. Ten could see immediately where Nine's mind had gone.

"Not yet, but yes, that one." He tells him. Still not his favourite memory though. In fact, he hates the place.

They head outside and Mickey picks up a discarded newspaper. He tells them it's February of the correct year. The Doctor points out the zeppelins. He adds it is not their world and Mickey realises it's a parallel world. The Doctor agrees.

"You figured that out quickly." Martha smiles at him.

"It's in loads of films." Mickey grins back.

Mickey lists of loads of small things that could be different. Rose cuts in that he is still alive. Rose is staring at an advert for Vitex Lite, cherry flavour, starring Pete Tyler.

"Oh. Rose, no." Nine moans softly.

"What?" She asks, while staring at the screen longingly.

"He's not your dad. He is a version of your dad who may not even know you. He might have his own Rose or no children at all. You cannot replace your dad with him." He tells her gently.

"But…"

"No. We shouldn't even be there, talking to him or letting him know who you are could have massive consequences." At that she winces and nods.

"I get it." She sighs sadly. He tightens his hold on her and kisses the top of her head. Ten squeezes her hand.

She notes her dad is still alive. The Doctor warns her it's not her world. Rose touches the advert which triggers a small film where Pete says trust me on this. She talks about how he was always planning schemes that finally came off and the Doctor warns her again he isn't her dad with his own daughter and she can't see him.

"I get it Rose. If it was my nan I wouldn't be able to resist." Mickey flashes her a grin.

Luxury Lexus PETE 1 crunches up the gravel driveway of a small mansion. Pete Tyler gets out of the driver's seat holding a bouquet, and goes inside.

"They've got a mansion." Rose exclaims in surprise. "He really did well for himself."

Jackie comes down the staircase. She calls him a bad penny and is upset he cocked something up.

"Are we sure it's an alternative universe? Jackie's the same." Nine sniggers. Rose slaps his arm gently despite looking amused.

Pete asks what he has done. She leads him through to the drawing room where servants are bustling about. A large banner is hung between two pillars - Happy 40th Birthday. When Pete asks what's wrong she states it says forty. She claims to be thirty-nine then calls for Rose.

"Definitely Jackie." Mickey laughs.

"She's always done that." Rose agrees with a grin.

In the entrance hall, Jackie calls up the stairs for Rose. He gives her some flowers from people in the office but Jackie isn't impressed, saying she wants a zeppelin.

Everybody laughs.

"Course she does." Jack grins.

Jackie calls for Rose again before showing off her special delivery. Jackie is wearing a very bling bluetooth-like device in each ears. Pete's are quite ordinary by comparison.

"Why does everyone have those things?" Mickey asks. Everyone except Ten shrugs.

She tells him they are from Mister Lumic.

"So not for anything good then." Martha sighs.

"Definitely not." Jack agrees.

Adding they can pick up signals from Venezuela.

"Why would you want to?" Rose scoffs.

Pete asks why she would want to.

Everyone laughs.

Jackie claims she doesn't know but can find out before calling Rose again. A tiny lap dog appears on the stairs. Jackie goes up to it.

Everybody tries to hide their laughter except for the Doctors who both have no such restraint.

"Oh shut up you." Rose huffs at Nine, smacking him on the arm. He sticks his tongue out while Ten keeps laughing. "And you!" She adds.

"But Roooose." He whines playfully.

"It's not funny!" She hisses, trying to stay mad but failing. The corner of her mouth twitches and Ten points at her.

"Even you find it funny."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do!"

"Oh shut it both of you." Donna calls over in exasperation. They look at each other and burst out laughing. He squeezes her hand and she falls back against Nine having sat up to argue.

"Sorry Donna." They both apologise. She rolls her eyes at them but grins fondly. She cannot remember ever seeing the Doctor this carefree and lively. He may try to act it but she can tell this is actually happy rather than faked.

Pete's phone rings. He activates the earpiece. It's Lumic. Pete thanks him for Jackie's ear pods and Lumic tells him they were handmade.

The mood sobers immediately.

"I get the feeling that wasn't simply out of the goodness of his heart." Sarah-Jane guesses.

Pete asks if Lumic will be joining the party tonight but he declines, stating he has to work. The President has promised him a decision.

"Well that's also something different." Rose notes in surprise. "Great Britain with a President."

He adds that he is flying in now and will be at the airstrip by five. Pete tries to say he promised Jackie he would help with the party. Lumic points out that if the President can make the meeting so can Pete. Pete points out the President isn't married to Jackie Tyler.

"Ain't that the truth." Nine mutters. Rose sniggers but hits his arm anyway.

Lumic tells him to be there at 5. The conversation ends. Lumic takes a breath from his oxygen tank, and talks to his computer screen. He tells it to override Jackie's ear pods. Jackie is sat at her dressing table when her face goes blank. Rods come out of the ear pods and meet above her head, Cyberman-style.

"What the hell?" Mickey scowls.

"I don't like those." Sarah-Jane frowns.

Lumic asks it to download the security arrangements for the party. The data is downloaded to Lumic's computer. When he tells it to restore the ear pods return to usual and Jackie carries on with her makeup. Lumic thanks Jackie and calls up a picture link with Mister Crane. He states he needs more staff. Crane is in the passenger seat of an articulated lorry and says he will go on a recruitment drive.

"Recruiting for actual staff or for people to become Cybermen?" Rose asks, not really wanting to know the answer. She has worked out nothing is shown on here for no reason so obviously her parallel parents are part of this adventure and she doesn't want either of them to be killed.

"Both probably." Jack scowls.

"Brilliant." Mickey sighs.

Mickey reenters the dark TARDIS. The Doctor tells him he said to keep an eye on Rose.

"Oi! I'm big enough to walk around by myself." Rose protests.

"Yeah, but you're a trouble magnet." Ten laughs. She is grateful he at least pretends it isn't because he doesn't trust her.

Mickey replies she's alright and the Doctor angrily tells him a parallel world is like a gingerbread house. Mickey asks if it's just Rose, nothing to tempt him and the Doctor retorts he can't worry about everything.

"Now that's a first. Normally you love to worry about everything." Jack looks at him amused. "You just don't want to worry about Mickey."

"Ricky should be able to take care of himself for a couple of hours. Besides, he's back in the TARDIS now anyway." Nine rolls his eyes. Ten laughs loudly but tries to disguise it as a cough as he remembers the parallel world version of Mickey.

The Doctor says if he can just get the, then cuts himself off and kicks the console. Mickey asks if it helped and he agrees. Mickey then asks if it hurt and he agrees again, sitting down.

Everybody laughs.

The Doctor rubs his foot and scene changes to Rose. Rose sits on a bench and watches the Thames, as Zeppelin propellers thrum above. There are lots of them. One passes overhead, barely missing the rooftop, then Rose's phone beeps. She has a message from the Cybus Network - Welcome! Free Trial Period. She gets IE24 News. Which shows Lumic enying ill health.

"No, it's not just the brain that makes you human." Ten states angrily.

Back in the TARDIS the Doctor tells Mickey they aren't supposed to be there as the universe is the wrong one for the TARDIS to draw energy from. Mickey states that in comics it's easy to go from one reality to another.

"Comic books aren't real life, idiot." Donna rolls her eyes.

"Oi! Reading let me guess it was an alternative universe. If that's real, it wasn't out of the ordinary for other stuff to be real." Mickey defends.

"All the things you've seen and you still think the comics get everything right?" Jack laughs. Mickey just sighs and doesn't respond.

The Doctor tells him not in the real world. He explains it was possible until the Time Lords died. Mickey asks how they got here but he doesn't know. Then he spots a tiny green light. He looks around to see if it is a reflection but gets excited when it's a light.

"That's enough to get the TARDIS up and running again." Nine exclaims excitedly.

"Never doubted you." Rose grins.

"I did." He confesses.

"You shouldn't."

"I don't doubt me. I doubt pretty boy there. Regeneration really messed his head up." Nine scowls thinking of the last episode.

"At least he's cute." Rose smirks. Ten grins and Nine rolls his eyes.

They pull up the grating as the Doctor excitedly exclaims they have power. Opposite the Dome, the International Electromatics lorry backs in to where homeless people are living. Crane tells them Christmas has come early. The back of the lorry is opened and a ladder is lowered. Most of the trailer interior is behind plastic sheeting.

"Definitely a trap." Martha notes anxiously.

"Why can't people ever just offer food without it being a trap?" Mickey complains.

"Because humans are ruled by their stomachs." Nine tells him.

A young man runs up behind an older one telling him not to go, that the man is lying, that this has been going on for months.

"Hate to say it but it's smart. Go after the people society either won't notice are missing or won't care." Jack frowns.

The older man considers this for a bit but states he is really hungry before running to the lorry. The younger man uses a video camera whilst moving behind the old homeless shelters. Screaming starts. The trailer doors are closed.

"Not just looking for human workers then. No need to kidnap them for that." Rose winces at the thought of all those people being turned into robots.

The Doctor has got down below the main part of the console. He states it is one tiny power cell clinging to life. Mickey asks if it can get them home and the Doctor replies it can't yet as it needs charging. Mickey suggests they lash it to the National Grid.

"He just told you it needs to be energy from your universe." Jack rolls his eyes.

The Doctor reminds him that's the wrong energy and then blows on the green light. It gets brighter. He comments he just gave ten years of his life away and it was worth every second.

"Ten years?" Rose looks at him in concern.

"For me that's nothing." Ten assures her. "Won't even notice."

Rose uses her free trial to search for Peter Tyler on the Cybus Network.

"Rooooose!" Nine whines.

"I can't help it ok. We talked about it here and I understand, I really do, but not much I can do about what we are watching." She reminds him. He sighs and pulls her closer. He expects that what she will see will only upset her and he doubts his future self will be able to stop her. Nobody can stop Rose Tyler when she has made her mind up.

In the TARDIS Mickey notes the cell is going out and the Doctor tells him it's just on a recharging cycle. They can go in twenty four hours.

"That's a long time in a place you aren't supposed to be." Donna notes.

"Tell me about it." Ten laughs slightly bitterly.

"Well, if he finds out about what Lumic is doing it's not like the Doctor would leave anyway until that's sorted." Sarah-Jane reminds them all. They all nod their heads in agreement.

Mickey asks if they have twenty four hours in a parallel world. The Doctor confirms it's just like shore leave as long as they keep their heads down. They head out and find Rose who tells them her phone connects to Cybus Network and gave her internet. The Doctor watches her warily, reminding her it's the wrong world.

"Don't think you're going to convince her somehow." Donna smirks slightly.

"So stubborn." Ten pretends to complain.

Rose tells them she doesn't exist. The Doctor is momentarily confused as Rose explains Pete and Jackie still married but never had her.

"So in the world where I wasn't born, dad was successful and they both got everything they wanted?" Rose looked hurt, confused and sad.

"That doesn't mean your birth is the reason he was unsuccessful." Nine tells her sharply. Different universe, everything plays out differently, sometimes subtle, sometimes not. There is more than likely a universe where there is Pete, Jackie and Rose Tyler, not the dog, where Pete was successful."

"Besides, I may not like your Jackie too much but if you asked her whether she'd rather have you or a rich husband I'm sure she'd choose you." Ten smiles gently.

The Doctor tries to take her phone but Rose avoids him saying her parents have everything they want except her. She has to see him and the Doctor argues. He reminds her she can't become their daughter but Rose starts walking away. The Doctor turns to Mickey for support but he gets up and heads off too saying they have twenty four hours.

"Really? Both of you?" Donna rolls her eyes.

"Well, I'm sure I'm doing it to piss the boss off." Mickey smirks. "Besides, I want to see if my nan is still alive."

"That's just as bad as Rose going to see her own parents. What if your nan has her own Mickey?" Martha asks him with a frown. He looked down, not having thought about that. Ten hides a smirk.

The Doctor asks where he is going and Mickey points out he can do what he likes.

"No. My ship, my rules. No wandering off, no messing with time or parallel universes." Ten complains.

"You can't stop both of them." Sarah-Jane points out.

"No question which one he will go after so Mickey can do exactly what he wants." Jack agrees with her.

Rose looks slightly regretful and she holds up the phone saying she has the address. The Doctor looks back and forth between them telling them both to get back there now. Rose calls she just wants to see him and Mickey states he has things to do. The Doctor seems surprised and asks like what.

"I do have a life you know." Mickey scowls.

"Who cares?" Nine mutters under his breath.

"Oi! That's not nice. I care." Rose whispers back.

Mickey points out the Doctor knows nothing about him as it's always about Rose, claiming just ot be a spare part.

"Spare parts are actually useful." Nine scowls but says it quietly. Mickey looks over like he can guess what was said and rolls his eyes.

Rose says she has to go and runs off. Mickey tells the Doctor he can only chase after one of them and there is no contest. The Doctor tells him to be back in twenty four hours and runs after Rose. Mickey mutters he will if he hasn't found something better.

"You'd stay there?" Martha asks him in surprise.

"Not like I actually have much at home. Gran is dead, girlfriend ran off with some other bloke and my parents don't give a damn." Mickey shrugs.

At the airfield, Lumic's Zeppelin arrives. Pete Tyler is already there. An official Range Rover brings security men and our black President. The President asks Pete what couldn't wait until tonight. Pete and the President talk about his Vitex stuff before asking Pete's opinion on Lumic. Pete praises him and the President asks if he thinks Lumic is insane. Pete disagrees but the President doesn't look convinced. He then goes up the zeppelin.

"I don't see the President getting out of this alive." Jack notes with distaste.

"Not human anyway." Sarah-Jane agrees.

Mickey walks past a vacant lot and up to an army roadblock. He asks to get past and the soldier says yes as curfew doesn't start till ten.

"Curfew?" Mickey asks.

"Maybe they have noticed people going missing." Martha suggests.

Mickey asks about the curfew and the soldier asks if he has been living up with the toffs, meaning the zeppelins. Mickey says he wishes and then moves on. The Doctor and Rose walk down the street. Armed soldiers on patrol here, too. The Doctor has caught up to Rose. She explains about Mickey's life and the Doctor comments he never knew.

"You don't tend to take an interest in your companions social or past lives." Sarah-Jane raises an eyebrow at him. "Only Rose."

"Only Rose, indeed." Nine mumbles, realising just how much he doesn't know about Rose's life before him.

"Nothing much happened for me." She assures him.

"Mickey did. This Jimmy Stone fellow you won't talk about. You don't talk about much even on the rare occasion I do ask." Ten comments.

"Well, what's in the past stays there." Rose shrugs. Both Doctors raise an eyebrow. "Not like you talk much either. It's the one topic we agree not to talk about."

"That will have to change then." Nine whispers. "Besides, if you do want to see each other's minds it's hard to avoid seeing someone's past eventually." Rose nods her agreement. They settle back down to continue watching.

Rose points out he never asked and the Doctor replies she never said.

"Not exactly my business to go telling you Mickey's life story for no reason. Not as if you even liked him." Rose shrugs.

"She's got a point there." Martha agrees. She leans into Mickey, silently offering her support as his past is discussed so openly with no regard for his feelings about it. He smiles at her gratefully.

Rose comments they take Mickey for granted.

"Least you realise it." Mickey grunts.

Then asks if his gran could still be alive. The Doctor agrees it's possible and they need to get out of their as fast as possible. There is a beeping sound and everyone stops still, including the policeman.

"They've all got those ear pod things. Maybe Lumic is reaching into their minds?" Sarah-Jane suggests.

Rose asks what they are doing and the Doctor notes they've all stopped.

"Well aren't you Captain Obvious." Jack sniggers.

"Shut up." Ten rolls his eyes but laughs anyway.

Everyone's ear pod flashes. The Doctor realises it's the ear pods connecting everyone together. Rose pulls out her phone and states it's an automatic download. He realises they get all the news and everything downloaded right into their heads.

"That would be cool, if they couldn't also be used to control you and find out everything about you." Mickey nods his head.

The next download is joke and all the people laugh in unison. Then it stops and they continue their business. The Doctor comments they would do anything for the next upgrade and Rose protests it's a different world. The Doctor reminds her it's only parallel and not that different.

"So far it seems pretty different." Donna scoffs. "Almost everything we've seen has been different."

"Well, we haven't actually seen very much. Besides, I'm sure this is how it would go if your Earth had somebody like Lumic trying to take over." Nine shrugs.

Still looking at the phone, the Doctor sees that Cybus Industries also owns Vitex, saying Pete Tyler is very well connected. Rose smirks up at him until he tosses her phone back saying he gives up and they should go and see him.

"See? It was your idea." Rose smirks happily.

"Trust you to be mixed up in this even when it's not your world. Biggest danger magnet ever." Ten sticks his tongue out. Rose just laughs.

Mickey rattles the knocker on number 1. An old West Indian woman calls out from inside, asking who is there. The door opens. The woman has a white stick, and a pair of ear pods. She assumes it is someone trying to trick her until Mickey says hi. Her demeanor softens instantly asking if it's him. Mickey replies he came home. She asks if it is Ricky.

Both Doctors and Jack burst out laughing. Rose isn't much better but does make some attempt to hide it, albeit unsuccessfully.

Mickey protests his name is Mickey. She tells him she knows her own grandson's name and it's Ricky.

"Definitely Ricky." Nine sniggers loudly.

"Shut it big ears." Mickey protests, embarrassed.

They hug. He finally agrees his name is Ricky.

"Even you said so." Ten manages through his laughter.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep it coming." Mickey scoffs while not taking his eyes from the frozen screen with his gran on it.

She slaps him, calling him a stupid boy and asking where he has been.

"I like your gran, Ricky." Nine states, still grinning broadly.

She keeps hitting him and he tells her to stop.

"You weren't kidding when you said she used to slap him, were you?" Ten asks Rose, eyes glittering with amusement.

"Nope. It's freaky really she's exactly like I remember, same as Jackie in that world." Rose confirms.

She states it's been days and she keeps hearing stories about people disappearing despite nothing being on the official download. She states she thought he had disappeared. Mickey's eyes are fixed on the carpet behind her. He tells her she should have had it fixed and she tells him to get it sorted for her. He agrees he should have done it way back but he is kinda useless.

"Why do I miss out on all the good stuff." Nine grins gleefully. "First it's Ricky, now he admits he's useless."

His gran protests she didn't say that and he reiterates he is useless.

"Maybe being Ricky is good for you." Nine snickers.

"Will you shut up?" Mickey groans.

"Like you shut up when I make mistakes?" Nine shoots back immediately.

Mickey apologises to his gran and she tells him not to talk like that, telling him he needs a cup of tea. She asks if he has time and he agrees that for her he has all the time in the world. His gran doesn't believe him, saying she doesn't trust his new friends. When he asks what friends she tells him not to pretend. She mentions a van and he asks what van. His gran tells him not to play games. A van that does a handbrake turn in the road behind them. She tells him to get inside but the young man from earlier jumps out and grabs Mickey, saying he's been looking for him. He pushes Mickey into the van and they drive off. Mickey's gran calls out for him, feeling thin air.

"Oi!" Mickey protests to the screen. "I finally get to see her again and some prat ruins it."

"I'm sure you can drop in on her again before you guys head off." Martha reassures him with a glare at Ten, as if to say that had better have been allowed. Ten shrugs at her, not wanting to spoil it by admitting Mickey stayed behind. He hadn't really cared either way but it had upset Rose for days.

In the van, the young man says Ricky was the one who said not to contact their families in case they are put in danger.

"Oh god." Mickey covers his face with his hand that isn't wrapped around Martha.

"She's lives through this, Ricky." Ten assures him with a grin. Mickey looks relieved but scowls at the name anyway.

Mickey unconvincingly agrees that of course he said that.

"You're going to pretend to be Ricky?" Sarah-Jane asks. "You know nothing about what he has been doing recently."

"Not many other options. They probably won't believe I'm Ricky's twin from another universe." Mickey shrugs.

The man says he taped them gathering up homeless people, at least four dozen. The driver adds that the vans were hired by International Electrics which is a dummy company, telling him to guess who established them. Mickey doesn't know. Both of them reply Cybus Industries, looking like it should be obvious. The man states they have evidence and the driver says that they have arrested Thin Jimmy, just leaving Ricky. Mickey asks leaving him what.

"Really? This whole pretend thing is rubbish." Donna rolls her eyes. "It's not going to take them long to work out you aren't Ricky."

The man tells him Ricky is London's most wanted. Mickey grins, saying cool, before frowning and asking him to say that again.

"They are probably going to find the real Ricky at some point." Sarah-Jane points out.

"London's most wanted?" Jack whistles in appreciation. Ten tries to hide his snigger.

Lumic is trying to convince the President to approve the Cybermen but the President is unimpressed and says no government would ever give permission.

"I should certainly hope not." Martha agrees with a frown.

Lumic protests he prepared a paper for the Ethical Committee. The President retorts it's obscene. Lumic finally pleads as he is dying. The President says he knows and is sorry but still no permission. He makes his farewells, saying he will see Pete tonight before departing.

"Huh, something tells me he will keep going regardless of no permission." Rose mutters.

"They always do." Nine sighs."Having permission is nice but not strictly necessary if you just convert or kill the person who refused you permission."

Pete tries to console Lumic that this isn't the only country in the world.

"I can't believe my dad supports this." Rose scowls.

Lumic tells him he can leave so he does. Lumic then calls Mr Crane on the screen, asking if the override worked. Crane agrees it did but needs some fine tuning as they did it in a rush. A row of homeless men have flashing ear pods on. He uses a remote to make then face different directions.

"That's so wrong." Jack complains. "Lumic is completely missing the meaning of being human."

"He wants to survive, any way he can." Ten states darkly.

Lumic asks if he is having fun to which Crane protests but claims it's irresistible.

"It's irresistible to force people to do your bidding?" Martha asks in outrage.

"He's horrible." Sarah-Jane agrees, looking equally furious.

Lumic tells him to start the upgrade and he asks if they got permission. Lumic states he is governed by the right of a man to survive.

"That does not give you the right to kill other people!" Rose bites out angrily.

Crane tells them to march. The controlled men walk off through a door. Screaming starts. Crane complains about the noise and The Lion Sleeps Tonight begins to play.

"Oh yes, how dare they upset you with their screaming." Donna says snarkily.

There are glimpses of slashing blades and cutting wheels and a large industrial complex which zooms out to reveal it is the Battersea Power Station.

"We'd better stop them." Rose looks at Ten.

"Course we do." He gives her a tight grin. "We always do."

The van draws up outside a building and the blonde man says there is a light on, calling to Mrs Moore they have visitors. Both he and her have guns. They round a corner and a man just like Mickey is inside.

"Guess that's Ricky." Jack laughs lightly.

"That's uncanny. You two could be identical twins." Martha looks from Mickey to the screen.

Ricky asks what the hell they are doing. The blonde asks what Ricky is doing there. Ricky asks what he is doing there, pointing at Mickey. Both turn their guns to Mickey instead. A stretched limo drives past the Doctor and Rose. Rose realises it's her mom's birthday and still likes a party. The Doctor says he wouldn't mind a look and brings out the psychic paper, asking who she wants to be.

"I love that stuff." Rose grins.

"Dead useful." Jack agrees.

Rose and the Doctor carry trays of canapes and champagne for the guests scattered through the ground floor. Rose complains they could have been anyone famous instead of serving, saying she did enough of that back home.

"But you were so excellent in the kitchen at school." Nine smirks.

"Watch it you." Rose warns, but smiles all the same.

They continue serving and the Doctor says if you want to know what's going on work in the kitchens.

"He does have a point." Jack agrees. "All the gossip and the pretty ladies." He winks at Rose who rolls her eyes at him.

He adds that according to Lucy, Rose butts in and asks who Lucy is. The Doctor points her out and Rose doesn't seem impressed. He continues that she told him about the President. Rose is surprised they have a President instead of a Prime Minister before muttering Lucy could just be a bit thick.

Rose buries her face in Nine's jumper as everybody laughs slightly.

"Anyone would think you're jealous Rosie." Jack sniggers. Nine kisses the top of her head as she refuses to look at anyone.

Then they hear Pete's voice and Rose moves to get closer. He is asking if he can have everyone's attention. He welcomes them to Jackie's thirty ninth and there is some laughter before he says trust me on this. He introduces Jackie who comes down the stairs. She states she isn't giving a speech, her parties are famous for nothing but a good time.

"And plenty of gossip." Ten mutters with a smirk.

Jackie and Pete walk past Rose and the Doctor. He tells Rose she can't stay even if there was a way of telling them. Rose unconvincingly says she knows she can't as she has Jackie at home who has no one.

"She's got you." Mickey protests.

"Not anymore, not really." Rose smiles sadly. "I spend so much time travelling and so much time passes between visits, no wonder she's lonely."

"Kids do leave home eventually." Donna points out gently.

"With no qualifications it's not like I was going anywhere quickly." Rose shrugs. "I'd be lucky to be able to afford to move out and go anywhere."

"We can go back and visit more often if we must. Or we can at least make it feel more often to Jackie. Turn up every sunday for sunday lunch or something. Could be years for us though." Nine offers.

"Maybe not years, but thanks Doctor." Rose smiles up at him gratefully.

The Doctor corrects that she has Rose which those two don't. Then mutters about so many different worlds and none of them get it right. Jackie then calls for Rose, picking up the dog and calling her a good girl. The Doctor fails to hide his mirth and bursts out laughing. Rose shoots him a look and he quickly sobers up and apologises.

"You are so whipped mate." Mickey laughs.

"I am not." Ten protests.

"Yeah you are. Then and now." Donna informs him. "No escaping it spaceman."

In a loading area heavy metal boots clump across the tarmac to the waiting lorries.

"That's way more than just those homeless guys. They must have been making them for ages even before asking for permission." Jack frowns.

"Well that blonde guy mentioned he reckoned they had taken at least four dozen. They were probably all made that evening." Sarah-Jane reminds him.

Crane tells a driver to stop staring. He asks what they are and Craine replies he is told they are the future. He tells him to get in the cab and start her up.

"They are going to attack the party." Donna realises. "So many high up and important people there all to be made into those things."

Crane's phone rings. Lumic asks him if they are mobile and Crane confirms they are just about to move. Then he asks about Lumic who tells him he is about to arrive and to prepare the factory.

"Good work? This is nothing like good work. It's murder." Martha scowls.

Under a splendid 18th century painted ceiling, Mickey has been stripped and tied to a chair, and is being carefully scanned. They debate how it could have happened and when Mickey tells them about his dad, Ricky claims that is his dad, asking if they are brothers.

"Identical twins does seem the most likely option." Martha agreed.

Ricky points out they don't just look alike, they are exactly the same. Mickey asks who they are and Ricky explains they call themselves the Preachers. Points out they have no ear pods and so they have their freedom. He tells him he is talking to London's Most Wanted and their target is Lumic. Mickey asks if they are planning on bringing him down from their kitchen.

"Seems like a good place really. Food always around. Nobody would really think to look in a kitchen." Jack shrugs.

"This Ricky seems alright." Nine smirks. "That universe may actually have got something right."

"Oi! That's rude." Rose pokes him.

Ricky asks if he has a problem and Mickey denies this saying it's a nice kitchen. Moore calls they have an upload from Gemini that the trucks are moving. Lumic is making a move. Ricky states they will be right behind him. The lorry drives past the base, and the van follows it. Everyone except Mickey readies weapons.

"I hate guns." Ten sighs.

The Doctor sneaks off and finds a working laptop. Rose watches Jackie laughing with the President. Pete comes up to her. Rose offers him champagne and Pete decides he will as he is paying for it. Rose comments it's a big night for him and he corrects it's for Jackie. She tells him it's a great party. They keep chatting about Pete and Jackie's marriage until Pete reveals he has moved out.

"What?" Rose looks sad and confused.

"Having money doesn't mean everything. I don't think Jackie truly appreciated what she had until she lost him." Ten tells her quietly. "Everything that annoyed her became fond quirks and everything she loved about him got even better."

Pete then seems to realise he is babbling to a stranger, telling her she seems sort of right. They look at each other awkwardly before Pete dashes off to someone he knows.

"Could have gone worse. He seemed to subconsciously recognise you even if it scared him a little." Sarah-Jane smiled kindly over at Rose.

Outside the Tyler's house Ricky and Jake are hiding in the bushes, reporting in on a walkie-talkie. Ricky states he doesn't know who they are after but it's a big house and they need to find a way in. Moore finds out it is Pete Tyler's house. Mickey questions this and she says he is listed as one of Lumic's henchmen.

"He wouldn't." Rose states firmly. No one wanted to argue with her.

Mickey states they need to get in there and Ricky tells him to shut up as he just said that. A ramp is dropped down from the back of the lorry. Heavy feet march down the ramp and onto the gravel. Ricky asks what the hell they are.

"So not good." Donna mumbles.

The Doctor has found Lumic's presentation on the laptop. Jackie has gone outside to sit down. Rose watches her for a second before going out to join her, asking if there is anything she can get. Jackie asks for the last twenty years back. Rose offers a glass of champagne or a cup of tea to which Jackie agrees. Rose then sits down.

"Hard to get her a cup of tea from there Rose." Jack laughs.

"Oh shut up." She grins back.

"You can't fix their marriage Rose." Nine warns her.

Rose comments her mum loves a cup of tea and Jackie agrees she is the same. She begins to say something about Pete before dismissing it. Rose says she was talking to him and he seems nice. Then she comments he is worth a second chance.

"Rose! Really not a good idea." Nine rolls his eyes. "Your mum would never accept someone saying something like that, why on Earth would you think this Jackie would either?"

"It was worth a try." She shrugs.

"No it wasn't. We aren't even supposed to be there. They aren't your parents, you can't interfere." He tells her firmly.

Jackie asks if she is commenting on her marriage before snapping at her that she is just a serving girl and not to dare talking to her. Jackie goes back inside. Suddenly, floodlights come on, backlighting rows of marching figures. In the office Lumic continues talking on the laptop and the Doctor realises he has made Cybermen. He dashes out.

"Rose you should get inside." Nine warns softly, knowing she can't do much about it now. Ten tries to hide the turmoil of emotions inside him seeing Cybermen from that parallel world again. Those things cost him so much, along with Torchwood. Rose feels him tense and squeezes his hand but he only feels worse.

The Doctor and Rose meet up and go to the window. He mutters it is happening again and Rose asks what he means. He explains he has seen them before and calls them Cybermen. The Cybermen smash through a series of French windows in the other wall. Others march in through the house. The guests are surrounded.

"Everyone in one place. So not good." Nine murmurs.

The President's telephone rings. It is Lumic saying a comment about crashing the party would be appropriate.

"Scumbag." Donna scowls.

The President tells him he forbade this and Lumic replies they are his children, his family. Rose quietly asks the Doctor if they are robots and he tells her they are worse. The President wants to know who they were and Rose realises they were people once. The Doctor explains they are a brain inside a robot body with no emotions because it hurts.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't want to feel what they had done to me." Martha shudders. "Dying would be better than realising what he had done."

"That's exactly why they have no emotions. It would kill them otherwise." Ten tells her sadly.

The President continues to demand who they were.

"I like him." Nine smiles slightly.

Lumic informs him they were homeless, wretched and useless, saying he gave them eternal life.

"That kind of life isn't worth living." Jack shakes his head.

"Surviving isn't the same as living." Sarah-Jane agrees.

He adds that he leaves them in the Cybermen capable hands. The Cyberman in front of the President says they have been upgraded. The Doctor asks into what and it replies the next level of mankind. Every citizen will receive a free upgrade.

"I'd rather pass." Rose mutters.

The President apologises for what has been done to them but states the experiment ends tonight.

"Definitely." Nine says adamantly. "Definitely a good president." He adds thoughtfully.

The Cyberman says upgrading is compulsory and when the President asks what happens if he refuses the Doctor warns him not to. He asks again and the Doctor tells him not to. The Cyberman states he is not compatible.

"Upgrade or die." Donna mumbles, remembering how it killed someone in the beginning.

"Not really a great set of option." Mickey states.

He asks what happens then and the Cyberman tells him he will be deleted. The Cyberman puts his hand on the President's neck, and electrocutes him. The Doctor grabs Rose and runs. The guests scream as they get grabbed and killed. Pete calls for Jackie as they get separated.

Oh my god. They are killing everybody. I thought they wanted to upgrade them?" Martha gasps.

"When the President refused, they took that as everyone in the house refusing." Nine informs her.

The Doctor and Rose jump through a window as he tells her there is nothing they can do. Rose tries to go back in saying her mum is in there but the Doctor pulls her away saying that is not her mother. A row of Cybermen stop them from running across the lawn. They turn back and run around the side of the house as Pete comes out through the window. Rose calls to him and he follows them. Jackie runs down into the cellar. A Cyberman follows.

"Oh god." Rose looks away. It might not be her Jackie but she still can't stand to watch her die. Nine wraps his arms around her tightly as she hides in his jumper again. Ten shuffles closer and continues to hold her hand.

The Doctor asks if there is another way out and Pete says the side gates. More Cybermen appear, cutting them off again as Pete asks who they are. The Doctor tells him he wouldn't believe it in a million years. Rose asks who's that as two figures run towards them. Ricky calls for them to get behind him, which they do, and he and Jake open fire on the Cybermen. The bullets just bounce off.

"Brilliant." Jack mutters sarcastically. "Weapons are useless."

The Cybermen stop moving. Rose hugs Ricky and he asks who she is. MIckey then comes running up and the Doctor comments that if it isn't bad enough there are two Mickeys.

"Oi!" Mickey complains.

"Well, that Ricky actually seems alright." Nine shrugs, smirking.

Ricky corrects his name as the Cybermen surround them. The Doctor tells them to put the guns down. Jake opens fire again but the Doctor stops him. Then he calls out they surrender. The Cyberman states they are rogue elements. The Doctor tries to protest they surrender but the Cybermen insist they will be deleted. The Cybermen hold out their deadly arms towards the group, calling out delete, delete, delete. The screen then goes black.

"Crap! Jack, put the next one on." Rose demands. She knows she and the Doctor get out ok but that doesn't mean Mickey does. Or that version of her parents.