"Red alert! Shields up!" Riker ordered the crew.

"Data, have we been detected?" Picard asked the android.

"Affirmative, Captain. They are moving to intercept." Data answered.

"We are being hailed, Captain." Worf reported.

Picard steeled himself. "On screen, Mr Worf."

The viewscreen showed a Cyberman sitting in a throne-like chair with a Borg eye implant on it's helmet and flanked by a Borg and another Cyberman. "You have no means of stopping us." the Cyberman with the implant stated.

The Enterprise suddenly rocked violently. "We are under attack from multiple ships, Captain." Worf reported. "Shields already down to 75%."

"We can't fight that entire fleet." Riker said grimly.

"Agreed, Number One." Picard concurred. "Ensign, get us of here now." he ordered Ensign They'don at Conn. "Best speed."

The Andorian didn't need telling twice and he had soon piloted the Enterprise away from the enemy armada.

"Who is that with the Borg?" Riker wondered. "We've never seen them before."

"Those are Cybermen." the Doctor told him. "Very bad. As bad as your Borg, if not worse."

"You know them, Doctor, Gazelle?" Picard asked.

"Yeah, we've had a fair few run-ins with 'em, Captain." Gazelle replied. "Right now, our advice is to get as far away from them as possible, until we can work out what they're up to."

"No argument here." Riker remarked.

"It's not the Borg to cooperate with anyone." Picard frowned. "Are they allies? Who was that in the middle in the chair?"

"Probably a CyberController," the Doctor replied, "one of their leaders, only fitted somehow with your Borg technology."

"You do know them. What more can you tell us?" Picard probed.

Before either Time Lord could answer, Data interrupted with bad news. "Captain, the pursuing ships are gaining on us. They will intercept in approximately 17 minutes."

"Data, buy us some time." Picard ordered. "Find us some cover- an asteroid field, a gas giant, or a nebula- anything that will confuse their sensors and discourage pursuit."

"The Paertes Nebula is nearby." Data reported. "Setting a course at high warp."

"Make it so, Mr Data."

~8~

The Enterprise entered the Paertes Nebula. The Borg and Cyberman ships held position outside the nebula. "As predicted, Captain, the enemy appears to be hesitant to pursue us into the nebula." Data reported. "However, it will not take long for them to devise a way out."

"But this will give us some time to figure out our next step." Riker said.

Picard nodded, then turned to the Time Lords. "Which brings us to you two, our mysterious friends. For people who claim no knowledge of the situation, you certainly find yourselves in the thick of it."

"The story of our lives, Captain." Gazelle remarked wearily.

"Captain, we realise how this must look to you. You have our word that we have no idea how we came to be here or what the Cybermen are up to." the Doctor told Picard earnestly. "But trust me when I say that us being here, right here, right now, knowing what we know about them, is only going to help you."

"Well, then. I want to know more about these Cybermen." Picard said.

"Ruthless, unrelenting, and devoted to survival through conquest... with emotion stripped away as cavalierly as they've torn the flesh from their bodies." the Doctor explained.

"So they are also a mixture of organic life and mechanics." Picard nodded. "Do they assimilate other species, as the Borg do?"

"The Cybermen replace their organs with mechanical parts, and seek to do the same to others." the Doctor replied. "They call it 'Cyber-conversion'."

"Is there no reasoning with them?" Picard asked as they began to walk towards the aft stations.

"I'm afraid not, Captain." Gazelle replied. "The Cybermen seek either our destruction or our conversion. Nothing else will satisfy them."

"Data, do we have any record of these 'Cybermen'?" Picard asked Data as they concreted around Mission Ops.

"Very little, Captain." Data replied as he worked at the console. "I am scanning the historical database for any incidents with beings that match the Doctor and Gazelle's description and the visuals from the transmission."

The screen soon flashed up an image of an older variant of Cyberman. "That's it, Data. What's this log's entry date?" Riker asked.

"This log entry is from... the Enterprise." Data replied.

"The Enterprise?" Picard raised a brow.

"The original Constitution-class Enterprise, registry number NCC-1701, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk." Data replied. "While investigating an archaeological site, a small group from the Enterprise encountered some beings referred to in the logs as 'Cyber-men'."

At that moment, the Doctor, who had been listening carefully to all this, suddenly staggered backwards with a moan. "Dear! Are you alright?!" Gazelle asked him worriedly.

"I'm honestly not sure..." the Doctor groaned as a hidden memory from his fourth incarnation suddenly resurfaced.

~o0o~

"Captain's log, stardate 3368.5. Mr Spock, Dr McCoy and Commander Scott are accompanying me to Aprila III, site of a long-abandoned relay station apparently built by an alien civilisation centuries ago. A Federation archaeology team has been stationed here for several months, attempting to glean any knowledge from the mysterious and unworkable technology, but has failed to make it's last three scheduled reports. Subspace communications have gone unanswered. It's most likely a simple communications breakdown, but best to be certain. The planet's unique radiation also prevents the use of the transporter, necessitating our visit via shuttlecraft."

A shuttlecraft from the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 approached the Aprila III relay station. "Lookin' clear for landing, Captain." Mr Scott reported.

"Take us down, Scotty." Captain Kirk ordered.

"Aye, sir." Scott acknowledged, and gently piloted the shuttle into land on the landing pad outside the station.

"Seems quiet enough." Dr McCoy remarked as the landing party disembarked.

"Yes, yes, it does..." Kirk frowned, feeling that it seemed a little TOO quiet for his liking.

"Hello there!" a voice called, and the landing party saw a man emerge from the station. "This is an unexpected surprise. Welcome to Aprila III." the man said as he approached the Starfleet officers.

"Well, when you stopped returning our calls, we thought we'd drop in for a visit." Kirk replied, extending a hand. "I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. This is my first officer, Mr Spock, ship's surgeon, Dr McCoy, chief engineer, Mr Scott."

"Professor Jefferson Whitmore, project manager for the facility." the man acknowledged, accepting the handshake. "Our messages aren't getting through? I thought we'd ironed that out. The same radiation belt that prevents transporter function can also jam subspace signals. We were sure we'd solved that problem, but it looks like we'll need to try again. Come, let me show you around."

"We'd be delighted, Professor Whitmore." Kirk said politely.

"Right this way." Whitmore said, and began to lead the party towards the facility.

"Thoughts, Captain?" Scott asked quietly as they followed Whitmore.

"On your toes, Mr Scott." Kirk replied.

They were soon entering a room filled with computers, with technicians working on them. "This is the main relay station that was discovered." Whitmore explained. "We still haven't been able to figure out how to activate it, although we have determined that there is still power circulating through it. Where that's coming from is something else we're not sure about."

Just then, a female technician approached them. "We have guests, Professor?"

"My apologies, Doctor. Captain James Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Captain, this is Paula Zarlenga, one of our researchers." Whitmore introduced.

"A pleasure, Doctor." Kirk said as he and Zarlenga shook hands. "We'd grown worried about you down here."

"The only thing to be worried about here is the slight stall in our research." Zarlenga said. "But I'm confident we'll have progress to report soon."

"Absolutely." Whitmore confirmed. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Captain, we really must return to our work, unless you have other concerns."

"No concerns, Professor Whitmore." Kirk replied. "Sorry to have bothered you."

"Not at all, Captain. Thank you for checking in."

~8~

"Scotty, you convinced?" Kirk asked as the landing party left the facility.

"Not one bit, Cap'n." Scott replied.

"Me neither." Kirk agreed.

~8~

That night, the landing party returned to the facility. "Why're we doing this again?" McCoy asked.

"Come on, Bones. You saw those people in there." Kirk replied. "Did that seem normal to you? They were practically zombies."

"You must admit, Doctor, by Human standards, the research team seemed remarkably placid and unemotional." Spock added.

"Exactly. I'm not buying it." Kirk said as he readied his phaser. "What do you say, Scotty? Any chance you can get us past that lock?" he asked his chief engineer as they approached the front door.

"I've not seen anything like it, sir, but that's never stopped me before." Scott replied, and set to work on the sophisticated lock.

"Scotty, time is of the essence." Kirk tried to hurry him.

"Aye, sir, I'm tryin'." Scott waved him off.

"Hello. Can I be of assistance?" a voice asked from behind them.

The landing party spun round to see a curly-haired man in a hat, coat and long, multi-coloured scarf standing behind them. "Who are you?" Kirk asked.

"I'm the Doctor." the man replied. "Having a little trouble with the door?"

"You're with the research team?" McCoy asked him.

"I've only just arrived." the Doctor replied. "I'm certain I could help you out there, if you'll permit me..."

"I'm havin' no luck with it, Cap'n." Scott told Kirk. "If he's got a solution, I'm all for it."

The Doctor reached into one of his cavernous coat pockets and produced a silver metal cylinder with a red ring at the top. "This should do the trick, I think." he muttered as he held the cylinder against the lock and pulled down on the cylinder's collar, causing it to emit a buzzing noise. A moment later, the door unlocked.

"Is that the key?" Spock asked him.

"Something like that." the Doctor waved him off. "Now, who would like a jelly baby, hmm?" he asked, holding out a handful of the sweets.

"Fascinating." Spock said as he took one and examined it carefully. "Gelatine confectionary, dusted with starch and moulded into the shape of a small child."

"You'll have to forgive our unannounced return to your facility, Doctor, but when we were here earlier today, something didn't seem quite right." Kirk explained to the Time Lord.

"Really?" the Doctor raised a brow ."Do tell."

They entered the main relay station to find the personnel all standing still, their eyes wide open and unblinking, as if they were in some sort of trance. "Well, this seems a little out of the ordinary." Kirk remarked.

"Yes, I can agree with that. It's quite disconcerting, isn't it?" the Doctor commented.

Dr McCoy examined Professor Whitmore carefully. "He's completely catatonic, Jim." he told Kirk.

"Zarlenga, too." Kirk noted, seeing that Zarlenga was in the same condition.

"Captain, look here." Spock called from where he was examining a technician. "All of the members of the research team appear to be wearing these devices in their ears."

Sure enough, all of the research team had something resembling a hearing aid in their ears. "No earpiece here, Captain." the Doctor said, pointing to his own lugholes. "This is all news to me."

McCoy examining the technician's earpiece. "These devices are somehow blocking all sensory input to the brain." he noted. "Without any input coming in, these poor people are just..."

"...Just shut down." Kirk finished. "Can you remove them?"

"It looks that way," McCoy replied, "I don't see any permeant grafts in place."

"Do it." Kirk told him.

McCoy removed the technician's earpiece. The man blinked, then revived with a groan. "Looks like he's coming out of it." McCoy commented.

"Good." Kirk noted. "Spock, Scotty, wake the rest of these people up and let's get them out of here before whoever did this makes an appearance."
As if on cue, the back door slid open to reveal three figures in metal armour.
"Ah. Spoke too soon." Kirk groaned.

"Cybermen!" the Doctor realised, using his sonic screwdriver to close the door. "Get the people out of here!"

"Cyber-who?" Kirk blinked.

One of the Cybermen demolished the door. "You must not be allowed to interfere!" it declared.

"You heard the man! Get the research team to the shuttle!" Kirk ordered his men, aiming his phaser at the Cyberman.

The Cyberman simply grabbed the phaser out of Kirk's hand and crushed it like a paper cup. "Stop them!" it ordered the other two Cybermen, who marched into the room and shoved the Doctor aside.

"Let's go, dammit!" McCoy said to the now free research team as he hustled them out of the room. "You want those ungodly things jammed back in your ears?!"

Spock and Scott meanwhile aimed their phasers at the Cybermen. "Prepare to fire, Mr Scott." Spock said, and they both opened fire on the Cybermen.

The phasers had no effect. "You will not be allowed to interfere!" the Cybermen said as they continued their advance.

"Set your phaser to maximum power, Commander." Spock ordered Scott.

"Aye." Scott acknowledged, and they tried again, this time with their phasers at maximum.

Kirk meanwhile was engaged in fisticuffs with the CyberLeader, but his fists wouldn't even scratch it's armour. It then proceeded to grab the captain and lift him up in the air as if he were a cardboard box. "Humans cannot harm us!" it stated, and throw Kirk into the wall.

The Doctor came over to the downed captain. "I don't s'pose you happen to have any gold on your person, do you?" he asked casually.

"What?!" Kirk groaned as he recovered.

"I've run into these fellows before." the Doctor replied.

Kirk handed him his communicator. "The cover that flips open is gold. What have you got in mind?"

"Can you distract him for a moment?" the Doctor asked.

"Distract him, sure." Kirk said as he got to his feet. The Doctor meanwhile got to work using his sonic screwdriver to remove the gold antenna from Kirk's communicator. Kirk, true to his word, distracted the CyberLeader by taking a running kick at it. The Doctor then played his part by hurling the antenna at the CyberLeader, who began to moan as if in pain.

"Get down!" Spock warned Kirk and the Doctor, who both hit the Doctor as Spock opened fire on the CyberLeader with his phaser, completely vaporising it.

"You see, the gold flake interferes with their respiratory system." the Doctor said smugly.

"Respiratory system? You mean those things actually BREATHE?!" McCoy stared.

"The other two are still down, Captain." Spock informed Kirk. "All the researchers are safe."

"Search the facility." Kirk ordered. "I don't want any more surprises."

~8~

Later...

"No sign of any more of these 'Cyber-men', Captain." Spock informed Kirk.

"And there looks to be no damage to the facility?" Kirk asked.

"None that we can ascertain." Professor Whitmore replied. "It's just fortunate for us you arrived when you did, Captain."

"I don't believe in being lucky twice, Professor Whitmore." Kirk said. "We'll be arranging for a permanent garrison of security personnel here, just in case you have any more unexpected visitors." Then he noticed that someone was missing. "Speaking of unexpected, where's your Doctor? If he hadn't come along when he did, We might never have gotten in here."

"OUR Doctor?" Whitmore blinked. "We thought he was with YOU!"

What neither of them had noticed was that the Doctor had quietly slipped out and returned to the TARDIS now that his work here was done.

Scott and Dr Zarlenga meanwhile were examining the computer equipment. "And ye've no luck figuring this thing out?" Scott asked.

"None." Zarlenga replied. "We can't change a reading or even get a transmission out of it."

"Don't despair, lassie." Scott reassured her. "You'll crack it yet. It's just a good thing we got here before those mechanical clankers were able to monkey with it.

~o0o~

"That was unexpected." the 11th Doctor blinked as he finished remembering that past encounter.

"Doctor?! What happened?" Amy asked him.

"Do you require medical assistance?" Picard offered.

"No, no, I'll be fine." the Doctor waved him off.

"What was it?" Gazelle asked him.

"That was me: I was there." the Doctor told her. "I remember that now. Peculiar thing is, I also remember not remembering that."

"Must be dimensional feedback." Gazelle surmised. "Time's being rewritten."

"There is no record of you in the log." Data informed the Doctor.

"The chap with the scarf: that was me." the Doctor explained. "I just... looked a little different."

"How could you have been there?" Picard asked.

"It's a little hard to explain, really." the Doctor shrugged.

"We both travel around a fair bit." Gazelle added. "He's just been around a bit more than I have."

"That would make you more than a hundred years old." Riker said to the Doctor.

"Don't be ridiculous, Commander. I'm nowhere near 100." the Doctor scoffed, then turned to Picard. "Captain, if I'm remembering things that should not be, we're all in even greater danger than I realised."

Picard seemed to be on the same page. "Indeed. First things first: what is their status, Mr Worf?" he asked his tactical officer.

"Scanners show no sign of our pursuers, Captain." Worf reported. "Perhaps they gave up."

"Now that's not like the Cybermen." Gazelle frowned. "They're very one-track minded, so if they've stopped chasing us, they must be after something more important."

"Bigger fish to fry." Picard commented. "You may be right, but let us take advantage of this respite to attempt to find some answers. And I believe I may know where to start..."

~8~

After Gazelle, Amy and Rory had popped back to the TARDIS to swap their 1940's attire for their usual garb, Picard led the quartet of time travellers to deck ten. "Now where're we going?" Amy asked.

"If everything you're telling us is true, then I have a friend with whom you have much to discuss." Picard replied and led them into Ten-Forward, which currently had only one occupant. "Guinan? There's two people here I'd like you to meet..." Picard called to her.

To be continued...

Author's notes: As promised, here's the Classic Series/TOS crossover. A full cross-over between TOS and Classic Doctor Who would have been great. The 4th Doctor teaming up with Kirk's crew would be the chef's kiss. At least we've had this little snippet of a crossover here. Until next time!