Steven Taylor sat throwing stones into a nearby pond. The rings they caused looked like wrinkles. Steven felt a pang of sadness as he remembered his friend Sara Kingdom, aged to death whilst saving the Doctor; Steven had run to the Tardis leaving her. Fish began trying to eat the stones so Steven stopped throwing them.
He lay back in the sun trying to put the last few days behind him. Then running through the meadow ahead of him was a young girl. Her golden hair shone in the sun.
When she reached the pond she hugged Steven tightly and to his surprise he found himself crying. Around them snow began to fall, shining in the sun. As it hit the ground in midsummer it melted instantly.
***
Dalusophon and Begranosil watched the scene on a viewer not really knowing what to say. Eight other viewers showed other scenes from the colony. Dalusophon was the first to speak. "Should we summon the Doctor to interfere? He was the one who created the situation."
"No he failed us before in a similar situation." Begranosil spoke as one who knew best, though through study not experience.
"Our superiors feel that he made the right choice in what he did. And besides he has friends in the colony, they give him motive."
"We will send someone else. My decision is made."
***
The crack of a twig told Steven that they had company. He turned to see a tall man; he wore a red jacket and a long scarf. "It's you isn't it Doctor? You've changed again."
The voice was deep and powerful. "For the third time Steven. Of course you won't have seen me since your wedding."
At this Steven's face fell again. "Yes, how time flies."
"So where is Dalil?" The Doctor spoke as though he feared to step in the mess, which he couldn't see in the dark.
"Fever; she died a week ago. We didn't have the facilities to stop it."
"I'm sorry."
"I just wish I could have stopped the disease, for all my people. It's become such a labour." Steven's voice was angry.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"No, the worst of it's over." He paused. "But we lost thirty nine people." He pointed to the girl. "This is Mary. She has her mothers eyes."
---Sweep Begins---
---Sentient Inhabitants---
---status peaceful---
x23463 natives - x2 off-worlders - x1 mongrel
---technology level 39.1834---
---Anomaly's---
x2
laser pistol x1
large object - shuttle? - unknown composition x1
---Landing Begins---
Five massive jet-black slugs fell from the sky. They were oval and had no obvious weapons, or indeed features, save for a huge hole at the front. They landed together in an empty field and soldiers began to pour out, about one hundred in total. They wore white robes, including a mask that protected them from infection, and looked distinctly inhuman for it. Each one carried a metre long stick.
As they approached the villagers they began to shock and drive them with the sticks. Soon everyone in the village was being forced into a slug.
High on a mountain behind all the commotion another tree had joined the wood there. What marked it out was the doorway. A man in a blue catsuit emerged from it, a hand offering a bullet emblazoned on his chest. He spoke into a radio, alerting the hunters to other villagers' positions.
***
Steven, The Doctor and Mary walked back through the snow, now falling heavily. "Why did you come back Doctor?" Steven spoke as though he wouldn't like the answer.
"There's something I learned after I left you here, I meant to tell you at your wedding but there wasn't a good time."
"Well?"
"Before your birth the Earth was invaded several times by Cybermen."
"Yes but each time they were pushed back."
"I helped repel each invasion. But not till after I met you. If I had I'd never have left you here Steven."
"Why?"
"This is the Tenth planet of Earth's solar system. The Cybermen's home. It's approaching an ice age after which I'm worried what'll be left."
"You think I could start the Cybermen? That's crazy!"
"It's not li-" Noise at the village alerted the Doctor.
"We'll argue later Doctor, It sounds like trouble!" The snow was messing their vision by the time they ran into the village. The screaming had also ended. Steven spoke in a quiet voice. "They can't have ... killed them all."
Suddenly five of the hunters emerged out of the blizzard. The Doctor began to back away. "Those are stun rods Steven, someone wants us alive!"
"I have a gun in my hut Doctor, I'll go and get it!" The Doctor shook his head as Steven ran off avoiding the Doctors scolding look. He picked up Mary and tried to follow.
Steven ran into his hut but hunters emerged from against the wall behind him. He screamed as they electrified him.
Outside the Doctor stopped dead as Steven's scream hit his ears. Mary screamed "Daddy..." but the Doctor was running in the opposite direction.
***
Steven came to, feeling groggy, with one hell of a headache. He inspected his hide waistcoat, and noticed a burn where he had been zapped. He was in a matt grey room. There were no visible exits; just a small hole he guessed was for air, and a seat that was also grey, sticking out of the wall. It didn't look like he'd be leaving soon. He lay back on the floor, using his rolled up waistcoat as a pillow and tried to sleep.
When he woke up the wall was buzzing. A hole began to grow till a man walked in.
"Good morning, I trust you slept well?" Steven was sleeping with his face down, so the man kicked him over so he faced him. Steven just groaned.
"It is my duty as a Timelord to return you to your own time period. I suggest you stand or I will make you." He smiled thinly as Steven stood up. Steven sounded worried, "What are you going to do with the colonists?"
"I have some friends in the future who are paying me more than my superiors. They are eager to see things through here." He grinned.
Steven followed the Timelord down the hall and into a large room.
"Now we don't want the Timelords to see this do we?" He produced a gun and shot a black dot on the ceiling, which Steven assumed was a camera. The Timelord produced his radio, "Now open the warp gate!" He looked at Steven; "We needed a way to transport these ships from the future, but now it's letting some guests in. They both looked out the window as a huge silver needle flew out of a blue cloud, which had appeared off the ship. It must have been nearly a kilometre long, "And now," shouted the Timelord, "lets meet our guests!"
Steven half expected him to laugh like a maniac.
The Timelord pressed a button on a panel beside him. A pink cone shot through the wall, a shiny shape writhing and twisting inside. It continued through the control room, dropping a Cyberman on the way. The monster walked forward, his voice was like a cross between a drum, and a blackboard being scratched. "You have the prisoners for me?"
"No! You can't just give them away to die! They're real people."
Now the Timelord began to laugh. Steven shouted over him.
"We've been through too much for that!"
The laughing stopped as the Timelord gloated, "Think of them Mr Taylor, think of them dying when you're safe and warm."
A new cone grew like a bubble from the ceiling and Steven felt his body shift and squirm as he occupied two places, two timelines at once.
"Now Mr Taylor, revenge is sweet."
"You're the mad monk!"
"Too slow Mr Taylor!"
***
Steven was gone. Next thing he knew he was in the middle of a field in Inverness. He began to punch the grass beneath him, until his knuckles were red with blood from the dry earth.
***
"Who are you?" The girl was finally awake. "Where are we?"
"I'm The Doctor, we are in the Tardis, a machine capable of-"
"You look funny. You have big teeth."
The Doctor smiled. "And you talk a lot."
"Where's Daddy?"
"Outside, come on!"
The Doctor was twice Mary's size. They looked an odd couple as they strode through the ship as though they owned it. They reached a door and the Doctor motioned for them to stop. "Where do-" He clasped his hand over her mouth and held his ear to the door. Voices came from inside:
"But I helped you! You promised to pay me..."
The Doctor ran in, "If it isn't my old friend the meddling monk!" He walked into a Cyberman. "Fancy meeting you here!" He backed away.
"You are the Doctor! Enemy of the Cybermen! You will be destroyed!"
The Doctor grabbed the monk and pushed him to the door. Mary walked up to the Cyberman; "You're shiny! And you talk funny!"
The Doctor grabbed her as well and ran into the hall. The monk spoke, "It could be worse, at least he doesn't have a gun."
The Cyberman fiddled with his chest and a bolt shot from his head unit. In a flash the wall was gone.
"Oh..."
The gang ran down the corridor, after the Doctor had lifted Mary onto his shoulders. She ran her hand along the ceiling as they escaped death.
"We must go to the mess hall Doctor, my followers will help stop the Cybermen when they realise they won't pay us."
Shots flew down the hall at their heels.
"Let's hurry, I'm not too keen to be shot."
"One thing escapes me though Doctor, how did you know it was me?"
A shot hit the Doctor's wild scarf and left an ugly mark. He sped up. "I'll explain later..."
***
The mess hall was full of soldiers relaxing after an easy job. Most were human but a couple of Draconians and an ice warrior were also present. Some were still wearing the white robes but some had changed into blue cat-suits like the Monk was wearing.
The monk beamed at his crew. "May I introduce my company Doctor?"
"I think we had better deal with the current situation first." The Doctor motioned to the Cybermen walking through the door.
"Change of plan people; kill the Cybermen!"
People ran for their weapons, immediately on familiar ground. The first few prodded the advancing Cyberman with their stun rods. It fell backward and shot at the ceiling. The rest of the crew shot at it with various energy weapons. Finally the ice warrior advanced with a huge metal pike and with a single swipe lopped its head off. It sailed across the room into another soldier's hands. He held it high as the soldiers whooped in celebration.
Mary walked up to the body and stuck her hand down the neck. She began to pull on entrails, squirting green coolant everywhere. She grinned at the Doctor then got on with her work.
The monk was more serious than his companions, "Now how do we stop a Cyber Destroyer with three troop carriers Doctor?"
"I'll try and get to the reactor, if I can put a hole in that then they'll lose control."
"How will you get over there?"
"They'll give us an entrance soon."
The Doctors face fell as he remembered something,
"Steven?"
"I'm sorry, he was incinerated by that Cyberman. It was quick at least."
Out of view the Monk grinned, while Mary played innocently with the decapitated alien. The Doctor watched her sadly.
***
It wasn't long before one of the soldiers shouted down the corridor. The Doctor came running as a ring was cut out of the wall. Finally it fell in and a Cyberman emerged. He resisted a few shots, shooting one of the soldiers dead before he finally fell. Three of the mercenaries peered into the hole, as a new Cyberman began to wander up the entrance pipe. A plasma bolt lopped off the arm that held his gun. The other arm reached for his chest, but the box exploded as a new shot hit it. The mercenaries began to run up the corridor, covering the other end, as the Doctor pulled the Monk through, despite his objections. Around them, soldiers and Cybermen fell.
The Doctor looked around vaguely. "Eeny meeny miny moe!" He ran off down a side corridor. The Monk looked at the shots flying around him, shook his head and followed.
The Doctor entered a gigantic hall, a thin bridge stretching out in front of him, over a network of machinery.
He began to dart across as a Cyberman entered on the other side. He kept on running past it, tripping it on the way. The silver ghoul exploded as it hit the bottom. He waited at the other end till the Monk caught him up. They walked into a room with a huge red screen inside. The Doctor smiled. "I imagine if that got smashed the ship would most likely crash!"
The Monk winced, "Let's get it over with."
The Doctor picked up a jagged tool, left on the floor and made to throw it at the red glass.
"Halt!" A Cyberman had walked in; Mary squirmed in its arms.
"It has been noticed you have compassion for your companions. Move away or she dies."
The Doctor threw the tool aside. "There it's gone. You can go on killing and mutilating the galaxy now, unhindered."
The Monk stepped forward, "He made me follow him, I really didn't want to."
"You will all be destroyed," barked the Cyberman.
The Doctor smiled, as the Ice warrior walked up behind the Cyberman and swiped his legs off with his pike. "Hur Hur," the warrior grinned. The Cyberman toppled forward dropping Mary, who skidded along the floor to the Doctor. He picked her up. The Ice warrior picked up the twitching Cyberman and threw him into the red screen. It shattered and sparks flew like bright rain. The ship shook violently.
"I think we'd better go."
The Monk smiled. "I'm with you, Doctor."
Together, the odd collection ran back through the ship. It collapsed behind them as they jumped through the exit.
The Doctor smiled as he watched the Cyber-ship fall towards what the terrans called Mondas.
***
Dalusophon smiled as he watched the few surviving Cybermen walk out onto the planet's surface. "See how the cycle is complete, my friend. We didn't stop them, we created them. You are lucky I warned the Doctor, or the Monk could have made a worse mess."
Begranosil scowled. "And you did so against my orders. It has been noted. However it is argued the Cybermen's evolution began outside of this paradox. Their primitive state when they invaded Earth from Mondas could be caused by computer rundown, killing their history and technology. We will investigate further after we have found a suitable home for the natives of Mondas."
"Should we return Steven Taylor to them?"
"No he has meddled enough. Leave him.
The two Timelords watched another screen. The Monk was waving his fist at the Doctors departing Tardis. Although they couldn't hear his voice, he seemed to say, "I'll get you next time."
"Definitely an amateur," laughed Dalusophon. Begranosil nodded in agreement.
