Killing Ground Part 14

'I am unchanged.'

'How can you be? You're acting so differently, You were talking about the humans. You seem more...' Grant stopped before he said something that the new Henneker might not like.

'All very interesting, I'm sure,' Max cut in, 'but do you think we can get on with the business of defeating Cybermen?'

Henneker thought for a moment. Then, without a trace of emotion, he said, 'It will take more time to find volunteers for the Project. We are behind schedule. We already outnumber our enemies.'

'You're saying we should attack now?'

There was a sudden flurry of movement. Two Bronze Knights lurched towards Grant, who instinctively s.h.i.+ed away. Henneker swung around to see what was happening, lost his delicate balance and collided with one of his fellows. Three Knights went cras.h.i.+ng to the floor, their armours impacting with hard dirt.

Grant saw the cause of the disturbance. Jolarr had taken his chance to flee. He had sidled to the foot of the ladder and was halfway up it before he was observed. Grant could see the desperation in his milk-white face and he found himself willing the alien to succeed. But, even as Jolarr reached the top rung, the first of the Bronze Knights closed the distance and grabbed at him. Jolarr kicked out and its hand was deflected. The trapdoor flew open and sunlight silhouetted Jolarr's head and shoulders. Then he cried out. The cyborg had managed to get a grip on his ankle.

'For heaven's sake,' cried Max, 'just let him go!'

Jolarr kicked again with his free leg. His soft-shoed foot couldn't have harmed his captor, but still it reacted with a familiar human reflex.

It flinched, let go, and Jolarr scrambled to freedom. The Knight climbed onto the ladder, but Max was close enough now to lay a restraining hand on its arm.

'We don't need him,' she said firmly. 'We've made our plans - and Henneker is right. The Cybermen have been here too long already. If we're to stand a chance of saving the people in Population Control, you have to attack now.'

Grant felt something in his stomach turn over. It was not planned that he should have much involvement in the upcoming battle, but even so, he faced the prospect of it with trepidation. After all this time, there would be an outcome, one way or another. He looked around the bunker at the nine Bronze Knights and wondered if they could be enough to rescue the Doctor and liberate his world.

Jolarr emerged into the fresh, post-rainfall atmosphere with a mixture of relief and panic. He imagined the Bronze Knights clambering up the ladder to recapture him, and as soon as he had dragged himself clear of clinging vegetation, he pushed his legs into a frantic sprint. It didn't last long.

He came up short at the sight of three figures, poking in the undergrowth just metres ahead. Cybermen! And they had seen him.

The silver giants turned as one and Jolarr back-pedalled, almost slipping on the wet gra.s.s, turned and pelted towards the nearest village. His thoughts took seconds to catch up with his actions. The Cybermen knew of the bunker. They had been attempting to locate it - and the most logical explanation for his appearance nearby was that he was one of the rebels they had come to find. Somehow, Jolarr didn't feel like stopping to explain the truth.

He shot a quick look over his shoulder and saw that two of the monsters had resumed their search. The third was pursuing him. It had no gun, but that was small consolation. He dived across the village boundary and put a building between them. His heart felt like it was about to explode, but he had to keep going. He had to lose the creature before he tired.

If Jolarr had learned only one thing from his research, it was that the Cybermen never gave up.

'Not such an interesting sight after all, is it?' said the Doctor.

Two Cybermen remained in the conversion chamber. They had taken a console each and were operating controls with perfect synchronicity.

Nothing else moved, except that Hegelia fancied she could see an occasional flicker inside the now fully occupied compartments.

'It will be worth the wait,' she said, 'when those majestic creatures emerge.'

'They won't. I had a closer look, very briefly, at their cubicles earlier.

They double as freezer compartments. Once they've been converted, the new Cybermen will be held in suspended animation until their bodies and minds can adjust to the changes forced upon them. By the time they awake, this s.h.i.+p will be light-years away from here and we'll be either free or dead.'

Hegelia scowled at this further bad luck. 'Why do they need to be frozen? They should not have to adjust, as you put it.'

The Doctor tutted with mock disapproval. 'Remember your history, ArcHivist. These Cybermen have suffered a heavy defeat. Their forces are scattered, resources depleted. This chamber is set up to add to their numbers as quickly, and with as little material, as possible. The equipment is actually quite crude. If you've ever attempted brain surgery with a hammer and chisel, you'll know why the patient needs a few days' bed rest afterwards.'

'I hardly think the a.n.a.logy is appropriate. We are talking about a race far more advanced than humanity.'

The Doctor answered with a sardonic laugh. 'I don't know why you need machinery to turn you into a Cyberman. You're halfway there already.'

Hegelia hardened herself to his flippancy. She had better things to become upset about. She had been mentally running over her options and it now seemed that there was only one feasible one; She sighed. 'All right then, Doctor.'

'What?'

'If you must break free, I will do what I can to help.'

She couldn't see her fellow captive's face, but she could almost hear the broad grin stretching across it. 'That's very kind,' said the Doctor, 'but the only help I need is for you not to alert the Cybermen to what I'm doing.'

Hegelia could already feel him working at their bonds. She only hoped that she was doing the right thing.

Jolarr had paused but for a few seconds to get back his breath and to a.s.sess his position. The Cyberman had appeared almost instantly from behind a nearby building. Whilst its prey had twisted and turned, attempting to frustrate pursuit, it had predicted his erratic path and moved to block it.

Jolarr coaxed his unwilling body into motion, desperately reaching for the nearest corner. The Cyberman fired and he felt a hot, p.r.i.c.kly sensation was.h.i.+ng over his back. He kept on going, expecting to be laid low by the fatal afterkick. It didn't occur. He had been just out of range of the head-mounted weapon, he realized with delirious relief as he left the Cyberman's line of fire. But he wasn't out of danger yet. It would still be following relentlessly.

The best way to outmanoeuvre it would be to do something completely illogical - and that meant dangerous! Jolarr raced around three sides of the two-storey house which was sheltering him. He didn't have time to worry about what would happen if the Cyberman was still waiting, back in the street where he had left it.

He peered around the final corner and saw it, stopped at the next junction, its back to him, clearly considering which way to head. His gamble had paid off. As soon as it was out of sight, he could sprint away in the opposite direction.

Then it turned and headed towards him, its stiff gait bringing it closer with numbing speed. Jolarr ducked back around the house and ran, something catching in his throat as he realized the futility of his situation. How could he - the young, inexperienced academic - ever hope to elude this unstoppable dreadnought?

He was still dwelling on such pessimistic thoughts, still looking over his shoulder, when he ran full tilt into somebody. He tried to push the villager aside, but the young, bearded man was deliberately holding him.

Jolarr's arms were pinned and the Cyberman was behind him again.

'I've got him for you,' the man called in a reedy voice. 'Sir!' he added as the Cyberman drew closer. Jolarr guessed that he had not come face to face with one of his masters before. A panic-driven adrenalin surge gave him the strength to take advantage of his captor's moment of paralysis. He wriggled and broke free, pus.h.i.+ng the man towards the Cyberman as it manipulated the controls on its chest unit and the echoing chung! chung! of its gun rang out. The unintentional victim let out a howl and fell backwards, into the arms of the startled Jolarr. Repulsed, he hurled the corpse away from him. A belated nervous reflex caused it to cling to the Cyberman and, whilst it was shaking itself free, Jolarr fled. of its gun rang out. The unintentional victim let out a howl and fell backwards, into the arms of the startled Jolarr. Repulsed, he hurled the corpse away from him. A belated nervous reflex caused it to cling to the Cyberman and, whilst it was shaking itself free, Jolarr fled.

His narrow escape had forced him to make a decision. He couldn't outrun his pursuer, but he could outfly it. It meant leaving Hegelia behind on this planet, but he had no choice. She was probably dead in any case, he tried to convince himself.

With renewed determination, Jolarr changed course and headed towards the field in which the time s.h.i.+p had landed. His one priority now was to locate it and escape.

The atmosphere in the bunker was tense, despite the fact that only two of its occupants were still capable of expressing apprehension. The nine Bronze Knights were flexing their muscles, getting used to their new casings before they embarked upon the mission for which they had been created. Max watched on with a mixture of emotions. She was proud of her accomplishment, but sad at what she had had to do to nine human beings - and worried at what those beings might, in turn, do with the powers she had given them.

She had to accept that it was all out of her hands. She had done her part. She was becoming aware of a dull ache behind her eyes which reminded her how hard she had worked and for how long. Suppressing a yawn, she headed for the ladder.

'Where are you going?' asked Grant. She realized that he was wary of being left with the cyborgs.

'Home,' she said. 'I'm tired and I want to sleep. I suggest you do the same.'

'But we're about to attack!'

'No, the Knights are about to do that. You and me are going to sit here, twiddling our thumbs and worrying. Well, no thanks. If I can't do any more for the effort, I might as well do something for my own health.' She gave him a wry smile as she took the first rung. 'I'm sure I'll hear the result as it comes in.' Then she turned to Henneker and wished him good luck, the words seeming inadequate. He nodded an acknowledgement.

Max hauled herself up the ladder, then realized that fatigue had made her Forget to check if the way was clear. For a moment, she considered taking the risk. As always, though, common-sense prevailed. Ignoring the protests of her muscles, she lowered herself again and glanced towards the monitor.

The picture flickered and rolled - and, for a second, Max convinced herself that she was seeing phantom images; that two huge figures weren't standing outside and that one of them wasn't kneeling to pull open the hatch. Another sliver of time pa.s.sed by as she stood, staring, her brain and mouth seized up with the indecision of unexpected danger. It was fortunate for everyone that Grant looked over to see what was happening, and yelled in terror as he too saw the approaching Cybermen.

Henneker and the other Bronze Knights moved swiftly towards the ladder - no fear in them, Max noticed. They pushed her behind them and Max felt strangely touched by the protective gesture. Grant needed no such encouragement to leave the firing line. He was already heading towards the curtain, behind which he might find concealment.

The last thing Max saw, before she decided that her wisest course of action was to join him, was the trapdoor splintering open to reveal two silver faces, four tear-pulled eyes, framed against the square of light which filtered into her once-safe haven.

Then all h.e.l.l broke loose.

The Cyberleader had stalked into the conversion chamber - and, to Hegelia's consternation, the Doctor seemed intent upon baiting it.

'How long are you planning to keep us here?' he protested, when it finally responded to his persistent shouts of 'Hey, you!' and approached the captives.

'Your fate has been explained to the woman. To reiterate the details would be an inefficient use of my time.'

The Cyberleader moved to return to its fellows, but the Doctor wasn't so easily brushed off. 'My colleague here is interested in you. She wants to know how it feels to become a Cyberman.'

'We do not have feelings.'

'That's what I told her. The funny thing is, she doesn't understand what a drawback that is. Perhaps you could tell her; get these silly ideas out of her head once and for all?' Hegelia twisted to glare at him. The Doctor ignored her. He was staring up at the Cyberleader with a childlike grin.

'Emotions are unnecessary. They hamper the course of logical thought.'

'So you wouldn't claim to enjoy life at all?'

'Of course not.'

'There you are then, ArcHivist. Do you really want to become an emotionally stunted, mindless automaton? You wouldn't enjoy it!'

'I would thank you to leave me out of this discussion, Doctor.'

'We are the purest form of life in the cosmos!' the Leader roared, with ironically more feeling than Hegelia had displayed.

The Doctor tutted. 'Dear oh dear. A blatant exhibition of pride - an organic emotion and one of the Deadly Sins to boot. You're undermining your own argument, Leader. And, whilst we're on the subject, I wish you wouldn't keep doing that.'

'To what do you refer?'

'The way you put your hands on your hips. I know it's meant to make you look fierce, but it does nothing for you, believe me.'

Almost self-consciously, the Cyberleader s.h.i.+fted its stance. 'You must see some value in emotional responses then,' the Doctor pressed on, 'to simulate them as you do. Pride, arrogance, scorn, anger...'

'The intimidatory effect upon organic beings can be useful.'

'And what about the rest of the range? Compa.s.sion? Love? Fear?

What if I was to say that I'm holding a handful of gold dust behind my back? Would that not worry you at all?'

'I am not programmed to mimic fear.'

'I know.'

Without Hegelia realizing it, the Doctor had worked his hands free.

He brought one around now in a whiplash motion, opening his fist so that, for one second, she thought he had thrown something into the Cyberleader's chest unit.

The hand was empty. The Leader didn't move.

The Doctor smiled again. 'An autonomic fear response could have saved your life then, if I really had been carrying gold.'

'You were not. I scanned you and found no trace of the element.

Your demonstration was worthless.'

The Doctor's face fell. 'Tin-plated spoilsport!' he muttered.

'Resorting to insults will be of no benefit. They will not affect me.'

'Perhaps. But they make me feel better.' The Doctor sighed. 'I don't expect you to understand that either.'