DOCTOR WHO AND THE TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN

by Gerry Davis

  'He appears to have been electrocuted,' said Doctor Who, standing up and rubbing his hands on his already dusty frock coat. 'Those are the marks of a high voltage electricity burn.' He turned. 'While trying to open these doors perhaps?'

  Jamie and. Victoria noticed the silver doors' expanse looming above them.

  'JAMIE!' whispered Victoria urgently. 'JAMIE! What are they?' They stood transfixed, looking at the unmistakable engravings on the doors : helmets, horrifying blanks for eyes and mouth, long silver bodies and chest units.

  Jamie had seen them before. 'I'll tell ye later,' he muttered, still looking suspiciously at Captain Hopper..

  But the Doctor, busy examining the place where the dead man had stood, seemed not to have noticed the glistening silver symbols on the doors.

  'He seems to know all the answers,' said the engineer, Rogers, glancing at the Captain.

  'Yeah. A wise guy,' said Hopper, moving closer, gun held at the ready.

  'It's obvious.' The little archaeologist with the glasses, Viner, glared at the Doctor. 'This fellow must be a member of a rival expedition.'

  'Expedition?' the Doctor retorted quickly. Professor Parry looked annoyed.

  'We have done our very best, made the most strenuous efforts indeed to keep our enterprise a secret, but it seems that all our elaborate security precautions have been as naught. One of you,' he turned to the others, 'has talked.'

  'Look at the man,' said Viner, 'archaeologist written all over him.'

  The Doctor smiled his upsetting smile and brushed off a top layer of the dust on his coat.

  'Does it show?' he asked.

  'There!' Viner turned triumphantly to the Professor. 'You see! It's impossible to keep a secret in the scientific world.'

  Doctor Who denied nothing, just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

  'But Doctor—' Victoria touched his arm.

  'Tell 'em, Doctor, tell 'em who we are,' said Jamie.

  'Not until they tell me the purpose of their expedition,' said the Doctor firmly.

  Parry drew himself up. 'Don't pretend you are not fully aware... This is an archaeological expedition. We are searching the universe for the last remains of the Cybermen.'

  'Aye... I guessed it.' Jamie turned to the Doctor. 'Cybermen—you mean they came from here?'

  'But of course,' said Professor Parry, on his special subject. 'Of course, young man. Telos was their home.' He pointed to the great doors. 'We believe this to be the entrance, the entrance to their city.'

  'Yes, yes.' Viner bustled forward to show off his knowledge too. 'Now we know that they died out many centuries ago. What we want to know is why they died out. You see, there are four distinct theories on this subject...'

  'Callum!' interrupted Captain Hopper. 'Callum! Rogers!' Viner, fuming, glared at him but the Captain ignored him.

  'Yes, sir,' replied Callum.

  Hopper crouched down over the dead man and turned him over. 'Take him back to the rocket, you two.'

  Callum and Rogers bent down and expertly lifted the now stiffening body while the others watched in silence. The archaeologists had momentarily forgotten the dead man. It interfered with their work.

  Hopper turned to Parry. 'Coming back with me, Professor?'

  The Professor, who was deep in the old familiar arguments about the origin of the Cybermen with Viner, looked at him vaguely.

  'Er—what for?' he asked.

  The Captain was exasperated. 'You're not going on with this, are you?' he said. 'Now I don't know whether these people have anything to do with it or not—that's your problem, Professor. It's your expedition. All I know is that there's something deadly about this place. One of my crew has just been killed. That means it's time to pull out.'

  The group of archaeologists stared back at the space-crew.

  'You were well paid,' came Klieg's voice.

  'I don't think you heard me, Mr Klieg,' said Captain Hopper with a more menacing voice than he had yet allowed himself. 'One of my crew has just been killed. That is what I said.'

  'And I said you were well paid,' snapped Klieg. 'People often get killed in your profession.'

  'Think it over,' said Captain Hopper, giving the archaeologists one more look and turning away. Callum and Rogers walked with him towards the space-craft at the far side of the crater, carrying the body.

  'We'll wait for you back at the ship,' called Hopper.

  When they had gone, the archaeologists tried to forget about the safety he offered and looked at each other nervously. For a moment they had forgotten the stranger in the old frock-coat, but the Doctor was busy examining the doors.

  'The problem, I take it, is to open these doors—right ?' he said with a slight smile.

  'Brilliant,' replied Klieg sarcastically.

  'Yes, er, this is the problem, er... Doctor,' said the Professor, using 'Doctor' in the same questioning way as Jamie and Victoria.

  'And we would prefer it,' said Klieg suddenly, moving towards the Doctor, 'if you returned to wherever you came from.'

  There was a muttered agreement from the group.

  'Och, they really can make ye welcome here,' saidn Jamie ironically.

  'Oh yes,' said Victoria, running over to the Doctor and touching his arm. 'Let's go back, Doctor. I don't like it here.'

  'No.' The Doctor turned on them quickly, a different look in his catlike, green eyes. 'We're not leaving.' He spoke in a voice of quiet authority. 'No. That became impossible from the moment that name was mentioned'

  'What name, Doctor?' asked Victoria.

  'Cybermen,' said the Doctor.

  'I knew they were on the same quest!' Viner's tight envious little voice spluttered. 'I knew it.'

  'Nobody would come here for any other reason,' said the Professor quietly.

  'No,' said the Doctor again, with the same firmness. 'We must stay here.'

  'Are ye sure, Doctor?' cried Jamie anxiously, because he didn't like the sound of this quest any more than Victoria did. He came from a time even further back from the realisation of space monsters than Victoria, though in his day people had accepted the magic of horrible visitations from the sky and knew it was prudent not to meddle with such things.

  'If they're Cybermen,' said Victoria, pointing to the cruel lines of the Cybermen on the door, 'I don't like the look of them at all.'

  There was silence. The archaeologists, Parry, Viner, even Klieg and the inscrutable Kaftan, felt the authority of the Doctor and knew it was no good objecting.

  'We shall help you in your, search,' said the Doctor simply.

  'And suppose we don't want your help?' asked Klieg aggressively.

  'Ah, that's just it,' said the Doctor, 'you so obviously do. Come now,' he said invitingly, giving them the full charm of his smile, 'I'm sure we can agree. I can open these doors for you.'

  Klieg stared at him. 'I repeat, we don't want your help!'

  'Hey, now!' Jamie flared. 'We've as much right here as you.' He raised his clenched fist.

  'Of course, of course you have,' said Professor Parry, walking between them and touching Jamie's threatening arm so ineffectively that Jamie let it drop.

  He turned to Klieg. 'Mr Klieg,' he said sharply, 'must I remind you that you do not speak for this expedition. I am its leader, you and Miss Kaftan are only here on sufferance.'

  'Thank you!' Klieg bowed, tense with fury. 'And whose money is paying for the hire of that space craft?'

  'Mine,' said Kaftan's sibilant voice behind them, but so softly that only Klieg and the Doctor heard it.

  'I thought I had made it quite clear,' pontificated Parry, happier now that he had a chance to re-establish his lost leadership, 'I made it quite clear that your financial support did not in any way, shape or form entitle you to a say in the running of the expedition.'

  Klieg, his body tense, moved a step nearer the elderly professor. But the Professor stood his ground. There was a silky rustle behind them.

  'Of course, Professor,' came the soft, accented voice
of Kaftan, 'it's quite clear that you and you alone will run the expedition. Is it not, Eric?' she added with surprising sharpness.

  Klieg looked at her, held still for a moment, then relaxed and nodded, controlling his anger.

  'Of course, Professor,' he said evenly. 'No one questions your leadership.'

  'All settled?' said the Doctor in the bright irritating voice that adults use to settle children's quarrels. 'Then let's open these doors, shall we?'

  They watched him as he took out of the baggy pockets of his coat a small pocket instrument with a dial. This he clamped on the door. Whatever was on the dial must have been satisfactory because, with a sly grin, he stretched out his hands towards the large silver handles.

  'Careful, man!' shouted Parry. 'Look out!'

  'Whist ye!'

  'No, Doctor!' jerked from the others.

  The Doctor paused.

  'I'm sure it's quite safe—now,' said the Doctor. He reached out his hands and touched the door handles.

  The others gasped but nothing happened. No flash. No sudden death.

  He gripped the door handles and tugged, exerting all his strength, but they did not budge.

  'You'll be killed, man', whispered Viner, unable to keep away from the horrible sight of a man deliberately touching the fatal doors. Timidly he put out a hand to drag the Doctor away.

  'No!' said Haydon. 'Viner! Don't touch him!'

  Viner pulled back his quivering hand.

  'One more heave,' said the Doctor jovially while the others stood round apprehensively sweating with fear.

  The Doctor yanked again at the giant doors but they remained set fast, as unmoving as they had remained through the centuries.

  'Phew!' The Doctor breathed hard, leaning against the doors while he got his breath.

  'Beyond my strength, I'm afraid,' he said. He brought out a handkerchief blotched with chemicals and knots, and wiped his sweating face with it.

  'Here,' said Jamie, stepping forward and baring his arms. 'Let me have a go.'

  'Certainly, Jamie,' said the Doctor. He smiled, stepped aside and sat down on a nearby rock to watch.

  Jamie, hearing his own heart thump like a battle drum, stretched out his hands and touched the doors.

  No shock. After resting a moment to let the black thump of fear die down, he began to pull in earnest. He pulled, yanked, and heaved with all his strength, but the doors would not budge.

  Surely there couldn't be a weight in the world, in the universe, that strong Jamie couldn't shift? He pulled again, angrily, his heart thumping and the muscles in his neck standing out like wood. Of course he could do it, he, Jamie of the Highlands, Jamie who'd pulled redcoats off their horses at Culloden and tossed them into the gullies. But even he could not move the terrible doors one fraction of a millimetre.

  'Aye, well,' said Jamie, turning back from the doors and trying not to show how winded he was. 'Och, I've no had much exercise lately.'

  'Quite. Quite,' said the Doctor. He looked at the group who stood before him. 'Now,' he said slowly. 'There is a man who could open these doors for us.'

  They turned round to see who he was pointing at.

  Toberman! The dark giant towered silently over the other humans with his great bald head gleaming with oil and his massive arms folded.

  'Him? Toberman?' asked Kaftan. 'He is my servant. I will not have him risk his life.'

  'Surely it was just for such a contingency as this,' said Parry sharply, 'that you insisted we bring him with us.'

  Kaftan hesitated.

  The Doctor turned to her. 'Madam, there is no danger now,' he said urbanely. 'You have seen. Two of us have touched the doors without harm. Two very ordinary beings... of course, if he is afraid...'

  Parting the group of ordinary humans, a menacing frown on his face, Toberman stepped forward and strode up.

  They watched as he tensed his massive body, every muscle ridged, against the huge doors. He pulled, pulled, and they could see his muscles stand rigid with the strain. The others could see the sweat burst out of him, shining on his skin as he panted with the effort.

  He won't be able to do it, they thought. To open those doors is beyond human strength. Those doors were meant for Cybermen, creatures with metal limbs ten times stronger than the strongest human being.

  There was a long creaking groan from the doors. Everyone in the group stood transfixed as Toberman leant back and rested for a moment, communing with himself.

  Crrrk! Crrrk! This time the doors visibly moved. They moved a few millimetres and dust fell on to the gigantic shoulders of the man. This time he didn't stop for a rest but heaved steadily and the doors edged open, until they could see the darkness inside.

  Toberman stopped for a moment, gaining his strength for a final effort, still not turning, like an athlete in a prize jump in the Olympics. Then once again he lifted up his great arms and pulled. This time, grating heavily as they moved, the doors swung open. Darkness yawned in front of them, and they felt the chill of the tomb air, as for the first time in centuries it seemed to move out towards them from the imprisoning doors.

  Everyone took a step back from the evil darkness. Even the Doctor allowed fear to show on his face, but, as always, for a very different reason from everyone else.

  'I would be very careful in there, if I were you,' he said. 'Doors that a human can open?' he added to himself thoughtfully.

  'Why weren't you killed?' asked Haydon suddenly.

  'Yes,' came Klieg's threatening voice. 'What do you know about this place?'

  The Doctor relaxed again into his usual casual pose. 'Very little.'

  'What killed the crewman?' asked Viner.

  'A very high amperage shock,' said the Doctor.

  'Yes, obviously, but where did it come from?'

  'Perfectly straightforward,' replied the Doctor. 'There must be a very large electrical capacitance around here, associated with a large and very good conductor.'

  He examined the ground by the doors as he spoke, kicking the sand away.

  'In fact, I think it must be... Yes!'

  He looked round as if searching for something, glanced at Toberman's great leather belt and picked from it a small sharp trowel-shaped instrument.

  'If I may?'. he asked the giant, smiling up at him. Toberman grunted and nodded.

  The Doctor crouched down and with the trowel scratched at the dust by the doors. Gradually he worked his way through the loose dust on top and the trowel scraped against something harder. Something brighter—underneath the shine of metal. He stopped scraping, raised the handle of the trowel and thumped the ground with it. A dull clanging rang though the thin air.

  'It's not earth at all... It's metal!' said Victoria in wonder.

  Haydon, the junior archaeologist, crouched down to examine it, felt it with his fingers and nodded.

  'Exactly,' said the Doctor. 'Metal. There is metal sheeting under the top surface of this planet—and metal is the perfect conductor of electricity.'

  'Allow me,' came from the Professor. He too knelt down, took the trowel and tapped the hard ground. Again it clanged, disturbingly—like a large empty boiler.

  'Of course. Of course,' muttered the Professor. 'There must be underground workings under here.'

  'But if there is electricity?' asked Victoria.

  'That other poor fellow drained it all out through his body,' replied the Doctor quietly. 'It is now perfectly safe to enter. As far as the electricity is concerned, that is,' he added.

  'Come on,' said Klieg's voice. 'We're wasting time.' He started for the entrance. Then, he felt a hand on his arm, a gentle hand. Kaftan indicated to the Professor with her head. The Professor was standing trowel in hand, erect, ready to be furious.

  'But, of course,' said Klieg with ill grace. 'After you, Professor.'

  Before them was the dark space between the great doors. Parry took out a large pocket torch and stepped across the threshold, half-expecting to be electrocuted, not sure whether to believe the Doc
tor.

  Viner, nervously polishing his glasses as though every step was to be his last, followed him inside and then Haydon, Kaftan, Toberman and Klieg.

  'But we'd still better be careful,' said the Doctor as he watched their figures being swallowed up by the dimness, 'very careful.'

  Victoria and Jamie stood beside him, watching.

  'Come on. Let's join them,' said the Doctor, and he and Jamie stepped forward. But Victoria, frightened—more by instinct than by knowledge, because she alone knew little about the Cybermen—hung back.

  'Come on, Victoria,' said the Doctor. But she didn't move.

  He walked up to her and smiled gently. 'You know, really you look very nice in that dress,' he said as if it had just popped into his head.

  'Oh!' said Victoria, startled out of her fear. 'Thank you, Doctor.' She looked down at her skirt. 'It still seems a bit, er—'

  'Short?' joked the Doctor to make her less embarrassed. 'Well, don't worry about that—look at that great Jamie there!'

  'What's that?' Jamie, waiting to go in the fearful entrance, couldn't understand what the Doctor meant. Then he looked down at the kilt that left his thick knobbly knees in full view. 'If you're saying anything against the kilt...' he began indignantly, then saw the twinkle in the Doctor's eye.

  'Oh. Aye, well, it's a wee bit short for young Alice there,' said Jamie.

  'Not at all.' Victoria forgot her fears and turned on him. 'Just because you come from the wilds...'

  'When you've both finished,' said the Doctor casually. 'Let's go and see what they're up to in there.'

  4

  Cyberman Control Room

  The light of the Doctor's torch showed a dark passage leading directly into the crater wall. Once inside the cold dark of the tomb seemed to cling to them as if the place could never be warm or know sunlight.

  Cautiously they walked along the entrance passage, their footsteps muffled in fine ancient dust that had sifted through the minute crack of the entrance doors.

  'Look! It's opening out,' whispered Jamie, and Victoria was glad he had taken her arm. Their eyes were becoming used to the gloom now, and in the light from their space-torches they could see the roof lift and the walls widen until they were in a vast chamber, gleaming as if the rock it was cut from was a kind of metal.