Chereads / Red Like Roses / Chapter 29 - The Age of Steel

Chapter 29 - The Age of Steel

Outside the Tyler's house…

The Doctor points the recharging Tardis power cell at the Cybermen, who get bent backwards then atomised by the golden energy.

"What the hell was that?" Ricky asked.

"We'll have that instead. Run!" The Doctor said, angrily.

Mrs Moore sounds the van's horn, "Everybody, in!"

"I've got to go back. My wife's in there." Pete said.

"Anyone inside that house, except Nora, is dead. If you want to help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've got to come with us right now." The Doctor said, looking at Pete.

"Come on! Get a move on!" Moore said, angrily.

"They are sure taking a while." Jared said, sitting in the van with Ren and Nora.

"Is Rose really trying to save Jackie?" Ren asked, looking at Rose.

"She definitely is!" Nora said, happily.

"Finished chatting? Never seen a slower getaway in my life!" Moore said, annoyed.

They drive off. More legions of Cybermen are on the move.

Inside, Jackie peers round of the cellar door to see Cybermen nearby.

Van…

"What was that thing?" Ricky asked.

"So, we're teaming up with Mystery Incorporated." Ren said, sitting next to Jared and Nora. "They have the Mystery Machine too."

"Mystery Incorporated." Nora said, smiling. "Is that what they're like?"

"More like Torchwood." Jared said, happily. "That's what."

"You keep mentioning Torchwood. What is that?"

"Oh, you'll find out someday, Nora."

"Okay."

"Oh, you know, just laid a trap that's wiped out the Government and left Lumic in charge." Jake said.

"If I was part of all that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?" Pete asked.

"Maybe your plan went wrong. Still gives us the right to execute you, though." Ricky said, angrily.

"Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy. And take some really good advice. You don't want to do that." The Doctor said.

"All the same, we have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for Lumic since twenty point five."

"Is that true?" Rose asked.

"Tell them, Mrs M."

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information. Lumic's private files, his South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week." Moore said.

"You got another broadcast from Gemini." Jared said, happily.

"And how do you know that?"

"I just do, I'm a fan of things." Jared said, looking over at Pete. "And Pete here is Gemini."

"Yeah, well you would say that." Ricky said, scoffing.

"Encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine. That's the only reason I was working for Lumic. To get information. I thought I was broadcasting to the Security Services. What do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang. They've even got the van." Pete said, angrily.

"No, no, no. But the Preachers know what they're doing. Ricky said he's London's Most Wanted." Mickey said.

"Mickey, that's not true. It's not exactly the whole truth." Jared said, laughing a lot.

"Not exactly what?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah, Ricky's London's Most Wanted for parking tickets!" Nora said, happily.

"Great." Pete said.

"Yeah, they were deliberate. I was fighting the system. Park anywhere, that's me." Ricky said.

"Good policy. I do much the same. I'm the Doctor, by the way, if anyone's interested." The Doctor said, excitedly.

"I'm Jared." Jared said, sitting in between Ren and Nora. "That's Ren, Nora, and this amazing blonde is Rose."

"Even better. That's the name of my dog. Still, at least I've got the catering staff, and some celebrities on my side." Pete said.

"I knew you weren't a traitor." Rose said.

"Why is that, then?"

"I just did."

"They have Jackie, and there's a chance she might still be alive.�� Jared said, happily. "Don't lose hope, Pete."

"That's even worse. Because that's what Lumic does. He takes the living and he turns them into those machines." Pete said.

"Cybermen. They're called Cybermen. And I'd take those ear pods off, if I were you. You never know. Lumic could be listening." The Doctor said, zapping the ear pods with his sonic screwdriver. "But he's overreached himself. He's still just a businessman. He's assassinated the President. All we need to do is get to the city and inform the authorities. Because I promise you, this ends tonight."

"So, he's like Steve Jobs." Ren said, looking over at Jared.

"Definitely like Steve Jobs." Jared said, smiling. "But on a worse scale. Apple Air Pods, losing the headphone jack. Wireless headphones. Not so different from this world."

"It really isn't. What's the plan then?"

"We stop the Cybermen. We have Nora knock them out."

"Ooo, me taking out those Cybermen." Nora said, excitedly. "How do I take them out?"

"Removing their emotional inhibitors. Those cancel out their emotions. Emotions hurt the Cybermen."

"Just like that? I take out the Cybermen."

"You take out the Cybermen."

"That plan can't get worse." Ren said, crossing his arms. "Despite Nora taking the front lines."

"Front lines. Kirito does that with Asuna all the time."

"When they were stuck in Sword Art Online for two years."

"True. We'll defeat the Cybermen easily, though."

"Yui, give us a status update." Ren said, with Yui sitting on Jared's shoulder. "What's going on around the city?"

"I'm getting something." Yui said, loading up a small holographic video through the augmated headsets.

"All of London has been sealed off. There are reports of an army. An army of metal men. All citizens should remove their ear pods. I repeat, remove all ear pods. London has been placed under martial law. If you're hearing this, stay in your homes. I repeat, stay in your homes." A reporter said, on TV.

(Jared's POV)

Street…

"What the hell?" Jake asked.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, when the people are walking like zombies.

"It's the ear-pods. Lumic's taken control." The Doctor said, scoffing.

"Can't we just, I don't know, take them off?"

"No, don't!" Yui said, flying towards Rose. "This is on a more massive scale than what happened with the Ordinal Scale. Removing the ear-pods could damage their brains permanently. It might even kill them."

"Human race. For such an intelligent lot, you aren't half susceptible. Give anyone a chance to take control and you submit. Sometimes I think you like it. Easy life." The Doctor said, agreeing with Yui.

"I think you guys better see this." I said, looking around the corner to see more people, and a squad of Cybermen. "This is why I don't like Daleks or Cybermen."

"Where are they all going?" Rose asked.

"I don't know. Lumic must have a base of operations." The Doctor said.

"According to some of the files I can access through the encrypted wavelength six five seven using binary nine." Yui said, loading up some holographic images in front of the Doctor. "The base of Lumic is in Battersea."

"He was building prototypes of this world's Cybermen." I said, sadly. "I don't like upgrades sometimes."

"Why's he doing it?" Rose asked, looking between Yui and I.

"He's dying. This all started out as a way of prolonging life, of keeping the brain alive at any cost." Pete said.

"The thing is, We've seen Cybermen before, haven't we? The head. Those handle shapes in Van Statten's museum."

"Ah, there are Cybermen in our universe. They started on an ordinary world just like this, then swarmed across the galaxy. This lot are a parallel version, and they're starting from scratch right here on Earth." The Doctor said.

"Yup, a parallel Earth for Cybermen to take over." I said, with Yui sitting on my shoulder. "I really don't like this."

"And we need to get out of the city somehow." Ren said, agreeing with me.

"We should split up and look for clues." I said, smiling. "Mrs Moore, Nora, you protect Pete at all cost. With the Doctor and Rose."

"You got it!" Nora said, holding her Magnhild.

"Jake, Ren, distract the Cybermen however you can."

"Yeah, distract the Cybermen. Perfect plan." Ren said, sarcastically. "Really perfect."

"Ricky, we'll go left." I said, looking at Ricky. "Jake and Ren, you'll go right. And Yui, is there anywhere we can meet up?"

"I think so, yes." Yui said, after closing her eyes for a moment. "You guys can meet back together at Bridge Street."

"Split up? Split up?! We should never split up." Ren said, annoyed. "Danger always happens if we split up. It's faster, but it's not always safer."

"Move." Ricky said, and I ran off with him.

"I'm going with them." Mickey said, kissing Rose and he followed Ricky and I.

"Come on, let's go." Moore said, when more Cybermen patrols.

"There!" The Doctor said, running down a side street with Rose, Nora, Mrs Moore, and Pete.

(Open POV)

Industrial unit…

"The Cybermen didn't see us." Jared said, with Yui sitting on his shoulder. "Did they follow us?"

"I don't think so." Yui said, smiling.

"Do they know where we are?" Mickey asked.

"Guys, listen, they saw us." Jared said, with Yui nodding her head. "They saw us in the dark. They got satellites, which means…"

"They know where we are." Mickey and Ricky said, at the same time.

"Mommy and daddy will be with us after this." Yui said, happily. "To 1950s England."

"Yeah, the villain for that adventure is a virus." Jared said, excitedly. "I hope Asuna isn't the damsel in distress."

"Oh yeah, ten times. Still, your friends aren't bad. I'll give you that." Ricky said.

"Oh, that's the Doctor, Rose, and Jared. I just tag along behind." Mickey said.

"Well, then, you're not that bad."

"Do you think?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

Clomp, clomp.

"Cybermen." Mickey said, his eyes widening.

"Split up!" Mickey, Ricky, and Jared said at the same time.

Alley…

A group of Cybermen march down an alley near where Mrs Moore, Pete, Rose, Nora, and the Doctor are hiding behind rubbish bins. Rose grabs Pete's hand, and Nora grabs Rose's hand. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to transmit a signal, and the Cybermen march on.

"Go." The Doctor said.

Outside Battersea Power Station…

Jackie is amongst the stream of zombies.

"Chamber twelve now closed for sterilisation. All reject stock will be incinerated." A Cyberman said.

Industrial unit…

Ricky, Mickey, and Jared end up on opposite sides of a tall chain-link fence. Jared is on Mickey's side of the fence. The Cybermen are behind Ricky.

"Shit." Jared said, holding the Monado in his right hand and the Aegis sword in his left hand. "Come on, Ricky!"

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" Mickey said, as Ricky starts to climb the fence.

"Crap." Jared said, when a Cyberman grabs Ricky's ankle and electrocutes him. "Ricky!"

"No!"

"Not here, and not now."

Mickey, Jared, and the Cybermen stare at each other in silence, then Mickey and Jared run.

Alley…

"I can't believe you didn't save him." Mickey said, running next to Jared. "You should have."

"It might be a fixed point in time." Jared said, placing the Aegis sword behind his back. "I couldn't."

"Time can be rewritten. Like you always said."

"Not always."

"Says who."

"Says me."

"I don't think you two should be fighting." Yui said, sitting on Jared's shoulder. "When you're running from Cybermen."

Alley…

"How do you think they're doing?" Ren asked, talking to Nora with his Scroll in his hand.

"They're fine." Nora said, smiling. "Jared can handle himself. Don't know about Mickey though."

"Mickey is good with technology. And he gets scared at times."

"Not as scared as Jaune. Cardin?"

"Right, he was scared of him."

"Until we helped him."

(Jared's POV)

Street…

"Ren and I ran past the river. You should have seen it. The whole city's on the march. Hundreds of Cybermen all down the Thames." Jake said, when Mickey and I ran up to him. "Here he is! Which one are you?"

"Something's wrong." Ren said, looking at me. "What happened?"

"Ricky died." I said, frowning.

"We're sorry. The Cybermen. He couldn't." Mickey said, sadly.

"Are you Ricky? Are you Ricky?" Jake asked.

"Mickey, that's you, isn't it?" Rose asked.

"We lost Mickey." Yui said, when Rose hugs Mickey. "You wish you could have saved him."

"Yeah, I do." I said, looking down at Yui. "Time can be rewritten sometimes. But not today."

"Why not today?" Ren asked.

"Because Jared likes to save people, if he can." Nora said, excitedly. "That's why."

"We can mourn him when London is safe. But now, we move on." The Doctor said.

Waste ground…

Opposite Battersea Power Station.

"The whole of London's been sealed off, and the entire population's been taken inside that place. To be converted." The Doctor said.

"We've got to get in there and shut it down." Rose said.

"How do we do that?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, I'll think of something." The Doctor said.

"You're just making this up as you go along."

"Yep. But I do it brilliantly."

"We're up against the Cybermen." I said, looking between Ren and Nora. "There's a chance we won't get out of here alive."

"I know, but we're doing this to save all the lives these Cybermen have killed." Ren said, nodding his head. "Nora, just come back safe."

"I will." Nora said, smiling. "Yui, whatcha got?"

"Just old schematics." Yui said, displaying a holographic schematic of the factory in front me, Ren, and Nora. "Over here!"

"Wow, for a pixie, you sure are tech savvy." Moore said, joining us, with her Cybus Industries laptop in her hand "That's a schematic of the old factory."

"Look over there." Yui said, flying towards a part of the schematic of the old factory. "There are cooling tunnels underneath the plant. I think you guys can walk through them. They seem big enough to do so."

"We go under there and up into the control centre?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah, I don't see any other route."

"I think there's another way in." Ren said, looking at the holographic map. "We could walk through the front door."

"If they've taken Jackie for upgrading, that's how she'll get in." Pete said.

"We can't just go strolling up." Jake said, angrily.

"Or we could, with these. Fake ear pods. Dead. No signal. But put them on, the Cybermen would mistake you for one of the crowd." Moore said, taking out ear pods.

"Then that's my job." Pete said.

"You'd have to show no emotion. None at all. Any sign of emotion would give you away." The Doctor said.

"How many of those you got?" Rose asked.

"Just three sets." Moore said.

"Three sets." Ren said, grabbing a pair of ear pods. "I'm coming with you."

"Okay. If that's the best way of finding Jackie, then I'm coming with you too." Rose said, agreeing with Ren.

"Why does she matter to you?" Pete asked.

"We haven't got time. Doctor, Ren and I are going with him, and that's that."

"No stopping you, is there?" The Doctor asked.

"No."

"Doctor, I'll look after her, like I do with Nora." Ren said, grabbing Rose's hand.

"Thanks." The Doctor said, smiling. "Tell you what. We can take the ear pods at the same time. Give people their minds back so they don't walk into that place like sheep. Jakey-boy? Lumic's transmitting the control signal. It must be from over there."

The Doctor waves his sonic screwdriver in the direction of the power station. The Zeppelin is parked on top, with a circle of red lights blinking on its bow, or stern.

"That's the transmitter up there." Yui said, flying towards the Zeppelin. "It's big! Really big! Lumic likes showing off like daddy and Jared."

"And Ruby too." I said, with Yui flying down towards me. "Ricky, want to take down the transmitter with me?"

"I will do it with you, Jared. And consider it done." Jake said.

"Good." I said, holding the Monado in my right hand.

"Mrs Moore, Nora, would you care to accompany me into the cooling tunnels?" The Doctor asked.

"How could I refuse an offer of cooling tunnels?" Moore asked.

"Us going through a tunnel like that, it might be gross. But I'll take it." Nora said, holding her Magnhild. "So, what's the plan?"

"We attack on three sides. Above, between, below. We get to the control centre, we stop the conversion machines." The Doctor said, coming up with a plan.

"What about me?" Mickey asked.

"Mickey. You can er…"

"What, stay out of trouble? Be the tin dog? No, those days are over. I'm going with Jake and Jared."

"I don't need you, idiot. I've got Jared and Yui." Jake said, angrily.

"I'm not an idiot! You got that? I'm offering to help." Mickey said.

"Whatever."

"Mickey is helping us!" Yui said, flying towards me. "How will we do this?"

"It's easy." I said, with Yui sitting back on my shoulder. "Really easy."

"Really?"

"If we survive this, I'll see you and Jared back at the Tardis." The Doctor said.

"That's a promise." Mickey said, walking away with me.

The Doctor is hugging Rose, "Good luck."

"Don't keep me waiting." Ren said, hugging Nora.

"I won't!" Nora said, smiling.

(Open POV)

Cooling tunnels…

"Man, it's freezing in here!" Nora said, walking behind the Doctor and Mrs Moore.

"Any sign of a light switch?" The Doctor asked.

"Can't see a thing. But I've got these. A device for every occasion." Moore said.

"Ooo!" Nora said, smiling. "Something that will brighten up the tunnels."

"Put it on." Moore said, looking down at a torch on a headband.

"Haven't got a hotdog in there, have you? I'm starving." The Doctor said, annoyed.

"Of all the things to wish for. That's mechanically recovered meat."

"I know. It's the Cyberman of food, but it's tasty."

"A proper torch as well."

"Let's see where we are." The Doctor said, when there are Cybermen ranged along both sides of the tunnel. "Already converted, just put on ice. Come on." He taps on one Cyberman's face. No reaction. "Let's go slowly. Keep an eye out for trip systems."

Outside Battersea Power Station…

More people are being escorted in.

"Chamber six now open for human upgrading. Chamber seven now open for human upgrading." A Cyberman said, while Pete, Rose, and Ren keep out of sight. "Chamber eight now open for human upgrading."

"Rose, put the ear pods on." Ren said, walking behind Rose and Pete. "You can't show any emotions. None at all."

"Okay?" Pete asked, agreeing with Ren.

"Don't worry. We can do it." Rose said.

"Chamber seven now open for human upgrading." The Cyberman said.

They put the ear pods on.

"We could die in here. Why are you doing this?" Pete asked, looking at Rose.

"Let's just say I'm doing it for my mum and dad." Rose said.

"And I have to make sure you two are safe. I'm the only one out of us with weapons." Ren said, looking down at StormFlower. "We need to go."

"Chamber eight now open for human upgrading." The Cyberman said as Pete, Rose, and Ren join the procession holding hands. "Chamber nine now open for human upgrading. Chamber ten now open for human upgrading. Chamber eleven now open for human upgrading."

Power station roof...

Jake is first up the ladder to the roof, "Two guards. We can take them."

"You don't need to kill them." Jared said, holding the Monado in his hand.

"Who put you in charge?" Jake asked.

"Because we know better than to use brute force." Jared said, with the Aegis sword in his other hand. "If you kill them, what's the difference between you and the Cybermen?"

"Well, I suppose we could use these."

"Smelling salts?" Mickey asked.

"Bit stronger than that. One of Mrs Moore's little tricks. Should knock them out. Three, two, one." Jake said, and the three run out from their cover and behind the two human guards.

Jake and Mickey put the little bottles under their noses and the men collapse from the vapour.

"There's got to be more guards on board." Mickey said.

"Then let's go get them." Jake said.

Cooling tunnel…

"So, how did you do this? Getting involved with the Preachers." Nora said, eating some pancakes. "It can't be just a one-off thing."

"Oh, I used to be ordinary. Worked at Cybus Industries, nine to five, till one day, I find something I'm not supposed to. A file on the mainframe. All I did was read it. Then suddenly I've got men with guns knocking in the middle of the night. Life on the run. Then I found the Preachers. They needed a techie, so I, I just sat down and taught myself everything." Moore said.

"What about Mr Moore?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, he's not called Moore. I got that from a book, Mrs Moore. It's safer not to use real names. But he thinks I'm dead. It was the only way to keep him safe. Him and the kids. What about the both of you? Got any family, or?" Moore asked.

"Oh, who needs family? I've got the whole world on my shoulders."

"Me, I have Ren." Nora said, smiling. "We look out for each other, he looks out for me. Mostly. Well, tell us your real name. You want to tell us, you know you want to."

"Angela Price. Don't tell a soul." Moore said.

"Not a word." The Doctor said, when a Cyberman activated behind them.

"Crap." Nora said, when the Cyberman sends an alarm signal. "I have a feeling we set off an alarm."

"We might have." Moore said, agreeing with Nora. "Doctor, Nora, did that one just move?"

"It's just the torchlight. Keep going, come on." The Doctor said, when a Cyberman moves near them. "They're waking up. Run!"

They run along the row, who fall in behind them and start clomping along. They get to a ladder at the end of the tunnel.

"Get up! Quick! They're coming! Open it! Open it!" Moore said, while the Doctor opens the trapdoor. "Get up! Quick! Quick!"

"Come on! Come on!" The Doctor said, as he, Moore, and Nora beat up the Cyberman up the ladder, with the ginger shooting out bullets through her Magnhild.

"How about this?" Nora asked, when the trio closed the trapdoor again.

The Doctor seals it with the screwdriver, "Oh, good team, Mrs Moore, Nora."

Battersea Power Station…

"Units upgraded now six thousand five hundred. Repeat. Six thousand five hundred and rising." A Cyberman said.

A Cyberman stops the procession at Rose. Pete and Nora are right behind her.

"You will wait." The Cyberman said, before it moves away.

"You okay?" Pete asked.

"No." Rose said.

"Chamber six now open for human upgrading. All reject stock will be incinerated." A Cyberman said, when a woman walks into a chamber.

"I have a feeling that something bad happened." Ren said, looking over at a machine where multiple blades whir into action, then a Cyber head is lowered.

Complete Cybermen walk out of chambers and clomp away.

"Any sign of Jackie?" Pete asked.

A Cyberman clomps up to them.

"You are Peter Tyler. Confirm you are Peter Tyler." A Cyberman said.

"Confirmed." Pete said.

"I recognise you. I went first. My name was Jacqueline Tyler."

"No!" Rose said, terrified.

"What?" Ren asked, with Yui appearing in front of him. "How is that Cyberman Jackie?"

"They are unprogrammed. Restrain." The Cyberman said.

"You're lying. You're not her. You're not my Jackie!" Pete said, angrily.

"No, I am Cyber-form. Once I was Jacqueline Tyler."

"But you can't be. Not her." Rose said, sadly.

"Her brain is inside this body."

"Jacs, I came to save you." Pete said.

"This man worked with Cybus Industries to create our species. He will be rewarded by force. Take them to Cyber Control." The Cyberman said.

Pete, Rose, and Ren are escorted away.

"They killed her. They just took her and killed her." Rose said.

"Cybermen are like robots." Ren said, looking over at Rose. "We could reverse it. I don't know. Jared never fully explained how to fix it."

"There's nothing we can do."

"But if, if she remembers. Where is she? Which one was it? Which one was her?" Pete asked.

"They all look the same." Rose said, frowning.

Lumic's Zeppelin…

Jake, Mickey, and Jared dump a guard on the floor.

"Nice one." Jake said, happily.

"No one's here." Yui said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Except us. The Doctor said to find the transmitter controls."

"What do they look like?" Mickey asked.

"I don't know. I'm still studying the layout of this ship."

"They might have Transmitter Controls written in big red letters. Just look!" Jake said, angrily.

"Ooo, a steering wheel." Jared said, when the Zeppelin has a nice big ship's wheel for steering.

"Jared!" Yui said, as Jared took out the Monado when she spot something in an alcove. "Cyberman!"

"Yui, it's dead." Jared said, walking up to it with the Monado, and he turns on the alcove light. "It was never alive."

Mickey knocks three times on its head, "It's empty. No brain. It's just a robot suit. It's for display."

"Okay. Transmitter." Jake said, nodding his head.

Corridor…

"You are not upgraded." A Cyberman said.

"Yeah? Well, upgrade this." Moore said, throwing a small rod with copper wire wrapped around it at the Cyberman.

"Wow!" Nora said, when the object sticks to the metal and the Cyberman jerks, then sparks and collapses. "What was that thing?"

"Electromagnetic bomb. Takes out computers, I figured it might stop the cyber-suit."

"You figured right. Now, let's have a look. Know your enemy. A logo on the front. Lumic's turned them into a brand. Heart of steel, but look." The Doctor said, removing the logo boss on the chest.

"That looks like something out of a human." Nora said, looking down at the inside that is not just electronics. "Human flesh. Why?!"

"Hmmm. Central nervous system. Artificially grown then threaded throughout the suit so it responds like a living thing. Well, it is a living thing. Oh, but look. Emotional inhibitor. Stops them feeling anything."

"But why?" Moore asked.

"It's still got a human brain. Imagine its reaction if it could see itself, realise itself inside this thing. They'd go insane." The Doctor said.

"So they cut out the one thing that makes them human." Nora said, sadly. "Why would they do such a thing?"

"Because they have to."

"Why am I cold?" The Cyberman asked.

"Oh, my God. It's alive. It can feel." Moore said, shocked.

"We broke the inhibitor. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The Doctor said, sadly.

"Why so cold?"

"Can you remember your name?"

"Sally. Sally Phelan."

"You're a woman." Moore said.

"Where's Gareth?" The Cyberman asked.

"Who's Gareth?"

"He can't see me. It's unlucky the night before."

"The night before your wedding day." Nora said, smiling. "Congrats!"

"I'm cold. I'm so cold."

"It's all right. You sleep now, Sally. Just go to sleep." The Doctor said, putting the sonic screwdriver inside the chest cavity and switches her off. "Sally Phelan didn't die for nothing, because that's the key. The emotional inhibitor. If we could find the code behind it, the cancellation code, then feed it throughout the system into every Cyberman's head, they'd realise what they are."

"And what happens then?" Moore asked.

"I think it would kill them. Could we do that?"

"We've got to. Before they kill everyone else. There's no choice, Doctor. It's got to be done." Moore said, standing up.

A Cyberman grabs Mrs Moore's shoulder and electrocutes her.

"No! No, you didn't have to kill her!" The Doctor said, angrily.

"Sensors detect a binary vascular system. You are an unknown upgrade. You will be taken for analysis." The Cyberman said.

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"The transmitter controls are sealed behind here, we need like an oxyacetylene or something." Mickey said.

"Oh, and I forgot to bring it with me." Jake said.

"Well then, what do we do?"

"We do something reckless!" Jared said, happily. "We'll crash the Zeppelin."

"With us inside it?"

"We can set it to auto-pilot." Jared said, walking around the room. "And we can run away. Does that work, Yui?"

"I think so." Yui said, as they go to the steering controls keyboard. "The controls are locked. There might be an override switch."

"Let me have a go. I'm good with computers. Trust me." Mickey said, typing away on the keyboard.

"We're being tracked." Yui said, flying down towards the red light on the back of the keyboard blinking. "By the keyboard movements."

"I know." Jared said, when the Cyberman in the alcove turns.

Control room…

"We've been captured, but don't worry, Rose, Pete, and Ren are still out there. They can rescue us." The Doctor said, smiling.

"Doctor, they've been captured as well." Nora said, running towards Ren for a hug. "Ren!"

"Where's Mrs Moore?" Ren asked.

"She's dead, one of those Cybermen killed her. How about Jackie?"

"We were too late. Lumic killed her." Pete said, sadly.

"Then where is he, the famous Mister Lumic? Don't we get the chance to meet our Lord and Master?" The Doctor asked.

"He has been upgraded." A Cyberman said.

"So he's just like you?"

"He is superior. The Lumic Unit has been designated Cyber Controller."

"That can't be Lumic." Ren said, when a door opens and a Cyberman is wheeled out in an upgraded wheelchair. "That's a Cyberman."

"This is The Age of Steel and I am its Creator." Lumic said.

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"Almost there." Mickey said.

"Not bad work." Jake said, when the Cyberman flexes its hand. "It's moving! You said it was dead!"

"Dead as in its sleep mode." Jared said, taking out the Aegis sword and began charging towards the Cyberman with his two swords. "Hey, Iron Man! Over here!" He jumped over the Cyberman and slashed it with the Monado and the Aegis sword to bring it to the panel labeled Transmitter Controls and beckons to it. "You can't catch me."

"What are you doing?" Yui asked, when Jared ducked and the Cyberman smashes its fist into the panel and electrocutes itself. "You took it out like how daddy takes down a boss!"

"So, what's going down outside?" Jared asked, and Yui brought a hologram projector in front of him, through his Augma.

Battersea Power Station…

The ear pods stop flashing. The unconverted people wake up.

"Oh no!" A woman said, terrified.

Screams and panic.

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"The transmitter's down!" Mickey said, excitedly.

The people push their way past the Cybermen and get outside.

Control room...

"That's my friends at work. Good boys! Mister Lumic, I think that's a vote for free will." The Doctor said.

"I have factories waiting on seven continents. If the ear pods have failed, then the Cybermen will take humanity by force. London has fallen. So shall the world." Lumic said.

(Jared's POV)

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"Hold on, I've logged on to Cyber Control." Mickey said, and a monitor shows the scene. "They're alive! The Doctor and Rose, there they are!"

"And Ren and Nora are still alive!" I said, smiling. "Like I knew they would be!"

"Never mind them, what the hell is that thing?" Jake asked.

"Shush. Has this thing got sound?" Mickey asked.

"I will bring peace to the world. Everlasting peace…" Lumic said, on the monitor.

Control room…

"And unity and uniformity." Lumic said.

"And imagination? What about that? The one thing that lead you here, imagination, you're killing it dead!" The Doctor said, angrily.

"What is your name?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"A redundant title. Doctors need not exist. Cybermen never sicken."

"Yeah, but that's it. That's exactly the point! Oh, Lumic, you're a clever man. I'd call you a genius, except I'm in the room. But everything you've invented, you did to fight your sickness. And that's brilliant. That is so human. But once you get rid of sickness and mortality, then what's there to strive for, eh? The Cybermen won't advance. You'll just stop. You'll stay like this forever. A metal Earth with metal men and metal thoughts, lacking the one thing that makes this planet so alive. People. Ordinary, stupid, brilliant people."

"You are proud of your emotions."

"Oh, yes."

"Then tell me, Doctor. Have you known grief, and rage, and pain?"

"Yes. Yes I have. And so has Kirito, and so will Jared and Ruby."

"And they hurt?"

"Oh, yes."

"I could set you and your friends free. Would you not want that? A life without pain?"

"You might as well kill me."

"Then I take that option."

"It's not yours to take. You're a Cyber Controller. You don't control me or anything with blood in its heart."

"You have no means of stopping me. I have an army. A species of my own." Lumic said.

"You just don't get it, do you? An army's nothing. Because those ordinary people, they're the key. The most ordinary person could change the world." The Doctor said, speaking to the camera with the flashing red light.

Lumic's Zeppelin...

"Some ordinary man or woman, some idiot. All it takes is for him to find, say…" The Doctor said, on the monitor.

"That's your cue, Mickey Mouse." I said, happily. "Save the day."

Control room...

"The right numbers. Say the right codes. Say, for example, the code behind the emotional inhibitor. The code right in front of him." The Doctor said.

Lumic's Zeppelin...

"Because even an idiot knows how to use computers these days." The Doctor said, on the monitor.

Control room...

"Knows how to get past firewalls and passwords. Knows how to find something encrypted in the Lumic Family Database, under er. What was it, Pete? Binary what?" The Doctor asked.

"Binary nine." Pete said.

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"Binary Nine." Mickey said, typing away on the keyboard.

"An idiot could find that code. Cancellation code." The Doctor said, on the monitor.

Control room...

"And he'd keep on typing." The Doctor said.

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"Keep on fighting. Anything to save his friends." The Doctor said, on the monitor.

Control room…

"Your words are irrelevant." Lumic said.

"Yeah, talk too much, that's my problem. Lucky I got you that cheap tariff, Rose, for all our long chats." The Doctor said.

Lumic's Zeppelin...

6879760 on the monitor.

"On your phone." The Doctor said, on the monitor.

"The phone." Mickey said, looking down at his cell phone.

Control room…

"You will be deleted." Lumic said.

"Yes. Delete, control, hash. All those lovely buttons. Then, of course, my particular favourite, send. And let's not forget how you seduced all those ordinary people in the first place." The Doctor said, and Rose's phone beeps. The code has arrived as a text. "By making every bit of technology compatible with everything else."

"It's for you." Rose said, tossing her phone to the Doctor.

"Like this." The Doctor said, putting the phone into a docking station, which it miraculously fits.

"That's a lazy design choice." Nora said, when the code is transmitted and the Cybermen cry out in pain. "I wish we could help you!"

"Me too." Ren said, when the code appears on every computer screen. "What now?"

Lumic's Zeppelin...

"Yes!" Mickey and Jake said, happily.

"And our work here is done." I said, placing the Monado and the Aegis sword behind my back.

Control room...

Cybermen everywhere clutch their heads in pain. One near the Doctor catches sight of itself in a shiny piece of metal.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said, sadly.

Outside, a Cyberman's head explodes.

"What have you done?!" Lumic exclaimed.

"I gave them back their souls. They can see what you've done, Lumic, and it's killing them!" The Doctor said, running out of the room with Rose, Pete, Ren, and Nora.

"Delete! Delete! Delete!"

(Open POV)

Battersea Power Station…

Things start to explode. The emergency exit is blocked by writhing Cybermen. More explosions and fire breaks out.

"There's no way out!" The Doctor said, terrified.

"We're trapped." Ren said, agreeing with the Doctor. "How can we get out of here?"

Lumic's Zeppelin…

Jake spins the Zeppelin's wheel.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jared asked, running towards the wheel. "I'm not letting any of my friends die. I'm not letting that happen someday!"

"We've got to get away. If that factory blows up, this balloon's going to ignite." Jake said.

"Take it back!" Mickey said, his hands on top of Jared's.

"Mickey, Jared, they've had it!"

"We said, take it back! We're not leaving them behind. There's no way we're leaving them behind!"

"If you want me to take you out with the Monado." Jared said, taking out the Monado and placing it in front of Jake's neck. "Let go, now."

"Fine." Jake said, and Jared moved the sword away from his neck. "What do we do now?"

"We save them." Jared said, when the Zeppelin returns to the roof and Mickey gives Jake his phone to put by his ear.

"Hold it! Rose? Rose, can you hear me? Head for the roof!" Mickey said, steering the ship.

Battersea Power Station…

"It's Mickey. He says head for the roof." Rose said.

The Doctor, Rose, Pete, Ren, and Nora run up a metal staircase as fires break out behind them.

Lumic's Zeppelin...

"Crap, I just remembered that Lumic is coming." Jared said, looking over at Mickey and Jake.

Power Station roof...

Rose is on the phone, "Mickey, where'd you learn to fly that thing?"

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"Playstation. Just hold on, Rose. I'm coming to get you." Mickey said.

"You can't go any lower." Jake said.

"I've got to."

"You're going to crush them."

"Over here!" Yui said, standing on top of the 'In case of emergency pull lever'. "Pull it!"

"We're gonna save them!" Jared said, pulling the lever. "I'm not losing anyone, not even one."

A trapdoor opens up in ZEP148 and a rope ladder falls out.

Power station roof...

"You've got to be kidding." Pete said, shocked.

"Rose, get up." The Doctor said.

Lumic's Zeppelin…

"Hold on tight, we're going up! Welcome to Mickey Smith's Airline. Please enjoy your flight. Woo!" Mickey said, excitedly.

Rope ladder...

The Zeppelin rises into the air.

"We did it! We did it!" Rose said happily, and something heavy pulls at the ladder, nearly making them lose their grip.

"Does he ever give up?" Nora asked, looking down at Cyber Lumic.

The Doctor gets the screwdriver out, "Pete! Take this! Use it! Hold the button down! Press it against the rope. Just do it!"

"Jackie Tyler. This is for her!" Pete said, angrily.

"Mission accomplished." Ren said, when the rope finally gives way and Lumic falls. "We saved the day."

"Argh!" Lumic said, and he is engulfed in the exploding Power Station.

Lambeth Pier...

The Doctor puts the power cell back into the console, and the Tardis starts to light up.

"So, what happens inside that thing, then?" Pete asked.

"Do you want to see?" Rose asked.

"No, I don't think so. But you lot, you know, all that stuff you said about different worlds. Who are you?"

"It's like you say. Imagine there are different worlds, parallel worlds. Worlds with another Pete Tyler and Jackie Tyler's still alive, and their daughter."

"So, Mickey's staying." Ren said, while Jared is drinking some milk tea. "He's not coming back with us."

"Nope!" Jared said, happily. "He has some unfinished business. And he wants to be with his grandmother."

"Staying with the ones you love." Nora said, smiling. "I can respect that. Can I have a cup now?"

"Of coffee?" Jared asked, tossing Nora a thermos. "You deserved it."

"Thanks!" Nora said, drinking the cup of coffee. "What now?��

"We just wait and see what happens."

"What will happen?" Yui asked, sitting on Jared's shoulder. "Anything cool?"

"Nope." Jared said, when Pete walks away from the Doctor and Rose.

"Here it is. I found it. Not a crease." Mickey said, giving the Doctor his suit.

"My suit! Good man. Now then, Jake, we've got to run. But one more thing. Mrs Moore. Her real name was Angela Price. She's got a husband out there, and children. Find them. Tell them how she died saving the world." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, course I will." Jake said.

"Off we go, then."

"Er, thing is, I'm staying." Mickey said, sadly.

"You're doing what?"

"You can't." Rose said.

"It sort of balances out, because this world lost its Ricky, but there's me. And there's work to be done with all those Cybermen still out there." Mickey said.

"But you can't stay."

"Rose can't live without Mickey." Ren said, crossing his arms. "We know she can't."

"But she has to!" Nora said, holding her Magnhild. "If Mickey wants to stay!"

"Yeah, she does." Yui said, nodding her head. "We can't change his mind."

"What about me? What if I need you?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, but Rose, you don't. It's just you and him, isn't it. We had something a long time ago, but not anymore." Mickey said, looking back at the Doctor.

"Well, we'll come back. We can travel anywhere. Come and see you, yeah?"

"We can't. I told you, travel between parallel worlds is impossible. Only if you have a portal of some kind, or bracelets with dimension hopping technology. Even then, it's still impossible. We only got here by accident. We, we fell through a crack in time. When we leave, I've got to close it. We can't ever return." The Doctor said, frowning.

"Doctor." Mickey said.

The Doctor shakes Mickey's hand, "Take Rose's phone. It's got the code. Get it out there. Stop those factories. And good luck, Mickey the idiot."

"Watch it." Mickey said, annoyed.

The Doctor, Nora, and Ren goes back into the Tardis. Rose gives Mickey her phone.

"Thanks. We've had a laugh though, haven't we? Seen it all, been there and back. Who would have thought, me and you off the old estate, flying through the stars." Mickey said, happily.

"All those years just sitting there, imagining what we'd do one day. We never saw this, did we?" Rose asked.

"This is it then." Yui said, looking up at Jared. "We won't see Mickey again."

"Never say never." Jared said, entering the TARDIS with Rose, with the blonde crying.

"Jake, you want to watch this." Mickey said, when the TARDIS dematerialises.

"What the hell?" Jake asked.

"That's the Doctor in the Tardis with Rose Tyler. And they have a fan watching over them like a golden angel. With survivors from a death game and huntsmen and huntresses."

The Tyler's flat…

The Tardis materialises in the living room just as Jackie is filling the kettle, presumably to make a cup of tea.

"You're alive. Oh mum, you're alive." Rose said, letting out some tears of joy.

"Well, I was the last time I looked. What is it? What's happened, sweetheart? What's wrong? Where did you go?" Jackie asked.

"We went far away, Jackie." Jared said, leaning against the wall. "Further than we've ever gone before."

"Where's Mickey?"

"Mickey's home with the one he loves." Ren said, holding StormFlower. "Someone he hadn't seen in forever."

Van…

"I know it's not easy with my face looking exactly like Ricky, but I'm a different man. I'm not replacing him. But we can remember him by fighting in his name. With all those Cyber factories out there, do you think they'll be one in Paris?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah." Jake said.

"Then, let's go and liberate Paris."

"What, you and me, in a van?"

"There's nothing wrong with a van. I once saved the universe with a big yellow truck."