he Doctor began to turn away from the scene a laser bolt of energy hit the airlock door, 'Oh my giddy aunt!!' he declared ducking down for safety as another bolt struck. Then suddenly it stopped as the great heavy airlock door 'whooshed' open and the two Cybermen entered.

When he looked up from his hidden position behind one of the terminals, the Doctor could see that Layton's fate had been sealed: another bolt of energy hit the poor fellow square in the chest, the force of which knocked him backwards against the wall of the room and then finally to the metallic floor.

'Oh dear, there was no need for that!' shouted the Doctor, 'the fellow was of no threat to you!'

'He was not important,' said one of the Cybermen.

The other said, 'Where is the human known as the Doctor?'

'Tell us,' said the first, 'or die!' it rasped as they both levelled their weapons at the Doctor.

'What do you want with this...this, Doctor?' said the Doctor, nervously.

'He is know to us,' rasped one of the Cybermen. Every step it took towards the Doctor, the Doctor took another back, until his back was up against a wall of the control room.

'Oh? Am I...I mean, is he?'

The Cyberman stopped in front of him. The Doctor moved to his left and as he did so the Cyberman's right arm shot out, hitting the metallic surface of the wall blocking his way with a similar and instant action as the Doctor tried to move to his right.

Trapped, the Doctor said, 'What do you want him for?' he stuttered slowly sliding down the wall and ducking beneath the left arm of the inhuman figure before him. The creature turned and moved to grab the Doctor.

'Leave him.' stated the Cyber-controller. 'Doctor, you will help us, or die.' the controller rasped.

'But, I'm not the Doctor...I'm not the one you're looking for.'

'All humans aboard the vessel have been accounted for.' The creature moved towards the Doctor. 'They are either dead or in the process of transformation.'

'Transformation?' asked the Doctor.

'Yes. The Cyber-race must continue!' the Cyber-controller stated. 'Observe.'

The Doctor watched as the Cyber-controller moved towards one of the control panels set within the wall of the control room and as it operated the switches all of the various screens around the room flickered into life. The view they displayed were of silver, coffin-like shapes all lined in a row; life support systems from which the Cybermen had emerged from their long sleep, now contained the human forms of some of Gamma J's crew members.

'What is this?' shouted the Doctor, 'What have you done to those people?'

'They are to become like us.'

'But I thought, the Cybermen had killed all the human crew of this station?' asked the Doctor, anger, rage, building up in his voice.

The Cyber-controller moved to stand at the Doctor's side. 'A few of the humans were selected as good specimens for Cyber-conversion.'

'Specimens? These are human beings!'

'The best kind of bipeds to be converted!' stated the Cyber-controller. 'Now. Doctor. You will tell us the plans of Earth's forces.'

'Me?' whispered the Doctor, 'But I've only just arrived. I know nothing about Earth's plans.'

'You will tell us their plans or be you will become like us.'

'Why?'

'Our spies have informed us that the Earth fleet are mobilising in this sector to attack the Cyber-fleet and must dock here to refuel. They must be crushed before they can carry out their plan!'

The Doctor was suddenly caught off guard as the Cyber-controller grabbed the Doctor's arm forcing him to his knees. While another Cyberman moved over to his side and grabbed his free arm and together they lifted him off the ground and over to one of the consoles, dropping him into a chair that had remained upright when the Cybermen had entered the control room. He began to struggle, but one of the Cybermen held him in the seat as another forced him to wear a form of helmet that began to hum gently with power.

The energy through the helmet began to build up and the Doctor's face began to contort in agony as the energy grew even more. The Doctor struggled to say, 'What...what are you doing?'

'You will tell us the plans of the Earth's fleet or die, Doctor!'

'No...no...no! The pain!!' cried the Doctor.

'The interrogation machine will force the information from your mind and with Cyber-technology we will be destroy the Earth fleet and begin our conquest of the planet Earth. All humans will become like us! All humans will become Cybermen!'

The Doctor was squirming in the chair struggling with the interrogation machine. Then he stopped still. Opened one eye and looked around the control room at the Cybermen as they monitored the readings of their machines.

'The Doctor is resisting, Controller.' said one of the Cybermen.