Dwight had personally joined this attack on the enemy, knowing that it failed the base was likely to be overrun. By now the defenders had been reduced to the ragged survivors from the other defence lines. He fell as though the occasion called for him to say something, so with a dry voice chocked with fear and sorrow he said solemnly, ‘People of Minardi, you have fought well for your colony and for your freedom. We are almost all that lies between the attackers and the heart of the base. We must stop them.’ and that was all he was allowed to say as a shot from the Cybermen guns tore into the wall behind him.

The Doctor saw the Cybermen approaching the defence point, their numbers now small after so much resistance but the defenders only numbered about ninety. Things were going very badly.

Dwight gave the order to fall back as the defence shield exploded towards him, where stood about thirty Cybermen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

octor Bates stood in the infirmary treating some of the injured that had made it back. He heard gunfire from the corridors outside and knew that if that line fell he would be dead. He went about his business, patching up the worst of the wounded and attempting to stabilise them.

All of a sudden, the door burst open and a group of colonists rushed in. ‘Take cover! They're here!’ one of them shouted as he leapt behind a computer terminal which exploded in a shower of sparks as one of the metallic monsters calmly entered the room.

Bates ran into an adjourning room where Jane and her daughter Minardi sat, crying in their bed.

The Doctor saw the last defence wall fall and knew things were about to come to an end. The colony had been devastated and either group were about to fall. The Governor burst into the room with a group of colonists, as a Cyberman calmly pushed back the doors and entered the Doctor said, quite calmly: ‘I’ve failed.’

Bates heard gunfire in the next room. He heard screams of agony both human and mechanical. He turned to Jane who wept and said, ‘She never had a chance to live.’ Bates felt a fire pass through him as he was blasted onto the bed.

The Doctor saw a Cyberman fall and rushed forward and seized its gun. Only six colonists and six Cybermen left standing.

He fired.

Jane lay in her bed as the Cyberman turned towards her and raised its gun. She screamed as its head exploded from a shot from the other room.

A person was pushed through the wall, his spine twisting into an unnatural shape, a silver hand wrapped around its throat. The Cyberman pushed his way through the new doorway and brought its gun up to point at her.

The Doctor screamed in agony as the final Cyberman wrenched the gun from his hand almost snapping his wrist. He felt its steel grip close around his neck. If only he’d been a bit quicker at shooting, this last Cyberman would have been dead. He already knew all of the other colonists lay on the floor. He had to roll quickly to the side to avoid the falling Cyberman.

‘Professor, are you alright?’ he heard a very welcome voice say.

Before he could answer a spine chilling cry came from the infirmary. He got to his feet as quickly as he could snatching up the nearest weapon and staggered to the infirmary.

The Cyberman fired. Jane began to giggle hysterically as the weapon failed to discharge its bolt of death. The Cyberman walked over to the bed and brought its fist down on her head. A baby screamed.