The sleek silver ship slid silently through space. It was not a warship, just a transport. Still, no one who recognised the style and lines of the craft would dare attack it. There was an un-displayed menace about the ship. One knew that it was dangerous. One knew that it was a vessel of one of the largest and brutal empires in the known universe. One knew, if they recognised the style and lines of the ship, that it was inhabited by Cybermen.
In the cargo hold of this ship, there was a strange wheezing, groaning sound. A large blue box faded into existence, and out of it came three persons. As soon as he was out of the TARDIS, one of them, a Cyberman named Kroton, began to have a feeling of uneasiness.
"Do you know where we are, Doctor?" he asked, turning to the curly-haired, scarf-attired Timelord who was with him.
"Not in particular," said the Doctor. "But I rarely do. It rather adds to the excitement, I think."
"I'm not comfortable here," said Kroton. "Actually, I am comfortable here. I do not know why."
The third member of the party, Ace, looked around plaintively. "It looks boring to me."
***
"Leader."
The silver giant in command turned his body to look at the pilot who had spoken. "Yes?"
"Our sensors have detected movement in the port cargo bay. Intruders."
The Cyber Leader turned to his Lieutenant. "Take a party down to the cargo bay and bring the intruders to the detention chamber. I will meet you there."
The Cyber Lieutenant nodded. "Leader." He turned and left.
***
The Doctor examined the silver boxes that the TARDIS had landed next to. "I've seen these before. Kroton, come and look at this. Recognise it?"
Kroton gave the transport crates a cursory glance. "Yes."
"Where from?"
"I don't know. Like I've tried to forget." He removed his staff from his back and moved it to the box to pry it open.
The cargo bay door opened. Three Cybermen entered. Kroton immediately brought his staff from the position it was in and swung it at the Doctor and Ace, knocking them both to there knees.
"Lieutenant," said Kroton emotionlessly, "I have apprehended two prisoners. And," he gestured to the corner, "a TARDIS."
"Excellent," said the Cyber Lieutenant. "You will escort these prisoners to the detention chamber. The Cyber Leader will meet you there."
"Lieutenant," said Kroton. He turned to the Doctor and Ace. "You will follow me." He led the way out of the cargo bay, and the other two Cybermen followed behind the Doctor and Ace, with drawn weapons.
The Lieutenant activated his communicator. "Leader."
"Yes?" came the Cyber Leader's voice.
"One of the prisoners was the one who interfered with our plans on Voga. The Doctor."
"The Doctor? This is excellent news."
"His TARDIS is here in the cargo bay."
"I shall come to examine it before I question the prisoners. Stand guard over it."
"Leader."
***
Ace looked at Kroton's back with disgust as they marched down the corridor. The bloody Cyberman had betrayed them, after all this time. He was just looking for a way to turn them over to the glorious Cyber-empire. It just proved what she had thought all of her life: you can't even trust your friends. She suddenly thought of the Doctor beside her. Did she trust him?
She gave a subtle glance down at her side. Her satchel was still swinging there. It was mostly empty, though. A deck of cards, a CD player, and binder of Korn music seemed unlikely to help her now. She still had a crow bar, but she knew from experience that it would be no good as a weapon against the Cyberman. She wished that she had taken the time to mix another batch of Nitro 9.
They arrived at the detention chamber. Kroton opened a cell door. "Enter," he ordered. Ace entered reluctantly. The Doctor was following her in when Kroton grabbed his shoulder and shoved him in. He crashed into Ace, and they both fell down in a tumble of scarf and satchel. Kroton swung the door shut.
"You will wait here until the Cyber Leader questions you," he said. The three Cybermen turned and left.
Ace waited a few moments for them to leave, and then exploded. "What the hell did he think he was doing? Now we're prisoners of the Cybermen! He's freaking betrayed us!"
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, he does give that impression very well."
Ace blinked. "I'm sorry. Were you just thrown into a cell by the same Cyberman that I trusted, or did I miss something?"
"You missed something," said the Doctor. "'HELP.'"
"Excuse me?"
"'HELP.' When Kroton held my shoulder, he squeezed the word 'HELP' in Morse code. Consider what his options were. If he hadn't captured us like he did, then he'd be in the same kettle of fish that we're in."
***
The other two Cybermen had turned down some other corridor, returning to their regular duties, Kroton assumed. Kroton, on the other hand, headed to the Weapons Supply. He wanted to get off of this ship alive. More importantly, he wanted the Doctor and Ace to get off of this ship alive. To do that, he would probably have to kill some fellow Cybermen. To do that, he would need more than just a staff.
It didn't seem likely that the Doctor didn't get his message. It had needed to be simple, but clear. Ace he was worried about. She had once spent several hours trying to explain her childhood to him, and he knew that she would think that he had left her like everyone else she had ever known.
He arrived at the Weapons Supply, but the door was locked. Kroton examined the lock, and transmitted an override frequency. The door slid open. It was useful to be an Assassin Class Cyberman.
There were numerous sizes of guns set on all of the walls. Their function would vary from killing flesh organisms to breaking down walls. By their powerful nature, though, anyone of these guns could injure a Cyberman just as easily.
Kroton helped himself to a small blaster that fit inconspicuously on his left wrist and a standard energy rifle, which was slung over his shoulder. He was about to leave when he noticed a bin of Cybermats. He quickly helped himself to two of them and installed them back into his chest unit. He had felt slightly unprepared without them when he lost his previous two on the King Henry VIII.
The door had closed again, so Kroton sent his override frequency to the lock. The door slid open, and Kroton set off to find a good place to observe the detention chamber from.
***
The Cyber Leader entered the cargo bay. The TARDIS was standing in a corner, with the Cyber Lieutenant standing guard. When he saw the Leader approaching, he moved to meet him halfway across the bay.
"Leader. The Doctor's TARDIS is now in our possession."
"Have we anything to gain access to the TARDIS with?"
"No, Leader. The Timelord technology is too advanced for our tools."
"I will obtain the Doctor's key when I question him, then. You will summon a Cyberman to guard this bay and let no one other than you or I in. Once he has arrived, take command on the control bridge."
"Leader."
***
The Cyber Leader was halfway to the detention chamber when he detected the frequency change. It was very subtle, and no other Cyberman on board was equipped to detect it. The Leader assumed that it was merely a random occurrence that some stellar object broadcast this particular frequency. He continued toward the detention chamber when he felt it again. It was closer this time, and close enough for the Leader to realise what it was. He had felt the override frequency of an Assassin Class Cyberman.
The Leader paused to consider why an Assassin would be on his ship and when he had come on board. On any ordinary voyage, a Cyberman could enter from outside, in the vacuum of space, by just ripping a passage in. But this wasn't an ordinary voyage; the ship happened to be pressurised and neither the ship nor the Leader had registered a change in the atmosphere. The Assassin must have infiltrated and remained hidden, though hidden in some hold or hidden in plain sight as one of the crew, the Leader didn't know, and didn't really care. All that really mattered was that there was an Assassin on board for some reason the Cyber Command Base hadn't felt he should know.
Despite the fact that he was more concerned with whoever the Assassin was and what his mission on board was than with the Doctor and his TARDIS, the Leader started off to the detention chamber again. The Assassin wasn't here to kill the Doctor; the Leader knew enough about the Doctor to know that his voyages were random, and there was no way his arrival here could have been predicted.
If the average Cyberman could have emotions, the Cyber Leader might have begun to feel afraid.
***
"Gin," said the Doctor, and scooped up the pile of cards to deal another round. "This puts me ahead seven hundred and fifty-two to ninety-three. Still worried about Kroton?"
"A bit," said Ace. "Confused if nothing else. There are no Cybermen here. Why didn't he just double back and get us out of here?"
"And then fight through however many Cybermen are on this ship to get back to the TARDIS, which was under guard the last time I saw it? A bold and daring plan, I'm sure, but I'd like to live to one thousand, if you don't mind."
The deck, which he was shuffling, quickly disappeared into one of the pockets of his long coat. "Hey," said Ace reproachfully, "them were mine!"
The Doctor silently pointed behind her. There was a Cyberman behind her. The pipes on her head were black, signifying him as a Cyber Leader, if she remembered correctly.
"Doctor," said the Leader, "it has been many centuries since any of my kind reported seeing you."
"Really?" said the Doctor, surprised. "What year is it, Earth time?"
The Leader considered for a moment. "AD 4570."
"Remember that scouting party around the Grommect system, about forty years ago? Completely destroyed?"
The Leader nodded. "Yes. We never discovered who was responsible for it. Are you claiming responsibility?"
"Well, I like to keep the record straight," said the Doctor bashfully. "I'd tell you the whole story, but I'm busy getting ready to be interrogated."
"Your humour will do nothing to get you out of this situation," said the Leader. "This is not an interrogation. You will give me the key to your TARDIS."
"No," said the Doctor promptly.
"You will give me the key to your TARDIS," said the Leader, "or your companion will be destroyed." He turned, levelling his gun at Ace.
The Doctor didn't move.
"You have ten seconds, Doctor," said the Leader. "Then your companion will die because of your actions."
The Doctor reached into his pocket. He pulled out a chain. Dangling from the chain was the key. He began to extend his arm. The ceiling exploded. Falling from the gaping hole in the ceiling was another Cyberman. The Cyberman fired his weapon in mid-fall. The Leader let loose a loud, mechanical screech of agony. The Cyberman hit the floor. The Leader hit the floor.
The Cyberman turned around. "Sorry, Doctor. About the whole 'You are my prisoner' bit."
"Think nothing of it, Kroton," said the Doctor. "Exactly what I would have done in your place."
"Sorry, Ace," said Kroton, "about . . ."
"I know," said Ace.
"As sentimental as this is getting," said the Doctor, "I think we should make tracks for the TARDIS, before anyone realises who you really are."
"Better idea," said Kroton. He pointed his gun at them. "You are now my prisoners." He lowered his gun quickly. "Just kidding," he said apologetically, "but you get the idea."
The Doctor smiled as he raised his hands over his head.
***
"Oi! Cyberman," shouted McGregger. "When the hell can we get some grub in here? We're starving."
The guard being addressed turned slowly toward them. "You will be fed at your normal time. You will also remain silent or you will be killed."
"Ha!" called out Henders, standing next to McGregger. He gripped the bars of the door. "You can't afford to have us killed."
The Cyberman fired his weapon expertly and hit Henders in the arm. Henders yelled and grasped the injury. "Response to pain seems equally effective as threats of death," said the Cyberman, almost amused.
"You evil son of a-"
McGregger cut Henders off. "Hey, keep cool, kid. We're not done yet, but you being injured is almost as bad as you being dead."
***
"Chairs," said the Doctor suddenly, and lowered his hands.
"What?" asked Kroton.
"Why are there chairs on a Dalek ship?" said the Doctor.
"Don't know," said Ace. "Don't care. Can we leave now?"
"More importantly," said the Doctor, ignoring her, "why is there air on a Cybermen transport craft?"
The Doctor and Kroton stared steadily at each other. "Special cargo," said Kroton tentatively.
"Maybe," said the Doctor. A thought occurred to him. "A cargo of prisoners?"
Kroton nodded. "Let's find a computer."
***
"So what's this brand new idea?" asked Frohl.
"Simple," said McGregger. "The bars next to Henders were partially melted when the Cyberman fired. That was only an injury level blast. If we fired at the door with full power, we'd be out in no time. And the Cyber Guns kill Cybermen, too."
"Good plan," said Frohl. "Where do you intend to get a gun?"
"Well, McGregger had a plan to cover its eyes with food when it came in," said Henders.
"I had no such plan," said McGregger.
"Fortunately, I came up with a better plan," said Henders. "I'll die."
"What?!" said Frohl.
"I'll play dead. I've been shot, so it's feasible. When the Cyberman comes in for my body, we'll jump him. Everyone. Even Cyberman shouldn't be able to stand up against fifty humans."
"Fifty poorly fed and ill humans," said Frohl. "Still, it's the best plan we've got. We'll do it. This ends the twentieth Prisoner Of War / UNIT meeting."
***
CYBERMAN TRANSPORT SHIP
LEADER #A52
CARGO:
METAL SUPPLIES
FIFTH CYBERMAN PLATOON
CONSIGNMENT OF HUMANS FOR CYBER TRANSFORMATION
COBALT SUPPLIES
"Human," the Doctor said.
"For transformation," Ace added.
"Despite the fact that this happened to me," Kroton said, "I'm rather against the idea. Who's up for stopping it?"
"Exactly," said the Doctor, and he flashed a quick smile. "It'll be hard to do with all of these Cybermen around, and even with you here and armed, you're kin will realise that you're up to no good soon after you begin killing them, and we're hopelessly outnumbered by quite a few."
"By how many?" asked Ace.
"How should I know?" said the Doctor.
"There are seventy-five Cybermen on this ship," said Kroton, accessing the computer, "including the Leader I killed and plus me."
"You know, Cybermen will still survive very well without a Leader," said the Doctor. "Which doesn't mean that we can't give them a Leader..."
"What do you mean?" asked Kroton.
"Go back to the Leader, and get his head tubing. Swap them out. Then you'll be the Leader of this lot. Much easier to deal with."
"Seems plausible," said Kroton. "Alright. I'll get rid of the Cybermen. Meet you at the TARDIS after they're in custody."
"Then we'll get the prisoners out of custody," said Ace. "A perfect plan, providing I could have blown something up."
"Don't be so stereotypical," said the Doctor.
***
Breathe. Most of life is gone. Just breathe. Find the others. They will help you. Or avenge you. Destroy the rogue who has done this. Victorious. Control. Victorious. Destroy the enemy. Others will avenge you. Or help you. Most of life is gone.
Just breathe.
***
"Excuse me?"
"Silence. Your meal is coming shortly."
"It's not that. It's just - the one you shot earlier, well, he's dead now. And we'd rather not have his corpse in here with us."
The Cyberman approached the cell. "Where is he?"
"Back there," McGregger gestured. "Against the wall."
"Fetch him."
"Are you kidding? I don't want to. He'll get me diseased. And nauseous, to touch him."
The Cyberman opened the door. "You will not attempt to escape."
McGregger took in a breath as the Cyberman passed. "That was not part of the plan yet, mate," he muttered quietly.
Thirty prisoners leapt for the Cyberman, Henders included. "The gun!" he yelled.
Frohl knocked the gun out of the Cyberman's hand. "Someone catch that!"
The Cyberman threw off his assailants as McGregger dove for the gun. He caught it, rolled on the ground, turned, and fired at the Cyberman. Who was holding Henders in front of him. Henders screamed, and the Cyberman threw him at McGregger. He moved toward McGregger before one body hit the other, but Frohl was faster. He tackled the Cyberman, but the poorly fed captive was no match to the strength of the Cyberman. Frohl was flung out of the cell, and hit the far wall of the room with a sickening thud. McGregger tried to fire the gun again, but the Cyberman had turned and was upon him in moments. He lifted the gun from McGregger's hands.
"Two of you are now dead," he said. "You will not receive your next two meals as punishment for this insurrection. Do not attempt in again." He left the cell, and closed the door. "You may keep your dead as a lesson."
The Cyberman left the room. McGregger began to cry. So much for UNIT training.
***
Life approaches. What can it be? More death? Or death to cause? Is revenge coming? Or is revenge going? Or leaving? Is it time to kill? Or be killed? What is it?
Just breathe.
***
The door slid open. A shot rang out. The door slid shut.
"There's a Cyberman in there, Professor," said Ace.
"I had worked that one out," said the Doctor. He patted himself down, making an impromptu search of his belongings. "Wouldn't happen to have any gold, would you?"
"Nope."
"No gold, no explosives. This is not our day."
"Is it ever?"
"Don't get philosophical on me yet. We still need to get in."
"What about a Cyber Gun? That kills them."
"And where do you intend to get a Cyber Gun?"
Ace regarded him. "That's a problem then."
The Doctor slid to the floor to think. "Now, if I remember the ship's diagram that was on the computer, the engines are a long way away, but there should be quite a lot of raw power still running through these walls. If we could only find a connection to tap them from. Pity Cyber ships don't run off of radiation. Or gravity."
"But, Professor, there's artificial gravity here. Can we harness that?"
"No. The Cybermen make sure of that when they design the ships. No playing around with gravity, for their own sakes." He struggled to his feet. "It really has been one of those days. Let's figure out how to tap this power in these walls."
"Professor?"
"Yes?"
"That Cyberman in there saw us when he shot, right?"
"Yes..."
"Won't he be coming out about now?"
The door slid open. The Doctor jabbed at a button, and the door slid shut. The Cyberman stuck a hand out to stop it.
"Deal with that, would you?" the Doctor asked. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and began to work on the controls.
Ace reached into her bag and found the crowbar. "About time," she said, and began beating the hand. It withdrew after a few dents, and the door slid shut.
"Locked," said the Doctor. "From this side. That should give us five minutes before he gets through this door. Less, if he calls in his friends."
"Let's get started," said Ace.
***
Breathe. Or not, as he is here now to kill.
Just breathe.
***
Kroton reached down and pulled up the Leader's head. A few important junctions and cables were in these wires, mostly the unstable ones that needed to be away from the other important circuits incase of an accidental meltdown of the unstable material. Removing the black tubings would be no problem. Keeping the unstable cables and compounds away from him would be.
A hand reached up and grasped his wrist.
"You are... the one who attacked me..."
"Yes." Kroton was surprised. He thought the Leader was dead.
"The... assassin?"
Kroton would have liked to laugh. "There was no target on the ship. You were collateral damage."
"And now I die."
"It would seem."
"Why... brother?"
Kroton was shocked. The Cyber Leader of all people - of Cybermen - should have been the one to be completely emotionless. Brother. Was their race a fraternal one? Or just a killing one? Kroton hadn't always had emotions, but he had developed them in a serious accident. Was the same happening to the Leader? Had Kroton created one of his own, only to kill him?
"Brother?" he finally asked.
The Leader released his grasp. "The glory of the empire... for every Cyberman. The glory. The... power. The power..." Death passed over the Leader. "Power... Just... breathe." His head looked up one last time. "Rogue. You shall die."
The cybernetic body went completely limp. Kroton removed the tubing and fixed it upon his own head quickly. He stood and made for the bridge.
But stopped. He turned back and looked at the dead and vandalised Leader. Brother?
***
A massive ache was in his back, but he stood up. He looked at the cell. The door was right there, but he couldn't open it up and free his sleeping friends. Only a Cyberman could. It would be best not to wake them either. He considered what his UNIT training would have him do now. He considered the situation. He was in an alien ship, in a alien time and an alien place, with anyone who was a possible ally locked up. Their captors were supremely powerful and superior in mind and body.
Nope. This one wasn't covered in UNIT leadership seminars.
He left the room, though. The original plan could still be carried out. He could find a Cyber gun laying around, and blast the others out.
Frohl smiled. He was thinking like a true military man again.
***
"Ready," said Ace.
They had removed all of the panels of the wall across from the door. The Doctor had then plunged, figuratively, into the electrics system, warning her never to try this at home. The panels of metal were then placed along the floor in front of the door.
"Just a moment," said the Doctor.
He was finding not only a powerful electric line, but enough other cable he could detach and use to form a circuit with the panels of metal. Needless to say, most of the cables were live, and he had to cut the power to these without cutting the big power line that he intended to use, and it was getting rather tiresome.
"How's our friend?"
Ace looked at the door and felt one of the bulging dents as the Cyberman hammered on it from the other side. "I'll give him another minute."
"Good," said the Doctor. "I'm done. Get off any metal."
Ace hopped onto the plastic floor than ran along the corridors and grabbed her satchel. "Ready," she said again.
***
The Lieutenant estimated he had a minute's worth of labour left before the door came down. Thus, he was surprised as a Cyberman can be when the door began to slide open. It stopped when the dents that he had hammered hit the wall, but even the slightest opening allowed him to rip off the remaining door with ease. He saw the two he had fired at running away down the corridor. He stepped out to get a good aim. He stepped out onto what his internal systems estimated as two hundred thousand volts before they melted.
He died.
***
"Nice work," said the Doctor. He leaned over the metal with his sonic screwdriver. There were a few loud pops, and a flash of sparks. "The circuit should be dead now." He stepped onto the metal and brushed off the wires and cables he had left there. "Let's go see the TARDIS now."
Ace kicked the Cyberman idly as she passed. "Sorry, you know. If we had only met socially-"
"Ace!"
"Coming, Professor."
***
"Where is the other one who died?"
"How the hell should we know?" asked McGregger. "We certainly couldn't reach him."
"This is true," said the Cyberman. He turned to leave again.
"Wait!" yelled McGregger. "What about our grub?"
"This takes precedence," said the leaving Cyberman.
***
Aha. A gun. Frohl scooped it up. It was lying next to a dead Cyberman and an open door that looked as if it had been ripped off. Frohl glanced inside. It was a typical cargo bay, with silver-grey bins and a blue box. Frohl didn't know what the blue box was for, but it didn't really matter. He was armed.
***
All units. Return to bridge for necessary orders. All units. Cease current duties. All units. Return to bridge for necessary orders.
***
The Cyberman entered the bridge. "Leader, one of the humans that was-"
The Leader held up a hand. "Your report must wait." He waited until a majority of the units had arrived. "I have received orders from the Cyber Command. Due to a strategy shift in the ongoing war, all units are to report to the freezer chamber to be preserved until we reach our new target. Only one unit will be out to control the ship each decade for the sixty-year trip. I will remain out for the first ten years to begin our course changes. I will release my relief in ten years. Report to the freezer sections immediately."
All of the Cybermen but one left. The remaining one reported the missing body to the Leader, who duly noted it. The remaining unit went to the freezer section.
Kroton couldn't believe no one had asked about the prisoners.
***
"All systems check," said the Doctor. He glanced out the scanner. "Ace, there's a light flashing out there."
"Next to that grill?" asked Ace, peering out as well.
"An intercom, perhaps?"
"Why is there an intercom on a Cyber Ship? Don't they all of internal communicators?"
"Maybe for the Cybermats?" suggested the Doctor. "Let's go out and see."
***
"Hello?" said the Doctor.
Kroton looked at the intercom. "That you, Doctor?"
"It is."
"I've just completed the freezing process. All of the Cybermen on board are frozen, except for the Lieutenant, who didn't respond to my orders."
"Well, we killed a Cyberman out here. Him, perhaps."
"Only possibility," said Kroton. "Okay, come up to the bridge, and we can release those prisoners."
"Sounds good," said the Doctor.
Kroton turned off the intercom and turned around. He was staring down the muzzle of a Cyber gun. A Cyber gun pointed right at him.
"Scum," said the man holding it. "You're not so big when you're friends aren't around. When you're guns aren't around."
"Please put the gun down," said Kroton. "I'm not who you think."
"Scum," the man repeated. "You killed Henders. One of you, at least. Now, before you die, you'll tell me where I can find my men some guns."
Breathe. Just breathe. "You have to believe me. I'm not just a Cyberman. I'm different." How could he describe his situation to this human?
"The guns, mate. Where are they?"
"This way," said Kroton. He led the way out of the room.
"No tricks, mate. I still have this gun pointed right at ..."
"Venusian Aikido. Very effective, I always thought."
Kroton turned around again. The Doctor was lowering the man to the floor. "Can't blame him, though," said Kroton. "For trying. I wonder how he got out and armed, though."
"We can find out later," said the Doctor. "In the meantime, Ace, could you take the gun, and Kroton, our unconscious friend? It's time for a jailbreak, I think."
***
"4570?"
"Yes. Is this a shock?"
"Yes, rather. 4570?" repeated McGregger.
"I'm not sure why the Cybermen would remove you so far out of time," said the Doctor. "Clearly they wanted military types to convert, but even two and a half millennia seems a bit far to go."
"So now what do we do?" asked Frohl.
"Well, I could take you home now," said the Doctor.
"Ideal," said Frohl.
"Perfect plan," said McGregger.
"But if you don't mind," said the Doctor, "I won't."
"What?" said Frohl. "Why?"
"Well, right now your species is having a rather tough war with the Cybermen. Now I'm sure you all want to head straight back to 1970s UNIT, but if you could take this ship to Earth, it would be very useful to mankind."
"Why's that, then?" asked McGregger.
"The ship is packed full of Cyber guns, weapons, and technology, not to mention a whole freezer section of Cybermen themselves. The research that could be done with this very ship would be priceless to mankind."
"That's all very noble and charitable," said Frohl, "but what about after that? How would we get home?"
"Mankind should have limited time corridor technology now," said the Doctor. "If nothing else call in the local Gallifrey Anachronisms Agent, and he'll stick you home quick enough. It'd only be a few months out of your life to take this ship to Earth. Then you could go home."
Frohl and McGregger exchanged glances and nodded. "Alright," said Frohl, "we'll do it."
"Splendid," said the Doctor.
Kroton walked into the room. "Ship's all checked out, Doctor. The UNIT folks will have full access now."
"Good," said the Doctor.
Frohl looked sheepishly at Kroton. "Sorry about the... er..."
"Say no more," said Kroton. "It was the right thing for you to do, given the circumstances."
"Right then," said the Doctor. "There's a full instruction manual in the computer. I'm sure you'll work out how to use it. Be sure to make video contact with Earth before you get too near."
"Won't you stay a while?" asked McGregger.
"Sorry, must dash." The Doctor gave Kroton and Ace small shoves toward the TARDIS.
Frohl looked and McGregger. "Do you want to break it to the men that we're having to deliver this ship off to Earth?"
"No," said McGregger. "I want to see how the Doctor thinks he's going to... leave-"
With a wheezing groaning sound, the blue box in the corner began to fade away.
Frohl licked his chapped lips. "How did that happen?" He looked at McGregger, who offered no solution. They turned, and headed for the bridge.
The Timeless Trio return in: Again
