The Cyber-2 watched as the Injection process continued on the Cyber Leader and the Cyber Lieutenant, as the ochre glow of the crystal spheres pulsated almost hypnotically. The other Cybermen stood behind it, watching intently, or monitoring controls.

"Nanodevice Injection seventy-two percent complete," reported one Cyberman, breaking the eerie silence.

"Report noted," the Cyber-2 replied. Silence returned to the chamber.

A sudden muffled rumbling came from outside the Nanodevice Injection Chamber. The other Cybermen looked up, and were about to go to investigate when the Cyber-2 motioned them to stop. Including the Cyber-2, there were four active Cybermen in the room. It was too much of a risk for the chamber to be guarded by one active Cyberman alone. "Remain here. Ensure the process is not interrupted. I will investigate." The troop stepped back as the Cyber-2 passed. It took a laser cannon from one of the troop's hands, and left the chamber.

The Cyber-2 crept through the shadowy corridors outside the chamber. Smaller than the average Cyberman, and its metallic skin camouflaged in the Doctor's form, it easily slipped into the shadows where it could proceed undetected. It stopped short as it heard footfalls approaching.

The Doctor turned a corner. Unexpectedly, he spotted Cyber-2 in the shadows immediately.

"Hello!" he said cheerfully. "Cyber-2, isn't it? So you're the one who took over my TARDIS and almost had me killed as a traitor and sworn enemy of Gallifrey!"

The Cyber-2 scanned the Doctor. He had no weapon, and he did not appear to be planning any sort of attack, which meant he was not presently a threat. However, he was acting illogically. He knew he was to be taken prisoner if found, and later executed, so why draw attention to himself the first chance he got? It decided not to concern itself with this; the orders remained, the Doctor had to be executed.

"Your appearance was crucial in allowing us to raid Gallifrey. We have seized control of the Nanodevice Liquid Drug, so your continued existence is no longer necessary and, since you managed to escape from the Cyber ship, too much of a risk. You will no longer interfere in the success of the Cybermen." The Cyber-2 raised its laser cannon at the Doctor.

The Doctor glared. "Cybermen? Successful? You call yourselves an invincible, dominating force while I, a single Time Lord, have defeated you more times than I can remember."

The Cyber-2 paused. This outburst was illogical; it was obviously meant to provoke rage, but this reaction was impossible from a Cyberman. The Doctor was being illogical for thinking he could succeed at provoking a Cyberman. Why then, since the Doctor was intelligent enough to defeat them in the past, was he making such an elementary mistake? The Cyber-2 didn't respond. It just pressed the trigger.

The Doctor leaped aside. The Cyber-2's trigger finger froze and it veered to aim the weapon again. Just then, its optical sensor barely caught movement behind it, and it whirled around, arm raised to strike. With a sound like the crack of a whip, it knocked the laser cannon out of Athena's hands. It took a second to examine its attacker; then it raised its weapon to fire.

Athena stood before it, defenseless - mouth wide open in fear.

"Leave her!" the Doctor shouted. "It's me you want! The Doctor - sworn enemy of the Cyber race!"

The Cyber-2 thought this over. It sounded as though the Doctor was offering himself in exchange for the female's life. This was not logical, but in character for the emotional Time Lord. It turned to face him.

The Doctor stood before him, as defenseless as Athena. "Go on!" he shouted angrily. "Stop picking on people smaller than you-" He stopped short; the Cyber-2 was as tall as he was, and Athena was taller than them both. Despite himself, he had to chuckle.

The Cyber-2 decided to ignore this illogical reaction. It raised its weapon and fingered the trigger. Momentarily forgotten, Athena dove for her laser cannon on the floor.

Realizing its mistake, the Cyber-2 dropped its weapon and leaped for the Doctor's throat. Its appearance changed, so that it matched the Doctor's exactly, including the dirt on his coat from creeping through the dusty corridors. Athena looked on in horror: which one did she shoot now?

Then one of the Doctors overpowered the other. It got the other Doctor on floor and rammed a knee into his stomach. The other Doctor lost his breath, painfully. He couldn't move to defend himself as the Doctor kneeling atop him raised his arm to strike.

Athena saw an opening, raised her laser cannon, and fired.

Throughout the Panopticon, the resistance was gaining strength. The few patrolling Cybermen were easily taken by surprise and destroyed. Their weapons were taken by the Gallifreyans who used them effectively against the larger Cyber forces sent after them. This was not accomplished without losses. The dead had to be left where they lay, and the wounded piled up, they began to slow down the resistance groups, all of whom refused to leave them behind.

But the groups soon liberated the hostages, and the resistance quickly gained steam.

The main body of the group was nearing the exits of the Panopticon. Their advance was slowed by the wounded in their party, and also because everyone was on alert for Cyber reinforcements. The group formed a protective circle around the members of the High Council and the Lord President as they walked as quietly as they could.

A Chancellery guard came running towards them from down the corridor; motioning them desperately to stop. When he was close enough to whisper, he told them. "There's a large troop of Cybermen guarding the doors out!" he hissed. "Ten to twelve, with more coming; I don't think we stand much chance if we attack them openly."

"There's a concealed exit back the way we came," said the Lord President.

"It's usually only used by High Council members, but this is an emergency."

She led them back along the corridor and into a dark alcove that turned a corner and widened out into a hallway filled with shadows. They turned another corner and came face to face with a blank wall. There was a gasp of despair from the group, and then gasps of horror. In the hallway outside came the sound of marching Cybermen.

The Lord President motioned for silence. "Just follow me!" she hissed, and she stepped forward touching the wall with her hand. There was a digital bleep and, to everyone's surprise, she faded into it. Then the people realized the trick, and they followed her into the grey wall, disappearing one by one.

A Cyberman broke from its group and peered into the alcove. It saw nothing, but it could not conclude that the noise it heard had been a fault of its sensors. It called its fellow troops over and indicated the alcove. "Time Lords detected."

They followed it into the alcove and turned the corner into the concealed hallway. Their optical sensors had no trouble seeing in the dark, but the place was empty. The first Cyberman replayed what it had heard. "This was not a malfunction. A group of Time Lords were here."

The other Cybermen looked around the hallway. One of them stared at the blank wall ahead of them. Its CPU whirred as it adjusted its optical sensors to see beyond the visual spectrum. Then it raised its laser cannon and fired. The dead end of the hallway exploded in a shower of debris. All that remained was a large hole, and another, even darker hallway beyond.

"Proceed," the first Cyberman ordered, motioning for the other Cybermen to follow it into the secret corridor.

Matt Grady, 1994

Athena watched as the Doctor knelt by the fallen Cyber-2. The impostor had reverted to its mechanical form, and the Doctor had removed its head and was rewiring its CPU. "You know," he said, tugging an exposed wire, "I don't think I've ever been that close to death; well, except on six occasions." He flashed her a smile. "Good quick thinking, realizing the Cyberman would be the one to get the upper hand in our struggle, and good aim too."

Athena smiled with pride. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Unfortunately," the Doctor continued, turning back to his work, "A lot of this CPU was destroyed when you fired at the Cyber-2's head!"

Athena's smile faded. "You would rather have had it remove your head with its bare hands?"

The Doctor chuckled. "I know. Thanks again. The thing is, I have a plan, and it involves this Cyber-2. Along with trying to bring it back to life, I have to reprogram it so it doesn't turn on us."

"Is its holographic projectors still working?" asked Athena.

"It could, with a little help." The Doctor glanced at her meaningfully.

Athena shook her head. "I'm not a technician, Doctor; I know more about weaponry and strategy. But, I was thinking you wouldn't have to concentrate on trying to repair this creature if you simply used that holo-projection device to project the image of the Cyber-2. Should be enough to fool those Cybermen for a few minutes, at least."

The Doctor frowned. "I think we may need a more solid version of Cyber-2 when we use him. Don't worry, all I have to do is finish reprogramming him, then I'll be done."

Athena considered the time they had taken already. They didn't have much to spare. "Will this take long?"

"No, because I just finished!" The Doctor shoved the repaired and reprogrammed CPU back into the Cyber-2's head and reattached the head to the body. It rejoined with a sharp click. The Doctor stood up and wiped his hands. "There, that ought to do it."

Athena looked on in surprise as the Cyber-2 slowly got to its feet to stand beside the Doctor. He flashed her a triumphant smile. "I don't mean to sound vain, but I'm a better technician than most Time Lord technicians. They're so formal; always have to do things by the manual." He looked back at his handiwork. "Kind of like Doctor Frankenstein and his monster, eh?"

Athena blinked. "Doctor who?"

The Doctor snorted. "I should have expected that. Never mind, let's just see if ol' Cyber-2 here still works." He addressed the Cyberman. "Cyber-2, stand on your right foot."

"Yes, Leader," said the Cyber-2 in a scratchy, erratic voice. It raised its left leg.

"Good, very good," said the Doctor. "Now take on the appearance of the Time Lord named 'the Doctor'."

"Yes, Leader," said the Cyber-2, and its metallic features melted into the familiar frame of the Doctor beside him.

"Excellent!" the Doctor cried. "Now, escort us to the Nano-injection chamber."

"Yes, Leader," the Cyber-2 replied, and it began to lurch down the corridor. In its Doctor form, it looked to Athena as though her charge was drunk. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Come on, Athena, let's follow Doctor Frankenstein's monster." The Doctor motioned Athena after the Cyber-2.

Later, the Cyber-2 walked stiffly around a corner and approached the closed steel door of the Nano-Injection chamber. Athena made to follow, but the Doctor held her back.

"I'm sorry, Athena, but you must go, now. The rest of my plan requires complete concentration, with no room for any small mistake, or any distractions."

Athena frowned. "Don't worry about me, Doctor. I'm the first officer to the commander of the Chancellery Guards! I'm prepared for anything. I'm trained for this sort of thing!"

The Doctor's frown deepened. "No, Athena, not for what I'm preparing to do." He drew himself up. "I don't want to risk you getting hurt. It will take years of training to replace someone like you, and the Lord President and the High Council need talented people like you."

"I'm standing before the current Lord President, Doctor," said Athena firmly. "It's my duty to protect-"

"Stop being so stubborn!" the Doctor barked. He caught himself, then continued more quietly. "As Lord President, I am officially ordering you to leave the Panopticon and help fight with the resistance! To disobey the direct order of a Lord President is to commit treason."

Athena's large blue eyes flashed with anger and she gritted her teeth in frustration. She considered protesting, but the look on the Doctor's face dissuaded her. She said nothing as she turned her back on him and ran down the hallway the way she came.

The Doctor stared at his feet, ashamed. "I hate it when I do that," he muttered. He drew himself up and glanced at the Cyber-2 who was standing at the door, awaiting instructions. "Well, no room for guilt now, is there? Let's get on with it."

The Nano-Injectors were now pulsating at a rapid rate. The monitoring Cybermen stood by, patiently. "Nano-Injection is ninety-two percent complete," the Cyberman at the computer console reported.

The Chamber door opened, and the Doctor stepped in, carrying an unconscious version of himself in his arms. "Take the Doctor and sit him on the chair by the computer console," said the conscious Doctor in a slow monotone.

The Cybermen looked from one Doctor to another. They hadn't been informed that the Doctor had escaped from the ship, and why did their leader continue to use the Doctor's appearance, now that the Doctor had been recaptured. However, it wasn't their place to question. One Cyberman collected the Doctor's unconscious form and placed him on the chair. It stood beside him patiently, alert for any movement.

The conscious Doctor stared at the three Cybermen. "Other Time Lords are nearby. They must be found. Find them; I will finish monitoring the Injection process."

"Yes, Leader," said the troop simultaneously and they all departed from the room. As the last Cyberman exited the Chamber, the conscious Doctor stepped over and closed the door behind them.

The Doctor sitting at the computer console opened his eyes and smiled. Just then, the standing Doctor's features dissolved, until they had reformed into the metallic features of Cyber-2. The sitting Doctor frowned. "Hmm, I thought I had repaired you enough to hold a form for longer than that. Oh, well, you served your purpose."

A red light began to flicker on the computer console, and the Doctor paled when he saw the readouts. "Ninety-five percent! I'd better hurry!" He began to type instructions on the computer keyboard as fast as his fingers would allow.

The pulsating light emanating from the crystal spheres suddenly changed from its rich ochre colour back to the original sapphire glow.

Matt Grady, 1994

The Lord President stood by a small, concealed entrance on the outer wall of the Capital. She waved her fellow Time Lords forward, and they streamed out of the building, across the narrow bridge across the moat, towards the sand dunes, and safety. Three Chancellery guards brought up the rear.

She waved them forward, but suddenly one of them pushed her out, onto the bridge. "Go!" he shouted. The Cybermen were charging up the corridor. The Lord President hesitated, but the guards turned to fight. She scrambled across the bridge, to safety.

She dove behind cover, and looked back the way she came. Two of the guards dove beside her. She saw one lying on the bridge like a broken doll. The Cybermen looked at the fallen Gallifreyan dispassionately, looked around for their quarry, then gave up the chase. They stepped back into the building and walked down the corridor.

"Are we the only survivors?" the Lord President gasped. Looking back, she counted only a few hundred or so Gallifreyans. She winced.

A noise came from behind them and the people turned to see a Gallifreyan military vehicle approach. Guards jumped out, wearing fresh uniforms. The Lord President stood up to greet them. "What's the situation in the other cities?"

"Shock, mostly," the officer replied. "The people know the Capital has been occupied, but there's only one Cyber ship."

The Lord President winced. "The Cybermen knew exactly where to hit us."

"Why didn't you help us before?" demanded a Time Lord, nursing a burnt shoulder.

"We tried," the first officer shouted back. "But the Cybermen held all entrances to the Panopticon, and after they fought us off, they threatened to kill hostages." He nodded at the Lord President respectfully. "Including you, your excellency. We couldn't launch a direct attack, that was for certain."

The Lord President didn't say a word. She looked away, ashamed.

"Things have changed, though," the guard added. "With your escape, we can attack the capital directly." He turned to consult with his soldiers, but the Lord President caught his arm.

"Not yet," she said urgently. "People are still in there."

The guard gritted his teeth; it didn't feel right questioning the Lord President's orders. "But, your excellency, we can't wait forever."

"Look!" someone shouted, and everyone turned. A Cyberman staggered from the concealed entrance and fell off the bridge, chest unit smoking. A small woman staggered out onto the bridge, clutching her arm, and she ran for her life. Another Cyberman stumbled after her.

The guards charged over the sand dunes, firing stasers and Cyberman laser cannons. The second Cyberman staggered, and fell off the bridge. Other Time Lords rushed forward and helped Athena run behind cover. She was gasping in pain and nursing a burnt and bleeding laser wound on her right arm.

"Athena!" the officer gasped, then he snapped to attention. "This unit is under your command, sir."

Athena managed a weak smile, and she slumped back against the sand dune while others attended to her wounds. The Lord President leaned close. "Officer?" she asked.

Athena blinked through the pain for a moment, then as recognition set in, she gasped and struggled to stand up, but the others held her down firmly. "Ow! Yes, your excellency?"

"I hear from the others you were accompanying the Doctor," the Lord President continued. She gritted her teeth nervously, then continued. "Why isn't he with you?"

Athena's head lowered, ashamed. "He ordered me out of the capital. I tried to stay with him, your Excellency, but he gave me a direct order. You know the law-"

"Yes, I understand," said the Lord President sympathetically. "What was he doing when you left him?"

"He'd managed to reprogram the Impostor. He said he was going to use it to enter the Nano-Injector Chamber and thwart the Cybermen's plan."

The Lord President looked up at the Capital building, frowning. "He's still in there? Alone? I don't think he can get out of there alive!"

The pulsating sapphire glow of the Nano-Injector suddenly stopped. The covers of the coffins opened and the Cyber Lieutenant and the Cyber Leader climbed out. Their optical sensors scanned the room: the chamber was empty, except for the Doctor, who sat slumped in the chair before the computer console.

"What has happened?" the Cyber Leader demanded. "Why are we alone? Is that the Doctor or is that the Cyber-2?"

The Cyber Lieutenant scanned the body. "Mechanical life form. He is the Cyber-2."

The Cyber Leader approached the Impostor and shook him. The Doctor's appearance melted into that of the Cyber-2, obviously damaged. "He has been tampered with."

"The Doctor?" the Cyber Lieutenant asked.

"It has to be him," the Cyber Leader replied. "He has disrupted our operations. We must find him, and destroy him."

The Cyber Lieutenant raised its communicator to its ear. Then it turned to the Cyber Leader. "The Doctor has already been located, Leader. He is being pursued by two of our troops."

"Then we must send reinforcements," replied the Cyber Leader. It motioned for the Cyber Lieutenant to follow and it left the room.

They were too late to notice as the Cyber-2 twitched. A muffled beeping could be heard from within its metal frame.

The Cybermen were hot on his trail. The Doctor could hear their metal footfalls echoing through the corridors as they chased after him. They'd be using infra-red sensors to track him, and their audio sensors were probably alert for any sound he made. There was little hope that he could possibly lose them.

He darted around a corner and paused to catch his breath. Just then, the wall above his head exploded, showering him with sparks and stone debris. He turned, and ran again. His hearts felt as if they would burst - simultaneously.

Turning another corner, he tripped over a huddled form. He picked himself up and prepared to resume running, but the pile he had tripped over caught his attention. It was a dead Time Lord. He recognized the old man he had sent off to find and bring back the gold sheets. He had survived for so long, the Doctor thought, yet the Cybermen had still found and killed him. The Doctor took off his hat and placed it over his left heart.

Then the Doctor remembered; the old man had a means to defend himself, but mustn't have been quick enough. He knelt close and felt around the body, coming upon a leather bag clenched in the man's hand. The Doctor pried it free and looked inside. Gold dust glittered. "Thank you, my friend," the Doctor muttered.

He looked up sharply as two Cybermen strode around the corner. They saw the Doctor immediately and raised their weapons.

The Doctor ducked, and the laser bolt sizzled just over his head. He scrambled forward desperately, opening the leather pouch wide. As the Cybermen adjusted their aim, the Doctor cast the contents of the bag at their chest units. The Cybermen staggered back and began to gasp, clutching at their chests feebly as the convulsed. Suddenly their chest units exploded, leaving large, gaping holes in their torsos, and they fell to the floor. After another explosion, they went limp.

The Doctor looked down at the fallen Cybermen, satisfied. He wiped away blood from his lip, and leaned against the wall to catch his breath. "Plan," he muttered. "I need a plan. If I meet another Cyberman now, I'm finished."

He turned sharply as a noise echoed through the corridors. There was the sound of more metal footfalls approaching.