Doctor Who: Tomb of the Cybermen (17 page)

The Cyberman turned, magnificent, silver, looming above them, and raised his arm ready for another terrible Cyberman chop.

Toberman pushed the others aside and went forward alone to meet him. The Cyberman brought down his arm, but Toberman's Cyberarms were in his way, defending his human body, and the blow clanged metal on metal.

Toberman raised his hand and, while the Cyberman was off-balance from the force of his own first blow, dealt him a sideways slam so fierce that the Cyberman staggered, his neck dented with chips of metal sparking and showering from the place.

While they struggled, the Doctor and Jamie rushed over to the controls.

'Jamie, that lever there, and this one—together.'

'I canna shift it,' grunted Jamie, with all his weight against the great lever.

'Press that button first,' said the Doctor urgently. Jamie pressed the release button for the lever.

Together they slowly lowered the levers that would freeze the Cybermen for ever.

Behind them. the Cyberman tried to rise, but Toberman's metal hands grabbed at the plastic control unit and, with one mighty pull, wrenched it away from the-monster's chest. Foam welled up, the Cyberman staggered, poised and crashed forward like a pylon.

Toberman, feeling. alone after the intensity of the struggle; gathered himself together and walked away down the tunnel. The Doctor did not stop him.

Awed, the Doctor and Jamie turned towards the tombs. Now at last they were freezing properly; the Cybermen were lying back in their rest positions, the membrane had started forming across their hexagonal cells, already frost was clouding the gleam of their bodies and a thin wall of ice was forming. The floor beneath their feet hardened as the thin film of water congealed.

'Last time it was for five centuries,' said the Doctor. 'Now it must be for ever. Come on.'

He looked over the controls and made sure that each one of the Cybercells was individually sealed away. This time he was taking no chances.

With one backward look at the now frozen cavern, horribly beautiful with its glittering hexagonals and sparkling hoar-frost, they turned and walked quickly away up the tunnel.

At the shaft they clambered up the rungs that were now recoating with dangerous black ice.

They reached the top, felt Victoria's warm hand helping them over the rim and jumped out on to the smooth metal floor.

'Doctor!' cried Victoria in relief, tears in her eyes.

'Hurry now,' the Doctor said. 'Close the hatch.'

Hopper operated the lever and the harsh groaning of the gears filled the room. The hatch creaked down from its vertical position, down to forty-five degrees, thirty, twenty, and then clanged shut.

'One thing about a machine that makes good sense,' said the Doctor. 'You can just as easily make it turn out nonsense.'

They looked at him. But before they had time to comment on this typically cryptic remark, he went on, 'Now then, I think you had all better leave.'

'Why?' asked Parry. 'What are you going to do, Doctor?'

'Re-electrify the main doors,' said the Doctor. 'Only this time I'm going to include the hatch and the control panel in the circuit.

Anyone touching any of them will get a considerable electric shock, a fatal one.' He looked over at Hopper and the Professor, who both nodded agreement. 'Now, all out!' ordered the Doctor. 'And take him with you.' He nodded at Toberman. 'He's been magnificent, but I shall feel safer with him out of the way.'

Victoria hesitated, as the others turned with relief for the main doors.

'Go on—follow them,' said Jamie. 'I'll help the Doctor.'

She went with them, and immediately the Doctor busied himself with the controls, creating new circuits, helped by Jamie.

Neither of them saw the body of the Cyberman Controller, lying half under a bench, stir and change position.

'There, Jamie,' said the Doctor. 'That's about it.' He placed the front panel back in position and screwed it firm. They smiled at each other. At last, they were beginning to feel they had won.

Behind them, silent as a great silver ghost, the Cyberman Controller rose to his feet.

'All we have to do now is to close the main doors,' said the Doctor, 'and the circuit is complete.'

'Aye,' said Jamie, and he turned to go.

Ahead of him, blocking the way to the doors, stood the giant form of the Controller.

'Doctor!' shouted Jamie. The Doctor turned around and the Controller took a step forward, swaying slightly, his chest unit blackened and bent, but still a formidable adversary.

'You go round this way, Jamie,' said the Doctor fast. 'And I'll go this. At least, one of us will stand a chance.'

They started to circle the Controller, who looked from one to the other with his great black mask of a head, undecided whom to block.

'When I say run,' said the Doctor, 'run!'

They both ran past the Cyberman, one on each side, dodging under the great weaving metal arms into the short entranceway and out of the doors.

The daylight outside was blinding and they reeled back, protecting their eyes.

'Quick, Jamie. We must get these doors shut before he gets out,' panted the Doctor. Jamie nodded and together they pushed the great doors to, until they were three-quarters closed.

'Stop!' said the Doctor. 'No more. We'll be electrocuted. We need something to insulate.' He looked round him quickly. 'Some of that shoring timber over there.'

Jamie ran over and dragged two pieces of timber back to the doors. Both he and the Doctor took a heavy piece of wood and started pushing at the doors with them, one on each door.

At first the doors swung easily, but then they ground to a halt.

In the gap between the nearly closed doors, they could see the huge black helmet of the Cyberman.

'He must be holding them,' said the Doctor. 'Push, Jamie.'

They pushed desperately with all their strength against the doors but were no match for the strength of a Cyberman, even a damaged one. Slowly, slowly, the doors began to inch open again.

'He mustn't get out, Jamie,' grunted the Doctor. 'All... our...

work... will be wasted.'

Every muscle in Jamie's strong body was standing out, but still the doors were pressing open. More than a gleam of silver hand now showed, they could see a leg. and arm of the Cyberleader.

'I can't hold him, Doctor.'

'We must.'

But the doors were opening wider, inch by inch. 'It's no use,'

Jamie cried despairingly.

Suddenly the doors stopped opening and held fast; beside them, his arms flexed, with one giant hand on each door, was Toberman. Now the match was a more even one.

'WE... WILL... SURVIVE...' came the voice of the Controller, but with the combined strength of the three of them, the doors were slowly closing, sealing up the last of the Cybermen.

The door closed to a narrow.gap. The two ends of the fatal circuit were now only inches apart.

'Toberman!' cried the Doctor. 'Let go now. When these doors close, you'll be killed.'

'They... are... evil,' grunted the Turk.

'If he lets go, the Cyberman will push the doors open again, Doctor,' cried Jamie.

'He must,' cried the Doctor. 'Do you hear me, Toberman?' The doors closed to a bare inch. Toberman flexed his shoulders and gave a final great push. The doors closed; there was a blue arc of current that flung the Doctor and Jamie away like ninepins. As they picked themselves up, they saw the great figure of Toberman, his metal arms spreadeagled as he slid slowly down to the ground, still for ever, in front of the doors he had closed with his life.

The Professor sat beside the space orbiter with his head in his hands. Another life. Another life for which he was responsible. For the rest of his life he would be burdened with this. What a terrible toll for an archaeological expedition.

'Come on, Professor,' said Hopper briskly. 'Blast off in nine minutes.' He looked round him. 'Anyone else coming for the ride?

What about you, Vic?'

'We have our own flying machine, thank you,' said Victoria politely.

'Flying machine!' said Hopper. 'Did you say "flying machine"?'

'At least, it works,' said Victoria, getting the last word in and turning her back on him.

Hopper laughed. 'Guess you're right at that. So long, Doctor, Jamie. O.K., let's go,' he said to the others and stepped into the orbiter.

The Professor sighed and got up. 'Yes,' he said. 'We must go.'

He turned to the Doctor. 'We can never thank you enough,' he said.

'Goodbye, Professor,' said Dr Who, taking his hand and giving him his rare, ancient, four hundred and fifty year old smile.

'I'm sorry it had to end this way,' began the Professor.

But the Doctor raised his hand to stop him saying more.

'I know,' said the Doctor. 'I know.'