Free Doctor Who: Earthshock by Ian Marter

maximum charge, Leader.'
    'Excellent. Stabilise and activate.'
    The Deputy gave a master key a half-turn. A faint, subterranean grinding noise suddenly rumbled through the freighter. The Deputy turned sharply. 'The commander of the freighter will know that his electrical reserves are being tapped,' he warned.
    The Leader rasped menacingly. 'Why did you not jam their instruments?' he demanded.
    The Deputy hesitated, staring blankly at the instruments clustered on the module. 'Our drain on the supply is excessive, Leader. The freighter's computers will be alerted.'
    Inside the Cyberleader the circuits flashed faster and faster with increasing precision. 'Then we shall take the bridge at once,' he ordered. 'Accelerate reactivation to optimum immediately. This time there must be no failure.'
    Again the Deputy hesitated. A low, angry buzzing sound suddenly began to issue from the Cyberleader's enormous silver head. Slowly and reluctantly the Deputy completed the full turn of the master key...
     
     
    Not far away, in another silo, huge cocoon-like objects were ranged motionless in the darkness. Beneath manifold layers of transparent plastic wrapping, enormous silver forms stood erect and silent. In the vast tomb-like space the creatures waited. They were not living, they were not dead. They were waiting to be born.
    At last there began a faint crackle, as if a chrysalis were starting to split open and release the imprisoned glory of some beautiful butterfly. Something flickered and tore through the protective layers: first a powerful, stubby finger and then a ripping, shredding hand. Then an arm jerked spasmodically and with a vicious slicing movement carved the plastic shroud asunder.
    Laboured gurgling sounds gradually settled into a rhythmic hissing breathing and eerie electronic clicks developed into a relentlessly logical chattering. The silo echoed with the savage infant movements as the Cybermen burst out of the chrysalids and took their first uncertain steps.
    Subdued shudders rippled through the freighter, almost as if it knew it was giving birth to the silver horror concealed in its bowels...
     
     
     
     

34
    'Reaction levels normal, Leader,' the Deputy reported in a strangely hushed tone, the module instruments reflecting in a sinister pattern on his metallic face.
    'Excellent. Prepare to engage autonomous control mode.' The Cyberleader watched as the Deputy slowly moved a sliding switch, his ventilator emitting a constant hiss of anticipation.
    'Mode engaging in five seconds...' the Deputy affirmed.
    The enormous fingers on the Cyberleader's hands twitched slightly as they hovered over the module. 'So,' he hissed, 'my army awakes.'
     
     
    Captain Briggs had returned to the bridge in a foul temper after being disturbed. She slouched in her command seat, yawning and rubbing her eyes and wincing at the screech of the security alert.
    'Turn that damn thing off,' she snapped at Berger, who was working away at the bank of surveillance monitors, trying to get them all operational again. Briggs waited impatiently for the prisoners to be brought in, drumming on the arm of her seat and struggling with the jammed zipper of her jerkin.
    A few minutes later Ringway marched in with Adric and the Doctor at gunpoint. 'These two were apprehended by silo 550 Captain,' he reported smugly.
    Briggs clicked her tongue and cast her eyes towards the ceiling.
    '"Apprehended" . . . why don't you say "caught"? You're so melodramatic,' she complained.
    Ringway told her about the murdered crew members.
    Briggs jumped up and stamped furiously up and down. 'That's all we need!'
    she cried exasperatedly.
    The Doctor took off his hat politely. 'I do assure you, Madam, that you have the wrong people,' he said calmly.
    'Quiet!' Ringway snarled, waving his pistol.
    Captain Briggs turned on him sharply. 'Thank you, Mister Ringway but I can fight my own battles,' she said with withering scorn. 'You'll get your extra bonus.'
    'Thank you, Captain, but