As the thunder receded into silence the pool of pink liquid flowed into the clearing where the TARDIS stood. It slowly circled the Time Lord device then flowed up against it. It could feel a slight and comfortable vibration from the TARDIS's wall.

        It began to quiver slowly as something in the air reached its developing senses and a need entered its evolving brain. A metamorphosis, the first of many, took place. It faded into a darker shade as newly developed muscles tensed and nerves fired into life.

        The need was powerful. It moved away, the TARDIS forgotten, and started to search the forest.

        Reaching into his spacious pockets the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver as he dug into the dirt with his fingers. David, unaccustomed to the Doctor's way of working, sat at the controls of the idling Cybertank and watched. The Doctor stopped his digging and used his screwdriver as a sonic lance to cut apart something beneath the surface.

        After he seated himself back in the Cybertank the Doctor said, "That was part of their defense system." He looked at the path ahead of them. "They'll be after us soon."

        "Then why let them know where we're at?"

        "They will only know that their defense system has been altered. It will take them some time to figure out where."

        David thought for a moment. There were several large windows in the cabin that had been designed to accommodate the extra large form of a Cyberman. The Doctor and David could not be mistaken for the crew.

        "They will have to search a large area but no matter how long it takes them to find this Cybertank it will not be hard for them to spot us here. We need a way to hide."

        "Major, how does one hide a seven ton piece of armor?"

        David was about to explain what he meant but then he caught the wry look on the Doctor's face. He smiled back before he spoke.

        "In case of a battle they must have some better way to protect the operators, at least a forcefield, or perhaps this glass is impenetrable," David suggested.

        "More likely they have even more cover."

        "Something to hide the number of troops inside," David agreed. "I wonder how they get it into position," he added and they both began searching the control panels.

        Several blast shudders slammed over the windows, sealing off almost any view of the cabin interior from and exterior observer.

        The Doctor and David looked at each other, "Well done," they said simultaneously.

        The three signal lights behind them stopped flashing.

        "I didn't do it," they each said surprised.

        David reached for the control levers hoping that the luck he had had at saving the Doctor's life at the outpost would work for him again. His fingers missed their target and hit the console. That is odd, he thought, those buttons had appeared to be bigger before. He turned to speak to the Doctor but the Time Lord suddenly appeared to be very far away. As he watched the entire cabin elongated wildly. He tried to cry a warning to the Doctor but the words he spoke had no meaning. Caught in a sudden whirlwind he slipped into unconsciousness.

        The Doctor tried to move but he knew that soon he would join David in the unwelcome sleep produced by an odorless gas that must be flooding the cabin.

        "Tom?"

        "Yes, it's me, Ruth."

        After her last encounter with the Cyberman Ruth had dropped the Cyberweapon in fear that it could be used as a homing device to track her and capture her. Seeing Tom Henry again she wished for a moment that she could find the Cyberweapon and destroy him with it. But no, she reminded herself, there was something else for now. After the chase, as she lay in the darkest hole, Ruth had developed a plan of her own.

        "Oh, Tom." She put her head on his shoulder, shaking to show fear that would not be seen in her eyes. "I'm afraid."

        Tom smiled to himself. She appeared to finally be believing that he was the one who could save her and that was very much what he wanted. He put an arm around her and lightly touched her dark brown hair. "It's okay. I'm here and I can help you."

        "Yes, I know that you will protect me."

        "I'll tell you what, why don't you come back with me? You can get some food and some warmth." She looked at him with forced tears in her eyes. "We are in this together and we'll get through it together. Will you come?"

        She nodded slowly. "I will."

        He took her hand and led her to his place of refuge.

        David was walking briskly across a street filled with the friends and family members he had left behind for this mission. He knew everyone of them but was puzzled that none of them seemed to recognize him. To escape the treacherous street he ran rapidly through the entrance of a large building and stopped in shock at the dreadful sight.

        He found himself standing on the launch bad of a one hundred and seventy year old spaceport. It had been constructed at the time when ships had to be launched vertically into orbit from a land base, before space planes were operational. Suspended above him on the launch pad was one of the early space shuttles, most of what he could see was the exhaust tubes of the main engines. With an ear spitting roar the engines fired and David was bathed in a warm yellow glow. The glow faded to a hot red then a hotter white before it vanished.

        David regained consciousness quickly. He listened intently for a time trying to sense any movement or presence near him. He could hear the steady hum of electronic equipment but could determine nothing else. He opened his eyes slowly and sat up, he steadied his hands against the table for support.

        The room he was in was small and barefaced. At one end an arch led to another room, at the opposite end was a sealed door. He stood and went to the door. Once there he searched quickly for any sign of a control but found none.

        He reached down at his side and found an empty holster. The last moments of his time in the Cybertank came back to him and he realized for sure that he was again a prisoner, and prisoners would not be allowed to carry weapons.

        He steadily turned and walked slowly to the archway to investigate the other room, the after effects of the gas that had taken him in the tank continued to haunt him. He saw after images of everything and he moved slowly. He spotted the Doctor lying on a table. David walked closely and shook him lightly. No reaction. He shook the Doctor more vigorously. No reaction. He bent closer to the Doctor's ear.

        "Termites in the TARDIS."

        "Never," the Doctor reacted as his eye snapped open. "Where are we?"

        "Somewhere at the fortress. There is a door in the other room but I couldn't find no controls."

        "You couldn't find any controls," the Doctor corrected him. The Doctor had no after effects from the gas and hopped to his feet and started to walk around. David was still so drugged that even the Doctor's movement unbalanced him and he almost fell to his knees. He grabbed to the table for support.

        The Doctor realized what was happening and held him up for an examination. David's skin was pale and his eyes were red. "You don't look at all well."

        "You can't imagine how you look to me. I seem to having a little trouble with what they gave."

        "Your head will clear up in a few moments. Can you stand alone?"

        David nodded. The Doctor knew that David would need a thorough medical examination if the problems continued, but now there were many other projects that needed their attention. The Doctor turned and passed into the other room.

        David breathed deeply a few times and felt better. His vision cleared and by the time he caught up the Doctor was examining the door frame.

        "They took everything I had, Doctor," David informed him.

        The Doctor searched all his pockets, a task that took several minutes, and ended empty handed.

        "They took everything of mine as well," he said sadly. "We must have been out longer than I thought. They probably had to carry it all away in a second Cybertank."

        David again leaned against the table for support. "How will we ever found those pieces?"

        "Find, not found," the Doctor corrected him again. "It isn't important. Our first order of business is to get us out of here. If not out of this base at least this room."

        As if on the Doctor's cue the door slid open and the Doctor's eyes darted around the room.

        "Someone out there wants to play with us," the Doctor said not trying to hide his discovery. "They want to see what we can do."

        David nodded and stood away from the table. "Let's show them what we can do."

        "Can you follow me?"

        "Yes," David said. His head had finally cleared and he felt fine.

        Outside of the room they found empty corridors. With the Doctor leading they marched through the corridors and stood solidly in front of every door as it opened to let them inside. None of the rooms they spotted held more than the room they had started in. After several minutes they came upon a door that would not open.

        The Doctor reasoned that if this was the room they were not freely allowed to enter that it must hold something important. The possibility also existed, he knew, that it was a trap.

        "This is the one I want to get inside," the Doctor announced loudly. He looked in both directions of the corridor. "I know that you can hear me."

        The door slid open and the Doctor slipped inside. Several paces behind the Doctor, David entered as the door closed.

        The room was rectangular in shape. The longer walls housed large banks of computers that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, the entry wall was blank, and the far wall was a large plexiglass window. Outside the window was a blast shudder resembling the one that had closed them in the Cybertank. The shudder was now closed and they could not see beyond it.

        The Doctor began looking at the computers. He adjusted several controls and started a computer printout. David read the printout as it spilled from the machine.

        David read on as the printout continued and the numbers rose higher and higher. "They must have a massive base here or even more than a base. Take a look at some of this."

        The Doctor read part of it. "Yes, something more then what we've seen is being built here."

        The door opened and a group of Cybermen entered the room. One of them came closer, stopped the computer, then motioned for the Doctor and David to move to the door.

        "It's about time," the Doctor snapped. "We've been hanging around here all day. I suppose the chances are quite small that you've come here to release us." The Cyberman put his hand on the Doctor's back and forced him to move forward. The Doctor turned to David. "No chance at all," he winked.

        The Doctor and David were taken on a brief trek through the base. Their journey came to an end in a complex and heavily guarded office. A large, desk like, control panel dominated the room, as did two walls covered with display screens.

        The Doctor studied the desk while David's gaze drifted to what was on the walls. There, he found schematics of the black ships that had taken the "Capricorn" from the stars.

        After a minute wait the new Cyberleader entered. He was large, even by Cyberman standards, with a black helmet and a heavy, black chest plate.

        The Cyberleader spoke as he moved to his rightful place behind the control panel. "You are the one called the Doctor. Your companion is the Earth Major."

        The Doctor looked as friendly as if they had just met on a street corner. "Yes, that is correct. Who are you? I don't believe we have bee properly introduced."

        "I am the Cyberleader in charge of the Botan mission. My predecessor was lost in the incident that occurred at the outpost. The damage there was done with your intervention. You will be severely punished."

        Both the Doctor and David realized the importance of the change in leadership. The change in command and the turmoil in the Cyberman ranks could hurt or help them.

        "It was a Dalek weapon that was fired first. The laser gun of the Dalek took the Cyberman down. My friend David and I had the unfortunate luck of being caught in the cross fire." The Doctor hoped that by enhancing the mutual suspicion between the allies he could create an unstoppable rift.

        "We have recovered the data storage module of one of the warriors who witnessed the battle. If the data found there points the responsibility in your direction you will suffer. Take warning."

        "How much more suffering could you cause?" David asked. He had lost so much already he was not in the mood for threats.

        The Cyberleader ignored David's remark and faced the Doctor alone. "How much do you know?"

        "Cosmically speaking?"

        The interrogation began and as it continued the Doctor talked his way around and out of every question put to him. David could say very little. He had hoped the effects of the drugs would have passed by now but they were making him feel worse. After what was hours to the Doctor and days to David a klaxon sounded on the Cyberleader's console and the meeting abruptly ended.

        Back in the room they had been taken from, the computer room, and under guard the Doctor felt for David's pulse and tried to take a temperature.

        "Your heart rate is very fast. How are you feeling?"

        "Same as before," David said. "Except my head's clear."

        "The effects of the gas shouldn't be lasting quite this long."

        "Do you think it could be something else?"

        "Probably the fact that you were physically drained from your ordeal to begin with. That time you slept in the TARDIS helped to keep you going but it won't hold you up indefinitely." The Doctor was worried, David, despite what he had been through, had been in very good shape in the TARDIS.

        The first rays of the Botan day tried to creep across the landscape. Soon the ever present clouds and ground fog increased and easily brushed them away.

        K9 had led the Dalek around in circles the entire night. Despite its damage the larger machine had much more power and speed but K9's easier maneuverability had saved him more than once. K9 waited, listening, for his enemy. Unknown to him the Dalek had caught sight of him and was slowly moving close from behind. At the last safe moment K9's sensors registered the approach. K9 turned instantly and fired at the Dalek. The laser struck the Dalek's eyestalk and disabled it. Now blind it rushed forward.

        K9 started whistling a tune he had learned from the Doctor as he sped in the direction of the river. The Dalek's audio sensors contacted and placed the noise, allowing it to follow. K9 slowed and let the Dalek get closer. Only inches away from the edge of the cliff K9 stopped whistling and then turned sharply to safety. The Dalek, confused and lost, lumbered on and plummeted over.

        The Dalek panicked at it's first contact with the water. It twisted and turned as the current pulled it deeper. Its shrill, metallic voice rose to an unbearable scream. Mercifully it finally sank beneath the rippling waves.

        A Cyberman stood at the door, unmoving as it guarded the prisoners. The Doctor, his hat propped over his eyes, stood in one corner in a silent mimickery of the watcher.

        Again in sleep David stood beneath the powerful engines of the space shuttle. This time, however, he felt the heat blast as the engines fired. Suddenly awake he rolled of the table and stood up, frightened. He felt his forehead and wiped the salty sweat from his eyes. He was burning but it was not just a dream now. Then, with a sudden and terrible wave, the sickness left him. He stood breathing heavily as his head and sight cleared.

        Is this the last trick before death, he asked himself. One final peaceful moment then an end of life? He waited for the pain to return, nothing, he willed it to return but nothing came. He massaged his neck to release his aching muscles.

        He saw no visible movement from either of the computer rooms other inhabitants. He doubted the Cyberman was sleeping but decided not to approach the beast to test his theory.

        Behind him the shudder slid open. David heard the soft hum and slowly turned around.

        Looking at the sight below him he gasped and called for the Doctor to join him. The Doctor slid back his hat and bolted forward.

        Below them, in a hanger stretching unbelievably far, sat the Dalek/Cyberman battle fleet. 1000 spaceships waiting silently for their crews.