Scene 10 - Understanding Dale

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The Cyberman stomps through in the space suffering anxiety and confusion. It then lowers its posture as it stands with its back to the path, looking away from the soldiers peering in to examine the Cyberman. We then see the Doctor, the Major General, and Colonel Fielder arrive.

Captain Herring:

It's gone in there, sir. It's just standing there looking remorse.

Doctor:

I never thought I would say that a Cyberman would be feeling any kind of emotion or stress. I'm going to find out what's happened to it during the conversion. And why it's acting like this.

Major General Harrow:

You going in alone?

Doctor:

I am.

Major General Harrow:

Then be careful. We will have you covered.

Doctor:

Any more armaments antics used on the Cyberman will only antagonise him. It's in a dangerous enough state as it is already.

The Doctor briskly walks in. The army soldiers watch the Doctor enter. The Cybermen acknowledges the Doctor is there but ignores him.

Look, I don't know what's happened to you. I don't know if I can fix this. But I will do everything I can to get you back to the way you are. I'm the Doctor. And I can take care of this.

The Cyberman, voiced by Dale inside, begins to talk.

Cyberman 1:

MY FRIENDS ARE DEAD! I'VE NOTHING AT HOME WORTH LIVING FOR! CERTAINLY NOT THOSE FREAKY KIDS! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR ME! LIKE THIS!

Doctor:

But there's still a relic left in you. What was your name?

Cyberman 1:

DALE!

Doctor:

Well, nice to meet you, Dale. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot so to speak, but we need to understand one another. You retain your memories and who you are?

Cyberman 1:

YEAH!

Doctor:

Then I know for certain that the old Dale is still in there. Keep that thought fighting to get you in there back out here.

The Doctor tries to comfort him, but the Cyberman walks away.

Cyberman 1:

HOW? MY SKIN WAS STRIPPED OUT OF ME! I WAS BROKEN DOWN MOLECULARLY AND MY BODY JAMMED INSIDE THIS SHELL!

The Cyberman turns to the Doctor.

Doctor:

Tell me what you feel inside. Not about how anxious you are, but inside the Cyberman. What do you imagine? What ideas can you get? You are part of a vast network of information. It will remain unresponsive as the Cybermen are dead. But what does that give you? What do you see in it?

Cyberman 1:

I... I UNDERSTAND... NEW IDEAS! FAR BEYOND THE CONFINDS OF MY OLD MIND! I CAN SEE EVOLUTION! I CAN SEE IDEAS AND INVENTION! WHY I HAD NEVER DREAMT OF ANY OF THIS REMOTELY BEFORE!

We cut to see the army watching from the outside.

Major General Harrow:

I hope he is talking sense to him. He's definitely taking his time with him.

We cut back to the Doctor and the Cyberman.

Cyberman 1:

WHAT WERE THEY? DOCTOR? THESE THINGS! THAT HAVE IMPRISONED ME IN THESE... CHAINS! THESE METAL SKINS!

Doctor:

I don't think you'd want to know. Such is their progress. What counts is that we can still reach you in there. And what makes you such a wonderful human is still inside you. We can reach it for you. Trust me. Allow me to help you out.

Cyberman 1:

I MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT I TRULY AM! LET ME SEE!

Doctor:

Are you sure?

Cyberman 1:

POSITIVE!

Doctor:

I'm not sure that is wise.

Cyberman 1:

PLEASE, DOCTOR! TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO ME! I MUST KNOW! I MUST KNOW, PLEASE! PLEASE!

The Doctor stops. He then goes to the subway, finding the mirror, looking into it solemnly. The Doctor turns back to the Cyberman, and then returns to him signaling that he can go and explore for himself. The Cyberman then goes to look at itself in the mirror. Dale is shocked to see himself, slowly going in closer to the mirror to see what has happened to his appearance.

NO! IT'S NOT... WHY...

Doctor:

I'm sorry, Dale. But they got to you before we could save you. This is what they've done to other innocent children. You can help us all out. You can help yourself.

Cyberman 1:

IT... CANNOT BE... ME...

Doctor:

I would be happy to cooperate with you, Dale. To help you. So we can get Dale back.

Cyberman 1:

MY MIND... RECONDITIONED... NEW IDEAS, AND INVENTION! YES! TO SEE WHAT I SEE! IN THIS EXILE OF A BODY! AS I HAVE BECOME!

Doctor:

Dale? What do you say?

Cyberman 1:

THIS IS NOT... FAIR! IF I AM TO BECOME AS THIS... THEN EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BECOME AS I SHALL! TO SEE WHAT I SEE! AND TO MAKE IT FAIR!

Doctor:

No. That is not the answer.

Cyberman 1:

YES IT IS! IF ALL CANNOT BECOME AS I AM, I WILL DESTROY ALL!

SMASH! CRASH! The Cyberman begins smashing the mirror, breaking it into fragments.

AAAAARRRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doctor:

Dale. Dale! Listen to me.

Cyberman 1:

IF NOTHING BECOMES LIKE I AM, THEN I WILL DESTROY YOU!

SMASH! BANG! The Cyberman begins destroying more equipment, and lunges at the Doctor to attack him.

Doctor:

Dale, you need to calm down. You're letting your emotions get the better of you.

Cyberman 1:

WHY NOT! THAT IS ALL I HAVE LEFT! ITS ALL I HAVE LEFT BEFORE I DESTROY YOU! DESTROY YOU!

BOOM! SMASH! CRASH!

AAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! GET OUT! GGGEEETTTTTT OOOOUUUTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!

The Doctor gets out of the way and runs back to the military to find cover with them.

Major General Harrow:

You were supposed to soften him up.

Doctor:

He's seen what he's become. I thought something like this might happen.

The power within the Cybermen is terrifying. It destroys the subway and bashes through it, crushing anything in its way.

Major General Harrow:

We must find a way we can kill it.

The Cyberman continues storming through on it's way, crashing and destroying all things...

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