Until We Burn | Dr Who

Chapter Twenty-Five: Price

"Delete! Delete! Delete!"

Just when we seem to be completely cornered, a beam of burning energy fires from the crystal. It hits one of the Cybermen in the chest, reflecting off of it and across each one until they are all frozen, screaming out in pain. They fade to dust.

"What the hell was that?"

"Or, how about instead, run!"

We run for the treeline but a familiar screeching catches my attention. Speeding over to us, Mrs Moore yells out to us from the van, "Everybody in!" 

One member of the group tries to make a run for it — one I recognise from the advertisement, Pete Tyler. The Doctor runs after him, pulling him back to the van despite his desperate shouts, "I've got to go back! My wife's in there."

"Anyone inside that house is dead. If you want to help, then don't let her die for nothing. You've got to come with us right now."

I try to move Rose with us but she is stuck, staring in terror at the house. The Doctor joins me, helping to drag her away. "Rose, she's not your mother."

"I know."

—

Ricky peers into the back of the van, his suspicions directed at the crystal in the Doctor's hand. "What was that thing?"

"Little bit of technology from my home."

"It's stopped glowing. Has it run out?" Mickey anxiously asks.

Glancing back at it, he shakes his head. "It's a revitalising resource, it'll charge back up in about four hours."

Our friend's doppelgänger scoffs, "Right, so we don't have a weapon."

"Yeah, we've got weapons. Might not work on those metal things but they're good enough for men like him."

We follow Jake's furious glare to the corner where Pete sits, still shaking. Rose immediately jumps in to defend him. "Leave him alone! What's he done wrong?"

He shrugs. "Oh, you know. Just laid a trap that's wiped out the government and left Lumic in charge!"

"If I was part of that, do you think I'd leave my wife inside?"

Jake is quiet for a moment but Ricky does not falter. It is so strange to be around him, knowing that he looks so similar to Mickey and yet so unsettlingly different. "Maybe it went wrong," he says, scowling coldly at the man. "Still gives us the right to execute you."

"Talk about executions, you'll make me your enemy. And take some really good advice: you don't want to do that," the Doctor snaps.

"All the same, we have evidence that says Pete Tyler's been working for the Lumics since 20.5."

All eyes are on him now. Slowly, Rose turns to him. "Is that true?"

He doesn't reply.

"Tell them, Mrs M."

"We've got a government mole who feeds us information — Lumic's private files, his South American operations, the lot. Secret broadcasts twice a week."

Eyes narrowed, Pete watches her face closely in the reflection of the rear view mirror. "Broadcasts from Gemini?"

The Preachers' distrust only grows. "And how did you know that?"

"I'm Gemini! That's me!" he impatiently protests.

"Yeah, you would say that."

"Encrypted wavelength 657 using binary nine. That's the only reason I was working for Lumic, to get information." He lowers his gaze, muttering to himself, "I though I was broadcasting to the security services. What do I get? Scooby Doo and his gang! They've even got the van!"