Cybermen defy Klieg and unleash Toberman
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Klieg demands to speak with the Cybermen Controller in an attempt to assert control.
The Controller orders the Cybermen to first destroy the humanoids and then conserve energy, then a Cyberman announces Toberman is prepared, prompting the Controller to order his release. Toberman sits up, now partially converted with a metallic arm and an empty gaze, exemplifying the Cybermen's gruesome modification process as the Cybermen retreat back into their tombs, sealing themselves in.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Neutral and detached, driven solely by the imperative of survival and the execution of their directives. There is no fear, hesitation, or remorse—only purpose.
The Cybermen, acting as a unified force under the Controller’s command, execute their plan with ruthless efficiency. One Cyberman announces Toberman’s readiness, while the others retreat into their tombs, sealing themselves away. Their actions are synchronized and devoid of hesitation, reflecting their collective, emotionless nature. They are the embodiment of cold logic, and their retreat is not a sign of weakness but a strategic move to conserve energy and prepare for their next phase of annihilation.
- • To eliminate all humanoid threats on Telos, ensuring their survival and dominance.
- • To retreat and conserve energy, preparing for their next phase of conquest.
- • That the extermination of humanoids is necessary for their survival and the fulfillment of their mission.
- • That emotion and individuality are weaknesses that must be eradicated.
Rage and humiliation, masking a deep-seated fear of irrelevance as his control over the situation evaporates.
Eric Klieg, his face twisted in frustration and arrogance, demands to speak to the Cybermen Controller, only to be met with a crushing dismissal. His voice is sharp and insistent, but his authority crumbles under the Controller’s cold logic. Physically, he stands defiantly, though his posture betrays a growing sense of helplessness as the Cybermen’s decree unfolds. His demand to assert dominance is met with silence and the chilling execution of their plan—extermination—leaving him powerless and exposed.
- • To assert dominance over the Cybermen and bend them to his will, proving his intellectual superiority.
- • To delay or prevent the Cybermen’s extermination order, preserving his own life and the lives of the expedition members.
- • That logic and intellect can override the Cybermen’s cold, unfeeling nature.
- • That his authority as a leader of the expedition grants him the right to command even the Cybermen.
Emotionally vacant, devoid of fear, loyalty, or resistance. His actions are driven by the Cybermen’s programming, with no trace of his former self remaining.
Toberman, now a hollow-eyed hybrid with a metallic arm, sits up mechanically as the Cybermen release him from their control. His movements are stiff and unnatural, his gaze vacant, and his humanity erased. He is no longer the loyal enforcer of Kaftan and Klieg but a shell of what he once was—a living testament to the Cybermen’s power to strip away identity and replace it with cold, unfeeling obedience. His transformation is complete, and his fate is now intertwined with the Cybermen’s agenda.
- • To fulfill the Cybermen’s directives without question, now that he is fully under their control.
- • To serve as a weapon or tool for the Cybermen’s genocidal plans, his humanity erased.
- • That his purpose is now solely to obey the Cybermen’s commands.
- • That his former life and loyalties no longer exist—only the Cybermen’s will matters.
Cold, detached, and utterly devoid of empathy or hesitation. The Controller’s actions are driven solely by logic and the imperative of survival.
The Cybermen Controller, embodying the ruthless efficiency of its kind, delivers its verdict with mechanical precision. It ignores Klieg’s demand entirely, instead issuing a directive for the extermination of all humanoids—a decision that underscores the Cybermen’s complete disdain for human ambition. The Controller’s voice is devoid of emotion, its actions calculated and final. It orders the release of Toberman, now fully converted, as the Cybermen retreat into their tombs, sealing their fate—and the fate of Telos—with cold finality.
- • To eliminate all humanoid threats on Telos, ensuring the Cybermen’s survival and dominance.
- • To demonstrate the futility of human resistance, reinforcing the Cybermen’s superiority through unyielding action.
- • That emotion and ambition are weaknesses that must be eradicated for logical efficiency.
- • That the Cybermen’s survival is the only objective that matters, regardless of the cost to others.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Cybermen, as an organization, exert their dominance through the Controller’s directives and the collective action of their forces. Their involvement in this event is a demonstration of their power to reshape the fate of Telos and its inhabitants. The Cybermen’s retreat into their tombs is not a sign of weakness but a strategic move to conserve energy and prepare for their next phase of conquest. Their actions are a reminder that they are not merely a threat to be overcome but a force that will continue to rise, no matter how many times they are seemingly defeated.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Klieg attempts to talk with the Cybermen Controller and demand to know its intentions."
Klieg’s violent consolidation and the Doctor’s warning"Klieg attempts to talk with the Cybermen Controller and demand to know its intentions."
Klieg defies the Doctor and summons the Controller"Following the Cybermen's modifications to Toberman, Klieg reveals his plans in the main chamber."
Klieg traps the Doctor and takes Victoria hostagePart of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"KLIEG: "I wish to speak to the Controller!""
"CONTROLLER: "The humanoids must first be destroyed. You will re-enter cells to conserve energy.""
"CYBERMAN: "He is now prepared.""
"CONTROLLER: "Release him.""