Jamie and Flannigan disable a Cyberman
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
As Cybermen spacewalk towards the Wheel, Jamie and Flannigan approach Vallance; Jamie places a metal plate on Vallance's helmet to distract a Cyberman.
Jamie alerts Flannigan as a Cyberman turns toward them due to the metal plate, and Flannigan uses a quick-drying plastic extinguisher on the Cyberman's chest unit, causing it to collapse.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
None—Cybermen operate purely on logic and directive. Their ‘state’ is one of unyielding function, unaffected by setbacks or victories.
The Cyberman advances mechanically toward the door controls, its clawed hand outstretched to open the loading bay for reinforcements. It is utterly focused on its objective, showing no reaction to pain or distress as the quick-drying plastic hardens on its chest unit. The immobilization is sudden and complete—its arm freezes mid-reach, and it collapses to the floor, unable to complete its directive. Another Cyberman, approaching from outside, wedges itself between the closing doors, its relentless logic overriding the physical barrier. The Cybermen’s actions are devoid of emotion, driven solely by the hive-mind’s directives.
- • Open the loading bay doors to allow reinforcements to board the Wheel.
- • Eliminate or convert all human resistance to facilitate the station’s conquest.
- • Human resistance is temporary and can be overcome through superior force and logic.
- • The Cyber-Planner’s directives must be executed without deviation or hesitation.
Determined but increasingly anxious—his urgency masks a growing sense of the crew’s vulnerability against the Cybermen’s overwhelming force.
Jamie acts with swift, tactical precision, slapping a metal plate onto Vallance’s helmet to distract the Cyberman and create an opening for Flannigan. His voice is urgent and commanding, driving the team’s desperate defense. Physically, he is poised for action, ready to adapt to the next threat as the doors begin to close. His focus is razor-sharp, but there’s an undercurrent of frustration as he realizes their improvised solution is insufficient against the Cybermen’s relentless advance.
- • Neutralize the immediate Cyberman threat by creating a distraction for Flannigan.
- • Buy time to secure the loading bay doors and prevent further Cyberman entry.
- • Improvised tactics can outmaneuver the Cybermen’s rigid logic, at least temporarily.
- • The crew’s survival depends on their ability to adapt and work together, even with limited resources.
A mix of triumph and despair—relieved by the temporary success of the plastic extinguisher, but crushed by the realization that their defenses are now critically weakened.
Flannigan seizes the opportunity Jamie creates, spraying the quick-drying plastic extinguisher onto the Cyberman’s chest unit with precision. The plastic hardens instantly, dropping the Cyberman just as it reaches for the door controls. His relief is short-lived, however, as he realizes the extinguisher is now empty and the outer doors are breached. He slams the doors shut in a futile attempt to keep the Cybermen out, his movements frantic and desperate. His dialogue—‘I can’t. I wasted it all on the other one.’—reveals his exhaustion and the crew’s dwindling options.
- • Immobilize the Cyberman before it can open the doors and allow more invaders in.
- • Secure the loading bay doors to prevent further Cyberman entry, even if only temporarily.
- • Their improvised weapons and tactics can only delay the Cybermen, not stop them permanently.
- • The crew’s survival depends on finding a more decisive solution before their resources are exhausted.
Detached and unresponsive—his actions are not his own, and he shows no reaction to the chaos around him.
Vallance stands passive and helmeted as Jamie places a metal plate on the back of his helmet, likely exploiting the Cyberman’s sensory vulnerabilities to create a distraction. His role in the event is incidental—he is a pawn in the Cybermen’s hypnosis, his actions dictated by their influence rather than his own will. His presence serves as a reminder of the Cybermen’s ability to turn the crew against each other, even unintentionally.
- • None—Vallance is acting under Cyberman hypnosis and has no agency in this moment.
- • Serve as a distraction for the Cyberman, unwittingly aiding Jamie and Flannigan’s plan.
- • The Cybermen’s directives are absolute, and resistance is futile.
- • His actions are justified by the need to comply with the Cyber-Planner’s will.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Flannigan’s quick-drying plastic extinguisher is the crew’s most critical improvised weapon in this moment. He deploys it with precision, spraying the plastic directly onto the Cyberman’s chest unit. The substance hardens in seconds, locking the Cyberman’s arm mid-reach and dropping it to the floor. The extinguisher’s effectiveness is short-lived, however—Flannigan exhausts its contents in this single use, leaving the crew with no reserves against the incoming Cybermen. The object symbolizes the fragility of their defenses: a temporary solution that buys time but cannot ultimately stop the invasion.
The loading bay door controls are the Cyberman’s primary target, as they provide access to the station’s interior. The Cyberman lunges for the panel with its clawed hand, intent on opening the doors for reinforcements. Flannigan’s quick-drying plastic extinguisher immobilizes the Cyberman just inches from the controls, preventing it from completing its directive. The door controls represent the thin line between the crew’s survival and the Cybermen’s conquest—securing them is a temporary victory, but the Cybermen’s relentless advance ensures the battle is far from over.
The Wheel’s outer loading bay doors are the last physical barrier between the crew and the Cybermen’s invasion. Flannigan slams them shut as the plastic extinguisher immobilizes the first Cyberman, but the lead spacewalking Cyberman wedges itself between the panels, forcing them open despite his efforts. The doors grind partially closed before the Cyberman’s bulk stops them, symbolizing the crew’s desperate but ultimately futile attempt to seal off the station. The doors’ failure underscores the Cybermen’s overwhelming force and the crew’s dwindling ability to defend themselves.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The loading bay is the frantic battleground where the crew’s survival hangs in the balance. Its industrial, echoing space amplifies the tension of the moment—every clang of metal, every grunt of effort, and the hiss of the plastic extinguisher reverberate off the walls. The bay is a maze of cargo crates, control panels, and heavy machinery, providing both cover and obstacles. The outer doors, the primary focus of the conflict, are the thin line between safety and annihilation. The atmosphere is one of desperate urgency, with the crew fighting not just the Cybermen but the clock, as their resources dwindle and the invaders close in.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Cybermen’s hive-mind collective is the driving force behind this assault, executing a coordinated invasion of the Wheel with mechanical precision. Their actions in the loading bay—hypnotizing crew like Vallance, immobilizing resistance, and breaching the outer doors—are all part of a larger strategy to conquer the station and use it as a launchpad for Earth. The Cybermen’s relentless logic and adaptability are on full display here: when one unit is neutralized, another takes its place, wedging itself between the doors to force entry. Their collective will ensures that setbacks are temporary, and their objectives will be achieved regardless of human resistance.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Jamie and Flannigan are confronted by Vallance and a Cyberman that makes them need to use the metal plate trick (beat_088bd8f44efee4a9)."
Cyberman dismisses Vallance’s value"Flannigan incapacitates the first Cyberman (beat_ee589f880c9110d5), but then more Cyberman approach and try to force entry, raising the stakes (beat_ba13eae9fea86a19)."
Cybermen breach loading bay defenses"Flannigan incapacitates the first Cyberman (beat_ee589f880c9110d5), but then more Cyberman approach and try to force entry, raising the stakes (beat_ba13eae9fea86a19)."
Cybermen breach loading bay defenses"A Cyberman is trying to force entry so Flannigan then repels them using the neutron force-field (beat_afa7b256abaf983a)."
Flannigan activates neutron force-fieldKey Dialogue
"JAMIE: Got it! Flannigan!"
"JAMIE: Use the plastic again."
"FLANNIGAN: I can't. I wasted it all on the other one."