#the cyberium ai

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

MASTER: Can I let you in on a little secret? It's okay, it's okay. I ingested the Cyberium. The battle AI of the Cybermen. I'm so many steps ahead. I can see it all, right through to all our ends. I'm sorry, Yaz, this is going to be very, very painful. YASMIN: In your dreams, mate. MASTER: Yeah.

so much here. a little secret; offering what the doctor never did. as he did in spyfall. as i bet he did during that long night that yaz didnt sleep after she didnt-die. as he did on the plane when he offered her answers. the doctor never did.

ingested the cyberium; most context yaz has is probably shelley? i dont think she saw the master on gallifrey. she didnt know (in the episode bc i do like the script version where she figures it out) that the master would be here when she started today. all she knows of the cyberium is what the doctor said about it in villa diodati or what the master says about it now + context clues. villa diodati for her i think is more than 5 years ago. i doubt she remembers anything concrete about what the doctor might have said about it there. i dont doubt she remembers shelley and the halfcyberman and the fate of humanity and the death and the pressure and the doctor for the first time saying out loud that yes im pulling away yes i keep my distance yes i wont let you close yes you know nothing about me yes it's on purpose yes people die yes theres blood on my hands yes i'll choose you over all of humanity yes

all our ends; the suicidal thread tying them all together. the doctor put her between them and the master accepted her position there. the mutually assured annihilation like matter and antimatter meeting in the middle. the flux to stop the doctor. what is yaz in this equation, the wild card? whatever she is, the master seems certain that she does not come out of this any better than they will (and he was right)

ever think about what flux is? might be? fluidity? irrigidity? the opposite of fixed? (cant fix myself) something inconstant? (cant be constant) the doctor is a cage that the doctor has lost the way out of. has forgotten how to leave. the doctor is a cage that is a home now made comfortable. or not. very painful actually. but known, familiar, unmoving. on the other side of the bars is Chaos. on the other side of the bars is he. the doctor is a cage that the doctor cant get out of not even to touch, not even to hold out a hand in friendship. because on the other side of the bars is Chaos. on the other side of the side of the bars is she.

in your dreams, mate. youve got none, love. your dreams are lonely. in your dreams you are alone. abandoned. left to fend for yourself by the people you love most. no one's coming. do it right this time.

what are dreams? hope, liminal, fear, processing, non-sequitur. what is yaz in this equation? if you ask me, mostly confused.

[rowanthestrange]

Doctor Who Meta: Cyberium AI Meta Masterpost

@grassangel​ said: A thought for you because of your meta: the Cyberium as the fluid in the opening credits.

It definitely does have a resemblance, doesn’t it. And that fits in with the Chibs style of ‘if you think it’s odd/wrong it probably serves a bigger purpose’.

The Cyberium AI is weird as hell. It’s clearly really important, not just as a plot device, but as itself. It’s got characterisation. It’s got a mirror important enough to be in the first episode - Tzim-Sha’s Gathering Coil, the first thing this Doctor ever faces.

And it mirrors the Doctor and Timeless Child’s ‘Power’. I mean it really mirrors them. To the point where, like with the Lone Cyberman and Rassilon, I’m not sure if it’s mirroring the character ridiculously heavily, or if it just straight up is the character. Just like working out Clara was going to be the Doctor with a TARDIS - I knew the result but I didn’t know what form it would take, literally the character or not, until the end. Cus that’s Doctor Who and its shapeshifting for you.

You know how my preferred method is to just point out all the metas as I see them, so you can draw your own conclusions if they’re different to mine, but I will actually put my thoughts as to what this all means at the end.

So click below for every bit of Cyberium AI meta from not just Series 12, not even just Series 11...but all the way back to Season 25)

(Under a cut because there was so much more than I thought there was)

In episode order then:

The Woman Who Fell To Earth

(The Gathering Coil as double-layer, mirroring the Cyberium AI’s role itself; but also therefore as its Doctor character mirror, and Timeless Child ‘Power’ mirror)

-See the title of the episode. The title with at least three references now.

-It crashes into a train when we meet it. A few moments before the Doctor does.

-“What are you? Okay, you don't like questions. More the private type, I get that.”

-Its data is absorbed into the Rassilon-mirror Tzim-Sha.

-In doing so also implants into him - and I quote the Doctor - “Micro-implants which code to your DNA. On detonation, they disrupt the foundation of your genetic code, melting your DNA.” Sound familiar?

-It’s being used - against the laws of the user’s species - in order to attain leadership. (Like Rassilon/Tecteun)

-Looks like one creature but is actually a huge number in the appearance of one. (The Doctor).

-The Gathering Coil might look like an Eldritch horror, but it never actually kills anyone on purpose. When it first shows up, the woman driving the train dies from shock, (“Shock” get it? Like...) Grace dies in an attempt to stop it by electrocuting it. The most damage it itself deliberately does, is short-circuit a crane.

----

The Haunting Of Villa Diodatti:

(Heavily as Timeless Child ‘Power’ mirror(?))

-The Lone Cyberman confirms the Cyberium AI to be both a lifeform and ‘weapon of some kind’. Like the Ux.

-We meet it already inside Doctor-mirror Percy Shelley - suicidal, social activist, and a great believer in the importance of society having Hope even if not so good at it himself. He is not trying to use its powers, but as Guardian of them doesn’t want others to take and abuse them. The word ‘Guard’ is also used by Mary in regards to the child. (And we could leave this episode and say how Irish Metaphor Doctor was a ‘Garda’ but you get the point).

-It hides in a house that appears to warp and change and shield and use a perception filter - theorised to be the Cyberium AI warping the perceptions of people in the building, even though none of them are remotely Cyber in any way. Shelley says directly only some of the changing is his doing. On a practical level, it must have strong telepathic abilities - like the Doctor. On a meta level, it hides itself in a place that mirrors a TARDIS.

-The Doctor can’t find it at first because it’s “hidden away, cloaked, too big to register.” Like the Timeless Child memories.

-The Doctor seemingly genuinely didn’t know what it was a minute ago, when she was asking Ashad what it was. But now suddenly she does know: “Cyber technology. The knowledge of the whole cyber race and AI from the future, containing the knowledge and future history of all Cybermen”. Almost as if she’s remembered.

-This next bit’s important and connected so we’ll just do the whole lot and break it up afterwards:

Percy: “They scorched and split the sky. Built the army of all armies. Left behind only pain, rage, fear and death.” Mary: “How is he seeing all this?” The Doctor: “The Cyberium is burning through his mind. It'll destroy him if it stays in him much longer. An epic battle. The Cyberium at the heart of it, controlling data, strategy, decision-making. Clever! Very clever. Someone took it from the Cybermen, sent it back through time here in an attempt to change the future.” *The Lone Cyberman tries to break in* The Doctor: “In an attempt to protect you from that.”

-Like Donna with the Doctor’s memories, this is burning Percy up. -An epic Battle, like with the Ux - a great battle referenced and not explained. The Cyberium AI instead of the Ux at the heart of it, used to fight it. (If anyone’s still assuming the Timeless Child(ren) thing was simply about regeneration power, there should be more focus on the Division and the Child as weapon). -The Doctor again coming in with extra information. -Possible Future Meta: Someone attempted to change the future by taking the source of power from the Rassilon (see the mirror).

-Thirteen tells the Doctor-mirror to just let the Rassilon-mirror have the power. (Reminds me of how the Timeless Child ‘would not yield any secrets’). But the Cyberium AI has been sending Shelley (Doctor-mirror) symbols and numbers. So Possible Future Meta: It wasn’t just the regeneration power Rassilon got from the Timeless Child, it was also information. (Of course - the Doctor, especially this one meant to mirror all this, is the Builder And Destroyer, after all)

-We confirm the Cyberium AI’s own sentience, separate from its host, (and its reluctance to leave). It changes the mental map of the house specifically to avoid the Lone Cyberman.

-The Lone Cyberman believes the host must be killed in order to get the power out. Mary Shelley immediately talks to the Lone Cyberman about fatherhood, and how he doesn’t want to do this. (Rassilon/Tecteun)

-The Doctor convinces the Cyberium AI to leave by showing it Percy’s future. (The mercury-like substance exits Percy quite like the poison with Ten. Given the amount of Ten-era-mirroring, this one’s cute).  (Possible Future Meta: The Doctor meeting Timeless Child self, like with Martin!Doctor).

-The Cyberium AI goes to the Doctor, who calls herself its “true Guardian”. Says it feels “Very at home”. Going with how she seemed to remember what it was without ever being told earlier...

-The Doctor, when her friends and the planet is at risk, decides to give it over the the Lone Cyberman, and the Cyberium works with her in a way it refused to with Shelley, meaning she didn’t need to die, even though she says it had already started fusing.

-Next after the Doctor-mirror/Doctor, the power enters the Rassilon-mirror.

-(Yaz restarts the Doctor-mirror’s heart. That’s not important to this meta, but it sure is important to other ones).

-We talk about ghosts just as we enter the Ghost Monument.

----

Ascension Of The Cybermen:

(Both as Doctor mirror and Timeless Child Power mirror)

-Cyberium!Ashad says “The Cyberium does know you. Both you and humanity will be destroyed, and I shall bring the Cyber race to its greatest ever glory.” - the Cyberium AI has already seen the Doctor’s death before. Or it’s lying.

-The Doctor’s blatantly obvious talking-to-herself therapy speech is to Cyberium!Ashad.

“The Cyberium has given me understanding. It has distilled my purpose. I am the perfect vessel.” - A container, a ship for the Cyberium AI.

“Everything is in me for the ascension of the Cybermen, and beyond. ... All your deaths. The death of everything is within me.” - First, mirrors the ‘life’ within the Timeless Child. Second, considering before this was previously an AI trying to avoid conflict and entering Ashad, the fact that Ashad and his death particle gets convinced to go to the Master and Gallifrey, makes me wonder how much the Cyberium AI was forced to go along because that’s its nature and it has to follow instructions, or whether it was planning and pulling the strings. Or both - TARDIS-style.

----

The Timeless Children:

(Heavily as Doctor mirror, minorly Timeless Child Power mirror)

-“Oh. Oop. Excuse me. Check my notifications. Oh, goodie! The Cybermen are here, at the Boundary. Better extend the hand of friendship. Breaker 1-2 calling all Cybes.” So the Master knew that the Cybermen would come. How? They haven’t interacted from our perspective at all.

-The Master says to Cyberium!Ashad “I want you to think of me as your new best friend.”

-Master to the Doctor: “Don't heckle, dear. I can always decide to cut you short.” -Master to Cyberium!Ashad: “Oh, shoot. I should've said, somebody needs to cut you down to size, then zapped you. I was just trigger-happy. I'll use it next time.” (Plus, a ‘next time’ - we haven’t seen the last of him).

-The Cyberium AI is revealed to have been the one to create the Death Particle. Which again makes me question who’s pulling whose strings. As the Master points out Ashad is more organic than most, and Ashad simply says that he’ll mechanise when the process is over - ignoring the point that this didn’t work before. And Ashad seems to think it will wipe out everything, ignoring the reality that its coverage is only a single planet.

-The Master is clearly talking to the Cyberium more than Ashad at points.

Ashad: “The Cyberium will process and dictate the strategy.” The Master: “The Cyberium. I've heard a lot about that over the millennia. The heart of all your power. The centre of all Cyber knowledge.” -Sounds very like the other Timeless Child(ren) mirror - the Ux.

-The Master actively flirts with it. “Oh, come on, Cyberium, show us some leg. What do you actually look like, hmm?” And after shrinking Ashad without so much as a close-up, like he’s been nothing to the plot, “Well, aren't you pretty? And fast. You made your exit very swiftly there. Worried, were you?”

-The Master hoped the Death Particle would activate and laments to the Cyberium AI that his “nice little gamble” didn’t pay off - as in it didn’t kill him. (Assuming Timeless Children plural, that may be the only thing that would work, and that he is telling this to the Cyberium AI again could fit nicely with the narrative idea that it knows what it’s doing).

-“Oh, sorry, were you close? Candidly, I think you can do better.” ... “Wow, that was quick. Wa-ha-ha! Whoa! Woohoo! At least buy me... dinner!” - (And considering we all had a giggle at the clearly intentionally funny ‘a piece of you is in me’ line that’s going to happen either in about a minute, or in the world of the episode and making adjustments for simultaneous storytelling, right now...)

-“I ransacked the Matrix of the Time Lords, distilled all the knowledge, all the experiences, all the discoveries, into these brains up here. All the Cyber knowledge, all the Time Lord knowledge. Put it together, what do you get? Absolute supremacy in the universe. Choose me.” - (The Master pointing out we’ve now got two sets of incredible knowledge. Rule of three has me wondering about the Timeless Child’s ‘Knowledge’.)

-After the power was originally in the Doctor-mirror/Doctor, it then went to the Rassilon-mirror(?) and then to the Master. If you’re a fan of Timeless Children Plural theory.

-The Master: “No, Doctor. As of now, I wish my enemies a long and healthy life, so they may witness my many triumphs, because they will be legion.” - (So, in case you’re not familiar with the Legion thing, two points: A Legion was a division in the Roman army of about 3000-6000 men. We will be coming back to Rome - oh God will we - but just slot that information away for later. Point two - For another use of Legion, we need to head to the Bible, Mark 5:1-9. ‘Who cares, Rowan?’ Well, this is the story in which there is a man living among tombs, who no-one can bind, not even with chains. He cries out and attacks himself, and on seeing Jesus in the distance rushes over and kneels before him, screaming that he’d put him under oath not to torment him. Jesus doesn’t talk to him, but to what is possessing him, ordering it to come out, and asking its name. And it, not the man replies: “I am Legion, for we are many.” (Fun fact, we eventually get rid of the demons by exorcising them into animals who then run off...a...cliff. *sighs* Ok.)

The Doctor: “You're looking peaky.” The Master: “Oh, yeah. The Cyberium lives in me now, Doctor. Yeah. Yes. See, I've been looking forward to seeing your face about that. I can feel it flowing around in me. The information, the strategy, the... the... the consciousness. It's a beautiful thing. And look at us. I have broken you and created a new race. And now? Now I shall conquer... everything. Oh.”

-“See, I've been looking forward to seeing your face about that.” - This is a quiet point that exemplifies a major one. The Master’s story is different to ours. He knows things that we do not. The Doctor in theory (though I doubt in practice) had never come across the Cyberium AI before, she hasn’t mentioned its name or anything about it to the Master. In theory (again press x) the Lone Cyberman carrying the Cyberium AI just turned up when the Master dragged the Doctor through to Gallifrey as pure happenstance, he should know nothing about that incident with the AI and Shelley (and yet he quotes him). Why has he been looking forward to seeing her face in regards to that? What does he know about it that he expects her to remember? Just like with the Timeless Child infodump, we are fools if we take all this at face value, because the Master planned for all of this. And it seems like the Cyberium AI _itself_ is planning too.

Ko Sharmus: “You didn't start this. I did. I was part of a resistance unit that sent the Cyberium back through time and space. Though obviously we didn't send it back far enough. So this is my penance. Mine to finish. My journey ends here. But the universe still needs you, so I suggest you run.” (Ko Sharmus is treated way too important. We’ve got to see him again.)

----

Done? Done.

Well no, no actually we’re not. Because there is one final episode.

But we have to go back, just a little bit, to the Seventh Doctor. Stick with me. I promise you’ll be glad you did.

Silver Nemesis:

-A story revolving around a thing called Validium.

-To quote the TARDIS Wiki: “It was living metal that could think for itself and was capable of speech as well. When destroyed, it could reform itself.”

The Doctor: “Validium was created as the ultimate defence for Gallifrey, back in early times.” Ace: “Created by Omega?” The Doctor: “Yes.” Ace: “And?” The Doctor: “Rassilon.” Ace: “And?” The Doctor: “And none of it should have left Gallifrey. But, as always with these things, some of it did.”

-Catch that hint of the Cartmel Masterplan where it’s clearly meant to lead you to ‘And? The Other One’. It’s ok, you’re not reading too far into it, I promise.

-“It should never have left Gallifrey, but some of it did. A piece of validium fell to Earth and was found by the Lady Peinforte.” Can you guess what she did with it? Why, she moulded it into a statue of herself.

-A silver lady statue.

-(You remember how we just seemed to abandon Barton? Who is somewhat not human? Was involved with creatures from another dimension? And that statue? Seemed set-up for a cyber plan? Saw nothing wrong with a bit of familial murder? Ooh hoo. Welp.)

-Nazis are involved. Ill-timed notifications. The Doctor forgetting. A cellar. (A fez). A meteorite containing the validium crashes by a barn. On November the 23rd. Happy Birthday. We blow things up. A lot of things.

-The villains of the piece? Besides the nazis and the Time(travelling) Lady? Well it could only be the Cybermen. A bit of the Validium is held by each of them

-The Cybermen take their bit of the Validium to the tomb of the Lady, with an inscription “Death Is But A Door”. The Lady is not buried there, and it doubles as a pun, with a hidden door.

-One of the lead nazis betrays his fellow to be turned into a Cyberman. “Supermen are all very well, but the giants are the master race.”

-The Seventh Doctor is mirrored with the Lady, who describes herself as evil. They even have mirrored scenes with their equivalent companions.

-The Lady: “All power, all power past, present and future, shall be mine. Why, I shall be mistress of all of that is, all that shall be, all that ever was. Yes, all! All!” - Oh, doesn’t she sound familiar now...

-Point Of Interest: Like many of the concepts Chibs has been playing with from Classic Who - the Morbius Doctors, almost certainly the Valeyard - this was apparently a fairly controversial episode among the old guard. Why? Because well...

The Validium: “I am beautiful, am I not?” Ace: “Yes. You're very beautiful.” The Validium: “It is only my present form. I have had others which would horrify you. I shall have those again. You are surprised I speak?” Ace: “I know you're living metal.” The Validium: “I am whatever I am made to be. This time Lady Peinforte called me Nemesis, so I am retribution.”

-I mean this is all cute but it doesn’t explain why it’s here and-

The Validium: “And I'm to destroy the entire Cyberfleet?” The Doctor: “Forever.” The Validium: “And then?” The Doctor: “Reform.” The Validium: “You might need me in the future, then?” The Doctor: “I hope not.” The Validium: “That is what you said before.” The Doctor: “Enough.” The Validium: “And after this, will I have my freedom?” The Doctor: “Not yet.” The Validium: “When?” The Doctor: “I told you when.” The Doctor: “Things are still imperfect.”

-Oh well that’s...Hmm.

Lady Peinforte: “You are nothing. Only the Doctor matters, and he is but a pawn in the game of my making.” ... Ace: “The Doctor's not just going to give you the bow. Tell her, Doctor. Tell her.” Lady Peinforte: “Doctor who? Have you never wondered where he came from, who he is?” Ace: “Nobody knows who the Doctor is.” Lady Peinforte: “Except me.” Ace: “How?” Lady Peinforte: “The statue told me.” Ace: “All right, so what does it matter? He's a Time Lord, I know that.” Lady Peinforte: “Well, Doctor?” The Doctor: “If I give you the bow,” Lady Peinforte: “Your power becomes mine, but your secrets remain your own.” ... Lady Peinforte: “I shall tell them of Gallifrey, tell them of the old time, the time of chaos.” ... The Doctor: “You had the right game, but the wrong pawn. Check.”

-What used to be the Cartmell Master plan is now the Timeless Child Master...plan- Is this why it’s involving the Master? For a pun? Whatever, either way the Seventh Doctor is now a treasure trove of useful ideas - I did wonder why Chibs chose Ace in particular as the companion who should get a ‘Thirteen meeting them again’ book - trying to lure people in for a second look, clearly.

-So what happens in the story? In the Timeless Child, the Master ends up absorbing the Cyberium. In Silver Nemesis, the Validium absorbs our Lady Mistress Of All. How neat.

-The Doctor ‘wins’ by giving the Validium the Cyberleader’s instructions, confirming it understood them, and then the Cybermen let it fly off to their fleet. Which then blows up. Because it chose to disobey them. (As he knew it would).

-The Validium is left floating in space, until the Doctor calls on it again. I’m not saying this relates to opening titles full of goop, but I’m not saying it doesn’t either.

So. That’s a lot. While I would usually doubt the Validium would literally be the Cyberium, and that it would be for fans to join together as they wished or not... Honestly, given the use of lore in Chibs Who, I don’t actually feel certain of that anymore.

But either way, there’s your meta masterpost, you can commence your theorising now.

****

I know no-one comes to these things for my stupid conclusions, but in case you did, here’s a couple of my very disparate fever-brained thoughts, that I’m too ill to put together more...smartly, and might have to come back to if you’re ever going to actually see this post:

-The Doctor/The Other/The Timeless Child had a hand in the weaponisation of the Cyberium AI (forced/cajoled/whatever).

-The Time Lord empire, in at least one version of reality, is inextricably linked to the Cybermen empire, with the Cybermen showing similar levels of technology to Time Lords (a cyber carrier ‘more advanced’ than very far future humans have ever seen - “Coming out of vortex now”, implies it has time vortex travel. And “That’s my home planet - that's Gallifrey”. Immediately the image cuts to Cyberman, then straight back.)

-The Timeless Child was chosen as a vessel to save some form of living knowledge, rather than just being a mystical alien.

-((My nuttiest guess that is only 30% meta and 70% gut feel is it’s a TARDIS-kind, probably our own, which stayed with them because they carried her, and now she carries them. That concept, the little links we’re seeing with TARDISes and their sentience, the implied planetary genocide of all but a saved pair, cyberised humans and cyberised Time Lords - a TARDIS is a cyberised something, the question of living technology, the gloop of the vortex, the Ghost Monument, the Doctor’s agonised loss of her for her first episode that she then only finds at the end of the second on a dead planet ruined by space-fascists...))

-Are those two the same story? You could go in either direction. The stories are all about cycles and loops, so a strong case for mirroring, but at the same time we have a Lone Cyberman who can’t be converted properly and no-one knows why, which makes me think that is still Rassilon with either the ghost of a memory of an old plan, or - thanks to time travel - the old plan itself. That perhaps the Timeless Child’s Power would end up somewhat fused with the Doctor when they turned it into the weaponised Cyberium “AI”, explains why we see it in meta go from benign to weapon creator.

-The Cyberium AI created the Death Particle which would destroy all life and stop the Cyber-Time Lords from taking over. This feels like the exact thing the Doctor was trying to stop with the Time Lords in The End Of Time, and Day Of The Doctor, as their absolute last-ditch plan.

-Certainly the Battle that the Alliance are gearing up for, I would assume is the same battle that we keep seeing in mirrors, and is directly related to Gallifrey. It keeps coming up linked together, like with Ko Sharmus, and we first find out about the Alliance from the inside of a stolen Battle TARDIS.

-So perhaps that’s a point that history is hinging on, and someone - read: the Master - has chosen to interfere. Things all seemed to go wrong after he discovered the Timeless Child information - impossible Time Lords and TARDISes appearing, an Alliance, a Cyber Empire etc. Maybe originally the Doctor/Timeless Child (title, not necessarily youth) was used to control the Cyberium AI and win the battle. But the Master took them away from Rassilon so that couldn’t happen, so everything’s a catastrofuck of paradoxes.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We got a long time to think about it at least.

[evviejo]

thirteen in ascension of the cybermen

have you not asked the great slab of cyber ai you absorbed about me? i’m the doctor. consult the cyberium, mate. i’ve stopped you lot so many times before, and i’ll do it again, time after time after time

[armageddon-generation]

Despite 13's warnings, the Cybermen weren't trying to convert anybody in Ascension of the Cybermen

Easy ways to fix that :

The Cyber-drones should latch onto people's heads like face-huggers. Think like the snapping Cyber-head vs Amy in The Pandorica Opens. They grab you from above like the Iron Man suit, then electro-stun you so the foot soldiers can harvest you

The Lone Cyberman/Ashad then kills the captured humans, going against the programming of his cyber-guards. This shows his anger and aggression in contrast to the regular Cybermen

The Cyberium didn't impact the plot. It's an AI that controls all Cybermen, so when Yaz and Graham are stuck in space surrounded by Cyberman parts, Ashad brings them to life and they start attacking the ship. Once it's docked they have to fight off a legless cyber-torso with power tools.

[electricnik]

There has certainly been a lot of crossover between Ultron and the Cybermen in the recent Dr Who series. Cybermen were seen sporting shoulder spikes like Ultrons and now the Cybermen are now saying that they wish to wipe out all organic life as directed by ruling Ai, The Cyberium, that was an early obsession of Ultron's. The Cyberium's plot is somewhat similar to when Ultron took over the Phalanx.

Illustration from Rage Of Ultron by Remender, Opena, Larraz and Morales.

[theskyexists]

The Timeless Children

I hated everything about this.

Like - EVERYTHING.

1. The companions had nothing to do with the Doctor the whole episode and contributed literally nothing to her story - they didn't even SAVE HER BECAUSE SHE SAVED HERSELF. They somehow find her in the centre of the ruins after they have a ‘touching’ moment about willing to risk their lives to save her - but they come into the room JUST after it’s become completely irrelevant - it was like a fucking PARODY.  They never even learned what the fuck was up with her. Yaz gets nothing in return for her classic faith in the Doctor - this is worse than fucking Martha. And still no hugs - loveless. COMPLETELY LOVELESS.

2. There was zero suspense. Zero. Who CARES about the mystery of the Timeless Child and their society if the Time Lords are fucking dead. Who CARES about the companions being in danger when they’re in a completely separate plot - like - COMPLETELY. I thought the Doctor trying to bargain her life for theirs was a juicy line - too bad it meant NOTHING - had NO impact whatsoever. Half of this episode was pure exposition dump?

3. Why was this the Master show? - he just talked for 30 minutes (I think it might genuinely have been 30 ACTUAL minutes) while the Doctor said NOTHING - even Sasha Dhawan can’t carry that off???? I can’t believe that Chibs had me get bored of Sasha’s performance???? HOW. It was so repetitive - truth truth truth. I’m so weepy - I’m so mad - I’m so clever. Oh I’ve broken you - yep I’ve broken you. Why is there even the fuckin assumption?? I could not parse why this would be SO devastating to anyone that Chibs would hang the whole plot and emotional arc on this. Literally immobilising the Doctor and making her mute K.O.’d their INCREDIBLE chemistry. JEzus Christ.

4. This episode went: weapons are good though. Use bombs and guns!

5. ‘You can’t pretend to be cybermen for ANY amount of time’ - yet somehow they manage to masquerade as cybermen to such an extent that they can join a platoon, teleport down, shoot at people, and kill the cybermen remaining. Well why didn’t anyone else think of this???

6. Reduced cybermen down to - armour that you can fuckin PUT ON?????

7. NO attempt at body horror was made even when there was the opportunity. Human remains? we see nothing of the Cybermen’s previous humanity and their nature as victims. No threat of conversion for any of the companions. This was possibly the least scary chib episode yet and that says something.

8. If Ryan had lobbed a bomb at Yaz and Graham they would have been DEAD.

9. Why kill that girl when she should know that Cybermen don’t even falter at gunfire so how can she provide ‘cover’ lol

10. Needless explanation and repetition resulting in ZERO suspense.  The Master explaining that he sent the Doctor those visions - useless minutiae. The Doctor retreading everything the Master has just told the audience - making her seem dumb and making me FEEL like he thinks I’m fuckin dumb.

11. Completely anticlimactic end for the Lone Cyberman.

12. The Doctor did not start out a rebel - did not start out looking at the stars going: ah....I want to go there. They interfered because they had been primed for it by years of working for the ‘Division’ - they weren’t a rebel who wanted to see more and then realised they could actually do good - in defiance of the conservative society they were part of. No. They’d been the Doctor even before Ian called One that. Well that cool and wonderful theory of being Named and taught by humans can go out the window.

13. First, the particle would destroy all life in the universe. Then - suddenly - as though they rewrote the script while they were filming - it would only destroy all life on the planet. Right.

14. Why even MENTION that nobody can enter the TARDIS in this very series if you end it on the fucking JUDOON!!!! JUDOON!!!! teleporting in.

15. It was repeatedly said that the Cybermen can ‘read’ human lifesigns but not uhhhhhh when it’s inconvenient I guess.

16. Is Tec-Teun Rassilon? Because I didn’t get the sense that the Time Lords’ rise to power on the back of their seemingly harmless genetic splicing was presented as a bad thing per se. So what the fuck is the issue. The Master was just mad that the Doctor was essential to the creation of his being. Ok. I guess there was no moral argument behind it or anything. They didn’t deserve to get wiped out - it really was just a lunatic who somehow gained the power to destroy one of the greatest civilisations ever (which is certainly also never explained).

17. Still no idea where Missy and her character development fits in this. Apparently this Gallifrey destruction wasn’t because of anything clever like that the Master learned from the Doctor and obliterated the Time Lords for being quite particularly evil by their new rules - no he just...... killed them because his ego got hurt? right.

18. Somehow not a single cyberman notices them disassembling 5 cybermen making a lots of noise - not even the fucking CYBERIUM - the hub of all strategic fuckin cyberknowledge or whatever - apparently they haven’t thought of sensors and AI interfaces being able to use them when plugged into a damn ship yet in the far future. Nobody notices them boarding, planting bombs, running away. None of the Cybermen can shoot straight. What a fuckin threat.

19. The Doctor really just needed a goddamn peptalk from her way more Doctor-ish past self to blow the Matrix out? That sequence was pretty fucking shit-looking. And then the emotional resolution is that she’s totally ok with being more than she remembers? Oh ok. ‘You’re afraid - not me!’ OK?? Why? Why? Would the Master have expected the Doctor to respond like it’s some awful truth. Ok the founders lied bc the Time Kid got out of control but then they lost track of them again? I mean yikes they suck. Isn’t the goddamn emotional punch really that their people are dead - again?? Dead??? forever??? what about its children??? what about the horror and the guilt and - does none of that matter any more? Guess we have another Dimension to travel to to see where the Doctor actually came from. Old conflictual but significant relationship with ‘home’ ended- mysterious dimension is the Doctor’s home now.

20. The end implies that the Doctor wasn’t hesitating to kill the Master, the last remains of the Time Lords and every single living thing on her home planet - she was just hesitating to kill herself. I said Chibnall had no moral intelligence but - he truly does not understand the Doctor in any way!? I cannot express how much I despise this. This was worse than mediocre it was fucking CRIMINAL. And it wasn’t even a triumph - it wasn’t even a defeat of the fuckin Master either (and who even CARES about Ko Sharmus????).

I lied I liked four things:

1. Graham and Yaz having their heart to heart.

2. Ginger-haired Brandon being the Doctor. That was a great visual parallel.

3. The overall backstory to the start of the Time Lords was like - fine. I prefer mythological backstories to be nebulous. But alright. Put the focus on the ability to regenerate instead of time travelling - ok, that makes sense - sure - whatever. All the diversity was pretty beautiful too.

4. At least the Master got choked this time (jfc chibnall - can you write NO other shorthand for the willingness to use deadly force???)

[fenris-ranger]

POWER OF THE DOCTOR SPOILERS/livethoughts

scheduling this to post after it airs in the USA

"they're regenerating" now how did some random train marshal know what regeneration energy looks like?

"I've got you" i'm already in tears stop

I know the train sequence is very CGI-intensive, and maybe it's just bc I'm streaming it off iPlayer, but the graphics aren't impressing me :/

The train people know what Cybermen are, too? Idk how well known they are throughout the galaxy, but they and the Daleks always have seemed to me like since they don't leave anybody alive, they're more legends to normal people.

"Don't lose my sonic" feels like forwarding

Professional medic Yaz!!!

"This is your Space Train Driver, Dan" i love him

oh fuck oh shit it's baby her isn't it? at the very least an obvious analogue.

NO OH MY GOD I'M BUFFERING HELP

I thought they said this was the longest intro before the title sequence ever? didn't feel notably long.

I really wish I'd had time to go back and watch Ace and Teagan's episodes first -- maybe somebody will make a good list of "things you need to watch to understand the Classic Who easter eggs" after.

"Back in time for your date!" and then immediately planning things with Yaz, parallels!

"You don't have to come back for me" oh no are we losing him this early?????? Is he never going to know what happens to his Space Lesbians just like I feared????

"See ya again, Doctor" I'M WEEPING, JODIE YOUR FACE

I'm so sad for Yaz to lose "her companion" so early :(

Parlay with the Daleks? sus but also exactly the trap that the Doctor will fall into

I didn't remember the Kaleds -- tardiswiki link

aaaagh i read the extra planet/mirror earth theory shit, they were right??

ra ra rasputin lover of the russian queen -- wait oh fuck

dhawan is reasonably attractive but not as rasputin and not in the cleanshaven promo pics either imo

"stay here" as if -- haha, immediately "nope!"

yaz can read the tardis screens so well, ilu </3

ah, not Tim Shaw then (don't see anything about the Qurunx in the wiki, so I assume he made it up for this episode?)

"bit busy, Kate, can it wait?"

"have you any idea what's going on in outer space in 1916 right now?" "strangely enough, no"

no yazzy don't have to face what it's like to lose the doctor for 38 years omg mandip still rocking the microexpressions

"defaced" ew that's hideous

competent Yaz is so brilliant to see

the seismologist!master holding TCE-Yaz has to be coming up and i'm terrifed

the master talking to yaz but yaz refusing to look anywhere but at the doctor omg

GIVE HER A GUN WHAT "she must be worried" no shit

just shoot him yaz please

i knew the battle AI aspect of the cyberium had to come back

"I said i'm in your head, dear" I don't ship thoschei in this incarnation because thasmin, but i'm picking up what you're putting down

I don't really understand why they brought Vinder back -- he wasn't really compelling or super important in Flux?

"oh, and i have a ship problem, in that . . . it's broken"

"your dad was an idiot" ugh i LOVE him recognizing all the companions and the references to classic who

"she really doesn't want us back in there!" aww, sad

"I'm supposed to be the one saying that to you" yesss give me continued Yaz-becoming-the-Doctor parallels

are they really just strolling alongside magma without breaking a sweat?

i'm still so struck by how dhawan really emulates the energy and batshit insanity of Simm!Master

YAZ IS GOING TO PILOT IT BY HERSELF MY SWEET BRILLIANT CHILD

HER STICKY NOTES

THE CLOISTER BELL

I'M DECEASED

has dhawan always had that subconjunctival hemorrhage or whatever patch in his right eye or is that a character thing?

"forced regeneration" just sounds like death, why does it need technology? just shoot her or something

holy shit I can't believe they used "ra ra rasputin" -- the Master dancing around to a modern song is straight out of the Simm!Master playbook

*the owl house voice* BODY SWAP!

THE EARRING AND EVERYTHING

aw, not a body swap :( I would have fucking gagged if we finally got Whittaker!Master

Aw we knew the jacket was coming back but it's still brilliant to see Ace in it!

SCARF SWEATER CELERY SCARF SWEATER CELERY

fuck yeah, yaz! i'm so glad she gets to be hypercompetent

NO NOT ANOTHER HOLOGRAM NOT LIKE THIS okay who's signing up to write the Yaz trauma flashbacks

kate stewart is a babe

YAZ YAZ YAZ YAZ stop being so amazing

if he makes a pass at Yaz because he knows, i will kill him myself, fictional or not

graham!!!! "arnold palmer-son" lmao his psychic paper. but why did he try to explain daleks to her when she wasn't at all phased by reading off info about the doctor/daleks?

KATE NO i saw the sacrifice coming but if it goes through i'll be devastated (especially because she knows better than most exactly what is going to happen, being the chief science officer forever)

JO JO JO JO -- are we up to 9 doctors now in this episode? Fugitive, One, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Dhawan!Doctor, Thirteen, presumably Ten-variant?

Very Kirk/Spock "i am and always will be your friend" vibes through the glass

"I'd only just signed the lease." YES KATE GETS TO GO IN TOO

I love her in the welding goggles

Type 75!!!

what was the point of Yaz saying "go go go!" that was just awkward

"what a universe" her fucking wonder is the most beautiful thing, that really encapsulates Thirteen for me -- she went much more childlike than previous incarnations but that just let her be constantly in awe and it's borderline holy

no no no no no no no

YAZ SO STRONG SO BUFF THE DOCTOR'S BUTCH WIFE WE LOVE TO SEE IT

fuck you can tell this is at least 50% just Jodie crying I'm losing it

NO WHAT

NO

YOU CANNOT REGENERATE ALONE WHAT THE FUCK CHIBNALL

at least Dan knows :( :( :(

i mean i get that she didn't want to face being rejected by a companion once she switched faces again, but whyyyy

HOW DARE YOU DEPRIVE ME OF TENNANT IN THIRTEEN'S OUTFIT????????? (also lmao at how we ALL called the "wot? wot?!")

[learncyberium]

How can Cyberium Blockchain be implemented in Security Services?

Introduction:

The security industry is a critical sector that helps to protect people, property, and businesses from harm. In recent years, the industry has undergone a digital transformation, with new technologies and approaches adopted to improve efficiency and effectiveness. One area that has seen significant development is security services, where companies are offering increasingly sophisticated solutions that use artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and other advanced technologies. 

One company that is at the forefront of this change is Cyberium, which has developed a blockchain-based platform that enables security services to be automated and transparent. The platform automates bookings, payments, and invoicing tasks using smart contracts. It also provides a decentralized marketplace where security companies can list their services and find new customers. 

Cyberium is bringing a new level of transparency and efficiency to the security industry, and its platform has the potential to revolutionize the way that security services are delivered. In this article, we will explore how Cyberium's blockchain platform can be used in security services and how it can bring automation and transparency to the industry. 

How Cyberium's Blockchain Platform Can Be Used in Security Services?

As mentioned above, Cyberium's blockchain platform can be used in security services to automate tasks and make the industry more efficient. The platform uses smart contracts to enable bookings, payments, and invoicing to be carried out automatically without requiring manual intervention. This not only saves time and reduces costs but also reduces the chances of human error. 

In addition, the platform provides a decentralized marketplace where security companies can list their services and find new customers. The marketplace is powered by a reputation system that allows users to rate the services they have used, which helps to ensure that only the best companies can thrive. 

The combination of automation, transparency, and efficiency that Cyberium's blockchain platform brings to security services will appeal to security companies and their customers. In a sector often associated with high costs and low service levels, the ability to cut costs and improve efficiency is a major selling point. 

Top 10 Benefits of Using Blockchain for Security Services 

Blockchain technology can bring a number of benefits to security services, including: 

1. Automation of tasks: As mentioned above, one of the key benefits of using Cyberium's blockchain platform is automating tasks such as bookings, payments, and invoicing. This can save time and money and reduce the chances of human error. 

2. Decentralized marketplace: The platform provides a decentralized marketplace where security companies can list their services and find new customers. The marketplace is powered by a reputation system that allows users to rate the services they have used, which helps to ensure that only the best companies can thrive. 

3. Improved efficiency: The automation of processes enabled by Cyberium's blockchain platform can help improve security services' efficiency. 

4. Reduced costs: Automating tasks can help reduce the costs associated with security services. 

5. Increased transparency: The platform provides a transparent and decentralized marketplace where companies can list their services. This helps to ensure that only the best companies can thrive and that customers have all the information they need to make informed choices. 

6. Faster transactions: The use of smart contracts on the platform enables bookings, payments, and invoicing to be carried out automatically without requiring manual intervention. This can help to speed up transactions and improve efficiency. 

7. Secure data storage: The platform uses blockchain technology to store data securely, ensuring that it cannot be tampered with or deleted. 

8. Enhanced security: The platform's use of smart contracts and decentralized marketplace help to enhance safety by reducing the chances of human error and fraud. 

9. Improved customer service: The transparent marketplace enabled by Cyberium's blockchain platform can help to improve customer service, as companies must compete on quality to succeed. 

10. Global reach: The platform's decentralized marketplace allows security companies to list their services globally, increasing their reach and potential customer base. 

These are just some of how Cyberium's blockchain platform can be used in security services. The possibilities are endless, and the benefits are clear. Blockchain technology is sure to revolutionize the security industry with its ability to automate tasks, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. 

How Cyberium Blockchain Can Bring Automation and Transparency to Security Services 

As we have seen, Cyberium's blockchain platform can be used in security services to automate tasks and make the industry more efficient. In addition, the platform provides a decentralized marketplace powered by a reputation system, ensuring that only the best companies can thrive. 

Combining these features brings a new level of automation and transparency to security services, which will appeal to security companies and their customers. In a sector often associated with high costs and low service levels, the ability to cut costs and improve efficiency is a major selling point. 

Conclusion 

Cyberium's blockchain platform has the potential to revolutionize the way that security services are delivered, bringing a new level of automation and transparency to the industry. In a sector often associated with high costs and low service levels, the ability to cut costs and improve efficiency is a major selling point. 

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

[id: the doctor: we're here to help, but we're also stuck in the time loop. the robot isnt a robot, it's called a dalek and it's a living mutant creature inside weaponised battle transport. it will kill everything not within its own image.]

13 still very adamant that it's Not A Robot. especially with these lines right around it. mutant creature. weaponised battle transport. not within its own image

DOCTOR: (scanning it) Half organic, half machine. Starts to make sense now. Wait. It's a Gathering Coil. No, dozens of Gathering Coils. These tentacle-y things, they're creatures which gather information. They've been lashed together and augmented into one super-creature. But why? What data are they gathering? Unless... YASMIN: So that's an alien species? DOCTOR: Not really. More of a semi-species. Weaponised bio-tech.

DOCTOR: What are we talking here? A lifeform? A weapon of some kind? CYBERMAN: Both...

ASHAD [hologram]: The Cyberium has given me understanding. It has distilled my purpose. I am the perfect vessel. Everything is in me for the ascension of the Cybermen, and beyond. DOCTOR: What do you mean, beyond? What's beyond that? ASHAD [hologram]: All your deaths. The death of everything is within me.

wait a minute

CYBERMAN: I am addressing the Cyberium. It must execute the host to be extracted.

DOCTOR: Old Time Lord trick. Not a nice one. Pushed his mind to his future death, tricked the Cyberium into letting go, hoped his body would survive the trauma.

might this be a way to get around the division bomb thats possibly in the doctor's head?

oh! you know how else is Unimpressed by robots? and who used these exact words too?

MASTER: But robots. Oof. I'm a bit disappointed. I see how you got there - an AI wanting to create more things in its own image - but it lacks vision. Right, what if we, er, workshop this? You know, kick it around a bit? I have notes. ASHAD: You question the strategy of the Cyberium? MASTER: I do. I mean, it's good, but it's not great. There's loads of robots. Throw a stick in this universe, you'll hit a robot. I used to do that. Any idiot can make themselves into a robot. It's not special.

it's not special. it's not like all these mutant weaponised biotech data-collecting spy things we keep bumping into

[rowanthestrange]

Big Doctor Who Meta time.

It’s no wonder The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos was a weird episode - hard to follow, too much information for the story it was telling, bit all over the place. Because it wasn’t trying to tell just one story. It’s telling three. One past, one present, one future.

It contains meta for every plot point so far, and what look like considerable signposts for what’s to come next.

If you wondered why it seemed so shallow on the surface - to the point where it is titled for The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos, which we get almost no information on, and yet the people in the text are the ones who keep asking about that - then stick around.

The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos is the codebreaker for Thirteen’s era.

We’re going to go along at a fair clip, but hopefully because it involves so much of the episode, there’s enough context in to jog your memories of the episode if they were as ropey as mine were. I’m assuming knowledge/fair understanding of media analysis, and hopefully links to other relevant metas where they’d be too long to get into will cover the rest.

We meet Tzim-Sha determined to rise in the ranks, and stealing a person. Ends up in control of a planet and the remains of a limited-in-number race who do his work for him and see him as the Creator. (Tzim-Sha is a Rassilon mirror - this is important throughout)

Tzim-Sha using Sniperbots. Just robots. Boring. (The Lone Cyberman and the Cyberium AI. Tecteun=Rassilon=Ashad meta. )

((When we first met him, he had his own independently acting data collector and conveyer, that he eventually initiated a data transfer with and caused it to put everything it had learned, into him. His plan involves taking people, who are left on the cusp between life and death, put in machines. (The Lone Cyberman and the Cyberium AI))

Paltraki, separated from his three crewmates, memories gone. Doesn’t even remember his real name. He could’ve left any time, but didn’t. (Paltraki is a Doctor mirror).

“What did you take?” “Not take. Recover.” Paltraki doesn’t know/remember what’s in the special thing that he and others worked so hard to get. He knows he’s not supposed to let it fall into enemy hands...but his crew, his friends, are being threatened. (The Lone Cyberman and Cyberium AI plot)

The Planet gives off psychotropic waves to keep people away, but the element seems under-utilised in the story. (We’ll come back to that).

Everyone else passed by the cries for help. (The Timeless Child(ren))

The Doctor attaches two grenades to the cube. (Mirrors the Master and the TCE’d Lone Cyberman with the dark twist that someone did blow it up and effectively destroy the remains of a planet that time)

Tzim-Sha got blown up but survived after a fashion. (future Tectuen=Rassilon=Ashad meta - no-one thinks the Lone Cyberman is actually dead)

“The Ux? As in the duo-species, only ever two of you? Lifespans of millennia?” (The Timeless Children, plural) “Only found on three planets in the whole universe?” (Now isn’t that a weird and unnecessary addition. A lot of meta possibilities in that. Starting with: The Timeless Child and the boy on the cliff, Martin!Doctor and ??? The Doctor and the Master.)

One is following the will of the Creator. The other is being tortured. (The Timeless Child(ren))

“Wait. Is this yours, this building? Is it true about the Ux? Faith-driven dimensional engineers. Is that why the building feels alive?” (What Are TARDISes meta)

Yaz: Do you have a home [on your planet]? Paltraki: Beautiful home. Some land, and animals. Too many facts coming back. It's like a flood. I don't know what's important, or... We were the last fleet. When the others didn't come back, they sent for us. (Feels like how the Doctor will regain bits of memories)

Paltraki was sent by The Congress of the Nine Planets in response to the atrocities. (The Alliance)

The Doctor: Why do you call him the Creator? Andinio: Our faith is handed down. The Creator is the cornerstone. (The Legends of Rassilon)

“But I've got so many questions, Andinio. Because there's a battlefield outside where many people died, but you're no warrior. And your words are certain, but your eyes are full of doubt.” (The Timeless Child(ren))

There are literal codebreakers. (Like Steganography and The Ireland Metaphor, the text is telling you to meta this)

They only came to rescue two people, but there are dozens of bodies in the pods. Thirty. (The Timeless Child - more bodies than imagined)

It’s been three thousand four hundred and seven years since Tzim-Sha saw the Doctor  “banishing me across the universe to this desolate rock for the rest of my existence”. Later in the episode: “Even in exile, I shall lead.” (Meta 1: The last thing the Doctor linearly did with Rassilon was banish him. Meta 2: The Master or Matrix says Tecteun was adventuring but her story and other meta fits much better with someone trying to find a way to save her dwindling race - perhaps previous experiments got her banished, because the next lines are: )

The Doctor: “But you got more than you could possibly have wished for. The Ux.” Tzim-Sha: “The universe provides.” The Doctor: “You wanted to be a leader. Now you're worshipped as a false god. Why all the ships outside? What have you made them do?” (The Timeless Child(ren))

Tzim-Sha: “I carry the entire hive knowledge of the Stenza civilisation within me.” (The Lone Cyberman and the Cyberium AI. Tecteun=Rassilon=Ashad)

The Doctor: “When you say revenge, revenge on who?” Tzim-Sha: “You, Doctor.” The Doctor: “Oh, no. Don't put this on me.” Tzim-Sha: “If you had not interfered, I would have become leader. First of the Stenza. And yet, I should thank you.” The Doctor: “Thank me? Why?” Tzim-Sha: “You have made me a god.” The Doctor: “You are nothing of the sort.”  (Tzim-Sha can do double duty as a Master meta in a lot of places too - three stories, past, present, and future.)

Tzim-Sha: “It has taken thousands of years. Every fragment of scientific understanding the Stenza ever possessed, allied to the impossible power of the Ux. You will see, Doctor. I must be a god. I have the powers of one.” (The Time Lords/Shobogans and the Timeless Children)

The Doctor: “Let me guess. They built you a weapon. That's what your sort like to do. Is that why all those ships came? You made a weapon, and they came to stop you.” (The Alliance. The Lone Cyberman and the Cyberium AI. The Timeless Children)

((An inscription scored in the floor of a dead Stenza-controlled planet, where the only thing imitating life are robots and remnants: “We are scientists. Abducted, tortured and made to work, while our families are held hostage. We are forced to find new ways of destruction. Poisons, weapons, creatures. We gave them our minds and they made us the creators of death. This planet has been left scorched and barren from our work. The atmosphere and water are toxic. Killing machines and creatures inhabit every corner. We had no choice but to obey... The Stenza. We are trying to destroy all of our work before they use it against others. There's two words below that. They're coming.”  (The Timeless Children))

The building is weird - treated weirdly in the text. The Shrine. They refer to the building as pulling them in - not the people in it. This shrine is the weapon. The TARDIS directly referenced as Ghost Monument (What Are TARDISes) ((the planet itself is screaming))

Paltraki: “I remember what they did. Five objects. Five planets. One weapon. They stole five planets.” The Doctor: “That's not possible.” Paltraki: “It's what happened. Entire planets removed from their spatial orbit.” The Doctor: “It would've destroyed all life. Planetary genocide.” (The Lone Cyberman and the Cyberium AI: The Death Particle | Backups of species - currently two, Cybermen and Time Lords)

The Doctor: “All these planetary masses cannot exist in the same place at the same time. The technology isn't stable. You bring another through, it could destroy everything.” (Rassilon with Gallifrey in The End Of Time)

Graham - everyone’s Grandpa, and Ryan, trap Tzim-Sha - mirror of the Doctor’s abusive parental figure. (Era theme: The concept of family and chosen Fam)

The Doctor: “Can't disconnect them, it might kill them.” Yaz: “But if we don't, what happens to Earth? Their life versus seven billion others.” (A Crisis of Utilitarianism meta feat. The Astronaut, Percy Shelley, The Timeless Child)

The Doctor and Yaz make themselves vulnerable to the Planet being able to affect their mind. (No current meta besides it just feels TARDISy and Kasaaviny, and it goes nowhere in the actual story to the point where it feels certain this is meta for the future.)

“There's too many things to do! One thing at a time. It's fine. All good. Well, almost.” (The desperate cry of the Writer creating meta. I know it well.)

The Doctor and Yaz block the Ux’s powers. (The narrative likelihood that this set of Doctors are not actually immortal, or if they are they cannot keep it)

The Doctor: “Universe provide for me.” - the TARDIS arrives. Is referred to as a Ghost Monument. Tzim-Sha: “The Universe provides” - the Ux. As Rassilon mirror - the Timeless Child. (What are TARDISes?)

The Doctor: “Their knowledge, their abilities, Tim Shaw's tech, our blue box.” (What look like the best guesses for each of the plot points of the era in meta form. The Doctor and Master’s memories. The Timeless Child(ren)’s abilities. The Cyberium AI, TARDISes).

Tzim-Sha has an electric hand/power gauntlet thing. (In case you weren’t sure on the Rassilon mirror. + The Lone Cyberman)

The Doctor: “I know this will be painful. I wouldn't put you through this if I could think of any other way right now.” Delph: “It's okay.” The Doctor: “It's not, but thank you.” (The Timeless Child(ren) (and that distinct sensation that this is all going to be very direct mirroring in the future))

Graham: “You brought us all together. You ain't going to tear us apart. You ain't worth killing. But you can have a taste of your own medicine.” Ryan: “We're not weak, we're strong, and we sentence you to life.” Graham: “So, as you're contemplating eternity, keep one name on your mind.” Both together: “Grace.” (This feels like the slightly nicer sounding version of what personally I’m hoping the Master is going to say and do to Rassilon at the end of all this)

The Doctor decides on “Fam”. Yaz likes it. (Era theme: The concept of family and chosen Fam)

[rowanthestrange]

Doctor Who Meta: The Doctor Wiki

I’ve just written 900 words of fic solely for myself, to try and explore a plothole-that-isn’t, and I think I’ve got it.

We’re thinking of what Dhawan!Master did - murdering the Time Lords - all backwards.

He didn’t kill them all in revenge for what he found out about the Timeless Child in the Matrix.

He killed them all so their memories and knowledge would then go into the Matrix, and he could find out everything they knew about the Timeless Child. 

The Master already knew about the Timeless Child before he committed the genocide, but not from the Matrix - that came after. That’s why he seems so knowledgeable and tricksy about the whole thing, and other stuff like the Cyberium AI even though the Doctor (consciously) doesn’t know anything about it.

He got information first - possibly from Rassilon themselves considering they’re still exiled out there can’t perma-kill them (yet???) and shove their brain in the Matrix to search through, so who knows what happened back then, but either way, he found out enough to get mad and go digging and know that the Time Lords deserve murdering anyway.

That’s why he had the freedom to just mess around with the Matrix to find this stuff - they were all already dead before he ever got near the Matrix.

Assuming the concept of Rassilon and the Time Lords being heavily linked to the Cybermen/cyberised is correct, maybe that’s why the Master’s so interested in the Cyberium AI. The Cyberium AI has all the knowledge of the Cybermen, the Matrix has all the knowledge of the Time Lords, and therefore together, plus a dead-to-both-systems Ashad ((who - if he is Rassilon - might have wiped his memories solely because he knew this might happen)), that might allow a, uh, less corporeal Master to have all the remaining data now to fill in the gaps. Except there will still be some missing.

Because it’s all about the Master trying to fill in the blanks about the Doctor’s (and his) life - which mirrors O and his bookshelf of information.

The Master’s trying to create a Doctor Wiki.

That’s why the Time Lords had to die - to make it.

It’s not for revenge for what he found in there, the Matrix is the result - he has another source of information that we haven’t seen yet.

[rowanthestrange]

It’s Doctor Who Meta time again:

Me, moron, two-and-a-half weeks ago: ‘Why is the Lone Cyberman not anyone we know? What’s the point? That’s boring!”

The story is all about the Doctor and her family. We currently have: The one when raised as the Timeless Child, and the fam chosen as the Doctor.

We already have the Master even if he’s not been fully explained, and we’ve seen Rassilon/Tecteun who hasn’t showed up again yet. Except I think they have.

Player Three has already entered the arena:

-Rassilon/Tectactoe as the Modern Prometheus, stealing fire from the gods to give it to man. Regeneration from the Timeless Child to give to the Shobagons.

-A Frankenstein making a race that are multiple people stitched together in the appearance of a single soul.

-Ashad is a Frankenstein’s Monster of a Cyberman, a composite of parts, and yet called A Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley herself.

-He desires legacy, to be known throughout the universe, and will let a boy of similar age to the Doctor when he joined the Divergence go free for the sake of getting that.

-Ashad says at the beginning he was about to ‘take his rightful place’ clearly as some sort of leader.

-But he couldn't be fully converted.

-The narrative clearly implies Ashad’s not human, with multiple egregious uses of person instead, and a violent reaction after being called human. But this isn’t why he couldn’t be converted, because the Master has no problem converting the Time Lords. It’s something else.

-The Cyberium AI goes into Ashad after being in the Doctor, like the Timeless Child’s power to Rassilon/Tecteun

-Ashad had children. Multiple. That he says that he killed when they resisted the Cyber plan.

-Rassilon/Tecteun had the Doctor, the foundling. And the Master*, the boy we see, who was either natal or the first loomling. (*summary here if you’re late to that meta party)

-But Ashad also spares multiple children. For all of Rassilon/Tecteun’s faults which were vast in number and scale - they did take care of the child back when there was no reason to.

-Rassilon, because we know it’s them as they hold the exact same place in history, has already gone by a different name before. The name Ashad means Lion, severe and excessive. Very fitting.

-Ashad and Rassilon both share a weakness for volatile emotions.

-They both use a form of energy gauntlet.

-Ashad can travel in time and space.

-The person who destroyed Ashad referred to himself as being ‘the General’.

-The person who betrayed Rassilon in Hell Bent was ‘the General’.

-Both Ashad and Rassilon narrate part one of their finales in Ascension Of The Cybermen and The End Of Time respectively.

-“We're carrying the Cyberman that makes other Cybermen scream.”

-Rassilon/Tecteun injected themselves with the original Timeless Child ability and has unlimited regeneration. Ashad is given far too much characterisation to simply be zapped all of a sudden mid-scene and that’s it. He is still alive. (*And if the Master was indeed who he appears to be, and was injected with the same thing, then the two of them are probably in very similar states right now).

-That all three of their memories, the Doctor’s, the Master’s*, and Rassilon’s have now been deleted/corrupted is very fitting.

-Rassilon’s plan in The End Of Time (which just got namechecked again in a direct and explicit mirroring of Rassilon with the Master’s scene) was “We will ascend to become creatures of consciousness alone. Free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be.”

-Part one of the finale was titled Ascension Of The Cybermen.

-Ashad’s plan seems like a warped version of this.

-The Time Lords going Cyberman would fit with how in The Resistance that Jack is part of, the Time Lords appear to be on the opposite side, because he steals one of their Battle TARDISes.

-And Jack would know the Doctor would be weak to the Time Lords because she wouldn’t be the last anymore (he’s out of the loop remember) but also wouldn’t want to just whisper-pass the message to her that her people had turned into Cybermen.

-When fighting Ashad, the Master is sending the Doctor flashes of the Ireland Metaphor, scenes where the ‘father’ is always present. And in reality, that ‘father’ was Rassilon/Tecteun.

Ashad and Tecteun and Rassilon are the same person.

[rowanthestrange]

So...the Cyberium AI was trying to keep away from the Lone Cyberman? Not seeking him out? And can alter the minds of people who aren’t even Cybermen? And we get a little flicker of hope at Cyber Planner 2.0 that seemingly exists for a five second drama but goes nowhere? Presuming this is the thing that Jack said The Resistance sent back in time and across space to stop the empire rising, that’s really interesting.

[rowanthestrange]

So the house wasn’t a TARDIS, no space folding into itself, it was just a regular house, the ‘perception filter’ stuff was yet another red herring for some reason, fine. But then how is a cyberium AI altering the minds of non-cyber people inside it?

[rowanthestrange]

someone tell me how to turn 3000 words of cyberium ai meta into a readable post please my blog is dying

[rowanthestrange]

you probably can’t use her programming the AI hologram something something the cyberium having been in both of them something something link something something ghost in the machine

other question(s):

would she believe hes actually dead after gallifrey or nah (im going with nah?)

would she be looking for him as a division agent/source of information too? “youre the only division agent i can find alive” she must know or guess that the master was division too right? would she be like well he told me everything he was gonna anyway