Articles Cyberwoman Breakdown Episode 4 Series 1

Written by Chris Chibnall

Producer Richard Stokes

Director James Strong

Music by Murray Gold and Ben Foster

Additional music by Mogwai – We’re No Here (found on Mr Beat 2006)

Ianto Jones stepped from the lift to the raucous chatter of the team, and the screech of Myfanwy, who squawked overhead at the teams’ rather different game of Basketball – Owen was cheating.  Mogwai’s track We’re No Here played out until Owen dropped the ball through the hoop to take the game.  As the game and the team filed out of the Hub, Jack tossed the ball to Ianto without a hi or bye.  As the lift door closed, Ianto discarded the ball quickly. 

A hot summery evening, and the team consisting of Jack, Owen, Toshiko and Gwen crossed the Plass to a popular Bar discussing rugby and why Jack hadn’t been to a home game along the way.  As Ianto ordered pizza for later, the alarms on the door alerted him to his visitor, Dr Tamazaki (Togo Igawa). The Japanese scientist marvelled at the underground base.  Such workmanship and all beneath the pavement, for a moment he was in awe.  Once welcomed by Ianto in Japanese Dr Tamazaki was led along the dimly lit corridors to the basement.  Unlocking the door and sliding back the bolts Ianto revealed the metal machine that lay in the metal crib keeping it alive.  Part machine, part woman, Ianto revealed the creature to be his girlfriend, Lisa, (Caroline Chikezie) a photograph and a bowl of fruit sat beside her bed, a reminder of what she used to be like, before the upgrade, before Canary Wharf.

As Ianto tilted the bed forward allowing Lisa to view the Dr, and for the Dr to view the ‘patient’, Ianto kissed Lisa, much to the horror of the Dr. 

The Dr stepped forward and using medical equipment shone a light against Lisa’s eyes and ran his custom checks while he talked.  Dr Tamazaki marvelled again at the splendour of her armour, almost a little too much for Ianto, who looked away as the older man appeared sexually turned on by her appearance and was unable to help himself, touching her, cupping her armoured breast plate and touching the bare flesh that was visible through the mesh around her stomach. 

Ianto explained about the upgrades at Canary Wharf, at how Lisa was part way through the process when it was shut down.  Dr. Tamazaki could detect from his initial search that Lisa’s hearing and breathing seemed completely cybernetic.  When he saw the level of technology at keeping Lisa alive and the level of kit involved, was curious as to what Lisa would need, asked Ianto how he knew what to do.  From the bed, Lisa groaned still in obvious pain.  “I told him.”

The Dr asked Lisa about her last memories and it was evident from her facial expressions that the last thing she remembered was pain!

“You said there was somewhere I could work?”

In the autopsy room on a metal table, a monitor on the wall displaying heart beats, Tamazaki worked, keying in his findings as he went.  He removed the cables that kept Lisa housed to the machine, while Ianto could do nothing but watch. 

   “If she dies because of this...”

   “You must be prepared for her not to survive.  Sometimes in order to save what we love we have to risk losing it.”

A few hours have passed and in a bar, Jack entertains the team with a humorous tale as Toshiko’s PDA alerts them to alien aircraft over Cardigan Bay.  After Owen complains that he’s not finished his pint, Jack gives him 10 seconds.  The pint remains untouched.

 In the Hub autopsy room Lisa is finally separated from her breathing tubes.  She’s able to breathe on her own.  But before Ianto can breathe easy, the CCTV alerts him to the team returning too soon from their break. 

It’s nightfall and crossing the Plass towards the Tourist Booth, Owen is arguing with Toshiko about who gets to drive the SUV, complaining that by the time it takes to alter the seats and adjust the mirrors, aliens have taken over Newport!

Ianto helps Lisa off the table with the help of Dr. Tamazaki.  Once he’s tidied up in the autopsy room he helps the doctor with Lisa back towards the basement.  As the Dr continues the rest of the journey, aiding Lisa to the metal crib, while Ianto returns to the Hub,  the cyber side of Lisa takes over, and its not long before the kind help of the Dr, is rewarded by a further upgrade.

Hoping to not be noticed as he passes between the team, Jack calls to Ianto to “work your coffee magic?”

Downstairs in the basement and as the Dr begs Lisa to let him go, now that he’s contained in the metal crib that once had housed Lisa, she presses a red button that brings down the cutting and drilling machines from the circular container above the bed.  The use of electricity drains the rest of the Hub throwing the computers offline and forces them all to reboot. 

In a bid to prevent the team from discovering Lisa, as Ianto suspects it has something to do with his girlfriend, offers to check to see if its loose cabling and heads back to the basement.  Upon switching off the device is horrified to discover the dead Dr, lying face up with pieces of metal attached to his face and a large rod of iron poking out of his skull.  It’s too much for Ianto to comprehend.  Everything begins to slide.  He begins to damage limitate!

He can’t believe Lisa would do this, and hearing her speak, can’t believe that her cyber side is taking over.  He begs her to remain in the basement while he deals with the dr, and hopes that’s enough, but as he drags the dead man towards the cells, Lisa powers up again, giving the Hub another ‘dose of darkness’.

Jack comms Ianto but when he hears nothing back, and Toshiko taps into the CCTV locating two heat signals, isolating one as Ianto, the other can only mean that they’re under attack.  Unlocking the armoury Jack hands issues firearms to the team.  Owen offers to go down with Gwen to investigate, leaving Toshiko and Jack to man the station.  Lisa is fully recharging herself.

With torches providing the only light in the dark tunnels, their weapons trained, Owen and Gwen edge closer to the basement where a spark of light flashes through the meshed window.  The comms go offline.  Although Owen can’t see much, it looks to be some form of operating room.  Unlocking the door, Gwen slides back the bolts and Owen kicks open the door, both entering guns ahead, searching for signs of life.  Owen stares in absolute horror at what they do find, and calls for the machine to be switched off. The comms come back online.

When Jack calls again after much silence, Gwen reveals that their signals had dropped out.  When he enquires after Ianto, Owen admits they haven’t found him yet, but they have found ‘a fully operational cyber conversion unit.'

   “This is no time to be messing around Owen!”
   “I’m deadly serious!” Silence from the Hub.  “Jack?”

After much thought, Jack instructs the pair to return to base.  But as Owen asks after Ianto he’s hit from behind knocking him out.  Gwen stares at the metal woman now in the room.

   “Jack?  Code zero incursion, we’re under attack!”

Jack instructs Toshiko to prepare lock down procedures and get herself to safety.  Under no circumstances can they afford to let a cyberman out of the building, he then leaves her to work while he runs towards the basement to help Gwen. 

   “Whoever you are, I don’t wish to hurt you but if you come any closer, I’ll shoot!” 

Lisa smacked the gun from Gwen’s hand, and knocking her off guard grabbed her by the throat and pushed her backwards.  “Do not struggle.  You will be like me!”  Lisa explained pushing Gwen towards the crib.  As soon as she was flat on the bed, the hand and leg clamps slapped over her ankles and wrists securing Gwen in position.  No amount of screaming was going to save her now.  Lisa pressed the button that operated the cutters and Gwen faced certain death.

Jack heard the screaming and from the open door yelled his authority over the arc of electricity within the room.

   “Whoever you are put your weapons down NOW!”  It came as something of a shock when Jack saw just what the creature was and what gender. 

   “You’re a woman!”

When Gwen screamed again begging for his help, he raised his weapon and opened fire, but the bullet clipped the hydraulic cabling as Ianto pushed Jack against the wall in a bid to stop him killing Lisa.

   “You’re fighting the wrong guy!” Jack protested. 

Gwen still screamed.  As the cutters come down, Lisa has disappeared.  Jack stared in horror at what could soon be a horrific outcome.  Ianto ran to switch it off but the machine had gone into manual over ride, he instructed for Jack to switch off everything in the whole Hub.  Jack relayed the message to Toshiko somewhat hysterically as Toshiko argued that they’d be trapped in the base.  Obeying Jack’s command, Toshiko switched off the power plummeting the entire Hub into lockdown and into darkness.

As the machine ceased, and Gwen was released from the crib, they made their way back to the surface, Owen over Jack’s shoulder, still out for the count.  As Lisa appeared in the archway, Jack admitted he didn’t know what to do, but one thing was for certain, if anyone knew why this creature was in the building, it was obvious that Ianto had a lot of explaining to do.  Pushing the gun barrel against Ianto’s skull, he instructed the man to get them back to the Hub. 

When asked what he thought he was doing by Gwen, replied.

   “Resisting the urge to shoot.”

When they reached the Hub, Jack lay Owen down on the platform and instructed Ianto to get on his knees hands behind his head.  He instructed Toshiko to get everything from the weapons room, as much as she can and instructed Gwen to help her.  When told that the system has no manual over ride, Jack tells her to get everything from the store.  He returned his attention to Ianto.

   “Did you know that thing was down there?”

   “I put her there.”

   “You hid a cyberman in our basement without telling us?  What else are you keeping from us?” 

   “Like you care!  I clear up your shit, no questions asked and that’s how you like it.  When did you last ask me anything about my life?”

     Jack lowered his gun.

   “Her name’s Lisa!  She’s my girlfriend!”

   “Why didn’t you say anything, we might have been able to help?”  Gwen asked.

   “Torchwood exists to destroy alien threats why would I tell you about her?”

   “A little loyalty perhaps?”  Owen quipped.

   “My loyalty is to her.  She worked for Torchwood, she was caught up in battle, we owe it to her to find a cure.”

   “Ianto you have to believe me, there is no cure.  There never will be, those that were converted will stay that way, your girlfriend will not be the exception!”

As Lisa clomped into view and scanned the building, from the floor up, she made her plans to set her base from here.  Ianto crossed over the gangplank to talk to her, as Lisa, but when she realised that Ianto didn’t mean for her to fuse her brain with his, so they could be one together, grabbed him by the throat and threw him across towards the others.  Jack pulled his pistol to fire, but the bolts of electricity that Lisa cast were too strong and Jack let go of the gun. 

   “Code 9 manoeuvres GO!”  he yelled to the team.  Scattering either direction, all making their way to the boardroom, they ran, while Ianto lay quite still half in the water.

Lisa follows them soon after.

Jack places a device very similar to the scanner used in Everything Changes on the table in front of Toshiko.  It was something Suzie scavenged last year that can open any lock in under 45 seconds. 

   “I want you out the exit gate, up the emergency stairs to reception, once in reception, panel next to the desk pull it out, take circuit 357 from the main system, patch it to these...”  Hands her two light tubes.  “...there should be enough power in the system for what we need.  Once the main circuit goes live, get out, meet us by the water tower. GO!”

To Owen and Gwen as Toshiko leaves, he instructs them to find anything to use as a weapon, while he buys them some more time.  Distracting Lisa before she heads off after Gwen, he leads her around the table before also leaving in haste down the stairs.  While Toshiko uses the lock pick, Owen searches for weapons, Gwen keeps watch, Jack apologises to the cyberwoman for what has been done to her, but it ends here.  To which she clamps a hand on his neck and electrocutes him.  He falls down quite dead. 

Stunned by the death of their leader, Toshiko falters for a second, Gwen feels compelled to help, but is held back by Owen.  As Lisa makes to go after Toshiko, Jack gasps back to life and faces Lisa again, only this time, Lisa puts him down for much longer. 

Certain that Jack is dead, Owen returns to find a weapon, Gwen keeps watch, and Toshiko now through one set of locks begins work on the roll back door, only to realise that the cyberwoman is coming for her.  Finally the lock opens and she pulls back the solid metal door enough to squeeze through and close again.  Lisa punches her fist through the mesh to reach Toshiko, who backs away and runs up the emergency stairs. 

A torch beam distracts Lisa and turning she sees Gwen holding the torch.  A realisation that Gwen’s been seen, forces her to run down to the autopsy room, only to discover that there is only one exit.  Not comfortable with the thought of sharing a rack with Owen, realises there’s nothing else for it, and hides with Owen.  The cyberwoman stomps into the room.

In the main Hub Jack gasps back to life.  It’s a painful process and takes him a while to get his strength back.  He sees Ianto still lying against the metal board in the water and pulls him out, feeling for a pulse. 

As the cyberwoman continues her search of the room, Gwen whispers to Owen “What do we do?”  to which he answers by pulling her down for a kiss which she reciprocates fully.

Jack breathes life into Ianto, a hand reaching down to his heart to feel a pulse.  As Ianto gasps back life, Jack puts his finger to his lips to keep quiet. 

In the autopsy room, Gwen’s phone rings, it’s Rhys out for the night with the lads, leaving a message on her voice mail.  It alerts the cyberwoman and after the phone is tossed out of the cubicle, the pair scramble out of the drawer.  Owen scrabbles for a suitable weapon as Gwen is cornered.  Owen growls “Don’t you touch her!” before plunging the chisel into Lisa’s stomach.  The cyber cries in evident distress, falling back and appears dead, eyes closed, no movement.  As Ianto dashes across the water at Lisa’s cry, Owen admits it was ‘Kill or be killed’. 

Ianto is torn by his emotions, shocked that Lisa is dead, but scared of the creature she has become is forced to run as Lisa wakes up and pulls the metal chisel from her body discarding it as she stomps back into the main Hub after the team.  But Jack is waiting and instructs Owen and Gwen to hold Ianto on the lift, as he holds a plastic bottle containing a brown liquid and a blow torch in the other.  When Owen remarked that he thought Jack was dead.  Jack replies “I’m the stubborn type.”

As Lisa stands opposite them Jack calls to her “Stay back.  This’ll at least give you heartburn.”

   “The gas will run out. I can wait!”

Jack squirts the liquid in the squeegee bottle at Lisa, it coats her.  Gwen shouts back at Jack, enquiring after the liquid.

   “Kinda like barbecue sauce.  It helps it identify its food.”

   “Helps who identify its food?”

Jack switches off the blow torch, apologises to Ianto and flips the strap on his wrist keying in a code, freeing the pterodactyl.  With a screech, she soars from the nest above and flies down towards the cyberwoman.  Jack climbs onto the lift and hopes that Toshiko has managed to operate the lift and get them to safety. 

Despite his protestations, Ianto can only watch as the prehistoric creature attacks Lisa, her screams echo throughout the building as they rise up and out of the Hub.  Once out they scatter, Ianto pushing away from the team, disgusted and angered.  Toshiko runs towards them, pleased to see them out, but is met by exhausted team mates.  Ianto full of bitter hatred strides back to Jack and punches him hard in the jaw knocking him back. 

   “You could have saved her! One day I’ll have a chance to save you and I’ll watch you suffer and die.”  Gwen held him back.

Jack strode towards Ianto in defence of his actions. “It’s the only thing that would stop her!”  Owen pulled Jack back.

As Ianto hears Toshiko mention that she’d managed to trip the lockdown timer so that they could all go back in, he ran ahead of the team, back to the Tourist Info Booth.  But before he arrived, the pizza girl (Bethan Walker) had called with the pizzas and was let in by Lisa. 

As Ianto reached the small booth, he pressed the button to release the door into the tunnel and pulled his gun on the team as they entered moments after him.  Threatening to shoot them if they followed after him, was surprised by Jack who disarmed him, pushing him against the wall and threatened to really kill him if he didn’t  execute his girlfriend.

Ianto was beside himself.  He loved Lisa but it was clear that she was never going to be just Lisa.  Picking up the pistol he made it through the tunnels and down to the basement where he found Lisa lying in her own blood, her helmet broken, her head bleeding.  She was dead!  Ianto broke down.

Just as things couldn’t get any worse he heard his name called and the pizza girl stood with her skull stapled together, blood running down her nose, but it was Lisa.  She’d finally managed to transfer her brain into another, so she could be human again, for Ianto.  It was too much to take in.  But as she explained about the times when they were first going out, their camping and the dog pissing on their tent, he knew it was her.  But he couldn’t accept her, the woman he loved lay dead on the ground.  As the pizza girl suggested that they upgrade together, a shot rang out, hitting her in the chest, then another and another, and several shots were fired into a shocked human cyber till she fell back quite dead against the cyber conversion unit.  Ianto shocked returned his attention to his dead girlfriend on the ground and cried.  Gwen couldn’t look Ianto in the face. 

As the team started to get back to normal Ianto entered the Hub and began collecting up the rubbish, same as always after Jack nodded from the board room. 

As Jack looked on with Gwen beside him, Gwen was convinced that when Lisa had struck him that he actually really could die.  Jack admitted he’d felt that he could too. 

Only time would tell if Ianto remained with the team and if they could trust him again!