Going Off the Rails

"I think there's a whole metal man here."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Short Story

Released: October 2006

Printed in: Doctor Who Files 08

Featuring: Cyberman

Synopsis

Harry and Sam are comparing their father's respective works on a model train set. But when Harry's dad brings some metal equipment home, the pair get a little bit more than they bargained for.

Verdict

Going Off the Rails was a very decent little short story to continue my reading through the Doctor Who Files adventures. I must admit I'm reading more of these lately than I probably would have hoped for as I often use them as emergency backups to continue the daily schedule of blogging when time prevents a more traditional story to be consumed, but this was a really pleasant read! After a bit of a letdown with Mission to Galacton for the Daleks in the previous release, I must admit I was a little cautious going in regarding what would be done with the Cybermen. Of course, this is quite clearly the Cyrus Industries version of Cyberman in this story so there are pretty strict limitations on what can be done with them, and certainly when. There's no Doctor or recognisable companion in the story and with only one Cyberman this could potentially delve into the realms of being naff, but that was far from the case! I must admit when I saw the names of the two children that make up most of this story as being Harry and Sam, I was disappointed that they weren't the companions we recognise. I was momentarily worried by the fact they were schoolchildren as well as I'm not sure going that young often works outside of the Sarah Jane Adventures where it's the entire basis of the show, but they were really good here! I loved the little discussion of their respective fathers and the model train set construction happening in their homes. The difference between the pair's progress was amusing so Harry and Sam would take it upon themselves to complete the set for the former's father. I liked the implication that his father had worked for Cybus Industries which for obvious reasons seen in Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel had now closed down. Harry's father wasn't going to let such valuable technology go to waste though and brought some home with him! It was clear from there what was going to happen as the Cyberman was reassembled. I loved the focus on the word upgrade when it came to the children as I think that's an aspect of the great villains that has perhaps quietly gone on the lowdown. That's not a problem at all, it was just a nice trip to memory lane and the days of Series 2. I thought the conversation the Cyberman had with Harry and Sam was amusing because it was so logical and to the point. Harry and Sam weren't exactly taking it seriously, but I thought the description of the Cyberman turning to them and saying they wouldn't be human for much longer was chilling. That description of the emotionless face and the handles that join at the ears was excellent and a fine job was had in establishing something of a fear factor in the Cyberman in relatively short time. The Cyberman instantly thinking of upgrade was intriguing and even though it didn't have the parts to convert these children into fully fledged Cybermen, their brains could still be ridded of emotion. That was a disturbing concept for sure! I thought the way the Cyberman was ultimately defeated and put back into spare parts was a little iffy as I'm not sure how small and powerful a model train set would be to put a Cyberman off balance and into the trap cleverly laid, but it was fun for the children to take it upon themselves and get the job done. Frying the Cyberman was a fitting way to conclude its presence and I liked that the children had a little chuckle about not breaking any of Harry's father's equipment. They hoped for the very opposite! Overall, a cheeky and fun little read. 

Rating: 7/10