Sword of Orion
Story 17 Written by Nicholas Briggs
Released: February 2001
A close second in the most popular monsters of Doctor Who, I have a fondness for the Cybermen. The last survivors of a doomed planet, these metallic meanies are pure nightmare fuel. The inhabitants of the planet Mondas had developed a technology so advanced that it had surpassed the people. Replacing failing organs and limbs with cybernetic parts soon gave way to total cyber conversion. After draining their planet of resources, they took to the stars, seeking to find new material for survival.
The Cybermen, it has to be said, are a bit of a mess continuity-wise. This is due to the fact that their televised adventures are out of sequence with their own timeline coupled with the fact that they keep changing appearance as well as their personality. The myth is that that the Cybermen are cold, logical and unfeeling robotic creatures, yet in their first appearance they exhibit emotions bordering on resentment of humanity along with an interest in causing anxiety in those around them, proclaiming emotions as a weakness that can be exploited. In their second appearance in The Moonbase the Cybermen are silently terrifying monsters sneaking into the infirmary and stealing bodies for cyber conversion. In the Invasion they are no more violent than a colony of insects, yet it is because of this methodical drive to conquer humanity that they appear so dangerous.
Earthshock writer Eric Saward admitted that he could not get his head around an unemotional villain and admits that his Cybermen behave in an irrational and vindictive manner, but I disagree on this being an error. They obviously do possess emotions, yet they do not understand them and resent humanity’s ability to embrace this phenomena that painfully reminds the Cybermen of their long lost past selves.The tendency toward rage and violence is explored through several later stories when they are depicted as being hell-bent on revenge, specifically on the Doctor who is proving to be a thorn in their side.
Whereas the Daleks are almost pitiable creatures driven to be what they are by genetic and cybernetic engineering, the Cybermen chose to be what they are; ruthless unstoppable robot zombies that will kidnap you in the middle of the night!
The Cybermen have clashed with the Earth Empire of the star-spanning future on many occasions (off-screen). In the 1965 story The Moonbase, they are regarded as mythical and long dead. In a later story, Tomb of the Cybermen, they are the subject of an archeological survey. Revenge of the Cybermen makes reference to a Cyberwar that was waged throughout the cosmos and halted thanks to the advent of a glitter gun. David Banks (who played the Cyber Leader on numerous occasions) wrote an excellent book that attempts to connect the various points in the Cybermen’s timeline. I need to purchase this book, obviously.
Sword of Orion is set somewhere around the time of Tomb of the Cybermen as the ice tombs on Telos are mentioned. It is therefore also long after the Cyberwars but just before the Cybermen resume their assault on Earth in Earthshock (the date of which is near the period in which this story takes place). None of this really matters, however. The Cybermen are an excellent menace for the Doctor when appropriately used (see Tomb of the Cybermen, the Invasion and Earthshock) and this is another excellent example of such an instance.
For his second outing as the Eighth Doctor for Big Finish Productions, McGann and his new traveling companion Charley begin their adventure in an intergalactic bazaar. They are in search of a text that can explain what is ailing the vortisaur Charley has nicknamed Ramsey. There they meet some shifty characters up to no good and while they are snooping the TARDIS gets stolen by a departing salvage vessel, the Vanguard. Sneaking on board, the pair are along for the ride into distant space. When the craft drops out of warp, the over-zealous Captain Deeva Jansen orders the crew to inspect what appears to be a derelict craft of unknown origin.
Jansen has to grapple with some internal politics regarding the union leader Grash who is eventually won over with a promise of an additional bonus, making the danger that the crew face all the more bearable. Inside the craft, a skeleton crew of Cybermen are slowly reviving themselves, growing in numbers as they prepare for their Leader’s awakening. Using Cybermats and the cyber conversion of crew members, the Cybermen attempt to take over the vessel as Captain Jansen and the Doctor work at cross purposes to stop the invasion. Jansen is hardly who and what she appears to be and the real reason behind the Vanguard’s arrival to inspect the craft code-named Sword of Orion is both shocking and saddening to the Doctor who had so hoped to impress Charley with a glimpse of humanity’s future. As in many Doctor Who adventures, the real monsters are often the ones that are not in silly rubber suits.
Sword of Orion has gotten some flack for not fully utilizing the Cybermen. As this is their first ‘appearance’ in a Big Finish release, many expected something more impressive for these classic monsters. I disagree with the complaint as Nicholas Briggs’ script uses the creatures sparingly and wisely. The spookiness of the spacecraft and the working class crew being hoodwinked by a shady government conspiracy are both very reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Alien and I’m sure that is no mistake. Rather than coming off as a poor imitation of Alien, Sword of Orion benefits from the homage and the Cybermen get a first class outing.
As I have anticipated with Big Finish Productions releases, the sound design is top of the line and the music downright smashing. Just as he had done with the Daleks, Briggs has managed to find just the right cadence and inflection for the Cybermen, giving the much-loved foes an honorable representation.
Continuing their close collaboration from their previous adventure, McGann and Fisher are in good form as the Doctor and Charley. The Eight Doctor remains a romantic wanderer full of life and intelligence with a deep desire to explore the unknown coupled with a compassion to almost everyone he meets, at one point even the Cybermen are worthy of his caring.
A fantastic second chapter in the aural annals of Doctor No. 8, Sword of Orion comes highly recommended.
Here’s an excellent fan-made animation based on Sword of Orion
Doctor Who- Sword of Orion can be purchased from local retailers such as Mike’s Comics or directly from Big Finish.
The Daily P.O.P. 
I read David Banks ‘The Cybermen’ when I was ten years old. I found it rather hard going at the time, but I still enjoyed it.
He also released a series of casette tapes that explained the history of the Cybermen.
His New Adventure novel, Iceberg was a lot better than one might expect.
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