Aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose Tyler talk about their past adventures, and Mickey feels he is being taken for granted. Their conversation is disrupted when the TARDIS is rocked by an explosion and goes dark. The Doctor surmises they have fallen out of the time vortex, automatically materializing somewhere.

Outside, they find themselves in an alternative universe's London, evidenced by zeppelins in the air. The Doctor retrieves an Artron power cell from the TARDIS, and energizes it with some of his own lifeforce, initiating its recharge cycle to allow them to use the TARDIS and return to their own universe. As the process will take time, Rose wants to see her father Pete, who in this universe is a successful business leader.

Mickey, still bitter from their earlier conversation, decides to see if he can find his grandmother, knowing the Doctor will likely accompany Rose. The Doctor and Rose discover that most of the population of London wears EarPods that feed news and other information directly into the wearer's brain, which concerns the Doctor. They continue on to Pete's estate.

John Lumic, who owns the company that makes the EarPods, has just recently failed to gain approval for his "ultimate upgrade" for humankind, which sustains the human brain within a bath of chemicals and bonds it to an external exoskeleton. He flies to London to meet with the President of Great Britain (in this universe, there is no Prime Minister, there is a President) in an attempt to get permission to do his cybernetic experimentations, failing to do so. We then learn that Pete is working for Lumic, having long ago sold his health drink company to him.

Lumic informs Pete that he is on his way to the city and to prepare for his arrival. Despite not having permission to run his experiments, Lumic has converted numerous homeless people into cyborgs. A group called the Preachers, aware of the disappearances and the dangers of the EarPods, are seeking to find the purpose of Lumic's technology.

Jake Simmonds, one of the preachers, witnesses a group of homeless people being converted, and goes to collect help from Ricky Smith (Mickey's alternate self). Unaware, Mickey is elated to have found his grandmother alive, but their brief reunion is disrupted when Jake drags Mickey into a van and drives off, assuming he is Ricky. At the Preacher's base, Ricky and Mickey discover themselves, and Mickey is brought up to speed on the Preachers' goals, and that they will be attempting to stop part of Lumic's plan by invading the birthday party for Jackie Tyler's birthday at Pete's estate.

Rose and the Doctor arrive at the estate and don servant garb to inflitrate the party. The President arrives as a guest, and we see Jackie give a short speech to her guests. The Doctor and Rose learn that Pete and Jackie are childless and recently separated, though they named their dog "Rose".

Rose begins a conversation with her parallel mother, ending with Jackie angrily storming away. As Rose stands outside, she sees the shadows of Lumic's cyborgs marching ominously toward her. Inside the party, cyborgs begin smashing through windows and doors, surrounding all the party goers.

The President recognizes the cyborgs from his meeting with Lumic earlier, and his phone rings. Lumic tells him that he is moving forward with his plans, that all of humanity will be upgraded. Rose asks The Doctor what they are, and he recognizes them as Cybermen.

The Doctor explains Cybermen to Rose as The President begins an exchange with Lumic and one of the Cybermen. Lumic tells them all that his creations were once homeless and useless before he elevated them, a claim the Cybermen agree with, stating they are Human Point Two. It says that every human is eligible for a free Upgrade to Human Point Two, and that Upgrading is compulsory.

The President asks what happens if you don't want to Upgrade. The Cyberman says that those who refuse are incompatible. The President asks what happens if you are incompatible.

The Cyberman says that those incompatible will be deleted, and then kills the President. The party goers panic, and begin trying to flee, many being Deleted by the Cybermen. The Doctor, Rose, and Pete escape the house and encounter Mickey and the Preachers, who begin firing upon the advancing Cybermen with automatic rifles.

Seeing their barrage of gunfire do nothing to stop the endless march of the Cybermen, The Doctor tells everyone to surrender. The Cybers close in, with The Doctor telling them that they volunteer for the Upgrade program. The Cybermen tell them that they are rogue elements, and they will be deleted.

As The Doctor tries to negotiate, more Cybermen surround them, telling the group that "Man will be reborn as Cyberman but you will perish under maximum deletion!". As the Doctor and the others stare in horror, the Cybermen move in for the kill.

Similar to 0 things you like: