Mechanising Worm

Mechanising Worms, also known as Mechanisation Worms, were metal worm-like creatures used by the Cybermen of the Cyber-Mainframe. (AUDIO: Telepresence, Code Silver) They resembled the worm-like variants of the N-Space Cybermats. (TV: Revenge of the Cybermen, AUDIO: Sword of Orion)

Physical characteristics
As their name implied, Mechanising Worms resembled silver, metal worm-like creatures with segmented bodies. Although small in size, they were strong enough to restrain fully-grown humans; (AUDIO: Telepresence) even Josh Carter, a human with Auton physiology, compared being attacked by Mechanising Worms to being "hugged by a hoard of boa constrictors". Despite their strength, however, Mechanising Worms could be swiftly destroyed by a sufficiently powerful laser cutter. (AUDIO: Code Silver)

On a cyber-controlled parallel Earth, the Machine made use of a huge Mechanising Worm, which had enough strength and size to significantly damage a building, albeit one that was already severely damaged. It was also strong enough to cause small tremors and burrow through ground. However, unlike other Mechanising Worms, it was limited in range, and was speculated by the Petronella Osgood of N-Space to be an appendage of sorts, as it appeared to be attached to something underground. Although limited in range, this Mechanising Worm could still travel long distances at speed. (AUDIO: Telepresence)

Uses
The Cybermen of the Cyber-Mainframe utilised Mechanising Worms in a number of different ways to cyber-convert lifeforms. The Cybermen themselves contained a small number of Mechanising Worms inside each of their Cyber-bodies; these were designed to activate and break out of the Cyberman if it died, converting the Cyberman's attackers to replace it. Mobile conversion units also contained Mechanising Worms, and could use them to assist in restraining a lifeform for conversion. (AUDIO: Code Silver)

Beyond this, Mechanising Worms were also used by the Machine when trying to establish a dimension bridge between two universes. They could be used to upgrade mental avatars and incorporate them into the signal linking the two universes. Mechanising Worms could still be used even if the control signal of dimension bridge technology had to broadcast across a dimensional gap; they could attack an unconscious individual who had previously used dimension bridge technology for an extensive period within a dream-state. Mechanising Worms could also be translocated to partially upgrade this individual before the dimension bridge to that individual's universe had been established. (AUDIO: Telepresence)

History
On the Earth of N-Space during the 2010s, UNIT recovered Lieutenant Sam Bishop and some dimension bridge technology from the Auctioneers. (AUDIO: Game Theory) To understand the technology's true nature, on Fortress Island, Petronella Osgood, Colonel Vikram Shindi and Captain Josh Carter used the dimension bridge technology to travel to a parallel Earth as mental avatars, where the Machine eventually attempted to use a huge Mechanising Worm to convert their mental avatars and form a dimension bridge to N-Space. The trio initially escaped the Mechanising Worm by climbing to the roof of a ruined building, causing the Worm to get stuck inside the building, although it eventually broke out and attacked a feral, mutated dog. After Osgood, Shindi and Josh leaped to the roof of another building, the dog was partially cyber-converted and began pursuing the trio instead. Following the dog's death, the Mechanising Worm pursued Osgood, Shindi and Josh at high speed, although it was unable to catch up to them as they were using the dimension bridge technology's total brain immersion to run at extremely high speeds. Later, inside the Hive, the Machine used several, much smaller Mechanising Worms to partially convert Osgood, Shindi and Josh, although the Worms were unable to convert Josh (AUDIO: Telepresence) due to his Auton physiology. (AUDIO: Code Silver) These Mechanising Worms also materialised inside the N-Space Fortress Island's laboratory, and were witnessed performing their conversions by Kate Stewart and Lieutenant Parsons.

During this experiment, Sam Bishop, who was recovering inside the fort's medical bay (AUDIO: Telepresence) from his imprisonment by the Auctioneers inside a virtual reality game, (AUDIO: Game Theory) was attacked by the Machine in an attempt to virtually convert him as the primary link to N-Space. After being rendered comatose, the Machine attacked Sam with Mechanising Worms within his dream-state to establish full dimensional cohesion; when Sam broke out of his coma, the Machine materialised more Mechanising Worms into the medical bay, which partially upgraded Sam and allowed him to escape, although by the time he reached the laboratory, his virtual conversion was complete. (AUDIO: Telepresence)

Later, after Hive Section 49 began conquering Fortress Island to establish a foothold for an invasion of the Earth of N-Space, Kate and Josh killed a Cyberman and took its body to the fort's storage area, where they attempted to access the Cyberman's inner mechanisms with an advanced multi-purpose screwdriver. However, after removing the Cyberman's chest, a swarm of Mechanising Worms broke out and attacked Josh, although Kate quickly destroyed the swarm with the screwdriver's laser cutter. Sometime after, when Kate and Josh fought off several Cybermen to reach the laboratory, Josh was captured by a mobile conversion unit, which used Mechanising Worms to restrain Josh before the conversion unit trapped Josh inside its conversion chamber, (AUDIO: Code Silver) although Josh survived, again due to his Auton physiology. (AUDIO: Master of Worlds)