Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Warhead of the Daleks IX

(ROLL OPENING CREDITS)
(WARHEAD OF THE DALEKS)
(PART THREE)


1. INT. RECEPTION AREA (NIGHT)

THE DOCTOR sprints down the corridor into the reception area. GROGAN leaps out in front of the Doctor and raises his blaster. The Doctor doesn’t stop, but instead wrenches the blaster from Grogan and shoves him to the floor. The Doctor leaps into the middle of the area and trains the blaster at Grogan as he backs up towards the access to the time corridor. He smiles.

DOCTOR
I’m so sorry, but I must be going.

KAMELION steps from an alcove, holding a blaster.

KAMELION
Doctor...

DOCTOR
Kamelion! Wonderful to see you, let’s get out of here, shall we?

KAMELION
No, Doctor. Stay where you are.

Kamelion trains the gun on the Doctor, who raises his gun in surrender. He mutters to Kamelion, sotto voce.

DOCTOR
Kamelion, this won’t work. Pretending to help the Daleks by capturing me won’t make them grateful, they’ll kill you like everyone else.

KAMELION
I am not pretending, Doctor. I serve the Daleks.

The Doctor’s face hardens.

DOCTOR
Kamelion, you will obey MY will. I am the Doctor! Obey me!

KAMELION
No. There is a higher authority. My first allegiance is to my creators.

The Doctor’s eyes widen.

DOCTOR
The Daleks?

KAMELION
Yes, Doctor. I serve the Daleks. I am a Dalek creation.

The Doctor whirls around as a DALEK appears in the corridor behind him.

DALEK
EXTERMINATE THE DOCTOR!

The Doctor moves to run but Kamelion blocks his way, snatching the other gun. As the Dalek closes in on him, two more come from the corridors on either side, closing in around him.

DALEKS
EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE THE DOCTOR! EXTERMINATE!

The Doctor turns in a circle as the Daleks advance.

DALEKS
EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

KISTON
STOP!

KISTON stands in the corridor leading away. He enters forward.

KISTON
You are not to harm him.

One Dalek revolves its dome so its eyestalk can look at Kiston while keeping its weapon trained on the Doctor.

DALEK 1
HE IS AN ENEMY OF THE DALEKS! HE MUST BE EXTERMINATED!

KISTON
Davros has given express orders that he be captured and brought to him.

DOCTOR
Davros?!

DALEK 2
DAVROS CANNOT COUNTERMAND STANDING ORDERS!

DALEK 3
THE DOCTOR MUST BE EXTERMINATED!

KISTON
Confirm with the Supreme Dalek.

LYTTON and the other TROOPERS arrive. Grogan rises.

DALEKS
STANDING ORDERS MUST BE OBEYED!

LYTTON
Confirm with the Supreme Dalek!

The Dalek stares at Lytton for a long moment and then raises its eyestalk to face the ceiling. A brief crackling buzzing. The Doctor looks suspiciously at Lytton. Lytton smiles back evilly. The Daleks stop buzzing. They sound glum.

DALEK 1
SUPREME DALEK CONFIRMS THE ORDER.

DALEK 2
WE MUST OBEY DAVROS.

DALEK 3
THE PRISONER IS TO BE TAKEN TO DAVROS.

DALEKS
PROCEED!

KISTON
You Daleks are also required by Davros.

The two nearest Daleks look at each other with their eyestalks, then at Kiston. They sound borderline rebellious.

DALEKS
WE... OBEY.

Kiston draws a gun and aims it at the Doctor’s head.

KISTON
Move.

The Doctor rolls his eyes.

DOCTOR
Do you treat all your guests like this?

Kiston jabs the Doctor’s head. He sighs, raises his hands and leaves. Kiston and Grogan follow. Lytton turns to face Kamelion.

LYTTON
And just who are you?

Kamelion lowers the gun and shimmers, transforming into his natural android state.


2. EXT. DOCKLANDS (NIGHT)

TEGAN looks around helplessly and then runs along the embankment to the end. The tide is low, revealing steps leading down to the muddy shore. An OLD MAN with a metal detector is scanning the silt, headphones covering his ears. He is facing away from the docks, absorbed in seeking treasure.

TEGAN
HEY!

He doesn’t hear her, and can’t see her. Tegan hurries down the slippery steps when the Doctor steps from under the wharf onto the steps. Tegan is startled.

TEGAN
Doctor!

The ‘Doctor’ smiles unpleasantly at her. Tegan begins to back away, turning up the steps to see ‘TURLOUGH’ standing there, grinning a feral grin. He advances down the steps towards her. Tegan turns to see the Doctor approaching her. She’s trapped. The ‘Doctor’ reaches into his coat pocket as if about to take out his hat. Instead he takes out the automatic pistols the policemen used. Still smiling, he aims the gun at Tegan. She looks hopefully down at the old man. The ‘Doctor’ follows her gaze, and his smile becomes a grimace. He swings to aim the gun.

TEGAN
NO! Don’t, please, he’s...

‘The Doctor’ fires a single shot. The old man falls face down in the mud, dropping his detector. ‘Turlough’ aims the gun at Tegan’s head.

‘TURLOUGH’
You’re going to the Dalek ship, Tegan.

‘DOCTOR’
Try and escape the time corridor again and you die too.

They roughly shove her up the steps. Tegan is shaking.

TEGAN
You’re not the Doctor, not the real one.

‘TURLOUGH’
We have real bullets.

‘DOCTOR’
That kill real people.

‘TURLOUGH’
And that means you.

‘DOCTOR’
Now move.

3. INT. CASSIUS FOUR CORRIDORS (NIGHT)

STYLES and MERCER are hiding under cover. Mercer peers around the corner. Troopers move in and out of sight. He’s distraught, she’s just tired.

MERCER
They got them. Zena and the Captain! They’re dead!

STYLES
So are a lot of people. Shut up.

MERCER
Don’t you care?

STYLES
Zena meant a lot to me. But there’s nothing we can do.

MERCER
We shouldn’t have left them!

STYLES
You wanted to follow me.

MERCER
And what good is that? The Prisoner’s using your laboratory and all the other escape pods are broken, blown up or escaped months ago! What else is there?

STYLES
That Doctor mentioned a corridor in the Dalek ship, it would take us to Earth.

MERCER
IF he wasn’t lying, then it’s Earth millions of years ago!

STYLES
You want to stay here?

MERCER
Maybe.

STYLES
Why?

MERCER
They’ve released the Prisoner. Why didn’t they just run back to the ship right away?

STYLES
The Prisoner doesn’t have legs.

MERCER
You know what I mean! They could have escaped out of range before we even broke into the self-destruct chamber – so why didn’t they leave us to blow up? Or just back off and shoot down the station?

STYLES
Tell me.

MERCER
The Prisoner’s still on board. We know he’s in your lab and he’s not intending to leave.

STYLES
But Doran sent the distress signal, didn’t he? Why are they staying here – if pursuit ships arrive here they’ll be the ones massacred!

MERCER
I don’t know! All I know is my friends... OUR friends... are dead. And reason for that is in your lab. Their creator.

STYLES
You want to kill him?

MERCER
Why not?

STYLES
We’ve only got one gun – they’ll kill us.

MERCER
As long as we get him first, what was does it matter?

Styles lets out a sigh.

STYLES
Nothing – when you’re as insane as I obviously am.

MERCER
You agree?

STYLES
Yes.

Mercer nods.

MERCER
Obviously insane. Come on.

They rise and hurry out of sight.


4. INT. RECEPTION AREA (NIGHT)

Lytton and two troopers are present. Lytton paces around Kamelion, who is still in his android form.

LYTTON
So you’re a Dalek weapon of war in the attempted invasion of Xeriphas, abandoned after they withdrew from the invasion?

The android transforms into a copy of Lytton.

KAMELION-LYTTON
Precisely. The android army were programmed to receive orders only from Dalek alpha matrixes. The Xeraphin sent out a pulse of mental energy that scrambled that programming. All alpha patterns could override android brains. The sudden influx of information wiped out the army entirely.

LYTTON
Yet you survived?

KAMELION-LYTTON
Just. A Time Lord found me and repaired some of the damage.

LYTTON
The Doctor?

KAMELION-LYTTON
No.

LYTTON
But you travel with him?

KAMELION-LYTTON
I came into the Doctor’s possession relatively recently. Since then I have been gathering information from the TARDIS computer systems

LYTTON
You must have had many opportunities to kill the Doctor, surely?

KAMELION-LYTTON
Of course. Dalek Standing Order 002 is for the Doctor to be brought to the seat of the Dalek Empire for extermination, wherever possible. Since first interfacing with the systems of his TARDIS, I have been working to this end.

LYTTON
You piloted the TARDIS into the time corridor?

Kamelion changes from Lytton into his human form.

KAMELION
As best I could.

LYTTON
And you then accompanied him here before betraying him. Very convenient, though, don’t you think?

KAMELION
It was a carefully prepared strategy, setting out a pattern of events that would lead to the Doctor’s capture even when I was under his mental influence.

LYTTON
Are you under it now?

Kamelion smiles.

KAMELION
I was created to serve the Daleks.

LYTTON
What is to guarantee your allegiance?

KAMELION
The reparations made mean that although I am susceptible to higher anthropoid thought patterns, the Dalek command net has absolute priority.

LYTTON
I command the Dalek Task Force. You will obey my orders.

KAMELION
Yes. Master.

There’s a hint of sarcasm in Kamelion’s voice. Lytton notices, but isn’t concerned.

LYTTON
Assume the form of Grogan.

Kamelion shimmers and transforms.

LYTTON
Go to Davros’ laboratory and monitor events. Keep that form. If you are vulnerable to other minds, we will detect this and destroy you.

KAMELION-GROGAN
Understood.

Kamelion turns and leaves. Lytton turns to the other troopers and they head out in a different direction. A few moments later there is a tangled materialization noise as a bright red glow forms against the far wall. In it, the TARDIS appears. The glow fades.


5. EXT. DOCKLANDS (NIGHT)

Guarded by the fake Doctor and Turlough, Tegan is lead down the street towards the warehouse.


6. INT. QUARANTINE CHAMBER (NIGHT)

The Dalek turns away from the crystal sphere to look at the SUPREME DALEK.

DALEK
SENSORS INDICATE ARRIVAL OF TIME SHIP IN RECEPTION AREA!

SUPREME DALEK
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS?

DALEK
IT IS A TARDIS, THE TARDIS BELONGING TO THE DOCTOR!

SUPREME DALEK
SCANNERS IN RECEPTION AREA?

DALEK
TEMPORAL DISTORTION RENDERS SURVEILLANCE INOPERATIVE IN THAT SECTION.

SUPREME DALEK
HAVE THE HUMANS AT THE WAREHOUSE BROUGHT TO THE CRUISER FOR MENTAL CONDITIONING. TROOPERS WILL CAPTURE THEM ON ARRIVAL AND ANY HUMANOIDS ABOARD THE TARDIS. WE WILL REMAIN IN QUARANTINE AS LONG AS IT IS POSSIBLE.


7. INT. TARDIS CONTROL ROOM (NIGHT)

TURLOUGH is sprawled across the floor. Groaning he manages to sit up.

TURLOUGH
I’m insane... I can’t keep this up.

Painfully he reaches the console and hits a control. The scanner opens to show the reception area outside.

TURLOUGH
Now where are we?


8. INT. WAREHOUSE – LOWER LEVEL (NIGHT)

ARCHER, CALDER, GALLOWAY and LAIRD are up against the far wall, being guarded by the FAKE SOLDIERS. Galloway limbs from his injured knees and the others show bruises. Tegan is brought in by the ‘Doctor’ and ‘Turlough’. She speaks bitterly.

TEGAN
I’m sorry. I tried...

ARCHER
Doctor? But...

‘DOCTOR’
I’m not the Doctor.

He roughly shoves her towards the others. He shimmers and transforms back into the POLICEMAN. ‘Turlough’ grins and does likewise.

ARCHER
Then where’s the real Turlough?

‘CALDER’
He won’t get far. You are all to be sent to the Dalek ship. We will ensure you are not missed.

‘GALLOWAY’
Get into the time corridor.

‘Archer’ raises his gun.

‘ARCHER’
This time, we WILL kill you.

The captive humans exchange looks and enter the section. After a moment, Laird overcomes her nervousness and speaks.

LAIRD
Well, what happens...

She breaks off as the loud humming fills the air. All bar Tegan immediately clamp their hands over their ears to plot out the noise as it grows louder. Tegan winces as the red haze envelopes them and they slowly fade away. The troopers watch the air clear.

‘ARCHER’
Right. Repair that servo mechanism and seal it off. I will contact UNIT HQ and give a negative report. You two, keep searching the area in case the TARDIS fetches up around here. No one must know what happens here tonight.

The androids split up.


9. INT. RECEPTION AREA (NIGHT)

The shutter slowly opens, allowing the humans to emerge into the reception area. All bar Tegan look slightly disorientated. The shutter closes behind them. Calder whirls to face it and tries to stop it closing but is too late.

CALDER
We’re trapped!

Archer looks helplessly at Tegan.

ARCHER
What happens now?

TEGAN
How should I know?! If there was...

She trails off, now seeing the TARDIS parked in an alcove. She sighs in relief.

TEGAN
That’s one consolation.

GROGAN
Don’t get comfortable.

The humans turn. Grogan and two troopers are present, guns ready.

GROGAN
You will follow us. Any attempt to resist or escape and you die. Painfully.

The humans awkwardly raise their hands.


10. INT. CASSIUS FOUR AIR LOCK (NIGHT)

Two troopers stand guard. Mercer and Styles creep into view. They whisper waspishly at each other.

MERCER
I thought you knew your way around here!

STYLES
That WAS until some bright spark closed bulkheads through half the compound! We’re no where near my lab. What do we do now?

Mercer looks around, helplessly. He realizes they are hiding beside the cold corpse of Phin, now covered in crusted blood. Mercer’s expression hardens. Styles notices and speaks soothingly.

STYLES
Mercer, what are you...

Mercer, furious, leaps from behind cover. The two troopers are taken totally by surprise as he charges towards them. One of them manages to raise his rifle before Mercer lets off a volley of fire, sweeping back and forth at head height. The two troopers let out horrible gurgling screams as their exposed heads are ventilated. Mercer empties his blaster into the bodies as Styles emerges from hiding. She’s annoyed.

STYLES
Feeling better?

MERCER
Slightly.

STYLES
Yes, and if they’d killed you, that wouldn’t have mattered, would it?

MERCER
Not to you, ‘Doctor’!

Styles looks hurt. Not for long, though.

STYLES
Come on. Forget the prisoner. There’s a way out.

She snatches up an abandoned trooper rifle and creeps into the white interior. Mercer fires a last shot at the trooper, then follows.


11. INT. CASSIUS FOUR CORRIDORS (NIGHT)

The troopers and Kiston escort the Doctor down the corridor. A little further ahead are the three Daleks. They come to a halt outside the door. It rises.


12. INT. STYLES’ LABORATORY (NIGHT)

DAVROS turns to face the door as the three Daleks enter. His brainwashed TROOPERS stand guard on either side.

DALEK 2
WE HAVE BEEN SENT BY THE SUPREME DALEK.

DALEK 3
WE ARE TO ASSIST IN YOUR RESEARCH.

DAVROS
I need Dalek genetic material, not Dalek assistance.

The lead Dalek sounds very reluctant.

DALEK 1
YOU... MAY... REMOVE TISSUE SAMPLES FROM US.

DAVROS
Excellent. I guarantee the experiments I will conduct will in no way harm you. Indeed, you will be considerably invigorated.

DALEK 2
DALEKS DO NOT FEAR! MUST NOT FEAR!

DAVROS
Then release your locking clamps.

A beat. The Doctor is lead in by the troopers. The door closes.

DALEKS
WE OBEY.

There are loud clicks and buzzes. The domes of the Daleks tilt forward, on a hinge, as a rod pushes the rear away from the casing. The exposed necks of the Daleks emit a soft gurgling, hissing noise.

DAVROS
Kiston.

Kiston nods, takes the probe from Davros and crosses to the nearest Dalek. He reaches inside and we hear the probe activating. The Doctor watches on, expression grave as Kiston repeats the process off screen.


13. INT. RECEPTION AREA (NIGHT)

Turlough emerges from the TARDIS and hurries off, pausing by the munitions locker. He snatches out a blaster and then runs down a corridor.


14. INT. SHIP CORRIDOR (NIGHT)

The troopers are escorting the humans, who have their hands raised.

ARCHER
Where are you taking us?

GROGAN
To the Mind Analysis Chamber.

CALDER
Oh? What happens in there?

Grogan double takes.

GROGAN
Mind Analysis. The clue is in the name.

LAIRD
But what does that mean?

GALLOWAY
Torture, knowing our luck.

GROGAN
Not quite. But it IS excruciating.

TEGAN
What is?

GROGAN
You will have your brainwaves and memories removed from your bodies, placed on computer, altered to suit our purposes and then returned to your bodies.

CALDER
Sounds fun.

GROGAN
It isn’t.

There is a whistle behind them. The rear trooper turns in time for Turlough to fire the blaster at him. He is flung against the wall.

TURLOUGH
Get down!

TEGAN
Turlough!

Grogan and the other trooper whirl to face Turlough. He fires again, but misses and Grogan fires back, but his aim is spoiled when Tegan and Calder grapple with him. The shot explodes against the deck. Archer and Galloway are grappling with the remaining trooper who lunges at a control on the wall opposite. The trooper Turlough shot manages to sit up – injured but not dead.

LAIRD
Colonel!

The trooper is aiming his gun at Archer’s back. A shot. The trooper falls back, blood pouring from his mouth. Further down the corridor stand Styles and Mercer. A split second as the three groups realize what’s happened. The remaining trooper stabs the control. The blaring alarm begins to sound even as Turlough shoots him.


15. INT. QUARANTINE CHAMBER (NIGHT)

Green lights flash. The Daleks are agitated to say the least.

DALEK
ALARM SIGNAL ACTIVATED IN MAIN PASSAGEWAY!

SUPREME DALEK
CAUSE OF DISTURBANCE?

DALEK
UNKNOWN. TIME CORRIDOR IRRADIATION BLOCKING AUXILIARY SENSORS!

SUPREME DALEK
SEND ALL REVIVED DALEKS IN SECTION FIVE TO INVESTIGATE! HURRY! THIS OPERATION IS ENDANGERED! SITUATION APPROACHING CRITICAL!


16. INT. STYLES’ LABORATORY (NIGHT)

As before. Kiston returns to Davros’ side, leaving the three Daleks open.

DAVROS
Reseal your casings.

In unison, the Daleks’ domes lower back into position.

DAVROS
Now... You will obey my will!

DALEKS
WE OBEY DAVROS – HE IS OUR MASTER!

DAVROS
Excellent! Now, Kiston, who is this prisoner?

KISTON
The Doctor.

DAVROS
The Doctor?

Davros advances towards the Doctor.

DAVROS
Can it be true? You in no way resemble the Doctor – externally, at least.

DOCTOR
Is it the two hearts that give it away?

DAVROS
Precisely. My sensors are very precise. I can detect your hearts beating, your lower body temperature... You are one of the Doctor’s people, if not the Doctor himself.

DOCTOR
Guilty as charged.

DAVROS
You ARE the Doctor?

DOCTOR
Yes. I’ve regenerated. The difference is purely perceptional. Hello, Davros. Cryogenic suspension hasn’t done much for your appearance, has it? I assume that you were the prisoner in this station. Been awake long?

DAVROS
Just over an hour.

DOCTOR
Just that? You have been busy.

DAVROS
Whereas you have been stupid.

DOCTOR
It’s a prerogative of mine.

DAVROS
No doubt.

Davros turns away, adjusting controls on his chair. The three Daleks swing to face the Doctor, who is concentrating on Davros.

DOCTOR
So, what trouble have the Daleks gotten into this...

He breaks off in a scream of pain as the nearest Dalek fires. As the blue glow disperses, the Doctor falls to his knees, wracked with agony. He tries to stop falling further, but fails and sprawls onto the floor. Davros turns back to face him.

DAVROS
I have waited so very long for this moment, Doctor.

to be continued...

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