Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Warhead of the Daleks VIII

64. INT. SHIP CORRIDOR (NIGHT)

Three troopers march up to the door.

TROOPER
We are to take one cylinder to Davros. And treat them gently this time. You know what would happen if that virus gets free after last time...

He hits the control and the door starts to slide open.

65. INT. BIO HAZARD STORE (NIGHT)

Kamelion, in a daze, turns to face the door as it opens. He is surrounded by silver sparkles of light. As the troopers enter, the Kamelion android stands there, watching them silently as they draw their guns.


66. INT. SELF-DESTRUCT CHAMBER (NIGHT)

Doran is desperately fiddling with the controls. The Doctor and Zena are stripping the louver-like panels from the walls and heaping them over the doorway.

ZENA
This won’t work, a barricade like this won’t keep anything out!

DOCTOR
It’ll have to do, there’s nothing else!

Red lights start pulsing inside the dome.

DORAN
I think we’re making progress.

Zena places an ear against the door.

ZENA
They’re bypassing the door mechanism!

DOCTOR
I told you. Don’t worry, we’ve just got to hold them a little longer.

Doran gnaws on his knuckles.

DORAN
Maybe a lot longer - I can’t bypass the security access code!

DOCTOR
Let me. I know a trick or two.

The Doctor steps over to the control panel on the console. He adjust the control knobs and suddenly there is an electric whine. The entire protective dome rotates into the console 180 degrees, revealing a series of flashing lights surrounding a large red lever.

DORAN
The main destructor mechanism. Just got to wire up detonation.

ZENA
Very exciting, considering it’s the last thing we’ll ever do...

DOCTOR
Brave heart, Zena. We have to communicate with the troopers out there, warn them...

DORAN
Forget that, we’re going to do it for real.

The Doctor stares at him in horror.

DOCTOR
What?!

66. INT. CASSIUS FOUR CORRIDOR (NIGHT)

Outside, Grogan finishes attaching the charges in a square in the wall cavity. Lytton paces up and down impatiently. Grogan steps back and turns to Lytton.

GROGAN
Charges set, door controls bypassed.

LYTTON
Stand by.

Lytton raises his weapon and approaches the door.

67. INT. SELF-DESTRUCT CHAMBER (NIGHT)

Doran stands over the console and smiles tiredly. A sequence of red lights in the console pulses as a low, warbling klaxon is heard.

DORAN
That’s it.

ZENA
I wish I could say I was pleased.

DOCTOR
Please, listen to me. Your first plan can still work. We can bluff them out!

DORAN
If they have access to the bridge, they will be able to countermand the overload signal. Either we blow us all to pieces or just the three of us die. Now – any last words?

Zena smiles sadly.

ZENA
Why prolong it with a few hackneyed cliches?

DORAN
Why indeed?

DOCTOR
There’s another way, there must be.

Doran ignores the Doctor and reaches for the lever. The Doctor dives in, grabbing Doran’s wrist and freezing him in place. Doran glares at him.

DORAN
Let go, you idiot! Zena, help me!

ZENA
Doctor, please...

Doran wrenches free and snatches up his gun and aims it at the Doctor’s head. The Doctor backs away, hands raised.

DORAN
Your choice, Doctor – die now or when I pull that lever! Your choice.

DOCTOR
It doesn’t have to end like this.

DORAN
You can’t go fighting your fate forever, Doctor.

The Doctor gives Doran his intense stare.

DOCTOR
Fate? Never heard of it.

Suddenly the door hatch slides upwards to reveal Lytton. He raises his gun and fires a shot. Doran lets out a scream, spinning and dropping to the ground. The Doctor dives towards Zena as she raises her rifle and fires a shot back at Lytton, who ducks out of range. Zena fires again, terror etched on her face.

DOCTOR
Zena, get down!

A section of wall behind the Doctor suddenly explodes outwards. The force flings him roughly to the ground, and the smoke clears to show Grogan, who aims his gun through the smoke to aim at Zena. She whirls and fires two shots at him, and though his armor absorbs the blast, the impact throws him back out of the hole. Zena whirls to fire at Lytton, but Lytton shoots back. Zena screams as she is slammed against the wall, landing next to the Doctor, who is shaking his head, dazed. He spots her and a look of anguish crosses his face. He reaches out to check her pulse.

DOCTOR
Zena? Zena!

Doran, bleeding from his forehead and mouth, has a crazed look in his eye as he hauls himself up over the console edge. He reaches out with a shaking, bloodied hand towards the detonation lever. We pulls back to see Lytton is standing over him, gun aimed at the back of Doran’s head. The Doctor looks up as there is a final gunshot and Doran’s body collapses back onto the floor.

DOCTOR
No! Stop!

Lytton aims his gun at the Doctor. The Doctor glares at him in fury.

DOCTOR
You didn’t need to kill them!

LYTTON
Oh, but I did. You’re not one of the crew. Who are you?

DOCTOR
Do you honestly care?

LYTTON
Indulge me.

The Doctor gets to his feet and suddenly smiles. It doesn’t reach his eyes.

DOCTOR
I’m the Doctor.

All the troopers’ heads snap round to look at the Doctor, knowing the name.

DOCTOR
Your masters will very probably want to know I’m here, Captain.

LYTTON
I am Commander Gustave Lytton.

DOCTOR
I’m not interested in who you are! I’m more worried about the thirty odd people you have murdered in cold blood today.

LYTTON
You don’t need to worry about them any more. Grogan?

GROGAN
Commander?

LYTTON
Deactivate the self-destruct mechanism. Clear away the bodies then return to the Mind Analysis Chamber aboard the ship. And as for you, Doctor, yes, I do believe my *employers* are interested in you. For the moment.

DOCTOR
Yes. And when they’ve finished with me, it’ll be ‘exterminate the Doctor.’ And once I’m gone, it will be your turn.

Lytton half-smiles, then roughly smacks the Doctor in the face, throwing him against two troopers who grab his arms roughly and drag him out of the chamber. Lytton follows as Grogan crosses to the controls and adjusts them. Troopers bend over and begin to haul away the bodies of Zena and Doran.

68. INT. WAREHOUSE – UPPER LEVEL (NIGHT)

The soldiers aims their weapons at the other soldiers. Tegan, Turlough and Laird watch on, unsure as what to say or do.

‘ARCHER’
Your weaponry cannot harm us. If you wish to avoid bloodshed, lower your guns.

LAIRD
Don’t – if they wanted us dead, they would have shot already.

CALDER
They still might!

‘CALDER’
Indeed.

Calder swallows. Archer tries to keep calm.

ARCHER
You three are supposed to replace us, is that it?

‘GALLOWAY’
Temporarily.

‘ARCHER’
As this warehouse is under martial law, I’ll have the lot of you shot if you resist.

TEGAN
There are more of us than you.

‘CALDER’
It won’t stop us.

TEGAN
How can you replace us all?

‘ARCHER’
The Dalek will instruct us. You are to be transferred to their ship.

Turlough and Laird exchange whispers.

TURLOUGH
Is there any way out of here bar the doors?

LAIRD
There’s a broken window at the end wall. We might be able to get through that.

TURLOUGH
Sounds good.

Meanwhile, Tegan steps forward to face ‘Archer’.

TEGAN
And how do we get there? By the time corridor?

‘ARCHER’
Yes. Now...

The fake Archer waves his pistol at the exposed chamber.

‘ARCHER’
Inside.

TURLOUGH
NOW!

Turlough snatches the kettle and hurls it at ‘Archer’ face. He recoils from the boiling water as the soldiers open fire. ‘Calder’ and ‘Galloway’ are taken by surprise, knocked back by the impact of the bullets.

LAIRD
RUN!

The humans (and Turlough) flee to the entrance. ‘Archer’ lashes out – and Calder is flung into the kit bed, and collapses. Galloway fires a shot and the real Galloway cries out and falls, clutching his bloody knee.

‘ARCHER’
After them!

The duplicates run after the fugitives.

69. INT. STYLES’ LABORATORY (NIGHT)

The troopers are placing the cylinder carefully on a circular dais. A glass dome revolves into place over it, like the way the self-destruct unit did. Kiston checks the display beneath the dome.

KISTON
Sealed and gas-tight. Contamination risk zero.

DAVROS
Perfect.

The troopers begin to move out.

DAVROS
I have one more request.

The troopers pause. Kiston strolls in their direction, but they focus on Davros.

DAVROS
I require your cooperation for a little longer. First, let me express my gratitude at your rescue. However, the reception has hardly been warm or suitable. Let me make one overriding fact clear. The future of your lives belongs to me.

TROOPER
We obey the Daleks and no other.

DAVROS
You will do exactly as I command.

TROOPER
Will we?

DAVROS
You have no choice. Literally!

The first trooper raises his gun, but Kiston attacks. He slams the trooper’s own rifle into his stomach, karate-chops his neck and flings him onto the floor. He lunges to the next trooper and jabs the probe into the man’s throat. He lets out a choking noise and clutches his throat. The remaining trooper scuffles with Kiston.

TROOPER
What are you doing, Kiston?!

Kiston gains the upper hand and impales the third trooper in the neck. The trooper falls back. Kiston bends over the last one and injects him too. The other two are standing unsteadily in a daze. The horror fades from his face, leaving a blank lack of emotion.

DAVROS
Obey my will.

The trooper speaks calmly, almost sounding content.

TROOPER
As you command.

TROOPER 2
We await your command.

Kiston’s hand creeps to his temple.

KISTON
Priority transmission.

DAVROS
Go on, Kiston.

KISTON
Commander Lytton has taken a prisoner. He is be brought before the Daleks.

DAVROS
Daleks do not take prisoners. Neither should their troops.

KISTON
It is unprecedented.

DAVROS
Who is this prisoner?

KISTON
Data scarce. Identity code reads ‘the Doctor’.

Davros whirls around.

DAVROS
The Doctor?!

KISTON
The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey – often impeding with Dalek plans. Standing orders are for his total extermination unless...

DAVROS
I know who the Doctor is, Kiston! That meddler is notoriously difficult to kill or even detain! I order Lytton to bring the prisoner here at once. If it is the Doctor, he has interfered the last time!

KISTON
I will need to give orders in person.

DAVROS
Then do so!

Kiston turns and strides to the door. The three troopers are now apparently back to normal and the third gets to his feet, gun raised. Davros turns to face them.

DAVROS
The strength of the New Order grows with every hour!

70. EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT (NIGHT)

Turlough and Tegan emerge into the narrow alleyway.

TEGAN
What about the others?

TURLOUGH
Leave them!

TEGAN
We can’t!

TURLOUGH
We have to! Come on!

He grabs her hand and practically drags her down the street. They turn a corner and the two policemen emerge out of the darkness.

TURLOUGH
Ah, they might be able to help.

TEGAN
Turlough, don’t...

Turlough spots the guns in their hands. He and Tegan whisper.

TURLOUGH
Tegan. I’ll head for the TARDIS, you go back to the warehouse. I’ll meet you there.

TEGAN
How are you going to do that?

TURLOUGH
Just do as you’re told for once, Tegan! When I say run, run...

The policemen approach. Tegan runs off into the darkness of a side passage while Turlough runs up a rusting fire escape. The policemen pause, uncertain as to who to follow. Then they turn and fire shots at Turlough. He sprints across a catwalk to another staircase leading down further down the road. Even as the policemen turn to face him, he is around a corner and out of sight. The policemen calmly march in that direction.

71. INT. CASSIUS FOUR CORRIDOR (NIGHT)

Lytton marches down the corridor, followed by three troopers, two of whom are holding the Doctor and their rifles aimed at his head.

DOCTOR
So, the Daleks are reduced to hiding away and getting humanoid mercenaries to attack the universe for them? How the mighty have fallen. And who better to get to attack a space penitentiary then, what are you anyway? Lurmans? Dulcians? Dravidians?

LYTTON
I am as human as the crew here were.

DOCTOR
Are you? You must be speaking biologically. Where were you born?

Lytton smiles.

LYTTON
Riften 5.

DOCTOR
Well, you’re not legally human, then are you? I should...

The Doctor’s face falls. He’s intimidated.

DOCTOR
Riften 5 is a moon of Vita 15, and in 4593... You... You’re a Charnel Warrior.

LYTTON
The Charnel League’s finest.

DOCTOR
And that’s why the Daleks wanted you. The professionals of warfare.

LYTTON
We succeed where all others fail – even the Daleks.

DOCTOR
I’m surprised you get on with the Daleks at all. They like their extermination very clean, uncomplicated, all done in the blink of an eye. So easy, so unsatisfying for warriors like you. What was it your Vasil the Slightly Psychotic once said? "An easy prey reduces the feeling of job satisfaction"? Now, there was a man who could teach the Marquis de Sade a trick or two.

LYTTON
You’re a Time Lord. Name dropping historical figures doesn’t impress me.

DOCTOR
Who said I was trying to impress you?

The Doctor cries out as the troopers tighten their grip and drag him around the corner.

72. INT. TARDIS CONTROL ROOM (NIGHT)

Turlough hurries in and closes the doors.

TURLOUGH
Short hop. I can do that. Warehouse coordinates.

Turlough begins to operate the controls, becoming more confident.

TURLOUGH
Short spatial hop, align the TARDIS with the interior coordinates of the adjacent building. Then... well.

He activates the last control. The time rotor begins to rise and fall smoothly. Turlough sighs in relief and crosses to another panel. But even as he reaches to touch it, there is a shocking vibration that throws him off his feet.

TURLOUGH
Oh no, not again!

The pained noises of the engines begin once more.

73. INT. QUARANTINE CHAMBER (INT)

A Dalek glides up to the Supreme Dalek.

DALEK 1
COMMANDER LYTTON IS BRINGING THE PRISONER INTO THE SHIP.

SUPREME DALEK
PREPARE THE MIND ANALYSIS MACHINE. WE MUST CONFIRM HIS IDENTITY.

One Dalek looks around from monitoring a read-out.

DALEK 2
ALERT! FOREIGN TIME CAPSULE CAUGHT IN THE TIME CORRIDOR!

SUPREME DALEK
IDENTIFY ORIGIN.

DALEK 2
87 PER CENT PROBABILITY IT IS GALLIFREYAN TARDIS DEVICE.

SUPREME DALEK
THEN THE PRISONER IS THE DOCTOR! HE MUST BE EXTERMINATED! EXTERMINATE HIM!

74. INT. CASSIUS FOUR AIRLOCK (NIGHT)

The group approach the airlock. The Doctor has composed himself again.

DOCTOR
So, the Daleks are relying on Charnel Warriors. I suppose it’s practical, but the Daleks are utterly convinced they’re the superior beings. Hiring anyone can only mean they have absolutely no option.

LYTTON
So it appears.

DOCTOR
Metallic outer shell containing genetically augmented creatures within – totally protected, highly intelligent, completely aggressive and totally devoid of pity. And yet here they are... They lost to the Movellans, didn’t they?

LYTTON
What do you think?

DOCTOR
I think they did. I think they lost very badly indeed. Apart from the force they put on Earth and those two Daleks over there, I haven’t seen one. What are they hiding from? Are they even hiding – have they just disappeared? Or are these all that’s left?

LYTTON
They’re on the verge of extinction. I know that. Now shut up.

DOCTOR
More than that. Dependent on troopers, not just for numbers, but for tactics, ability... They’re dependant on you and your warriors, otherwise they would have simply blasted down the door and exterminated everyone. Defeated, dependent and running scared. But they used to be so much better at this, Commander. They used to be capable of three dimensional thought, brilliant strategists, quite capable of making a go at conquering the entire created universe – billions of Daleks, millions of battleships, an empire covering whole galaxies. Unstoppable. And here they are now. Do you know what happened to them?

Lytton stares at him, impassive. The Doctor steps closer, his voice a whisper. He’s so utterly compelling all the troopers are now staring at him.

DOCTOR
Do you know what did that to them?

Lytton speaks warily.

LYTTON
What?

DOCTOR
Me.

A pause as this sinks in. The Doctor suddenly snatches the pistol from Lytton’s belt and fires a shot at the junction box on the wall opposite. There is a small explosion, then the lights go out. Everyone is taken by surprise, bar the Doctor who had already ducked and runs for the airlock.

75. INT. SHIP CORRIDOR (NIGHT)

The Doctor runs down the corridor and out of sight. A door in an alcove slides back and a Dalek glides out, silently turning its eye stalk to look in the direction the Doctor took. It turns and glides down the corridor after him.

76. EXT. DOCKLANDS (NIGHT)

It is apparently deserted. Tegan runs towards the wharf and skids to a stop as she realizes the TARDIS is gone. She 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.

76. 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. 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!


(END OF PART TWO)
(ROLL END CREDITS)

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