Bid Time Return VII

39. INT. MOVELLAN FLIGHT DECK (DAY)

Two Movellans are carrying the dead Ruxel out of sight as Olu watches. Information starts to scroll up the main screen.

JALDA
Commander. Massive sub-space energy disturbance detected.

Olu turns to face the screen.

OLU
Scan main airlock!

The image behind the information changes to:


40. EXT. DESERT OUTSIDE (DAY)

As before. The group stare at the Drive. An angry crackling black spot appears at the heart of the white glow, very small at the moment. Distant, hollow noises can be heard, as if at the heart of a whirlpool.

DOCTOR
Are you happy now, Loki? You’ve just become death, the destroyer of all worlds!

LOKI
Yes I have!

Loki flings out his arms and screams happily at the sky.

LOKI
I HAVE ACHIEVED APOTHEOSIS!

LYTTON
Good for you.

Lytton grabs him, punches him in the stomach, then in the face. He is sent, reeling into the glow. He strikes the black spot and convulses, screaming. Brilliant spark course up and down him for a moment. The crackling gets louder. He screams. The Doctor sighs.

DOCTOR
Sound and fury drowns my heart
Every nerve is torn apart...

LOKI
No! Help me!

Peri moves forward to help, but the Doctor holds her back.

DOCTOR
No, don’t touch him! Affect the field and it will consume you as well! We can’t do anything for him now.

He looks at the convulsing Loki.

DOCTOR
Sorry. Honestly, I am.

He runs up the ramp to peer at the rest of the Drive. Loki struggles to focus on him.

LOKI
Doctor...

DOCTOR
I can’t help you. Apart from anything else, Loki gets caught in his own net – I said you were tempting fate with that name. Now, excuse me, I have a universe to save.

Loki cries out and turns to Lytton.

LOKI
Help me! Please!

Lytton half-smiles.

LYTTON
Why? You wanted this!

LOKI
But I want to see the rest of you die first! PLEASE!

The Doctor checks the connections to the ship.

PERI
Not much encouragement.

DOCTOR
We can’t disconnect anyway, he’s fused the power lines!

DANSTROP
But we can cut them, surely?

DOCTOR
If we do that, anything might happen. Remember?

The crackling gets louder and louder. Loki screams and jerks again.

LOKI
It’s tearing me apart! I... I’m AFRAID! I...

He lets out a loud scream and goes limp. The crackling gets louder still. Black spots start to dance over his corpse, faster and larger.

PERI
I-is he dead?

LYTTON
The distortion’s wearing his internal organs thin.

DANSTROP
And we’re next.

The Doctor blinks.

DOCTOR
Not necessarily. Come on, back to the city! Quickly!

He turns to run across the sand. Peri, Danstrop and Lytton hurry after him.

LYTTON
I hope you have an idea, Doctor!

DOCTOR
Half an idea, and that’s better than none!


41. INT. MOVELLAN FLIGHT DECK (DAY)

The screen shows their retreating shapes. Olu turns to address the other Movellans who stand in formation before him. Jalda is checking the control panels.

OLU
The Doctor has shown considerable intelligence in temporal engineering. If anyone on this planet is capable of reversing the damage Loki has unleashed it is he.

LIAN
Then why is he retreating?

OLU
His animal instinct for self-preservation. All organics are similarly illogical. Lian, you will take a strike force to locate and return the Doctor here at any cost.

LIAN
And those with him?

OLU
There is no time to be wasted. Eliminate them.

LIAN
Yes, Commander.

The Movellans turn and start to leave, collecting their side-arms as they go. Olu turns to face Jalda again.

OLU
What is the status of the disturbance?

JALDA
Sensors are not fully calibrated to measure the effect, Commander. All signs indicate that it is growing in a geometric way. This vessel shall be compromised in approximately six point eight minutes.

OLU
Do the battle computers offer any theories?

JALDA
None with high probabilities of success. This situation by its very nature is hypothetical.

Olu turns away from the controls. The last of the Movellans is leaving.

OLU
Then there is nothing to be done.


42. EXT. DOCKING BAY (DAY)

The Doctor runs through the ships towards the area under the gantries. He starts to check the wall panels as the other catch up.

DOCTOR
There’s always something to be done. But we need to get to the power core of the colony, and there should be an access hatch somewhere in here – assuming the designs haven’t been changed. Now do any of you know anything about iso-geometrics?

The others shake their heads.

DOCTOR
Plasma-geotonics?

They shake their heads.

DOCTOR
Tri-sidial theostetrics?

They shake their heads.

DOCTOR
SlipBack Drive Maintenance 101?

They shake their heads.

DOCTOR
Oh, my kingdom for a computer programmer.

LYTTON
What exactly are you planning to do?

DOCTOR
The SlipBack Process works by stirring up causality in the immediate vacinity – cause and effect, the flow of history, all of it gets jumbled up until the barriers dividing time streams temporarily implode and allow a hyperspatial tunnel from here to wherever we happen to heading for, understand? Ah, this is it. Danstrop help me.

Danstrop joins the Doctor by a panel and they struggle to shift it.

DOCTOR
Now, pay attention. Loki has programmed the Drive to do the first part but not the second – the distortion without the reparation. It will get worse and worse until the fabric of matter falls apart altogether. But we haven’t reached that point yet. All it’s doing, fundamentally is generating noise.

LYTTON
So generate a counter wave to cancel it out.

DOCTOR
My very intention, Commander.

He and Danstrop lift the hatch revealing a short corridor and steps leading downwards. The Doctor hurries down it and the others follow.

PERI
What’s a counter wave?


43. INT. POWER CORE (DAY)

A rather cramped area of screens, control panels and junction boxes beside a walkway overlooking the depths of the generators – a mass of pipes and machinery purring loudly. To the left is a doorway with steps leading upwards. A screen shows the docking bay. The Doctor runs down them and into the control area, looking around and taking in everything. He talks all the while as Peri, Danstrop and Lytton arrive behind him.

DOCTOR
Sound is a specific vibration, a pattern of peaks and troughs. If you get the exact opposite pattern of peaks and troughs, you get the opposite noise. Play it over the noise, it cancels it out. One plus negative one equals zero. Silence!

The Doctor tugs down a keyboard on flexible cables and begins to adjust the displays.

PERI
Like anti-sound?

LYTTON
In principle, yes. Generate the right vibration and the effect is nullified.

PERI
But how do you know what vibration to use?

DOCTOR
It’s easy enough to work out when you know how.

LYTTON
It’s not just the frequency but the amplitude. Can you generate something that powerful?

The Doctor snatches some wires and connects them to a different set of sockets.

DOCTOR
Oh easily.

DANSTROP
There’s nothing in the city that can do that – not any more, now they Movellans have totalled the plasma canons!

DOCTOR
The whole is more than the sum of its parts, Danstrop. Generating a counter wave through one amplifier wouldn’t be enough, but a thousand amplifiers...

PERI
Where are you going to get a thousand amplifiers?

The Doctor slows as realization dawns.

DOCTOR
Ah. Point.


44. EXT. DESERT OUTSIDE (DAY)

The squads of Movellans are leaving the saucer. The white glow is very large and starting to spill out over onto the landing ramp. The last few Movellans stagger and sway as the light spills over them. They stumble and nearly fall. Further along, Lian turns back to see one stumble and topple onto the ground. Black sparks start to dance over the Movellan. Lian turns to see the mummified shape of Loki sprawled over the Drive.

LIAN
The distortion has now sealed off the saucer.


45. INT. MOVELLAN FLIGHT DECK (DAY)

Lian’s face fills the screen. Olu, Jalda and the remaining Movellans watch on.

OLU
We shall determine a safe way to re enter the craft. Continue to the objective.

LIAN (DIST)
Understood Commander.

She turns and moves off after the others. The screen starts to distort.

JALDA
Commander. The distortion now completely covers the origin point of the Drive. It is now impossible to physically interface with the Drive systems without suffering total systems malfunction.

OLU
Recompute. There must be a solution.

Olu turns as a faint crackling is heard. The white light is starting to seep through the airlock. The glow gets stronger and the crackling gets outer.

OLU
Evacuate that section.

The remaining Movellans calmly leave the section.


46. EXT. DESERT OUTSIDE (DAY)

Black static dances over the crumbling remains of Loki which finally slide to the ground and shatter in dust. More black static is enveloping the bodies of the Movellans. One’s face starts to rot away, revealing circuits and metal underneath. The edges of the ramp are melting and corroding. The crackling is getting louder. The Drive is lost under the vortex of black sparks. The white glow is engulfing the lower half of the saucer.


47. INT. POWER CORE (DAY)

The Doctor, more subdued, holds a keyboard and is desperately punching commands into them. The others look on.

DOCTOR
There must be something. Some kind of wave emitters throughout the city, it is a CITY isn’t it? Tele-screens? Holo-vids...

LYTTON
You’d have to modify each individual wave.

DOCTOR
So I would. And there is quite literally no time.

DANSTROP
Some Festival of Light this is turning out to be.

The Doctor turns and stares at him.

DOCTOR
The Festival of Light! Of course! That’s it!

With renewed enthusiasm, he starts to reprogram the controls.

DOCTOR
Peri, switch off every green light you can see – and if you can, make them turn red! Danstrop, haul down all those levers by the stairs.

They go to their tasks. The Doctor finishes with the keyboard and opens an inspection hatch. He hauls out a static of circuit boards and starts looking through them.

LYTTON
What are you planning, Doctor? What EXACTLY are you planning?

DOCTOR
You should keep an eye out for local customs. This city is celebrating its equivalent of Christmas, by having lots of lights! Candles, lightbulbs, holograms, sprites, if it makes light, it’s in the festival! And since light is its own wave form, the decorations will not just be generators but BOOSTERS and...

LYTTON
...you’d have a cumulative effect that would cancel out the Drive.

DOCTOR
Exactly! And all those light sources are powered from this very chamber!

DANSTROP
Uh, how long do you think you’ll need, Doctor?

DOCTOR
Half an hour at most. Why?

Danstrop points at the screen above their heads. It shows Movellans marching.

PERI
What do they want?

LYTTON
Probably to drag us back to the ship and make us fix this.

PERI
But we’re fixing it!

LYTTON
They don’t know that.

DOCTOR
And by the time we convince them otherwise, the damage will be irreversible.

PERI
So what do we do?

DOCTOR
Well, we send out the most battle hardened and bloodthirsty members of the team to slow them down while the less bloodthirsty and more technical minded members continue to work on the counter wave.

The Doctor picks out a particular circuit board and drops the others on a table. He examines the remainder, then places it on the table and Peri hands him the sonic screwdriver to work with. Beat.

LYTTON
I think I understand the subtextual request, Doctor.

Lytton turns and runs out. Danstrop grins toothily.

DANSTROP
A bloodbath! Take back what I said, Doctor, this is gonna be a great Festival!

He scurries after Lytton. Peri watches him go.

PERI
He seemed so nice.

DOCTOR
He is nice – for a Terileptil. They have psychotic tempers to match their artistic skills. Now, Peri, put those other circuit boards back into place. No time to dawdle!


48. EXT. DOCKING BAY (DAY)

Lytton closes the hatch behind him. Running across the bay, Lytton picks up his discarded Cyber rifle as three Movellans strides out of the gloom and behind them, two more. Lytton calmly raises the rifle and fires. Three Movellans sway and collpase. Lytton fires again and two more Movellans fall as they try to draw their weapons. He fires again.

LYTTON
Danstrop!

DANSTROP (VO)
I have to get a weapon! Hold them for a minute!

Lytton looks down at the dead Movellans.

LYTTON
Easier said than done.

One of the Movellans’ hands starts to flex and twitch.


49. EXT. DESERT OUTSIDE (DAY)

The saucer is almost lost in the white glow, underside shaded by the crackling black spots. The twisted slab that was once the ramp falls heavily to the ground.


50. INT. MOVELLAN FLIGHT-DECK (DAY)

The Movellans are now crowded in the pilot section. One lies sprawled in the white glow which now fills the couch section. Olu and the others watch on impassively.

OLU
There is no strategy to undertake. Though we shall cease to function it is concievable that Lian and the others will force the Doctor cooperate and reverse the distortion.

Black sparks engulf the Movellan in the glow.


51. EXT. DOCKING BAY (DAY)

Most of the floored Movellans are now twitching slightly. Lytton turns and shouts back down the hatchway.

LYTTON
I’ve bought you some breathing space.

He turns. One of the Movellans is jerking to life.

MOVELLAN
Systems...

Lytton shoots it in the face. It falls back. Another starts to move. He shoots that one as well. Suddenly at the back, two Movellans rise to their feet. Danstrop runs out of Hyranto’s spaceship with a Terileptil blaster and fires twice. The two Movellans collapse. Lytton shoots another Movellan as it starts to revive, but as it falls another two start to twitch. Danstrop shoots them frantically.

DANSTROP
How many times must we kill these things?!

LYTTON
I’ll let you know.

Lytton picks up a Movellan side-arm and sweeps it back and forth, firing. There is the loud buzzing as all the Movellans fall back lifeless... to reveal another ten Movellans marching into view. Lian is at their head.

DANSTROP
This is just not fair.

Danstrop shoots Lian, who falls. The other Movellans have their weapons aimed. Lytton shoots the nearest and has to duck as there is an explosion behind him. One of the fallen Movellans sits upright.

MOVELLAN
Systems restored to full function.

Danstrop shoots the revived Movellan. The other squad open fire. Another explosion.


52. INT. POWER CORE (DAY)

Peri looks up nervously as she hears the explosion. The Doctor has opened an inspection hatch and is half buried inside, working.

DOCTOR
There! Peri, slide in the last circuit board into place.

Peri does so, closing the cover. She flips down a blue control. A screen lights up and Peri peers at the display.

PERI
Frequencies are matched. Doctor, we’re all set!

The Doctor climbs from under the console and pulls down another control. The computers come to life and hum loudly. He adjusts a few more controls.

DOCTOR
There! Done! We are now generating the perfect counter wave to the SlipBack Drive. In a few seconds, the effect will spread out from Silver City in all directions.

PERI
What if it’s not quick enough?

DOCTOR
Well...

The Doctor presses a switch. A monitor glows brightly.

DOCTOR
The Movellan ship’s nearly consumed... the disturbance is growing all the time!

PERI
Is the counter wave growing fast enough to stop it?

DOCTOR
Delay it? Yes. Stop it? No. If we don’t close it down before reality itself is breached... Things are not looking good.

There is a volley of gunfire and another explosion.

DOCTOR
Any ideas, Peri?

PERI
Me?!

DOCTOR
Why not? You’re intelligent, aren’t you? Think!

Peri shrugs, lost.

PERI
Uh, give me a minute.

DOCTOR
Normally I’d be happy to. Come on, Peri! Think! Humans always see the little things, it’s what makes you so special! I’ve missed something, so what is it?

PERI
How should I know? Um... wait. How come the distortion’s growing in the first place?

DOCTOR
It’s receiving energy from all the matter it consumes. More it feeds, the more it grows, in direct proportion. How can that help?

PERI
Does our counter wave work the same way?

DOCTOR
Yes, but the energy output would have to be... Peri. You are an absolute genius.

The Doctor hugs her and then starts adjusting controls frantically.

PERI
Takes one to know one.

DOCTOR
Now, the best way would be to maximize all energy output to the transmitters in a gentle build-up, but we could always...

Peri grabs his hand as he moves to pull down a massive lever.

PERI
No, no, just keep it simple.

The Doctor looks at her, eyebrow arched.

DOCTOR
Well, you ARE the genius.

He adjusts more controls.

DOCTOR
I just hope Lytton can give us the time needed to stitch up... well, time.


53. MODEL SHOT

The glow continues to swell brighter, creeping out in all directions.


54. EXT. DOCKING BAY (DAY)

All the Movellans are on their feet and closing in on Lytton and Danstrop. Danstrop shoots three Movellans down, but they instantly rise to their feet, not even disabled by the injuries received.

LYTTON
They’re reactivating too fast! Fall back!

DANSTROP
There are too many!

LIAN
Your weapons are no longer effective. We have adapted systems sheilding.

Danstrop whimpers and shoots her in the face. She collapses.

DANSTROP
Hah! LIAR!

LYTTON
Movellans don’t boast, Danstrop. We’ve got to leave!

DANSTROP
Sure. After you.

Lytton looks around. The Movellans are still close for either of them to make a break for it. Danstrop fires and misses. Lytton fires his rifle but it takes a second before the sonic blast emerges. Another Movellan topples as three of the first salvo revive.

DANSTROP
Run for it!

Lytton and Danstrop run for the exit as Lian staggers to her feet.

LIAN
Eliminate them. We shall take the power core.

The duo reach the door as the Movellans split into two groups. Lian leads the group after Lytton and Danstrop, while the others all aim their weapons at the hatchway. There is a loud, shrill buzz and the hatch explodes.


55. INT. POWER CORE (DAY)

The Doctor and Peri look up from the console.

DOCTOR
They’re onto us already.

He holds his sonic screwdriver over the lock. It explodes.

PERI
Well... guess they can’t get in now.

There is a muffled buzzing whine. Steam is rising off the closed door as the whining gets louder and louder. Their faces fall.

PERI
Unless they start burning down the door.

DOCTOR
The program’s working... just not fast enough!

PERI
It has to!

DOCTOR
It should be matching the distortion, but the Movellans might shut it down before...

The door warps and buckles. A Movellan fist punches through it like wet paper.

- to be continued