The End of the Road XIII

(ROLL OPENING CREDITS)

1. INT. INCUBATION ROOM (DAY)

The DOCTOR, NATASHA and GRIGORY stand around the podium containing the glass Dalek – and the mutated remains of ARTHUR V. STENGOS.

DOCTOR
He’s been put here as a display. The Great Healer is mocking us.

NATASHA
Father, what happened to you?

STENGOS
I... am to become... a Dalek.

Grigory, face aghast, slides a hand around Natasha to keep her upright.

NATASHA
A Dalek? But how? What does it mean?

STENGOS
I am to become a Dalek. You are to become Daleks.

The single eye rolls back. A mechanical note enters his voice. He no longer sounds like a human being, the grating in his voice a familiar screech.

STENGOS
WE ARE ALL TO BECOME DALEKS!

(FINISH OPENING CREDITS)
(THE END OF THE ROAD)
(EPISODE FOUR: A MEETING WITH DESTINY)

1. INT. INCUBATION ROOM (DAY)

As before.

DOCTOR
The poison within is taking control.

STENGOS
WE ARE TO SERVE A NEW ORDER – WE ARE TO BECOME THE SUPREME BEINGS!

Stengos painfully blinks. He gasps.

STENGOS
Help me... Natasha... please...

NATASHA
What can I do?!

STENGOS
WE MUST MULTIPLY. THE SEEDS OF THE DALEKS MUST BE SUPREME.

DOCTOR
He’s losing. The conditioning’s taking over.

NATASHA
What can we do?

DOCTOR
Nothing! I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. The programming is in his subconscious, eating it away... Stengos is dying!

STENGOS
WE MUST CONQUER AND DESTROY ALL THOSE WHO RESIST THE POWER OF THE DALEKS!

Natasha can’t understand.

NATASHA
Father?

Stengos whimpers.

STENGOS
Kill me, child...

NATASHA
What? I can’t kill you. You’re my father... I love you.

STENGOS
IT IS OUR DUTY TO ERADICATE ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO POLLUTE THE PURITY OF THE DALEK RACE.

DOCTOR
There’s only one way out.

NATASHA
What do you mean?

DOCTOR
Euthanasia.

GRIGORY
Youth in where?

STENGOS
Natasha! I love you... but if you ever loved me, save me...

NATASHA
I can’t kill you!

STENGOS
You can’t save me any other way! PLEASE! KILL ME! IF YOU EVER LOVED ME, KILL ME!

GRIGORY
Maybe I could do it. I’ve had experience.

STENGOS
NATASHA! PLEASE! KILLLLLL MEEEEEEEEE!

NATASHA
How?!

STENGOS
I DON’T KNOW! I DON’T KNOW! I ONLY... KNOW... THAT... IT IS MY DESTINY!

The eye closes.

STENGOS
IT IS OUR DESTINY. THE DALEKS WILL BE SUPREME IN ALL THINGS. WE SHALL MULTIPLY. ALL LIFE WILL BECOME DALEK LIFE. WAR HAS FAILED US. WE HAVE STARTED A NEW ROAD. THIS TIME THE DALEKS WILL TRIUMPH.

DOCTOR
The Dalek’s won. Stengos is dead.

STENGOS
THERE IS NO ESCAPE. YOU ARE POWERLESS. YOU WILL ACCEPT YOUR DESTINY IN THE NEW ORDER.

The doors collapse inwards to show the two DALEKS outside. They glide forwards. Grigory and the Doctor whirl to face them, but Natasha continues to stare at the glass Dalek.

STENGOS
YOU ARE MASTERED BY THE GREAT HEALER. WE SHALL FULFILL YOUR DESTINY. ALL RACES SHALL BE UNITED BY THE GREAT HEALER INTO THE DALEK RACE. THE GREAT HEALER SHALL BE SET UP AMONGST THE GODS.

The trio are herded into a group by the Daleks.

STENGOS
ALL ORGANIC LIFE FACES EVENTUAL EXTINCTION. THE DALEKS DO NOT. EVOLUTION HAS FAILED. HUMANOID LIFE MUST GIVE WAY TO THE DALEKS. SURRENDER TO DESTINY!

DALEK 2
NO MORE ENSLAVEMENT.

DALEK 3
NO MORE ELIMINATION.

DALEKS 2 & 3
DEATH IS NO LONGER AN OPTION!

STENGOS
YOU WILL ALL BECOME DALEKS!!


2. INT. DJ’S RECORDING SUITE (DAY)

Bruce Springsteen’s War plays in the background. The DJ is now dressed in an attendant outfit, without any makeup or wigs. He has constructed a miniature cannon mounted on a tripod. Cables are linking it to the computer bank.


3. INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE DJ’S SUITE (DAY)

We can faintly hear the music through the door. PERI and TAKIS stagger into view.

PERI
All these corridors... Why can’t you make them look different?! Just for once!

TAKIS
They got Lilt... They got him. After all that and they still got him!

Through the window of the door we see the DJ look up in surprise.

PERI
You said there was another chance to get a communicator?

TAKIS
I never get it right. They just keep dying. No matter what.

PERI
Takis! Please! Snap out of it!

Takis looks at her, lost.

TAKIS
What’s left?

The doors slide open. The music pulses loudly.


4. INT. DJ’S RECORDING SUITE (DAY)

Peri and Takis enter the room. The doors shut. The DJ looks at them.

DJ
Jobel’s dead.

PERI
What?

DJ
Tasambeker. The Great Healer, he made her kill him. He’s dead.

TAKIS
Jobel too...

Takis slumps in the chair, head in his hands.

DJ
I don’t know what will happen when Vargos finds out. Those Daleks might just snap and start zapping everyone. They stunned Lilt, I dunno if they’ll spare us.

Takis looks up.

TAKIS
He’s not dead?

DJ
Well, he wasn’t when they blasted him. Just unconscious. Oh, hello.

He smiles shyly at Peri.

DJ
I don’t often get visitors.

PERI
Oh, well, er, I’m Peri.

She smiles and shakes his hand.

DJ
Yeah, I know. Peri Brown. Well, I’m the DJ. But you knew that. My name’s Denari Jerzei William Warlock Avocardo Alexei Brian Your Immature Mind Would Never Quite Understand It Balowski. My mum was a bit indecisive, you understand. It’s why they generally call me DJ. Denari Jerzei.

She chuckles kindly. The DJ blushes and crosses to the control panel.

DJ
You’ll be wanting to use my radio transmitter. I was keeping an eye on you and your friend the Doctor. I can bounce the signal off the transmitter and get to Morania, Talok, Clion and Skorpios. Beyond that, I can’t help.

PERI
You know all about this?

DJ
Tasambeker was telling you the truth, all the cameras were set up to give me inspiration for the DJ routine. It was the Great Healer’s idea. Never really thought there was another agenda till today. Sorry if it seems voyeuristic. Eight years of reporting everything that goes on in this place to people who weren’t listening and now it turns out they weren’t even here. Sorry. Babbling a bit.

Takis rises, resolute.

TAKIS
Yes you are. Now send a message to Talok. If you have any recordings of the Daleks put that in the message. The Great Healer is really Davros, he’s built a new army of Daleks and Nekros is where it is. With the Long Cold, he’s trapped here for the next few days, maybe enough time to assemble the fleet.

DJ
What about the Daleks?

TAKIS
What do you mean?

DJ
The other Daleks, the first ones. On Azorius Minor?

PERI
What about them?

DJ
Well, I was watching you and that Mr. Lytton did seem to know what he was talking about.

PERI
You sent them a message?

DJ
Yeah. No idea if they got it, let along if they’re going to do anything about it.

PERI
Well, we’ll just have to assume they won’t. Let’s move.


5. INT. CATACOMBS (DAY)

The Doctor is shoved out of the Incubation room by a Dalek.

DALEK 3
YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO THE GREAT HEALER.

DOCTOR
What about my friends?

DALEK 3
THEY WILL BECOME LIKE US – DALEKS. THE SUPREME BEINGS.

DOCTOR
No, leave them alone! They’re not needed for that...

DALEK 3
THE NEW ORDER RECOGNIZES NO EXCEPTIONS. MOVE. MOVE!

The Doctor scowls, but is herded down the corridor.


6. INT. KARA’S OFFICE (DAY)

KARA and VOGEL have their arms interlocked, holding glasses of purple wine.

KARA
Now we have established what the real formula for the protein is, we will be invincible.

VOGEL
Salut, madam.

KARA
Please. Kara.

VOGEL
Kara.

He smiles. They begin to drink from their glasses. At that moment there is a huge explosion. They are flung to the floor. Their glasses and the bottle of champagne fall to the floor and shatter. Vogel scrambles to the desk and hits the communicator.

VOGEL
What the hell is going on?

VOICE
Mr. Vogel! Those Dalek things, they’re coming out of the snow! Hundreds of them! They’ve destroyed the perimeter defenses, they’re shooting everyone!

KARA
The Great Healer’s learned the truth! Lytton must have failed!

VOICE
What?

VOGEL
Drive them back with everything you’ve got! Is Madam’s personal hover car still functioning? Mr. Bostock, report!

There is the sound of Dalek firing.

VOICE
They’re here! They’re inside... ARGHHH!

DALEK VOICE
THIS FACTORY IS NOW UNDER DALEK CONTROL! KARA WARDRAS WILL SURRENDER AND BE TAKEN TO THE GREAT HEALER TO ANSWER FOR HER CRIMES! RESISTANCE IS USE --

Vogel switches off. There is another explosion outside.

VOGEL
We’ll risk the hover-car. We should be able to reach the President’s ship and then we’ll be able to hijack it. The Long Cold’s still weak enough to let us reach orbit.

KARA
But if Lytton sends the signal...

VOGEL
We have to take the chance, Madam or risk...

There is Dalek fire and there is an explosion.

VOGEL
RUN, MADAM!

The doors judder open and three Daleks enter, one after another. Kara flees for another exit and Vogel strides up to them. He is furious.

VOGEL
How dare you enter unannounced?! This is the office of Madame Kara Wardras, galaxy famous actress and soon to be Empress of the Known Universe! Show some respect!

DALEK 1
NO.

The Dalek blasts Vogel at point-blank range. He manages a single howl and falls onto his back, his eyes narrowing and then closing. Kara stares in horror.

KARA
Vogel...

The door behind her opens to reveal another Dalek. Kara approaches Vogel. She is in shock. The four Daleks close in around her. There are tears in her eyes.

KARA
How inconvenient. You know how difficult it is to find good secretaries these days...

DALEK 4
HE IS NOT DEAD. DEATH IS NO LONGER AN OPTION. THE NEW ORDER BECKONS!

DALEK 1
YOU WILL COME WITH US!

KARA
My escorts... to death or worse.

Kara rises, eyes still locked onto Vogel’s body.


7. INT. RECEPTION AREA (DAY)

TASAMBEKER is sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, rocking slightly backwards and forwards. JOBEL is sprawled on the floor, very dead. GUARDS have their guns trained at her. PRESIDENT VARGOS rises from crouching over Jobel. The ATTENDANTS are milling around the place, shocked and muttering amongst themselves.

VARGOS
Died instantly. How is she?

Tasambeker is ignoring everything.

VARGOS
Catatonic. I was right. Something disastrous is happening here.

He lifts his head to give orders.

VARGOS
Very well. Tranquil Repose is now under martial law. All attendants are to...

DALEK 1
SILENCE!

Vargos and the others spin around. Three Daleks stand on the sarcophagus podium above the stairs, gun sticks aimed. Two more Daleks glide in behind the group.

DALEK 1
YOU ARE OUR PRISONER. YOU WILL COME WITH US.

VARGOS
Never!

The Daleks open fire. First one, then two, then three guards are struck, glow bright red and collapse. The attendants scream and flee the area. The Daleks close in on Vargos.

DALEK 1
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!

VARGOS
So it seems.

He raises his hands in surrender.


8. INT. DJ’S RECORDING SUITE (DAY)

Takis is working on the control panels. Peri is watching the screen.

PERI
The Great Healer’s not even pretending any more. He’s kidnapped the President.

DJ
If he kills President Vargos... well, he’s one of the few things keeping the galaxy together. It could be a new dark age.

He blinks and looks up at Peri.

DJ
Look, sorry, I have to know, is that your real accent?

Peri is surprised.

PERI
Uh, yeah. I hope so.

They laugh. A hysterical relief.

DJ
Amazing! Totally amazing!

PERI
Yours is a bit different from when I first saw you.

DJ
Is it?

PERI
Yeah. At first I thought you were from the States.

The DJ stares at her in awe and respect.

DJ
The UNITED States?! Of AMERICA? On EARTH?

PERI
Yup.

DJ
Amazing!

Takis finishes up at the controls.

TAKIS
The signal he sent will reach Dalek Space in a few minutes.

PERI
What do we do now?

Takis crosses to the closed doors.

TAKIS
Barricade ourselves in here and try to sit it out. DJ? The lock’s a standard psycho-physio isn’t it?

DJ
Er, yeah. I scrambled the outside lock, but if you want to make sure...

TAKIS
I do. Do you have any sort of weaponry?

The DJ gestures the cannon he has been building with a flourish.

DJ
Ta-da!

PERI
What’s that?

DJ
Second-hand sonic cannon. I’ve had it for years. Uses highly-directional ultrasonic beams, bit like a Wadifalayeen sonic knife. Ultra-high or infa-low frequency vibrations can smash up anything you want.

TAKIS
How about Daleks?

The DJ shuffles awkwardly.

DJ
Yeah, well. Guess we’ll have to find out, won’t we?


9. INT. TR CORRIDORS (DAY)

Three Daleks glide up the corridor, straight towards us.


10. INT. CATACOMBS (DAY)

The Dalek escorts the Doctor along through the building mist.

DALEK 3
THE NEW ERA BEGINS. MANKIND WILL BE CONSUMED BY THE DALEKS TO INCREASE OUR NUMBERS.

DOCTOR
Yes, and you haven’t once said ‘Exterminate’, I’m amazed.

DALEK 3
NON-DALEK LIFE WILL ACCEPT THEIR FATE OR FACE TOTAL EXTERMINATION.

DOCTOR
I knew it couldn’t last.


11. INT. INCUBATION ROOM (DAY)

A Dalek guards Natasha and Grigory. A hatch slides back in the wall and a hidden segment of wall glides forward containing three upright glass cubicles with the TR logo stamped on them. The glass covers spring open.

DALEK 2
YOU WILL ENTER.

NATASHA
Why? What are you going to do?

DALEK 2
YOU WILL BECOME DALEKS. YOU WILL SERVE THE NEW ORDER.

NATASHA
Not a chance!

The Dalek fires. Natasha falls without a scream. Grigory is appalled.

DALEK 2
ENTER OR YOU WILL SUFFER THE SAME FATE.

Grigory looks around helplessly, then steps up and climbs into the cubicle. The glass cover swings shut and clicks loudly.

DALEK 2
REPROGRAMMING MUTATION GENERATOR.

A bright light shines down on Grigory who covers his face, pained by the light.


12. INT. DJ’S RECORDING SUITE (DAY)

As before. The DJ is linking a last cable to the cannon.

TAKIS
How did you get a sonic cannon through security?

DJ
Well, it doesn’t have the focussing core, so essentially it’s just a novelty paperweight.

PERI
And how’s that going to stop Daleks?

DJ
Because we can jury-rig a new focussing core. All we need is a source of random noise modulation, and I happen to have the best rock and roll collection this side of Alpha Centauri!

Takis turns his attention to the screen.

PERI
How did you get this?

DJ
My great granddad got it cheap in a market on Mars. You know, the usual. He was on this bargain basement tour of the solar system, and when he visited Earth he found all these recordings. A time capsule from the 20th century, just buried in this quarry. He took it home and I just LOVED, I really LOVED the sounds of those old American disc jockeys.

He slips into his on-air accent.

DJ
So, I, er, kinda decided to base ma style of pre-sentation on um, y’know.

PERI
Oh well, it’s very good.

DJ
Thanks!

PERI
Had me fooled. I knew it was too good to be true. It almost makes me homesick.

DJ
Glad someone likes it. I mean, the regular listeners never complain. Apart from Mr. Jobel... But he always let me stay because the Great Healer loved it. I’m gonna miss Jobel. Didn’t half aggravate me every day for the last eight years... Relentless drivel, that’s what he said. “Why transmit relentless drivel to the dead and why haven’t the government done a thing about it?” His toupee nearly fell off, he’d get so mad...

TAKIS
Time to panic!

DJ
What?

TAKIS
Look!

The scanner screen fills with an image of the corridor. Daleks approach.

DJ
Even in the face of death, ‘the show MUST go on!’


13. INT. CATACOMBS (DAY)

A groggy-looking LILT is being escorted along by a Dalek. They reach a junction and another Dalek and Vargos are present.

DALEK 1
THIS PRISONER IS TO BE TAKEN TO THE INCUBATION ROOM FOR TRANSFORMATION.

DALEK 2
VARGOS WILL BE TAKEN TO MEET THE GREAT HEALER.

Vargos is escorted elsewhere. There is a sudden chime.

DJ (VO)
Good afternoon, Tranquil Repose! This is the DJ with a very special message for you all! The Great Healer is Davros, there are Daleks everywhere and we are all gonna die! I’m broadcasting live from by reinforced recording suite up at the top of the Pyramid and any Dalek that tries it will get a special dedication – of DEATH! This is the broadcast to end ALL broadcasts! YEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Jeff Beck’s Shapes of Things blares over the following sequences:

LILT
Things are becoming decidedly surreal, Lilt.

DALEK 1
SILENCE! MOVE TOWARDS THE INCUBATION ROOM!


14. INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE DJ’S SUITE (DAY)

Jeff Beck plays. The Daleks advance on the door and open fire. The door explodes.


15. INT. DJ’S RECORDING SUITE (DAY)

Takis and Peri hide behind the DJ. The first Dalek smashes through the remnants of the door. The DJ fires his canon. A colourful kaleidoscope of energy rays shoot out, zig-zagging as they slam into the Dalek. For a split second it is frozen, shimmering and blurring like a mirage. Then it explodes. Peri cries out as a mutant blob (like the things in the incubation tanks) falls, steaming out of the wreckage.

The second Dalek shoves aside the wreckage of the first. The DJ fires again. The beam smashes into the wall. The Dalek fires, and the beam destroys the screen. The DJ fires again, gritting his teeth. The second Dalek is struck and moments later it explodes.

For a moment there is just music. The DJ rises. Two more Daleks suddenly sweep in and open fire. There is a string of explosions and the DJ is struck in the chest. He lets out an agonized shriek and falls flat on his face. The Daleks fire again and Takis collapses in a heap. As the music hits its final, abrupt end – the Daleks shoot out the control panels. There is a final explosion and total silence.

DALEK 1
YOU MUST SURRENDER. YOU ARE TO COME WITH US. RESISTANCE IS USELESS.

Peri looks at the bodies of her friends, too horrified to do anything else but raise her hands in horror.

- to be continued...