The End of the Road XV

25. INT. CATACOMBS (DAY)

There is a background roar of Dalek firepower and the strange banshee moans of the white Daleks. A trio of Grey Daleks materialize and advance on two white Daleks already facing a Grey Dalek. There is another exchange of fire. Only two Grey Daleks survive. Further down the tunnel, a victorious white Dalek plugs its sucker in a wall socket.

DALEK 2
ALERT! EMERGENCY! HOSTILE DALEKS ON NEKROS! FULL ALERT!!

A Grey Dalek shoots the white Dalek in the back. It explodes.


26. INT. CHAPEL (DAY)

Silence.

DAVROS
You have condemned me.

PERI
Yeah. And after what I’ve seen you do today, I’d do it again.

DOCTOR
Don’t, Peri. We’ve unleashed a great white shark to catch a mackeral! The Daleks cannot EVER be trusted!

We cut to Kara and Vogel who whisper to each other.

KARA
The medal I awarded you for service.

VOGEL
Yes, Madam?

KARA
You know what to do?

VOGEL
I have an idea, Madam...

We concentrate on the others.

DAVROS
The Doctor calling on the Daleks for aide. Yes, the tables HAVE been turned this time. But it is no matter.

DOCTOR
It isn’t?

DAVROS
Azorius Minor is far from here – beyond the beyond of beyond at the endless edge of this galaxy as it was once called. Many thousands of light-years away from the puny scattering of stars humanity likes to call their galactic empire. Even if the Daleks believed you and had sufficient armaments to attempt a raid, it would be days before they could even enter the Pherran System. You, Doctor, have lost. Exterminate them!

The Daleks turn to face the Doctor, Peri and Vargos.

DALEK 2
ALERT! EMERGENCY! HOSTILE DALEKS ON NEKROS! FULL ALERT!!

DAVROS
WAIT! All Daleks return to main control! ALL DALEKS! Exterminate the usurpers!


26. EXT. HILLSIDE (DAY)

Three white Daleks move through the swirling snow.


27. INT. TR CORRIDORS (DAY)

In a hurry, four Daleks converge into a queue and head for the double doors into the catacombs, smoke coiling around them.

DAVROS (VO)
All Daleks return to main control! All Daleks return to main control!


28. INT. CATACOMBS (DAY)

The Daleks glide down into the catacombs... where the Grey Daleks emerge from hiding. Caught in the emerald crossfire, the first few white Daleks explode spectacularly. The remaining white Daleks open fire.


29. INT. CHAPEL (DAY)

The battle is shown on the screen. It changes to several other views, then a diagram with a series of lights. They start to go out.

DOCTOR
You’re running out of replacements, I think, Davros...

DAVROS
Active Daleks are being overrun, but my main taskforce will beat them with sheer weight of numbers! I am Davros! I cannot be defeated!

The screen changes to show the battle. Grey Daleks are exploding.

DAVROS
Surrender! You are completely outnumbered!

KARA
Now!

Vogel raises his medallion and presses it. A wave of purple light slices into the nearest Dalek, causing it to scream. Smoke pours from its grills and its limbs go slack. The Doctor’s group head for the exit, but one of the remaining two Daleks blocks their path.

DAVROS
No!

The Doctor turns and runs over to the console and taps at the bomb.

DAVROS
Doctor, you cannot...

The Doctor punches every control he can, his fingers a blur as if in fast forward.

DAVROS
Stop him!

The lights of the bomb start flashing. The other Dalek turns from Kara and Vogel and fires at the Doctor, who ducks. That part of the console explodes and the bomb is sent crashing heavily to the floor. Kara and Vogel duck behind the dead Dalek.

The confusion allows Peri and Vargos to escape. Lytton kicks at the Dalek guarding the door, sending it reeling before it can aim at him. The Doctor ducks another blast and reaches the doorway. Davros rotates, following him.

DAVROS
You have not heard the last of me, Doctor! I SHALL RETURN!

DOCTOR
And I shall be waiting for you. Goodbye!

The Doctor ducks as the nearby Dalek fires a bolt at him. He sprints away. The Dalek glides after him, and the second moves to join it. Kara and Vogel take their chance and break cover from the wreckage of the third Dalek and race up the steps to the upper entrance. Davros whirls to watch them leave.

DAVROS
Kara!! I ORDER YOU TO STOP!


30. INT. OUTSIDE CHAPEL (DAY)

Vogel and Kara turn the corner and move to run to the left when a Grey Dalek glides out of the shadows in front of them, gun-stick raised.

VOGEL
I’m so sorry, madam.

KARA
It’s all right, Vogel. You did splendidly.

GREY DALEK
EXTERMINATE!


31. INT. CHAPEL (DAY)

Davros’ head revolves as we hear the sound of Dalek fire.

DAVROS
Daleks! Protect me!

The Grey Dalek appears in the doorway and fires a blast at the nearest white Dalek. It explodes, the top half gutted. The Dalek in the catacomb entrance spins to face the Grey Dalek.

DALEK 1
HOSTILE DALEK UNIT RECOGNIZED. EXTERMINATE!

The Grey Dalek fires first. The white Dalek is slammed against the stone wall. A second blast causes an explosion. Davros looks up at the entrance as two more Grey Daleks join the first and look down at him.


32. INT. CATACOMBS

The Doctor, Peri, Lytton and Vargos run up the passage.

LYTTON
What did you do to the bomb?

DOCTOR
Rigged a crude timer. I entered a very complicated sequence. Once the computer program clears, it detonates – but I don’t know how much time we have.

VARGOS
Look out!

They dive down a side corridor as more Grey Daleks appear. In this passage they turn and bump straight into Tasambeker, who is slumped against the wall, staring into space. Beyond them is the DJ, Natasha, Grigory and Takis and Lilt.

PERI
Well, fancy meeting you here!


33. INT. CHAPEL (DAY)

The Grey Daleks surround the console and Davros.

DAVROS
How dare you come here!

GREY DALEK
SILENCE.

The BLACK DALEK enters through the lower entrance. Of the same design of the Greys, but matt black with silver trimmings. It is followed by a TECH DALEK. It is a normal Dalek buts its sucker arm is replaced with a slender, welding torch-type tool.

BLACK DALEK
DAVROS, YOU WILL SURRENDER YOURSELF TO THE DALEKS.

DAVROS
I will not.

BLACK DALEK
YOU WILL SURRENDER.

DAVROS
This is not possible! How could you cross from the Andromeda Constellation to Nekros in such a time?!

BLACK DALEK
OUR SHIP IS IN ORBIT. IT HAS BEEN IN ORBIT AROUND NEKROS FOR THE LAST NINE POINT SIX SOLAR YEARS. BEFORE THE SUPREME DALEK WAS DESTROYED WITH THE CASSIUS FOUR SPACE STATION, IT DETECTED AN ESCAPE POD LEAVING THE STATION. YOU WERE THE ONLY POSSIBLE CANDIDATE. WE CHARTED YOUR POSSIBLE VECTORS AND LEARNED YOU ARRIVED HERE – AND THAT THE RADIATION SHADOW FROM THE EXPLOSION CURED YOUR INFECTION.

DAVROS
So you returned to Azorius Minor and immunized yourself against the virus?

BLACK DALEK
WE RELAYED THE INFORMATION AND IMMUNIZED OURSELVES. WE THEN SET UP ORBIT AND CLOAKED OUR SHIP FROM HUMAN SCANNING DEVICES. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THIS DAY.

DAVROS
Why?

BLACK DALEK
YOU HAVE CREATED A NEW RACE OF DALEKS, IMMUNE TO ALL VIRUSES, REENGINEERED TO THE STANDARD THE TIME LORDS FEAR. YOU HAVE CREATED A PROCESS TO CREATE NEW DALEK UNITS WITH MINIMAL EFFORT. WE SHALL NOW TAKE CHARGE.

DAVROS
No! This is my design! My New Order! You cannot trap me!

BLACK DALEK
WE ALREADY HAVE.

It turns to face another Grey Dalek.

BLACK DALEK
PURSUE AND EXTERMINATE THE HUMANS.

GREY DALEK
I OBEY.

It turns and leaves. On the floor, the bomb’s light continues to flash.


34. INT. CATACOMBS (DAY)

As before. They generally getting their breath back.

TAKIS
If the real Daleks are here, then it’s finished! This will be a good place we can enjoy working here again.

DJ
Don’t be too certain, Takis.

PERI
We’ll be lucky to be alive at the end of this. There’s a bomb about to go off!

TAKIS
You can’t destroy this place!

LYTTON
There’s no way of stopping it now. We’ve got to leave.

Vargos hurries away, as does Lytton. Lilt starts to follow.

LILT
Come on Takis!

Takis, Natasha, Grigory and the DJ follow. The Doctor crosses to Tasambeker.

DOCTOR
Come on, young lady. No time to lie around when we could be running for our lives.

PERI
Doctor...

DOCTOR
Go. I’ll catch up with you I promise.

Peri isn’t convinced.

DOCTOR
Peri, I’m not dying here if I have any say in it. And neither is she.

He points to Tasambeker.

PERI
I can help...

DOCTOR
Please, go and find a safe place. If you can, go the TARDIS! Move!

Peri turns and runs off. The Doctor manages to, with some strain, lift Tasambeker.

DOCTOR
That’s it, come on. Tasambeker? Tasambeker can you hear me?

She does not react. She stares sightlessly ahead.


35. INT. TR CORRIDORS (DAY)

Lilt and Vargos sprint down the corridor.

LILT
Can you ship take the rest of the staff?

VARGOS
I think so! We’ll take off and escape the blast area!

LILT
The Long Cold...

VARGOS
Shut up about the Long Cold!

They run onwards.


36. INT. CATACOMBS (DAY)

The Doctor is still persuading the catatonic Tasambeker to move. Lytton returns. The Doctor spares him a glance and then concentrates on Tasambeker. Thus, he does not see as Lytton places a small compact unit against the wall then turns and runs off.

LYTTON
I’ll see you on the other side, Doctor!

DOCTOR
Not if I see you first!

He turns back to Tasambeker.

DOCTOR
Tasambeker, come on. We’re very close to the surface now.

She stares at him, blinking. She speaks like a child.

TASAMBEKER
I want to stay here.

DOCTOR
What?!

TASAMBEKER
Jobel is here. This where the dead go. He was not frozen, he is dead and he is here and I want to stay. I don’t want him to be angry that I killed him. I didn’t want to do it. I’ve been asleep so long but now I’ve woken up.

DOCTOR
Jobel isn’t here – his body is up there, in Tranquil Repose!

TASAMBEKER
He will sleep forever, the sleep of the just...

DOCTOR
Tasambeker! Please!

TASAMBEKER
So many years alone. To be in sight of love... real love... not to be alone.

A grey Dalek turns the corner. The Doctor drags Tasambeker into an alcove.

TASAMBEKER
From the earliest memory, so alone... He promised no feelings, no pain and now this... Oh, Jobel, my love, why didn’t you wait for me? We could have gone together. You called me taramasalata when we first met...

GREY DALEK
HUMANOID FUGITIVES DETECTED! ALL HUMANS ARE TO BE EXTERMINATED!

The Doctor takes a chance. He runs from the alcove, dragging Tasambeker with him and up the corridor, but Tasambeker uses her weight to wrench free. She stares through the gloom at the approaching Dalek. Around the corner, Lytton stands, listening.

TASAMBEKER
Look at the way it gleams!

DOCTOR
Tasambeker, don’t end it like this!

GREY DALEK
ALL INFERIOR LIFE FORMS ARE TO BE EXTERMINATED!

The Doctor runs in front of Tasambeker.

DOCTOR
Wait! I am the Doctor and this is my companion Annabel. We surrender. The Dalek Leader will want us – secrets of time travel, all that.

GREY DALEK
YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DALEKS! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!

DOCTOR
Cross-check your orders!

A pause. A low buzzing noise is heard as the Dalek does just that.

TASAMBEKER
The emptiness of the desert... The emptiness. Was it joy or was it sadness?

GREY DALEK
SILENCE!

TASAMBEKER
Was it pain or was it bliss? The emptiness! But now, to know...

GREY DALEK
STANDING ORDERS RECEIVED. YOU ARE THE DOCTOR, THE BRINGER OF DARKNESS!

TASAMBEKER
How could I have known? How could I have known then? How could I have ever known? HOW?!

Angrily, she pushes the Doctor aside, throwing him to the floor and charges towards the Dalek. Totally taken by surprise, it retreats down the corridor. Tasambeker advances on it, all trace of sanity gone.

DOCTOR
Tasambeker!

TASAMBEKER
You are nothing! No creature so contemptible can bear true, shining glory! The burning fire, the searing nothingness of bliss! The glorious Jobel is dead, his divine countenance in communion with the universe! Profane it and be crushed underfoot!

The Dalek stops retreating down the corridor and holds its ground. Its gun-stick is aimed at Tasambeker. She’s never been happier. Beside them, on the wall, is the bomb.

TASAMBEKER
The emptiness, Jobel! The emptiness!

GREY DALEK
EXTERMINATE!

TASAMBEKER
JOOOOBEEEEEEEEEEEL!

The Dalek fires. Tasambeker laughs with sheer delight as she is bathed in the negative glow. There is a look of adoring wonder and awe on her face. The glow disperses and Tasambeker falls to the ground, a broad smile on her face.

DOCTOR
Tasambeker...

The Dalek aims its gun stick at the Doctor. Lytton stabs the control.

GREY DALEK
EXTER--

There is a massive explosion. Once struck, the Dalek explodes. Lytton runs as the flame and smoke rush down the concourse towards him. He escapes it. The smoke clears. The burning base of the Dalek is intact, and rubble now fills the corridor. The Doctor lies on the outskirts, eyes closed, and a nasty cut to his forehead.

- to be concluded...