C - Day XI

32. INT. INFERNO (DAY)

The chamber is dimly lit. Kitty is held by the heavy arm of the bouncer, who stands by the closed door, peering our through the eye grille. Kitty is struggling to control her breathing as he just scared the crap out of her.

KITTY
Tony... what do you think you’re...

BOUNCER
Kitty, please. There is some seriously crazy things going down here today.

KITTY
What do you mean ‘seriously crazy’? What sort of seriously crazy?

BOUNCER
I mean I’ve seen Jimmy Saville, a sailor and a tramp running away from a mobile fridge spewing out poison gas and then getting ambushed by the living dead.

KITTY
Oh. THAT sort of seriously crazy.

BOUNCER
Something terrible is happening, isn’t it? Can you feel it?

Kitty frowns, trying to concentrate.

KITTY
Yeah. Kinda. ODIN!

BOUNCER
Come again?

KITTY
ODIN, the magic computer! That’s what’s causing all this?

BOUNCER
How’d you work that out?

KITTY
I... I remember... something. In a dream. Or... maybe it was real. There was this voice, Tony, it was... whispering. Something about mechanized evolution.

BOUNCER
What’s that mean?

KITTY
ODIN, it wants to take over the world. We’ve got to find the Doctor!

BOUNCER
Doctor who? Kitty, what are talking about?

KITTY
The Doctor! You know, Jimmy Saville!

BOUNCER
How is Jimmy Saville supposed to stop giant robots and the walking dead?

KITTY
I don’t know, but... but... ODIN. He’s scared of the Doctor.

BOUNCER
Why?

KITTY
Because he thinks the Doctor can stop it. That’s why he’s scared. Tony, I know this isn’t making much sense at the moment...

BOUNCER
Clear as mud, Kitty. Clear as mud.

KITTY
But we’ve got to find the old man from last night. Have you seen him?

BOUNCER
I just told you, he got kidnapped along with a tramp and a sailor by giant metal litterbin and... hang on. What’s that?

They listen. There is the faint sound of footsteps. The bouncer slides back the hatch slightly, allowing them to peer out into the street outside.


33. EXT. OUTSIDE THE INFERNO (DAY)

Major Green lurches down the street. Behind him, at a distance, is the Doctor, flanked by the tramp and Wallis. The Doctor is walking much slower than the others. He looks tired.


34. INT. INFERNO (DAY)

Kitty and the bouncer peer out the hatchway.

KITTY
We’ve got to rescue him.

The bouncer boggles.

BOUNCER
You’re joking! You saw the thing at the front!

KITTY
Tony, we’ve got to! We’ve got no time left!

BOUNCER
No time left? Til what?

KITTY
C-Day.

Kitty shrugs helplessly, as if she doesn’t understand the answer herself.


35. EXT. OUTSIDE THE INFERNO (DAY)

The group have passed the Inferno and are moving up the street. A bench is further down the street to one side. Major Green is still far ahead of the others.

WALLIS
We are behind schedule.

DOCTOR
Your schedule, sir. Not mine.

Green stops and turns to face the Doctor.

GREEN
Go... faster... All... human beings... who break... down... will be... eradicated!

DOCTOR
Ah, but I am not a human being. And neither are you. Not any more. Oh, look there’s a nice bench just over there. We can have a rest.

WALLIS
There is no time for rest.

TRAMP
You must follow the example of the machines.

DOCTOR
We shall have to take our time, you know. I’m getting old these days.

MAJOR GREEN
You are... inefficient...

DOCTOR
And you are a walking corpse! Out of the two of us, I am still alive, so I think I am the more efficient. ODIN wants me alive and well, and if it wants that it will have to accept me walking at my own pace. It wasn’t clever enough to ring me a taxi, was it? And none of those War Machines is equipped to carry me, are they?

The Doctor lowers himself onto the nearby bench. He sighs, thinking.

DOCTOR
Machines of war. Always war. Never machines of loving grace.

The Major stiffly lowers his head to glare down at the old man.

MAJOR GREEN
These... things... are irrelevant!

The Doctor chuckles.

DOCTOR
To you perhaps. I don’t care for the opinions of zombies like yourself. Now, I am going to have a rest. You snapped my cane, and my legs are tired.

Green drops a heavy hand on the Doctor’s shoulder. The Doctor glares at him.

MAJOR GREEN
Keep... moving...

DOCTOR
No.

WALLIS
Our orders are to head for Valhalla.

The Doctor stares up at Green, but speaks to Wallis.

DOCTOR
Then new orders are required.

A beat.

DOCTOR
You can’t, can you? You aren’t in contact with ODIN. Just under his control. Yes, fascinating. Very fascinating. Well, sir, you can go and ring up ODIN and discuss the matter. I’ll be here when you get back.

MAJOR GREEN
You... lie...

DOCTOR
Why should I?

Major Green doesn’t have an answer.

DOCTOR
After all, even if I were to run away, where would I go? What could I do? I cannot ring for help without ODIN attacking me. And as you say yourself, the rule of man is over. Best to just accept the situation rather than fight the inevitable.

TRAMP
Move.

DOCTOR
You could make me, but your brute strength you’d quite possibly do me a mischief. Did ODIN order that? Hmmm?

With a grunt of effort, Major Green raises his hand from the Doctor’s shoulder.

DOCTOR
You see? When you were alive, you might have understood. But ODIN’s taken that away from you. Everything that mattered. There is only one thing that will make me move from this spot before I am ready.

WALLIS
What is that?

DOCTOR
My secretary. I want to see her.

MAJOR GREEN
She... is under ODIN’s... control...

The Doctor scowls.

DOCTOR
I suspected as much. But if that is the case, bring her here, sir. Prove to me she is alive. Because nothing else will persuade me to move...

He looks behind the trio to where Kitty and the bouncer stand.

DOCTOR
BAR a rescue attempt, of course!

The bouncer dives and tackles Major Green, flooring him. The tramp grabs the bouncer and get head-butted for his pains, but the delay allows Major Green to rise and punch the bouncer in the gut, sending him staggering backwards. Another punch. Wallis turns and grabs the Doctor as he tries to escape from the bench. Wallis spins him round and decks him, hurling him to the ground with inhuman force. Kitty grabs Wallis, spins him round and kicks him between the legs. Wallis groans and falls to his knees. Kitty rushes over to the Doctor to help him sit up.

KITTY
Are you OK?

The Doctor looks dazed and concussed. Major Green is now standing up straight. The bouncher spits on his fist, takes a step forward and slams it with sickening force into Major Green’s chest. The zombie absorbs the blow with no reaction. The bouncer sighs, exhausted and shrugs.

BOUNCER
Did that even hurt?

A long pause as Green stares at the bouncer.

MAJOR GREEN
No.

Major Green’s voice is barely understandable. With lightning speed a skeletal hand clamps around the bouncer’s throat, choking him. Kitty looks up from supporting the Doctor.

KITTY
No! Don’t!

Green lifts the bouncer off the ground. The bouncer is choking, barely able to speak. Green stares at the bouncer. We can now see his moustache and hair are falling out from the dead skin, the bruises so dark it is like his head has turned transparent. For a moment Green seems to be wondering what to do with the bouncer, then violently throws the bouncer across the street and crashing into the wall. The bouncer crumples to the ground, quite dead. Kitty screams. The Doctor grimaces – mainly at the noise of the scream – and grabs Kitty’s hand.

DOCTOR
Come along, child, we’ve got go!

KITTY
TONY!

DOCTOR
WE’VE GOT TO GO!

He drags her from the scene. Green ponderously turns to see their retreating forms. The tramp and Wallis are still recovering.

WALLIS
What... should we do?

MAJOR GREEN
The Doctor... must be... stopped...

WALLIS
As he said. They can do nothing.

TRAMP
We need new orders.

WALLIS
Then we must go to ODIN.

MAJOR GREEN
And I... shall collect the Doctor...

TRAMP
Kill those with him.

Major Green bobs his decaying head. He turns and lurches off down the street while the other two head off in a different direction. The bouncer’s body lies where it fell.


36. INT. WAREHOUSE (DAY)

Tom and three other workers are working on Baldur. They are reprogramming the computer panels on the side. All are look exhausted, with Tom struggling to keep his eyes open.

TOM
Neuristor signal relay confirmed as functioning.

BALDUR
All systems now operative.

THOR
I shall be the next for modification.

On of the worker collapses. Thor glides over and nudges the corpse with its base, and it the rolls the body over and over until it comes to rest in a dark corner out of the way of the workers. In another section of the warehouse Ben and Polly are loading boxes. Polly looks the worse off of the two, and as she places her box down she stumbles against the boxes, almost falling over.

BEN
Are you all right?

POLLY
Why do you speak?

BEN
That is not important, ducks.

POLLY
What is important is that this phase of the operation must be a success. We must complete this phase as soon as possible.

BEN
And then?

POLLY
The takeover of London. You should know this. You should...

BEN
Look, come off it love, you can hardly stand up! Polly? Well look at you, you’re nearly on the ground!

Polly ignores him and struggles to lift another crate.

BEN
Just a second, duchess. I’ve got something you’d like to see. Something that will make you more efficient. You’d be interested in that, surely?

He holds up his hand, and unfurls his fist to reveal the Doctor’s ring. Polly gives a glance and then returns to trying to shift the crate.

POLLY
Why should I be interested in...

BEN
Look into it, Pol. Look.

He takes the ring and moves the gemstone before her eyes. This time she continues to look at it, pausing her efforts.

BEN
Look into the stone, eh? Look deep into it.

Polly does so, rapidly becoming entranced. Ben raises the ring and Polly straightens up to keep track of the gemstone. Ben swallows and glances over his shoulder to check that no one else is nearby.

BEN
Oh, God, I hope this works.

He turns his attention to Polly once more.

BEN
Now, duchess, you’re going to listen to my voice. Your name is Polly Wright. Who are you?

POLLY
Polly... Wright.

BEN
Now, say what I say. My name is Polly Wright...

POLLY
My name is Polly Wright.

BEN
And I resist any attempt to change me into anyone else...


37. EXT. SIDE STREET (DAY)

The Doctor runs as fast as he can down the passageway between two blocks of houses, finally running out of energy and balancing on the railings that join the alley to a side street. Kitty’s eyes are wide and in shock.

KITTY
They killed him. They... they just...

DOCTOR
I know. I’m so sorry, Kitty, my dear. But there is nothing anyone can do for that poor fellow. Not now. I’m sorry.

The Doctor turns and takes an unsteady step towards her, only to slump heavily against the wall breathing heard. This gets Kitty’s attention.

KITTY
You all right?

DOCTOR
I ache, my dear.

Kitty stares at him, lost.

KITTY
Ache?

DOCTOR
My flesh aches. My flesh and blood and bones. All weary. It’s in... intolerable... age and gravity. It’s... hard to think.

KITTY
You should rest.

DOCTOR
It won’t help. I’ve got to get back to the TARDIS.

With supreme effort, he pushes away from the wall and starts down the street again. Kitty follows, still in shock.

KITTY
TARDIS?

DOCTOR
Yes. This is not just some robot revolution, Kitty. Something is... brewing. Rising. I can’t sense it now. It’s coming towards the here and now. Something much older than ODIN, than Brett and his war machines. So massive we can barely perceive it... this is the harbinger of something massive, Kitty.

Kitty’s face falls.

KITTY
The apocalypse?

DOCTOR
Perhaps. Whatever you call it, whatever it is...

The Doctor is almost panting with fear.

DOCTOR
I don’t think it can be stopped.

The Doctor looks past Kitty, who turns to follow his gaze. Behind them, Major Green shambles down the side street and stiffly turns around, bring his now white, sightless eyes to bear on the duo.

KITTY
Run for it!

Kitty grabs the Doctor’s arm and they run out into the main street. Major Green stiffly lurches through the alleyway towards them.

DOCTOR
Quick, child! Quick!

They scurry down the street as Major Green hauls himself out into the sunshine and lumbers down the pavement after them. They turn the corner, but the zombie is remorselessly closing in on them.


38. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (DAY)

The tramp and Wallis have now arrived. Brett and Krimpton have removed his coat and shirt and study him with several hand-held devices, almost swooning with fatigue. The tramp stares blankly ahead, not registering this. Wallis and the technicians are still adjusting Sigi in the background.

ODIN
The Doctor must be located and captured at once. The threat he poses to this operation is serious. If necessary he must be eradicated. Phase Six must be brought forward. What is the status of the first organism.

Brett tries to drop the hand-held scanner on the table but misses. He concentrates on forcing his head to face ODIN. Both he and Krimpton are now more zombified than before.

BRETT
The... test organism is within... all... defined limits.

KRIMPTON
Temperature... heart rate... respiration... and neural activity... at optimum.

ODIN
Full mental reprogramming will be required, therefore partial thought control must be removed to prevent brain damage from interference. Restrain.

Krimpton and Brett grab the tramp. The lamp starts to glow brighter and brighter as energy waves ripple INTO it instead of the other way round. The tramp’s eyes widen, he jerks violently and slumps exhausted. The lamp returns to normal.

TRAMP
What... what did you... where am I?

ODIN
Proceed.

TRAMP
Doctor? What’s going on?

ODIN
Proceed.

The two zombies haul the tramp over towards the chair.

TRAMP
Hey! Let me go, ya mongrels! What are you doing? Let me go, I’ll rip your bloody arms off!

The zombies squeeze tightly and the tramp howls out.

TRAMP
All right, just this once! Just this once!

The tramp is shoved into the chair. Clamps close over his hands and a set of headphones fitted to a wire framework descends to cover his head. Brett stands back and presses a control. A set of horizontal bars slides across the front of the chair, turning it into a cage for the tramp.

TRAMP
Hey! You can’t leave me in here! I hate being stuck in small places!

ODIN
All human psychological responses are to be monitored and collected.

TRAMP
No! Please! Not this! I don’t want to...

ODIN
Proceed.

Brett presses the control again. Electronic noise vaguely reminiscent of ODIN’s hypnosis rays fills the air. It grows louder and louder as the tramp convulses violently, eyes rolling up into his head. The restrains barely hold him as the noise grows louder and louder, a constant four-tone pulsing.

TRAMP
No! Please! God! No! NOO! No! Stop! Make it stop! NOOO!

His screams lose coherence and become pain-wracked gasps. The computers whir and flash and spin as the noise continues. The tramp fall silent. The tramps’ hands flex and jerk violently, stiffen, then slowly relax. The agonized look starts to fade, leaving the tramp as expressionless as those outside watching on.


39. INT. WAREHOUSE (DAY)

Ben is slowly waving his hand – and the Doctor’s ring – back and forth in front of Polly’s face, her eyes wide and unblinking.

BEN
Two... Three... Four... Five.

Polly does not react.

BEN
Five. FIVE! Come on, duchess, just wake up!

Polly blinks rapidly and sways. Ben sighs in relief.

BEN
Polly? Polly?

She rubs her head, forcing her gaze to focus on the sailor.

POLLY
What? My... my head...

BEN
Polly, are you right?

POLLY
My head, there’s a buzzing in my ears.

BEN
Wake up, duchess, we’ve got to get out of here.

He grabs her and they move into the shadow of a row of shelves as two workers silently stagger over to the crate next to the one Polly was trying to move and start to lift it. Ben watches on, keeping half an eye on Polly, who is still dazed and confused.


40. EXT. FITZROY SQUARE (DAY)

The Doctor is now very haggard. Kitty is hustling him, keeping an eye on the street behind them.

KITTY
No sign of that thing... Do you think he’s following us?

The Doctor gives an incoherent moan of confirmation as they cross the road.

DOCTOR
Things are coming, things are on the way. No, wait, they’re already here. The end is coming soon...

KITTY
Look, Doctor, you’ve got to rest. You can’t help anyone if you pass out.

DOCTOR
That is true, young lady. Which is why we are here.

He staggers down the pavement to where the TARDIS stands. He grabs the corner joist as if to hold himself upright, breathing heavily. Kitty stares at the blue shape.

KITTY
A police box! This is your “stardiz”?

The Doctor nods wearily, seeming to recover his wits. He looks up at her, frowning.

DOCTOR
Where’s Dodo?

KITTY
How should I know?

DOCTOR
She should be here.

The Doctor staggers around the police box, gripping the corner.

KITTY
Now what?

The Doctor’s breathing eases.

DOCTOR
Everything is fragile, Kitty. And everything falls apart sooner or later.

Kitty glances over her shoulder, fearful.

KITTY
Doctor...

The Doctor is fumbling in his pockets frantically, as he babbles.

DOCTOR
I’ve lost my stick. A gift... from Kublai Kahn himself. No matter. I can make my pain support me. What else is it there for?

Major Green sways around the corner, still in pursuit.

KITTY
Here he comes!

The Doctor holds up a hand with the key, turns and unlocks the TARDIS door as Major Green stalks across the road towards him. The door finally opens as Major Green reaches the pavement. The Doctor grabs Kitty and shoves her towards the open door as Major Green continues his approach. The Doctor scrambles inside as Major Green reaches the TARDIS and the door slams shut as his blackened bony hands reach out. Major Green lets his arms fall heavily to their sides. His white eyes close.

MAJOR GREEN
ODIN... O-DIN...

We pan up to the GPO Tower.


41. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (DAY)

Brett and Krimpton are now nearly skull faced and worse for wear. The workers now look exhausted. The electronic pulsing continues. We cannot see the tramp in his cage/chair. Major Green’s voice, sounding electronically modulated, can be heard.

MAJOR GREEN (VO)
ODIN... The Doctor and Christine Saunders have fled... into a police telephone box... in Fitzroy Square...

ODIN
Understood. Exponential decay will effect your efficiency. Return at once.

MAJOR GREEN (VO)
Under... stood.


42. EXT. FITZROY SQUARE (DAY)

The Major turns and lurches off into the shadows.

ODIN (VO)
Data retrieval from Metropolitan Police Force files. All locations of police boxes in London and relevant history. Analyze data...

We pan over to the TARDIS.


43. INT. TARDIS CONTROL ROOM (DAY)

The doors are closed. The Doctor is supporting himself over the console, hugging his chest as if in pain. Kitty looks around in awe.

KITTY
This is... this is in... insane...

DOCTOR
Selfish. Coming back here, leaving the others behind. I’m sorry.

He cracks open a cylinder and quaffs some more pills. He swallows them and pushes himself away from the console, able to stand on his own.

KITTY
Are you alright?

DOCTOR
Now I am. In a way.

KITTY
What is this place?

DOCTOR
My TARDIS. My home. There have been so many people in this machine, my dear child. And they’re all gone.

He takes from his pocket a small leather bound book and looks at it sadly.

DOCTOR
I miss them. My little Susan. Her parents. Vicki. Steven. Dodo. Young Katarina and poor Sara. Dead, like your friend the bouncer. I begin to wonder if they would all have been better off had they not entered this room. Not met me. Now I’m alone. Now. It’s just me... unless I get Dodo back.

KITTY
What’s that?

DOCTOR
My diary.

He hands it to her. She looks at the cover.

KITTY
“500 Year Diary”.

DOCTOR
Indeed.

She flips through it, frowning.

KITTY
It’s nearly full.

The Doctor chuckles weakly.

DOCTOR
Do you know, child, where I come from no one writes in diaries? No journals, no memoirs, no autobiographies. No one writes about themselves or their feelings. No one conveys thoughts, or plans or impressions on paper. A slaughtered tree, they would call this journal. In such regard, Kitty, I am something of a trend setter. That book, Kitty is worth nothing.

KITTY
Nothing?

DOCTOR
Nothing. Not the book, the words, or the fact behind what was written in it. None of it means anything. Unless we stop ODIN. Then all the events of my life have been a waste of time if I give up now. I’ve already lost so many friends, child. If you wish, you can stay inside here. It is the one place ODIN will never reach. I cannot ask you to come with me.

KITTY
I’ve got to.

DOCTOR
You don’t. That is the point, Kitty. We have choice. Free will.

KITTY
Then I choose of my own free will to go with you. ODIN’s killed my friends.

DOCTOR
The first of many.

KITTY
Unless we stop ODIN.

The Doctor nods and takes back his diary and drums his fingers on it.

DOCTOR
We escaped. They might have taken revenge on Ben or Polly or... or Dodo.

KITTY
They might not have.

DOCTOR
No. They might not have.

With a look of resolve he throws the book across the room. He turns to the console and pulls down a switch and the doors whir open.

DOCTOR
We have got to rescue them. These are times that define us.


- to be continued..