C - Day XIV

20. EXT. COVENT GARDEN (NIGHT)

The soldiers fall back to the positions they have set up as Thor glides down the street towards them, whirring and flashing.

THOR
All threats are to be eradicated.

The soldiers set up positions.

CAPTAIN
Here it comes...

CORPORAL
The strength of those things! Nothing can stand up to them, it just smashes straight through!

RUTLIDGE
Sergeant! Five rounds rapid!

The sergeant aims the machine gun and opens fire. The other soldiers raise their rifles and open fire. The gunfire does not so much as slow Thor down as it continues down the street towards them.


21. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (NIGHT)

Wallis is operating controls. The last technician sits in the chair and the headphones lower and the cage closes. ODIN is whirring loudly as reels spin fast.

ODIN
Profiles of all commanding officers recorded and analyzed. Computing most likely tactics. Concentrated artillery fire may cause circuit malfunction. On no accounts must the War Machines be compromised.

Wallis moves to another control panel.

ODIN
83 per cent probability the soldiers will set up a fall-back position in Covent Garden Market to continue the battle to delay the War Machines while further artillery is called in. Disrupt their movements. Divide their forces. Eradication is not necessary. The signal is nearly prepared.


22. EXT. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE (NIGHT)

Baldur glides down the road towards a squad of soldiers who open fire on it.

BALDUR
Understood.

Another soldier hurls a grenade at it and the group falls back. There is a large explosion and a cloud of smoke... and Baldur glides through, a few scorch marks on its casing but otherwise unharmed. It continues towards the squad of soldiers.

BALDUR
Defiance will not be tolerated.


23. EXT. COVENT GARDEN (NIGHT)

Vali glides through the market, knocking over a cart of apples and then glides over the fruit, crushing it and the sign saying NEW ZEALAND APPLES. It continues remorselessly as another volley of gunfire strikes harmlessly against its hull.

VALI
Resistance is useless.


24. EXT. OUTSIDE THE INFERNO (NIGHT)

Three soldiers are retreating towards Covent Garden as Thor trundles towards them. A few shots are fired, but to no avail. A soldier shoves a cart piled with boxes into the middle of the street, blocking the path of the War Machine. Thor aims its twin cannons at the obstacle and fires its gas onto the cart. There is a spark and then the entire cart explodes in flames and the burning ruin is casually smashed aside by the War Machine as it glides forward.

THOR
All threats will be eradicated.


25. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (NIGHT)

Wallis moves from one control panel to another, activating controls. More lights are now flashing and there is a whir of power over the chair unit which holds another of the technicians. Wallis stops before ODIN.

WALLIS
Transmitter is now ready.

ODIN
Activate the signal.


26. EXT. COVENT GARDEN (NIGHT)

Thor is now with Vali in Covent Garden, grinding towards Rutlidge and the main group of soldiers. The Sergeant opens fire with the machine gun. There is a series of sharp metal noises but bar a few sparks, nothing damages the War Machine as it rolls down the concourse towards the soldiers.

VALI
To struggle is futile.

CAPTAIN
These things can’t be stopped, sir... we have to evacuate.

RUTLIDGE
If we leave now, those things are let loose over London!

THOR
Resistance is useless.

SERGEANT
Look out, sir!

Rolling forward, Thor raises a mallet and smashes a pile of orange boxes to splinters. It is now very close to the group. Behind them, Baldur joins the chaos.

BALDUR
Your lives as you understand them are now over.

Rutlidge swallows as he realizes all three machines are present. Michael runs for it.

RUTLIDGE
Right, everybody back under cover! At the double!


27. EXT. OUTSIDE THE INFERNO (NIGHT)

The sound of the War Machines can be heard clearly, along with the sporadic sound of gunfire. The car pulls up and Ben emerges, followed by the others.

BEN
They’re already on the move.

POLLY
Then we’re too late!

The Doctor grimly grips his lapels.

DOCTOR
Far too late, I’m afraid my child. Far too late.


28. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (NIGHT)

As before.

ODIN
Activate hypnotic signal. Maximum power.

The glowing eye on the front of ODIN starts to send ripples of lights outward, faster than before until the whole chamber is full of the flickering light. The ethereal pulsing builds into an electronic scream.


29. EXT. COVENT GARDEN (NIGHT)

The same distortion is now emerging from the lamp on the front of Thor. Similarly, Baldur and Vali are also generating the wave. Thor glides forwards towards the soldiers, who start to scurry back. Thor continues to glide remorselessly towards them.

THOR
You belong to ODIN.


30. EXT. LONDON SKYLINE (NIGHT)

The rippling light is superimposed over the top of the GPO tower.


31. EXT. COVENT GARDEN (NIGHT)

Thor slowly advances on the soldiers, the circular ripples radiating from its lamp-shaped eye. All the soldiers have stopped scurrying away and are staring at the signal emerging from the War Machine.

THOR
You will obey ODIN.

Some of them start to clutch their heads in silent agony as Thor glides closer towards them, more energy rippling outwards. The soldiers start to relax, their eyes wide and unblinking.

THOR
Obey. Obey. Obey. Obey. Obey.

The soldiers stand to attention before the machine.


32. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (DAY)

We zoom in on the glowing core of ODIN.

ODIN
The Rule of Man ends now. Establishing secure, super-luminal channel to Mondas Control.

All the other computer banks power down.

ODIN
Contact established.

CONTROLLER (VO)
REPORT.

ODIN
Phase Three is complete. Phase Four underway, with takeover of the immediate vicinity. Phase Five will see all human beings in vicinity transformed from organic to cybernetic life forms. Phase Six is now worldwide network control and total conversion of humanity before the arrival of Mondas. However, the strategy is still under threat.

CONTROLLER (VO)
EXPLAIN.

ODIN
Unexpected non-terrestrial presence on Earth. A humanoid identified as “the Doctor” with access to translocation capability and stated opposition of this operation.

A pause.

CONTROLLER (VO)
TRANSMIT ALL ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ON “THE DOCTOR” TO MONDAS CONTROL. ALL DATA WILL BE COMPUTED FOR A NEW STRATEGY.

ODIN
Information now being sent.

CONTROLLER (VO)
INFORMATION RECEIVED. COMPUTING. NEW STRATEGY CONFIRMED. THE DOCTOR HAS ACCESS TO ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE OF TRANS-MATERIALIZATION TECHNOLOGY. THIS WILL PROVE USEFUL TO THE CYBER RACE. HE MUST BE LOCATED AND DETAINED. CONTINUE WITH PREVIOUS STRATEGY. THE HUMAN FEMALE DESIGNATED DOROTHEA CHAPLET MUST BE GIVEN SPECIFIC TREATMENT...


33. EXT. COVENT GARDEN (NIGHT)

The lamp on Thor dies out. Thor motors down the concourse. The soldiers immediately form an orderly procession as they follow it. Baldur follows the procession.

THOR
We shall continue the strategy.

VALI
I will locate the remaining soldiers.

It turns and glides off back to the warehouse.


34. EXT. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE (NIGHT)

The group stand, listening to the retreating sounds of footsteps.

DOCTOR
And so ODIN uses the Valkyries to recruit his army. Teutonic wish fulfillment. Hmm.

POLLY
It’s happening... they’re going to take over London... They really are.

DOCTOR
No. They’re not. We are going to stop them.

POLLY
How?!

DOCTOR
ODIN is at the source of all of this. And that makes this entire operation vulnerable. Destroy ODIN and we end the attack instantly! Hah! You see? Nil desperandum.

BEN
But how are we supposed to get to the Tower with those things on the loose?

DOCTOR
Oh, details, details. There is a way and we shall find it. Now, come along.

SUMMER
Not today, thank you.

Summer scrambles back inside the car and slams the door, leaving the Doctor, Ben, Polly and Kitty still in the street.

SUMMER
I’m not hanging around here to die!

BEN
Where are you off to?

SUMMER
My house in the country. I’ll get a lot more peace and quiet with my wife than down here.

The car drives off, and Ben is forced to jump out of the way to avoid being run over. Polly shakes her fist angrily as the car turns a corner and out of sight.

POLLY
Hey! What about us?

DOCTOR
Forget him, my child! He couldn’t help us anyway. Now.

He heads over to the ruined doorway of the warehouse.

DOCTOR
We must hurry. The world’s about to end.

KITTY
But how are we going to stop them? We don’t even know where to start?

DOCTOR
Simple. We start at the beginning.

BEN
Go back in there?

DOCTOR
The one place those machines won’t go. Come on.

He scurries inside. The others exchange looks when they hear the whirring of a war machine. They hurry inside and, moments later, Vali glides around the corner, and moves down the street.

VALI
All soldiers processed. Joining main force.


34. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (NIGHT)

Wallis, now drooping with fatigue, checks over the control panel.

ODIN
Status of final transmission?

WALLIS
Another... twelve minutes.

ODIN
All workers are returning to the Tower for full processing. All prototypes will now join the war machines. There must be no organized resistance.

CONVERTS (VO)
Understood.

The partially-seen crowd turn to the left in unison and march for the exit. We see their metallic boots moving in perfect harmony. Wallis watches the parade, swaying with palpable exhaustion.

ODIN
You are the last. You will now be processed.

WALLIS
Understood.

Wallis heads over to the empty processing chair and sits in it. The bars close.


35. EXT. STREET (NIGHT)

A man turns a corner and sees Thor leading the army soldiers. Turning around, he runs back the way he came. Thor turns, whirring. It has clearly spotted the man. It glides towards the corner. Further down the street, the man enters a telephone box and lifts the receiver. Thor motors down the street towards the phone box.

MAN
Quickly, give me the Police! This is an emergency! Hello? Hello, listen, there’s this machines - it's on the street now! The army are with it! I tell you it is I've seen it myself! I don’t know what it is...

He looks up and realizes Thor is right outside the box.

MAN
You’ve got to –

Thor raises a mallet and smashes it into the phone box, before firing both barrels at the booth. Two more massive blows wreck the booth, and Thor revolves around. Several PASSERS-BY have seen the slaughter and start to run. Thor fires a jet of gas at them, but is too far away. They escape while Thor glides back to the waiting soldiers.

THOR
Panic and confusion will now spread. All threats will be eradicated.

We pan back to see the ruined phone box, collapsed around the corpse of the man.


36. INT. WAREHOUSE (NIGHT)

The room is still wrecked from the fight. The bodies of a few soldiers are sprawled on the ground. The Doctor and Kitty have opened a crate. The Doctor takes out a handful of components and takes them over to a workbench. Polly is peering out the window.

POLLY
That machine’s finally gone away.

She joins the others.

DOCTOR
Probably to find some more victims.

POLLY
Isn’t there anything we can do to stop it?

DOCTOR
Not at the moment, I’m afraid. No.

KITTY
I still don’t know why they’ve got those silly faces on the front?

DOCTOR
A rather crafty psychological strategy, my dear. You see, human soldiers are always less willing to fire on something that has a face. On a level, they identify it as alive and instinctively refuse to attack. It might be only a delay of a second or so, but that can be all the time ODIN needs to... to use his hypnotic power.

The Doctor picks up Tom’s clipboard and flips through the notes. Ben enters, emerging from the depths of the warehouse.

BEN
I've searched the warehouse an' all round here, but there's no sign of anyone. All the workers have just disappeared.

POLLY
Well, now the machines are finished, maybe ODIN doesn’t need them any more?

KITTY
Then what is it going to do with them?

The Doctor looks through the parts.

DOCTOR
It's remarkable. Truly remarkable.

KITTY
Doctor, what are you doing?

DOCTOR
Analyzing these mechanisms. Decoding the programmer mechanism. These are spare parts for the War Machines.

KITTY
What good would that do?

DOCTOR
ODIN is a computer. Computers runs the war machines. And every computer depends on a program to tell it what to do, to feed information into. And every program needs a human being to create it. Let me have that screwdriver, young man...

He indicates the screwdriver near Ben. Ben hands it over.

DOCTOR
Ah yes. This plays the part of the programme regimentator, and that is the usual memory blank. And in this case... a slightly different one.

BEN
Doctor, those things could kill ‘alf London...

DOCTOR
I don’t think that KILLING their intention, Ben. Remember, ODIN wants to change the form of humanity, “improve it”. But that means a fate worse than death, if I’m right.


37. EXT. MAIN ROAD (NIGHT)

Vali moves out of an alleyway, startling two passers by – a respectable man and woman – who immediately turn and flee. Vali turns the corner and motors after them, firing short spumes of gas so they will be threatened by not killed. The War Machine slows to a halt as a cyclist comes down the road from the opposite direction – straight towards Vali.

VALI
The Rule of Man is ended! The Age of the Computer has begun!

The cyclist steers to avoid a collision, but the machine turns and raises a mallet, causing the bike to crash and rider to go flying across the road. Vali trains its gun barrels and fires – this time, for real. The cyclist gets out a strangled scream and goes limp. The War Machine spins around, bashing into some metal bins and sending them flying.


38. EXT. FITZROY SQUARE (NIGHT)

Thor leads the army down the street, passing the TARDIS as they do so. The blank faces of Rutlidge and his men do not change, nor do they blink. A passer-by gets into a car, starting the engine with the intention to get the hell out of there. Thor darts forward and slams a mallet into the bonnet. The driver bursts out of the car, and Thor darts in front. The driver tries to escape, but Thor raises another mallet. For a long moment there is silence as he stares up at the metal hammer that could kill him instantly.

THOR
Run.

The driver sprints for it. Thor turns to the abandon car and fires on it. It explodes.


39. INT. THE VALHALLA SECTION (NIGHT)

Human hands operate controls. We hear Wallis’ voice, now treated like the other converts.

WALLIS (VO)
Transmission will be ready in two minutes and counting.

The queue for the processing chair is much smaller. The chair is working on a new victim.

ODIN
Unit designated Vali is now approaching the Battersea power station to cause more distraction. Unit designated Thor is approaching West London. Unit designated Baldur shall continue to search for the Doctor. 83 per cent probability he is still in the Covent Garden area...


40. INT. WAREHOUSE (NIGHT)

The Doctor holds up a complicated circuit board with lots of wires sticking out of one end. He is examining it through his glasses, checking it over while he explains to Ben, Kitty and Polly.

DOCTOR
It will be like the crossing of electrical currents, forcing the machine to face up to ODIN. Once ODIN is gone, all those people under hypnosis will return to their normal selves and the War Machines immobilized by the feedback.

POLLY
I’m sure this is very ingenious, but I don’t understand what that thing will DO.

She points accusingly at the circuit. The Doctor pockets his glasses.

DOCTOR
Well, those antennae on top of the War Machines connect them directly to ODIN. When this is connected to a War Machine, that antennae will be cut off, isolating the War Machine, and then allowing it to reprogrammed when I press THAT button.

BEN
But how are ya going to connect it without it killing you?

DOCTOR
It is a risk I have to take.

BEN
You’re a bit past that lark, aren't you?

The Doctor rounds angrily on the sailor.

DOCTOR
I beg your pardon, young man?!

Ben shifts awkwardly.

BEN
Well, I reckon that's a job for me, sir.

DOCTOR
I doubt you could connect it at all, let alone quick enough to save your neck. Besides, I have a suspicion that those machines would be rather reluctant to kill me.

KITTY
Why?

The Doctor pockets the circuit.

DOCTOR
Maybe they just like my face, hmmm?

TRAMP (VO)
You are our prisoners.

The quartet whirl around. Standing behind them are five converts – THE TRAMP, KRIMPTON, MAJOR GREEN, BRETT and a worker. They now wear one piece, close-fitting, silver mesh uniforms tucked into silver boots. There are rectangular units fitted to the front of their chests, containing two rows of lights, and from these lots of coiled wires emerge, connecting to the silver shoulder pads and also to silver metal bands that encircle the elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. They all boast shiny metal skullcaps connecting to headphones that cover their ears. They all speak in the same flat, emotionless voice.

KRIMPTON
Do not attempt to escape.

MAJOR GREEN
It is useless to resist us.

BRETT
You will come with us?

BEN
What... what have they done to you?

TRAMP
We are the future. You will become like us.

The converts march forward towards the trio. Ben lunges at the tramp, who flings out an arm and Ben is thrown back. The tramp snaps out his other arm and his hand clamps around Ben’s neck. We see the black cables connecting the silver wrist band to the finger joints. Ben gasps, choking as the tramp lifts Ben off the ground effortlessly.

POLLY
BEN!

TRAMP
Defiance will not be tolerated.

DOCTOR
We surrender! Release him! Release him, I say!

The tramp throws Ben against the wall and he crumples to the ground in a heap. Polly rushes over to him as the tramp turns to the Doctor.

KRIMPTON
The flesh is weak.

BRETT
It will always fail.

MAJOR GREEN
Now you belong to us.

TRAMP
And you will be like us.

DOCTOR
But we are not like you.

TRAMP
You will be.

The Doctor shakes his head, smiling.

DOCTOR
You’re wrong again, my friend.

He shows off his ring.

DOCTOR
Aren’t you?

TRAMP
You cannot defeat us with a ring.

Polly moves towards the electronic cart. Kitty reaches behind her and grabs a spanner.

DOCTOR
Who says I was going to defeat you with a ring? NOW!

Polly shoves the electronic cart. It hurtles into Brett and Major Green. Kitty lashes out and slams the spanner into the chest unit of the worker, causing a puff of smoke and the worker to collapse moaning. Ben jumps Krimpton. Krimpton turns to face Ben, drawing his arm back for lethal karate chop. But Ben whips out of range as Krimpton’s arm slices down. Ben jumps behind Krimpton as the cyborg whirls to face him once again. Another slashing blow, but Ben ducks and manages to move to the other side of Krimpton, forcing him to turn around once more. He draws back a punch and Ben ducks at the last second as the fist slams through the brick wall. Ben runs out of range as Krimpton attempts to haul his arm free.

KRIMPTON
Defiance will not be tolerated...

Ben runs after the others as they head out through the exit. They are gone before the Converts manage to recover. Fade to black.


41. INT. TARDIS CONTROL ROOM (DAY)

Fade up. Dodo skids to a halt as she registers the control room around her. The Doctor, standing by the console, whirls around to face her. Dodo is in shock as she turns around, staring at the roundeled walls.

DODO
But... it was a police box... It said so outside.

The Doctor delicately steers her back towards the open doors.

DOCTOR
Yes, yes. I, I know. But it isn't, if you know what I mean.

DODO
What is it?

The Doctor arches an eyebrow in amusement.

DOCTOR
You really want to know?

DODO
Yes.

DOCTOR
It is a machine for travelling through time and relative dimensions in space.

DODO
A time machine.

DOCTOR
A time machine and a space machine. A time and space machine I am about to switch on, and send to another land and another age. And you don’t want to be inside when that happens, do you?

They are nearly at the door.

DODO
Why not?

DOCTOR
Why not? Child, it could land anywhere.

Dodo seems to snap out of her daze. She’s fascinated.

DODO
Anywhere?

The Doctor becomes alarmed at her interest.

DOCTOR
No, no, no. You can’t just, this isn’t some joyride. You’ve only been inside for a few seconds and you want to travel in time? Pull yourself together child. Once I operate the dematerialization sequence is there a guarantee you could EVER get home? No! There isn’t! Now run along and forget all about this distressing incident!

DODO
Please. Take me with you.

The Doctor doesn’t know what to say. Fade to black.

- to be continued...