Warhead of the Daleks 1 (c)

25. MODEL SHOT

The battle cruiser is approaching the ship. It fires a volley of thin red beams at one side of the space station. There is an explosion that clears to show a jagged hole in the hull. Gas and steam are sucked out.

26. INT. CASSIUS FOUR BRIDGE (NIGHT)

Everyone is flung to the floor. The lights flicker, go out and then turn dark red. More alarms go off and a sinister breeze washes through the chamber. A control panel bursts into flames and two crewmembers desperately try to put out the fire.

PHIN
We’ve been hit!

MERCER
You don’t say!

Mercer and Phin scramble for the controls. Osborn stares at the display.

OSBORN
Aft section’s been breached!

MERCER
Osborn! Engage the emergency shutters before we depressurize completely! Seal off the damaged area!

OSBORN
But that could trap some of people – they’d die!

MERCER
We’ll all die if we don’t!

He punches down some controls. The room stops shaking and the red lights brighten as a couple of alarms shut down. Osborn grabs her headphones.

MERCER
What’s happening, Osborn?

No reply. Mercer’s terror turns to anger.

MERCER
WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Shakily, Osborn tries to repeat what she can hear.

OSBORN
Engineering reports... engineering reports extensive damage to the generating plant. We barely have enough power for the emergency lighting.

MERCER
Phin, get whatever’s left of the external sensors back on line! Osborn, get the laser canon aimed on that cruiser and give it all we’ve got.

Osborn doesn’t move.

MERCER
I SAID OPEN FIRE, OSBORN!

She snaps back at him equally furious.

OSBORN
AND I SAID WE DON’T HAVE THE POWER! The generating plant was damaged – we can’t fire the laser cannons, we’d lose all the power we’ve got, including life support!

Mercer looks sick.

MERCER
So we’re defenseless.

PHIN
Uh, is it a good time to mention the cruiser’s closing in on us?

Osborn and Mercer glare at him.

PHIN
Thought not.

27. INT. TARDIS ROOM – TURLOUGH’S ROOM (NIGHT)

As per the one in TERMINUS. Most of the possessions belonging to Adric are missing. There is an easel with a painting on it in the corner. Turlough lies in bed still unconscious. Kamelion is packing a medical kit professionally. Tegan watches on, anxious.

TEGAN
You’re sure he’ll be all right?

KAMELION
The concussion is minor. I have provided a sedative which will allow him to recover.

TEGAN
Sorry we didn’t come and check on you.

Kamelion looks up, mildly confused.

KAMELION
Miss Jovanka?

TEGAN
When the Gravis tore the TARDIS apart. Anything could have happened to you. We didn’t even check. I’m sorry.

KAMELION
You feel sorry for a mere machine?

TEGAN
I thought you were supposed to be the aristocrat of all automatons.

KAMELION
I am whatever my master wishes to be.

Tegan scowls. He’s making her uncomfortable.

KAMELION
You are upset and frustrated. You are no longer enjoying this.

TEGAN
You’ve killed the mood all right.

KAMELION
No. I mean this life. Travelling in the TARDIS.

TEGAN
Maybe it’s just your company, Kamelion.

Kamelion, not sounding offended, turns for the door.

KAMELION
If that is so I will return to my quarters.

TEGAN
No, wait... Look, I’m just worried about the Doctor. He’s gone off on his own again. Stay here. I’ll go looking for him.

KAMELION
I think I should accompany you, Miss Jovanka.

TEGAN
How can you help?

KAMELION
While I prefer this form, I can assume others that may be useful. I am also quicker and stronger than a mere human. Besides, with two of us we increase the chance of finding the Doctor more quickly.

Tegan can’t fault his logic.

TEGAN
OK, then. Come on.

They leave.

28. EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT (DAY)

The Doctor walks the length of the street, clearly searching for the presence he felt watching him. As he passes the doors he looks up at the walkway, then pulls open the doors and slips inside, gently closing the doors behind him. We pan up the street. The policemen are there, watching.

29. INT. WAREHOUSE ENTRANCE (DAY)

A gloomy section. There are discarded wooden packing cases stacked up against the walls. Papers and lengths of wood litter the floor. There are a few puddles and some light comes through a doorway opposite the entrance. There is a faint murmur of voices. The Doctor pauses by a rackety flight of steps leading up into the darkness. The Doctor takes off his hat, furls it, and stuffs it in his pocket. He moves forward, resting his hand on the bannister. He pulls back his hand, and then looks up the steps, then at the light.

DOCTOR
Decisions...

He takes out a coin, flips it, catches it and peers at it. Then, making sure he doesn’t see, he reverses it so it gives the result he wanted. He turns and hurries up the steps as quietly as he can.

30. EXT. DOCKLANDS (DAY)

It is approaching dusk. The door to the TARDIS swings open and Tegan and Kamelion emerge.

TEGAN
Back on Earth again. London, too.

She rubs her bare arm, cold. She reaches out and closes the TARDIS door. Kamelion is looking out at the Thames.

TEGAN
I don’t know how I cope. I mean, just a few minutes ago, we were in a place where Earth was gone forever, where there was no life at all. Just a small colony on a distant planet. All alone...

KAMELION
That destiny is billions of years in the future, Miss Jovanka. Your world of the twentieth century still exists as you remember.

TEGAN
I know. But I’ve seen it end... I’ve seen it begin. Is anyone really built for that?

She drifts off into thought. Kamelion turns to look at the warehouses.

KAMELION
Would you like to continue this conversation, Miss Jovanka?

TEGAN
Hmm? Oh, er, no thanks.

KAMELION
Then we should continue. From the information you have given me, I deduce that the Doctor will head in that direction towards the terminal of the time corridor.

They head towards the warehouses.

TEGAN
Kamelion?

KAMELION
Yes, Miss Jovanka.

TEGAN
You’ve never wanted to come with us before. Why now?

KAMELION
I feel... I believe that this time is different.

Tegan tenses, and stops walking. Kamelion notices and stops.

TEGAN
Why is that?

Kamelion stares at her.

KAMELION
I can hear it.

Tegan whispers too, unnerved.

TEGAN
Hear what?

Kamelion looks up at the sky, his expression almost haunted. He whispers.

KAMELION
It’s getting dark.

A beat. Tegan looks around. The only noise is the breeze.

TEGAN
Well, if you’ve finished spouting nonsense, we’ve got to find the Doctor.

She heads off, muttering irritably to herself.

TEGAN
How can you hear night fall, anyway? Stupid bald puppet...

Kamelion watches her go, then turns and follows her. The breeze continues. Moments later the two policemen emerge from a doorway. They have obviously seen the whole thing.

31. INT. WAREHOUSE – UPPER LEVEL (DAY)

A long, deserted section with brick partitions and thick concrete columns supporting the ceiling. This and the gloom makes it difficult to see far in any direction. There are hemispherical windows at the far end, but grubby and dark. There is rubbish scattered around, including a rusting crowbar. The Doctor is present.

Picking up the crowbar, he holds it out in front of him – but not as a weapon. Carefully he moves through the area, prodding the air in front of him with the blunt end of the bar. He circles a column, then approaches the middle of the area. He very carefully prods the air in front of him. Nothing happens. The Doctor is surprised. He prods the floor. A look of weary realization crosses his face.

DOCTOR
Of course. Wrong floor.

32. INT. WAREHOUSE - LOWER LEVEL (DAY)

Two of the soldiers are still dealing with the boxes of equipment. Archer crosses to the disused foreman’s office. There are several trestle tables, a kettle, an abandoned game of cards, etc. All from the builders who fled in panic. Calder is righting a stool.

ARCHER
Well, Sergeant?

CALDER
No sign, sir. Like the Marie Celeste.

ARCHER
So who were they?

CALDER
Group of builders, I think. The Prof has a better idea.

Laird gently closes an abandoned lunchbox, her expression grave. Archer approaches.

ARCHER
Professor?

LAIRD
Judging by the time sheets, they were sub-contractor converting the warehouse into a block of flats. This was first on site inspection. By the look of things they were half way through lunch when whatever happened... happened.

The Colonel looks around, thinking.

ARCHER
No sign of bodies, gun fire, no violence. But they clearly left in a hurry.

CALDER
Looks like, sir. But they must have closed the doors behind them.

LAIRD
If they were in that much of a hurry, why bother?

ARCHER
Maybe they were trying to keep something in. In any case we should have been told about this. Sergeant Calder, radio UNIT. I want a full rundown of whoever they were and what precisely they were doing – and why intelligence neglected to mention we were heading for a work site.

CALDER
Sir.

Calder heads over to the others.

ARCHER
Right, Professor, help the lads unpack and set up your equipment.

LAIRD
Yes, Colonel.

She turns and leaves. Archer notes some loose change on the table, and nicks it. He thinks again and grimly returns it with a sigh.

ARCHER
What happened here?

33. MODEL SHOT

The cruiser heads straight for Cassius Four.

34. INT. CASSIUS FOUR BRIDGE (NIGHT)

Mercer runs over to a wall panel, pulls out a card from his uniform pocket and slides it into the lock. Phin and Osborn follow.

PHIN
Roylan, this is stupid. We should surrender!

MERCER
They’ll wipe us out anyway.

PHIN
Maybe not.

OSBORN
Why would anyone else want the prisoner? You said they were extinct!

PHIN
They are!

OSBORN
But that’s one of their ships, isn’t it? Isn’t it?

PHIN
Yes. But how can we fight them? The deflector shield’s gone, we have no weaponry and one of the airlocks is wide open for them!

Mercer bangs the panel and forces it open with his bare hands. It contains a heap of small hand-blasters and squared-off explosives.

MERCER
The armory’s in a decent enough state.

OSBORN
Wave those things around and we’ll all be viable targets!

MERCER
Either help me or get some more of the surveillance systems back on line, Osborn!

The door opens. Doran enters, along with Styles and Zena. They are both grubby and Styles has several streaks of blood (not hers) on her jacket.

DORAN
Mercer! What the hell is going on?

MERCER
We’re under attack, what do you think?

DORAN
I think over half the crew is now dead!

PHIN
Half?!

ZENA
Everyone who wasn’t on duty was in the recreation centre.

Osborn sighs.

OSBORN
And the entire section was sealed off after it was hit.

Doran crosses to a screen on the far wall showing a fuzzy-out-of-focus view of the cruiser.

MERCER
Do you recognize the design, sir?

PHIN
It’s a...

DORAN
It’s one of their battle cruisers all right. And it’s about to dock. Are all the airlocks sealed?

PHIN
Three.

DORAN
Then that’s the one they’ll aim for. Get the maintenance crew and whoever else is left down there – block the corridor with everything they can.

STYLES
That will just mean more slaughter!

OSBORN
Doctor Styles is right! We should surrender!

DORAN
They don’t accept surrender as anything other than a signal to open fire. We need to buy time to set up our trump card.

MERCER
Which is?

Doran grins and holds up a swipe card similar to the one Mercer used.

DORAN
This!

35. EXT. WAREHOUSE (DAY)

Not far from the entrance to the warehouse. Tegan and Kamelion emerge from the shadows.

TEGAN
Back in the light again. The dark wasn’t too scary for you, Kamelion?

KAMELION
I am incapable of apprehension, Miss Jovanka, unless...

TEGAN
...unless your disguise is? Maybe that body is scared of the dark?

Kamelion does not reply. Tegan shrugs.

TEGAN
Still no sign of the Doctor. Or anyone, come to that.

KAMELION
The TARDIS data systems have mapped the pattern of the time corridor coordinates onto the landscape. The point of the termination should be somewhere in this vicinity.

TEGAN
If you knew that, why didn’t we come straight here?

KAMELION
The Doctor will not necessarily have come directly here. It is possible he would have been returning to the TARDIS. This way, we know we have not missed him.

TEGAN
We haven’t missed anyone. This place is deserted.

Kamelion pauses by the alcove where the tramp was shot.

KAMELION
Isolation makes you uneasy, Miss Jovanka?

TEGAN
I didn’t want to be an air stewardess to keep to myself. I hate it.

Kamelion crouches by the alcove and runs a hand over the floor.

KAMELION
Hate what?

TEGAN
Feeling alone. Don’t you ever get that feeling?

Kamelion doesn’t look at her.

KAMELION
Oh, no, Miss Jovanka. That’s the one feeling I never get.

Tegan looks up at the sudden, bitter note in Kamelion’s otherwise emotionless voice.

TEGAN
What is it? What’s wrong?

Kamelion rises and holds out a hand. In it is a shiny metal shape.

KAMELION
Projectile bullets, judging by the chemical residue of gunpowder, fired within the last thirteen hours.

TEGAN
Well, that’s hardly alien. Probably some gangsters shooting at each other when the police aren’t around. On second thoughts, being lonely here might be safer.

Kamelion studies the bullets.

KAMELION
It is possible that it is connected to the time corridor.

TEGAN
How? No 1980s gangsters are going to have time technology, it would have to be aliens.

KAMELION
Correct. However, the aliens may be ensuring that stay undetected by using contemporary weaponry so as not to alert anyone as to their presence.

Tegan heads over towards the double doors.

TEGAN
Well, one bullet does not mean they are hostile.

KAMELION
This bullet killed someone.

Tegan freezes.

TEGAN
How do you know?

KAMELION
I know many things.

Tegan turns to face him, angrily.

TEGAN
Kamelion...

KAMELION
This bullet still has traces of human blood, type designated O Positive. The impact dent in the doorway suggests it was fired at someone hiding there. If they were, it is highly likely the bullet penetrated their heart.

TEGAN
But there’s no blood.

KAMELION
There is blood. But not a noticeable amount.

TEGAN
Well, people tend to bleed a bit when they’re shot through the heart.

KAMELION
The body has been moved.

TEGAN
You don’t say. Still no blood stains.

KAMELION
We are close to the terminal of the time corridor. It would be possible to temporarily extrude the terminal – and thus remove the body without leaving evidence.

TEGAN
Except the bullet.

KAMELION
You are the only human we know who is aware of the time corridor and your immediate reaction was to believe the bullet was down to normal human activity. A contemporaneous human would no doubt believe likewise.

TEGAN
So someone was shot and then their body was taken away by the time corridor.

KAMELION
It seems so.

TEGAN
So whoever’s running the corridor isn’t friendly and doesn’t want witnesses.

KAMELION
They will be disappointed.

Tegan rounds on him, upset.

TEGAN
Kamelion, if they just shoot people without warning, then the Doctor...

KAMELION
The Doctor is still alive. His mental signature is within the building.

TEGAN
Why didn’t you mention it earlier?

KAMELION
You did not ask. Shall we go to him?

TEGAN
Why not? It’s probably warmer inside, anyway.

They cross to the warehouse doors. Kamelion pulls them open with ease. He steps back to allow Tegan to enter. She doesn’t move.

TEGAN
No, you first.

Kamelion enters obediently. Tegan cautiously follows. We pan back. There is a policeman at the far end of the street, watching silently. The other one is at the other end of the street. They silently converge on the doors.

36. INT. WAREHOUSE ENTRANCE (DAY)

They enter and look around.

TEGAN
Any idea where the Doctor is?

KAMELION
He is nearby. Most likely up that staircase.

TEGAN
‘Right back’, he says...

They climb the stairs. Kamelion glances behind him at the open doorway. Nothing. He continues up the steps after Tegan.

37. INT. WAREHOUSE – UPPER LEVEL (DAY)

The Doctor crouches by one of the windows, trying to clean it with a handkerchief. He mutters under his breath.

DOCTOR
There must be some way out onto that walkway... perhaps on the other side...

There is the loud creak of the door opening. The Doctor snatches up the crowbar, thinks again and is about to put it down when he hears footsteps. He ducks behind a column and listens intently. Tegan and Kamelion enter. They whisper.

TEGAN
Still no sign of him.

KAMELION
He’s here. I know it.

TEGAN
And you know many things, I heard. Doctor?

DOCTOR
Behind you.

They whirl around – Kamelion is slower, because he isn’t that surprised. Tegan is relieved and sighs.

TEGAN
There you are.

DOCTOR
I told you to stay in the TARDIS with Turlough.

KAMELION
He will recover.

DOCTOR
I hope so, Kamelion. I hope so.

TEGAN
Have you found the time corridor yet?

DOCTOR
It’s on the ground floor.

TEGAN
How can you tell?

DOCTOR
I am a Time Lord, and as such, sensitive to disturbances in the time field.

TEGAN
How sensitive?

The Doctor grimaces and steps towards them.

DOCTOR
Painfully sensitive. It’s like stinging nettles on the back of my hands. Last time I encountered something like this, there were Daleks as well.

TEGAN
Daleks? What are...

Kamelion quickly interrupts her.

KAMELION
Is that why you are showing such caution?

DOCTOR
Not entirely. You see, we’re not alone here.

38. INT. WAREHOUSE – LOWER LEVEL (DAY)

Calder is finishing setting up the R/T. He switches it on and there is a loud crackling. He frowns and switches it off. Archer approaches the doorway to the entrance.

ARCHER
Calder? Did you hear that?

Calder grins sheepishly.

CALDER
Sorry sir. The set’s playing up.

ARCHER
No, not that. I thought I heard voices.

The other soldiers and Laird look up. Archer holds up a hand to indicate silence. A pause. There is only the sound of the breeze.

CALDER
I can’t hear anything, sir.

ARCHER
No. Maybe the builders are just upstairs. The rest of you, stay here. Calder, with me.

Archer unholsters his gun and leaves. Pausing only to collect a machine gun, Calder heads after him. Laird turns to one of the soldiers, GALLOWAY, anxious.

LAIRD
I think we should have investigated the Glastonbury Sightings instead.

He chuckles.

GALLOWAY
You get that feeling?

to be continued...