The Tripods (1984) s02e10 Episode Script
The Cognosc Departs
(DOOR OPENING) Will? What have you done, Will? They say you have driven away one of their Cognoscs.
The Cognosc went of his own free will because he thinks the Masters here are such dumb-wits! Will! Why did you show my Master my notes? How can we have any secrets from the Masters when they You've brought dishonour to us all, Will.
Where are you What is the situation in the slaves' quarters? Some oxygen starvation, a half a dozen fatalities discovered so far.
But it looks as though power was restored just in time.
I understand one of the Cognoscs has departed.
-Mmm-hmm.
-The news is all over the City.
One of our brethren claims that the Cognosc summoned his slave to an audience.
I want to know what really happened at that meeting, and I want you to mobilise the Guards and arrest this slave.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR) -Who is it? -It's me, Will.
We've got to get out.
I've been working on that.
I found this map in Pierre's room.
I now know the only way out.
The Guards are out to arrest me.
They hold me responsible for the desertion of Coggy.
That makes it difficult.
What about your Master? They'll be looking for him, too, but they won't find him for a while.
Oh? He's dead.
I killed him.
I had to! It was either me or him.
All right.
Does anyone know yet? No.
Sooner or later, they'll find him.
Does it look like I mean, are there any outward signs of your attack? I don't think so.
It was horrible! I think it was mostly shock that killed him.
Then we have to make it look like an accident before they search his room.
-I'm not going back there! -Or suicide.
After all -No! -We have to! If they discover you've killed him, all hell will break loose.
That's precisely why we can't waste any time getting out of here.
Now, come on, let's go.
I've put all the notes in here to protect them from water on the way out.
There's room for yours, too.
What's up? How could I be so stupid? Look, my Master had my notes in his hand.
Boll gave them to him.
-That's why I -Then we have to go back.
Wait.
I'd check first for Boll.
-I congratulate you.
-Huh! It's good.
You have discovered a way of killing them.
-What's this? -It's a gas bubble.
A drug he took to help him relax when he got wound up.
Perhaps if we made it look as though he'd overdone it.
-You seen him, slave? -We're looking for him.
Have you seen him anywhere? -Have you seen him? -Seen this boy? Seen him? (CHATTERING) (SCREAMING) That was close.
What will be their verdict? Suicide or murder? Either way, they'll want to question me.
Where's your roommate, slave? I don't know.
You must know.
Come on, boy, when did you last see him? This morning.
But he left in a hurry without saying where he was going.
He must have said.
Don't lie to me, boy.
(CHATTERING) (BOLL GROANING) All right, take him away.
Come on, let's go.
-I don't think we'll make it.
-No? I know the route we must take.
We can't get through if there's a full-scale search for you.
-There already is.
-Then we'll have to stop it by laying a false trail, like we've done with the Master.
Let them trace you to the Chapel of Happy Release.
-There's no time for that.
-It makes sense.
Loyal slave deeply ashamed at his Master's suicide takes himself away to do the honourable thing.
(BEEPING) Has he recovered? They must be using his code to call you.
-No.
-It'll attract attention.
It's a perfect excuse to run, for urgent service.
Come on.
(POP MUSIC PLAYING) Seen this man? MASTER: Chief.
Master.
We are looking for the slave who came to visit Fritz Eger.
-I remember him.
A Master's servant.
-That's right.
There's a chance he might come looking for Eger again.
If he does, the Guards are to be informed.
We'll watch out for him.
Fritz is due back on shift in 15 minutes.
I'll see what he has to say.
-No.
-Go on.
Come on! -Have you seen this slave? -No.
-Just a minute.
-I haven't got a minute.
I think Yes, I'm sure.
He was the one who came looking for the slave who was beaten.
-Him? -Yes, that's him.
But I haven't seen them for a while.
(TALKING SOFTLY) Come on! Shh! -Damn.
-Let him run his course.
What happens if I'm in there when the Guards arrive? Have you thought of that? If they catch me, I'll be capped, then they'll discover everything.
I'll have to go through with it.
Let's find some cover until the old guy's through.
Honour to the Tripods.
Honour to the Masters.
Hail! Hail! Hail! Come on.
(SNIFFING) It's all straightforward from here.
No one has ever escaped from the City in a hundred years.
No one has ever wanted to.
Better commit this to memory, in case we get separated.
I have to square my absence with Speyer.
Don't answer the door.
And if I'm not back in half an hour, you'll have to make your own way out.
Ah, Fritz.
My apologies, sir.
I'm afraid I overslept a little.
Well, we all deserved to do that after the emergency.
It was good to have your help.
I don't suppose you've heard about the new flap? One of the Masters is dead, and it's all linked, apparently, with the departure of the Cognosc.
And the Masters believe that all these events are connected with one of the slaves.
Isn't he the one that came here to visit you? I had my suspicions he would turn out to be a troublemaker.
Well, not any longer.
He's taken himself off prematurely to Happy Release.
Fritz.
It's me.
I thought you'd gone on.
They think you're dead.
Borman's visited him, and they're now after evidence to get me.
It's now or never.
Let's go.
Why do you think Speyer was so keen to have Eger on the staff? I don't know, Captain, and that's the truth.
He's got no qualifications.
All he's done so far is ask questions.
What kind of questions? Don't look now, but Borman is below.
The catwalk! Stay and hide here.
Let them follow me.
Then you can come up from behind.
(GASPING IN PAIN) Quick, Will, into the water.
Should be enough oxygen here for you to survive the tunnel.
Come on.
What about you? -I'm staying.
-What? I have far too good a position here, provided they don't associate me with the disappearance of these three.
Look, you're supposed to be dead.
It'll be dangerous for you now.
Yes, but the advantage of having someone on the inside until you come back with help, that far outweighs the danger.
I don't envy you staying behind.
Take care on your way back to Julius.
Thanks, Fritz.
Bring help as fast as you can.
The Cognosc went of his own free will because he thinks the Masters here are such dumb-wits! Will! Why did you show my Master my notes? How can we have any secrets from the Masters when they You've brought dishonour to us all, Will.
Where are you What is the situation in the slaves' quarters? Some oxygen starvation, a half a dozen fatalities discovered so far.
But it looks as though power was restored just in time.
I understand one of the Cognoscs has departed.
-Mmm-hmm.
-The news is all over the City.
One of our brethren claims that the Cognosc summoned his slave to an audience.
I want to know what really happened at that meeting, and I want you to mobilise the Guards and arrest this slave.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR) -Who is it? -It's me, Will.
We've got to get out.
I've been working on that.
I found this map in Pierre's room.
I now know the only way out.
The Guards are out to arrest me.
They hold me responsible for the desertion of Coggy.
That makes it difficult.
What about your Master? They'll be looking for him, too, but they won't find him for a while.
Oh? He's dead.
I killed him.
I had to! It was either me or him.
All right.
Does anyone know yet? No.
Sooner or later, they'll find him.
Does it look like I mean, are there any outward signs of your attack? I don't think so.
It was horrible! I think it was mostly shock that killed him.
Then we have to make it look like an accident before they search his room.
-I'm not going back there! -Or suicide.
After all -No! -We have to! If they discover you've killed him, all hell will break loose.
That's precisely why we can't waste any time getting out of here.
Now, come on, let's go.
I've put all the notes in here to protect them from water on the way out.
There's room for yours, too.
What's up? How could I be so stupid? Look, my Master had my notes in his hand.
Boll gave them to him.
-That's why I -Then we have to go back.
Wait.
I'd check first for Boll.
-I congratulate you.
-Huh! It's good.
You have discovered a way of killing them.
-What's this? -It's a gas bubble.
A drug he took to help him relax when he got wound up.
Perhaps if we made it look as though he'd overdone it.
-You seen him, slave? -We're looking for him.
Have you seen him anywhere? -Have you seen him? -Seen this boy? Seen him? (CHATTERING) (SCREAMING) That was close.
What will be their verdict? Suicide or murder? Either way, they'll want to question me.
Where's your roommate, slave? I don't know.
You must know.
Come on, boy, when did you last see him? This morning.
But he left in a hurry without saying where he was going.
He must have said.
Don't lie to me, boy.
(CHATTERING) (BOLL GROANING) All right, take him away.
Come on, let's go.
-I don't think we'll make it.
-No? I know the route we must take.
We can't get through if there's a full-scale search for you.
-There already is.
-Then we'll have to stop it by laying a false trail, like we've done with the Master.
Let them trace you to the Chapel of Happy Release.
-There's no time for that.
-It makes sense.
Loyal slave deeply ashamed at his Master's suicide takes himself away to do the honourable thing.
(BEEPING) Has he recovered? They must be using his code to call you.
-No.
-It'll attract attention.
It's a perfect excuse to run, for urgent service.
Come on.
(POP MUSIC PLAYING) Seen this man? MASTER: Chief.
Master.
We are looking for the slave who came to visit Fritz Eger.
-I remember him.
A Master's servant.
-That's right.
There's a chance he might come looking for Eger again.
If he does, the Guards are to be informed.
We'll watch out for him.
Fritz is due back on shift in 15 minutes.
I'll see what he has to say.
-No.
-Go on.
Come on! -Have you seen this slave? -No.
-Just a minute.
-I haven't got a minute.
I think Yes, I'm sure.
He was the one who came looking for the slave who was beaten.
-Him? -Yes, that's him.
But I haven't seen them for a while.
(TALKING SOFTLY) Come on! Shh! -Damn.
-Let him run his course.
What happens if I'm in there when the Guards arrive? Have you thought of that? If they catch me, I'll be capped, then they'll discover everything.
I'll have to go through with it.
Let's find some cover until the old guy's through.
Honour to the Tripods.
Honour to the Masters.
Hail! Hail! Hail! Come on.
(SNIFFING) It's all straightforward from here.
No one has ever escaped from the City in a hundred years.
No one has ever wanted to.
Better commit this to memory, in case we get separated.
I have to square my absence with Speyer.
Don't answer the door.
And if I'm not back in half an hour, you'll have to make your own way out.
Ah, Fritz.
My apologies, sir.
I'm afraid I overslept a little.
Well, we all deserved to do that after the emergency.
It was good to have your help.
I don't suppose you've heard about the new flap? One of the Masters is dead, and it's all linked, apparently, with the departure of the Cognosc.
And the Masters believe that all these events are connected with one of the slaves.
Isn't he the one that came here to visit you? I had my suspicions he would turn out to be a troublemaker.
Well, not any longer.
He's taken himself off prematurely to Happy Release.
Fritz.
It's me.
I thought you'd gone on.
They think you're dead.
Borman's visited him, and they're now after evidence to get me.
It's now or never.
Let's go.
Why do you think Speyer was so keen to have Eger on the staff? I don't know, Captain, and that's the truth.
He's got no qualifications.
All he's done so far is ask questions.
What kind of questions? Don't look now, but Borman is below.
The catwalk! Stay and hide here.
Let them follow me.
Then you can come up from behind.
(GASPING IN PAIN) Quick, Will, into the water.
Should be enough oxygen here for you to survive the tunnel.
Come on.
What about you? -I'm staying.
-What? I have far too good a position here, provided they don't associate me with the disappearance of these three.
Look, you're supposed to be dead.
It'll be dangerous for you now.
Yes, but the advantage of having someone on the inside until you come back with help, that far outweighs the danger.
I don't envy you staying behind.
Take care on your way back to Julius.
Thanks, Fritz.
Bring help as fast as you can.