Doctor Who (1963) s03e27 Episode Script

The Plague (The Ark, Part Two)

(DOCTOR WHO THEME) I invoke the special Galactic law against them! Hold them.
Take them into custody.
And later, they'll be made to answer for the crime that they have committed.
-STEVEN: Don't listen to him! -Take them away! (GRUNTS) -What about my father? -He may well die.
But then again, so might all of us.
In which case, it was pointless leaving.
STEVEN: What do you think they'll do to us, Doctor? Oh, I'm not sure, dear boy.
We shall just have to wait and see.
It's all my fault.
If I'd known it was going to be like this, I'd never have come.
Well, you did come, my dear, so it's too late to worry about that.
And stop snivelling! I'm not snivelling, it's me nose running again.
Anyway, I'm feeling better now.
But I don't suppose anyone cares.
But of course they care, my dear.
Now, don't worry.
It's not your fault at all.
If it's anybody's, it's mine.
Look, do you think this has happened before? That we've carried an infection from one age to another, or even one planet to another? Well, I don't want you thinking about it, too, dear boy, it's too horrifying.
Although I must say that we are usually very healthy.
It'll spread through the whole ship, become an epidemic.
Well, that depends on the strength of the virus infection.
If it's half as bad as my cold was, it will.
Oh, do blow your nose, child! It's running all over the place.
No, it isn't.
I'm crying this time.
Well, look, my dear, do try and rest, you know.
You may be feeling better, but you're far from cured.
Hmm? Oh, if only those wretched Guardians would let us out of here.
Might be able to help.
Hmm? Hmm! Look.
That's another victim.
It's not showing any signs of abating.
And look.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) (GROANING) That's another victim.
Another death.
And more human Guardians have also been taken ill.
Thank heaven none of them has died yet.
What will happen if one does? It'll be disaster.
Each man has his allotted task.
No one had reckoned on this eventuality.
There must something we can do about it.
Our micro-virologists are trying to find the answer.
One of them is with the Commander now.
Is there nothing you can do? Unfortunately, the data covering this type of fever was lost long ago, in the primal wars of the 10th segment.
(WEAKLY) Mellium.
Yes, Father? I seem to be drifting back and forth from unconsciousness to moments of sudden clarity.
Perhaps it's better that you shouldn't talk.
No, must I must.
Promise me, Mellium.
Should anything happen to me Oh, you mustn't talk this way.
Should anything happen, do all in your power, along with the others, to make sure the voyage continues.
-Of course, Father.
-What But soon you'll get well.
What happens to me is not so important.
Or you, for that matter, or any one of us.
But the voyage, and the eventual landing of our descendents on the planet Refusis, that is! That's the only thing that's important.
-Remember that.
-Yes, Father.
(DRUMS BEATING RHYTHMICALLY) What is it? I don't know.
It sounds like savages.
Proceed with the preparations for ejection.
Commit the body to space burial.
It is over.
Guardians! Monoids! Before it is too late, before we are stricken by the fever ourselves, we must make the strangers answer for the terrible crime they have committed.
FEMALE GUARDIAN: They shall be tried and punished.
A hearing will commence at once.
As deputy commander, I will preside.
Baccu has undertaken to put the charges.
(CROWD MURMURING) Will anyone speak for the prisoners? -I will.
-And I.
My father would wish it.
His only desire was that justice should be done and a sensible solution to this crisis be found.
Yes, yes.
The law that has been broken is the following.
Look, Doctor, they've switched the television on.
"In that the spaceship represents the only means "by which Earth life may be extended and perpetuated, "the Guardian, for the time being in charge of the ship, "shall have absolute power to punish "or restrain any life form "that endangers the success of its mission "by expulsion from the ship, "miniaturisation, or such lesser penalty as he shall deem fit.
" It's some sort of trial.
ZENTOS: I call on Baccu to detail the charge.
Yes, my dear, and we are the accused.
Doctor, Manyak and I believe your story.
We've offered to speak in your defence, but at least one of you must give evidence.
Of course.
-I must go.
-DOCTOR: What? Doctor, I must.
I'm getting stifled in here.
I must go and do something, even if it's only to show them how stupid they are, wasting time with trials and speeches.
After all, the only important thing now is to let you organise finding a cure.
Very well, then.
If only they'll listen.
They'll probably ask you to speak next, Doctor.
My dear, I only want to help.
(DOOR OPENING) My contention is that it was no accident that this disaster has happened.
I say that you came here intentionally, to spread the disease.
But that's utter nonsense.
I mean, how can you I say that you are agents of the planet towards which this spaceship is proceeding.
That you came here to destroy us.
But why? We're human beings like you are.
Why should we? There's the crux of the matter.
Do you expect us to believe that nonsense? That you managed, in that ridiculous machine called the Tardis, have managed to travel through time? Guardians, Monoids, these beings, whatever they are, place a heavy strain on our credulity.
Well, that's not very difficult! If your medical records are anything to go by, this segment of time, far from being one of the most advanced in knowledge, is one of the worst! We can cope with all things known to the 57th segment of Earth life, but not with strange diseases brought by you, as agents of the intelligences that inhabit Refusis! Are you still on about that? I told you before, we know nothing of that planet! My instinct, every fibre of my being, tells me differently.
And that, unfortunately, tells me only one thing.
What's that? That the nature of man, even in this day and age, hasn't altered at all.
You still fear the unknown, like everyone else before you.
That's true! True! That won't stop me from coping with it.
How? By destroying us? By ejecting us into space? If that is the voted finding of this hearing, yes.
Steven, prove to us your good faith.
Would your friend the Doctor have any knowledge how to deal with this fever? Yes, he probably would if you'd let him out of that cell so that he had a chance to experiment! Oh, yes, of course he would.
He would love that.
And by such means, spread the fever even further and faster.
Perhaps even kill one of the Guardians! -Are we to be fooled by such tricks? -ALL: No! -Are we to be taken in by such nonsense? -ALL: No! Just because these creatures have the outward appearance of human beings? They are our enemies, they should be punished! That's right.
Let them be taken to the ejector chamber.
(AGITATED MURMURING) -Look at Steven, is he all right? -I hope so, my dear, I hope so.
Do you think he may have caught the fever? Well, I'm afraid he may have.
It appears that this virus is more virulent than I suspected.
(AGITATED MURMURING) Guardians, listen to me! Guardians, listen to me! This is a court of law! Let him speak! This is a fair hearing.
My appeal for reason in this matter is simple and direct.
The Doctor and his companions have not denied that they brought the fever among us.
They say it was an accident.
And I believe them.
-(AGITATED MUMBLING) -For the simple reason that if they were in fact agents of the Refusians, they could have achieved their objective in a much simpler way, one in which they would not have exposed themselves to this danger.
-But they're Refusians! -That's no argument.
Then I have another.
The fever is here.
We have no answer for it and it might well be that they are the only ones who can cure it.
Our micro-virologists may still find an answer.
Perhaps, but if we were to agree that the Doctor and his fiends could, what is the value in expelling them from the spaceship? None at all.
If Manyak and my daughter can see that, why can't they? (MURMURING) Guardians, listen to me! I've just had news of another disaster.
One of our kind, one of the Guardians, has died from the fever.
Do you want to hear more? Never mind the arguments of the defender, because now they are nothing, now that one of our own kind has died.
So, Guardians, what is your answer to the charge? Do you find the prisoner guilty or not guilty? ALL: Guilty! It's your vote that we exact the full penalty of the special Galactic Law? ALL: Yes, we do! So be it! They shall be taken from this place and expelled from the ship.
And the privilege of execution, in that they were the first to be struck by the fever, will be granted to the Monoids.
But the verdict is wrong.
Yes, but it is the voted verdict.
There is nothing we can do about it.
Doctor, something is wrong with Steven.
Stop! I demand fair play.
This young man is as ill as any one of your own people.
How do you expect him to plea in his own defence, hmm? The verdict of the court was that you are guilty.
You and your party have been condemned by an overwhelming majority and your sentence is ejection into space.
Are you aware that you might be committing your entire community to a slow extinction? Trust me! Allow me, help me to find a new cure for this fever of yours.
The verdict has been given.
-Well? -You are right, of course.
Of course, there's no question.
But can we not afford to take a chance? After all, the old man was the first to diagnose the illness.
For that reason alone, he may be able to find a cure.
No.
Sentence will be carried out.
Baccu, assemble the Monoids.
They may proceed.
Very well.
COMMANDER: (ON PA) Wait! This has gone far enough.
Zentos, this is your Commander speaking.
I order you to release the travellers immediately.
They will be given every facility for research.
They may be our only hope.
See to it.
But the hearing decided differently, Commander.
These people are dangerous.
Don't argue with me, Zentos! Those are my instructions.
But in case you are right, I wish the Doctor to use his young friend as a guinea pig.
If he succeeds in curing him, then I will set aside the verdict of the court.
Now, proceed.
Thank you, Father.
Very well.
If he has not decided wisely, we will not live to know it.
At last we're near a solution! We must waste no more time.
Now, you two, get the boy onto the table.
Is there anything we can do to help, Doctor? Yes, cover him.
We must keep him warm at once.
Warm? But he's already sweating with the fever in the same way that my father My dear young lady, please do as you're told.
Now, where is that other young woman I want? -Here I am, Doctor.
-Oh, good.
Now look here.
Go to the Tardis and bring these things back for me, will you? -Will these do? -Yes, certainly.
Fine, fine.
How will I know where to find them? Well, open your eyes, my dear child, otherwise you won't be any use to me, will you? -Okay.
-What did you say? -I said okay.
-Yes, I thought you did.
Now, once this crisis is over, I am going to teach you to speak English.
-And I shall go with her.
-Right, off you go.
Doctor, our virologists are willing to give you all the help you need.
Can you describe the virus responsible? -Yes -I've wrapped Steven warmly.
Is there anything else I can do? Yes.
Now, I want you to find all the sick people in this spaceship and give them the same treatment.
-You mean keep them warm? -Exactly, my child, yes.
-Very well.
-Oh, and my child? -Doctor? -That also includes your father.
Now, this germ.
This germ is The vaccine was used as long ago as the 20th century, and then was lost in the time of the primal wars.
Is that what he's trying to find now? The old vaccine? Yes.
He says it's a natural compound derived from animal membranes.
We only need to take single specimens and then we can release the animals again.
But it means that a large-scale hunt has to be organised out there in the jungle.
Leave that to me.
I'll collect a party of Guardians and Monoids.
-Tell us what animals you need.
-Well, we need two Yes, I know I'm a bit of a quack but a combination of these two membrane fluids, a little at a time, should do the trick.
Ah, thank you.
Thank you.
You know, you're far more knowledgeable than most people realise, aren't you? (CHUCKLES) Now, my dear Dodo, how is he? He's conscious, Doctor, but only just.
Are you going to try it now? Well, I don't see why not.
Yes, now, where is that sterilised pustule? Oh, thank you, thank you.
You know, I don't know what I would do without you.
DODO: Do you really think it'll work? Well, I don't see why not, my dear.
Providing I've mixed these properly.
DODO: And what if you haven't? Oh, don't let that cross our minds, for heaven's sake.
Now, then.
Here we are.
Don't you have to squirt it into his arm? What, with a hypodermic needle? Good gracious, no.
That went out a long time ago.
Here we are.
Now all we have to do is to wait and watch.
-Come along.
-Where are you going? I'm going to treat the others precisely the same way as I've treated Steven.
Isn't that a bit dodgy? I mean, he was supposed to be the guinea pig, wasn't he? Well, it's going to be much dodgier, my child, as you say, if I just sat and did nothing.
(CHUCKLES) Come along.
There, now.
Just relax and rest.
Is there anything further I can do? No, it's just a matter of time, my dear.
Come along.
-How long must we wait? -They weren't sure.
Apparently once the injection has been given, there's no way to hurry the response of the patient.
Zentos is waiting like a vulture, just in case the treatment doesn't work.
Yes, I think I've given him the right treatment.
Hmm.
Doctor, it's a long time now since you gave him that stuff and the fever only seems to be getting worse.
Hmm? Well, it's about an hour, my dear.
He seems to be reacting quite normally.
Yes, he's fighting it.
(CHUCKLES) (STEVEN GASPS) -Has something gone wrong? -The fever's down -and the temperature's dropped.
-You mean? I mean he's going to be all right, my dear.
It's all right.
Steven's much better.
Everything's going to be all right! I told you it would be.
You have nothing further to worry about, sir.
The sick have been tended to and the others immunised against further attack.
Thank you, Doctor.
So you were right after all.
Doctor, the Commander's fever's gone down so he's going to be all right.
Oh, splendid, splendid! Look, the scan of Earth! ZENTOS: The last moment has come.
Now you can continue with the building of your statue, and when it's finished, I'm sure it's going to look very beautiful.
Yes, our descendents will know its meaning when they put the finishing touches to it.
-In 700 years' time.
-Yes, in 700 years' time.
Well, we must be off.
Goodbye, sir.
-Goodbye.
-Goodbye, my dear.
-Goodbye, Doctor.
-Goodbye.
Doctor, for the fact that I mistrusted you, misjudged you, I'm sorry.
Remember, your journey is very important, young man.
Therefore you must travel with understanding as well as hope.
-Goodbye, Zentos.
-Goodbye, Doctor.
(WHOOSHING) (WHOOSHING) -Can I go out now? -You really must let me go first, child.
Well Well, that's strange.
Something must have gone wrong.
It appears we've landed back in the same place.
-How? -Take a look at this, my boy.
Isn't that extraordinary? Well, that's inexplicable.
Mellium! Baccu! They can't be far away, can they? I don't know.
Depends on how long ago it was.
-What? -Look, there's nobody here, is there? We've only been gone a few seconds.
Mellium! Baccu! Doctor, Steven, look! What is it my dear? What have you found.
Hmm? The statue.
They've finished the statue.

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