Doctor Who (1963) s18e20 Episode Script

This garden of yours, the universe.
How do you manage it? We use our power for those who travel on the time winds.
Vastness of space is no obstacle.
Everything is ours.
Including her.
They're only people.
So you're the masters the Gundans spoke of, hmm? The enslavers.
The weak enslave themselves, Doctor.
You and I know that.
Yes.
Yes.
This is no way to run an empire.
Danger.
The Doctor's in danger.
Doctor.
Well, Doctor, this is a surprise.
And for me, too.
We must have jumped back over the striations.
Yes.
You seem to come and go around here with a great deal of freedom.
Yes.
It's alarming, isn't it? And the culinary arrangements are variable, too.
What's the secret? Something you'd care to share with us? You won't get the Doctor's help by pointing guns at him.
I negotiate from strength.
Much the best way, if you can do it.
So you've mended your warp motors, then? Found a new navigator? Not so aggressive.
We're all in the same boat and they know it.
- Except that you know the way out.
- I do? That way.
- Oh, no, no.
One way only.
That's for Tharils.
I don't believe you.
And neither do my men.
- Do you, men? No.
No.
A hungry bunch.
Now, listen.
There's nothing beyond those mirrors for people like us, except the reflection of what's here.
Only the Tharils can enter your universe that way, and that's a talent they're born with.
The talent that you hunt them for.
- A cul-de-sac? - Yes.
Now Unless we work very closely together, we could be caught here until the crack of doom.
Oh, what's the use? Could I have one of your pickles? I had a rush lunch.
All right.
Why not? It's his last meal.
Well, that goes for all of us.
Yeah, soon we won't be better off than that chap over there.
When the pickles run out.
Enough of the gossip.
The secret, Doctor.
Orders, master.
Orders.
I don't believe it.
K9.
Where have you been, my dear, old thing? - Is that yours? - Mass conversion anomaly.
Alert.
Danger.
Warning.
- Oh, shut him up.
- Don't say that.
He may have a point.
What mass conversion anomaly? Dimensional contraction of the microcosmic system.
Orders.
Contraction? This could be serious.
- It's the memory wafers, Doctor.
- What? He's going a bit funny.
Mathematical vanishing imminent.
Warning.
No, that's not funny.
That's What's causing it? Impossible to compute.
Space-time instability.
Time to play with your toys later, Doctor.
I think not.
If K9's right, and he usually is, this place is in worse shape than we thought it was.
You can't get worse than the back of beyond.
Soon, it may not even be that.
K9 says its dimensions are contracting.
Well, that's the silliest thing I've heard all day.
Who's going to believe that? - Well - I thought you might.
It's ridiculous.
Space contracting? - And time.
- At least hear him out.
- What's the hurry? - Quite a lot.
How long have we got, K9? Contraction curve exponential.
Estimate on present data beyond capability of this unit.
- So, it's starting? - Slowly.
But might collapse completely at any minute.
Yes.
Yes.
But it would need a huge mass to distend time and space to that extent.
Even the TARDIS doesn't weigh that much.
- Neither does their ship.
- It might.
The hull is made of dwarf star alloy.
- What? - Dwarf star alloy.
Dwarf star alloy? What are you playing at? Is it something to do with these? - They're slavers.
- Yes.
Trading in time sensitives.
And dwarf star alloy is the only material that will hold them.
And it's very expensive.
How many more of those poor creatures have you got in that hulk of yours? Poor creatures? Each one's worth a king's ransom, Doctor.
You seem to understand business even less than you understand science, this wild theory about contraction.
No wild theory about contraction.
K9, not K9 K9? Hold it.
Your machine seems to know as much about it as you do.
Get up.
So, what you're saying is, the distances are getting shorter.
Like, between the ship and here? Yes.
As the domain contracts.
Shut up.
He's playing for time.
Playing for time? Quite the reverse.
He's right about one thing.
The trip between here and the ship, each time we've done it, - it has been shorter.
- Yes.
And, if I can get back to my TARDIS, I can prove it and find out exactly how much time we have left.
Oh, gobbledygook.
We can deal with this in very short order.
Get us through.
Time's run out for you, Doctor.
- Hello, Biroc.
- Doctor.
You've seen our past.
You've seen our present.
You were right.
We abused our power.
But judge whether we have not suffered enough.
As you said, the weak enslave themselves.
The time of our enslavement is over.
We will be free.
I wish you luck.
But what about us? Have you got any ideas on that count? Do nothing.
- What? - It is done.
Biroc.
Biroc.
It's all very well for you, but Time's run out for you, Doctor.
Please.
Please.
Just let the Doctor go.
I don't know what these levers do.
But it's pointing in your direction.
Don't touch anything.
You poisonous runt.
Who is this boy? Oh, he's just a friend of mine.
Adric, Romana.
Get K9 outside quickly.
You'll never get away with this, Doctor.
Don't move, lads.
It's on automatic.
Come on.
Let's find the TARDIS.
All right, lads.
Get them.
It's on automatic.
It doesn't have an automatic.
Get them.
There she blows.
- We found it.
- Yes.
Well, that's one of the advantages of living in a rapidly shrinking micro-universe.
- What are the others? Other what? - Other advantages.
Ah, well It's difficult to say.
The ship's moved.
- Contracting continuum.
- Gobbledygook.
Oh, you never learn anything, do you? There's only one thing for it.
Right, everybody, the MZ.
I'm not going near that thing.
That's a dangerous weapon, that is.
No, Rorvik knows what he's doing.
He's seen us right up to now.
Hasn't he? Don't give up, lads.
We'll go for the back blast.
Why don't we just dematerialise and go? - No.
- No.
We can't just dematerialise and leave them.
There are slaves on that ship.
What's happening? Mass attraction.
There's something moving out there.
It's shaking the entire gateway.
- Look.
- What's he doing? He can't take off with his warp motors in that state.
- Back blast.
Back blast.
- What? He's going to use the jets to try and smash through the mirrors.
He's mad.
The back blast backlash will bounce back and destroy everything.
Yes.
It's bound to accelerate the collapse of space around here.
Yes.
But surely that would flip you back into N-Space if you dematerialised at the right moment? We cannot even think of that with those slaves on board.
We've got to do something.
- I'm not hopeful.
- Neither am I.
Wait a minute.
There is that damaged area.
Yes.
What damaged area? - Of course.
- What? - By the warp motors.
- Yes.
- The main cable insulation is exposed.
- Oh, yeah.
We might be able to short out his power.
No.
Right.
Stop.
If I'm not back, for whatever reason, in 13.
5 minutes, I want you to dematerialise.
Without you? I am not letting you go alone.
That's an order.
It's about time you started accepting orders.
It is long past time, but how do you think you're going to find the cable? - With my eyes - Adric and I have seen it.
- Good.
Come on.
- I'm coming, too.
You are not.
It's long past time you learnt to obey orders.
Now stay here.
And if we are not back, for whatever reason, in 13.
5 minutes, I want you to dematerialise.
Do you understand? I like that.
I think you're improving.
It's a matter of complete indifference to me.
Indifference? Thirteen and a half minutes.
I'm sure you will.
Steady, now.
I want a landing that wouldn't ripple the skin on a custard.
Good lads.
Who's got control of the overload power? I think it's me.
You think? Listen, everyone.
This is the MZ we're messing around with here.
It's a full-blown back blast.
I'd appreciate it if you keep your eye on the controls.
Back blast activated.
And building.
How long till full power? It's hard to tell with the motors in this state.
About 10 minutes.
Revivals, break out the cargo.
What, now? Well, if this works, we'll need to see where we're going.
You can't do a proper revival in 10 minutes.
We'll revive them all.
One of them might come through.
Well, try it.
Let's do something around here for a change.
Don't switch the light on.
- Why not? - Well, it's bad for them.
Well, you think this is going to do them any good? I don't know.
Ten minutes to plug them all up.
Rush, rush, rush.
- Ready? - Yes, sir.
Just as the Captain ordered.
Meet the sardines.
Prepare for revival.
Switch on now.
Well, what's the matter? Uh, I feel I'm coming over a bit nauseous, sir.
I'll be all right with a breath of air.
Now where do you think you're going? Oh, I'll just go and make sure he's all right, sir.
I'll be back in a minute.
Psst.
I can't stand a lot of that.
Funny you signed on with Rorvik.
Light duties is what he said.
It'll all end in tears.
Mark my words.
Sorry, sir.
It's no good.
No good? What kind of report is that? Three tries.
Three rejects.
Could be the power fluctuation where we had the damage.
I'll go and look.
Since when do you give yourself orders on my ship? I'll check the cable.
You get back to the bridge.
Well, break out some more.
Clipboard marks the spot.
I'll stand guard.
Is this what you're looking for, Doctor? Look here, Rorvik.
You've got to stop this back blast.
You'll kill us all.
So you say, Doctor.
I say it's the only way out of here.
You can't blast through those mirrors.
You must realise by now it just throws the energy straight back.
They've got to break.
Everything breaks eventually.
Never mind the clipboard.
Short the cables.
Check the main power line, earth it to the ladder.
I know.
I've done it.
Biroc? What are you doing here? Nothing.
- It's all right for you.
- And for you, too.
- Do nothing.
- Do nothing? Of course, Doctor.
Don't you see? Yes.
That's right.
Do nothing, if it's the right sort of nothing.
Run, Doctor.
Scurry off back to your blue box.
You're like all the rest.
Lizards when there's a man's work to be done.
I'm sick of your kind.
Faint-hearted, do-nothing, lily-livered deadweights.
This is the end for all of you.
I'm finally getting something done.
Here, where did you spring from? I haven't done you.
Never mind.
You're just what we need.
Just a minute.
We've made it.
Quick, quick.
Inside.
What's the matter? I'm not coming with you.
Inside.
That's an order.
No more orders, Doctor.
Goodbye.
What a moment to choose.
But, it is, isn't it, a moment to choose? I've got to be my own Romana.
- And we need a Time Lord.
- Goodbye, Doctor.
No, no, no.
Wait, wait.
There's something else.
K9.
He'll be all right with you behind the mirrors.
- I'll take care of him.
- I'll miss you.
You were the noblest Romana of them all.
The TARDIS.
Gone.
TARDIS preserved in concept, mistress.
This unit contains all necessary schedules for duplication of the TARDIS, mistress.
Exactly, K9.
Biroc will help us use the gateway to travel anywhere in E-Space.
And we can give him time technology.
You shall be our Time Lord.
And we will travel far.
Our people are enslaved on many planets.
And you and I, K9, are going to help Biroc free them.
That's something we've got to do, don't you think? Affirmative, mistress.
- The picture's fading.
- Yes.
- It's gone.
Nothing there.
- Hmm.
So it has.
Nothing.
Well, that's something.
How can nothing be something? Well, if the E-Space image translator doesn't work, I'm hoping we're in N-Space.
- Back in your own universe.
- Yes.
- Can you be sure? - Did I say sure? - No.
- Yes.
One good solid hope's worth a cartload of certainties.
- Will Romana be all right? - All right? She'll be superb.