Doctor Who (1963) s20e18 Episode Script

(DOCTOR WHO THEME) TEGAN: Looks like the position of marker buoys.
Oh, they're considerably more than that.
Mr Mate, we will look at our competitors, please.
Aye, aye, sir.
(BEEPING) Electronics on an Edwardian racing yacht.
Look at the screen.
We're not on a yacht, we're on a ship.
A spaceship.
Remarkable.
Though I think they have their maritime history slightly confused.
But why waste such skill? What are they trying to achieve? -It's like a game.
-The crew are real enough.
Yes.
What about the officers? -Androids? -No, no.
It's much more complicated than that.
Tegan? I feel terrible.
I think I'm seasick.
-Mr Mate.
-Sir.
-Allow me to escort you to your cabin.
-Have to hurry.
Oh, nonsense, Tegan.
The ship's hardly moving.
-For you maybe.
-Now, wait a minute! (DOOR CLOSES) She'll be all right.
Whatever else is going on here, no one's threatened us.
Yet.
I've arranged somewhere for you to rest.
(DOOR OPENS) Check our exact position.
We're about to round our next planet, gentlemen.
-Planet? -Look at the chart.
Remarkable, these are planets.
If you look carefully enough, you'll see it's a solar system containing Earth.
Well, that explains where they got their crew from.
Indeed.
Look, leave now.
Find where Marriner's taken Tegan.
And you? I want to see what else I can find out here.
There's no need to whisper, Doctor.
You and your companions are free to come and go as you wish.
You are our guests, not our prisoners.
-I want to die.
-Drink this.
-What is it? -A mixture.
-Rum? -Drink it.
-No, thanks.
-It'll make you feel much better.
Really? Then drink it yourself.
It's quite safe.
Drink it.
It'll make you feel much better.
-Where does this lead? -The deck.
The crew are busy at the moment.
You would only be in the way up there.
-What are they doing? -Hauling on the halyards.
Halyards? On a spaceship? We observe the spirit as well as the rules of the race.
You'll find the cabin of the person you seek off the starboard side.
Thank you.
Now you must rest.
And I must return to duty.
That was a marvellous drink.
We should be rounding the next marker buoy soon.
(SLEEPILY) Marker buoy.
Venus.
Our first obstacle.
-What are you proposing to do? -You will see.
(BLEEPS) Our next major obstacle is the Greek.
I intend to win this race and Critas the Greek is the only captain who could possibly beat me.
All the period detail is impressively accurate.
There is no point to the race, if it isn't.
Everything, except that jewel.
That isn't contemporary.
You're very observant.
The only thing out of period.
Why? When you meet, perhaps you would like to ask him.
Tegan? Tegan! -Hello? -Are you all right? -Of course.
-Are you sure? I feel marvellous.
-You're not space-sick any more? -Not at all.
This must be what they give the crew.
Well, doesn't seem to do them any harm.
Pleased to hear it.
What a jumble this room is.
Yeah, some of it seemsquite familiar.
It's a weird mix of my room on the TARDIS and my bedroom in Brisbane.
I'm beginning to find this ship very strange.
Aunt Vanessa.
I don't believe it.
It's as though somebody's been rummaging round in my memories.
Perhaps they have.
Come on.
Let's go and find the Doctor.
(DOOR OPENS) -Why are you doing this? -The race? As a diversion.
And the crews for the ships, you collected them from their different time zones just as a diversion, too? They are Ephemerals.
-Ephemerals? -Beings like yourself.
You had no right to do it.
They're real.
Living, breathing flesh and blood! You are not an Ephemeral.
You are a time dweller.
You travel in time.
You're reading my thoughts.
You are a Time Lord.
A lord of time.
Are there lords in such a small domain? -And where do you function? -Eternity.
SAILOR: Marker buoy, sir, coming up on the starboard bow.
The endless wastes of eternity.
What's happening? Are those men going up to the rigging? -They must be.
-But it's madness.
This ship can't possibly function like a real sailing ship.
-Never heard of solar winds? -Yeah.
Well, they exist for real and produce more than enough energy to propel a ship like this.
I don't understand it.
These men are from early 20th-century Earth.
How can they accept pressurised suits without question? -Turlough, come here.
-Perhaps not all of them do.
Wait here.
Yeah.
Now look, they're mad, the whole lot of 'em.
-I think it's the demon drink.
-No! But it is, it's got to be.
I mean, they've had me at it up there.
I thought I was sailing in space, going round the stars.
I ain't touched a drop.
I think they must be putting it in the drinking water and all.
Now look, I've got this key.
-To what? -It's the key to the rum locker.
Now look, I've got to go, but you've got to stand by me, lad, like I've stood by you.
We've got to chuck the grog over the side, the boys would never go aloft without it.
No.
They wouldn't, would they? Standby to shorten sail.
Get them aloft, boatswain.
Standby to shorten sail.
-What are you doing? -Hold her on course.
-We'll cut it as fine as we can.
-Do you think that's wise? We're coming in too fast.
-Hang the topsail.
-Hang the topsail.
-Come about or you'll crash.
-Certainly not.
Hold her on course, helmsman.
Get those men aloft, hang the topsail, stand back to lower the jib.
Get those men aloft! JACKSON: No, I won't, I don't want that.
I don't drink.
I've signed the pledge.
Look, I'm not drinking it.
I'm not.
I'm not going back up there either.
You can't send me back.
Turlough, you better help me.
You said you were going to help me.
It's in the drink.
It's in the drink.
I think it's time we weren't here.
Come on, let's go and find the Doctor.
Hold her on course, man.
-What are we down to, Mr Mate? -Staysail, inner jib and mainsail.
If we strip her any more, she won't steer.
Heave to! And lose our chance of being first round? Never.
This is the sort of excitement that makes eternity bearable.
(WHISTLING) -What's happening? -We're running before the wind.
We're in some sort of ion drive.
It comes to the same thing.
We're going to hit! -Get back to the wheel, helmsman.
-Aye, aye, sir.
-A close shave, Captain.
-They'll never catch us now.
We must have entered the gravitational pull of the planet.
-Why didn't we crash? -Well, we had a lot of luck.
Luck? We could have been killed.
-But worth risking to win.
-We are determined to be first.
-And winner takes all? -Of course.
Let us see who is next around the marker, Mr Marriner.
Sir.
-Critas and the Buccaneer.
-Neck and neck.
Doctor, this is madness.
We must stay with it.
Remember what the White Guardian said, "Winner takes all.
" It has to be the winner of this race.
TEGAN: No! Gravitational pull, would you say? -He cut it a bit too fine.
-Bad luck, really.
Is that all you can say? The ship and its crew has just been destroyed.
They're not interested, Tegan.
We have a clear lead, gentlemen, and I intend to keep it.
Mr Marriner, issue the crew with an extra ration of rum -with the Captain's compliments.
-Aye, aye, sir.
I've never seen a ship break up like that.
Was it gravitational pull? -No.
-What? You saw the way the ship was manoeuvred around Venus.
These vessels are built to withstand enormous stress.
-Sabotage.
-Or it was shot down.
It seems this race is getting serious.
Someone is prepared to kill in order to win.
What's the prize? That we must find out.
I think it's time we had a conference.
Not here, Tegan, your cabin.
I'll meet you there in a moment.
-What was all that about? -You've forgotten your room? Some of them can mind-read.
We've got to be very careful.
-This is turning into a nightmare.
-Hmm.
Come on.
-Allow me to escort you.
-No, thanks.
No one on this ship is responsible for the destruction of the Greek.
-Then who did it? -I don't know.
Although sabotage is not against the rules of the race, it is simply less diverting.
Oh, it spoils the fun, you mean? -What is against the rules? -To go beyond.
We must remain within those limits we have chosen for ourselves.
-You chose this ship? -Yes.
And the crew? They were selected from the relevant period of Earth history.
But why? I mean, it's not just to sail the ships, is it? No, of course not.
You need their minds, human minds.
-Human? -Ephemeral then.
From any planet, any galaxy, any time.
The minds of living beings, you depend on them.
We are Eternals.
You presume to think we depend upon the Ephemeral mind, with all our power, our technology? And I wonder where you got it from, all your technology.
Mind you, if you can pick Earth beings from 19th-century England from the Athens of Pericles, from the Ch'in Dynasty, I suppose you can just as easily pick the minds of more advanced beings -from other galaxies.
-Correct.
Parasites, that's what Eternals are.
You feed on living minds, you use them as blueprints.
As diversions.
Oh, absolutely, I do see what you mean.
Living minds are contaminated with crude emotions, organic, irrational, creative, entertaining.
It is true that Ephemerals, dwellers in time, do have a certain entertainment value.
-You talk as though they were toys.
-To me, they are.
Then why is one of you taking this race so seriously? Where are you going? -You don't know? -To Miss Tegan's cabin.
You didn't know though, just for a second.
Interesting.
Can you hear? I need your help! Can you hear me? Go away! Stop following me.
-Why are you angry with me? -Angry? I'm not angry.
I'm disgusted.
A ship blows up, all aboard are lost and you don't even care.
You don't understand.
They were not lost.
They transferred.
-They were saved? -They transferred home.
The whole crew? No, you don't mean the crew at all, do you? You mean the officers.
Things like you, whatever you are.
What happened to the crew? Were they all killed? But Ephemerals have such short lives, in any case.
-Human beings, you mean? -Whatever you wish to call them.
And on this ship at least, they are treated well.
Well? I happen to think that human lives are just as valuable as yours.
-I happen to be a human being.
-But you're different.
You're not like any Ephemeral I've ever met before.
You must answer.
I need your help.
What's going on here? You are pathetic.
I have watched your progress.
(CHOKING) You have had many opportunities to destroy the Doctor.
I can't kill him.
Then I condemn you to everlasting life.
You will never leave this ship.
(GRUNTING) (LAUGHS SNEERINGLY) (KNOCKING ON DOOR) Go away.
DOCTOR: It's me.
-What's the matter? -This.
This room.
Yes.
Well, they can make anything they see in your mind.
That's how this ship was made, out of the minds of the crew.
-Just as this room was.
-Shows the state my mind's in.
Hmm.
-Are they like Time Lords? -Oh, no, no.
They exist outside of time.
-How? -They're eternal.
They exist in eternity.
It's not really what you'd call living.
So what makes them tick? We do.
Their minds are empty, used up.
They need ideas from us.
They're desperate for them.
We've got to get away from here.
Yes, not till I find out what's at the end of the race.
I must go back to the TARDIS.
I can't cope with Marriner.
I do understand how you feel, but I must ask you to stay.
The TARDIS is the last thing I want them to find out about.
TARDIS.
Could they do anything to the TARDIS? Well, I wouldn't like to risk it, they do have enormous power.
What do we do? Try to distract them, give them something to worry about.
Even an Eternal can't put his mind to too many things at once.
Come on.
I won't be able to do that.
Please.
Take me back to the TARDIS.
-All right.
Where's Turlough? -I don't know.
-Now.
-Aye, aye, sir.
I won't be happy until I'm back in that console room again.
Turlough! -What happened? -(PANTING) I fell.
Are you sure? What are those marks? Are you all right? -I think so.
-Come on.
We're taking Tegan back to the TARDIS.
-Turlough, you wait here.
-Doctor, can't we all leave? They may not have harmed us, but the atmosphere on this ship is evil.
He's right.
Is he? You can both wait for me in the TARDIS.
Over here.
-Where is it? -Well, it was here.
No.
It can't have just disappeared.
-They've found out about the TARDIS.
-You're right.
-Take the woman to Mr Marriner.
-TEGAN: No! Please, Doctor.
Resistance is futile.
We mean her no harm.
-What have you done with the TARDIS? -You'll find out.
Lead the way.
I'm sorry you wanted to leave.
-Please, put one on.
-No.
-There's so much I wish to show you.
-I'm not putting that suit on.
Please.
The sooner you do, the sooner you'll be reunited with your friends.
I underestimated you.
You helped me.
Such was your concern, I could recall your mind as far away as the cabin.
The picture was as clear as if you were standing here.
What picture? Of your ship, the TARDIS, I believe you call her.
Adrenaline is a most effective energy boost.
Your own fear gave her to us.
-Where have you taken -Miss Tegan is quite safe.
She's on deck.
Thank you.
Perhaps you would care to join her.
No! I don't want to go up there.
Look, I'll tell you what's going on below decks with the Ephemerals.
It's mutiny! I'll give you something Turlough, you have the key to the rum locker which Jackson appropriated.
-You know about that as well.
-Naturally.
Thank you.
There's no need to look at me like that.
They knew about it, you heard.
So I didn't give him away.
-Will Jackson be punished? -For entertaining us? Superior beings do not punish inferiors.
-Superior? -We use them, kindly.
Jackson is quite calm again.
He realises he is safe, as you will.
The suit's merely a precaution.
Why have you brought me here? Isn't the sight beautiful? I can see in your mind you find it so.
-Where's the Doctor? -He will be with us in a moment.
On deck, you will have an interesting view of our competitors.
It may help you to decide which one is the saboteur.
What are you competing for? I mean, the whole point of a race is to win something.
What's the prize? Enlightenment.
Enlightenment? The wisdom which knows all things and which will enable me to achieve what I desire most.
Do not ask what it is.
I will not tell you.
It's perfectly all right.
You may also remove your helmet.
The atmosphere is breathable.
It's maintained by an invisible energy barrier.
You like giving people shocks, don't you? I wanted to show you I was telling the truth.
Now you can trust me.
-Will we ever get off this ship? -Once we've found the TARDIS.
(ECHOING) You are doomed, boy.
Are you sure, Doctor? We will get off? Hopefully, Turlough, hopefully.
You have failed me.
(ECHOING) You will now see my wrath.
You will live aboard this ship in perpetual torment.
No! No! I will never serve you again! No!