Doctor Who (1963) s21e04 Episode Script

(DOCTOR WHO THEME) You were very foolish to follow me, Doctor.
Let Tegan go.
She's of no use to you now.
Killing us won't make your escape any easier.
If you fire, every Sea Devil in the area will come running.
I'll take that risk.
Tegan, make a wish.
-Goodbye, Doctor.
-Goodbye.
Your turn.
How do you do? I'm the Doctor.
Haven't we met before? What's this? A ventilation shaft.
TARPOK: The Sea Devil warriors have captured the reactor room.
ICTHAR: Excellent.
Allow my crew to surrender.
It is they who insist upon fighting.
The damage is assessed, Icthar.
The computer can be restored to normal functioning.
ICTHAR: Perfect.
Icthar.
-You know him? -Yes, I thought he'd been killed.
Remove these people from the bridge.
You do not recognise me now, but we are known to each other.
-You are mistaken.
Take them away.
-No, wait, wait, please! In an earlier regeneration, you knew me as the Doctor.
''The Doctor''? You can prove what you say? Well, I know that you are Icthar, the surviving leader of the noble Silurian Triad.
When we last met, I tried to mediate between you and the people of Earth.
So, it is you.
May we speak? The Doctor and Commander Vorshak will remain.
Remove the others.
I will listen to what you say, but I should tell you that the Silurians have long since abandoned the way of mediation.
So it seems.
Why? A civilised race like yours waging unprovoked war? Defensive war, Doctor.
There is a distinction.
-Silurian law forbids any other.
-Defensive? There's no such thing.
When we last met, your supreme wish was to live at peace with the other inhabitants of this planet.
Now, why change such an enlightened policy now? Our policy has always been peaceful survival.
All that has changed is the means by which it can be achieved.
What, by actions such as we've seen here? You forget.
Twice we offered the hand of friendship to these ape-descended primitives, and twice we were treacherously attacked, our people slaughtered.
It will not happen again.
There can be no alternative to peaceful co-existence.
There is, Doctor.
A final solution.
Genocide? When everything you Silurians hold sacred forbids it? We will harm no-one.
These ape primitives will destroy themselves.
We, Doctor, will merely provide the pretext.
(CLICKING) You'll trigger the war this base was designed to fight.
Yes.
And these human beings will die as they have lived, in a sea of their own blood.
(TEGAN ARGUING) TEGAN: Leave me alone! Let go of me! -You're alive.
-Alive, well, and trying to escape.
Would one of you mind keeping watch, please? I will.
(COMPUTER BEEPING) TARPOK: Binary circuits of the computer are now functioning.
ICTHAR: Then we activate the missile data banks.
We will need the Commander's hand scan for clearance.
You'll get no help from me, Silurian.
ICTHAR: Your hand scan, Commander.
I will not ask again.
I would do as he says if I were you, Commander.
-No.
-Alive or dead, they can still use your hand scan.
And while there's life, there's also hope.
(BEEPS) Thank you, Doctor.
Those missiles will never leave their pads, not without a sync operator to complete the firing sequence.
Not so.
A sync operator is our insurance against unauthorised launch.
If my guess is right, that little piece of Silurian gadgetry will more than make up for the lack of a sync operator, unless we're able to do something about it.
-Back to the Tardis.
-No, not the Tardis, the bridge.
(SIGHS) They've got the Doctor up there, as well as the Commander.
-Do you think we can get them both away? -What is it about Earth people that makes them think a futile gesture is a noble one? -Turlough -You would prefer we left our friends to die? If there was any chance of saving them, I'd be the first to go, but there isn't! Look, we don't know until we've checked.
Coming? The missiles are retargeted.
ICTHAR: Excellent.
You intend to explode those missiles in space? Yes.
Launching those things will trigger a holocaust.
You'll destroy everyone.
The Silurians and Sea Devils will survive.
-To be masters of a dead planet.
-Not quite, Doctor.
Still safely hidden away in deep hibernation is the true life force of this planet.
When restored, our civilisation will rule the Earth once more.
I see.
All clear.
(GRUNTS) -Turlough.
-What's the matter? They would've stood a better chance if we'd gone with them.
A better chance of what? Of dying? I don't think so.
I think they'll manage that very nicely themselves, thank you.
-Look -Put your foot in! Really! (GRUNTING) Come on! What about us? Are we included in your ''final solution''? We bear you no malice, Doctor.
Once we have finished here, you and your companions will be released.
-And the rest of these people? -They will die.
An act of mercy, since there will be nobody for them to rejoin.
Commander, you will please join me at the master console.
Commander.
Yes, I know.
The Doctor.
Initiate the test-firing sequence.
-Did he see you? -Yes.
And he'd better hurry.
It can't be long before they discover we've escaped.
Excellent timing.
Is Turlough safe? -Yes.
-Lead on.
But aren't we going to get the Commander out? Impossible.
They need him in there.
-Well, we must at least try.
-Not here, not now.
We'll come back for him, I promise.
-Where are we going? -The chemical store.
This way.
The primitives have escaped.
Explain.
Where is the Doctor? Commander.
Find the Doctor.
Find the primitives.
Kill them! (RAY GUNS BLASTING) -They must be mopping up survivors.
-Or your friends.
Either way, shouldn't we help them? Connect the manipulator.
Hurry up, Doctor.
(SHUSHING) -Doctor.
-Turlough.
-You didn't think I'd leave you? -It never crossed my mind.
-Where were you going? -The chemical store.
This way.
Is the computer fully operational? Restored and tested.
Then align the manipulator to the computer.
DOCTOR: Watch the doors.
-What are we looking for? -An alternative to this.
Something less lethal that will do the job just as well.
Do you know what the Silurians want? Oh, yes.
All in all, they were very forthcoming, really.
They intend to launch your missiles and trigger a war to end all wars.
Between your people, of course.
Doctor! (CLATTERING) (BLASTING) (SHOUTING) What happened? Hexachromite.
It does that to all reptile life.
PRESTON: Then use it on the invaders.
And kill them? Why not? They're about to start a war that will destroy everyone on Earth.
I sometimes wonder why I like the people of this miserable planet so much.
The Silurians and Sea Devils are noble races.
They have skills and talents you pathetic humans can only dream about! That doesn't alter what they're about to do.
No.
No, and we must stop them.
What's the alternative? Something that will disable rather than kill.
Manipulator aligned with the computer.
Alignment confirmed.
Good, then we can proceed.
(ALARM BEEPING) -Is this a practice missile run? -It's impossible to tell.
Check the manipulator.
Readings confirm a computer-controlled practice run.
It is time to stop this game.
Activate the manipulator.
Launch the missiles.
(ALARM SOUNDING) Missile alert.
-Doctor -Yes, I hear.
-What does it mean? -The final countdown is imminent.
What are you going to do? You must decide, Doctor.
Billions of people could die.
Yes, all right.
Turlough, get the grille open.
Preston, fetch that pump.
We have to feed the gas into the ventilation system.
-Missiles are armed and targeted.
-You're mad.
The ape primitives have developed this weaponry.
We cannot be held responsible for it.
Contact the heads of government.
Tell them your demands.
They'll listen.
Your people have already had their chance.
-Try one more time, for pity's sake.
-It is too late for pity.
It is much too late.
DOCTOR: It will take some time for the gas to spread throughout the base.
-Will it be fast enough? -I hope it won't be necessary at all.
If I can get to the bridge in time, I may be able to reason with Icthar, persuade him to abandon the missile run.
You've tried that already.
Yes, well, this time I'll have something to back my argument.
Soon it will all be over.
(BEEPING) There is computer resistance to the manipulator.
-I said you wouldn't succeed.
-Increase power, Tarpok.
It seems that your computers are as stubborn as you are, Commander.
Now, I want you to all go back to the Tardis.
You'll be safer there whatever happens.
(HIGHER-PITCHED ALARM) -We've gone to yellow alert.
-I must go.
So, Doctor, I have found you.
(COMPUTER BEEPS) ICTHAR: Speak.
SAUVIX: I have found the Doctor.
And you have your orders.
Kill him.
-You must listen to me.
-No, Doctor, you must die.
But first, switch off the pump.
(BLASTING) (PRESTON SCREAMS) She's dead.
A waste.
Well, don't let her death count for nothing.
No.
No, I must get to the bridge! Doctor, you'll need some help.
Yes, all right.
Bring oxygen, we may need it.
The computer has stabilised.
The manipulator has regained control.
Now do you believe me, Commander? TURLOUGH: It's working, and quickly.
I can't barter with Icthar if his guards are dead.
VORSHAK: No.
Fetch him.
I will not be responsible for the destruction of my own kind.
ICTHAR: The final phase.
Disarm them! You're just in time to witness the missile launch, Doctor.
No, wait! Your warriors are dying everywhere.
-Abandon the base.
-Look, it's hexachromite gas.
DOCTOR: Abandon the launch.
There's still time to save your own lives.
There are millions more ready to replace us.
Who will replace you? With you dies the last of the Triad, the custodians of your race.
-What will become of your people then? -You talk in vain, Doctor.
Kill them! Kill them! (SEA DEVILS CHOKING) Bulic, turn off the gas! ICTHAR: Commence ignition, Scibus! The missiles are set to fire.
How long have we got? -Less than three minutes.
-What's the abort procedure? Well, a phased electrical charge, aimed directly at the ignition circuit.
-It restores the launch to simulation.
-Well, it must be done at once.
It's impossible.
Only a sync operator can do it, and Maddox is dead.
I shall have to try.
But the computer would burn out your mind in seconds.
-Oh, you have a better idea? -Very well, get into the seat.
Doctor, try to disconnect the computer first.
-No, no, there isn't time.
-He's right.
We're already on final countdown to ignition.
Tegan, look after the Silurians, give them oxygen.
Now, I can perform the manual tasks, but you will have to do the rest.
Good luck, Doctor.
(GROANING) (MACHINE PULSATING) The strain is too great.
He'll never manage it.
No.
No, his mind is synchronised with the computer.
Doctor, can you hear me? I'm going to switch you through to the ignition circuit.
The oxygen isn't having much effect.
-This one's coming round.
-See to the other Silurian there.
I've isolated the ignition circuit, Doctor.
Can you identify it? Nod if you can.
Concentrate, Doctor.
I will now feed in the charge.
To burn out the circuit, concentrate and direct it.
Turlough! The charge must be in phase with the pulse of the circuit, if not, it will destroy you.
TURLOUGH: Look out, Commander.
(GUN BLASTS) Now, concentrate, Doctor.
Let nothing distract you.
Now, Doctor! (DOCTOR SIGHS) You've done it.
He did it! He's alive.
The Commander wasn't so lucky, I'm afraid.
He's been shot.
-Did I succeed? -Yes, Doctor.
They're all dead, you know.
There should have been another way.