Doctor Who (1963) s23e10 Episode Script

Why is only low-spectrum light allowed in the place? Something to do with photosynthesis.
Low-spectrum light allows the plants to stay dormant.
Now I'll go first.
We don't want you breaking your neck, at least not until What are you doing here? You were told not to come here.
Edwardes! He's dead! He just touched the fences.
Save your explanations for the Commodore, lady.
-He's dead, all right.
-Stay with him.
I'll send help.
Move.
Another death, Doctor.
But for the caprice of chance, the victim would have been your companion, Mel.
Your culpability is beyond question.
You could have prevented her from going into the cargo hold.
Instead, you appear to encourage her.
When I viewed the Matrix earlier, that isn't what happened.
More futile grasping at straws.
When the facts tell against, you cry fraud.
Do you wish to reconsider, Doctor? No, madam.
I am being manipulated.
But the only way to discover why, and by whom, is to press on.
Just an accident, no cause for concern.
The stewardess will take care of that.
Why aren't you wearing a pulse-o-meter? The heart should be monitored while exercising.
Which heart would you suggest, madam? Unfortunately, that doesn't register a double pulse.
A double pulse? What are you, a comedian? No, more a sort of clown, actually.
Would you care to hear my rendering of On with the Motley? -Doctor, you're required on the bridge.
-Ah! The Commodore wants a chat.
Good, I shall enjoy that.
I don't think you'll find enjoyment's on the agenda.
I don't need anyone to speak up for me.
I'm quite capable of defending myself.
How long have you known this woman? Time is a comparative concept, Commodore.
Not now, Doctor.
Just answer the question.
I should accept that advice and drop the sophistry.
Can you vouch for her? Completely.
Utterly.
What's all this about, Mel? Communications officer is dead, and they think I did it.
She was caught running from the scene.
She can't deny that.
I haven't tried! I persuaded Edwardes to show me the Hydroponic Centre.
-It was booby-trapped.
-Booby-trapped? If it hadn't been for Edwardes, it would've been me who was killed.
What? Are you certain? What is it? It's the medical team.
They say they can't find Edwardes anywhere in the hold, sir.
But he must be there.
Or perhaps he wasn't dead.
The weird atmosphere down there could lead to phantasmagoria.
Oh, come on, you know me.
-Am I prone to that sort of imagination? -Well I thought you left a man down there.
-I did, sir.
-Well, where is he? Rudge? They say there's no sign of him either, sir.
The guard's disappeared, too? Now perhaps you'll accept that I'm not responsible.
You've had me in custody! The perfect alibi, Commodore.
Organise a search, Mr Rudge, I want those men found.
Yes, sir.
Now, since you put in an appearance, first a passenger, now my communications officer and the guard have gone missing.
Two, if not all three, murdered.
But you, standing there in your divine state of innocence, you can't tell me what's happening, can you? I can.
The answer is simple enough.
You've got a killer on board.
Look, Doctor, you can't just play a passive role.
We were sent for, remember? -I'm cogitating.
-About what? Whether his job is to keep unwanted visitors out or Keep someone in.
No matter how you and Professor Lasky rationalise the situation, we should never have proceeded to the point we've reached.
How you became a scientist, Bruchner, baffles me.
You have the temperament of an overcautious rabbit.
Did you leave the gates open? Doland! The pods! Every one of them! Empty.
Some fool must have introduced high-intensity light into the Centre.
We are confronted with a catastrophe and that's your reaction? Don't you realise what's been unleashed? -Not again! -What's going on in there? Don't ask me, I'm only the security officer.
-Where are they? -Where are who? You know exactly what I mean.
Where are the seeds? The ones you picked up in the red cabin.
Or did you think I'd forgotten? Uh-uh! -Oh, come on! -What do you want them for? Professor Lasky.
She's an agronomist.
-I'm going to ask her.
-Is she? An agronomist, huh? You'd better leave me to cope with this.
-You? -Mmm.
This is a situation that requires tact and finesse.
Fortunately, I am blessed with both.
Professor Lasky.
Oh, it's you, the comedian.
What do you want? I understand that you're an agronomist.
A thremmatologist, to be precise.
A thremmatologist? Then you're well qualified to tell me about these.
Stewardess? Stewardess! -Something wrong, Professor? -Fetch the security officer.
-Can I help? -At once! -May I be told what's wrong, Professor? -This man's a thief! Mr Rudge to the passenger lounge, please.
Now what have you landed us in? -What was that? -Nothing.
Pull yourself together, Bruchner.
-There's someone in the hold.
-Bruchner, you're allowing hysteria I know what I saw! It was a movement.
That puts an entirely different complexion on the situation.
Pity your friend the comedian wasn't as lucid.
I never had a chance to be I can't understand why they were in cabin six.
Or why a mineralogist would steal them.
-Are they special, Professor? -Yeah, just what I was Demeter seeds? Yes, they are.
They represent a tremendous advance, a colossal leap.
-Do they? -Demeter seeds? -Name of a god.
-Food of the gods! Bruchner, my assistant, bit of a romantic, highly strung, he christened them.
-That still doesn't explain -He wasn't just being pretentious.
They'll increase potential yield threefold, and even more, they'll grow in desert sands.
-Um -What is it, man? Don't stand there hovering.
-You sent for him.
-I did? -Oh, yes! Not to worry.
-But I do worry.
Especially when serious allegations are made.
You accused the Doctor of being a thief.
Oh, that! A mistake.
The fellow may be a fool, but he's not a criminal.
Project our course through the sector ahead.
Put us onto a straighter course.
Reduce the diversion to a point-nought-three safety margin.
I estimate that brings our ETA forward by 72 hours, sir.
Seventy-two hours closer to getting expert investigators on board.
Carry on.
No, Doctor.
No.
No, thank you.
No need for concern, just a navigational adjustment.
As you can see, it doesn't even require my presence on the bridge.
For your information, the change of course will bring our landfall forward by 72 hours.
Switch on your translator.
Surely we are approaching the sector with the Black Hole of Tartarus.
-That's correct.
-If you are saving time, we must be going closer to the black hole.
There's no danger.
The safety margin is more than adequate.
-That is hardly a denial.
-Simply a bromide.
You sought reassurance, I've given it.
That word ''reassurance'' bears sinister undertones for we Mogarians.
Indeed? It is the word the earthlings used when first they persuaded us to allow them to seek mines on Mogar.
A limited concession was all they requested, and now they are stripping our planet bare.
Truth is a stranger to the earthlings.
If you'll excuse me, politics do not come into my realm of influence.
Then they should.
Who are you? Another prospector? Only of knowledge.
I have visited your planet.
It's very rich in natural resources.
Which will soon be exhausted if these earthlings are not restrained.
They are going through the universe like a plague of interplanetary locusts.
Are we to be subjected to a dissertation on interplanetary politics now, Sagacity? Is that all you think it was? Mining rights, Mogarians versus earthlings.
What else would you call that? You are so pathetically intent on incriminating me you haven't been watching what's going on! My eyes never left the screen.
You may have been selected to prosecute me, Valeyard, but I hope you'll never be chosen to defend me.
An occasion that will not arise, Doctor.
Your lives are forfeit, as I've ably proven.
Something vital just happened in that scene.
And the Valeyard perversely switched our attention to more trivial matters.
Then for pity's sake tell us what it was that happened -and enjoy your moment of triumph.
-Triumph? There's no cause for celebration.
One of the occupants of that lounge is about to die.
Another murder? Yes.
And if you had been watching, you would know who was the intended victim.
Gentlemen, is this case to be resolved with a battle of words or to be conducted via the Matrix? You've drawn a blank where Edwardes is concerned? Yes, sir.
Perhaps we should search the passenger cabins.
No.
The passengers are already uneasy.
Do you want them to realise they're trapped with a killer on the loose? You're very quiet, Mel.
Not quite your style to go into a brown study.
Brown study? Is the vocabulary of all the Time Lords so antediluvian? -Are you trying to kill him? -I'm trying to save him! He will die if you remove his helmet! Mogarians can't breathe oxygen.
Surely you're aware of that.
He's not a Mogarian! -He's not? -Who is he? If you'll kindly allow me to remove his face plate.
-I fear this poor fellow is beyond help.
Mr Grenville? Grenville, the passenger from cabin six! The man who was supposed to have been dumped in the pulveriser.
His name isn't Grenville.
It's Hallet.
Send a stretcher party to the lounge.
Yes, sir.
I'll organise that immediately.
Carry on, Mr Rudge.
Poor Mr Hallet.
I knew it was Hallet.
I recognised him.
Remember? -You recognised him? -Yes.
But he denied it.
He insisted his name was Grenville.
Well, he would.
Whether his name is Grenville or Hallet, why did he stage his own death in the pulveriser? This gentleman's just given us the answer.
I have? Hallet had presumably been assigned to investigate something or somebody on this ship.
Then he had the bad fortune to be recognised.
A chance encounter that put his entire mission in jeopardy.
Are you saying we had an undercover agent aboard and I wasn't informed? Well, you may have been a suspect! Me? Together with everybody else on this voyage.
Is all this guesswork? Or have you any more tricks up your sleeve? No tricks, Mr Rudge.
I knew Hallet.
And admired him.
But I assure you, until I removed that face plate, I had no idea he was on board.
All nice and lily-white, Doctor, but it does leave one nasty little problem.
It does? How did you know the dead man wasn't a Mogarian? Yeah.
How did you know? Have you been editing the Matrix and denying the court all the evidence to which it is entitled? That would be a serious offence, Doctor.
At the risk of appearing impertinent, Sagacity, I would point out that you, the Valeyard and everyone here present could have acquired the same knowledge.
Perhaps we may hear your explanation.
With respect, you will not hear it from me.
Switch on your translator.
Surely we are approaching the sector with the Black Hole of Tartarus.
There's no danger.
The safety margin is more than adequate.
-That is hardly a denial.
-Simply a bromide.
As you saw, the bogus Mogarian did not switch on his translator.
Very astute of you, Doctor, but don't stop there.
Let us assume the murdered man was responsible for the mayday call.
Perhaps you will now direct your deductive gifts towards justifying his extraordinary behaviour.
Yes, the investigator Hallet's methods were very unorthodox.
Agreed, and I'm indebted to the prosecutor for putting his finger on the nub of my defence, the reason why I could no longer stay on the sidelines.
Anyone there could have poisoned his drink.
Providing us with a plethora of suspects.
''Us''? Do I detect a commitment at last? Because of Hallet's death? You said you admired him.
I did.
He was one of a rare breed.
A maverick.
Even the highly organised society of the 30th century has need of his kind.
He'll be missed.
And he left these seeds for me to find.
To lead you to where I've been telling you all along.
The Hydroponic Centre.
What are you doing away from your post? The Isolation Room is under no circumstances to be left unguarded.
If it happens again, I shall report you to the Commodore.
Hallet must have sent that mayday call.
Yes.
He wanted me here as a catalyst, and to divert attention away from his own activities.
You'd do that without being asked.
Hallet was an unorthodox man, but he was also a subtle man.
So why did he resort to such blunderbuss tactics? Why use me as a Judas goat? Well, he was running out of time.
The mayday message said as much.
''perative traitor be identified before landing Earth.
'' I guess the incomplete word was ''imperative'', wouldn't you? Do you know, I've always envied you that.
I shall probably regret this, but Go on, I'll buy it.
Envied me what? Your amazing ability for almost total recall.
Compliments! You are undergoing a change.
I could have been comparing you to an elephant.
Well, figuratively speaking.
They never forget.
Doctor, I realise you're trying to take my mind off poor Edwardes.
If you'd rather wait here No.
What have you got there? A leaf from Hallet's pocket.
I didn't see you take it.
Aha! Neither did anyone else.
Another one of my tricks.
What do you make of these pods, Mel? I'm not into agronomy.
Ask the professor.
Ah.
Thremmatology.
The professor said she was a thremmatologist.
You're going to have to enlighten me.
It's out of my range.
Science of breeding or propagating animals and plants under domestication.
I'm not much wiser.
Well, think, Mel! You've got a good brain.
Think! I wonder what came out of this.
Will you end this charade, this pathetic pretence of normality? Can't you accept we're on the brink of disaster? Bruchner, will you stop panicking? Our work must remain secret whatever the cost.
You're completely without conscience, Doland.
I'm aware of that.
But I expected the professor to grasp the enormity of our folly.
So you're suggesting that we jeopardise years of scientific research for the sake of some hypothetical danger? Exactly! We've no reason to believe the result of our experiments are other than benign.
Benign? Have you been in the Isolation Room lately? An unfortunate mishap that has no relevance to this situation.
-In any case, it's academic now.
-I lack your lofty detachment.
Do you also lack loyalty, Bruchner? To your colleagues? Before we left Mogar, we agreed that our discovery should be divulged to no one, no one, until we reached Earth.
Unless you have concrete evidence to prove there is danger, I expect you to keep your word.
You simply don't understand, do you? The crime we are committing in the name of science will make us infamous! And that's assuming there's anyone left to pass judgement.
-Decided to get some rest, Mr Kimber? -Yes.
Though I doubt if I'll sleep.
At my age, one doesn't like to be reminded of mortality.
May I fetch you a warm drink? Might help.
Thank you, that's very gracious.
It's the stewardess, sir.
I've brought your warm drink, sir.
Shall I leave it on the dressing table? What's a thremmatologist been doing in an isolation room wearing a surgical mask? Seeing as there's only one way to find out, you've got two problems.
-Two? -Apart from getting rid of the guard, you're going to need a mask.
And you can hardly ask the professor to lend you hers.
Did you hear that? Quickly! The lounge! There are passengers trapped! On the double, man! There are lives at stake!