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Planet of Giants
By Louis Marks
1, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE ROOM
(The four members of the TARDIS crew are standing around the console recovering from their visit to 1794 Paris. The air is full of expectation about where they will end up next. The Doctor walks around the console flicking switches.)
DOCTOR: We’re approaching a planet.
IAN: Which one?
DOCTOR: We shall soon see.(Barbara snatches her hand away from where she was leaning on the console.)
BARBARA: Ow.
DOCTOR: What’s the matter my dear?
BARBARA: I burnt myself on the console.
DOCTOR: Oh, something overheating here. Just as well we’re landing? Er, Susan, check the fault locator please.
SUSAN: Yes Grandfather.
BARBARA: We’re not going to blow up or anything are we?
DOCTOR: Oh no no no, of course not. It’s just, well, there we were in the late eighteenth century and I tried another frequency to sidestep the ship back into the middle of the twentieth century.(Susan walks over to the adjoining cupboard-like fault locator, and reads from a dial.)
SUSAN: There’s something on QR18, Grandfather. And A14D.
(Susan spins around in horror and a siren immediately begins to sound.)
SUSAN: YELLOW STANDBY! GRANDFATHER, THE DOORS, THEY’RE OPENING!
(In the main Console Room the doors begin to swing open a crack, revealing a slice of foreboding nothingness outside. The Doctor immediately galvanises into action.)
DOCTOR: What’s happening... Unbelievable! Chesterton close the doors please! We haven’t materialised properly! Quickly!
IAN: What do you mean close the doors?
DOCTOR: Don’t argue dear boy it’s an emergency, close the doors! Quick! Use force!(Ian leaps towards the doors, but it is too much for him and he struggles to keep the gap from widening. Barbara and Susan run to help and between them they manage to wrestle the doors closed again.)
BARBARA: Is everything alright?
(The Doctor is visibly shaken by this turn of events, he stares into the console instruments, then nods at Barbara.)
DOCTOR: We’re just landing.
2, EXT: MODEL SHOT
(The TARDIS materialises in a large cleft in a rocky outcrop.)
3, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE ROOM
(The Doctor is murmuring to himself looking decidedly shaken.)
IAN: Are you alright Doctor?
DOCTOR: (He mumbles incoherently.) What?
IAN: Are you alright?
DOCTOR: Oh please don’t bother me!
BARBARA: What happened just then?
DOCTOR: Susan, go back to the fault locator, and I want you to check everything, child you understand, EVERYTHING!(Susan moves off to the fault locator.)
BARBARA: Well at least we seem to be alright.
DOCTOR: Mm? Oh don’t be childish, they opened! The doors opened before we had properly materialised!
IAN: But what does it mean?
DOCTOR: Hah-ha!
IAN: Doctor, you needn’t keep it a secret from us!
DOCTOR: What?
BARBARA: Doctor, don’t keep us in suspense.
DOCTOR: Oh don’t go on with these futile questions! Please, can’t you understand, can’t you see?!
IAN: No we can’t - that’s just it!
DOCTOR: Oh we were just about to materialise when the doors opened and we hadn’t properly adjusted!
BARBARA: You mean something went out of the ship?
DOCTOR: No that’s impossible!
IAN: Came inside then?
DOCTOR: Oh please, don’t keep talking on the twentieth-century level! I’m talking about time-travel! Neither of you can understand what I’m talking about I can s-see that!
IAN: How could we, you’ve never explained it to us!
DOCTOR: My dear boy...
SUSAN: Grandfather everything’s alright! There isn’t a fault anywhere, not even on yellow standby!
DOCTOR: But there must be something wrong, Susan! I shall have to check that fault locator myself to make sure, excuse me...(The Doctor moves off to check the fault locator.)
BARBARA: Oh I do wish he wouldn’t talk in riddles!
IAN: So do I. Susan perhaps you can help us?
SUSAN: I just know that the most dangerous moment is at the point of materialisation.
BARBARA: Nothing’s ever happened to us before.
SUSAN: Well the doors have never opened like that before.(The Doctor returns to the Console Room from the fault locator.)
DOCTOR: Well, happily no harm’s been done. It’s most puzzling. Oh my dear Barbara was I rude to you just now? If so, I’m so sorry. I-I always forget the niceties under pressure. Please forgive me.
BARBARA: There’s nothing to forgive.
DOCTOR: Thank you. Hm.. Hah!(He moves to the console.)
DOCTOR: Well I suppose everything’s alright. And yet, er... See the temperature there is perfectly...it’s quite safe to go outside. Oh Susan, just turn on the scanner a minute, let’s try and see where we are.
(Susan moves to operate the scanner control, and they all look up at the scanner. With a brittle crack, it shatters from the inside out, belching thick black smoke from within the broken shards that used to be the screen. Barbara is shocked, but Ian seems more amused.)
BARBARA: Doctor!
IAN: Perhaps you need a new tube Doctor?
DOCTOR: Did you notice the way it blew out?
BARBARA: It was like an internal explosion.
DOCTOR: Yes, like, like ehh...something too big for it’s frame!(The Doctor gestures wildly to emphasise the point he’s trying to make.)
BARBARA: Yes.
DOCTOR: And yet, I don’t know... That can’t be right!
IAN: What do we do now Doctor? Take the scanner out and strip it down?
DOCTOR: Oh no no no, dear boy. No, it’s most puzzling of course, but now don’t know what’s behind those doors.
BARBARA: Well we must go outside and look. You said it was quite safe...(The Doctor seems lost in thought.)
DOCTOR: Yes...I wonder why the..? Well, we must see.
SUSAN: Shall I open the doors Grandfather?
DOCTOR: Er, yes please Susan. But all of you, cautiously please!(Susan throws the door control and follows Barbara outside leaving Ian and the Doctor alone for a few moments.)
IAN: Doctor, what made the doors open before?
DOCTOR: The space pressure was far too great whilst we were materialising. The strange thing is that we all came out of it unscathed! Hah, it’s, it’s most puzzling, it’s a big mystery my boy, come along...(They exit the TARDIS.)
4, EXT: MAIN CLEARING
(The ship stands in a clearing next to a sheer face of rock of a considerable height. To the left and right two paths snake away as if a gorge had been jaggedly cut through the centre of the rock with an implement that has scored the stone considerably. The sky above is a pleasant eggshell blue and the air ripples with a pleasant mid-summer heat. Barbara and Susan are examining the rock face closely when the others join them.)
BARBARA: It’s like a mountain pass or something.
DOCTOR: Now why wouldn’t the scanner show us all this mm?
IAN: Perhaps that was the only damage to the ship, Doctor. Overloading on the scanner circuits.
DOCTOR: Yes, I suppose so it could be...(The Doctor notices their surroundings for the first time.)
DOCTOR: What a strange rock formation!
IAN: Yes, it is, isn’t it?(The Doctor and Ian move closer to where Susan and Barbara are examining the rock.)
BARBARA: There are two different types of rock. Doctor?
DOCTOR: Mm?
BARBARA: Look... This is ordinary stone up here, but this down here seems to be quite different.
DOCTOR: Chesterton, here. Come here, look here. Is that cement? Heh.
IAN: Might be.(He touches the layer of stone at the base of the face of rock.)
DOCTOR: Rather a rough kind isn’t it?
IAN: Mn, very rough. They look like pebbles of sand don’t they?
DOCTOR: Yes, yes as a matter of fact it’s in a way to hold the stone in place. You know to fix it firmly beneath!
SUSAN: I would have thought the stone was heavy enough to keep itself in place.
DOCTOR: Yes, it’s all most odd isn’t it? Most odd... Now Barbara, I suggest that you and I take that path, and Susan and you sir, er, go that way, mm?
IAN: Yes alright, but stay within calling distance, and you see anything sing out. We’ll do the same.
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes... Mmm.(He frowns, deep in thought, then moves off.)
5, EXT: EASTERN PATHWAY
(The rock pathway widens out a little and the Doctor stops to give Barbara an impromptu geology lecture.)
DOCTOR: Mm...
(He stoops to examine one of the towering stone edifices that tower around them.)
DOCTOR: Now take this rock here, it’s most extraordinary...
(Barbara wanders off and as she rounds a bend she comes face to face with a giant pink expanse of skin draping down across the rock face like an absurd bloated hoover pipe. She recoils slightly, but as it appears to be immobile she doesn’t make a move to escape.)
BARBARA: Doctor! Doctor, it’s a huge snake!
DOCTOR: What, eh?
BARBARA: Let’s call the others.(Barbara moves to go back the way they came, but is stopped by the Doctor.)
DOCTOR: Oh, er, wait wait wait... Yes, I-I I think it’s dead.
BARBARA: What a fantastic size!
DOCTOR: No eyes no head, it seems though. It’s skin is interesting isn’t it?
BARBARA: Interesting?
DOCTOR: Yes, it’s er, so dull and pink.
BARBARA: Doctor, Doctor, are you sure it isn’t just sleeping?
DOCTOR: Oh no no no, it’s quite dead, no-no. Death you see has it’s own particular posture and appearance. Yes yes, well, let’s go a bit further.
BARBARA: Yes...(They continue on their way, Barbara a little more uncertain...)
6, EXT: WESTERN PATHWAY
IAN: Warm isn’t it?
(Ian looks cautiously about as if expecting to be descended upon by hordes of savage aliens.)
SUSAN: Yes.
(Susan skips ahead and examines something on the ground.)
SUSAN: Ian! Look at this.
(Ian bends down to see what Susan is gesturing to. It is a large white cylindrical object with rounded ends as large as a rugby ball.)
IAN: That’s odd. (He laughs.) I suppose it couldn’t be an egg, hah. Not that size.
(He picks it up.)
SUSAN: There are more of them over there, look.
IAN: Yeah. Ostrich?(Susan shrugs.)
IAN: It would have been rounder than this.
SUSAN: There are dozens of them over here! There’s a whole pile of them!(She follows the trail of cylinders to a main pile that leads up an incline in the path leading to a hole in the rock. As she looks up she comes face to face with an insect the size of a dog. The creature is lying contorted, it’s head inclined tautly to an angle, under the immobile body it’s legs are clutching a single egg to it’s body emphasising it’s final failed task.)
SUSAN: Oh! Ian, Ian!
(Ian rushes to her side and looks.)
SUSAN: It is dead isn’t it?
IAN: Yes. It’s dead alright - stiff as a poker. What a fantastic size!
SUSAN: Yes.
IAN: It’s a giant ant.
SUSAN: It is like it isn’t he? It looks as if it was trying to carry these eggs.
IAN: Yes, well that’s natural behaviour for an ant, when it’s attacked, take the eggs to safety. The worker ant would give his life rather than abandon the eggs you know...
SUSAN: Well he couldn’t have had much of a chance could he?(Ian gives her a serious look.)
SUSAN: I mean he must have died quickly.
IAN: Yeah... All these eggs scattered about. Other ants must have been frightened away. I wonder what sort of a world could produce an insect that size?(They both spare a last glance back towards the ill-fated creature before moving on.)
7, EXT: EASTERN PATHWAY
(The Doctor is still examining the large pink creature, but has unearthed a pointed tail.)
DOCTOR: Well here we are then, this is the tail end of it, and I know what it is. It’s a huge earthworm.
(He puffs his chest out, seemingly delighted to be able to show off away from the science teacher.)
BARBARA: What?!
(The Doctor chuckles at Barbara’s reaction.)
DOCTOR: Yes, there are no earthworms this size on your planet.
BARBARA: You’re right there aren’t!
DOCTOR: You know except for it’s size, I would swear that it came from your world. However, lets..er, let’s go on. Come along.
BARBARA: It’s like a maze really. All these channels.
DOCTOR: Yeh.
BARBARA: We must be careful not to get lost.
DOCTOR: Oh no, we won’t, no. And I’m determined not to go back until we have discovered something more definite. At the moment we only have one phenomenon, and this mystery.
BARBARA: What mystery?
DOCTOR: Well, all this, maze you’re talking about, you know. I admit it’s all a bit haphazard, but it seems to have some kind of a pattern about it, and this pattern suggests to me that there’s a brain with a purpose behind it all, Hm. Come along.(The Doctor strides forward relishing every moment of his chance to act like an old fashioned explorer.)
8, EXT: WESTERN PATHWAY
SUSAN: Ian I counted six of those dead ants.
IAN: Yes, I know. They’re all about us, everywhere. Now this is really baffling!(Blocking the path is a large tatty packet of seeds.)
SUSAN: A huge picture of Night Scented Stock!
IAN: Yes it is, but why put up a picture of it? I don’t get it. Ah, some writing there... “Alf’s Seed Company, Norwich!”
SUSAN: Norwich! That’s England isn’t it? Norfolk!
IAN: Yes, it is. Susan, this means we’re on Earth!(He stiffens, remembering their situation.)
IAN: Something’s very odd here, first those ants, now this. I suppose it couldn’t be part of a crazy exhibition, you know where everything had been increased in size?
9, EXT: EASTERN PATHWAY
(The Doctor comes across a wooden beam balanced against a rock face.)
DOCTOR: Well now, this is interesting. This has been cut by a manufacturer.
(The Doctor reaches out to touch the rough wood, but as he does so the beam topples over.)
DOCTOR: Look out! I...
(Barbara dodges the falling beam.)
DOCTOR: Are you alright?
BARBARA: Yes, fine.
DOCTOR: If you’d been anywhere near that it would have given you a nasty headache!
BARBARA: Yes... Hey, look at the end of that, it’s all charred!
DOCTOR: Yes, you can see quite clearly what this is. It’s a matchstick.
BARBARA: Well it certainly looks like one.
DOCTOR: No, it just doesn’t look like one, it is a matchstick.
BARBARA: What, that size?!
DOCTOR: Don’t you see, that huge earthworm and now this? Can’t you see what’s happened Mm?
10, EXT: WESTERN PATHWAY
IAN: I don’t understand this at all Susan. I’m going to have a look around the other side of this.
SUSAN: Alright.(Ian walks around the packet of seeds and emerges from one side of the rock pathway to a churned mud side channel. Just past the back of the packet is an open box of matches as big as a wardrobe.)
IAN: Look at this matchbox!
(Ian climbs into the box.)
IAN: It must be an exhibition Susan, something like the world fair. Things this size...
SUSAN: No Ian.
IAN: Well what else? look at the scale of things!
SUSAN: You’re wrong Ian, completely wrong! I-I thought just now that something was wrong when I saw that, but now I’m sure.
IAN: Alright, what’s your theory then?(Ian balances himself on the top of the matchbox with his legs dangling inside.)
SUSAN: That these things haven’t been made bigger, we’ve been made smaller!
11, EXT: EASTERN PATHWAY
(Barbara looks at the Doctor as if he’s mad.)
BARBARA: Smaller?!
DOCTOR: We have been reduced roughly to the size of an inch!
12, EXT: WESTERN PATHWAY
(Ian looks at Susan as if she’s mad.)
IAN: An inch?!
13, EXT: EASTERN PATHWAY
(The Doctor smiles and nods.)
DOCTOR: Mm. You, me all of us, and the ship!
14, EXT: MODEL SHOT
(Micro-TARDIS sits nestled safely at the end of a twisting crazy-paving pathway that leads all the way up to a small cosy looking cottage.)
15, EXT: EASTERN PATHWAY
DOCTOR: We must get hold of the others quickly and return to the TARDIS!
16, EXT: WESTERN PATHWAY
IAN: No Susan, no. It can’t be.
SUSAN: I’m right Ian, I know I am. Well that’s the danger Grandfather was afraid of when the doors opened. He wouldn’t admit it was possible that’s all.
IAN: It isn’t possible Susan, it’s ridiculous!
SUSAN: Oh Ian, work it out for yourself! The doors of TARDIS opened, that means the space pressure forced us to reduce!(A shadow falls over them and a steady clump clump can be heard. Ian and Susan look about like frightened ants, but they can see nothing in the darkness.)
IAN: What’s that?
SUSAN: What is it?
IAN: Run Susan, run!(Susan runs back behind the packet of seeds and back to the safety of the crazy paving, Ian tries to launch himself off the matchbox but instead he falls inside.)
IAN: Look urgh!
(Ian doesn’t get up.)
17, EXT: GARDEN
(A man in an expensive looking suit walks along the well trimmed lawn and stops. He notices a pouch of tobacco and a matchbox lying by the side of the lawn beside it’s neatly cut border to the path. He stoops, and places his briefcase on the ground, then picks up the matchbox and closes it. Picking up his briefcase again, resumes his journey down towards the cottage.)
18, EXT: WESTERN PATHWAY
(Susan appears from behind the packet of seeds as the giant departs with Ian in the matchbox.)
SUSAN: Ian? IAN WHERE ARE YOU?!!
BARBARA VO: I-AN! SU-SAN!(Susan looks around but the matchbox and Ian have gone. She turns towards the entrance to the path.)
SUSAN: Oh, Barbara, BARBARA OVER HERE!
(Barbara and the Doctor step from behind the packet of seeds and join a bewildered looking Susan on the verge of tears.)
SUSAN: Oh Barbara!
BARBARA: Susan, what’s the matter?
DOCTOR: What’s happened?
SUSAN: There was a great big matchbox, a-a-a huge one, and and Ian and I came to have a look at it, and and then he sat on it, and there was this terrible noise, and he fell inside it and now he’s gone! He’s gone, oh he’s just vanished!(She buries her head in Barbara’s chest, and Barbara embraces her.)
BARBARA: It’s alright, it’s alright.
DOCTOR: Well someone’s picked it up I suppose!
19, INT: MATCHBOX
(Ian is being buffeted about from side to side in the dark confines of the matchbox, trying not to get injured too badly by any of the matches inside.)
20, EXT: PATIO
(The man in the suit walks along the patio, towards a chair, and sits down placing the matchbox, tobacco and briefcase gently onto the ground. He takes a white handkerchief from his pocket, removes his hat, and mops his brow, the balmy summer sunshine getting to him. He relaxes back in the chair and replaces his hat.)
21, INT: MATCHBOX
(Ian relaxes too and rubs his right shoulder tenderly, but he is still in darkness with no visible means of escape from his balsa-wood prison.)
22, EXT: WESTERN PATHWAY
(Susan is attempting to scale the side of a South facing paving slab.)
SUSAN: We can climb this and see over the top. Oh... Oh Barbara, I can’t reach it.
BARBARA: It’s alright, I’ll do it.(Susan gets down and Barbara steps forward, but the Doctor stops her.)
DOCTOR: No-no, now-now-now, please no. Let me do it, you might hurt yourself. You just rest easy, Mm?
(The Doctor begins to scale the rock face with Barbara and Susan supporting him either side.)
SUSAN: Oh be careful Grandfather.
DOCTOR: I’m alright... Oh..(They struggle to heave the Doctor up the side of the paving slab, finally he manages to get his head and shoulders above, and glances up.)
DOCTOR: Yeah.. Well it looks a tremendous distance to me.
(Cut to a brief shot of the house from ground level amongst blades of grass the size of small trees.)
DOCTOR: There’s a house over there, and there’s a man sitting down reading something. It’s a notebook I think.
BARBARA: Did he have the matchbox?
DOCTOR: How do I know?!(The Doctor begins to make his way down with the maximum of fuss all round.)
BARBARA: I don’t know how you know, but you surprise me sometimes.
DOCTOR: Yes, I suppose so.(Halfway down, he stops and Barbara takes his hand and Susan grabs him from ground level.)
DOCTOR: Look, watch what you’re doing will you?!
BARBARA: Look, Doctor give us some hope, I mean, Ian’s inside that matchbox!
DOCTOR: Gently, gently gently!(The Doctor climbs down to ground level.)
DOCTOR: We’ve got to find Chesterton!
SUSAN: But Grandfather, supposing the man walks off with the matchbox!
DOCTOR: Have courage my dear! I know that all of this is a bit of a nightmare, but we’ve just got to get Ian back and then we can go back to the ship.
SUSAN: And then can you get us back to normal size?
DOCTOR: But of course, yes I’ll try! There’s always a chance! But first things first, we must find Chesterton, and we can’t go back that way. We must go back that same way we came.(The trio heads back East towards the TARDIS.)
23, EXT: PATIO
(The man in the suit sits in the chair reading his notebook, he bends down and selects a cigarette from the pouch of tobacco. His gaze falls upon a red/black tortoiseshell tabby lounging on the sun soaked patio absently washing it’s paws. He smiles benignly, the unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth.)
FARROW: Puss-puss. Puss-puss-puss-puss.
(He turns back to his notepad, and with one last glance he places it back into the briefcase. He bends down and picks up the matches and begins to open them when an arm flicks on a lighter. Farrow drops the almost open matchbox back down again and accepts the light.)
FARROW: Oh hello, thank you. (He puffs on his cigarette.) It’s Mr Forester isn’t it? We spoke on the telephone...
(Forester is dressed as neatly as Farrow, but his manner is calm, decidedly colder and a lot more businesslike. It is as if there are a great many other places he’d rather be, and he is forcing himself to be polite against his nature, in stark contrast to the cosy looking grandfatherly figure of Farrow.)
FORESTER: Yes, I got here as quickly as I could. I hope you haven’t taken any action yet?
FARROW: Not yet, but I have written my report.
FORESTER: You do realise what’s at stake here Mr Farrow? The early experiments were noted by the ministry, welcomed in fact! I’ve already geared factories, advertising and all the rest of it to start pushing DN6.(Farrow looks genuinely saddened by this.)
FARROW: I’m sorry about that, but I can’t give you the approval that you want.
(Forester acts like he hasn’t heard Farrow.)
FORESTER: We could of course spend more time on the refining...
FARROW: Oh, there’s much more to it than that, as I have mentioned to you on the telephone.
FORESTER: You want to bring in another expert to go over the tests again?
FARROW: You’re not a scientist are you? Well let me put it this way. On the surface DN6 appeared to have all the characteristics of a major breakthrough in the manufacture of insecticide. Oh, and I can quite understand why you’ve pinned all your hopes on it. Particularly as my own minister was so enthusiastic, but the very exhaustive tests that I have made show that DN6 is totally destructive.
FORESTER: Well that was the idea wasn’t it? I mean, Smithers said that it will even prevent locusts from breeding...
FARROW: I don’t think..
FORESTER: ...Knocked them out all together.
FARROW: I don’t think I’m making myself quite clear. There are many insects which make a vital contribution to agriculture, and these insects must not die. Did you know that?
FORESTER: Does... Smithers know about this?
FARROW: Well I have expressed my doubts to him. (He sighs.) But he’s so engrossed in this venture that I’ll have to break the hard facts to him very gently.
FORESTER: I see. You’re aware of course that if it doesn’t go into production I shall be completely ruined?
FARROW: That is very unfortunate, but really, you should have waited till we gave you the go-ahead!
FORESTER: Well that’s all very well, but it doesn’t help me does it? Surely we can work something out?(Forester moves closer and lowers his voice conspiratorially.)
FORESTER: There’s a fortune to be made out of this...
FARROW: I don’t think I want to go on with this conversation. Really I...shouldn’t be seeing you at all, except that I did promise to you over the phone that I’d explain the facts to you in person.
FORESTER: What happens now?
FARROW: Well officially my holiday commenced yesterday. I’ve a small boat down in the Harbour and I’m going to make a tour of the rivers of France. But before I go today I shall telephone my ministry and then post them my report.
FORESTER: Couldn’t you leave it until you have got back from your holiday, give me a little grace?
FARROW: Oh, you know I couldn’t do that!
FORESTER: Do you know why I am a success Mr Farrow? Because I’ve never allowed the word “can’t” to exist, there’s always a way, always!
FARROW: Not this time. This isn’t business, this is science, the formulae is unacceptable and I can’t and I do mean can’t Mr Forester, allow DN6 to go into production! Now I’ll make that phone call.
FORESTER: Just a moment!(Farrow turns just as Forester produces a squat black pistol from inside his jacket.)
24, EXT: SOUTHERN PATHWAY
(The Doctor Barbara and Susan walk along the path. Above them they hear a thrumming sound as if a small motorbike-engine powered helicopter is coming into land. All of a sudden a gargantuan bee drops out of the sky and lands in a heap by the side of the path. Susan screams, startled by the creature’s sudden arrival.)
SUSAN: Barbara!
BARBARA: Don’t move!(The Doctor holds up a hand motioning them to come no closer.)
DOCTOR: Do not move.
(Very slowly the Doctor approaches the huge creature, but it remains immobile where it fell.)
SUSAN: Oh don’t touch it!
DOCTOR: I think It’s dead.
BARBARA: But it could still sting!
DOCTOR: Mm. Hah-ha! What an awe-inspiring sight! Now what chance would human-beings have I really wonder, in a world of creatures like this bee, mm?
SUSAN: None at all!
DOCTOR: Little closer look...(The Doctor leans to take a closer look, with his pince-nez.)
SUSAN: Well I haven’t taken my eyes off it Grandfather, it hasn’t even trembled. It seems you’re right, it is dead.
DOCTOR: The same distinctive aroma!
BARBARA: Yes, I’ve noticed it on all the other dead things.
SUSAN: Well that must be what’s killing them then.
DOCTOR: I wonder what would want to kill off nature like this?
SUSAN: Well what worries me is all the different things it’s killing. Things that fly in the air, things that move on the ground, things that move under the ground. So indiscriminate.
BARBARA: Doctor?
DOCTOR: Mm?
BARBARA: Whatever it is that’s killing these things... Could it kill us too?
DOCTOR: Well, we must presume that it can. So no eating or drinking until we’ve done our very best to find Ian mm?(A roaring boom momentarily splits through the heady silence.)
SUSAN: That’s not thunder surely?!
DOCTOR: It sounded more like an ancient cannon!
25, EXT: PATIO
(Farrow lies on the ground, his shocked face slumped indifferently into a neat flowerbed, a dark puddle beneath him slowly spreading out across the spick patio. Next to the chair his briefcase, matches and tobacco lie untouched.)
26, EXT: WESTERN PATIO
(Ian squeezes himself out of the partially open matchbox and moves over to investigate the body.)
27, EXT: SOUTHERN PATHWAY
DOCTOR: Oh, we’re progressing nicely.
BARBARA: I’ve seen a lot more of those dead ants, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Yes, it’s rather widespread I’m afraid.
BARBARA: Oh dear, I wonder what would have happened to us if any of those creatures had still been alive?
DOCTOR: Hah-ha, yes. I wonder, I wonder.
28, EXT: FLOWER BED
(Ian moves over to Farrow’s face, and takes out a white handkerchief. He holds the handkerchief up to the mans mouth, but it doesn’t move. He walks a few steps along to examine the man’s eyes in a little greater detail, then returns the way he came.)
29, EXT: PATIO
(The cat has finished lounging in the sun, and bounds across the patio in search of a little kitty light entertainment.)
30, EXT: NORTHERN PATIO
DOCTOR: And you say you saw that man?
IAN: Yes, he’s over there.(He points North-West towards the flower bed.)
BARBARA: Oh, not any further please, I’m exhausted, it’s taken us ages to get here!
DOCTOR: What’s that smell..? Cordite...gunpowder mm?
IAN: Yes...that would explain the explosion, and also the man. It’s not far, come on I’ll show you.(They head off across the patio towards the body.)
31, EXT: PATIO
(Kitty notices something interesting across the patio.)
32, EXT: FLOWER BED
(The TARDIS crew arrive at the face of Farrow.)
33, EXT: PATIO
(Kitty gazes idly on from the shadows in a little more close up now.)
34, EXT: FLOWER BED
(The Doctor sits down on a pebble, with his back to the lawn, while the others stand around in front of Farrow’s face.)
IAN: He’s been shot dead.
BARBARA: Are you sure he is dead?
IAN: Oh yes.
BARBARA: Nothing but death all around us!
SUSAN: Yes, what’s happening here?
DOCTOR: You weren’t with us Chesterton, but every insect we came across was dead.
IAN: Yes, Susan and I saw a great many huge dead ants.
SUSAN: Everything else was the same, Ian.
DOCTOR: Yes, and we don’t know what it is that killed them. But that man, he’s been shot. Murdered!
BARBARA: But who’d kill insects in a perfectly ordinary garden? I mean pests one can understand, but surely it’s wrong to kill bees and worms and things isn’t it?
DOCTOR: Quite so. Both are vital to the growth of things. However, we must leave this little mystery and get back to the ship. As I said my dear, it’s fortunate for all of us us that everything is dead...(Susan turns to leave and stiffens, transfixed.)
SUSAN: Grandfather!
(They all look up, and straight into the face of a cat the size of a house.)
(Cut to the eyes of a cat staring calmly down as if attempting to work out whether it is breakfast, or lunch time...)
The Doctor
William HartnellIan
William RussellBarbara
Jaqueline HillSusan
Carole Ann FordFarrow
Frank CrawshawForester
Alan TilvernScript Editor
David WhittakerProducer
Verity LambertDirector
Mervyn Pinfield(C) BBCTV 1964
Transcribed by
Rynad