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DOCTOR WHO
THE HAND OF FEAR
Written by
Bob Baker and Dave Martin
Part Two
(Overlap from Sarah approaching the door)
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
(All around the room, employees feverishly press buttons on their consoles and perform checks on their equipment. They are frantic but professional. The siren is blaring. A MAN enters briskly.)
MAN [OC]: (tannoy) This is not an exercise...
WATSON: Driscoll, can we lose some of this noise?
DRISCOLL: (at a bank of machinery) With you in a minute, sir.
WATSON: (to a man who is heading for the door with a sheet of paper) Lose some of this noise. I can't hear myself think in here.
(He takes hold of a vacant chair next to a woman using the telephone.)
WATSON: I want this damned racket stopped!
JACKSON: I'm doing my best, sir.
[INT. Nunton plant corridor]
(People are passing through the door in either direction.)
MAN [OC]: (tannoy) Repeat, this is not an exercise. I will repeat that.
(A MAN in a white coverall precedes the DOCTOR and CARTER through the door. They are followed by two armed GUARDS.)
MAN [OC]: (tannoy) Emergency, emergency. All personnel, proceed immediately to your safe areas.
(At the next door, people exiting Section R3 get between the heroes and their minders. The DOCTOR motions to CARTER, and the two dart into a side room.)
MAN [OC]: (tannoy) Proceed immediately to your safe areas. This is not an exercise.
GUARD: Where did they go?
MAN [OC]: (tannoy) Repeat, this is not an exercise.
(The GUARDS go back through the door, the way they had come, and CARTER starts to follow.)
CARTER: This way out.
DOCTOR: No, no. This way in.
CARTER: But we could have been shot.
DOCTOR: But we weren't, were we? Come on - let's find the control centre.
[INT. Fission room]
MAN [OC]: (tannoy) All personnel, proceed immediately to your safe areas. Proceed immediately to your safe areas.
(The hand is moving about. SARAH looks at it and nods.)
SARAH: Yes. Yes, I understand.
MAN [OC]: (tannoy) Repeat, this is not an exercise.
(SARAH stands and closes the door.)
MAN [OC]: I will repeat that. Emergency, emergency.
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: Will you shut up!
MAN [OC]: Proceed immediately to your safe areas.
WATSON: (seated, once the klaxons have stopped) Thank you. Now listen, all of you. Miss Jackson, start emergency shutdown procedures.
JACKSON: Yes, sir.
WATSON: Attention, all personnel. Attention, all personnel. An emergency exists in the neutron fission reactor in Sector 4. Now this is a deliberate act of sabotage. Some idiot, some, some suicidal maniac, a young woman, has infiltrated the complex. Now she has already knocked out two of our personnel and has locked herself in the outer chamber of the reactor core.
[INT. Decontamination room]
WATSON [OC]: This could well be an act of self-immolation by a member of some extremist group. (the view shifts to a generator-area shot, upward) Or it could be that she has the technical ability to render the pile critical and effect the destruction of this entire establishment.
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: Now we have already started emergency shutdown operations to enable us to try and get her out of there, so carry on. (at JACKSON's console) How's it coming along?
JACKSON: Shutdown proceeding, but nothing on the neutron core.
WATSON: That means she does know something about it.
JACKSON: Yes.
WATSON: Get a team of men suited up, and see that they're armed.
JACKSON: Yes, sir. Mister Driscoll, get a team of men suited up and armed, and get her out of there.
DRISCOLL: I'll do it.
(Just after he gets through the door, he collides with the DOCTOR. With CARTER behind him, he approaches JACKSON, noticing that she is watching a surveillance-camera feed of SARAH sitting in the fission room.)
WATSON: Who the devil are you?
DOCTOR: Are you the top man here?
WATSON: Yes. Yes-
CARTER: We're from the hospital. The girl, you see, she escaped.
WATSON: (pointing to the screen) So she is a lunatic.
DOCTOR: Oh, no, I wouldn't say that. She's certainly not-
WATSON: She's mad. She's stark, staring, raving mad.
DOCTOR: Oh, not necessarily.
WATSON: We have a full emergency-scale here.
DOCTOR: Do you mind if I talk to her for a moment?
WATSON: And we haven't got time for the bedside manner. Now please keep out of my way. Are those men suited up yet?
(CARTER appears to be out of it. He hears a voice.)
MAN [OC]: Eldrad must live.
DOCTOR: Can you punch up the plan for this building on this machine?
JACKSON: Yes.
WATSON: Miss Jackson, find out what's delaying that radiation team.
JACKSON: Yes, sir.
(The DOCTOR takes the seat she has just vacated and starts looking through the blueprints for the facility on her workstation.)
DOCTOR: Ah.
(We see people in protective suits run through the hallway past the door to Section C3. They try to open the door to the outer reactor chamber.)
JACKSON: The manual locks are jammed. They can't get past the fission room doors.
WATSON: What's the shutdown situation?
JACKSON: All okay, except for the one she's on.
WATSON: What levels are we getting in there?
JACKSON: She's soaking up enough roentgens to kill a herd of elephants.
DOCTOR: Oh, at least, at least.
WATSON: I thought I told you to get out of here. Hey, you in the fission room, can you hear me? I am the director of this establishment.
DOCTOR: Her name's Smith, Miss Smith.
WATSON: Miss Smith, listen very carefully. Your life is in great danger, and so are the lives of many other, innocent people.
DOCTOR: Could I-
WATSON: Now what is it you want?
DOCTOR: Could I speak to her?
WATSON: Can you hear me? What is it you want?
DOCTOR: Uh, could I speak to her for a moment?
WATSON: I doubt very much whether she'd listen.
JACKSON: The level's rising, sir. There's no way we can stop it.
WATSON: That means she's had it. All right, I want a full-scale evacuation. Every person within a radius of twelve miles.
(He hurries off, leaving the DOCTOR at the microphone.)
DOCTOR: Sarah, listen to me. Can you hear me, Sarah?
WATSON [OC]: Get in touch with Whitehall and tell them we've got a full-scale emergency.
DOCTOR: Sarah, can you hear me?
WATSON: (returning to the DOCTOR's side) Look, we have a full emergency down here.
(The DOCTOR holds up a hand.)
SARAH [OC]: It's no use.
DOCTOR: Sarah. Listen to me.
[INT. Fission room]
SARAH: No. There's nothing more to say, because Eldrad must live.
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: What did she say?
DOCTOR: Ssshh, sshh, shh-shhh.
SARAH [OC]: Eldrad must live.
MAN [OC]: Eldrad must live.
DOCTOR: Who is Eldrad, Sarah?
WATSON: Some assassin, no doubt.
DOCTOR: Ssshhh.
JACKSON: Yes.
DOCTOR: Sarah, who is Eldrad? What does he want?
[INT. Fission room]
WOMAN [OC]: Eldrad must live. Eldrad the creator, the saviour.
DOCTOR [OC]: Sarah, what does he want?
WOMAN [OC]: Eldrad must live.
SARAH: Eldrad must live.
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
DOCTOR: Sarah. (to WATSON) Keep her talking. I'm going in there.
WATSON: But how can you? All those door locks are jammed.
DOCTOR: (at Jackson's station) Look, the plans to your cooling duct.
JACKSON: But the temperature inside the cooling duct is over two hundred degrees centigrade.
WATSON: You'll roast, man.
DOCTOR: Not if I'm quick.
CARTER: (sounding a bit robotic) I must come with you.
DOCTOR [OC]: No, there's no need. You'd roast.
WATSON: All because of that stupid woman.
MAN [OC]: You must. She will need help.
(CARTER too leaves the control centre.)
[INT. Fission room]
WOMAN [OC]: It is the law. Eldrad must live.
(Eyes wide, SARAH stands and walks with purpose to the CCTV camera. The image winks out.)
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: Blast. She's turned it off.
(The hand starts to feel its way out of the plastic box.
The DOCTOR, tailed by CARTER, makes his way through the generator hall with some alacrity.)
WATSON: Can you hear me, Miss Smith? Miss Smith? (into the telephone) Video maintenance?
JACKSON: (on another telephone) Well, has Special Branch got anything? We don't know.
WATSON: (overlapping) I want an engineer to try and bypass the closed-circuit television in the fission room.
(The hand is now on the floor beside SARAH's feet. Behind her, a wall-mounted unit shows that the radiation level is beyond the normal and danger level, into 'CRITICAL'. The hand uses an inchworm manoeuvre to make its way from SARAH, and her lips twitch.
In the generator hall, CARTER pauses to heft a heavy-looking spanner.)
JACKSON: Yes, thank you. (She hangs up the phone receiver.)
WATSON: Anything?
JACKSON: Nothing from Intelligence either.
WATSON: No.
JACKSON: Shouldn't we begin to think of getting to a safe area?
WATSON: Yes. Yes, all right. Uh, you go.
JACKSON: But we must-
WATSON: One of us has got to stay here as long as there's a chance. There's no point in two of us-
JACKSON: I'm staying.
WATSON: That's an order.
(JACKSON picks up a clipboard and briskly marches out.
SARAH sets to work to open the door to the inner fission room. She appears stymied by the locking wheel.)
[INT. Generator hall]
(On a landing between metal staircases, CARTER stops the DOCTOR.)
CARTER: Eldrad must live.
DOCTOR: What?
CARTER: It is the law. There must be no interference with the design! Eldrad must live!
(He swings the spanner, but the DOCTOR ducks out of the way. CARTER overbalances and cries out as he falls the considerable distance to the floor. The DOCTOR looks down at the unmoving body and continues his climb, which takes him to the top of the building. He enters a room labelled 'Cooling Systems Control'.)
[INT. Nunton plant control room]
(A screen mounted high on the wall blinks 'CRITICAL'. Below, WATSON sits at an operator desk. As he speaks on the phone, blinking red lights shine on his face from off-screen.)
WATSON: Hello, Susie? Hello, darling. Is Mummy there? Oh, did you? Well, your headmistress must have been very pleased. No, no, super, super. Get Mummy for me, would you? Hello, love. Well, well, it's just to let you know I've got to stay on at the complex for a while. Yes, it looks like it. No, no, there isn't anything wrong, it's just that, well, I thought I'd let you know where I was.
[INT. Fission room]
(SARAH is working with the locking wheel on the door. She holds out her palm, but a sudden gush of steam from the cooling duct causes her to turn. It has brought the DOCTOR into the room too. SARAH holds out her palm.)
DOCTOR: (holding his hand up) Eldrad must live. Eldrad must live.
(SARAH still has her hand out but hesitates. The DOCTOR stands.)
DOCTOR: (walking slowly to SARAH) Eldrad must live.
DOCTOR: (grabbing her arm and subduing her) So sorry, Sarah.
(He drags the limp SARAH to the door.
The hand, now looking more greenish-grey, is on the move.
The DOCTOR leaves with SARAH and closes the door. The ring has fallen from SARAH's hand and is just inside the door.)
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: Goodbye. And kiss the children for me, would you? Yes. Yes, goodbye.
(WATSON looks subdued. He looks up when the audible alert signal ceases. The small display now says 'SHUTDOWN PROCEEDING'.)
DOCTOR [OC]: (from the intercom, connected with a monitor box showing the radiation level as 'NORMAL') Professor Watson, can you hear me?
WATSON: Yes.
DOCTOR [OC]: Professor Watson, can you hear me?
WATSON: Yes, is that you, Doctor?
DOCTOR [OC]: Yes.
WATSON: What's happened?
DOCTOR [OC]: Is everything under control?
WATSON: Yes, just about, but, but are you all right? And Miss Smith, is she still alive?
DOCTOR [OC]: I hope so. We're in Decontamination now.
WATSON: I'll be down right away.
DOCTOR [OC]: Good.
WATSON: I've just got a few things to sort out up here. Well done, Doctor. (he flicks some switches and then makes an announcement) Attention, all staff. Attention, all staff. The reactor is now under control, so return to your posts. Video maintenance, check the monitoring of that reactor room, would you please? (He leaves the room.)
[INT. Decontamination room]
(SARAH is whimpering, lying on a bench as the DOCTOR passes a Geiger counter wand down her body.)
SARAH: My legs are (She gibbers slightly.)
DOCTOR: Ssh. You're all right, Sarah, you're all right. Ssssh, shhh.
SARAH: Oh, I'm in a hospital.
DOCTOR: Well, of sorts, yes.
SARAH: I thought I was buried alive.
DOCTOR: Sarah-
SARAH: Ow.
(She sits up.)
DOCTOR: What's the last thing you remember?
SARAH: My chin hurts. Hmm?
DOCTOR: Come on, what's the last thing you remember?
SARAH: Erm, someone held out a, a hand to me. I thought it was you. And when I touched it, it was cold, cold. I thought you'd been crushed too, and must have passed out. What was it?
DOCTOR: Do you remember me digging you out and taking you to the hospital? The fossil?
SARAH: No.
DOCTOR: Do you remember Doctor Carter?
SARAH: Who?
DOCTOR: Carter.
WATSON: (entering) What the devil do you think you're doing here?
DOCTOR: Just a minute, Professor. She doesn't remember a thing about-
WATSON: Oh, very convenient, I must say.
DOCTOR: It's much more complicated than it-
WATSON: Complicated? She nearly caused a major nuclear disaster!
DOCTOR: I know, I know.
SARAH: Doctor, what-
DOCTOR: Ssshh, shh. I don't think we can blame her for it.
WATSON: Doctor, I realise she's a patient of yours, but, diminished responsibility or not, the fact remains that she walked into the reactor room.
JACKSON: (entering) How did you get her out?
DOCTOR: I'll come to that in a minute. Just look at these readings. Stay there. Lie down, Sarah. (he runs the wand over her, and there is nary a click) No trace of radioactivity whatsoever.
JACKSON: She was exposed to enough direct radiation-
DOCTOR: I know, enough to kill a school of whales, but there she is, unscathed.
SARAH: Excuse me. Does this involve me?
DOCTOR: Yes.
SARAH: Then will one of you please tell me what I'm supposed to have done?
WATSON: I think we'd all like an explanation.
JACKSON: Yes.
DOCTOR: You won't believe me, I warn you.
WATSON: Just try me.
DOCTOR: Doctor Carter's dead, unfortunately.
WATSON: Dead?
DOCTOR: Yes. He tried to kill me. He tried to push me ov-. Look, I'll start at the beginning.
SARAH: Good.
DOCTOR: We found a hand in the quarry. Or, rather, she found a hand in the quarry.
(We cut to a shot of the hand, still on the move.)
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
(The DOCTOR leads the group into the room.)
DOCTOR: That Eldrad must live.
SARAH: I really said that?
DOCTOR: Yes, you said 'Eldrad'... 'Eldrad must live'.
WATSON: And this Eldrad, this, this hand, absorbed all the radiation and left Miss Smith unharmed? Is that what you're saying?
DOCTOR: Yes, it seems to absorb radiation the same way as we do oxygen.
WATSON: So this is a, a living thing?
DOCTOR: Living? It's not only living, it's regenerating.
WATSON: But if your hypothesis is correct-
DRISCOLL: Reactor monitor operating, sir.
(The monitor shows the hand right next to the hinges to the main reactor area.)
WATSON: But that's incredible.
DOCTOR: Yes.
WATSON: The first thing to do is to get it out of there, put it in a sealed container of some kind.
DOCTOR: Exactly. Then we can study it, see what makes it tick.
WATSON: Driscoll.
DOCTOR: Shall I go with him?
WATSON: No, I'd rather you stayed here with me, Doctor. Driscoll is familiar with the systems, and you've been in once. You never know.
DRISCOLL: And I'm wearing a radiation suit. (He leaves.)
DOCTOR: I don't think radiation's the danger.
(DRISCOLL enters the fission room, in full radiation suit; bends down; and picks up the hand with a pair of tongs. He sets it back in its plastic box.)
WATSON: Good. He'll bring it down to the decontamination room. We'll meet in there.
(As he is leaving the room, box in hand, DRISCOLL pauses and sees the ring. He picks it up, raises it in his gloved hand, and is caught in a blue glow for a moment. He takes on a familiar wide-eyed manner and walks out.)
[INT. Decontamination room]
(A small Geiger counter shows no reading from the hand.)
WATSON: It's just unbelievable.
DOCTOR: Yes, there's no radiation. It absorbs it to rebuild tissue, see? The finger's already been replaced.
WATSON: We'd better lock it away before it absorbs more energy.
DRISCOLL: I'll see to it.
(He picks up the hand with the tongs and lifts it past SARAH.)
SARAH: Careful. That's not as armless as it looks.
(She smiles at her joke but quickly sobers.
We see DRISCOLL place the hand in a wall safe that has a radiation symbol on it.)
DOCTOR: What happened to the ring you used on Carter and the guards, Sarah?
SARAH: I'm sorry, I don't know. I can't remember.
DOCTOR: It must still be there. Driscoll? Driscoll?
DRISCOLL: Yes, sir?
DOCTOR: There should have been a small crystal ring, about so big, in the reactor room.
DRISCOLL: I didn't see anything, sir.
DOCTOR: Oh.
DRISCOLL: Should I go back and have another look, sir?
DOCTOR: Would you mind? She must have dropped it when I dragged her out.
WATSON: Yes, all right. Yes, Driscoll, I'll contact you in the control room.
DRISCOLL: Yes, sir.
(He leaves. WATSON exits in another direction.)
DOCTOR: Sarah.
SARAH: (stopping and turning) Hmm? What?
DOCTOR: Sit down. (He has the door closed, and she is sitting.)
SARAH: What?
DOCTOR: Now listen. I want you to concentrate.
SARAH: Aw, no, that's not fair. Not again.
(The DOCTOR holds up his hands and stares into her eyes. She falls silent instantly and has clearly been hypnotised.)
DOCTOR: Now, Sarah. Eldrad. Tell me about Eldrad.
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: Driscoll, did you find anything?
DRISCOLL [on monitor]: I can't see anything yet, sir.
[INT. Decontamination room]
(SARAH's head is moving from side to side, and her mouth can't quite form words.)
DOCTOR: But why, Sarah? Come on, why? Tell me why.
SARAH: Eldrad must live. (standing and more sternly now) We must obey.
DOCTOR: Who are we, Sarah?
SARAH: We who've seen the light of Kastria.
DOCTOR: Who saw the light? Did Carter see the light?
(She nods.)
SARAH: Eldrad must live.
[INT. Fission room]
DRISCOLL: Professor Watson?
WATSON [OC]: Yes?
DRISCOLL: There's nothing here, sir.
WATSON [OC]: All right, leave it. And you'd better come out of there.
DRISCOLL: Right, sir.
(He opens the outer door to leave. He opens his hand, the ring within. It gives off that blue glow for a moment.)
MAN [OC]: Eldrad must live.
[INT. Nunton plant corridor]
DOCTOR: Tell me more, Sarah.
SARAH: No more.
DOCTOR: Tell me more.
SARAH: No more. Eldrad must live.
DOCTOR: Sarah. There's no need to obey the will of Eldrad. Put him out of your mind. You're free of him.
SARAH: I'm free of him.
DOCTOR: Yes.
(He puts his hands to her temples.)
SARAH: Hmm?
DOCTOR: Come on.
[INT. Nunton plant control room]
SARAH: Eldrad must live.
DOCTOR: What?
SARAH: (tapping her head) Just testing.
WATSON: No joy from Driscoll, I'm afraid.
DOCTOR: What do you mean 'no joy'?
WATSON: He hasn't found that ring.
DOCTOR: It must have been up there, and he must have found it.
WATSON: Why didn't he say?
DOCTOR: Because if affects the will of people who've been in contact with it. Remember Carter? He tried to kill me.
WATSON: Then we are in trouble.
[INT. Decontamination room]
(Having removed his radiation suit, the GUARD who had been guiding the Doctor and Carter checks himself with a Geiger counter. There are a few crackles, nothing to worry about. He hears a rapping sound from the wall safe.)
GUARD: (at the intercom) Security to Control.
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
GUARD [OC]: Decontamination area. I've got something weird here.
WATSON: Go ahead. Security?
GUARD [OC]: Some kind of banging and thumping from the contamination safe.
WATSON: My God. He's put the hand in there.
SARAH: So?
WATSON: Well, that's where we keep the radiated material and the test samples.
DOCTOR: We're going to have to shift it. It'll be gaining strength.
WATSON: It can't do any harm. It can't open it from the inside.
DOCTOR: I hope you're right.
GUARD [OC]: What shall I do, sir?
DOCTOR: Tell him I'm on my way.
[INT. Decontamination room]
WATSON [OC]: Look, someone is on the way down. Now listen, there shouldn't be any danger, but keep an eye on it.
GUARD: Yes, sir, will do. Ah, Driscoll. Warm in there, was it?
(We see DRISCOLL taking off his suit. The GUARD checks his radiation levels.)
GUARD: Turn around. You're all right. You're clear. Driscoll, what do you reckon this is? (He walks over to the safe and bends over to listen.)
MAN [OC]: Eldrad must live.
(DRISCOLL hits the intent GUARD on the head from behind and opens the safe. He reaches for the hand, and it grasps his fingers. He lifts it.
The DOCTOR enters.)
DOCTOR: Driscoll. (seeing the unconscious guard and the open safe door) Driscoll! Driscoll! Driscoll!
(He runs over to the intercom unit.)
DOCTOR: Hello, Professor Watson? Professor Watson?
WATSON [OC]: Yes, Doctor. Is everything all right?
DOCTOR: Sssshh, listen, listen, listen. Driscoll's got the hand. I'm going down after him. Get out every available man you've got. And send someone down here. There's a guard unconscious.
WATSON [OC]: Right away.
(He closes the safe before he leaves the room.)
[INT. Generator hall]
(GUARDS are on DRISCOLL's trail as he heads up the metal staircases.)
GUARD 2: Driscoll, stop!
(He uses the ring on them and runs up another flight of stairs.
As the GUARDS rise to their feet, the DOCTOR sees them and keeps running upward.)
DOCTOR: Driscoll, stop!
(DRISCOLL holds out his palm and uses the ring. The DOCTOR ducks to the side. Smoking equipment is the result. DRISCOLL continues on his way.)
SARAH: Doctor! You all right?
DOCTOR: Yes, I'm fine.
WATSON: Where'd he go?
DOCTOR: He's going to the core, where else?
(Klaxons sound.)
WATSON: But why? It's all shut down.
DOCTOR: It doesn't make any difference. That hand could set off a chain reaction.
(We see DRISCOLL enter the fission room and head for the inner door.)
DOCTOR: You two get back to the control room. I'm going on inside.
(WATSON leaves, while SARAH follows the DOCTOR.
DRISCOLL is using a tool on the reactor door.)
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: All of you, get out as fast as you can. (herding people out) Come on, get going. Attention, all staff. Attention, all staff. Evacuate the complex immediately. This is an emergency.
[INT. Fission room]
(DRISCOLL is slowly pulling open the door to the inner chamber.)
WATSON [OC]: Evacuate the complex immediately. This is not an exercise. This is an emergency.
(The DOCTOR rushes into the room, sees what is going on, and turns on his heel - barrelling into SARAH in his haste to leave.)
WATSON [OC]: Evacuate the complex immediately.
DOCTOR: Quick, get down!
(He protects her with his body, and we see DRISCOLL enter the inner chamber.)
WATSON [OC]: Emergency, emergency. This is not an exercise. Evacuate the complex immediately.
[INT. Nunton plant control centre]
WATSON: This is not an exercise. Evacuate the complex immediately.
(A blinding explosion takes out the console where he is standing, and he is thrown to the floor. The other consoles start to explode.)
The above notes, transcription, etc. by Anna Shefl
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