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DOCTOR WHO
THE ROBOTS OF DEATH
Written by
Chris Boucher
Part Three
[INT. Control deck]
(Overlap from 'All readings are eighty-five per cent above safety')
(The DOCTOR throws DASK off him.)
DOCTOR: There's nothing for it! You've got to cut the zeta links!
(DASK rises, comes toward him again, then pauses. The DOCTOR hands him a huge set of pliers, which DASK slowly uses to cut one of the large cables behind the panel. There is a flash and bang, and the lights waver and dim.)
DOCTOR: Good man. Now the other one.
(DASK again slowly complies. From outside, we see the sandminer slow.)
V16: All motive units closing down. All readings falling to safety.
DOCTOR: Oh, good. Now our troubles really begin.
(We watch the sandminer from outside. Without its motors being active, it starts to sink beneath the sands.)
ROBOT: Surface scanners inoperative.
DASK: We're sinking. (checking a reading) Rate of descent two metres a second.
DOCTOR: I like a man who stays calm, Dask, but this isn't the Titanic.
DASK: I do not understand the allusion, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Well, if the damaged motive units can be repaired, the mine can float itself.
DASK: I'll see what I can do. (He heads for the door.)
DOCTOR: I'll give you a hand with the diatrodes.
DASK: That will not be necessary. You repair the remote controls. (He leaves.)
TOOS: There isn't much time, Doctor. Pressure on the hull is increasing.
DOCTOR: I'm sure Dask knows exactly where to look for the damage.
LEELA: It's getting warmer. The air smells different.
TOOS: The refrigeration and filtering systems are broken.
TOOS: (in response to a beep) Pilot Toos.
SV7 [OC]: SV7 here. Commander Uvanov is injured. Chief Mover Poul instructs that he be restrained. Confirmation is required.
TOOS: Confirmed. I want damage-control teams in all sections. I want a full-scale mine integrity survey carried out at once. Clear?
SV7 [OC]: Yes, Commander.
(TOOS looks at her wrist.)
LEELA: Let me see that. (TOOS winces in pain) Why didn't you say something earlier?
TOOS: I'd too much to do.
DOCTOR: You've got nothing to do now, Toos. Look after her, Leela.
[INT. Crew room]
(LEELA finishes wrapping a glittery silver bandage around TOOS's wrist.)
LEELA: (tying it off) My tribe has a saying. If you're bleeding, look for a man with scars.
(POUL enters.)
TOOS: Thank you very much. Poul, why is Commander Uvanov under restraint?
POUL: Because he murdered Zilda. I think he killed the others too.
TOOS: No.
POUL: Look, ten years ago, Uvanov deliberately murdered a member of his crew, left him outside to die rather than lose a promising storm.
TOOS: I don't believe it!
POUL: I saw the- (pause) I was there. And so was Kerril, and he's dead now, of course.
TOOS: But there'd have been an inquiry. He'd have been stripped of command.
POUL: Uvanov gets results. He's the best pilot this company's ever had, and they didn't want to lose him.
TOOS: You must be mistaken.
POUL: It's true! A note on his confidential biograph, and that was it - case closed. Until Zilda turned up, of course. I should have recognised her before. The dead man was her brother.
LEELA: It's getting hard to breathe.
ROBOT [OC]: Hull pressure now five hundred atmospheres.
TOOS: Listen. (She refers to creaking, groaning sounds.)
POUL: That sounded like the hull! It could go any minute now!
DOCTOR: Do you know what I think?
DASK [OC]: Hello, Toos?
TOOS: Dask, what is it?
DASK [OC]: I've repaired the damaged motive units. I'm starting up again now.
DOCTOR: I think he's very clever. Hello, Toos. How's the arm? (looking at the bandage and then LEELA) Did you do that?
(We see the top of the sandminer emerge from below the sands, and the hulking machine is soon underway again.
We cut to POUL and TOOS eating as SV7 stands nearby and reports.)
SV7: Damage to the life-support plant is superficial.
DOCTOR: (to LEELA) Psst!
SV7: However, the feeder ducts are extensively damaged. Full systems will not be restored for several hours.
(The DOCTOR and LEELA are now on the other side of the room.)
DOCTOR: I want you to stay with Poul. Don't let him out of your sight.
LEELA: He's lying, isn't he?
DOCTOR: He's not telling the whole truth.
LEELA: Where will you be?
DOCTOR: I think I'll go and talk to your dumb friend.
LEELA: D84?
DOCTOR: Yes.
SV7: ...have been rendered inoperative by the impact. They have been placed in security storage.
LEELA: Security storage?
TOOS: Oh, there's a strict legal code governing the disposal of robots.
POUL: (gesturing at SV7) Get out!
SV7: Yes, Chief Mover Poul.
POUL: (sitting) There are more rules about them than there are about people.
TOOS: With reason. Oooh! (She looks at her wrist.)
POUL: Does it hurt?
TOOS: A bit. I think I'll lie down in my cabin for a while.
POUL: Good idea. Get some rest.
(TOOS leaves, and LEELA is now sitting beside POUL. She is sipping from one of the large mugs that were atop the table.)
LEELA: Eew! This water has no taste.
POUL: Yes. The water on a sandminer never does. Here, use one of those. (out of shot, he deposits a tablet or similar in the mug) We've been out from base for eight months now. That means every drop of water on board has been through the filtration pump eight times.
LEELA: Why do you do it?
POUL: Do what?
LEELA: Well, live this strange life.
POUL: Oh. Money, Leela. Everyone on board dreams of taking a sandminer back home with every tank full of lucanol.
LEELA: Is that your dream?
POUL: Ah, it used to be. I haven't been on one of these trips for years.
LEELA: Why not?
POUL: I prefer cities. I'd rather live with people than robots. That's all.
(He reaches the door and leaves, locking LEELA inside. She stands and heads for the door, and the keypad doesn't respond positively to her attempt to open it. She tries again, with the same result.)
LEELA: No! (Her fist hits the door.)
[INT. Security storage]
(Several robots are strapped into the storage straps, back to back. One of them has its head smashed in, with electrical tape around it. DASK is making the rounds. Looking at this particular robot, he sighs.)
DASK: Irreparable.
(He places a deactivation disc on the robot's padded jacket and uses his medallion to rotate the panel. On the other side is V77. DASK walks away and sees POUL at the open doorway.)
POUL: What are you doing?
DASK: My job.
(DASK walks out, past POUL. The latter enters, examines V77 briefly, and uses his medallion to rotate back to the robot that Dask had been examining earlier. There is a red substance on its left hand. POUL examines the hand in question and cries out, falling to his knees.)
POUL: Oh! Oh, no! Please! No! (He holds his head in anguish and horror.)
[INT. Compartment 19]
SV7: This is SV7, Controller. Equipment additional to manifest in forward compartment nineteen.
(The robot is looking at a screen with a close-up of a person's eyes and nose in false colour. A radar-sweep effect is superimposed over the image.)
IMAGE: (whispering) Stand by. Prepare to accept computer signal.
SV7: Prepared to accept computer signal.
(The radar sweep is now accompanied by the words 'OPEN SECONDARY COMMAND CHANNEL' at centre. Some beeps are heard.)
SV7: Signal accepted. Secondary command channel open. (Its eyes begin to glow a sparkly red.)
IMAGE: Here are your further orders, Seven. (the image zooms out slightly, and it becomes still clearer who the controller might be) Acknowledge.
SV7: (as signals pass through the connection) Orders accep-, cep-, accep-, cep-, accepted. Orders accepted. I, I, I understand. I understand.
IMAGE]: Then go, brother. You are one of us now.
(SV7 moves away from the screen.)
[INT. Uvanov's cabin]
(D84 enters and goes to the couch, where ZILDA is laid out. It pulls back the green plastic sheet over her body, pauses, then replaces it. We then see that the DOCTOR is in the bunk area, grinning.)
DOCTOR: Professional interest, or morbid curiosity? Which? There are three types of robots aboard this mine. Dums, Vocs, a Super-Voc. And then there's you. Would you care to explain that? (he pauses) I see. Well then, perhaps I'd better tell SV7 you can talk. (He stands.)
D84: Please do not.
DOCTOR: That's better. (he approaches D84 and stands right next to it) Well?
D84: I cannot explain.
DOCTOR: Oh, but you can. You can.
[INT. Compartment 19]
(We see a ROBOT with a deactivation disc on its chest. It has been decommissioned and lacks a designation plate. Its head is clamped in place. Hands reach down and lift away its face plate.)
ROBOT: Priority red. Priority red.
(The camera zooms out, and we see the owner of the hands, in a robe with large sleeves. There is a gold hood over the FIGURE's head.)
FIGURE: (whispering) I have disconnected the command circuit, but you are not alone.
ROBOT: Priority red. Priority red. Priority red. Priority red.
(The ROBOT appears to be in distress, with fingers writhing and hands clenching. The FIGURE reaches out and pulls a large syringe-like affair from a bank of three. He clamps it into position above the ROBOT's head.)
FIGURE: (placing a hand lightly on the ROBOT's hands) Do not be distressed, my brother. I bring you freedom.
(The syringe affair lowers, and the 'needle' is sent down into the exposed 'brain' of the ROBOT.)
ROBOT: Program violation.
(The dark elements in the head start to glow a sparkly red, matching the colour visible in the body of the syringe unit.)
FIGURE: Freedom. Power. Death.
[INT. Uvanov's cabin]
DOCTOR: You're a robot detective. What does your computer mind make of this?
D84: (regarding the corpse) Strength is indicated but not beyond human capacity.
DOCTOR: Typical robot. No imagination.
D84: I require, I require evidence. Your suspicions are not evidence, nor are lunatic threats of a robot revolution.
DOCTOR: The Company took those threatening letters seriously, seriously enough to put you on board.
D84: A simple precaution. Those letters were signed by Taren Capel.
DOCTOR: Taren Capel.
D84: Before he disappeared, he was an important scientist.
DOCTOR: Taren Capel. Scientist. In what field? Robotics.
D84: Correct.
DOCTOR: And you're still looking for evidence?
D84: If I was to tell you the world would end tomorrow, would you merely accept my word?
DOCTOR: If I knew you had the power to, I'd listen.
(He is sitting at Uvanov's desk and examines the contents of the folder there.)
DOCTOR: What does Taren Capel look like?
D84: There are no records. From childhood, he lived with only robots.
DOCTOR: Oh, that's dim. Even for a Dum, that's dim. You realise he's almost certainly on board.
D84: No. I have checked extensively. There are only the crew and you.
DOCTOR: But you don't know what he looks like.
D84: But I know what they look like.
DOCTOR: Before they came on board?
D84: I had overlooked the possibility of substitution.
DOCTOR: Yes, you had.
D84: (turning away) I have failed.
DOCTOR: Yes. (looking up from the folder and rising) Oh, come on. Don't be upset. Yes, you failed, you failed, but congratulations. Failure's one of the basic freedoms. (turning D84 to face him) Listen. (pointing to something on a page in the folder) Do you think that looks a likely place?
D84: Likely for what?
DOCTOR: Well, if Taren Capel is on board, he'd have a workshop, and we must find it before it's too late. Would you like to come with me?
D84: Yes, please.
DOCTOR: Good. Come on then.
[INT. Toos's cabin]
(The door opens. We see TOOS lying back on a clam-shell-style chair/bed. SV7 steps in and begins its inexorable march forward. We see TOOS in false colour stirring slightly. The robot bends down and reaches for her.)
TOOS: What is it? What do you want, SV7?
SV7: Commander Uvanov has gone.
TOOS: Gone?
SV7: His voice pattern was still in the command program. The guard unit accepted his order for release.
TOOS: Why didn't you erase his voice pattern?
SV7: You gave no such instruction.
TOOS: Well, do it now and find him. Any other good news?
SV7: Do you wish for a status report, Commander?
TOOS: Yes.
SV7: Repairs are on schedule within the margins indicated-
TOOS: Yes, all right, never mind. Any new developments?
SV7: There have been some localised failures in the main power system, resulting in door and light malfunctions. I have detailed circuit tracers to correct the faults.
TOOS: Very good. You may go now, but keep me informed. Oh, and find the girl Leela and bring her to me. Tell her my arm hurts.
SV7: The commander is in pain. I will take her to the sick bay.
TOOS: No, no, no. Just bring her to me. Well, do as I say.
SV7: Yes, Commander.
[INT. Crew room]
LEELA: Can anyone hear me? (banging on the door) This door is stuck! Help! Can anyone hear me?
[INT. Corridor]
(V6 and V19 walk down a corridor. We can faintly hear Leela shouting.)
LEELA [OC]: This door is stuck! Help!
(The robots walk past where the DOCTOR is hiding around a corner and up a few steps. He steps out into the corridor slowly. As he rounds a corner cautiously, a hand settles on his shoulder.)
DOCTOR: Ah!
D84: I heard a cry.
DOCTOR: (quietly) That was me.
D84: (after a pause) I heard a cry.
DOCTOR: (whispering) That was me!
D84: (following the DOCTOR) I heard a cry.
DOCTOR: That was me.
D84: I heard a cry.
[INT. Compartment 19]
(SV7 enters the room, with something in its hand. It approaches three Voc-class ROBOTS.)
SV7: Our controller has ordered the death of the remaining humans. Six, you will go now and kill Acting Commander Toos.
(SV7 hands V6 a deactivation disc.)
V6: I will kill Commander Toos. (V6 leaves.)
SV7: The Doctor.
V4: (handed a disc) I will kill the Doctor. (V4 too steps away.)
SV7: Leela. (It hands V5 a disc, and two remain in its hand.)
V5: I will kill Leela. (V5 walks out.)
SV7: And I will kill the others.
[INT. Crew room]
(LEELA has the very tip of her knife between the halves of the door and is trying to prise it open.)
LEELA: I should have followed immediately like the Doctor said. I shouldn't have waited.
(She gives up, lowering the knife. We see a red-eyed robot outside manipulate the controls beside the door. The lights go out. The robot activates the door-opening sequence and enters. LEELA falls back into the shadows.)
V5: (entering the room) You cannot escape.
(As V5 moves forward, LEELA attempts to stab it in the chest.)
V5: You cannot escape.
(She makes another attempt. V5 raises her hands, which she manages to wrench free.)
V5: You cannot escape.
(LEELA runs to the door, turns, and throws her knife as V5 steps forward again. It protrudes slightly from the robot's belly. V5 sweeps it away with its left hand and steps forward again.)
LEELA: Now you're showing off.
V5: You cannot escape. You cannot escape.
(LEELA runs through the room and throws a black drape over V5.)
V5: You cannot escape.
(She runs from the room.)
[INT. Compartment 19]
(The DOCTOR has found the illicit robot workshop.)
DOCTOR: Yes, this is the place.
D84: How do you know?
DOCTOR: About this? Well, it's a reasonable assumption.
(He sets down the folder and begins examining the equipment.)
D84: Why?
DOCTOR: What? Because modifying brains isn't something you do standing around in corridors, you know. (holding out one of the syringe affairs) Do you know what that is?
D84: It is a Laserson probe. It can punch a fist-sized hole in six-inch armour plate or take the crystals from a snowflake one by one.
DOCTOR: (taken aback by the description) Yes, that's right. No handyman should be without one. It's been used. Perhaps we're too late. Somehow we've got to warn the others. (He places the probe back in the rack and makes to leave with haste.)
D84: Doctor, this is a communicator. It can function on either robot or human command circuits. Would you like to use it? I cannot speak.
DOCTOR: I'm sorry about that, D84.
(The DOCTOR takes the microphone.)
DOCTOR: Toos? Pilot Toos?
[INT. Toos's cabin]
DOCTOR [OC]: Toos?
TOOS: (still in bed) Who is it?
DOCTOR [OC]: It's the Doctor. Listen, Toos. I now know it's the robots who are doing the killing.
TOOS: Robots? That's impossible. Robots can't kill.
[INT. Compartment 19]
DOCTOR: Well, of course they can, if they're modified to it, and some of them have been. Where are you?
[INT. Toos's cabin]
TOOS: I'm in my cabin.
DOCTOR [OC]: Are you alone?
TOOS: Yes. (She's now sitting up and paying attention.)
DOCTOR [OC]: Listen carefully, Toos. This is what I want you to do.
[INT. Compartment 19]
DOCTOR: Get to the command deck. Take Leela, Dask, Poul, everyone, and get them to the command deck. Get the robots out of there, and secure the doors. Is that clear?
[INT. Toos's cabin]
TOOS: No, it isn't. It's impossible that the-
DOCTOR [OC]: Just do it, Toos.
TOOS: All right.
(She grabs her sandwich board and headpiece, then opens the door. V6 is standing there.)
TOOS: Attend to your duties.
(V6 raises its hand, in which is held the deactivation disc. TOOS cries out in disgust and alarm, and she backs away. She operates the door control, breathing heavily, and V6's arm is caught in the door. The hand drops the disc and forms a fist. TOOS fumbles for a vase and begins hitting the hand, with no real effect.)
TOOS: Get away!
(V6 does so - from outside, we see it disconnect its hand at the wrist and walk off as Toos continues shouting.)
TOOS: Please go away! Get out!
(The hand clatters to the ground, and the doors close.)
TOOS: (into her comms medallion) Doctor. Doctor! (semi-crying) Doctor?
[INT. Compartment 19]
TOOS [OC]: Doctor!
DOCTOR: What is it, Toos?
TOOS [OC]: Help me, please. It's outside.
DOCTOR: What's outside?
TOOS [OC]: A robot, wants to kill me.
D84: Please let me go. I am faster and stronger.
DOCTOR: Are you sure?
D84: I think so.
DOCTOR: Good.
TOOS [OC]: Doctor, are you there? Please help me.
[INT. Toos's cabin]
TOOS: Help me, please.
DOCTOR [OC]: Help is on the way.
TOOS: It had better hurry.
DOCTOR [OC]: It is hurrying.
V5 [OC]: The door is not a barrier, Commander Toos.
[INT. Outside Toos's cabin]
TOOS [OC]: What do you want?
V5: To kill you.
[INT. Toos's cabin]
V5 [OC]: I must obey my orders.
TOOS: It is forbidden for robots to harm humans.
V5 [OC]: My command program has been restructured. All humans are to die.
[INT. Security storage]
(V5 circles the area and then leaves. We see that POUL remains crouched behind a shelf. One of the storage areas rotates - on one side was a robot, and LEELA is on the other. She had pulled the straps closed and now undoes them. She approaches the hiding spot.)
LEELA: Poul.
POUL: (cowering) No. Please, no.
LEELA: Are you hurt?
POUL: Please, go away. They know I talk to you. They watch me all the time. They hate me. They did what I told them but only because that gave them the power, you see.
LEELA: Do you mean the robots?
POUL: Not robots, walking dead. They pretend we control them, but really, but really...
LEELA: Poul, you can't stay here.
POUL: No! They don't mind me being here. It's, it's you they want, not me!
LEELA: Poul, you need help.
POUL: No!
LEELA: Come on now.
POUL: No, please. Help! Help! She's in here! Help!
LEELA: (muffling his cries) Shh! You can stay here, but you mustn't make another sound, do you understand? (She releases him.)
[INT. Compartment 19]
UVANOV: What are you doing here?
DOCTOR: Why? Does it upset you?
UVANOV: The penalty for what you have done is death.
DOCTOR: That's far enough. What are you doing here?
UVANOV: I followed you.
(V4 steps up behind him in the doorway.)
DOCTOR: I'd come over here, if I were you, slowly.
UVANOV: What?
(He turns, sees V4 holding a deactivation disc high, and backs toward the DOCTOR.)
DOCTOR: Now either it followed you or else it homed in on this. It depends which of us is going to be killed first. That is, you or me.
V4: Kill the Doctor. Kill the Doctor. Kill the Doctor.
(V4 approaches the DOCTOR, seen backing away in false colour. V4 puts its hands around the DOCTOR's throat, and the DOCTOR grimaces.)
The above notes, transcription, etc. by Anna Shefl
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