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DOCTOR WHO
MEGLOS

Written by
John Flanagan and Andrew McCulloch

Part Two

(Overlap from 'Flies trapped in amber')

[INT. TARDIS console room]

DOCTOR: It's no good. Every time we try to-
(Fzzt.)
ROMANA: Oh blast, here we go again.
(The DOCTOR trips, and ROMANA giggles.)
DOCTOR: What's the matter?
ROMANA: Well, now his probe circuit's jammed.
DOCTOR: Well, that's easy. Just waggle his tail.
ROMANA: All right. We've tried everything else.
K9: Thank you, Mistress. Repairs complete.
(They are standing at the console, where they were before this iteration of the loop.)
ROMANA: What can we try now? K9, is there any way out of a chronic hysteresis?
K9: Negative, Mistress. No known technological procedure.
DOCTOR: We're still looping.
ROMANA: What if we stop the time rotor?
DOCTOR: Yes. No. That's a terrible idea.
ROMANA: I'm only trying to help.
DOCTOR: There's no known technological procedure. I'm sorry to whisper. There's no known technological procedure. There's no known technological procedure.
(Fzzt.)
ROMANA: Oh blast, here we go again.
(The DOCTOR trips.)

[INT. Grugger's ship]

(Meglos's complex sinks back into the sands at the centre of the screens, and the ship rises from the surface, with BROTADAC flying it.)
BROTADAC: Tigella, twenty seconds to atmospheric entry. Activating heat shields.
MEGLOS: Ha. Heat shields - how fascinating.
GRUGGER: They work. If it wasn't for us, you'd still be in Zolfa-Thura.
BROTADAC: I've got a geographical fix on the main entrance. You want to land there?
GRUGGER: No. Jungle landfall a little to the north.
BROTADAC: Stand by for landing. Entering foliage now.

[INT. Temple]

ZASTOR: Well, Lexa?
LEXA: You will not be pleased.
ZASTOR: So your prayers have not been answered?
LEXA: The Time Lord may visit us.
ZASTOR: Then you will allow him to inspect the Dodecahedron?
LEXA: On one condition. He must take the Deon oath.
ZASTOR: Take the Deon-? No, Lexa. That would be an insult to our guest.
LEXA: Your guest.
ZASTOR: You cannot make a Time Lord swear allegiance to Ti.
LEXA: Once again, Zastor, you can impress us with your diplomacy.

[EXT. Jungle]

GRUGGER: Right, we'll wait here for about an hour.
MEGLOS: One hour exactly.
GRUGGER: And we'll come and get ya if anything goes wrong.
MEGLOS: Goes wrong? General, you know sometimes I think you forget who I am. (He walks away.)
BROTADAC: That man could do anything. What a mind! Anything.
GRUGGER: Don't think too hard - you'll burst something.
BROTADAC: And I like his coat.

[INT. Central Control]

DEEDRIX: The moment he arrives, Caris will bring him to us.
LEXA: Having filled his head with scientific nonsense, I presume. (She leaves.)
MAN [OC]: Temperature rising in food store.
DEEDRIX: I hope your friend the Doctor will appreciate our difficulties.
ZASTOR: The Doctor has the maturity to respect many points of view.

[EXT. City entrance]

CARIS: We could inhabit the surface again. If this Doctor fails us, we may have to.
(There's a noise, startling her, and MEGLOS approaches through the plant life.)
MEGLOS: I'm the Time Lord. the Doctor. You were expecting me?
CARIS: Oh, yes, indeed. You're most welcome. Please, follow me.

[INT. Central Control]

MAN [OC]: Central storage banks overloading. Shall I close off receptor panels?
DEEDRIX: No, not yet. Reroute surplus to Section 5. They have spare capacity.
LEXA: (entering) The oath-taking ceremony is prepared.
DEEDRIX: What? You're making him take the oath? Zastor, this is ridiculous.
ZASTOR: It's got to be done, Deedrix.
CARIS: (entering, with MEGLOS not far behind) Zastor.
ZASTOR: Doctor! It is good to see you again.
MEGLOS: Again?
ZASTOR: It's been a long time. I'm Zastor, now the Tigellan leader.
MEGLOS: Oh yes, of course, yes, I remember you very well.
ZASTOR: You haven't changed much, Doctor. A little older, a little wiser.
MEGLOS: Oh, much wiser. I gather your energy source is behaving somewhat capriciously.
DEEDRIX: Capriciously? It's out of control.
MEGLOS: Excuse me. Excuse me.
(He sits where Deedrix works.)
MEGLOS: An absorption system, I presume?
DEEDRIX: Yes, there's a series of receptor panels placed above the Dodecahedron, and the radiated energy is measured there.
MEGLOS: And these screens can be closed down?
DEEDRIX: Well, yes, the central storage banks would contain enough energy for one hour, but it is extremely dangerous.
MEGLOS: One hour is all I'll need. Turn them off.
DEEDRIX: Close down receptor panels until further notice.
MEGLOS: Good. Now show me the Dodecahedron.
ZASTOR: Surely you remember the way, Doctor?
MEGLOS: Ah. Yes, of course, but now that you're leader, I'll follow you.
LEXA: Before entering the power room, you must take the Deon oath.
ZASTOR: A mere formality, Doctor.
LEXA: Will you swear allegiance to Ti, Doctor?
MEGLOS: I, swear allegiance to Ti? I'll swear allegiance to Ti with great pleasure. I'm flattered to be so honoured. Please, lead the way.

[INT. TARDIS console room]

(Fzzt.)
ROMANA: Oh blast, here we go again.
(The DOCTOR trips, and ROMANA giggles.)
DOCTOR: What's the matter?
ROMANA: Well, now his probe circuit's jammed.
DOCTOR: Well, that's easy. Just waggle his tail.
ROMANA: All right. We've tried everything else.
K9: Thank you, Mistress. Repairs complete.
ROMANA: We can't get out of it. We've tried everything.
DOCTOR: Yes. That's what you said when you were repairing K9 - you'd tried everything. Tried everything. We've tried everything. Of course!
ROMANA: What?
DOCTOR: Can you remember the rest of what you said?
ROMANA: I should think so. We've been through it enough times.
DOCTOR: K9?
K9: Master?
DOCTOR: Then that's how we'll do it. Throw it out of phase.
ROMANA: You mean go through the motions deliberately?
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes, before the cycle comes back again.
ROMANA: Well, you were over there.
DOCTOR: What?
ROMANA: Over there.
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, of course. Good. Off you go, then.
ROMANA: Oh blast, here we go again.
(The DOCTOR effects a trip.)
DOCTOR: What's the matter?
ROMANA: Now his probe circuit's jammed.
(There is a pause. ROMANA gestures at K9's tail several times.)
DOCTOR: Ah. That's easy. Just waggle his tail.
ROMANA: All right. We've tried everything else.
(The TARDIS starts shimmering.)
K9: (echoey) Thank you, Mistress. Repairs complete.
(The shimmering fades away.)
ROMANA: Phase cancellation. We've done it!
DOCTOR: Well done. You know, for one awful moment, I thought you'd forgotten your lines.

[INT. Temple]

LEXA: Neither to transgress the laws of the Dodecahedron.
MEGLOS: Neither to transgress the laws of the Dodecahedron.
LEXA: (sung) Thanks be to Ti.
ALL: (sung) Thanks be to Ti.
LEXA: You are now free to enter the power room.
DEEDRIX: (sung, quietly) Thanks be to Ti.
MEGLOS: People of Tigella, what I have to do is extremely dangerous.
ZASTOR: In what way?
MEGLOS: To control the output, it will be necessary to increase the violence of the emissions.
DEEDRIX: Then you'll be in danger yourself.
MEGLOS: Well, hardly. I'm a Time Lord. Having lived in the future, I can hardly die in the present.
DEEDRIX: That can't be true. That's a philosophical paradox.
MEGLOS: No, it's merely beyond your comprehension. However, all of your lives are in danger.
ZASTOR: Then we must leave.
MEGLOS: Precisely. (nearly ecstatic) Only I, only I must enter the power room.
LEXA: But it was agreed that I should accompany him, on the god's behalf.
MEGLOS: But now I have the protection of Ti himself. We must not appear to mistrust that blessing.
LEXA: So be it.

[EXT. Jungle]

(The TARDIS materialises.)
DOCTOR [OC]: Well, according to my calculations, this should be sector 8 of the city.
ROMANA [OC]: Ah.
(The two step out of the TARDIS.)
DOCTOR: Yes.
ROMANA: Well, if this is the city, I can only assume we're in some sort of park.
K9 [OC]: Master, Master?
DOCTOR: This place has grown up a bit since I was last here.
ROMANA: Where is the city, then?
DOCTOR: That way.
K9: Twenty-two degrees north, thirty-six point four degrees west.
DOCTOR: Right.
(He heads in a different direction from K9 and ROMANA.)
ROMANA: Doctor.
DOCTOR: Yes? Ah, yes, well, anyone can make a mistake.

[INT. Power room]

(MEGLOS enters the room, bathed in the double pulses of golden light from the Dodecahedron. LEXA steps in behind him, as does another DEON, but MEGLOS holds up a hand and they leave.)
MEGLOS: (whispering) Ten thousand years.
(He places the redimensioner on the Dodecahedron.)

[EXT. Jungle]

DOCTOR: Well, I only got the direction wrong because of Tigella's anti-clockwise rotation.
K9: Anomaly.
ROMANA: What is it, K9?
K9: Partial incineration of vegetation evident.
ROMANA: Nonsense, K9. These leaves are burnt.
K9: Mistress?
DOCTOR: Come on - there's no time for botany.
ROMANA: Now what would cause that? Thinness of the atmosphere?
K9: Negative, Mistress. Projection of Dodecahedron power insufficient. Foliation scanning period now terminated, Mistress. Expedition necessary.
(ROMANA puts down the vegetation and moves on, cautiously, entering an area with some very large plants. One catches hold of her leg, and a large red blossom heads for her face. She tries to fight off the plant.)

[INT. Outside the power room]

(CARIS is sneaking through the area.)
LEXA: (grabbing and startling her) What are you doing here, Caris?
CARIS: Let go. Look, it's vital we understand what's happening in there.
LEXA: You were ordered to stay out of this area.
CARIS: And so were you, Lexa.
(They look at each other and hear something.)
LEXA: Get back.
(They hide, and MEGLOS emerges from the power room, walking up the nearby stairs. The women approach the power room's doorway.)
CARIS: What's happened to the light?
LEXA: What!
(LEXA lifts a torch from the wall, and the two women head quickly down the stairs to the power room.)

[EXT. City entrance]

DOCTOR: Hello there. I'm the Doctor. I'm expected.
GUARD: I didn't see you go out.
DOCTOR: What?
GUARD: This is the second time you've been in here.
DOCTOR: I say, you've got a marvellous memory. It must be fifty of your years since I was last here. Roma-? K9, do you know where she is?
K9: Master.
DOCTOR: Then run and fetch her, and tell her to hurry.
K9: Master.
(K9 heads back into the jungle, and the DOCTOR enters the city.)

[INT. Power room]

(LEXA and CARIS find that there is no Dodecahedron in the room any longer.)
CARIS: It's not possible.

[EXT. Jungle]

(ROMANA uses a large wrench to cut the plant tendrils from her legs. She catches her breath.)
ROMANA: Ugh, bell plants. Very nasty. Now I see why they live underground.
(Before standing, she notices more crispy fronds.)
ROMANA: More scorching. (She shakes her head and walks off.)

[INT. Central Control]

ZASTOR: Vanished?
CARIS: We watched the Doctor leave, and the power room's empty!
ZASTOR: But that's inconceivable!
DEEDRIX: This is Control. Activate receptor panels.
(The lights on the banks of equipment lining the walls dim and die.)
DEEDRIX: It's dead. It's dead. There's no power down there.
ZASTOR: Where's the Doctor?
LEXA: He's betrayed us.
ZASTOR: Now wait a minute. Tell me exactly what happened.
LEXA: No, there isn't time. Out of my way.
(She activates the intercom.)
LEXA: This is a Control command. This is a Control command.

[INT. Walkway]

LEXA [OC]: Arrest the Time Lord. Stop him at all costs. He must not be allowed to leave the city.
(We see MEGLOS turn round in the corridor. He has spiky green skin again. He heads down a spiral staircase, hiding to allow two GUARDS to run past. Continuing on his way, he hides down a side passage as more GUARDS rush past, with one of them nearly heading down the passage where MEGLOS is.)
DOCTOR: (in another corridor) That's odd. I could have sworn Central Control was this way. Ah! Excuse me, I'm the Doctor. I'm expected.
(The GUARD gapes at him.)
DOCTOR: Well, will you just tell people I've arrived?
DEEDRIX [OC]: Stop the Time Lord. Stop the Doctor. Take him at all costs.
(The GUARD points his rifle at the DOCTOR's nose. LEXA and DEONS arrive.)
DOCTOR: That's very impressive. It's not exactly what I expected, but it's very impressive.
LEXA: There he is. Take him.
DOCTOR: No, no, it's all right. I'm a doctor.
LEXA: Where is the Dodecahedron?
DOCTOR: I don't know. I don't even know where Central Control is. Zastor, how good to see you. Will you tell them who I am?
LEXA: I know who you are.
ZASTOR: Doctor, what's happened?
DOCTOR: Please, please, stay calm. I'm sorry I'm late. We could have been here earlier but for the chronic hysteresis. That's a sort of time loop, you see.
LEXA: We?
DOCTOR: Yes, my assistant. She'll be along in a minute. Anyway Zastor, how are you?
ZASTOR: Baffled, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Ah.
ZASTOR: You'd better come with us.
DOCTOR: But what about Romana?
LEXA: Oh, never mind about them. Take him away!

[EXT. Jungle]

(ROMANA comes upon Grugger's ship.)
ROMANA: So that's what caused the burning.
(BROTADAC is behind ROMANA, unnoticed. She turns, jumping when she sees him.)
ROMANA: Oh! I do beg your pardon.
(He tries to grab her. She ducks under his arms and runs back into the jungle.)
K9: (stopping elsewhere in the jungle) Mistress? Mistress? Response negative. Batteries require recharge. Returning to the city.
(ROMANA encounters other Gaztak PIRATES and is driven back toward their ship. She is trapped, and the PIRATES have their guns at the ready.)
BROTADAC: She's seen too much. Kill her!

The above notes, transcription, etc. by Anna Shefl

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