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Frontios
by Christopher H. Bidmead
Part Four
1, INT: TRACTATORS' CAVE
(The excavating machine arrives. It is a vast circular structure with many blades attached, but the main focus is on its very human driver. A pale, staring human head sits in the centre of the front of the machine, with wires coming in and out of it. The machine's grating, scraping noise continues as it gets nearer.)
TEGAN: That's horrible. It's a corpse.
DOCTOR: Not exactly. There's a living mind enslaved in the middle of that lot.
TEGAN: That face...I recognise it from somewhere.
DOCTOR: It's...Captain Revere...(Captain Revere's unseeing eyes stare blankly out from the machine into nothing...)
GRAVIS: Two specimens have come down to us from the world above in an undamaged state. This is a rare pleasure.
DOCTOR: How do you do. I'm the Doctor.(He extends his hand, before remembering that Tractators don't have hands.)
DOCTOR: Oh, er, this is Tegan.
GRAVIS: We know you Doctor - at least by reputation.
DOCTOR: Then perhaps you won't mind telling us who you are.
GRAVIS: I am...the Gravis.
2, INT: RESEARCH ROOM
(Norna chops up food on a table. She suddenly notices a Retrograde who has entered from above. As he is about to jump down, she throws him down onto the ground. He lies still, but when Norna goes to see if he is alright he grabs her.)
NORNA: HELP!
(He holds her up against the wall.)
3, INT: TRACTATOR CENTRE
(The Doctor and Tegan are led by the Gravis into another chamber, this time with a large swirl pattern on the ground.)
GRAVIS: This is our centre of operations. You see, Doctor, I do not fear you would take this information back to Gallifrey. You will never leave Frontios now.
DOCTOR: Well, you could be right, Gravis.
TEGAN: Considering the state of the TARDIS...(This attracts the Gravis' attention immediately.)
GRAVIS: TARDIS? You have...a TARDIS?!
TEGAN (sarcastic): Not anymore!(The Doctor was not intending to tell the Gravis anything.)
DOCTOR: Ah, not anymore than...any other Time Lord. You like travel?
GRAVIS: Only those who have been isolated for millennia truly appreciate the power of mobility. Yes...I should like to see your TARDIS.
3, INT: RESEARCH ROOM
(An Orderly walks into the room, and not seeing anyone he grabs some food. The Retrograde is holding Norna out of sight behind some crates.)
4, INT: TRACTATOR CENTRE
GRAVIS: We have been marooned out here on Frontios for nearly 500 years - as I'm sure the Time Lords already know.
DOCTOR: (friendly) Yes, I'd better put you right on one thing, Gravis: the Time Lords didn't send me to investigate - Gallifrey operates a policy of strict...non-intervention these days. And besides, Frontios is completely outside our...normal sphere of influence.
TEGAN: You're practically telling him to carry on as is.(The Doctor knows they can't offend the Gravis, so he continues the friendly routine despite Tegan not understanding.)
DOCTOR: Well, we mustn't take the narrow viewpoint, Tegan. After all, Gravis and his friends were here long before the Earth colonists.
TEGAN: (bemused) You can't side with them! They built the excavating machine!
DOCTOR: (to Gravis, smiling) Slight...communications problem here, Gravis. My assistant hasn't been programmed in the ways of the world. Please forgive the naivety.(Gravis indicates to a Tractator who starts to move towards Tegan. Tegan looks thoroughly confused.)
5, INT: RESEARCH ROOM
(The Retrograde covers Norna with a gun while he eats. Cockerill arrives, trying to be silent. He dives on the man with the gun, and they fight until a third Retrograde comes in and bashes the first on the back. The first Retrograde collapses and Cockerill gets up.)
NORNA: But Cockerill, you're an Orderly!
COCKERILL: Retired from active duty.
6, INT: TRACTATOR CENTRE
(The Tractator holds Tegan in its beam.)
TEGAN: Doctor, you can't let them do this to me.
DOCTOR: (still acting) I'm terribly embarrassed about all this.
GRAVIS: Not at all, Doctor.
DOCTOR: It must be the humidity causing the malfunction. These serving machines are perfectly reliable on Gallifrey.
GRAVIS: The guard Tractator here will restrain it while I show you more of our work here.(The Doctor, believing Tegan is safe enough, turns to go, but the Gravis stops.)
GRAVIS: It is certainly a very convincing replica of the humanoid life form.
DOCTOR: (staring straight at Tegan) Oh, you think so. I got it cheap because the walks not quite right...and then there's the accent of course...(Tegan stares back, fuming. The Doctor once again starts to move off, knowing Tegan is safer without the Gravis around.)
DOCTOR: But, when it's working well, it's very reliable - keeping track of appointments, financial planning, word processing, that sort of thing...
(The Doctor and the Gravis leave. Tegan can't believe what the Doctor did, but neither can she do anything about it.)
7, INT: RESEARCH ROOM
(A large group of Retrogrades have now occupied the Research Room, and they are collecting weapons. One of them is eating.)
COCKERILL: Leave it. There's time enough for that when we've taken the ship.
(They are about to leave, with Cockerill leading, but Norna runs up.)
NORNA: Listen to me; this isn't the way to do it!
(One of the Rets holds Norna.)
NORNA: Please stop him somebody!
(Cockerill looks at her, and then goes outside.)
NORNA: Why is he doing this?
RETROGRADE: Look, the earth began to suck him down and then returned him. Cockerill's the man to save this planet.(Cockerill comes back in.)
COCKERILL: All clear. Ready?
NORNA: No, you don't understand!
COCKERILL: Keep her quiet!(They push her away to the other part of the room.)
8, INT: TRACTATORS' CAVE
(The Doctor kneels over the now dead Captain Revere.)
GRAVIS: Once mind functions are extinct the entity is no longer useful as a motive force.
DOCTOR: Yes, he seems dead enough...
GRAVIS: A waste...but we had the best of him. You can watch us fit the replacement.(They turn and look at Plantagenet sitting in the cage.)
9, INT: MINES
(Range and Brazen lead the mission forward. Range stops and looks confused.)
BRAZEN: Come on, Mr. Range, I've got five good men dependent on you.
RANGE: No, I'm lost. I don't know the way.
BRAZEN: I'm sure we can pick up the trail again....I'll trust your judgement.
RANGE: Let's rest for a while, hmm?
BRAZEN: Better for morale if we keep on the move, eh? We can take it slowly.(They move forward a few steps before Brazen stops Range again.)
BRAZEN: Quiet! There's someone coming!
(He points for the men to hide and he does the same. But the person coming is only Turlough.)
BRAZEN: Turlough!
RANGE: But you're supposed to be with Norna! You've left her alone!
TURLOUGH: I thought you might need me.
RANGE: Well, what about Norna?!
BRAZEN: We do need you - to show us the way.
RANGE: I'm going back, someone should be with her.(He turns and leaves, Turlough yells back to him.)
TURLOUGH: NO, IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!
BRAZEN: Leave him be! He's not the man for the job...You show us.(Turlough goes to the front of the party and heads off.)
10, INT: TRACTATOR CENTRE
(The Tractator still holds Tegan prisoner. Turlough and the party arrive nearby, hidden by rocks. Turlough puts his head up to see what's happening, and quickly ducks again we sees the Tractator.)
11, INT: TRACTATORS CAVE
(The Doctor, complete with his half-moon glasses, is examining the excavating machine.)
GRAVIS: We will now demonstrate how the drive mechanism is installed.
DOCTOR: Ah, yes...if I could just inspect the linkages...?(He pretends to examine the machine, but really he intends to talk to Plantagenet.)
PLANTAGENET: Why Doctor?
(At that moment, one of the linkages snaps open and attaches itself to the Doctor's neck. The Doctor ignores Plantagenet as he attempts to remove the device.)
DOCTOR: Ah yes! It's very efficient, Gravis. You certainly know your mechanics. No shortage of spare parts either, eh?
GRAVIS: Not on Frontios.
PLANTAGENET: If it weren't for the bombardment...
DOCTOR: Oh, but it is for the bombardment, isn't it Gravis? No accident that.
GRAVIS: The existence of a heavy asteroid belt in the Veruna system was fortuitous. But the rest, Doctor, has been our gravitational engineering.
DOCTOR: You know, I guessed as much - useful asteroid belt up there, some additional gravity beams down here and you're knocking them over like ninepins.
PLANTAGENET: I curse the unhappy chance that brought us to this planet.
DOCTOR: Ooh, not chance...eh Gravis?
GRAVIS: You're right, Doctor. Our skill steered the ship here.
PLANTAGENET: You?!
DOCTOR: Their gravity beams again. Which explains why the colony ship's systems failed...before the crash.
PLANTAGENET: But at the beginning...there was no bombardment...?
DOCTOR: Oh, they gave you ten years to establish yourselves, and then they started making their collection.
12, INT: MINES
(Range runs around in the tunnels. Suddenly he is captured by a Tractator's gravity beam.)
RANGE: No. NO!
13, INT: TRACTATORS' CAVE
(Plantagenet is now seated at the front of the machine, links going to his arms and head.)
GRAVIS: We are almost ready, Doctor. I shall demonstrate the final adjustment.
(The Gravis shuffles off behind the machine, which finally gives the Doctor a chance to speak to Plantagenet without having to flatter the Gravis at the same time.)
DOCTOR: I'm here to help you.
PLANTAGENET: I don't believe you.
DOCTOR: Well, you'll have to trust me. When the time comes, do exactly as I say.
PLANTAGENET: Yes, but when will the time come?
GRAVIS: (oov) Doctor!
DOCTOR: I was rather wondering that myself.
14, INT: MINES
(Turlough is trying to find a way of getting past the Tractator guarding Tegan. Brazen tries to push him down under cover.)
BRAZEN: Get down!
(This is enough to attract the Tractator's attention, and Turlough is caught in its beam.)
TURLOUGH: It's seen me. It knows I'm here! ...Help! HELP!
(He starts to be dragged away from the others. Brazen holds his legs but its no use.)
15, INT: MINES
(Elsewhere, Range manages to fight off the Tractator, which shuffles away. Range picks up his glasses and lamp, and hurries away.)
16, INT: MINES
(Turlough gets dragged out into the open.)
TURLOUGH: It's tearing me apart!
(Brazen loses grip on Turlough's leg and he falls out into the centre, where Tegan goes over to help him. The other men come out of their hiding place as well.)
17, INT: TRACTATOR CENTRE
TEGAN: Idiot! The Doctor had a plan. You've ruined it now!
TURLOUGH: Save the bickering until we're out of here!
TEGAN: He's probably in great danger. Mr Brazen! The Doctor needs your help! This way!(The men attack and defeat the Tractator, while Tegan drags Brazen out of the cave with Turlough.)
18, INT: TRACTATORS CAVE
GRAVIS: Let us show you how we smooth our walls, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Yes, I've been wondering why you needed such a fine polish. More of your gravitational engineering, I suspect?
GRAVIS: You're getting ahead of yourself, Doctor; we will have to know one another much better before I can discuss that stage of our plans.
DOCTOR: Do you know, I think I can guess, Gravis. The tunnels act as wave guides. You're concentrating your gravitational forces.
GRAVIS: ...Possibly.
DOCTOR: Why, the combined power would be astronomical.
GRAVIS: Yes. When the tunnel system is complete, and the work is nearly done...(Suddenly they hear footsteps and Brazen runs in with Tegan and Turlough.)
DOCTOR: No no no, stay back!
(Brazen doesn't listen. He runs over to Plantagenet and the machine.)
DOCTOR: Please, there are far too many of them.
BRAZEN: How do we get him OUT of this, Doctor!
DOCTOR: Well, theoretically it's highly complex. Practically...
GRAVIS: NO DOCTOR! I FORBID YOU TO TOUCH THE MACHINE!(The Gravis hurries over to try and stop the Doctor. The Doctor pulls out one of the wires and the Gravis is zapped by a blue bolt of energy that comes from the machine. Plantagenet seems to be effected, but not as much as the Gravis, who stumbles around dazed. The other Tractators also start flailing wildly around.)
TEGAN: What's happening to them?
(The Gravis loses all its balance and falls face first onto the ground.)
19, INT: RESEARCH ROOM
(Norna is gagged and tied to the walkway. She struggles to get free. She sees a knife on the bench, and she uses her foot to bring it towards her.)
20, INT: TRACTATORS' CAVE
(The Gravis lies face down on the ground.)
BRAZEN: Is he dead?
DOCTOR: No no, just stunned.(The Doctor tries to pull out the rest of the wires to free Plantagenet from the machine.)
DOCTOR: We'll have to work quickly...
(As they get rid of the last wires, Brazen gets caught by one of them.)
DOCTOR: Careful!
(He rips it off Brazen's arm, and Brazen grabs Plantagenet. The Doctor holds the wires.)
DOCTOR: Come on you two! We're getting out of here.
(They run off, all except for Turlough who is having another lapse of memory. The sight of the machine seems to have put him back under a trance. He moves towards it.)
TEGAN: TURLOUGH! TURLOUGH!
(Just as he is nearly at the machine, Brazen runs over and gets between him and machine, trying to push him back. The Doctor runs up behind Turlough and tries to pull him. But Turlough is dazed enough to lose control of his body, his momentum pushing Brazen into the clutches of the machine. The Doctor struggles to pull Turlough away.)
DOCTOR: BRAZEN!
TEGAN: Doctor, the Gravis!(Sure enough, the Gravis is conscious. It starts to stand up.)
BRAZEN: Get out of here, sir, while there's time!
DOCTOR: Give me your hand!
BRAZEN: Go...that's and order...(Those are his last words. He screams as the machine attaches itself to him - he is the new driver. The Doctor half drags and half carries Turlough away.)
21, INT: RESEARCH ROOM
(The pack of Retrogrades is back. Cockerill comes in last.)
COCKERILL: Look men, this is the beginning of a new Frontios. I never wanted to be a second Plantagenet, but it seems there's no choice.
(Norna walks in.)
NORNA: We won't need a 'second Plantagenet'.
COCKERILL: What do you mean?
NORNA: He's still alive. Chief Orderly Brazen and my father have gone to rescue him.(She walks off towards the other part of the room. Cockerill and a Retrograde follow her. They pause and look down the mine.)
RETROGRADE: What? Down there?
COCKERILL: I don't believe you.(They suddenly hear hoarse breathing noises. They look down and see Range at the bottom of the ladder.)
RANGE: It's no good. Tractators everywhere! Frontios is doomed!
22, INT: MINES
(The Doctor, Plantagenet, Turlough and an Orderly stop for a rest in the mines. Turlough has recovered.)
TURLOUGH: Doctor! I remember everything! I must tell you!
DOCTOR: Yes, all in good time, Turlough.
TURLOUGH: I know what they are!
PLANTAGENET: And I know what they're trying to do.
DOCTOR: Well, that sounds promising - put the two things together and we may find a way of stopping them.(Tegan runs up.)
TEGAN: The excavating machine - it's going berserk!
DOCTOR: I think it's time we left. Come on.(They leave. The Doctor waits behind, listening to the sound of the machine.)
23, INT: TRACTATORS' CAVE
(The Gravis moves towards the smoking pile that was his machine.)
GRAVIS: My machine...my machine.
(He turns and yells out into the caves.)
GRAVIS: We will find you, Doctor! You will pay dearly for this disruption to our plans.
24, INT: CAVE
(The group has entered another cave. This one is small, dark and rocky.)
TEGAN: No sign of them.
DOCTOR: Well, these aren't Tractator tunnels; we should be safe here for a while. Keep watch that end!(The Orderly moves off to the end of the cave.)
DOCTOR: Now, what do we know about these creatures?
PLANTAGENET: The tunnel system is a gigantic ring - smooth and mathematically precise.
DOCTOR: Yes...they're building a gravity motor.
TEGAN: A motor?
TURLOUGH: That's what they do to planets. They're going to drive Frontios.
DOCTOR: Steer it through the galaxy under the power of gravity.
TURLOUGH: To steal and plunder wherever they go.
DOCTOR: And breed - infesting new planets. Nowhere in the universe will be safe from them.
25, INT: OUTSIDE CAVE
(The Orderly waits on guard outside the cave. He puts his lamp down for a while, rubbing his hands together. Suddenly the lamp is caught within a Tractator beam and it slowly starts sliding away.)
26, INT: CAVE
TEGAN: But if their excavating machine is wrecked, they can't complete the ring?
PLANTAGENET: They have another. All they need is a driver.
TURLOUGH: And anyone of us will do for that.(They hear two loud screams coming from outside the cave.)
TEGAN: That was the Orderly.
(Tegan hurries out of the cave.)
DOCTOR: No no, Tegan, it's too late! Follow me.
(The Doctor leads them out in a different direction.)
27, INT: MINES
(In another part of the mine, Tegan seems to have been separated from the others. On a nearby wall she sees something unexpected - a section of the TARDIS interior walls.)
TEGAN: The TARDIS!!
(She keeps running, seeing more sections of the TARDIS around the place.)
TEGAN: ...bits of it anyway. DOCTOR, LOOK WHAT I FOU...
(As she turns she sees the Gravis and some Tractators looking right at her.)
TEGAN: Oh no, not you again.
(She backs slowly away from the approaching Gravis. She continues backwards until she happens upon the TARDIS interior door in one of the walls. The Gravis approaches - very close to her now.)
GRAVIS: Perhaps I have been deceived. I think we have found our new driver.
(Tegan taking her chance, ducks through the TARDIS door.)
28, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE
DOCTOR: (oov) Glad you could join us.
TEGAN: Doctor! There you are.
DOCTOR: Turlough, Plantagenet and I have been working out a plan.
TEGAN: Well, it had better work because they're right outside.(They walk over to the console, which is intact, only, many parts of the walls have rocks in place of the usual walls.)
DOCTOR: Oh, I rather hoped they would be.
PLANTAGENET: Turlough has remembered the secret of the Tractators!
DOCTOR: Hmm, apparently they're not really dangerous.
TURLOUGH: It's the Gravis they draw their strength from. Without him, they're...harmless burrowing earth creatures.
TEGAN: Well, they certainly fooled me.
TURLOUGH: So - all we have to do is find a way of isolating the Gravis from the others.
TEGAN: That should be fun.(The Doctor has been underneath the console, Tegan notices for the first time.)
TEGAN: He's not trying to take off, surely?
TURLOUGH: Unfortunately not.(Turlough helps the Doctor put his hand on the switch he was blindly trying to find.)
TURLOUGH: None of the controls are functional.
TEGAN: You mean, it just looks pretty.
PLANTAGENET: That's the idea.
DOCTOR: Well, that's it.(He emerges from beneath the console.)
DOCTOR: Now, this should either sort out this whole Tractator problem and repair the TARDIS...
TEGAN: ...or?
DOCTOR: ...Or it won't. I suggest you all get under cover.(Tegan, Turlough and Plantagenet hide behind the far side of the console. The Doctor prepares for his plan.)
GRAVIS: (oov) It is useless to hide!
29, INT: MINES
GRAVIS: We have you completely in our control now.
(The Doctor pokes his head out of the door.)
DOCTOR: Yes, quite. I'd er...I'd like to negotiate...a surrender.
GRAVIS: There is nothing to negotiate.
DOCTOR: Oh absolutely, you can have it all: Frontios, its unhappy occupants, the lot. I don't think it's fair for us Time Lords to interfere.
GRAVIS: You admit you were sent?
DOCTOR: Why should we let a bunch of stuffed shirts deprive you of your own form of transportation? Hmm? However primitive.
GRAVIS: Primitive?
DOCTOR: Well...in comparison to Gallifreyan time technology of course. But...then, what isn't?(The Doctor, continuing his plan, lets the door slip open so the Gravis can see the TARDIS console.)
GRAVIS: The...The TARDIS!!
DOCTOR: What, this? Oh yes, well, as I was saying, you can have Frontios, all the fixtures and fittings appertaining thereunto, and I'll pull my TARDIS together and get off your patch, hmm?
GRAVIS: I should like to see it...this TARDIS.(The Doctor starts to move between the Gravis and the other Tractators, while he continues to make up things to say to distract the Gravis while he ushers him towards the door.)
DOCTOR: Well, it's not all here at the moment, you understand. It's, er... it's been spatially distributed to optimise the, um...the packing efficiency of, er... the real time envelope.
(He checks that the Tractators are still standing where they were, then follows the Gravis into the TARDIS and shuts the door.)
30, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE
GRAVIS: The power of travel is beautiful, Doctor - very beautiful.
DOCTOR: Yes, yes indeed.(The Doctor continues his friendly guided tour act. He points to the panel and various switches as he talks to the Gravis.)
DOCTOR: Well, as you can see, from this panel Gravis I control all of the main TARDIS functions. The time coordinates, spatial coordinates...all inoperative at the moment, of course, because the spatial distribution circuits are switched in.
(The Gravis pushes the switch that the Doctor last mentioned.)
DOCTOR: Ah. Now you really will have to be more careful, Gravis. Now the auto-scan is picking up all the locations of the concealed TARDIS components. Oh well, not to worry. I shouldn't think it's even within your powers to reassemble them. Besides, what would you want with an old Type 40 Time and Relative Dimension in Space machine, hmm?
GRAVIS: But I do want it, Doctor! The TARDIS - infinite travel within my grasp!(The Doctor said it perfectly. All he has to do now is keep up the act and his plan might work.)
DOCTOR: Oh no, Gravis, please. Take everything else but leave me the TARDIS.
GRAVIS: I will have it.
DOCTOR: Oh no, Gravis, please, I beg you!! Spare me the TARDIS!!
GRAVIS: I will have it!
TURLOUGH: What's he doing, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Shush, this isn't the time to disturb his concentration.(The Doctor - his trap having succeeded - watches hopefully as the console starts to shake. The lighting flickers and a sound like wind can be heard. The Gravis is using all its concentration to bring the missing pieces of the TARDIS together. The others are still under the console.)
PLANTAGENET: Doctor, what have you done?
(The Doctor appears below.)
DOCTOR: Brace yourselves.
(The Gravis keeps going.)
31, INT: RESEARCH ROOM
(Norna and Range are drinking from cups. The room starts to shake.)
NORNA: What was that?
RANGE: The end...the end of Frontios.
NORNA: Or the beginning, Father...
32, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE
(The Gravis still swirls around the room, the wind is loud and everything is shaking.)
TEGAN: The TARDIS can't stand this, Doctor.
DOCTOR: It's kill or cure.(The TARDIS interior walls start to reappear through the rocks. One piece is revealed when a wall of rocks collapses. The Gravis is not finished yet.)
TEGAN: The TARDIS is coming together!
TURLOUGH: That's impossible.
DOCTOR: For you and me maybe, but when the Gravis really wants something...
TURLOUGH: The TARDIS will be repaired?
DOCTOR: With a bit of luck, any moment, the plasmic outer walls of the TARDIS will seal.
TURLOUGH: We'll be in our own dimension!
DOCTOR: If your theory is correct, Turlough, the vital link between the Gravis and his Tractator chums... Hold on!(They cling to the console harder, as the light gets brighter. The Gravis keeps trying. All of the walls are gradually appearing as normal. The wind dies down, the Gravis collapses onto the console and lights are back to normal. The Doctor moves over to the seemingly unconscious or dead Gravis.)
PLANTAGENET: Is he dead?
DOCTOR: Oh no no, but quite harmless...and as long as we keep him isolated from the other Tractators, he'll stay that way.
TEGAN: We can't go dragging around the universe with a dormant Gravis on the console...?
DOCTOR: Well, the first thing we'll do... is drop him off on some uninhabited planet.
33, EXT: FRONTIOS
(Sometime in the near future, Plantagenet and Range are walking outside in a now safe world. Plantagenet is back in uniform.)
PLANTAGENET: Brave man, this Doctor - travelling with the Gravis on board?
RANGE: Oh, it's quite harmless now. I inspected the creature myself.(They approach Turlough and Norna. Turlough has the hat-stand. He puts it on the ground.)
TURLOUGH: Now all we need...is a console room to go round it.
RANGE: Well the Doctor and Tegan are due back any minute...
TURLOUGH: He's got a present for you.
PLANTAGENET: A present? But it is enough that he has given us our freedom.
RANGE: Yes, no more terror - descending from the sky.
TURLOUGH: Not unless you count...the TARDIS.(They all hear the TARDIS arriving. The Doctor and Tegan emerge.)
DOCTOR: Well that's that. The Gravis is safe and well on the uninhabited planet of Kolkokron, exercising his animal magnetism on the rocks and boulders.
TEGAN: There's nothing but rocks and boulders out there. All the planets are deserted according to the TARDIS scanner.
RANGE: Well it's better than being among enemies as we thought.
PLANTAGENET: So, the last of mankind is after all quite alone.
DOCTOR: Alone, but in good hands Plantagenet. Speaking of which, I know it's not much, but er...a farewell token.(He picks up the hat stand and places it in front of Plantagenet.)
PLANTAGENET: Frontios is honoured, Doctor. But surely you'll stay a while longer and enjoy some of the new colony we're building?
DOCTOR: Oh no no, far too much repair work of my own to be done. Besides, time and the time laws don't permit it. There's an etiquette about these things which we've rather overlooked, I'm afraid.
RANGE: But Doctor, you've done so much for us.(The Doctor looks slightly paranoid, thinking of the Time Lords.)
DOCTOR: Yes, quite. Don't mention it.
(He disappears into the TARDIS.)
NORNA: After all he's done, he just says 'don't mention it'?
TEGAN: He means it, literally.
TURLOUGH: Don't mention it...to anyone.(Tegan and Turlough go into the TARDIS leaving Norna, Range and Plantagenet to watch them leave. Plantagenet looks up at the hat stand.)
34, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE
(The Doctor comes out of the interior door and walks to the console where Turlough and Tegan are.)
DOCTOR: Now, listen you two, if the Time Lords ever hear about our little trip to Frontios...they'll be serious trouble.
(The Doctor listens to something on the console.)
TURLOUGH: What would have happened if we hadn't been there, Doctor?
TEGAN: Well, the TARDIS engines would be working properly, for one thing.
DOCTOR: Oh, there's nothing wrong with them...(He hits the console.)
TEGAN: Then why are they making that funny noise?
TURLOUGH: We're going far too fast Doctor...STOP THE ENGINES!
DOCTOR: No no no, leave them, they're alright.(Suddenly there is a strange noise and they all fall forward onto the console as the room shakes.)
TURLOUGH: WHAT'S HAPPENING?!
TEGAN: The Gravis?
DOCTOR: Oh no, this is something much more powerful: we're being pulled towards the middle of the universe! I'm trying to pull against it.
TEGAN: Against what?
DOCTOR: I don't know. I think we're about to find out...
The Doctor
PETER DAVISONTegan
JANET FIELDINGTurlough
MARK STRICKSON
Brazen
PETER GILMORENorna
LESLEY DUNLOPRange
WILLIAM LUCASGravis
JOHN GILLETTPlantagenet
JEFF RAWLECockerill
MAURICE O'CONNELLRetrograde
RAYMOND MURTAGHTractators
GEORGE CAMPBELL
MICHAEL MALCOLM
STEPHEN SPEED
WILLIAM BOWEN
HEDI KHURSANDI
Incidental Music
PADDY KINGSLANDSpecial Sound
DICK MILLS
BBC RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOPProduction Manager
ALEX GOHARProduction Associate
JUNE COLLINSProduction Assistant
VALERIE LETLEYAssistant Floor Manager
JOANNA GURITZVisual Effects Designer
DAVE HAVARDVideo Effects
DAVE CHAPMANTechnical Manager
ALAN ARBUTHNOTTCamera Supervisor
ALEC WHEALVision Mixer
PAUL WHEELERVideotape Editor
HUGH PARSONLighting
JOHN SUMMERSSound
MARTIN RIDOUTCostume Designer
ANUSHIA NIERADZIKMake-Up Designer
JILL HAGGERScript Editor
ERIC SAWARDTitle Sequence
SID SUTTONDesigner
DAVID BUCKINGHAMProducer
JOHN NATHAN-TURNERDirector
RON JONES©BBC MCMLXXXIII
Transcribed by
Robbie Parkes 2006