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The Trial
of a Time Lord
by Robert Holmes
Part Two
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The Matrix screen returns to its grey state, with the picture breaking up
in small squares. The Doctor turns and asks the Valeyard why he stopped
it at the best bit as he was rather enjoying this.
"I'm sure you were," answers the Valeyard.
The Doctor asks for approval of his clever trick with the umbrella, and
the Valeyard tells him it was most ingenious.
The Doctor smiles and tells him how he likes to do the unexpected as it
takes people by surprise.
The Valeyard stands and addresses the rest of the Court.
"Hear how the Doctor takes pride in his interference! Hear how he boasts!
These are not the reactions of a responsible Time Lord!"
"We are all aware of that, Valeyard," says the Inquisitor, looking up from
the notes she's been making in her book. "What is the point you are trying
to make?"
"These proceedings started as a mere Inquiry into the Doctor's
activities. I'm suggesting now it becomes a Trial, and if he is
found guilty, I strongly suggest the termination of his life!"
The Doctor sits up in his chair and stares in shock at the Valeyard. . .
"So, you want me dead eh?" asks the Doctor at the Valeyard.
"What the Valeyard wants and what the Court decides are two entirely
different things Doctor," replies the Inquisitor with a tone of voice that's
clearly meant to tell everyone who is in charge, but not to do so improperly.
The Doctor turns to her and thanks her with more politeness than is necessary,
and the Inquisitor tells the Valeyard to proceed.
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Prosecution Interface One "The Mysterious Planet"
Continued
An alarm rings out and the whirr of an engine can be heard above the cheers
of the stoners. Balazar looks away and shouts the name of what's approaching.
"Train guards!"
A rust colored personnel transport/motorized train wheels slowly into the
chamber while the black-suited commander's voice calls over a loudspeaker
that this station is a work unit over strength, and that there must be a cull.
The train stops and the commander and the half-dozen red-suited and helmeted
train guards disembark rapidly, each armed with a small crossbow-like weapon.
Balazar tells them that the situation has been dealt with even as the guard
named Grell goes to examine the Doctor. The commander approaches Balazar
and asks who the man is. Balazar tells him he doesn't know and that
the man told many lies, even that he had read their sacred books.
Grell reports that the man is still breathing, and the commander orders him
to kill him.
"Stop!"
The massive silver robot views the scene on its monitor and gives its
command over a radio into the receiver inside the commander's helmet.
The commander stops Grell, telling him the Immortal is speaking. He turns
and listens to the voice inside his helmet and tells them that he now
wishes to question the stranger.
He asks Grell how near death the man is, and Grell says he is merely stunned.
The commander orders two guards to pick him up and accompany him on a patrol.
Grell asks why they don't just transport the man on the train, and the
commander repeats a little more forcefully that he wants to patrol (walk).
The commander tells Balazar to come with him, for if the stranger dies,
the Immortal may wish to question Balazar about him instead.
The commander and Balazar lead the party, with the two guards carrying
the Doctor behind. As they move off down the corridor, the train can be
heard to be rolling out.
Peri is shoved onto the floor of the queen's hut by the two men who captured
her. The queen is seated in her wooden throne on a raised level from the
rest of the hut, with a cup filled with fire ahead of her some distance
away.
The queen tells Peri to rise and welcomes her. Peri does so and says hi.
The queen notes that Peri is not from the Tribe of the Free, and asks just
where she is from. Peri says that its kind of difficult to explain.
The queen introduces herself as Katryca, the Leader of the Free. She asks
Peri for her name. Peri rattles off her full name of Perpugilliam Brown
and tells her her friends call her Peri.
Katryca smiles at her and repeats the name, and then tells her that not
many girls join the Free, and that she will provide some excellent husbands
for Peri.
"Husbands?" Peri asks, "Plural?"
"Such women as we have must be shared," explains Katryca matter-of-factly.
"Think about it," she adds, and then instructs the guards to put her with
the other prisoners. The guards grab her again, and she shakes off their
forceful fists and tells them she _can_ walk. She storms out, followed
by the guards.
Katryca looks after her with a face a mixture of anger and wonder.
Balazar calls the commander Merdeen, and asks him if the Immortal is
really as men say he is as the party walks down the corridor.
Merdeen asks him what men do say, and Balazar says that the Immortal is
taller than two, and he's supposed to have arms of steel.
Merdeen tells him that the Immortal is never seen; he stays in his castle.
Balazar asks Merdeen how the Immortal gives him his commands in that case,
and Merdeen says that he talks to him through the air and watches him
with boxes. He points at one such box along the wall and stops to
illustrate it. Balazar examines it closely and tells Merdeen that he
thinks the box is called a camera, and that men of ancient times used
such things to take pictures of the Canadian Goose. Merdeen asks how he
knows that, and Balazar tells him it is because of his task to study the
ancient texts.
"About which you continually boast," the Doctor almost whines as he wakes
up with a face that screams "headache" to all who look on it. "That's
the trouble with pallid little swats like you, Balazar," he adds, "You
can't even organize an efficient stoning."
Balazar tells him it was only half over and that he'd be free of his
troubles if Merdeen and the train guards hadn't saved him.
The Doctor starts to move between the two guards and Merdeen motions for
them to let him down. The Doctor tells Merdeen he is grateful to him,
and Merdeen explains that it was at the orders of the Immortal.
The Doctor rubs some bruises on his shoulder and tells Merdeen to please
convey his thanks to him. He looks at a package on Merdeen's belt and
asks if it contains water and if he could have some.
Merdeen touches it protectively and tells him its his ration for the next
two days.
"Give it to him," orders the Immortal, the robot, watching on his screen.
Merdeen turns to the camera and asks for that again. The Immortal repeats
the order and Merdeen begins to give the Doctor the water.
The Doctor looks at it and insists that Merdeen keep it as he'd forgotten
how important that stuff was down here.
He next turns his attention to the camera. He steps closer to it, his
face enlarging and filling the screen as he examines what he thinks to be
a mono-optic system. "And is the, uh, Immortal on the other end of that?"
he asks, punctuating the question with a point of his finger.
The screen switches off and the Immortal steps back. Between him and the
screen are two young, short, blonde, pale men with curly hair and bright
eyes. They wear white coveralls with yellow colored chests that make
them look like they're dressed for a game of Twister.
The slightly taller and probably slightly older of the two speaks first,
with the other trading comments back like in a tennis match.
"Extremely ugly."
"Hideous in the extreme."
The Immortal tells them that physionomy is irrelevant, somewhat testily.
"Insofar as. . . "
"Appearance has no function."
"But function has an appearance."
"Which is irrelevant to the function."
"Perfect!"
"I must write that down!"
The taller one says he'll make an equation of this as the two run for where
they keep their paper until they stop as the Immortal orders them to
"Cease your prattle!" They cease like the yes-men they are and the
Immortal tells them to activate the Service Robot. "Now!"
They take their stool-like chairs before a complicated but somewhat
haphazard computer console in this large control center and begin work.
The door to the jail hut opens and Peri is shoved in with Glitz and Dibber.
Glitz stands up and tells Dibber they seem to have a pretty visitor, and
that he's beginning to feel better already.
"Sabalom Glitz, my dear," he goes on, "and this youth with the single
track mind and vacuous expression is Dibber."
Peri introduces herself and shakes hands stiffly with Glitz. She tells
them she's figured out that they're obviously not from around here.
Glitz tells her they're merely visiting like her good self.
Peri looks out the bars of the door at the tall ebony-like aerial pole in
the center of the village and notes it doesn't seem to be from around here
either.
Glitz tells her its a light converter. Peri asks what that is, and Dibber
tells her that it funnels energy down to the L3, and that's why they have
to knock it out. . . .
Glitz interrupts him and tells him he's sure Peri isn't interested in
professional matters. Dibber sort-of agrees with him, catching on at last.
Glitz tells Peri that when he and Dibber first saw her, she was not alone.
Dibber pipes up and tells her, "That's right, you were with a dillie in a
long coat, but you disappeared down the tunnel before we could. . . "
". . . before we could leap forward and make your acquaintance, eh Dibber?"
adds Glitz forcefully.
"Yeah," says Dibber, just catching on, "That's it."
Glitz asks Peri where her friend is now, and she tells him he's probably
still down there, and that for a Time Lord he's not very good at keeping
time.
"The Doctor is a Time Lord," says Glitz worriedly. "So that's how he knew
where to look."
Peri asks him what he means.
"Sent him, did they?" asks Dibber.
Glitz tells her that he thinks the Doctor's been sent on behalf of the Time
Lords. Peri tells him she doesn't think so.
Glitz smiles and realizes aloud that the Doctor is a freelance. He takes
his seat again happily and mentions the possibility of reaching an
accomodation. "Two rogues with but a single thought."
The Doctor asks how long the Immortal has been in his so-called castle.
Balazar tells him it was since before the Fire. The Doctor asks if that
means five hundred years, and Balazar admits he doesn't know but that
it was many centuries ago.
The Doctor quizzes them again on the fact that he never comes out and
nobody ever goes in. Balazar qualifies it my telling him that the young
men who pass the Selection go in. The Selection finds the two cleverest
youths, and they go to the castle. The Doctor asks why this is, and
Balazar tells him it is believed that the Immortal eats them.
"Never believe what is said, Balazar, only what you know," says the Doctor.
Behind a translucent door, a black and yellow piece of machinery whirrs
back and forth. The door begins to rise, revealing clearly a mobile robot
marked L1 with metal protrusions up and down its long left and right sides,
a clear hard plastic black glass center, a spotlight at the top of its
main section, and a small camera suspended above the entire robot.
The entire contraption moves on silver-colored tank treads. They wheel
the robot forward after the door has raised and the tall main assembly
swings back and forth, apparantly scanning.
The shorter near-twin at the console asks why they are activating this
robot, and his fellow tells him it's because "sir" ordered it.
The Immortal interrupts them and tells them it is because it may be needed.
Dibber examines the "bars" on the window of the wooden door. He comments
that they remind him of home, and that he reckons he could bite his way
through these.
Glitz tells him to relax as he'll find a way to win the confidence of these
"simple peasants."
Peri says she'd like to get out here, telling the two about Katryca's
promise of finding husbands for her.
Glitz says this helps his case, as Katryca is obviously a romantic at heart.
Peri says she is too, but not enough to want more than one husband.
Dibber tells her that where they come from, a woman can have as many as six
husbands.
Peri looks at him and smiles in a sort of happy fear. She tells him its
very similar on her planet, but there they usually like to have them one
at a time.
Glitz tells Peri he'd like to stand in for her father and give her away
at the wedding(s), but he can't as he always cries at these moments of
deep sentiment.
Dibber says he thinks they should help Peri get out.
Glitz tells him he doesn't think so, as they may need these "brutish
primitives."
Peri asks what they'd need them for, and Glitz explains by showing her a
large map he had folded up in a pocket. He unfolds it and shows Peri
and Dibber this map of the tunnel system beneath them, adding that all
the tunnels are hermetically sealed.
"If we can persuade Katryca's people to drive a shaft into the center, we
can fill them with gas," he adds with a smile. Dibber smiles as well.
Peri looks shocked, telling Glitz and Dibber that this would be mass murder.
Glitz tells her he thinks his conscience will prick a little, but where
money is concerned, that won't last long.
Peri tells them again that they can't do it, and Glitz answers,
"Don't forget, this is a high risk business venture, Peri. The people
down there take the risk, I take the profit."
Dibber reminds him that this will still leave the L3.
Glitz asks him what chance the robot will have without a labor force,
adding that it will probably be quicker than trying to destroy his black
light supply.
The door to the jail opens and the small man with the chipped tooth enters
a little. He tells everyone to come with him, and obediently, Dibber,
Peri, and Glitz file out with the man following them.
Merdeen stops his party before a very large pair of silvery metal doors,
and he tells the Doctor that he enters here.
"No need to knock I imagine," says the Doctor facetiously.
Balazar asks if he will be needed, and Merdeen turns a little to listen
to the Immortal through his helmet. "No," he answers.
"Lucky old you," says the Doctor, lightly pressing his fist on Balzar's
shoulder.
Merdeen tells the Doctor to cast his eyes to the ground when in the
presence of the Immortal, as it is forbidden to look upon him.
"On pain of being turned into a pillar of salt, I imagine. That sort of
thing," adds the Doctor.
Merdeen warns him he will not find it wise to mock the Immortal. "Doubtless
your body will be returned to me before this day is out."
The Doctor takes Merdeen around the shoulder as though to let him know
he's taking this all too seriously, and tells Merdeen to push off and
go and guard some trains.
He then walks ahead of Merdeen towards the large metal doors and pushes
them open, revealing a small chamber with smaller metal doors on the
other side. Merdeen, Balazar, and the two guards turn and leave down the
corridor.
None of them see the L1 robot wheeling itself forward with a technological
whirr from a small alcove next to the doors. . .
Glitz, Dibber, and Peri are shoved inside of Katryca's hut and placed
before her so that they have to look through the small cup of fire in
order to look at her.
Glitz begins to tell her he was sure that once she had time to consider
she'd change her mind, but Katryca shouts him down before he finished.
"Be silent! Fat one!"
She looks into the fire and then at the prisoners and tells them in a
reverent voice that she has studied the fires and found anger in them.
Peri asks about this, and Katryca speaks her sentence.
"You have travelled from beyond the stars. Your intention to steal our
great totem. Only a sacrifice in the flames will propiciate the gods."
Dibber asks if this is meant for all of them, and Katryca tells him that
only Sabalom Glitz is the chosen one.
"Me?" shouts Glitz increduously, "Are you insane? I'm wanted in six
different galaxies for crimes you couldn't even imagine! Do you think
an old hag like you can bring me down?!"
"The pyre is being built," Katryca says at him, "You will be brought
when your time is due."
The Doctor slides towards the interior doors and spots a camera mounted
near the top and left of the doors. He stops in front of it and presents
the left side of his face towards it, and tells it that this is his best
side.
The short near-twin notes the Doctor's arrogance, and his partner says he
can't wait to see how he's been programmed as they and the Immortal watch
the Doctor's face fill the viewscreen.
The doors to the control chamber open and the Doctor steps in and surveys
the scene, seeing the two young men (who immediately walk over to him and
lean down to look at his feet), the large robot, and the somewhat haphazard
controls strewn over a few consoles that are partially dismantled.
The Immortal tells the Doctor that he has been waiting for this day, and
he welcomes the Doctor, "at last."
The Doctor asks if he was expecting him, and the Immortal tells him that
he has been waiting for centuries, adding that his name is Drathro, and he
is an L3 robot.
The Doctor explains that Drathro is under a slight misapprehension as he
only decided to come here yesterday.
The two young men have moved up from the Doctor's legs and are now
reaching into his pockets and picking out certain items and examining them.
The shorter one is looking at the flashlight quizzically, while the other
plays with a squirt-type oil can.
Drathro asks where the Doctor is from if he is not from Andromeda.
"Gallifrey originally," says the Doctor, "though travel around a lot. . . "
He takes back some of his items and looks at the two young men like they
are crazy and don't know it.
Drathro tells him he has heard of Gallifrey, and that it is an advanced
civilization.
The Doctor tells him that it is in some ways, and Drathro apologizes for
his error. The Doctor tells Drathro that its quite alright, as even
Immortals are bound to make the odd mistake every few millenia.
Drathro corrects him and tells him he is not immortal. The Doctor
takes back a crumpled bag of candy from the taller man and then opens
it and offers the contents to each young man as he tells Drathro that
the locals around here seem to think he is immortal.
Drathro introduces the men as his assistants, Humker (the smaller one)
and Tandrell (the larger one, even though they're both about the same small
size). Drathro adds that the Doctor will work with them as Humker and
Tandrell sample the candy.
The Doctor asks why he will work with these men, and Drathro says it is
because he commands it.
Humker and Tandrell begin prodding the side of the Doctor's face and hair
as he tells Drathro how he sees he's a robot used to getting his own way.
Humker tells Drathro that this is remarkable.
Tandrell adds it is most impressive.
Humker says that "even the texture has an organic warmth."
The Doctor turns and points his finger in each of their faces, telling
them to stop prodding him.
Drathro interrupts loudly and tells his assistants that the Doctor is
not a robot, but an organic from an advanced civilization.
"An organic?" asks Tandrell.
"We've not met an organic since we passed the selection!" adds Humker
excitedly.
The Doctor takes them by the shoulders and tells them he knew that they
hadn't ended up for lunch.
Tandrell asks him to explain, and the Doctor tells him to nevermind. He then
asks Drathro what this work is that he wants him to do.
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The Inquisitor turns away from the Matrix screen and asks the Valeyard
if this is relevant testimony as they seem to be straying from the point.
The Valeyard tells her this is part of the prosecution's case that the
Doctor introduces a disrupting and corrupting influence wherever he goes,
so even this matters in the evidence.
The Doctor leaps out of his chair and declares that sheer poppycock.
"If the Doctor had never visited Ravolox, then the whole chain of events
we are witnessing would not have been set in motion," contends the Valeyard.
"Well how can the Boatyard make that claim?" asks the Doctor to the
Inquisitor, adding that what might or might not have happened is entirely
speculative.
The Inquisitor tells the Doctor that that is something for her to decide,
and she reminds the Doctor that the charge he faces is grave indeed.
"I only have to look at the Graveyard to see that ma'am," smiles the Doctor
at the Valeyard.
The Inquisitor tells him that his attempts at flippancy are not appreciated
in this Court, and then asks the Valeyard to proceed.
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Prosecution Interface One "The Mysterious Planet"
Continued
Drathro testily asks if the Doctor has found the fault yet, and the
Doctor looks up from behind the console he is examining and asks Drathro
to give him a chance as he's only just started.
Drathro tells the Doctor worriedly that the black light system is indicating
insipient failure. The Doctor agrees and tells him they don't last forever.
Drathro lets the Doctor know he is only trained in installation and
maintenance. The Doctor tells him that's useful stuff and where the money is.
The Immortal adds that he has trained his human assistants to study the
problem, but they are making no progress.
The Doctor looks up in disbelief at Drathro's assumption at how simple it
all should be, and tells him that black light is very tricky stuff,
implying he isn't surprised these two haven't figured out the problem.
Drathro explains that he does have a learning capacity of his own, but
that his processes of doing so are logical, and organics can often eliminate
such steps.
The Doctor tells him it's a little something called intuition.
Drathro tells the Doctor that his first task will be to restructure the
entire black light system.
The Doctor looks up in protest and tells Drathro that black light is not
his field.
"Then you will make it so," orders Drathro, "or die!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I protest!" shouts the Doctor, leaping out of his chair again.
The Inquisitor asks what he's protesting about this time.
"I am charged with interfering," blasts the Doctor, "yet is it blatantly
obvious to a blind speelsnape that I am working under duress!"
The Inquisitor nods and turns testily to the Valeyard and tells him
this does seem a valid point and asks again what the relevance of this
presentation is.
The Valeyard leans forward and tells her politely that if the accused
had not interrupted, the point he wished to make would have become obvious.
The Doctor instantly looks apologetic and voices his apology and adds
that as her ladyship is aware he is not familiar, unlike the Valeyard,
with court procedure.
The Inquisitor smiles at him and tells him the Court accepts his apology.
She turns and tells the Valeyard to proceed, then turns towards the
Matrix screen.
As the Matrix begins to replay, the Doctor smiles a smile that says
"halo around my head" at the Valeyard as he retakes his seat.
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Prosecution Interface One "The Mysterious Planet"
Continued
Dibber looks over the building wood pyre for Glitz's execution from where
they and Peri are being held by two guards and tells them it's a real waste.
"You're telling me," says Glitz.
Dibber tells him he meant the wood, and that if he was handling the execution
he'd go for a bullet in the back of the head, as its much more economial.
Peri thinks Dibber has a point.
Glitz complains that of all the snivelling screeves to get stuck with during
his moment of need, he had to get these two.
"I know," says Dibber, "Depressing isn't it?"
The two guards push the trio ahead of them as its time for the execution
to be prepared.
The Doctor looks up despondently from behind the console and tells Drathro
that he's sorry but there's not much he can do from down here.
Drathro orders the Doctor to work.
The Doctor tells him he can play at being the slave driver all he likes,
but the fault doesn't lie down here. He thinks there must be a collection
aerial out on the surface that is malfunctioning. He starts walking
towards the door, explaining he'll just pop up and have a look at it.
Drathro orders the Doctor to remain here and proceed with his appointed
task. The Doctor stops and walks up to Drathro, telling him he's got
fluff in his audio circuit. He looks around and asks what all this
equipment is for in any case.
Humker angrily tells him it provides Drathro with his energy source.
Tandrell adds that is was also to maintain the Three Sleepers until they
could be returned to Andromeda.
The Doctor asks who the Three Sleepers are, and Drathro tells him they
are dead now, as the relief ships failed to arrive.
The Doctor says he sees, and then tells everyone that if the power
failure is allowed to get any worse, they'll all be dead soon as there
will be an enormous explosion. He implores to Drathro again that it is
urgent he go up to the surface and look at the collector's aerial.
Drathro tells him he sees this is a transparent ruse to escape, and
orders the Doctor to get back to work.
The Doctor grumbles, "How do you put up with him?" as he returns back
behind the console. He takes a piece of equipment out of Humker's
hand, says "thank you" sarcastically and places it inside the console.
He looks up and asks why water is so important down here.
Humker tells him it is because the condensation plants produce only
enough water for five hundred work units.
The Doctor points out that it was raining buckets outside when he arrived.
Drathro tells him he is aware that precipitation has returned to normal.
The Doctor asks why he doesn't just let everyone pop outside and help
themselves, and Drathro says it is because he was instructed to maintain
a strictly underground survival system.
"Inflexible little fellow, aren't you?" comments the Doctor wryly.
He picks up a piece of equipment that's connected by wire to the console
and holds it across the table/console for Drathro to take. He tells
Drathro to hold this object. Drathro hesitates, and the Doctor reminds
him he's supposed to be programmed to be user-friendly or something.
As Drathro takes the equipment, the Doctor rummages a litle and finds
another bit as he tells Drathro that at times like this one needs
three hands, and that bipeds are a very inefficient design.
He turns to Humker, calls him "humbug," and tells him to hold this new
bit he's found. Humker takes it.
"And you, handbag, finger on the end there," adds the Doctor to Tandrell.
Tandrell places his finger on a switch on the console.
The Doctor looks around at what he's done, says it is good and splendid,
adds that this should just about do it, and flicks a switch.
Electric sparks shoot across the console suddenly, paralyzing Tandrell,
Humker, and Drathro through their connections via what they're holding.
The Doctor runs for it and out the doors as they begin to recover.
The Doctor stops in shock as the L1 robot blocks his path. He points
to the right and tells the L1 to look at what's over there. The robot
stupidly does so and the Doctor runs around its left and out the main
doors.
Drathro turns from the console at last and orders the service robot to
follow the Doctor using his tracer disk, and to bring him back unharmed.
The two guards force Peri, Dibber, and Glitz along a path beside a wooden
fence on their way to the execution.
"Ready?" says Glitz suddenly.
Peri suddenly runs ahead of the group, distracting her guard. Dibber
swings around and knocks him unconscious. Glitz does the same with his
guard. Both collapse to the ground.
Glitz tells them they've done well, then pulls another of his grenades
from his pocket and tells Dibber to take it, telling him he always keeps
something up his sleeve.
He tells Dibber to conceal himself in some muddy crevice while he and
Peri lead off the hunt.
Peri asks what hunt this is, and Glitz nods down the fenceline to where
the little man with the broken tooth has been watching all this. The man
turns and starts running back towards the main huts, and Glitz points out
that there will be a hunt soon. He tells Dibber that as soon as he gets
a chance, he is to blow the light converter to bits.
Dibber asks where they will meet up.
Glitz tells him they'll meet at the entrance to the tunnel, then takes
Peri and runs for it, while Dibber heads in the opposite direction.
Katryca is seated in her throne, examining one of the rifles taken from
Glitz and Dibber admiringly. Two other villagers are looking at it
over her shoulder.
Suddenly the man with the chipped tooth runs in and shouts, "Your Majesty!"
She stands angrily and begins to tell him, "How dare you. . . " when
the man with the tooth interrupts and tells her the prisoners have escaped.
She looks worried, then throws the gun to the man and tells him to take
it and a hunting party of young men to go and get tem, saying they must
not escape.
The Doctor also runs, down one corridor, around a corner, down another.
Merdeen, Balazar, and the two guards are on their way back to Marb Station
when a call comes over Merdeen's radio from the Immortal, telling him that
the Doctor has absconded, and that he must be found.
Humker looks at his burned hand and tells Tandrell the Doctor should be
killed.
Tandrell looks at his burned hand tells Humker he should be killed very
slowly because he hurt him and he hates being hurt.
Humker insists he hurt him more.
Tandrell tells Humker that's a subjective judgement.
Drathro turns and orders that the Doctor must not be killed because he
still needs him.
Tandrell and Humker head back for their chairs at the controls.
The L1 tracks down a corridor after the Doctor, has to stop at a corner,
maneuver and turn, and then head off faster down the next corridor.
Merdeen gives orders to his train guards, telling some to search area
green and others area red. After they leave, he turns to Balazar and
then places his hand completely over the microphone in his helmet and
tells Balazar to be quiet.
Balazar asks why they aren't searching for the Doctor, and Merdeen tells
him again to be quiet and listen. Unbeknownst to them both, Grell is
watching and listening from behind a corner.
Merdeen tells Balazar he is a clever man, and Balazar says its only
because he is the Reader.
Merdeen tells Balazar that people like him are needed on the surface,
and that he will direct him there. Balazar protests that nothing lives
on the surface and that the Fire is still there.
Merdeen tells him to listen again, and tells Balazar that there is no
Fire and that there has been no fire for hundreds of years. It is the
only place Balazar will be beyond the Immortal's reach and he will
direct him there. He asks if he understands.
Balazar protests that he doesn't know what to do there on the surface
or how he will live. Merdeen tells him he will find others there, many
that he has saved from the Immortal.
Balazar warns Merdeen that if the Immortal discovers this, he will die
and asks why he risks his life this way.
Merdeen tells him it is because he is sick of the cullings, but he has
to be careful. He thinks Grell may already suspect.
As he says this, Grell ducks back behind the corner.
Balazar asks what Merdeen will do, and Merdeen tells him he will find the
Doctor and send him to you. He says, "Let's go," lets go of the microphone,
and the two walk away silently down the corridor, not seeing Grell watch
their backs as they move away. . .
Peri runs down the wooded slope ahead of Glitz, who is losing ground on her.
Dibber leaps out of the ditch he's been hiding in, runs to the light
converter pole, places the grenade at its base, pulls the pin, and runs
back for the ditch, leaping into it just as the grenade explodes.
Dibber looks up, and sees that the converter aerial has been completely
cut and felled like a tree. He smiles and begins to get up and run.
Electric sparks fly off the consoles, off the neon-colored walls, and
off of Drathro, who calls sickly, "Whaat is. . . happening?"
Humker and Tandrell look at him in worry.
The man with the broken tooth stops in front of a large party of men,
perhaps eight or ten, and looks at tracks on the ground ahead of him.
The wind rustles through the trees and blows leaves around as he
establishes the direction of the tracks. He gets to his feet, points
with the rifle at the direction and calls to everyone, "This way!"
They all run in that direction with the little man in the lead.
The Doctor runs down another corridor with no sign of stopping, until he
turns a corner and almost runs straight into Merdeen and Balazar.
"Whoops!" he shouts, turns, and runs back the other way.
Merdeen calls after him and tells him they mean him no harm. The Doctor
pokes his head around the corner and notes that they did mean him harm
the last time they met. Balazar tells him that things have changed.
The Doctor walks back up to them and tells them to let him pass as
he's got to get out of here.
As he passes them, Merdeen asks him to take Balazar with him. The Doctor
looks surprised, then says its alright as Balazar asks what Merdeen
will do. Merdeen tells him he will stay and help others escape.
The Doctor tells him to be careful as there's a robot following him who
isn't in a very friendly mood.
Merdeen asks the Doctor is he would help them crush the Immortal's power.
The Doctor says yes at first, then changes to perhaps and tells him there's
something else much more important that he must do first. He starts
rushing down the corridor again and calls for Balazar to follow him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Stop!" calls the Valeyard. He stands before the Court and tells them
that this is yet another example of the Doctor's interference. He asks
them all to note that the Doctor was in a position to free himself of
the situation, and yet he deliberately chose not to.
The Doctor looks at him increduously and says he was only trying to help.
"Even a blockhead like you can see that!"
The Inquisitor tells him they should reserve judgement until the end of
the sequence.
"I agree!" shouts the Doctor at the Valeyard, and then he turns to the
Inquisitor and adds, "My lady" politely.
The Valeyard looks at the Doctor, considering something, as he presses his
controls to restart the playback.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prosecution Interface One "The Mysterious Planet"
Continued
Dibber runs just ahead of the pack of villagers chasing him. They can
see him as he runs down the slope.
The Doctor leads the way out of the tunnel entrance and into the open
forest as Balazar follows and exclaims, "It's beautiful!" at his first
sight of outdoors in his life.
The Doctor notes this casually and says he knew Peri wouldn't still be
here, as that girl can't obey an order.
Peri and Glitz are nearing the tunnel entrance, with Glitz showing signs
of near collapse. Dibber follows at a small distance behind them, and
the party of villagers are bringing up the rear.
Peri yells "Doctor!" at the Doctor from up the slope. He sees her and
waves for her and her friends to hurry up to the tunnel.
The chase continues at about the same spacing as before.
The Doctor tells Balazar to get back inside the tunnel entrance quickly
and then helps Peri through as she reaches the entrance. He helps
Glitz through the door, and worriedly shouts "Come on!" to get Dibber
to the door before the villagers get there.
Dibber climbs in, and the Doctor follows him.
Peri and Glitz stand inside the entrance, well, at least Peri does.
Glitz begins collapsing in a corner and tells the entering Dibber that
he always knew exercise was bad for you.
The Doctor runs in and tells them he wouldn't lie there if he was him
unless he wanted to be killed by a spear in his back.
Glitz asks if Dibber did the job, and Dibber answers "Of course."
The Doctor runs down the escalator stairs, telling them they have to
get out of here, and Peri asks how they're going to do that.
He heads for the entrance to the tunnel system, but stops suddenly as
he sees the L1 robot standing in his way ahead of him.
The Doctor motions for everyone to head back for the stairs.
Everyone heads back for the stairs and stop suddenly as they see the
party of villagers waiting for them at the top, with a gun pointed
at them all by the man with the broken tooth.
The L1 robot starts down after them all.
"Well now what?" asks Peri.
The Doctor looks around himself at the options, all none of them, and
tells her, "I don't know. I really think this could be the end!"
The Doctor
COLIN BAKER
Peri
NICOLA BRYANT
The Valeyard
MICHAEL JAYSTON
The Inquisitor
LYNDA BELLINGHAM
Katryca Glitz
JOAN SIMS TONY SELBY
Drathro Merdeen
ROGER BRIERLEY TOM CHADBON
Broken Tooth Dibber Balazar
DAVID RODIGAN GLEN MURPHY ADAM BLACKWOOD
Humker Tandrell Grell
BILLY McCOLL SION TUDOR OWEN TIMOTHY WALKER
Title Music composed by Incidental Music Special Sound
RON GRAINER DOMINIC GLYNN DICK MILLS
Production Manager Production Associate Production Assistant
CLARE GRAHAM ANGELA SMITH JOY SINCLAIR
Assistant Floor Manager O.B. Lighting O.B. Sound
STEPHEN JEFFREY-POULTER JOHN WIGGINS BILL WHISTON
Visual Effects Designer Video Effects Vision Mixer
MIKE KELT DANNY POPKIN JIM STEPHENS
Technical Co-ordinator Studio Camera Supervisor Videotape Editor
ALAN ARBUTHNOTT ALEC WHEAL STEPHEN NEWNHAM
Studio Lighting Studio Sound
MIKE JEFFERIES BRIAN CLARK
Costume Designer Make-Up Designer
KEN TREW DENISE BARON
Script Editor
ERIC SAWARD
Desinger
JOHN ANDERSON
Producer
JOHN NATHAN-TURNER
Director
NICHOLAS MALLETT
(C) BBC MCMLXXXVI
First transmitted on 13 September, 1986.
This synopsis by Steven K. Manfred
Synopsis copyright July 9, 1994.
Permission is given to all to copy this synopsis as long as it is not for
reasons of profit.
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