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INTRODUCTION

1. Communications Room

(On the spaceship 'Vipod Mor', there is a buzzing sound.... This is the ship's radio transmitter. SHELLINGBOURNE GRANT answers the call.)

Grant: Bridge?

Bates: This is Bates. Can we come up now?

Grant: That depends on whether you've found what you were sent to look for.

Bates: Come on Mr Grant, we've spent hours searching this ducting. There's no one down here.

Grant: Did you hear that computer?

(There is a ring as the computer answers.)

Computer: I did indeed, and it distresses me that poor Mr Bates and his companion are suffering on my account.

Grant: Then help them out. It was you who reported an intruder. Can't you be more precise as to its location?

Computer: Well you must understand, boys, that I do not have visual contact. I'm simply picking up a faint heat image through my infrared fire warning sensors.

Bates: So what are they telling you now?

Computer : I'd rather not say. It seems foolish to pass on inaccurate information. Bad data only leads to bad decision...

Grant: Where is the intruder?

Computer: Oh, very well. About ten metres away from Mr Bates.

Bates: Check it out, Wilson.

Grant: Is the intruder humanoid?

Computer: Oh, decidedly so. Estimated height: two metres ten. Weight: one hundred twenty-five kilos.

Bates: That is a lot of intruder.

Grant: Proceed with care.

2. Ventilation Ducting

Grant: (oov) Use your sidearms, if necessary.

Bates: Reinforcements would be useful. Just in case.

Grant: They're on their way. Out.

Bates: Did you hear that Wilson? Mr Grant's sending down the heavy brigade. Might as well wait until they arrive. Seems pointless taking any unnecessary risks, eh? Wilson? Wilson? Is that you? Stop messing around Wilson. This isn't the time to play the fool. Come on Wilson!

(There is a roar from not far off.)

3. Communications Room

Computer: I'm sorry to disturb you, but my sensors indicate a great deal of unpleasantness is taking place in the ducting.

Grant: There's nothing like a succinct report.

Computer: Don't blame me. I'm just a machine. You're responsible for my programming.

Grant: Cut the snide and rephrase your report.

Computer: I think you're about to hear first hand.

(The sound of BATES in the ducting is heard.)

Grant: Bridge?

Bates: Ahh! Ah! Ah! Ahh! Help me! Help me! Heeeeeelppppp! (There is a snarling, roaring sound.)

Grant: What's happened? What's that noise?

Computer: It saddens me to report that Mr Wilson and Mr Bates have just become the intruder's lunch.

Grant: What?

Computer: I know this may be difficult for you to relate to...

Grant: Been eaten?

Computer: You've got it.

Grant: Get all off duty crew members into the ducting. I want whatever it is caught and killed!

'SLIPBACK'
By ERIC SAWARD

EPISODE 1

Running time - 10:33
First transmitted : 25/07/85

4. Inside the TARDIS

(THE DOCTOR is having a dream.)

Voice: (Whispering.) Time.....

Doctor: Huh?

Voice: Time.....

Doctor: Huh?

Voice: The eclipse of time...

Doctor: Huuuuh? I can't hear you....You must speak more clearly.

Voice: Time.....Time...The eclipse of time...

Doctor: You're not making any sense! I don't know what you mean! Please be more precise!

Voice: Time....Full circle of time....things must be allowed to turn. Full circle.

(There is a knocking sound.)

Peri: Doctor? (There is another knocking sound.) Doctor! Wake up Doctor!

Doctor: Please, please tell me what you want.....

Voice: Time....

Doctor: So you keep saying.

Peri: Doctor! (She opens the door.) Doctor! Wake up.

(THE DOCTOR suddenly wakes and gives a little cry.)

Doctor: And what do you think you're doing?

Peri: Doing? I'm waking you up! What do you think I'm doing?

Doctor: I had a voice inside my head that was trying to tell me something.

Peri: Well I'm sorry to interrupt your dreaming. It's just that something rather frightening has happened.

Doctor: You don't understand Peri. It was much more than a dream.

Peri: After what you drank last night, I'm sure it was.

Doctor : What? Come to think of it, when was last night? On second thoughts don't answer that question.

Peri: Do you not recall a small drinking establishment on Zerok Minor? Full of very strange people.

Doctor: Now you mention it, that's right. We stopped to ask directions.

Peri: And three bottles of Voxnik later we left.

Doctor: Is that what it was?

Peri: It was hardly fruit juice. I had some myself.

Doctor: Ha! I am a little naive when it comes to this sort of thing.

Peri: Three bottles worth!

Doctor: I was very thirsty, I drank it very quickly. Didn't notice that I'd finished the last bottle. Anyway, in spite of last night, I'm still convinced the voice I heard was trying to tell me something important.

Peri: Like the fact the TARDIS has materialized.

Doctor: Already? That's quick.

Peri: But not where we're supposed to be.

Doctor: That isn't good.

Peri: We're still in deep space. Alongside an enormous freighter. It's gigantic! It's so large I can't get the scanner screen to zoom out far enough to get it all in.

Doctor: How odd. I wonder what caused her to materialize.

Peri: Well I don't know. But she isn't very happy. At least the console isn't. It's starting to wink, flash, and grunt like some dirty old man in a park.

Doctor: Really?

Peri: Yes. That's why I woke you up. I was scared!

Doctor: Interesting.

Peri: That I was scared?

Doctor: That I should hear a voice as the TARDIS makes an impromptu materialization.

5. Communications Room

Grant: Bridge. This is Grant. Oh damn it. Computer?

Computer: Why hello there, Mr Grant. It's so nice to hear from you again.

Grant: The talkback is malfunctioning.

Computer: Is it really? I'm so sorry to hear that. I'll get a maintenance drone onto it at once. Mind you I can't promise anything. There are so many things happening aboard this ship I no longer understand. You know, I keep hearing voices. It's all very confusing. (THE COMPUTER hiccups.) Sorry.

Grant: What's the matter with you. You're only programmed to sound like a dizzy dame. You're not supposed to act like one.

(THE COMPUTER hiccups again.)

Are you drunk?

Computer: Machines don't drink alcohol.

Grant: Have you informed the captain what's happened?

Computer: I have indeed. And he's very concerned. In fact, he's become quite ill from worry.

Grant: Oh. How ill?

Computer: It's difficult to tell, but I have the feeling if he doesn't hear some good news soon, he could get very bad. As a matter of fact he would quite like to see you.

Grant: Any chance there might be some reassuring snippet I could pass on?

Computer: I'm almost too terrified to inquire. The last time I did, all the search party had managed to find were the dead men's boots.

6. Inside the TARDIS

(THE DOCTOR is punching away at the controls on the TARDIS' console.)

Doctor: Come on! Come on! Bah! Nothing!

Peri: It wasn't like that a few minutes ago.

Doctor: (He hiccups.) Sorry. You said there was a grunting noise from the console?

Peri: That's right. It went 'Squaaaaaasssshhh'.

Doctor: Are you sure?

Peri: You don't think I'd invent a stupid noise like that. (There is a loud roar.) That's it. That's the sound I heard.

Doctor: That's bad.

Peri: How bad?

Doctor: Very bad. That noise indicates time spillage. It's what caused the TARDIS to materialize alongside that ship. Someone on board is experimenting with time.

Peri: That could damage the space-time continuum.

Doctor: It could destroy the past and future history of the universe. We must find out what's going on.

7. The Captain's quarters - anteroom.

Drone: There you are, Mr Grant. The captain is very impatient to see you.

Grant: I came as soon as I could.

Drone: If you wouldn't mind slipping into this sterilized gown, Sir.

Grant: Of course. How unwell is the captain?

Drone: Oh, very unwell, Sir. You know how personally he takes everything. I've had to confine him to a lava bath. And it has proven necessary to drain his sinuses four times in the last hour.

Grant: Ah, I see. That unwell, is he?

Drone: Poor captain is a martyr to his responsibilities, Sir.

Grant: Yeah, trouble is he always manages to give his wretched diseases to everyone else on board.

Drone: Well, even when the patient is isolated, contagious infection is very difficult to contain.

Grant: Maybe. But we no sooner go down with whatever he has psychosomatically created, then he gets better.

Drone: The captain has an amazing constitution.

Grant: Conveniently so.

Drone: Then let's hope you have sufficiently good news to prevent his further deterioration. This way Sir.

Grant: Ahhhh...

8. Captain's room - bathroom

(There is the sound of popping bubbles.)

Drone: Mr Grant to see you, Captain.

9. Another area of the ship

(The TARDIS materializes.)

(The TARDIS doors are opened and shut.)

Peri: It's spooky. I hope the whole ship isn't like this.

Doctor: I shouldn't think so. We've materialized in the service duct.

Peri: That figures. You always find the most inhospitable place to park.

Doctor: Now, I want to have a look round before I announce my presence.

Peri: Well, what will you do when you find the people responsible for the time experiments?

Doctor: Inform them of the danger. Advise them of the fact that such experiments are highly illegal.

(There is a roar.)

Peri: What? What was that?

Doctor:(THE DOCTOR hiccups.) Not me?

Peri: We should get back to the TARDIS. Oh no! What is that thing?

Doctor: I'm almost too frightened to look.

Peri: Oh! It's between us and the TARDIS! What do we do?

(The roaring continues.)

Doctor: Run, Peri! Run!

The Doctor
COLIN BAKER

Peri
NICOLA BRYANT

Bates
NICK REVELL

Drone/Maston
ALAN THOMSON

Grant
JON GLOVER

Computer Voices
JANE CARR

Studio Managers
COLIN DUFF
WILFRED ACOSTA
SARAH ROSEWARNE

Production Secretary
KATE ABERCROMBIE

Sound Effects
DICK MILLS

Incidental Music
JONATHAN GIBBS

Director/Producer
PAUL SPENCER

Transcribed by
Robert Dunlop

Updates / Corrections by
SLOTH

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