Return

Episode 3

32 Still in the interrogation room. It's getting nasty. Trettan: Slyke. Slyke: Ma'am? Trettan: Romana. Romana: Me? Slyke: With pleasure. Slyke draws a gun, and points it slowly at Romana. Grinning evilly, he takes his time over squeezing the trigger, which gives Romana time to draw the notorious purple goblet and point it at him. The bolt from Slyke's gun is absorbed by the goblet. Romana (brandishing the goblet weaponlike): You win. Here's the Heloxite. Now drop your weapons and get back against the wall. (to the soldier): You, release Pygmalion. The soldier releases Pygmalion. Pygmalion: You're too kind. (moving to stand beside Romana): You know what to do? Romana: I think so. Romana and Pygmalion both hold the goblet. It glows with a very intense purple light, as do the Omarians. Romana and Pygmalion: We are your masters. You will obey us. The glow fades from all but the Omarians' eyes. They stand still, entranced. Pygmalion (to Romana): Same plan? Romana: Unless you've had any better ideas. Pygmalion (to assorted Omarians): You, escort Miss Romana to the main gate. You, come with me. The rest of you, stay right here and keep very quiet. Romana (with goblet) and Pygmalion leave, accompanied as directed. The remaining Omarians remain motionless. We focus on Trettan. The purple glow fades from her eyes and she smiles. 33 Time Scanner control room - two different low-ranking officers are manning the Time Scanner Officer3: It's a funny old world, innit? Officer4: What? Helox? Yeah. Very funny. Officer3: We just walk in and take over, and then sit on our backsides doing sod all - nobody lifts a finger, nobody knows why - and then... Officer4: And then? Officer3: Strange things start happening. Prisoners disappear. Little metal talking dogs shoot people. The dodgy squad are running around like they've got wasps in their whatsits. Officer4: Should have just blasted this planet. Officer3: Too bloody right, we should, but they wanted to set up this machine. That's the most frightening thing of the whole lot. Officer4: What? Officer3: Didn't you hear what happened to Amis and Keynes last night? 34 We see Pygmalion arrive outside Time Scanner Control, accompanied by the soldier he selected earlier, eyes still glowing purple. Pygmalion: Make sure the room is empty. Soldier: Yes, Master. The soldier goes into the control room, we hear two shots from his blaster, then he comes out. Pygmalion: Stay there. Don't let anyone in. Pygmalion enters the control room. 35 We see Romana and her tame soldier arrive outside Pygmalion Robotics. Romana: Go away. The soldier goes away. Romana goes round the back. 36 Romana enters the kitchen. She picks up K9 and takes him upstairs to the landing. She reaches into the grandfather clock and pulls out some kind of toolkit with which she starts to work on K9. Romana: How's that, K9? K9 does not stir or make a sound. Romana: That bad, eh? Romana fiddles a bit more. Romana: K9? K9 makes an incoherent and curtailed-sounding noise. Romana: Ahhh. Romana makes an adjustment in a confident manner. Romana: How about that, K9? K9: Mistress? Romana: Status report? K9: Memory cells intact. Motor unit operating at fifty-three per cent efficiciency. Blaster unreliable. Power level critical. Computation unim...unim...unim...unim... 37 Outside the control room door. The soldier is standing rigidly upright on guard. His eyes are still glowing purple and he seems in a trance. Then the glow fades and he snaps out of it. He pauses to gather his thoughts and then bursts in through the door. 38 Inside the control room. Pygmalion has just finished initiating the destruct sequence. The soldier bursts in and is pointing his gun at Pygmalion. Pygmalion: That's it. Ten seconds. Pygmalion turns around to find the soldier pointing his gun at him. Pygmalion: Very soon, you'll be dead too. 39 Romana is still fiddling with K9. There is a very loud bang. She looks at her watch and then at the grandfather clock. She moves to set the hands as if the clock had stopped, but she moves the minute hand slightly backwards and winds the clock with the key which has been sitting on top of it. The clock dematerialises and Romana smiles before returning to K9. Romana: Now, K9, where were we? K9: We have been in many places, Mistress. Romana: So you're feeling better, then? K9: It is meaningless to talk of my feelings. Romana: Do you think you can make it to the Tardis? K9: Power level is still critical. This unit will operate more effectively if it is carried. Romana: Don't worry, K9, I'll get you there. 40 The yard with Romana's Tardis. Trettan is waiting for Romana, gun poised. Trettan: I'm so glad you could make it, Romana. It's such a pity this is our last little get-together. Romana: Is it? Trettan (with mock distress): Don't you realise how much you mean to me? Romana: I believe I do. K9? K9: Mistress? Trettan: I'm not sure that would be particularly wise. The poor little fellow's obviously very much the worse for wear. He does get into such awful scrapes. Romana, you ought to be more careful with him. Romana: I'm sure I should... Oh, silly me, I'm so rude. Would you like some tea, my dear? I'll just nip into the Tardis and put the kettle on. Trettan: Oh, there's no need to go to such trouble. Just put K9 on the ground facing towards you, and then hand over the Heloxite. Take your time - there's no rush. Romana puts K9 on the ground as instructed, kneeling as she does so. Romana: Actually, I've hidden the Heloxite inside K9 and, well, it's like this... Trettan: Don't tell me. If we tamper with your dog, he'll explode. Romana: Sorry to be so predictable. Trettan: But of course, you can open him up for me. I suggest you do so. Romana: All right. If I may just take his key from my pocket... Trettan: Be my guest. Romana draws the tissue compression eliminator and slowly moves it in an arc to point at K9, but as Trettan is cut by its line of fire, she fires it, and Trettan is killed. Romana puts it back in her pocket, opens the Tardis, lifts K9, but she pauses look at Trettan's shrunken body as she enters. Romana: So nice to have met you. Do call again. 41 Romana's Tardis - she is contemplating the Heloxite Romana: I wonder where we should take this. K9: It is also pertinent to ask when. Romana: What do you mean, K9? K9: The Omarians cannot find us in the past. Romana: Hmm, the past has an unpleasant way of catching up with us. Nonetheless, K9, a good point. K9: Of course, mistress. Romana: And I'm also rather inclined to investigate Nostos, the planet I'm supposed to remember. K9: As you wish, mistress. At what time shall we arrive? Romana: Oh, not too long ago. I want to see what all this is about. K9 connects himself to the console. K9: The course has been programmed. 42 We see a room with black roundelled walls. The body-shop-peach-soap-like robot we saw the remains of earlier is sitting cross-legged on the floor holding a flower. The camera pans upward and we see a machine we recognise as the Time Scanner. A blip appears on the scanner and a soft bleeping starts. The robot notices and stands up. She contemplates the machine, but obviously cannot tell what is going on. In the end, she drops the flower and runs out through a door. 43 We see the robot burst into a black Tardis console room. The console has been dismantled and lots of it is missing. She jogs a black sleeve, but we do not initially see the rest of the person. She tries weakly to drag the person off. Master: Not now, Moria. The Master (Pygmalion) looks noticeably younger than when we saw him last. The robot (Moria) smiles and shakes her head, but continues to tug at his sleeve. Master: One of these days I'll get peace to fix this Tardis. She drags him out the door. 44 Romana's Tardis K9: We are approaching Nostos, Mistress. Romana: Good. Is there any indication of intelligent life? The Tardis shakes and the lights dim momentarily. K9: Mistress, the Tardis has been taken over by a remote controlling signal similar to the one which attempted a forced landing on Helox. Romana: Can you stop it in the same way, K9? K9: I believe so, Mistress, although establishing the pattern will, as before, take several minutes. Romana: Actually, K9, don't bother. It will save us the bother of finding whoever is operating it. Romana draws the tissue compression eliminator and fingers it thoughtfully. 45 The time scanner room. The Tardis is materialising in the shape of a cupboard. The Master is standing in front of it, pointing his tissue compression eliminator at it. Moria is standing behind him. The Tardis completes its materialisation. Master: You may as well come out, whoever you are. You can't get away. Romana comes out of the Tardis, pointing her tissue compression eliminator at the Master. Romana: I hope I'm glad it's you. Master: I think you should explain who you are and exactly what you mean by that remark. Romana: Can I do that somewhere more comfortable? Master: It could be arranged. First, hand me that weapon. Romana hands him her tissue compression eliminator. There is a nasty blue arc between the guns he has in either hand. He drops them hastily. There is a large flash, and on the floor there remains just one gun, which Romana is the first to reach. She aims it at the Master. Romana: I'm Romana. Now, somewhere more comfortable. Master (giving her a hypnotic spare): I am the Master. You will give that gun to me. Romana: I know. But not yet. First, take me to your sofa and get me a drink. Master: Very well. Follow me. Moria follows. 46 We see (pov Romana) the Master press a button in a roundel to operate a sliding door. We enter a very bare looking black roundelled room. There is a similar by the sliding door in the far wall. The Master reaches this door and presses the button. A harsh light beam shines on Romana - she stands fixed in mid-stride and is obviously distressed. Her head is still free to move. Moria has not arrived. Master: I hope this is comfortable enough for you. Romana (straining): Not exactly what I had in mind. Master: The drink can wait. Tell me about yourself. Romana: I told you. I'm Romana. Master: Yes. Continue. Romana: What do you want to know? Master: One or two little details. What are you doing here? Romana: I didn't have very much choice. Master: I don't suppose you did. Where were you headed before I so rudely interrupted? Moria bursts in through the same entrace the other two used, obviously very agitated about something. Master (anxiously, to Moria): Show me. Moria approaches the Master. They stand about six inches apart, hands on each other's hips. She places her lips softly on his forehead. Master (to Moria): Hold her. Moria grips Romana's arms tightly. The Master deactivates the light beam and tries to grab the tissue compression eliminator from Romana, while she struggles to break Moria's grip. Moria doesn't move a millimetre. Master (to Romana): Let go of it. He wrests the weapon from her. And moves to leave the way he entered. Moria stays to guard her. 47 The console room. Enter the Master. He operates the scanner, which shows some Omarian troops breaking in. He turns around to find himself held at gunpoint by a whole squad of them. A soldier disarms the Master. Then Trettan walks in. Trettan: I think this little detour will prove extremely profitable. On to Episode 4

Back to my homepage...