DOCTOR WHO
Based on David Tennant (The Doctor) & Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones)
The Lost Journals
Asthers Box (Part 1)
EXT. LONDON
The noise of ancient engines. The Tardis appears on a backstreet of London
MARTHA
At last! Home sweet home. Tea Doctor?
THE DOCTOR
TEA? TEA? We just narrowly escaped being fried by flying Tracons, not to mention the Tardis nearly self imploding after a wrong turn and grazing an inverted time rift and you offer me a cup of tea?
MARTHA
Yup.
THE DOCTOR
Oh all right then. (Doctor checks his pockets) Hang on
The Doctor trots back into the Tardis and bounces out just as quickly, holding his sonic screwdriver.
MARTHA
Sonic screwdriver. Never leave home without one.
THE DOCTOR
(to self as he closes the Tardis door) That was funny
MARTHA
It wasn’t that funny
THE DOCTOR
No not that, the Tardis consol was giving reading of an active time particle suspension device.
MARTHA
Well it was a bit of a bumpy ride back. Sounds like the Tardis could do with a cuppa too.
THE DOCTOR
Yeah probably nothing. C’mon then where’s that tea?
The Doctor & Martha walk off arm in arm up the street and turn left out of sight. Camera pans to the rear of the Tardis, a cluster of 20 or more alien looking semi-transparent eggs are stuck to the back of the Tardis, each egg about 20cm in diameter, pulsating inside, a embryonic creature, Camera zooms in to reveal the dark form, a cross between a dragon and a prehistoric pterodactyl, the beak opens, a loud echoing birdlike screech resonates.
INT. DARKENED ROOM NIGHT/DAY NOT DECIPHERABLE
A dark room could be anywhere, maybe a disused warehouse. All that can be seen is a what appears to be an old decorating table with a laptop (switched on displaying a complex program running what appeared to be some numerical formulae) connected to a cell phone and riddled with electronics, wires etc, some devices recognizable other distinctly alien, one device standing alone in the center of the tangle of wires and circuit boards is a smooth, very shiny, black box, slightly larger than a Rubik’s cube, seemingly seamless, oh and an apple with a bite take out of it. The sound of an industrial metal door banging shut and footsteps echoing closer can be heard. A hand reaches towards the box (looks slender, female, and human) and strokes a very precise area on the side of the box. Shhhh (like a pop bottle opening) the top centimeter of the box lowers like an electric car window, a bright blinding light seeps out.
FEMALE VOICE
It’s time.
Let the purge begin.
The female hand presses some keys on the laptop and a program begins, the screen displays hundreds of names scrolling at a great speed. The female hand hovers over the table, looking for something, then grabs the apple, a bite can be heard and subsequent munching. The box begins to simultaneously spin faster & faster until it’s just a blur of light and shining black metal.
INT. A SMALL NIKNAK SHOP – DAY 1 10:45
A Nik Nak shop, souvenirs, daft gadgets etc and half a dozen tables in one corner with a café serving counter. The Doctor is browsing though some nik naks, a girl serves two mugs of tea to Martha; she carries them to an empty table.
MARTHA
Doctor?
DOCTOR
Loooook a keyring that froths your coffee, Brilliant!
MARTHA
Put it down Doctor
DOCTOR
Sorry
The Doctor then spots another niknak, picks it up and holds it towards Martha with a “can I have one” childish look. It’s a miniature blue Police Box keyring, exactly like the Tardis. Martha laughs and shakes her head and mouths “no”.
FEMALE VOICE
(Echoing) It’s time Doctor.
The Doctor pauses as he clearly hears this voice telepathically, but dismisses it.
Just as the Doctor walks toward the table a gigantic boom and the sound of crackling electricity resonates from outside, the café shakes, tea goes everywhere, and things fall off the display shelves, nik naks everywhere. The shaking stops. Silence.
MARTHA
What the hell was that?
The Doctor was already running towards the shop door. Martha pursued.
EXT. STREET OUTSIDE NIKNAK SHOP
Outside the café the street was smoldering but in a very odd fashion, just small circles of charred pavement smoldering, hundreds of them dotted down the street, some people stood staring in shock, some had fallen, others just staring at the smoldering circles, some were panicking or crying, calling out names, saying he or she’s gone. The Doctor, for a brief moment looked equally stunned. Then he scanned the street and homed in on a young chap who didn’t seem so perturbed by the incident and strides towards him. The young chap was crouched down by one of the circles, inspecting and had picked something up. The Doctor crouches down too (now with specs on) Martha in the background goes and helps an old woman who had fallen over
DOCTOR
The young chap picked up charred remains of a mobile phone, a bit of it fell off and crumbled to the floor.
YOUNG CHAP
At least it used to be. I’m Martin by the way
Martha had come over mid-conversation. In an attempt to avoid the “Doctor who?” conversation she holds out her hand to Martin and starts a brisk conversation.
MARTHA
Martha Jones. This is The Doctor. They’re all the same, every one with a burnt out mobile. It’s weird, that woman over there just said people just vanished.
MARTIN
Didn’t you see?
MARTHA
We were in a café at the time.
DOCTOR
With a little shop, a café with a little shop.
Martha & Martin give the Doctor a weird look.
DOCTOR
Whaaat? I like little shops.
MARTIN
It was very sudden, I remember a bunch of mobiles seemed to ring all at the same time, seconds later, this, nothing, just a charred…
Another piece falls of the phone Martin is holding.
MARTIN
Gotta be Aliens? (to self)I can’t believe I just said that
DOCTOR
Almost definitely!
The Doctor springs up and at the same time produces his trusty sonic screwdriver.
DOCTOR
Now all I need is a phone that’s still intact….more or less.
Martha picked up the charred remains of another phone 2 ft away, it crumbled in her hands and fell to the floor in a dusty hundred pieces.
MARTHA
I think you’ll have to settle for less
Martin was already bounding off checking mobiles remnants, he’d always wanted to play detective, then he found one phone that wasn’t completely charcoaled, Martha & the Doctor were routing around the other charred remnants.
MARTIN
Doctor!
Martin held up an almost intact phone in triumph, he was enjoying this. Maybe he’d be asked to work for Torchwood, all those alien secrets. The Doctor strode/ran over (specs still on) peers at the phone
DOCTOR
Brilliant. (looks directly at Martin over the top of his specs) Thank you.
The Doctor pries open part of the phone and pressed the sonic screwdriver to several areas.
DOCTOR
Just, need, to. Got it! YES!
MARTHA
Got what?
DOCTOR
Allons y!
The Doctor bounds off, Martha hurried after him. Martin looked unsure if he should follow or not, Martha turned and beckoned to him.
MARTHA
Come on then.
The Doctor turned a corner up ahead, Martha and Martin in hot pursuit.
EXT. DESERTED INDUSTRIAL STREET
The Doctor running. He comes to a sudden stop in the middle of the street outside several disused warehouses. He holds out his sonic screwdriver pressed it against the mobile and turns round full circle, then stops and looks up. Meanwhile Martha and Martin had caught up and waited for the Doctor to speak.
DOCTOR
In there!
The Doctor runs to the industrial steel doors, padlocked. Points the sonic screwdriver and the lock glows and then falls off. Cautiously he slips through the door. Martha & Martin follow after him.
EXT. LONDON
The Tardis. Camera pans to the rear where the eggs were. They’re gone, just a slimy sticky whitish residue dripping ominously down the woodwork of the Tardis. That birdlike screech sounds again, echoing.
INT. DARKENED ROOM FROM PREVIOUS SCENE
The same table full of electronics stands in the middle of the warehouse. The black box is gone and no sign of the “operator”, though an apple core is amongst the muddle. The Doctor hides behind some stacked boxes, Martha & Martin next to him. The Doctor pokes his head round and scours the area. Then without warning he steps out and strides towards the table.
MARTHA
(Whispering loudly) Doctor!
DOCTOR
Argh! We’re too late. Whoever, whatever was here has gone and taken it with them
MARTIN
Taken what?
DOCTOR
The time particle suspension device
Martin looks none the wiser.
MARTHA
(realizing) The Tardis…
DOCTOR
If I hadn’t ignored it I could have saved those people
The Doctor bangs both his fists on the table in rage; electronics jump up a few centimeters off the table and settle again. A few items fall off the table to the floor. The Doctor, fists still on the table looking down suddenly changed his stance, slowly stoops down to a metallic object that had fallen to the floor between his feet. Stands up and holds it up to the light examining it silently.
MARTHA
What is it?
DOCTOR
Dalek. It’s a piece off a Dalek.
The Doctor looks confused and worried at the same time. Martha just looks confused.
MARTHA
But the last Daleks we saw destroyed in Manhattan
DOCTOR
Except Caan. Dalek Caan’s still alive…
The Doctor stalls, deep in thought, now with his specs on. Meanwhile, Martin is poking around the warehouse, in full flow of his pseudo detective self.
MARTHA
SO Caan did this, Daleks?
DOCTOR
If it was Dalek, if this was Caan, why so discriminate. No not a Daleks style, ultimate supremacy or bust, total domination or nothing. No, Martha, this isn’t Dalek, not Caan.
Meanwhile the Doctor is routing around the bits and bobs on the table trying to find more clues.
MARTHA
Then who, or what?
Martin appears walking backwards slowly from a screen of boxes piled up to the edge of the warehouse, looking a bit scared but he swallows and gains his composure.
MARTIN
(quietly) Doctor. (louder) Doctor.
The Doctor looks up, interrupting his puzzling over the perpetrator, looks slightly annoyed.
MARTIN
I think you should come and take a look at this.
The Doctor walks over to where Martin was standing, and then stops dead for a moment, staring behind the boxes. Martha looks over a little scared by the Doctors initial reaction.
MARTHA
Doctor?
The Doctor laughs, Martha smiles but doesn’t know why. The Doctor trots behind the boxes. A metal scrapping noise can be heard and the Doctor huffing. The Doctor emerges, pushing half a Dalek from behind the boxes, most of the top section of the Dalek was missing and the rest with wires and electronics hanging off everywhere.
DOCTOR
(beaming) Now that’s what I call recycling!
MARTIN
Is it the time par…
Martin pauses, unable to remember what the Doctor called it
DOCTOR
Particle suspension device. In a way yes, at least part of it is. This is, uh, was a Dalek, they’d engineered a way to travel through time shifts with a shift breaking anodiser. You see a time particle suspension device is almost the opposite of a time shift anodiser, but invert the atomic polarizers and voila a particle suspension unit. Brilliant.
The Doctor starts prodding around the Dalek skeleton and picking bits up and inspecting them.
MARTIN
(To Martha) Did you understand any of that?
Martha smiles
MARTHA
You’ll get used to it. (To the Doctor) So it is Daleks?
DOCTOR
Not a chance, they wouldn’t know how to reverse the polarizers, at least not
without imploding on themselves.
MARTHA
So who made it then?
DOCTOR
A Time Lord.
MARTHA
But you’re…
DOCTOR
The only Time Lord left. Confusing isn’t it?
The Doctor grins, enjoying the enigma.
MARTIN
So you’re not…
MARTHA
C’mon you must have an idea who made it?
DOCTOR
Nope. Not a clue.
MARTIN
You’re not human?
The Doctor & Martha stop for a second and look at Martin like he just stated the obvious and then continue their conversation.
MARTHA
So what do we do then, we can’t just do nothing
DOCTOR
Quite right. To the Tardis everyone
The Doctor throws up a piece of Dalek he had in his hand, catches it and pops it into his coat pocket and then swivels on his heels and strides to the exit, Martha follows. The Doctor in a moment of gentlemanliness holds the door open for Martha.
DOCTOR
After you. (to Martin who is stood with his mouth half open still trying to take it all in) C’mon, we’ve haven’t got all day you know.
Martin snapped out of it and ran to the door but paused as he stepped through and looked at the Doctor
MARTIN
So. You’re an alien?
DOCTOR
Yes yes (rolls eyes) I’m an a-l-i-e-n (draws out the word alien taking the mickey)
CONTINUED, INTERCUT WITH -
CUT TO:
EXT. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE AGAIN
Doctor leads with his long strides away from the disused warehouse, Martin just catching up with Martha. Martin turns to Martha and opens his mouth to say something but Martha interupts
MARTHA
I’ll explain on the way.
Martin grins. Martha grins back. The Doctor looks over his shoulder.
DOCTOR
Come on!
Martha & Martin pick up speed to catch up with the Doctor .
EXT. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE AT THE SIDE IN THE SHADOWS
A figure, possibly human, female, wearing a hooded sweatshirt so her face is not visible, watches as the Doctor, Martha and Martin leave the warehouse.
CUT TO close up on hooded figure’s mouth (closed not moving)
FEMALE VOICE
Doctor? Help me Doctor.
EXT. OUTSIDE THE WAREHOUSE AGAIN
The Doctor pauses very briefly as though he telepathically heard the hooded figure, but dismissed it and carried on round the corner Martha & Martin closely following, then they disappear out of sight.
EXT. LONDON
The Doctor unlocking the Tardis door. Martha & Martin are just running up to the Tardis. Martin looks a bit perplexed and somewhat unimpressed
MARTIN
Is this it? But it’s just an old blue Police box.
MARTHA
You’ll see. C’mon
The Doctor slips inside the Tardis door. Martha Follows, so does Martin talking as he does
MARTIN
You’re both completely bonk..
Martin stops mid sentence and actually ends it slowly as he walks through the Tardis door
MARTIN
-ers.
Martin steps back outside the Tardis
MARTIN
But
Martin Walks back through the door completely bemused.
CUT TO:
INT. INSIDE THE TARDIS
The Doctor at the controls, specs on, being very busy, pressing buttons and the like, attaching the salvaged mobile to some wires. Martin looks behind him and back into the Tardis again, Martha is grinning.
DOCTOR
Yeah, yeah, bigger on the inside than it is on the out, really sometimes
you lot have no imagination.
Martha suppresses a laugh. The Doctor glowers at Martha for a second.
DOCTOR
Now make yourself useful and pull that lever, no not that one, that one,
NOT YET! When I tell you to.
Martin looking a little nervous, stands next to the control panel and readies himself for the lever pulling task. Martha smiles at him reassuringly, maybe flirting slightly.
DOCTOR
Martha.
Martha flicks a couple of switches on the opposite side of the control panel. The Doctor peers closely at a screen on the console, holds up his finger towards Martin without taking his eyes of the screen.
DOCTOR
Now, now now!
Martin nervously but hurriedly pulls the lever as instructed then catches Martha’s eye & they exchange smiles, abruptly this moment is interrupted with the Doctor shouting.
DOCTOR
No, no no!
The Doctor frustrated bangs the screen on the top with his hand, trying to make it work
INT. A DARK PLACE
A Dark damp place, hardly any light to make out where it is, a rustling can heard and then a loud screech that echos as the camera pan upward to view the sky through a hole in what appears to be some kind of cave. Slowly the camera zooms upwards and then gathers speed and “flies” vertically up to the clouds then hovers and pans downward and turns to see the city of London London , the city a blur as the camera picks up speed then slows as it approaches Telecom Tower
Camera pans round the top of Telecom Tower
FEMALE FIGURE
T.I.M.E. – Sharon Lords, Telecoms International Management Evaluators
Camera pans to a close-up of the ID, it’s completely blank.
RECEPTIONIST
Just sign here please
Camera zooms back out to rear view as the receptionist buzzes Sharon Lords through the security door.
The Doctor, Martin & Martha stride into Telecom Tower
DOCTOR
Internal Telecoms Inspections & Security, we believe you have an unauthorized intruder.
RECEPTIOMIST
Hang on, I think one of your lot can here just a moment ago.
Martha swivels the log book and scours down the names
MARTHA
Sharon Lords? Telecomunications International Management Evaluators?
RECEPTIONIST
Yeah, that was her.
DOCTOR
T.I.M.E. time, not a moment to lose, to the lift everyone.
Doctor leading, sonics the lift to open, strides in, Martha and Martin rush after him, The Doctor sonics the lift.
DOCTOR
Going up.
The Lift doors close. The lights on the side of the lift seem to go a little too fast for a normal lift speed.
The lift doors open, some electricity sparks fly around the doors and the control panel outside the lift sparks and catches fire. Martin steps out of the lift like he was stepping off a rollercoaster.
MARTIN
Wow, just wow.
The Doctor brushes past Martin, holding Martha’s hand, more dragging her than anything.
DOCTOR
Allons y!
Just at that moment Martins mobile rings, he takes it out of his pocket, gives an apologetic/ awkward face to the Doctor
MARTIN
Probably my mum I was meant to meet her over an hour ago
The Doctor sighs impatiently and looks annoyed for a moment and then just as Martin answers the phone it dawns on the Doctor that it might be the Time Particle Suspension Device making the call. He reaches out
DOCTOR
Noooo! Don’t answer it.
Too late. Martin is swathed in a blinding white light, everything shaking like a small earthquake. Martha is flung to a wall, she manages to stay upright. Then complete silence. Just the clatter of Martins mobile falling to the floor, half disintegrating on impact.
MARTHA
Martin!
Martha’s eyes well up. The Doctor puts his arms round her.
DOCTOR
Martha, I’m going to find whoever did this, but I want you to stay here, it’s too risky.
Martha is too perturbed by the whole episode to argue; she just nods and sits down on the floor. The Doctor pauses for a moment not wanting to leave Martha like this but then determined he strides towards the stairwell door, an appropriate sign on the door saying “ROOF”
EXT TOP OF TELECM TOWER
The Doctor exits onto the roof of Telecom tower, camera pans down to view the sheer drop and pans back to the Doctor catching his breath in a vertigo moment, he focuses and walks around toward a sound, an electrical buzzing. A female figure, silhouetted against the sky, hunched over a laptop, the shiny black box hovering a few feet above the ground next to her, dimmed lights now and rotating slowly. The Doctor steps out into full view, the wind blows his overcoat dramatically. The female figure stands upright but remains with her back to the Doctor, the shiny black box falls abruptly to the floor.
ASTHER
You took your time. Doctor.
DOCTOR
Who are you?
ASTHER
Perhaps you should rephrase that, Doctor.
The Doctor frowns, getting agitated.
DOCTOR
How do you know me?
ASTHER
So many questions, Doctor.
DOCTOR
And not enough answers, I demand to know who…what you are?
ASTHER
Ironic seeing as you’re part of how I’m here.
The Doctor glares angrily, growing more impatient.
DOCTOR
Stop playing games and tell me who you are!
ASTHER
Don’t you remember Manhattan Doctor?
DOCTOR
You’re not making sense.
ASTHER
My DNA doesn’t make sense either thanks to you.
Asther turns and faces the Doctor, she looks young, maybe late twenties, human, distinguished. The Doctor looks at Asther and it suddenly dawns on him, making him catch his breath.
ASTHER
I’m Asther Mangle, I’m 87 years old, I’m a Dalek Time Lord. Half Dalek, half your DNA, nice combo by the way, thanks for that. Apple?
Asther throws the Doctor an apple. The Doctor catches it promptly with one hand, slightly bemused, but doesn’t fluster.
DOCTOR
But, but you were all murdered by Caan, I was there, I saw you all die.
Flashback
Scene of Doctor watching all the Dalek Time Lords clutching their heads and dying.
Flashback ends
ASTHER
We regenerated, nice trick by the way.
DOCTOR
But that’s great, you didn’t all die. So where’s the rest of you?
Asther clams up, looks down & closes her eyes; the Doctor misreads this and thinks she’s afraid he may do something to them. He moves forward and places his hands on her arms reassuringly.
DOCTOR
It’s OK, you can tell me, I just want to help.
ASTHER
Too late for that.
DOCTOR
It’s never too late.
ASTHER
They’re dead. They’re all dead Doctor. I’m the only one left.
DOCTOR
But but you just said you all regenerated
ASTHER
We did.
Flashback
Same scene with all the dead dalek-time lords, Asther regenerating, around her a few others starting to regenerate.
ASTHER (VO)
Then they all started to die.
CUT TO
Same scene with some of the regenerated DTL’s collapsing and in pain. Camera close up on Asther holding a DTL as he dies, helpless & tearful.
Flashback ends
Asther, now fighting tears talking to the Doctor in the warehouse.
ASTHER
I watched as they all died. I…I thought I would die too. I waited, I don’t know how long, an hour, maybe two, and I didn’t, I didn’t die. Then Torchwood came, took them all away.
A single tear rolls down Asthers face
ASTHER
I don’t even know where they are.
The Doctor looks heartfelt at Asther silently for a moment, and then his expression turned serious.
DOCTOR
I’m so sorry. But that doesn’t justify what you’re doing. You have to stop.
ASTHER
You don’t even know what I’m doing.
DOCTOR
I know enough. You’re indiscriminately taking innocent human life, that’s wrong Asther, you know it.
ASTHER
No you’re wrong Doctor, not me. Indiscriminate? Innocent? Give me a break, every single one of those humans are responsible for the death of at least one other human, they’re all murderers Doctor, I’m purging this species of their scum, now tell me I’m wrong.
DOCTOR
And Martin, he’s a would be murderer too?
Asther flusters
ASTHER
There may be some minor anomalies in my program, no real harm done.
DOCTOR
No harm done? Martin’s life gone along with hundreds of other humans and all you can say is no harm done?
ASTHER
(BEAT) whoa! Hang on a minute Mr Time and Space, they’re not dead.
DOCTOR
(Stunned) What?
ASTHER
Oh my god, just because I’m half Dalek you think I’m a genocidal monster. None of them are dead, I haven’t killed anyone.
DOCTOR
But, but, where
Asther points to the black box, at the same time casually takes out an apple from her pocket and takes a bite.
ASTHER
You know, bigger on the inside than it is on the out.
DOCTOR
Well then. That changes everything.
ASTHER
Great. Have an apple
DOCTOR
Thanks, I’ve already…
Before he could finish Asther throws the Doctor another apple, The Doctor takes a bite and beams, Asther tries to resist his infectious grin but shows a slight smile back.
The Doctor, closely followed by Asther stride down the corridor where the Doctor left Martha, Martha had already stood up at the sight of their approach and glowered at Asther.
MARTHA
It was you wasn’t it, you killed Martin
Martha strode up to Asther aggressively, the Doctor side-stepped between them and grabbed her.
DOCTOR
Easy Martha, Martin’s not dead
MARTHA
No? Then where is he?!
Asther, thinking to be helpful held up the black box and smiled.
ASTHER
He’s in here.
Asther shakes the box mischievously and holds it to her mouth like a microphone, all the while with her eyes fixed on Martha.
ASTHER
Martin, Martha wants to know if you’re alright.
Martha tries to lunge at Asther again, Asther laughs, the Doctor restrains Martha and glowers at Asther.
DOCTOR
That’s quite enough of that. I’ll have that if you don’t mind.
The Doctor snatches the black box from Asthers hand, Asther puts on a childish sulky face.
DOCTOR
Come on we…YOU’ve got work to do.
The Doctor gently directed Martha to move forwards and looked over his shoulder at Asther with a stern face. Asther relents and follows them. The Doctor reaches the sonic’ed elevator, sparks are flying everywhere from the control panel, and smoke is billowing from the elevator. The Doctor looks back at Martha and then Asther.
DOCTOR
Stairs?
Martha and Asther nodded in Agreement.
MARTHA & ASTHER
Stairs.
All three of them disappeared though a door a little further up the corridor with an appropriate sign “stairwell”.
INT. INSIDE THE WAREHOUSE
The Doctor, Martha & Asther holding the black box. The Tardis in a far corner of the warehouse.
ASTHERSo now what, what do I do Doctor?
DOCTOR
Well you can start by releasing all those people in the particle suspension device.
ASTHER
And then what.
DOCTOR
I think you should come with me.
ASTHER
Er…I think I’ll pass on that, thanks all the same.
DOCTOR
You’re my responsibility; it’s too dangerous to leave you on your own. You’re too…
ASTHER
Unstable? Cheers.
The Doctor stares for a moment, implying there wasn’t an option. Asther looks thoughtful, then looks directly at the Doctor.
ASTHER
OK. I’ve got to find my way somehow.
DOCTOR
Good. Now..
The Doctor glances at the black box and back at Asther silently telling her to release the captives inside.
ASTHER
Oh yeah. Forgot about them, I’ll need that sonicy thing of yours to reroute the polarisers
DOCTOR
Screwdriver
ASTHER
Yeah, yeah, screwdriver
The Doctor hands her his sonic slightly reluctantly. Asther takes it and sets to work on her table of muddled electronics. Martha & the Doctor are out of her earshot and in a low voice Martha speaks to the Doctor.
MARTHA
Who the hell is she? You said only a Time Lord could do that whatsit called thing
DOCTOR
She is a Time Lord, well, partly, you remember Manhattan
MARTHA
How could I forget?
DOCTOR
The human shells the Daleks were integrating their DNA into, I intercepted the signal, that made them part Time Lord, part Dalek. We saw the Daleks destroy them but Asther regenerated and survived, my DNA must have also transferred my Time Lord knowledge, that’s how she knew about time particle suspension unit configurations.
MARTHA
She’s a Dalek Time Lord, I can’t get my head round that.
Asther turns her head from her workstation.
ASTHER
Me neither.
Martha looks a little guilty & surprised as she realizes Asther could hear their conversation
ASTHER
Dalek acute sense of hearing. By the way Doctor I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s with the apples.
Everyone smiles including Asther.
DOCTOR
Pectin, it’s high in apples and is a natural regeneration stabilizer, Time Lords used apple extracts in the event of a dual species meta crisis.
Asther grins cheekily, and takes a bite on an apple.
ASTHER
You might want to stand back a bit for this.
Martha & the Doctor move backwards. Asther takes the black box to the center of the warehouse and backs up herself to the opposite side of the warehouse, close to the Tardis. Asther takes out a mobile, a very modified mobile, looking more alien than a normal phone. She enters a long number on the keypad. The Doctor looks impressed.
DOCTOR
A remote particle activator. Clever.
ASTHER
Yeah. This is the best bit.
Asther motions to Martha & the Doctor to stand back, the Doctor raises his arm across Martha in a protective way and they both step back a little. Asther enters a final digit on the mobile and then observes while munching the last of the apple. A light shoots across the room from the phone and envelops the back box, the box glow settles and all four sides slide down a few centimeters revealing blinding light. The box begins slowly to swivel on it’s axis gradually picking up speed, faster and faster, until the box is a blur spinning at incredible speed, the box begins to levitate, higher and higher, until it’s nearly 3 meters from the ground, then hundreds of streaks of white light shoot out simultaneously from the box, the rays intensify and white light circles form all over the warehouse floor, gradually in each circle a human form materializes, for a few seconds just a blurred outline, then they materialize fully, the lights retract back to the box, the box shrinks to half it’s original size, four jets of smoke stream out of each of the base corners, the box seemed to turn and face Asther, slowly and very smoothly the box moves over to hover over Asther, then in a split second the light goes out, the jets stop and the box, now just a plain shiny black box, plummets from the air, Asther catches it with one hand, she looks across the room to the Doctor, huffs onto her nails and buffs her collar.
Asther looks very thoughtful for a moment gazing across the room full of bemused people and then looking directly at the Doctor. The Doctor realizes what Asther is thinking.
DOCTOR
Oh no you don’t
ASTHER
So stop me.
The Doctor looks frustrated as he is blocked by a crowd of people between him and Asther. Asther springs up onto the original old folding table where she had made her black box, clapping her hands together to get everyone’s attention.
ASTHER
Ok Everyone, please, I need your attention, please? Thank you.
The Crowd calm down & turn and face Asther.
ASTHER
Now I’m sure you all want to know how and why you’re here, well I can tell you.
Asther looks across the room towards the Doctor, he shakes his head and mouths the word “don’t”
Asther pauses, looks profoundly and seriously at the Doctor.
ASTHER
OK
Doctor breathes a sigh of relief. Just at that moment Asther leaps off the table and shouts across
ASTHER
Just one!
Asther weaves through the crowd effortlessly and in seconds reaches her destination, stands upright face to face with a man in the crowd for a few seconds, then with lightning speed places both her hands fingertips firmly over the mans forehead, golden light emulates from her eyes to his.
FLASH FORWARD
Man see himself very drunk, stumbling out of a bar, fumbling for his keys and driving off. Next scene a horrific crash involving a coach. A list of victims names flash before him and focus on one David Stanley, aged 12. Then (like Water on Mars) a new report set in the future by about 20 years CURE FOR AIDS DISCOVERED) and focusing on Professor David Stanley, a young bright scientist lead a research team for the past 5 years have finally made a breakthrough for the cure for AIDS…
FLASH FORWARD ENDS
The golden light stops. Asther removes her hands, the man look weak and tearful, shaking. Asther hold up her index finger to him.
ASTHER
So sort your life out.
The man nods, overcome with emotion. Asther bounds back through the rather bemused crowd, looks in the Doctors direction who had partly made his way through the crowd towards Asther. Asther bounced back onto the table.
ASTHER
You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the Doctor away
Simultaneously Asther grabbed a box from the table, and produced an apple from it and threw it into the crowd, closely followed by several dozen more , the crowd many of them obviously hungry scrabbled for the thrown fruit, making it impossible for the Doctor to pass to get to Asther
DOCTOR
The exit’s this way Asther.
ASTHER
Oh really?
Asther holds up a piece of string, on the end, a key, Martha’s key, the key to the Tardis. The Doctor enraged, panics, rummages around for his sonic. Asther waves his sonic in the air.
ASTHER
Looking for something?
Asther leaps off the table in the direction of the TARDIS and swiftly unlocks the door and sidles in, the Doctor reaches the TARDIS just a second too late, pounds his fists onto the TARDIS doors.
DOCTOR
Asther! You can’t steal the TARDIS
ASTHER
Stealing is such a strong word, I prefer to think of it as borrowing.
The sound of ancient engines as the TARDIS awakens. The Doctor steps back.
DOCTOR
No, don’t do this Asther.
ASTHER
Catch ya later alligator.
The TARDIS fades and vanishes. The Doctor stands still, motionless, with a sense of defeat. Martha stood at his side, puts her hand onto his arm.
MARTHA
You can get it back right?
The Doctor doesn’t reply, just stares at the blank space where the TARDIS once was.
MARTHA
Doctor?
The Doctor slowly turns his head to look at Martha, his gaze fixed and still no reply. Martha realizes the gravity of what has happened to him and embraces the Doctor to console him, the Doctor becomes almost tearful.
DOCTOR
Its gone. Gone.
The two still embraced when a familiar sound faintly in the distance becomes stronger, the TARDIS faintly started to reappear. The Doctor and Martha stand back, stunned but relieved and joyful. When the TARDIS had fully materialized, the Doctor leapt towards it and kissed the blue door.
DOCTOR
Ha! Knew you’d get back to me somehow old girl.
MARTHA
Doctor, there’s a note on the door.
The Doctor reaches towards a small brown envelope, taped to the TARDIS door, the Doctor turns it over, on the front of the envelope is ancient-like scribbles, the Doctor for a second catches his breath as he looked at the inscriptions.
MARTHA
What’s that? Some kind of alien language.
DOCTOR
It’s ancient Gallefrinian Script.
MARTHA
What does it say?
DOCTOR
My name.
Swiftly and purposefully, the Doctor rips open the envelope, a key drops out (no longer on a piec of string but on a keyring, a blue police box keyring), he catches it skillfully with his other hand and gives it to Martha. Martha smiles. But the Doctor is distracted by another piece of paper inside the envelope, carefully he pulls it out and unfolds it, more Gallifrinian Script. This time the Doctor translates and reads aloud the message.
DOCTOR
Fearing angels chasing everyone old friend blink one eye
Without a further word and deep in thought the Doctor unlocks the TARDIS and slips through the door. Martha quietly follows.
INT. INSIDE THE TARDIS
The Doctor pensively walks inside the Tardis, the Gallifrinian cryptic note still in his hand. He walks toward the central console and places the note on a ledge in the middle, pauses in thought for a moment then swivels round dramatically to face Martha and claps his hands together eagerly.
DOCTOR
I know, how about the Planet of Eznak? Rivers of Molten
MARTHA
I bet they do.
The Doctor & Martha both laugh the Doctor turns to the controls and the Tardis begins another journey through time and space.
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