Saturday, July 7, 2018

Doctor Who: The Dalek Planet - Episode Five

DISCLAIMER: I'm doing this for fun, not profit. This is not officially sanctioned by the BBC and the producers of Doctor Who. 
In case you're wondering, this storyline takes place between Episode 4 ("Knock Knock") and Episode 5 ("Oxygen") of Series 10. 

To catch up, click here for Episode One and click here for Episode Two and click here for Episode Three and click here for Episode Four.      


 ____________________________________


The Dalek Planet
by David Long 
Episode Five


SCENE OPENS: Interior of the TARDIS with the 12th Doctor, Bill and Nardole surrounding the console.


Nardole: I stopped Davros from harvesting our guest’s regeneration energy.


The Doctor: Well, there’s that then.


Bill: Doctor, that creature seems pretty powerful already. Why does Davros need all this extra energy?


The Doctor: Having a world ride on your back is one thing. To control that world and use its power as an weapon of destruction requires a level of energy beyond that of even a space whale.


Bill: You said that before… a space whale?


The Doctor: Yes.


Bill: It’s a whale.


The Doctor: Yes.


Bill: But in space.


The Doctor: Yes. Well, it’s a bit of a euphemism, applied to any large scale organic that can traverse the voids of space.


Nardole: I saw a space whale once. It was… very nice.


The Doctor: I’ve encountered a couple myself. Very powerful creatures but usually docile, even benevolent.  This one, sadly, had any docility or benevolence tortured out of it. 


Nardole: So how did it get inside of a planet sized Dalek battle tank?


The Doctor: It’s mind made contact with Davros somehow. I’m sure Davros saw an opportunity to create a maximum expression of a Dalek.


Bill: The other Daleks didn’t seem to care for it. 


Nardole: So what are we going to do now?


The Doctor: The worst thing I can think of.


The Doctor pulls down the control lever as the central column whirls to life.


The Doctor: I’m going to give Davros exactly what he wants.


Nardole: I don’t like the sound of that.


Bill: I have no idea what’s going on but I agree with Nardole.


Nardole: What Davros wants is for a Time Lord to jump start his Dalek Planet.


Bill: Which you said would be an all-powerful unbeatable killing machine.  


The Doctor (smiling): Yeah. I know.


Bill: That that would be a… bad thing?


The Doctor: Well, I’ve changed my mind about that. And I’ve also changed my mind about this.


The Doctor pushes up the control lever as the central column winds down.


SCENE CHANGE. The desolate planet where we saw the Daleks in Episode One. The TARDIS materializes in the midst of an army of Daleks around a single Dalek.  


VWORP!
VWORP!
VWORP!


SCENE CHANGE. Interior of the TARDIS with the 12th Doctor, Bill and Nardole surrounding the console and now accompanied by a Dalek.


Nardole: Bloody hell! What have you done, you mad fool?


Bill: Doctor!


The Doctor: Hold on!


The Doctor withdraws his sonic screwdriver. The Dalek is swinging its eye stalk, as if in a panic.


Dalek: I am in the TARDIS of the Doctor! Explain the meaning of this or be exterminate! Explain! EXPLAIN! EX-


Sparks explode from the Dalek eye stalk as the Doctor aims his sonic screwdriver at the Dalek.  


The Doctor: There. That should shut him up for a bit.


The Doctor hurries up to the now inert Dalek as he plies to edge of the dome with his sonic screwdriver. 


Nardole: Care to bring the rest of us up to date on what the hell you’re up to?


The Doctor: Not now. Busy. 


The dome part of the Dalek unlatches and the Doctor pushes back the lid. Bill sees the tentacle creature inside and gasps in horror.


Bill: Oh my God! What…?


The Doctor: That is the true face of a Dalek.  Formerly known as Kaleds. Until fear and hatred trapped them in their metal coffins.


The creature within weakly wiggles its tentacles. 


Dalek: Doc… tor.


The Doctor scans the creature with his sonic screwdriver.


The Doctor: Good news. I’ve changed my mind. I am going to help you with the Dalek Planet. 


Dalek: What… are….


The Doctor: I need to… give you some helpful information, waiting for you to upload it to the Dalek hive mind. 


Dalek: Infor… mation….


The Doctor: But not yet. Maybe if the universe is… kind, maybe not ever.  But…


The Doctor pause, a sad expression on his face.


The Doctor: I need you to be ready.  


The Doctor finishes his scan.


The Doctor: There! All done. I would offer you a lolly but….


The Doctor closes the dome and closes the latches. 


Dalek: Doc.… tor….


The Doctor: Nardole, enter reverse coordinates. As for you, Dalek, you will remain incapacitated for about 10 minutes. In that time, the problem of the Dalek Planet will be resolved…. One way or another. Nardole?


Nardole: Yes, Doctor?


The Doctor: Dematerialize!


Nardole pulls down the control lever as the central column whirls to life and the Dalek vanishes from view.  


Bill: What happens now?


Nardole: We’re going back to the Dalek Planet.


The Doctor: Yes, back to the Dalek Planet.

SCENE CHANGE
Space and the exterior of the Dalek Planet 

SCENE CHANGE
Interior, the giant creature at the core of the Dalek Planet. Overlooking this giant beast from high vantage point is Davros.

Planet creature: GROW. TIRED. NEED. POW. ER.

Davros: I know, my beautiful creature. I regret that my efforts to obtain the power you need have not been fruitful. 

Planet creature: PROM. ISED. POW. ER. TO. HURT. ALL. WHO. HURT. THIS. ONE.

Davros: I will make it happen. You will have power and then be power incarnate. The ultimate expression of Dalek superiority.

Planet creature: I. AM. DA. LEK.

Davros: Yes. Yes, you are... Dalek. And soon....

Suddenly Davros is interrupted by the familiar groaning noise of the TARDIS.

VWORP!
VWORP!
VWORP! 

On the platform where Davros sits, watching over the planet creature, the blue box materializes.

Planet creature: DOC. TOR.

Davros: How curious. The Doctor... here?

The Doctor exits the TARDIS.

The Doctor: Well, hello, hello, hello! Davros, you look like death overcooked, as always.

Davros: Doctor?

The Doctor: And you..... sorry, I didn't get your name before.

Planet creature: I. AM. DA. LEK.

The Doctor: I think I'll call you "Steve". 

Planet creature: I. AM. DA. LEK.

The Doctor: Well, Steve, you could be....

Planet creature: I. AM. DA. LEK.

The Doctor: Or you could be so much.... more.

The Doctor examines the cables running down the walls.

Davros: Doctor, what is the meaning of this?

The Doctor: Oh, Davros, don't be do touchy. Believe it or not....oh, this one will do nicely....

The Doctor pulls out one of the cables from the wall.

Davros: Doctor!

The Doctor: I'm here to help my pal, Steve. 

Davros: What are you doing?

The Doctor: Do not look a gift Time Lord in the mouth, Davros. Without threat or coercion, I am here....

The Doctor takes the end of the cable in one hand which begins to glow with regeneration energy.

The Doctor: To help!

With that, golden energy pulses from his hand along the cable and into the walls.  Blow where the creature resides, the energy leaps from the walls and dances over the pulsating surface of the creature's flesh.  The creature writhes and screams in the golden glow. 

SCENE CHANGE.
Exterior of the Dalek Planet as the surface of the planet sized Dalek pulses with golden energy. 

SCENE CHANGE
Back to the interior where the Doctor releases the cable.

The Doctor: That should about do it. How do you feel, Steve?

Planet creature: POW. ER. ALL. POW. ER.

Davros: Yes! POWER! It is so glorious, is it not?

The Doctor: Glorious? Maybe. Depends what you do with it.

The Doctor withdraws his sonic screwdriver.

Planet creature: DE. STROY. ALL. WHO. HURT. THIS. ONE. ALL. WHO. HURT. WILL. HURT.

The Doctor: You don' have to do that. Not everyone in the universe is out to hurt you. Did I not give you the power you needed? I was not acting under threat or coercion. I helped you!

Davros: How naïve can you be, Doctor? One kind gesture cannot erase the millennia this creature has been tortured.

The Doctor: I'm not naïve, Davros. I do, however, still believe in hope, however slim and unlikely that hope might be. Steve!
I give you one last chance to change your path, from death and destruction to something... better.

Planet creature: NO.

The Doctor stares down resolutely at the creature, a finger resting on a button of his sonic screwdriver.

The Doctor: Please.


Planet creature: ALL. WHO. HURT. WILL. HURT. 

The Doctor: I see.

Planet creature: I. AM. DA. LEK.

The Doctor: No. You are not.

The Doctor's finger flicks the button on the sonic as it glows and emits a high pitch whine.

Davros: Doctor! What are you doing?

The Doctor: I just opened a channel to the Dalek hive mind.

Davros: Impossible! You can't do that!

The Doctor: Yes, I can... when I have a spy on the inside. 
Davros, do you know that the Daleks actually tried to recruit me to stop this Dalek Planet?

Davros: No! My children would not betray me! NO!!!

The Doctor: More to the point, they could not. You programmed them too well. But... they saw this Dalek Planet as a threat to their.... well, way of life. This Dalek Planet was going to put them out of a job. This Dalek Planet was going to make them.... irrelevant.

Davros: No! I didn't mean to hurt my children! The Dalek Planet was meant to bolster their power.

The Doctor: Well, too bad for you, they saw it differently. And now, information has been uploaded to the hive mind. Information that this creature is not a Kaled, not a true Dalek.

Planet creature: I. AM. DA. LEK.

The Doctor: I dare say the billion Daleks swarming through space ready to do battle with this... interloper think differently.

Davros: You gave this Dalek Planet power....

The Doctor: I also gave it a choice.

Davros: But by powering up the Dalek Planet, you....

The Doctor: I created the ultimate stalemate. An unbeatable Dalek Planet versus a gazillion ticked off Daleks.

Davros: Do you know what you have done, Doctor?

The Doctor: Yes, I do. This will keep the Daleks preoccupied for, I don't know, centuries? A few centuries the Daleks will be too busy to hurt the rest of the universe? I'll take that as a win.  

SCENE CHANGE
Exterior in space, a swarm of Daleks attack the Dalek Planet, ray beams blasting out as the giant cannons from the Dalek Planet fire back at the Daleks.

SCENE CHANGE
Interior. Explosions go off around the Doctor and Davros.

The Doctor: Uh oh. That's my cue to leave.

The Doctor begins to approach the TARDIS. 

Davros: You cannot leave me like this. In this conflagration!  

The Doctor pauses a moment as he holds on to the door of the TARDIS.

The Doctor: Actually, yes. Yes, I can. 

The Doctor enters the TARDIS doors shut behind him. Davros is left screaming as the TARDIS dematerializes. 

VWORP!
VWORP!
VWORP! 


Davros: DOCTOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!


SCENE CHANGE
Exterior in space as the epic battle between the Dalek Planet and the Daleks rages on.  


SCENE CHANGE
Interior of the TARDIS. 


Bill: You... left him to die?


The Doctor: Bill, I've lost track of how many times Davros has been left to die.  


Nardole: What now, Doctor? 

The Doctor: You'll be happy to hear this, Nardole. Back to Earth. 

Nardole: Rebuild the vault for our guest?  

The Doctor: Absolutely. And I hate to admit this, Nardole, but you are right. I made a vow and I think I need to re-commit to my promises. 

Nardole: No more adventures in time and space?

The Doctor: Oh, absolutely. 

The Doctor pulls down the TARDIS lever and we fade to black. 

Then a graphic appears: 

A FEW MONTHS LATER....

FADE IN....the university Lecture hall
The Doctor is pacing the stage in front of a large group of assembled students including Bill Potts.   

The Doctor: Space, the final frontier. Final because it wants to kill us. Sometimes we forget that, start taking it all for granted. The suits, the ships, the little bubbles of safety, as they protect us from the void. But the void is always waiting. 

The Doctor draws on the blackboard.

The Doctor: So, how does space kill you? I'm glad you asked. The main problem is pressure. There isn't any. So, don't hold your breath or your lungs will explode. 

Nardole is watching from the side. He shakes his head and mutters to himself. 

Nardole: Well, I know where this is going.  

-----THE END-------

Well, that took long enough. Sorry about all the delays.  

Anyway, tomorrow is another Doctor Who themed post as we take a look Series 11.   

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