First half here
22. (Interrogation room. ISOBEL sits opposite two MPs. One, leading the questioning, has an open file to consult, the other taking notes on a laptop. Tin mugs sit on the desk. She's turned her chair half-away from them, and acts surly and dismissive, barely making eye contact.)
FIRST MP: Alright, let’s recap. This… Doctor of yours, he just appears one day... you don't know how... on this remote island, which you just happened to be on too... called… (consults the file) ...Presbbarah.
ISOBEL: Aye. (to SECOND MP) Wi’ two 'r's.
FIRST MP: ...and, despite having never having met him before, you decided to take off with him. Here to Cardiff. Some seven hundred miles away.
ISOBEL: Aye.
FIRST MP: Now during this... escapade of yours, there was a national alert for you both. Yet you evaded capture. Tell me, how were you able to evade capture all that time?
(Pause.)
ISOBEL: Would yer like t’ know?
FIRST MP: I would.
(ISOBEL swivels in her chair. She leans forward purposefully and looks directly at him.)
ISOBEL: I decided to.
(ISOBEL looks away again.)
FIRST MP: And do you expect us to believe any of this?
ISOBEL (shrugging): Y’ can please yerselves about that.
FIRST MP (temper rising): Now you listen to me! You may think you’re being very clever but you will be held here until you start telling us something we can…
ISOBEL (interrupting, to SECOND MP, seething with disdain): You! Are you lookin' for somethin’ to write down? Then y’ can write down this. Write down that if the Doctor had nae landed in the North of Scotland, if he'd shown up in the middle o’ Mexico, the only difference would be there'd be someone else sittin' here now, speakin' Spanish at you. And you... you'd get out your little phrasebook an’ go through them, and still have not a clue what she was talkin' about!
(ISOBEL looks dismissively away from them again. Pause.)
ISOBEL: Spanish – one i. Some people think it's two. But that would make it Spainish.
23. (Another FIRST and SECOND MP walk briskly down base corridor, one on each side of THE DOCTOR. They don’t conceal their gloating.)
FIRST MP: You led us a merry dance, you did. Chasin’ you right round the country. But that stops here.
SECOND MP: It’s confession time for you.
(MPs stop, one knocks on office door. We see it says ‘Mr. Monk’ on nameplate.)
BOSS (from within): Enter.
(MP walks into the office, one on either side of THE DOCTOR, camera following. BOSS sits writing at his desk.)
MP: You asked to see the prisoner, Mr. Monk.
BOSS (without looking up): I did.
(Pause, while BOSS continues writing. Then, without looking up, he traces a circular gesture with his hand.)
MP: We’ll… just be outside, sir.
BOSS: Very good.
(THE MP leaves. THE DOCTOR waits patiently as BOSS continues writing. He looks round room, at star charts on wall. Finally, BOSS looks up.)
BOSS (brightly): Coffee?
24. (Staff Canteen. Looking much like any office canteen, people bustling round counters and tables. BOSS stands at the drinks counter, THE DOCTOR slightly behind him.)
BOSS: You sure? It’s proper coffee here. Not that stuff from a machine.
THE DOCTOR: I just prefer tea.
BOSS (to woman serving): An Americano and an English breakfast, please Gwyneth.
(Jump-cut to them sitting at a table. BOSS picks up the sugar container, holds it to THE DOCTOR.)
THE DOCTOR: Not for me, thanks.
BOSS: Well I’m having some.
(BOSS indulgently serves himself three shakes of sugar, and stirs. THE DOCTOR sips some tea.)
DOCTOR: They called you Mr. Monk.
BOSS: They did. That’s my name.
DOCTOR (looking around): Where are we?
BOSS: The canteen.
DOCTOR: I meant more…
BOSS (smiling): Yes. Excuse my little joke. Do you have your photo with you?
(THE DOCTOR pulls the photo of central Cardiff out, and hands it to BOSS. He taps photo with his finger, then points upwards. THE DOCTOR looks up, and back to him.)
DOCTOR: I see. So why here?
BOSS: You’ll see. But anyway, how have you been?
(THE DOCTOR looks surprised at this question.)
DOCTOR: Actually, things have been a bit funny lately.
BOSS: Mmm, I suppose they must have. (Beat) You really have lost your memory?
THE DOCTOR: I have.
BOSS: I see. Well… let’s try to get you up to speed.
THE DOCTOR (cautiously): Okay.
BOSS: I asked for your things to be given back to you. The photo we’ve seen. Do you have your sonic?
(THE DOCTOR looks quizzical)
BOSS: The… metal stick…
(BOSS marks out its length with his fingers.)
BOSS: … about so big.
(THE DOCTOR smiles in understanding, fishes the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and holds it out.)
BOSS: Figured out what it does?
THE DOCTOR (brightly): It can light up.
BOSS (readily agreeing): It can. Anything else?
(THE DOCTOR pauses to think. He seems to come up with something.)
THE DOCTOR (brightly): Yes, it beeps.
BOSS: Any particular time?
(Pause.)
THE DOCTOR: For danger.
BOSS: So… no danger now, then?
THE DOCTOR (puzzled): No. But before…
BOSS: Let’s see if I can help this along…
(BOSS pulls something from his pocket and tosses it on the table. it’s another sonic screwdriver. THE DOCTOR takes it in for a second, picks it up and holds a screwdriver in each hand. He examines them side-by-side.)
THE DOCTOR: Where did you get this?
BOSS: I think I’ve always had it.
(THE DOCTOR turns them over in his hands, in synchronised fashion, his attention fully focused on them.)
BOSS: Yes, they’re exactly alike. What would you say the’s oddest thing about them?
(THE DOCTOR hesitates.)
BOSS: Come now, clearly we’re all friends here.
THE DOCTOR: They detect alien tech. But…
BOSS: But?
(THE DOCTOR looks to BOSS)
THE DOCTOR: But we’re aliens too, aren’t we? They just don’t detect us.
BOSS: Good. But you got there by reasoning, not remembering. Knowing that, does it bring back any memories?
(THE DOCTOR reflects a second, and quietly shakes his head.)
THE DOCTOR: Sorry, none.
(THE DOCTOR goes to pick up his tea.)
BOSS: So you still don’t know your own brother?
(THE DOCTOR spills tea.)
BOSS: Don’t worry, we’ll clean that up later. Why do you think I’ve been looking for you?
(Pause.)
DOCTOR: How did we come to be here?
BOSS: Good question! We were exiles, our home world gone. We came to this planet, centuries ago, and vowed to defend it.
DOCTOR (surprised): Centuries?
BOSS: Yes, we live for… well, a while. And, I’m sure you’ve noticed, this lot need someone to look after them. There was one battle... you were injured and lost. I’ve been looking for you ever since. I knew I had to get to you before our enemies did. But it was made harder by you changing your face.
DOCTOR: I did what?
BOSS: Yes, we… that’s a thing we can do. It was a smart move, it threw them off your trail. Unfortunately, of course, it did the same for me. But, finally…(exuberantly) …here we are! Back together again.
(Pause.)
DOCTOR: Thank you very much.
BOSS: That’s okay. The only thing we don’t still know about is the girl.
DOCTOR (quizzically): The girl?
BOSS: Yes. We’ve still no idea who she was working for, or even why. But…(reassuringly) ...we’ll find out.
(DOCTOR still looks quizzical.)
BOSS: You had seen through her story? A village nurse? Who could do all she did?
(Pause.)
DOCTOR (clearly covering): Well, I did have my suspicions.
25. (Dark corridor at night. MP on duty. He spies a shadow.)
MP: You! This is a restricted area. Stop and identify yourself.
(Figure keeps walking towards him.)
MP (gun now raised): Stop or I will shoot!
(Figure comes into the light. It’s THE DOCTOR, smiling innocently. He gives a little wave.)
MP: Oh, it’s you, sir.
DOCTOR (cheerfully): Good evening. Woke up a bit peckish and was just trying to find the fridge. You haven’t seen it, have you?
MP (re-holstering gun): Well, the canteen’s closed this time of night, sir. There’s a vending machine on Level Two. Light snacks, mostly.
DOCTOR: Good!
(Pause)
MP: I could direct you there, sir.
DOCTOR: Thank you. Tell me, do they have any of those little...?
(THE DOCTOR starts to mime a small size with his hands)
DOCTOR: ...you know, with chocolate in pastry.
MP: I am going to have to ask you to move along, sir.
DOCTOR: That’s fine. I understand.
MP: Now, if you please, sir.
(MP’s hand slides back to his holstered gun.)
DOCTOR (quickly and urgently): I’m not who you think I am.
MP: Well I don’t rightly know who to think you are, sir. All I know is you’ve no clearance for this level.
DOCTOR: No?
(DOCTOR’S hand goes to his pocket. MP’S tightens on his gun.)
DOCTOR (calmly): Please don’t shoot me. I don’t have any weapons. Just something to show you.
(Slowly, THE DOCTOR pulls out the psychic paper and hold it up to the MP. Pause.)
MP (hand falling away from gun again): Well I’m sorry, but I had no idea, sir.
DOCTOR: No-one has. Just you.
MP: I see, sir.
DOCTOR (quickly): Well, apart from me. Obviously I know who I am. I know that.
MP (confused at this): Yes, sir.
DOCTOR: So if you’ll just let me along now I’d be grateful.
MP: That’s fine, sir. Of course I will have to report…
(THE DOCTOR shakes the psychic paper.)
DOCTOR (pleasantly): I don’t think you need to bother.
MP: Well, that’s most irregular, sir, but if you say so I suppose… well, if that’s all I’ll leave you to your… I’ll leave you to it, sir.
DOCTOR: Yes, that’s all. Goodnight.
MP: Goodnight, sir.
(Looking perturbed at turn of events but unsure how otherwise to react, the MP moves off. THE DOCTOR turns the psychic paper round to read it himself. He shrugs, it clearly meaning nothing to him. He re-pockets it and continues down the corridor.)
26. (Door with electronic lock. DOCTOR arrives, pushes door experimentally then inspects lock. He pauses, looking unsure what to do. He tries his pockets and pulls out the psychic paper again. He looks at it briefly, re-pockets it and tries again. This time he pulls out the sonic screwdriver. He holds it up, and looks at it.)
DOCTOR: Hmmm…
27. (Water Tower, Central Cardiff. The sun is rising.)
28. (THE DOCTOR enters the Canteen. He finds it now completely empty, counters closed and chairs stacked on tables. However, he spots BOSS in the corner, at the hot drinks machine. THE DOCTOR walks up to him.)
BOSS: Ah, there you are! Just machine drinks today, I’m afraid. (studying options on machine) Now… for you the lemon tea is probably your best option. The regular tea, that powdered milk has a taste to it. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. (Beams widely at his own joke)
DOCTOR: Okay then. (Looking round) Where is everyone?
BOSS (distracted, pressing the buttons): Oh, them. I gave them the day off.
DOCTOR (surprised): All of them?
BOSS: Yes. Well, they’ve been working quite hard lately. Looking for you, mostly. So… a lot of annual leave came up at the same time, and...
(BOSS gestures expansively around empty room. The machine beeps. BOSS takes the cup and hands it to THE DOCTOR. THE DOCTOR takes it, still looking round.)
DOCTOR: Still, all of them at once…
BOSS: What can I say? Too nice for my own good, at times. (Gesturing to leave the room) Let’s get started, shall we?
(BOSS starts to move. But THE DOCTOR remains by the machine, and quietly sips some tea. There’s an unstated stand-off.)
BOSS (smiling): Okay, there’s… there’s things I don’t think they’re quite ready for, not just yet. So I thought it best that they didn’t see them today.
DOCTOR: Things.
BOSS: Yes. Shall we see the things, then?
29. (DOCTOR and BOSS enter darkened room. BOSS switches lights on. It’s a large hangar-like space. Empty except for a work bench against the near wall, and the Tardis against another. Far end of room remains in darkness.)
BOSS: Do you remember anything here?
DOCTOR: I think I do.
(THE DOCTOR immediately starts walking up to the Tardis, his sight fixed on her. THE DOCTOR strokes his hand along the door. BOSS comes up behind him.)
DOCTOR (looking up at The Tardis): I know you. How do I know you?
BOSS (eagerly): How do you think?
DOCTOR: Do we…. live in them?
BOSS: Kind of, yes. Live. And travel.
DOCTOR (looking to him in surprise): Travel? They travel?
BOSS: Oh, they don’t need wheels. They’re Tardises… that’s Time and Relative Dimensions in Space… they can travel across both time and space.
DOCTOR: Time and space?
BOSS: Yes, time too. It comes in handy.
DOCTOR: And our people made them?
BOSS: More grew them. Bit of a long story.
DOCTOR (looking round): So where do you keep your… er…?
(DOCTOR tails off, forgetting the word)
BOSS: Tardis. Well... thereby hangs a tale. Mine broke down. A while back. Hard to get the parts on this planet, you see.
DOCTOR: So you’ve been borrowing mine?
MONK: No. You see, you had the key.
DOCTOR: So I did. But you couldn’t…? I mean, with all the facilities here…
BOSS: Afraid not. If there’s one thing our people knew how to do, it’s put on a good steering lock.
DOCTOR: Then how did you get it here?
BOSS: I didn’t. It found here, I found it, in that order. We didn’t put it here, we built this place around it.
DOCTOR: Why would she come here?
BOSS: The time rift. There’s others, but the one here is quite a big one. She found her way to here like a gazelle sniffs out a watering hole. Anyway, shall we take her for a little spin?
DOCTOR: Yes. (He looks to Tardis again, clearly upbeat at the prospect) Why not?
(THE DOCTOR takes out his key, unlocks the Tardis door and pushes it open. He holds it politely for BOSS, who starts to walk in.)
BOSS: Oh, may be an idea to grab a torch. Till we figure out where the lights are.
DOCTOR (brightly): Okay.
(THE DOCTOR skips cheerfully over to the workbench, picks up a torch and returns. The door’s now closed. He pushes it, it stays closed. He knocks.)
DOCTOR: Hello?
(Blue light comes on above Tardis. A projector beam starts up, which shows BOSS’S face on wall. It’s a round image with just the close-up of his face, not possible to see the rest of Tardis interior. His face looks gargantuan, blown up on the wall, against the DOCTOR.)
BOSS: Doctor, can you hear me?
DOCTOR: Yes. Looks like the door’s swung shut. Could you..?
BOSS (exultant): You fool!
DOCTOR: Me?
BOSS: You pitiable simple-minded dolt! I knew it! I knew you’d be so desperate for answers you’d swallow anything you were sold! Yes, we’re of the same species. But brothers? We’re sworn enemies!
DOCTOR: We are?
BOSS: We are. You beat me, centuries back, broke my Tardis and marooned me here. Since then I’ve been stuck here. Going through time the long way round. I came to loathe these bumpkins, their smallness, their slaggard development. Do you know how long it took them to get from carts to cars? But mostly, it was you I grew to hate, you for putting me here. I worked my way into my position, awaiting my moment against you. I’d help you know who you were again. Then take your Tardis, leaving you with all those useless memories to taunt you. And now I’m going to maroon you here, just as you left me…
DOCTOR (calmly): Listen to me, don’t do this. Do not try to fly that Tardis.
(The Tardis’ light comes on, its signature dematerialisation sound starts. Both build up.)
BOSS: Goodbye, Doctor. Enjoy the Earth….
DOCTOR (calmly): I have to tell you you’re making a big mistake.
BOSS: I don’t think so. Finally… (with great triumph) …it’s me who’s in the driving seat! It’s me who’s in the driving seat! It’s me who’s in the driving seat! It’s me who’s in the driving seat! It’s me who’s in…
(It becomes obvious this is on a loop. DOCTOR listens for a few seconds, pulls out his sonic screwdriver, and points and presses, like a remote control. Dematerialisation, projection and the repeated phrase all stop. DOCTOR is left alone in hangar.)
DOCTOR (calling, seemingly to empty room): It’s okay now, it’s done.
(ISOBEL steps out of the shadows. Her manner is cold and distant. She looks to the Tardis.)
ISOBEL: What just happened?
DOCTOR: A temporal loop.
ISOBEL: An’ what’s that in English?
DOCTOR: Well, it’s when… (something suddenly occurs to him) …sorry, just one second.
(The DOCTOR beeps at the Tardis with his sonic screwdriver. It dematerialises, leaving the Tardis key on the floor. He picks it up, holds it up triumphantly to ISOBEL before pocketing it, and stepping back. He beeps at it again and the Tardis rematerialises.)
DOCTOR: A temporal loop. Like a video clip set on repeat, but done in real time. I set it up earlier. When he started pulling levers in there, that triggered it. Now he’ll be trapped in that loop till time runs out. All the time living out the moment of his triumph. (Upbeat) I gave him what he wanted. He’ll be happy!
ISOBEL: How did you..?
DOCTOR (quickly interrupting, hyper): He tried to get me not to trust you. That was his mistake, it had been quite convincing up till then. So last night I sneaked in here, found the key in my hand, and as soon as I set foot in the old girl… well, it was like I was never away!
ISOBEL: So you’re… an alien?
DOCTOR: Yes.
ISOBEL: You travel… in space?
DOCTOR: And time.
ISOBEL: And time? In… that?
(ISOBEL looks to the Tardis.)
DOCTOR: I do.
(Pause.)
ISOBEL: I see.
DOCTOR: I expect you must have questions.
ISOBEL: Well that would be one way o’…
DOCTOR (excitedly interrupting): I’m hundreds of years old! Really! I can’t remember how many, it might come back to me one century or another… and I’ve visited so many planets, with colours in spectrums you’ve never seen. There’s one which has sky waterfalls with three colours- (raises three fingers excitedly)- three colours you can’t get anywhere else… though to be fair one is a bit like mauve. Then I rewound time and did it all again! But of it all, this was the best time. Travelling with you. Sitting round a camp fire just out of Auchterlounie, eating sausages.
ISOBEL: I remember them. You burnt those sausages.
DOCTOR: Those burnt sausages tasted just fine.
(Beat.)
ISOBEL: They did that.
DOCTOR: Listen, we can travel the universe together! A new day, a new galaxy. Every day for forever! Perhaps the future, people like the future, it’s the silver… Or we could see the past, the past is great this time of year. Look, I can’t describe it, you need to see it, come on…
(THE DOCTOR goes to grab ISOBEL’S hand. She pulls away.)
ISOBEL (blurting): I’m nae goin’ with yer.
DOCTOR (taken aback): What?
ISOBEL (flatly): Y’ don’t need me. It all worked out, just like yer wanted. Ye’ve no need o’ my nursin’ any more.
DOCTOR (laughing): Isobel, I don’t need you to come, I want you to come. The time’s we’ve had…
ISOBEL: Thailand’s where I’m goin’. I said so from the start. I’ve got me ticket. Non-refundable.
DOCTOR (laughing): If Thailand’s what you want, the Tardis could take us there. And we could be back before we left. No, wait… after. Before would be confusing.
ISOBEL: (imploring) Doctor, listen… (a thought strikes her) What is yer name, anyway?
DOCTOR: Doctor.
ISOBEL: No, I mean yer real…
DOCTOR: It’s the Doctor.
ISOBEL: Doctor’s yer actual name?
DOCTOR: Yes.
ISOBEL: (Confused) Okay. But listen… That flight t’ Thailand, the truth of it is, I’ve been putting back the date f’ years now. I must have done it a dozen times.... well, ten or eleven... ten... no, eleven…
DOCTOR: The… er… exact number of times, is that important to this?
ISOBEL: It’s not important to this, no. But the point is, there was always some reason... some reason that always seemed so vital... not to go just yet. While yer life just ticks away. The point is, I thought we were doing this for you! I thought we were looking for who you were. Turns out, all along it was me who needed this... all the flyin’ saucers, all the blue light stuff... just to walk through passport control at Glasgow airport, like thousands do every day.
(Pause. The DOCTOR, previously so dynamic and excited, now looks deflated.)
DOCTOR: Isobel, I… I think I do need you to come. I can't imagine going on without you.
ISOBEL: Doctor, don’t make this harder. I think the world of you too...(catches herself) …“the world”, it doesnae seem so big any more.
DOCTOR: It does. Really, it does.
ISOBEL (imploring): Doctor, try to understand. This is just how it is! People change. They don't mean to change, but they do.
(Silence.)
ISOBEL: And you, you've got it all back now. A magic door that opens when yer click yer fingers. And think of all those things you did when yer didn't even know yer name. Somehow, I think you're going to be alright.
DOCTOR (temptingly): At least look inside. While you're here. It’s bigger on the inside than the outside, you know...
ISOBEL: Aye. So were you. Goodbye, Doctor.
(ISOBEL starts to walk out. She pauses, and looks back.)
ISOBEL: Doctor…
(Pause)
ISOBEL: Look after yourself, won't you?
DOCTOR (with forced upbeatness): You too.
(ISOBEL leaves. DOCTOR dangles Tardis key from his hand, looking at it. He then unlocks the door and enters the Tardis. The light shines, the familair sound and it dematerialises, leaving only a bare wall behind it.)
(Fade to white.)
…Doctor Who will return in a new Autumn season.
