Doctor Who (1963–1989): Season 18, Episode 13 - State of Decay: Part One - full transcript

Looking for scientists to help them find a way out of E-Space, K-9 locates a habitable planet for them to check out. They find a tower harboring royals overlooking a single village of grubby peasants, no fauna other than bats, and a band of rebels hiding out from a severe law that prohibits learning.

(DOCTOR WHO THEME)

It is the time of selection, my lord.

Choose well, Habris.

Let them be filled with life.

It is spirit that the Great One prizes.

Yet flesh and blood has its place.

I still look in vain
for the first of the Chosen Ones.

The Great One will need new servants
at the time of Arising.

- Remember that, Habris.
- My lord.

Get back. We don't want you two.

You, get in the line.



And you.

Go on, get back. Get back to the wall.

- These are the best?
- Yes.

- You, come here.
- He's not for the selection.

- I have to obey procedure.
- Why? Why do you obey them?

- You're not evil.
- Enough.

You eat with us sometimes.
I've seen you give my father wine.

My mother, my family.

Do you understand?

It has to be done.

Stop him.

I can promise nothing. You understand?

It's finished.

Go.



- Well, Doctor?
- Yes, I'm fine.

The Tardis is feeling a bit queasy.

- Really?
- Yes.

So would you be if you were
warping about in E-Space.

- We are.
- Yes, but not you personally.

But we are personally trapped.

There's a low probability we can
slip off home through another CVE.

- So we are trapped.
- Oh, please, don't keep saying that.

- Master...
- Not now, K9, not now.

ROMANA: We are marooned in
the Exo-Space Time Continuum.

Well, it might be quite nice here.

- It might be.
- Yes.

Well, we won't know till we've seen
the sights, met a few more people.

Supposing there aren't
any other planets here.

Come on, E-Space isn't that small.
Something's bound to turn up.

You are incredible.

Yes, I suppose I am, really.
I've never given it much thought.

- Master...
- Not now, K9. What is it?

There is one isolated planet
at extreme limit of scanner range.

Well, why didn't you tell me?
Is it inhabited?

- Habitable.
- Atmosphere?

Atmosphere and gravity approximate
closely to Earth normal.

Day equivalent to 23.3 Earth hours.
Year to 350 Earth days.

- How did you know?
- Oh, knowing's easy.

Everyone does that ad nauseam.
I just sort of hope.

What do you make of it, K9?

Localised concentration of metal
artefacts suggests high technology.

Civilisation?

Low energy levels suggest
primitive life forms.

Sounds as if it's come and gone.

- Anomalous data.
- Well, at least there's life.

(WHOOSHING)

Yes, very nice.

Why here?

Well, I put us down close
to K9's energy concentration.

Ah, there.

Look.

Protective castle,

village dwellings huddled
like ducklings round their mother.

Typical medieval scene.

K9 said high technology.

- Computers aren't infallible.
- Shh.

It's awfully nice out there, K9.

Protective castle with village dwellings

huddled like ducklings
round their mother.

Classic medieval scene.

Tsk-tsk. You'd better stay here.

Come on, K9,
someone's got to stay on guard.

And you can compute a reverse transition
from existing data.

You love doing that, eh?

DOCTOR: Bye-bye, K9.

On the other hand, they may have opted
deliberately for a semi-rural culture.

It's a mistake to judge by appearances.

Hello.

Hello.

Maybe you can help us.

We were wondering if...

Should have asked him
the name of his tailor.

You mustn't judge
by appearances, Doctor.

- No.
- He's probably the astronomer royal.

Get a move on, you lot,
or you'll be late.

You.

Increase the food allowances,
you'd get better results.

They're too weak to work harder.

I am the one who has to report
to the Tower.

You're the one that has to tell them
about poor harvests.

I'll see what I can do.

Huh, that's what you said about my son.

- When there's news, I'll tell you.
- News? When is there ever news?

Hello.

You're not from the village.

- Or the Tower.
- That's right.

It isn't possible. There's nowhere else.
How can you be here?

- Well...
- My lord...

No, no, no, please,
just the Doctor will do.

- This is Romana.
- My lord, how may I serve you?

How may you serve me? Well...

Your lord's command.

No, no, we were just wondering
if there were any other scientists...

- Scientists?
- Yes, scientists.

You know, witch-wiggler, wangateur.

Fortune teller? Mundunugu?

Ah. Oh, such things are forbidden.
We know nothing of them here.

If my lord will excuse me, my duties...

Yes.

I take it you don't get
many strangers here.

- Strangers?
- Yes, visitors.

Foreign devils.
You know, people you don't know.

Everyone here is known.

Well, what about people from
the next village, or the nearest town?

There is only the village and the Tower,
nowhere else.

Who lives in this Tower of yours, hmm?

Why do you ask what everyone must know?

Are you sent to test me?

I am Ivo, head man of this village,
like my father before me

and his father before him.

- The Lords know I'm loyal.
- Please, don't shout.

Splendid, I'm sure.

So you serve the Lords,
what do the Lords do for you?

They protect us from the Wasting.

Did you say the Wasting?

- I have work to do.
- Come on, Doctor, this is silly.

Oh, come on, Ivo.

These Lords of yours,
how long have they ruled over you?

Forever.

Really? Long as that?

Well, that's a long time.

Kalmar... Kalmar, can you hear me?

Two strangers, here, in the village.

That's right, strangers.

They were asking about scientists.

Halt!

Your presence here is unauthorised.
Explain.

You remember me, K9. Adric.

Immature humanoid, non-hostile.

That's better.

Your presence is still unauthorised.
Explain.

- I stowed away.
- Stowed what away?

Myself. I'm a stowaway.

Stowaway, one who hides in a ship
to obtain free passage.

I thought I'd join up with the Doctor
and see the universe. Where are we?

An unidentified planet in
what is referred to as E-Space.

- What space?
- E-Space.

To distinguish it from
the larger N-Space of our own origin.

Oh, I see. That problem again.

These concepts are unknown to me.
Doctor Master will explain.

Where is he?

Doctor and Mistress Romana have gone
in search of astro-navigational data.

When I have finished my calculations...

You just stay here
and get back to your sums

- and I'll go and find them.
- Stop!

Your expedition is dangerous
and unnecessary.

Listen, K9, I'm a stowaway.
I shouldn't be here at all.

- Correct.
- Then the sooner I leave, the better.

The conclusion is logical.

Gotcha.

How much further are we going?

These people are more complicated
than you think, you know.

Only to the next village.

- There isn't another village.
- Mmm.

(HIGH-PITCHED SQUEALING)

What's that noise?

Oh, just bats.
They come out at night, you know.

What do you mean,
there isn't another village?

Of course there's another village.
There's got to be another...

Just a minute.
Maybe you're right. K9's orbital scan.

The settlement was the only thing
to show up on it.

- Doctor.
- Hmm?

Look.

Say something.

Hello.

I'm the Doctor, and this is Romana.

Uh, we were just passing
your charming planet,

and we thought we'd, uh,
well, just drop in.

Look, I know this may seem
a silly sort of question,

but we were wondering if you could
tell us something about E-Space.

E-Space?

Perhaps not.

- What do you mean, vanished?
- We scoured the village.

Then the rebels must have them.

Strangers at a time like this.

Why did you not seize them
when they first appeared?

I had no orders, my lady,
and there was something about...

They were no peasants, that I swear.
They were Lords.

We are your Lords, Habris.
There are no others.

Forgive me.

More patrols immediately.
They must be found.

At once, my lord.

Wait.

Master?

I will discover the whereabouts
of these strangers.

Spare your guards.

But strangers, Aukon...

If they are still on this planet,

my servants will find them.

Well, it's quite a technocotheca
you've got here.

- Doctor.
- Hmm?

What's a technocotheca?

I don't know.
I think it's some sort of museum.

Look at their faces.

Look at their clothes.

- They're strangers.
- We found them in the forest.

He calls himself Doctor.

Doctor?

That's a word I've seen
in the old records.

It's a title used by scientists.
Are you a scientist, Doctor, like me?

Well, I've dabbled a bit.

He was asking about scientists
in the Centre.

All right, it's time for some answers.

What, do you mean who are we, where
do we come from, that sort of thing?

- It'll do for a start.
- Oh, come on.

Let's not talk about us.
This looks much more interesting.

Yeah, I see you've got
some of it working.

We have a generator.

It gives us power
for air, light and heat,

and the communicators.

But no weapons, eh, Kalmar?

When we have rediscovered
basic scientific principles,

we shall be able to make
weapons of our own.

But it takes time.

How many of us have lived and died
because everything takes time?

- How long have things been like this?
- Forever.

The Lords rule in the Tower,
the peasants toil in the fields.

Nothing has changed in a thousand years.

But it will change
when we overthrow the Lords.

What?

Isn't that a bit dangerous?
I mean, a chap in the village told me

the Lords protected you
from the Wasting.

You know about the Wasting?

Well, only by hearsay.
What is the Wasting?

- The Wasting?
- Yes.

The Wasting is...

- The Wasting.
- Ah.

Got you.

Who are you? How did you come here?

- Oh, I walked.
- I don't know you.

Well, I don't know you either.

- That's not possible.
- I'm looking for two friends of mine.

Don't suppose
you've seen them, have you?

Tall man with curly hair
and a silly scarf.

There'll be a girl with him.

There were two strangers here earlier,
a lord and a lady.

- Any idea where they could be?
- They went to the Tower.

What you doing with my bread?
Who are you?

He's looking for the two strangers.

Let him look somewhere else, then.

No, you can't let him go out now.
It's not safe.

Let him stay the night at least.
Maybe his friends will come for him.

And what if someone
from the Tower comes, huh?

What, now? That's hardly likely.

Here, boy, you take this.

It belonged to my son.

Whatever you say.

Well, if I'm staying...

You wouldn't have any cheese, would you?

Cheese?

Never mind.

- How long ago was that?
- Years ago.

Some of us were on the run
from Zargo and his men.

We escaped into the wasteland
and discovered this,

all kinds of wonderful things,
just thrown about, half hidden.

There was even food, mountains of it.

Some of us could still read.

It's forbidden, but the knowledge
was passed on in secret.

What? Reading forbidden?

All science, all knowledge is forbidden
by the Lords.

The penalty for knowledge is death.

No schools of any kind?

Children start in the fields
as soon as they can walk,

stay there till they grow up,
grow old and die.

Those that escape the selection.

What's the selection?

Some are taken to the Tower
to serve the Lords.

So they say.

I see you've got a lot to rebel against.

Just a minute. Got it. Ha-ha.

Now we'll find out something. I...

Oh, must have been out of guarantee.
Instruction manual would be helpful.

Nonsense, it's just a standard
Earth-type databank.

I'll have to crack the entry code but...
Earth type.

Ah, lovely old technology.

Back on 20th-century Earth,
the engineers used to just...

Definitely an Earth device.

"Ship's manifest and cargo,
flight plan from Earth."

So it is Earth.

"Crew of exploration vessel Hydrax,
en route from Earth,

"destination Beta Two
in the Perugellis sector."

Hmm, instead of which,
they finish up here.

Hmm, they must have
gone through a CVE as well.

"Ship's officers, Captain Miles Sharkey.

"Navigational Officer Lauren MacMillan,
Science Officer Anthony O'Connor.

"Identification pictures follow."
It's still legible.

Yes, not bad after a thousand years
in memory.

Those faces.

DOCTOR: Yes, long since dead.

I was a Tower guard before
I joined Kalmar. I saw them every day.

What?

But as you say, it can't be.

Who did you see every day?

The three who rule,
the King, his Queen...

That's two.

And Aukon, the counsellor.

No, I'm sorry,
I see their faces everywhere.

If you knew these people, Doctor...

Well, I think it's time we got
to know them, don't you, Romana?

Mmm.

They're supposed to be our prisoners,
or have you forgotten that?

No. When I lead,
I will make the decisions.

They are free to go.

Thank you.

It's getting dark suddenly.

Night must fall, Romana,
even in E-Space.

Doesn't feel natural.

- There's that noise again.
- Why, it's bats. Quite harmless.

Oh.

Well, in theory.
That one was a bit carnivorous.

Do you mind if we get a move on?

DOCTOR: Come on.