Doctor Who (1963–1989): Season 24, Episode 12 - Dragonfire: Part One - full transcript

In Iceworld, a trading port on the dark side of planet Svartos, the Doctor chances across Sabalom Glitz and joins him on a treasure hunt in the frozen caverns of the planet where a dragon is rumored to resides. Meanwhile Mel and a recently fired waitress named Ace run afoul of Kane, the icy director of Iceworld, whose frozen touch means death.

Transcripts from novels and synchro: wyxchari

Oh you lucky, lucky people...

You are the choice one.

The elite.

Specially selected to join
our crack band of mercenaries

and create fear and terror wherever you go.

We were tricked!

Mr Kane paid seventeen crowns for each of you

and insists on getting for money.

Seventeen crowns? You couldn't
buy a dog for seventeen crowns.

Precisely. I wouldn't have paid seventeen crowns



for the lot of you, let alone each.

- Only frost-burn.
- Frost-burn?

Liquid nitrogen, at minus 200?C.

Just be grateful your arm
didn't go inside the vat,

otherwise it wouldn't have come out again...

Right, freeze them!

Wait. You mean we're going to be frozen?

Until Kane needs your services, yes.
What's the matter getting cold feet?

Leave him. He's in the Restricted
Zone. He's a dead man...

Pay no attention to the intruder.
You may continue to your work.

Well it's it?

Iceworld, Space Trading Colony and
the dark side of the planet Svartos.

Space travellers stop here for supplies.

I've been picking up faint
tracking signals sometimes.



I think there's something
interesting going on never!

Don't miss our latest special offer
in the Motoring Spares Department,

photon refrigeration units
for only 24:95. Thank you.

A freezer centre! A lavatory...

Trust not to appearances, Mel.

There's no knowing what kind of evil
might be lurking in the freezer chests...

Think. Go think.

This way.

***** chests.

Certainly, sir.

There must be some mistake
with the reckoning, Sprog...

The mistake's in your wallet, not my arithmetic!

Do you take Asteroid Express?

- Glitz!
- Glitz!

What? No. Never heard of him.

It's us Mel and the Doctor. You
haven't forgotten, have you, please?

Shh! Keep your voice down!

Of course I haven't forgotten you... er...

Mel! And the Doctor! You're not the Doctor.

I've regenerated. The
difference is purely perceptual.

Here you couldn't do me another favour,
could you? I'm in a spot of bother.

What is Glitz? Another dodgy
deal of yours backfired?

No, nothing like that straight up. Fact is...

I'm on a mission of a highly philanthropic nature.

What's that?

It means it's beneficial to mankind.

I know what philanthropic
means! What's the mission?

I have been entrusted with the
delivery of certain secret documents,

which unnamed nefarious parties
would stop at nothing to grasp

within their own grubby digits.

- You mean... they'd...
- ...kill you?

Sabalom Glitz. We've been looking for you...

Leave him alone! If you kill him, you kill us too!

Steady on, now, Mel...

What are you talking about?

He's told us everything. About how you want
to stop him delivering his secret documents.

Shh...

Becoming quite a story-teller, aren't we, Glitz?

I'm afraid *****.

Glitz?

I'm not interested in any secret documents
which Mr Glitz may or may not possess.

I'm more concerned with the one
hundred crowns he took from my employer,

Mr Kane, under false pretences.

That was highest quality merchandise!

A space-freighterful of deep-frozen
fruit which turned out to be rotten.

A bit on the ripe side, maybe...

They were putrefying, Glitz!

A little past their prime, perhaps...

And Mr Kane does not run Iceworld
to subsidise crooks like yourself.

The 100 crowns, please.

I think you'd better return the money, Glitz.

- I can't.
- Why not?

Well, there was this game of
cards... I got well damaged...

What about the 102 crowns
you also sold your crew for?

Sold your crew?

The mutinous rabble! Tried to
take command of my spacecraft.

I relieved myself of them for seventeen crowns

each which was rather more than they were worth.

The money...

Gone the way of all organic
matter, I'm afraid down the tubes...

In that case, we're confiscating your spacecraft.

The Nosferatu? You can't do that!

You have seventy-two hours to find the
100 crowns, or you lose your spacecraft.

You lied to us.

Doctor, you've got to help me.

You've only yourself to blame.

You're going to have trouble with this
lot when you defrost them, Mr Kane.

Trouble?

They didn't volunteer willingly.

But none of my mercenary force will be
willing when I bring them out of cryo-sleep.

The process causes complete loss of memory.

With no memories, they can have no
past, no future, no will of their own.

No purpose except to obey me.

To them, all should be invencible. **

My power shall be absolute.

You will do as you are told. Now less
of your lip, or you're out on your ear.

I hope the dragon in a passage one night!

Dragon? What dragon?

It's just some legend. There's supposed
to be a terrifying dragon living

in the Ice Passages beneath Iceworld.

I knew there must be a reason
why you brought us here.

You want to see a dragon, don't you?

No, really, Mel it's fascinating!

Travellers claim to have
seen it over the centuries,

but there's never been any proof?

- Like the Loch Ness monster?
- Loch...

- You're going to go looking for the dragon?
- Absolutely!

Cor can I come too?

Won't get into trouble with your boss?

Aw I'm fed up of being a waitress.
Go on, Professor let me come too.

Well, no it was not. **

- Ace! And can we search for the treasure too?
- Treasure?

Yeah the dragon's supposed to
be guarding a fabulous treasure.

Treasure? What treasure?

You don't want to go believing
in myths and legends, Doctor.

Who asked you? We're not talking to you?

No, if you want my opinion, all
this talk of treasure and dragons,

it's all a load of space dust.

Well, if you're so convinced it's all
rubbish, why have you been burning holes

in the treasure map for the last two days?

He says he lost the money in a game of cards.

I know he lost the money in a game of cards.
The game was fixed. What about the map?

He's convinced it's genuine.

Excellent. He'll soon realise that if
he wants to see his spacecraft again,

he has no alternative but
to go after the treasure.

And when he does, I should be
with him every step of the way.

- There's just one thing.
- Yes?

He appears to have two colleagues.

Colleagues? I thought you
said he sold his entire crew?

They're not from his crew. Space
travellers, a man and the girl.

Do you want them eliminated?

Not for the moment, I think. There's
no reason for these to suspect

that the seal on the map
contains a radio tracking device.

Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating.

It looks like something from a jumble sale for me.

Here there's nothing snide about this document.

***** nothing *****, Professor.

He probably bought 200 of them in a job lot.

Do you mind? This is the genuine oyster, this is.

It comes from an unimpeachable source.

What's that, then?

It's something that's beyond reproach or question.

I know what unimpeachable means, Birdbath!

But what makes you so certain that
this map's pedigree is 24 carat?

Because I acquired it from a
man of character and distinction.

How?

I won it in a... in a... chess match...

You won it playing cards? Doctor, It's a
waste of time. He won it in a card game.

An honest transaction. The man
was desperate not to lose that map.

So I knew it must be something very very tasty.

It appears to show the lower levels of Iceworld.

Nobody goes down there now. It's too dangerous.

The Ice Garden... The Singing Trees...

But like the girl says, it's too dangerous.

Where's your sense of adventure, Glitz?

But look at this... You don't want
to go here. The Lake of Oblivion...

Where?

The Death of Eternal Darkness... Dragonfire...

I should stop at home if I were you, Doctor.

Cor this sounds brill!

My sentiments precisely.

Do you have a name?

Everyone calls me Ace.

Do have you do? I'm the Doctor
and this is my friend Mel.

And we're really off looking for dragons?

Too risky, if you ask me.

Nonsense, Glitz. We've just
time for a quick adventure,

and then back in time for tea.

Ace!

That's the spirit, Doctor!

Hang about. You can't go without me. It's my map.

And I'd rather not have any girls coming with us.

What?

It's too dangerous.

Professor...?

And since it's my map...

Right, you male chauvinist
bilgebag! Just you wait!

I was so looking forward to meeting a dragon.

It's all right, Doctor. You
go ahead. I'll meet you here.

And if Glitz burns his fingers in the
dragon's fire, it serves him right!

Just the two of us, then, Doctor...

***** levels now.

Only two of them, you say?

Glitz and the traveller called the Doctor.
They're just setting off for the Lower Levels.

Excellent. Continue to
monitor the tracking device.

Well?

It's Glitz's spacecraft...

What of it?

- It's...
- Yes?

Well, if Glitz and the Doctor are as
good as dead... I'd like the spacecraft.

You'd like the spacecraft, would you?
When you first came here, you had nothing.

You were willing enough to take my payment then.

But now you want to leave.

Perhaps you have memories
of home. You can return home.

Perhaps I should have put you into
cryo-sleep along with all the others,

and erased your memories.
Perhaps you need reminding...

For as long as you bear my mark, I own you.

Yes, sir?

Glitz's spacecraft, have it destroyed.

Yes, sir.

Would the Emergency Services please
report to the Upper Docking Bays

and deal with an icefall? Thank you.

- This is all your fault.
- How do you work that out, then?

You were encouraging them both,
with your Oh, ace! Oh, brill!

You girl! Yes, you girl. Come here!

What do you want?

This milkshake. It isn't adequately shaken.

That's how they come, missus.

It's got lumps in it!

It's supposed to have lumps
in it. That's the ice cream.

We don't want lumps in it. Shake it some more!

- Shake it yourself!
- I beg your pardon!

- You heard!
- I've never been so insulted...

I bet you've never had a milkshake
tipped over your head before, neither...

*****

That does it! You're fired!

- I'm sorry, it won't happen again.
- Get out! I've had enough of you!

I promise, it'll never happen again...

Get out! You too! Get out! Both of you,
out! Pair of troublemakers! Hooligans!

I do apologise, Madam. I hope your
delightful outfit wasn't brand new...

Current cabinet temperature: minus 20?C...

Target temperature: minus 193?C...

Cabinet temperature falling...

If there's anyone on the Emergency
Control Room, could you please

answer the phone? Thank you.

Well, come in then, if you're going to.

He really gets up my nostrils, that Glitz.

Oh, he's all right underneath.

No, I'll tell you what he is underneath.
He's a Grade A, 100 per cent div,

that's what he is, It's too dangerous for girls.

Look, leave them alone, will you?

I was only trying to make room to sit.

Well, just sit on top of them,
can't you, like everyone else does.

All right, all right.

I've been meaning to do
the washing for a few days.

It looks more like a few weeks.

Just like the teachers just to be at school.

How do you expect to pass Chemistry A-level
if you can't even store the equipment properly?

- A-level? You from Earth!
- Used to be.

- Whereabouts on Earth?
- Perivale.

- Sounds nice.
- You ever been there?

I was doing this brill experiment to
extract nitroglycerin from gelignite,

but I think something must have
gone wrong, this time storm blows up

from out of nowhere and whisks me here.

- When was this?
- Does it matter?

- Don't you want to go back?
- Not particularly.

What about your Mum and Dad?

I don't have no Mum and Dad!
I've never had no Mum and Dad!

And I don't want no Mum and
Dad! It's just me? All right?

All right.

What about Chemistry A-level, then?

That's no good. I got suspended
after I blew up the Art Room.

You blew up the Art Room?

It was only a small explosion. But
they couldn't understand how blowing up

the Art Room was a creative art.

If anyone is any member of the Emergency Services,

could you please answer the phone
in the Upper Docking Bays when *****.

Thank you.

Isn't anyone going to do anything
about that flaming icefall?

Here take these.

Deodorant?

They're just old cans. They've
got home-made nitro-9 in them now.

Nitro-9?

It's just like ordinary nitroglycerin
except it's got more wallop.

Careful you don't drop them. Come on!

Cabinet is minus 193?C.

Yes, sir?

It's me Belazs. Mr Kane has changed
his mind about Glitz's spacecraft.

It's not to be destroyed. Do you understand?

The spacecraft is not to be destroyed.

That is correct.

See any Ice Gardens, or Singing Trees?

We're still too close to the Upper Levels,
Doctor. Let's cast me eyes over the map.

Well, we've just come from that
direction... so I would going that direction.

It's again... perhaps that direction.

Yes. Keep your eyes peeled for
Singing Trees and Ice Gardens, Glitz...

*****. Push!

Other, push!

Have you ever seen such a couple of spots! It'll
take them months to shift it all at that rate!

Here, let me have those cans.

You're not going to use those, are you?

If I were you two, I'd go for your tea-break now.

Why? What's in those cans?

Nitro-9.

We've got eight seconds.
Last one back's a gooey mess!

It's nitro! Everybody get down!

- Ace!
- Ace!

Target low temperature of minus 193?C.

What are you doing in the Restricted Zone?

I was looking for you.

There's been an icefall in the Upper Docking Bays,

and the Emergency Services haven't responded...

Must I do everything myself. Go there
immediately and take charge of the situation.

Of course.

These aren't trees.

These aren't trees?

Use your imagination, Glitz.
Willow trees something like that...

But where's the singing coming from?

Air currents, causes the
crystal membranes to vibrate.

I bet it's worth a crown or two.

- What it does.
- Does?

Yes it's some of opto-electronic
circuit. Why? What's it doing here?

You mean someone built all this?

- Dragons?
- Possibly.

Come on, Glitz. I promised
Mel we'd be back for tea.

What is going on?

You two are under arrest! Take them away!

Hang about! What have we done?

You can't arrest us! We haven't done nothing!

Glitz! Glitz!

Quite a little expert with explosives, I hear...

Yeah? So what if I am?

Excellent. I like women with fire
in their bellies. Don't I, Belazs?

I might have a use for you...

Oh yeah? And what makes
you think I'd be interested.

I can be very persuasive...

I'm not frightened of you.

Good. Because I need people like
you in my army of mercenaries.

You what?

Think about it... Travelling
round the Twelve Galaxies...

the diamond sparkle of a meteorite shower...
the rainbow flashes of an ion storm...

think about it...

Don't listen to him, Ace.

How old are you?

Sixt, eighteen.

Eighteen, eh? And no home to call your own?

The Twelve Galaxies are your home!
Come with me. I understand you.

It won't be like that, Ace! Don't believe him!

Join me. Take my golden sovereign...

Take the surface.

Don't touch Ace, please, don't touch it.

***** too much. Freeze her.

*****

Take the coin.

Take the coin.

Right, please. Nobody move! Let Mel go!

You stupid girl. Do you think it's
that easy to walk away from me?

You fill like argue with a can of deodorant
that registers nine on the Richter scale!

Run!

Hang on. Are you sure this is the right way?

Course I'm sure. Don't you trust me?

It's not that. Well... the dragon and all that...

The dragon? That's just to
frighten little children!

It's like witches and goblins.
There ain't no such thing!