Doctor Who (1963–1989): Season 8, Episode 12 - The Claws of Axos: Episode Two - full transcript

(DOCTOR WHO THEME)

Bill?

(GASPS AND SCREAMS)

- That's Jo! Come on!
- Sir George, wait!

- Now, regarding an agreement...
- The emergency is in sector seven.

I'm sorry. I must investigate.

I must make my report to the minister.

I can take care of this perpetual
interference from UNIT people.

Jo! Are you all right? What's happened?

I saw this thing,
shapeless and horrible and...

- (GASPS)
- Don't be frightened.



I gave you explicit orders.

I was following you in, sir,
and I thought I heard Bill Filer's voice.

- Filer? In here?
- I tried to find him,

then this awful thing appeared.

- It came straight out of the wall!
- I can explain.

We are close to organic power sources.
The emissions affected your sense perception,

almost certainly causing you to hallucinate.

- And the voices?
- The same thing. You were hearing things.

- Hearing things?
- Don't worry. The same thing happened to me.

Doctor, I wasn't imagining things.
I tell you I heard Bill Filer's voice!

(GUNSHOT)

- That won't help you.
- Go to hell!

If you do what I say, we can both escape.

Sure (!) How?



That ganglion
on the wall behind you - see it?

- Yeah?
- That's the nerve centre of this section.

Hit that
and you'll disorientate it temporarily.

- That's our chance?
- That's our only chance.

OK. I'll try.

(HISSING)

Filer! Go!

- Your call to the Ministry, sir.
- Ah, wait outside.

- Sir?
- Wait outside!

Very good, sir.

Minister? Will you scramble or shall I, sir?

Just your report, Chinn.
I'm sure that will be quite garbled enough.

Yes, sir. Well, as I anticipated, we are
having trouble with these UNIT people, sir.

- We, Chinn? We?
- Well, I am, sir.

Are you sure you can handle this?

Oh, yes, sir.
About the special powers, sir...

There are tremendous advantages
for humanity in Axonite.

Yes, tremendous material advantages,

but I doubt if even Axonite could increase
the growth of human common sense.

But since you're hell-bent on getting it,

I suggest you restrict its use
to your laboratories until we've analysed it.

- We?
- You want to cooperate with us?

- Scientifically, yes.
- Winser?

It depends. Who leads the investigation?

Why, you do, of course!

- Er, about my request, sir...
- Special powers have been granted.

Do your best to keep me informed.

You are our man on the spot, Chinn...
in more ways than one. (HANGS UP)

Minister?

Right, Brigadier!

(HIGH-PITCHED TRILLING)

- Release me! I kept my side of the bargain.
- Silence.

- Where are you taking me?
- Replication sector.

Very well. All we ask is your guarantee
that the sole distribution rights of Axonite

be vested in the British government.

To bring the greatest possible benefit
to all Earth peoples,

Axonite distribution must be worldwide.

I think I can give you that assurance.

In that case,
I shall hand over samples of Axonite

for your investigation to begin.

Thank you.

Thank you.

(AXOS) Begin re-absorption.

(DESCENDING ELECTRONIC WHINE)

Mr Chinn? What's been going on here?
I warn you, you have no authority.

All over, Brigadier.
No further concern of yours.

Agreement has been reached.
Britain has the world rights to Axonite.

- Not as far as I'm concerned.
- I'm warning you, Brigadier.

I'll take that, please.

Thank you.

Right, shall we go?
Doctor, Miss Grant. After you, Mr Chinn.

(HISSING)

- What's going on here, Yates?
- Regulars suddenly took over, sir.

- Took over?
- We couldn't open fire on them, sir.

- And the rest of the men?
- They've been arrested, and so have you.

If you will excuse me.

- You have no right.
- I have every right

under the Emergency Powers Act.

- Captain, this is illegal.
- I have my orders.

I shall make every attempt to warn the UN.

Captain, I want all these men
under 24-hour armed guard.

They are to see no one at all.
I shall be with Sir George.

(ELECTRONIC PULSING AND WHIRRING)

- Hmm... Quite a quandary.
- About which side you're on, you mean?

Why should they foist this gift onto us?

They must want something.
Tell me again about that creature that you saw.

- You mean you believe me?
- Of course. I always did.

You're sure it was Bill Filer you heard?

(ELECTRONIC PULSING AND WHIRRING)

This body they found...

was there no identification?

Apparently not.

When they touched it, it just disintegrated.

There was a car too. Bill Filer's.

- Perhaps he got here ahead of us.
- And there was no sign of him?

No.

Perhaps the same thing happened to him.

No! No, he can't be dead!

- He's still inside that ship!
- I hope you're right.

We must get him out.
We'll make the Axons let us search.

You'll do no such thing.
As far as I'm concerned, he no longer exists!

(ELECTRONIC HUMMING)

(WHINING)

As far as you're concerned,
nothing exists except this contemptible deal!

I don't intend to prejudice anything.

This man Filer will not cause an incident.
There will be no search.

Captain, have them both put with the others.
Remember, no contact with anyone at all.

Right, sir.

Er, not him. The Doctor's going to help
with the preliminary investigations into Axonite.

Very well. But understand,
the slightest hint of delay or sabotage,

it's your head on the block, not mine.

- We have done well, Time Lord.
- Humans are fools.

Your predictions have proved correct.
This is a rich planet you have brought us to.

- Am I to be released?
- As yet, we have only gained a foothold.

For the maximum nutrient value,
Axonite must encircle the world within 72 hours.

For that to happen, your secret arrangement
with the British government must be revealed.

I can do that. Give me my freedom.

Your freedom?

The bargain, you remember,
was that if we spared you and your Tardis,

you would lead us here
in return for the death of the Doctor.

- And the destruction of all life on Earth.
- Of course.

But our sensors detected something
you neglected to tell us.

This Doctor is also a Time Lord, is he not?

No one is irreplaceable.

(INAUDIBLE)

This brings in the output of Reactor One?

Yes. The particles are accelerated
around the cyclotron in an electromagnetic field.

Eventually, we hope to have controlled
acceleration up to the speed of light.

Now, once beyond that point, the particles
will be travelling in the fourth dimension.

I can experiment
with the nature of time itself.

- With the ultimate aim of time travel?
- Why not?

Hmm... Yes, most impressive.
Much larger than my own set-up, of course.

- Your set-up?
- Yes.

The other Time Lord will be with the Axonite.

Find him and bring him here.

You're saying that you achieved time travel
and published nothing?

- In Britain, no.
- Where, then?

Er, elsewhere. Yes, elsewhere.

- And I suppose you can't remember.
- Yes, actually, that's the trouble, I can't.

How convenient!

Most inconvenient, actually.

I was thinking, if you'd like to see
my Tardis, I could have it brought down.

''Tardis''? Are you serious?!

Absolutely. Perhaps we can get it operational
with the help of this stuff.

(HIGH-PITCHED TRILLING)

No, Doctor, I simply won't hear of it!

It's the simplest way to break it down.

You're asking me
to risk ?50 million worth of equipment!

Look, all we have to do is take the Axonite,

put it in the accelerator
and break it into particles.

Oh...!

It's far too hazardous.
The whole lot could go up.

If it is a thinking molecule,
it should analyse itself.

- All we have to do is read the printout.
- Analyse itself?! (CHUCKLES)

- Is the spectroscope set?
- Spectroscope?!

- You might as well use a magnifying glass.
- What was that?

Oh...nothing, my dear Holmes!

I know their ways on Earth.
I can move around freely.

I'm familiar with their organisations.
You don't have time to learn these things.

For the nutrition cycle to be activated in 72 hours,

you must have worldwide distribution by then.

Data confirms feasibilities.

Queries motivation.

Decision reads: release Time Lord

but retain his Tardis
until mission completed.

- But I must have my Tardis!
- Negative.

Data indicates time capsule unnecessary
for success of mission.

Well, at least give me back my laser gun.

Return of laser gun is acceptable.

Possession of time capsule
will prevent hostile action.

Cell area. EmergencyI

EmergencyI EmergencyI

(HISSES)

(SHRILL BLAST)

(HISSES)

- Well?
- Not a thing.

It should respond to something.

It's been programmed not to.

Don't you see?
It's deliberately resisting analysis.

- Well, isn't it?
- Well, go on. Say it!

- Say what?
- ''I told you so!''

I told you so!

Particle acceleration - it's the only answer.

If you won't risk your own equipment,
we can try mine.

I thought you said it was US.

A malfunction of the drive system,
but the rest is OK.

- We could put them through the main reactor.
- Well, if we...

If your light accelerator's compatible,
it might work.

It's the only thing left to do.

- If you could persuade the powers that be...
- I suppose so.

- I'll see what I can do.
- Right.

I am the Master.

You will obey me.

You will obey me.

- Doctor.
- Filer! So you got away?

Come with me, Doctor. Come to Axos!

I'm not going anywhere with you!

In any case, you're not Filer!

- Come to Axos.
- Out the way, Doc!

- No, Doc!
- Doc?

(SCREAMS)

- Boy, am I glad that's not me.
- Are you sure it isn't?

- Yeah, quite sure.
- Good. Come along.

You will load the Doctor's Tardis
onto your lorry. You will need some help.

I will need some help.

- Get the guard to give you a hand.
- The guard.

Now.

I tell you, Brigadier, they replicated Bill here!

- Replicated?
- Faked, duplicated.

- How?
- Does it matter? No time to explain.

- Axonite, the copying molecule.
- Yes, Jo.

- I still don't see...
- Bill, was the Master in Axos?

He is sure is...or was until he escaped.

Which was why they sent
the fake Filer after me.

- Then they're not human?
- Not even humanoid!

According to the Master, they're
some kind of scavenger. No planet, nothing.

- It's all a pack of lies.
- Apart from Axonite copying things.

- We've got to stop Chinn getting that stuff.
- Nobody move, please.

Take his gun.

- I'm sorry, Mr Filer.
- Listen...

Brigadier, I already have.

- And your decision?
- I have my orders.

- Which are?
- To confine you to the laboratory.

Do you read me? Over.

Hello, Greyhound, this is Trap One.
Do you read me? Over. No use, H...

- Who are you?
- The Brigadier sent me.

You have a top priority message
to send to the United Nations.

I will tell you what to say.

My dear Winser, forgive this unauthorised use
of your precious equipment,

but in case there is an accident,
I'm making this recording of what not to do.

I am placing the Axonite
in the light accelerator.

Now, the idea is to split off
a stream of Axonite particles

and accelerate them through time.

This way, we shall force it
to analyse itself on the printout.

Right. Here goes.

Reactor One activated.

- (RISING HUM)
- Accelerating.

Point one...

Two... Three...

It's reacting.

Speed of light now.

(ALARM RINGS)

EmergencyI
Nutrition cycle prematurely activatedI

Immediate recovery essentialI
EmergencyI EmergencyI

The prisoners still inside? Open up!

Sorry, Captain. I must get on to
UN headquarters. You two find the Doctor.

- He can explain.
- The Doctor's in the laboratory.

That's where the alarm's coming from.

- What are you doing?
- A small experiment, that's all. Keep back.

That's Axonite. It's now taking the whole output
of Reactor One and absorbing it,

absorbing the lot and using it to grow.

What the hell's going on?
Get away from my equipment, you idiots!

Oh, you stupid quack!

- Don't touch that!
- (SCREAMS)

Yes, of course.

Axons...

That ship...Axonite... it's all the same thing!

We're dealing with one single living creature.

Axonite was dormant until I activated it.

- Can't you stop it?
- No, it's too late.

This stuff could endanger the entire world.

- Doctor! Look out!
- (HOWLS)