In Memory Alone by Nicholas Briggs

A BBV Video released Jan 1993

(Static on a screen, then alien symbols resolve themselves and a very deep almost inaudible voice reads out Systems Failure. Warp Drive Cut-Out. Imperative Seek Alternative Power Source.

[Rothley railway platform]

(A flaming meteor heads to Earth. We look through the 'eyes' of whatever is seeing the instruction to Seek Alternative Power Source as it investigates its surroundings, an abandoned warehouse of some kind with a shop window mannequin lying on the floor.)

VOICE: Alternative power source located.
(The mannequin is now standing outside the Railway Station. A hovering bot glides up to it and scans its face, then on into the building. The mannequin is suddenly clothed, then blinks. It is Miss Brown.
ANNOUNCER: (over tannoy) Attention on the upside. The brain at platform three er, heh, heh, heh.

(Miss Brown looks down at her clothes, then around at the old posters, and sits on a bench. You can search for Rothley Railway Station online and learn all about it.)

[Steam train]

(A male mannequin is posed in suit, bowler hat, spectacles and with a briefcase, holding the Financial Times. The hovering bot enters the carriage. When it gets to the figure, it is clearly alive.)

HOVERBOT: Ticket please.
STRANGER: I don't seem to know where I am.
HOVERBOT: Ticket please.
STRANGER: Or who I am.

(The Hoverbot extends an arm and removes an ID badge from his inside jacket pocket, looks at it and hands it back.)

HOVERBOT: Thank you.

(It glides off.)

STRANGER: I don't remember anything.

[Rothley railway platform]

(The button says Press For Info, so Miss Brown does.)

BROWN: Hello? I'd like some information, please.
ANNOUNCER [OC]: Er, it's delayed. Sorry it's late. Signal failure and no driver.
BROWN: No driver?
ANNOUNCER [OC]: Thank you.
BROWN: Hello? Hello?
MINOR: Late again?

(Another archetypal City Gent, Nic Briggs without his beard.)

MINOR: Typical.
BROWN: Is it?
MINOR: Oh yes.

(His tie is cut off just above his jacket button.)

BROWN: Is there something the matter?

(He rubs his eye through the frame of his glassless spectacles. Miss Brown smiles.)

MINOR: We must catch the train. Come on. We can't be late for work.
BROWN: Work? Look, I don't even
MINOR: Everyone has to work. An honest day's work for an honest day's pay. We must catch the train.
BROWN: But there is no train.
MINOR: It should be here any minute now.

(Miss Brown goes to the door marked Exit. Minor turns, squints. The words Combat Sequence Crash Systems Mismatch appear. Miss Brown starts down a flight of steps, then the lights go out and laughter comes from the tannoy. She backs out onto the platform again.)

[Steam train]

(The Stranger is lying on the floor of the carriage working on cutting wires in a circuit under another seat when an alarm sounds.)

STRANGER: Good. That means it's important.

(He jams in another tool and gets an electric shock. The train flickers for a few moments then continues its journey.)

HOVERBOT: Please return to your seat.
STRANGER: What happened?
HOVERBOT: Please return to your seat.
STRANGER: Are you going to hover there all day, or are you going to repair whatever that is?

(Initiate Combat Sequence. A cover comes off a small barrel with a green glow.)

HOVERBOT: Please return to your seat.
STRANGER: Tell you what, I'll return to my seat.
HOVERBOT: Thank you.

[Rothley railway platform]

(We are shown the alien symbols again and Miss Brown waving her hand in front of what turns out to be the very still Minor. As the train approaches he gets the instruction Initiate.)

MINOR: Ah now.

(The train stops. The Stranger is looking out of an open window.)

MINOR: Come on, mustn't be late. What's the matter?
BROWN: This isn't my train.
STRANGER: I think this is my stop.

(He disembarks what we now see is the Clun Castle steam train.)

STRANGER: Don't mind me. Off you go. Go on. You'll miss it.

(Minor sees the words Under Attack.)

STRANGER: Go on. It'll leave without you.

(Minor doubles over in pain. Emergency Override Attack. The hoverbot makes the train flicker and vanish. The Stranger and Miss Brown find themselves sitting on a bench with Minor collapsed at their feet and a cloud of glowing steam rolling along the track. They stand.)

STRANGER: I could have been on that train when ... Little metal box. Want to look at it. Tampered. Broke it.
BROWN: Look, I, I found myself here about twenty minutes ago, I think.

(She finds herself being pulled backwards into a cloud of steam.)

STRANGER: No!

(He grabs her hand as she flickers and pulls her out into his arms.)

BROWN: I can't remember who I am.
STRANGER: Neither can I.

(Minor is now upright.)

MINOR: Typical.
STRANGER: There, creeping amnesia. What's the first thing you do remember?
BROWN: Him. I remember him.
STRANGER: How long have you been here?
MINOR: We must catch the train. Come on.
STRANGER: Did you notice anything unusual about him?
BROWN: You're testing me. You don't trust me.
STRANGER: And you don't trust me.

(Noises from the tannoy.)

BROWN: Oh, that sound.

(She throws her herringbone coat over it.)

BROWN: It was coming from here before. (the info speaker) And (walks to exit) and here. The last time I went down there, the light went off.

(Minor turns to watch them both go through the exit.)

[Subway]

STRANGER: All right?
BROWN: Yes. No.
STRANGER: See, it's all right, just we're in dark now, that's all. Nothing to worry about.
BROWN: What

(A mannequin is standing there.)

BROWN: What happened to that train?
STRANGER: What do you think?
BROWN: Well, you said you tampered with something. A box. And you broke it.
STRANGER: Yes, that's right. And I (moves away) Where are you?
BROWN: Here.
STRANGER: Stay close.
BROWN: I will.

(She makes him jump.)

STRANGER: When the train disappeared
BROWN: It was just like interference on the television, then it switched off.
STRANGER: Television, yes. Energies you could turn on and off.
BROWN: But it's solid. Wasn't it?
STRANGER: Funny, isn't it?
BROWN: What?
STRANGER: How we seem to have retained our general knowledge memories, but nothing personal, about ourselves. It's as if this place is somewhere to come to forget.
BROWN: It's getting darker.

(The hoverbot is nearby.)

STRANGER: And colder. Did I pass the test?
BROWN: Test?
STRANGER: Do you believe I'm not a part of all this? That I'm an outsider like you. Somebody who doesn't belong here.

(Minor is watching them.)

BROWN: Do you think we know each other?
STRANGER: I don't think we'll know who we are or who we know until we get out of here.

(Lights suddenly come on.)

STRANGER: It's like a bigger version of the door on the train.

(He goes to touch it.)

BROWN: Don't! I mean, well, if you tamper with this, what happened to the train might happen to this whole place, and us with it.
STRANGER: On the other hand, it might provide a few answers.
BROWN: Why?
STRANGER: It's a locked door.
BROWN: Oh yes, and people always keep their secrets behind locked doors.

(He touches it carefully.)

STRANGER: I need to see what's inside.
BROWN: Assuming that what's behind there will make any sense to you.
STRANGER: I have a distinct impression I'm a rather clever fellow. Oh, I left my case on the platform. I might need some things that are in it. Won't be long.
BROWN: Where are you ...? I'm not staying here on my own.
STRANGER: One of us will have to. If that light goes out again, we might walk right past this door without knowing.
BROWN: You stay. I'll go.
STRANGER: All right.
BROWN: All right.
STRANGER: Don't be long.

(Minor gets the instruction Continue Observation. Program Rewrite in Progress. Home Is Warm.)

(The hoverbot watches Miss Brown. Emergency. Participant Behaving Contrary to Known Parameters. Intercept and Correct.)

(The Stranger listens at the metal door. He hears the very, very deep voice.)

STRANGER: Hello? Hello?

(Program Rewrite Complete. The Stranger is grabbed from behind by the curved handle of an umbrella. Miss Brown has reached the stairs when she sees the hoverbot behind her.)

MINOR: You are not obeying the rules.
STRANGER: Do you know what's behind here?
MINOR: Not relevant.

(The Stranger knocks the umbrella away. It vanishes then reappears in Minor's hands.)

STRANGER: You're just like that train. Some sort of solid hologram.
MINOR: Not relevant.

(He punches the Stranger in the stomach.)

MINOR: You are not obeying the rules.
STRANGER: All right, all right. What are the rules?

(Miss Brown has retrieved the Stranger's briefcase and uses it to push over the hoverbot. That was easy. Minor has also frozen. The Stranger waves his hand in front of Minor's face.)

STRANGER: Solid.

(Minor flickers a lot.)

STRANGER: Something's gone wrong, hasn't it? Something's gone very wrong.

(Minor punches the Stranger on the jaw, knocking him out.)

[Rothley railway platform]

(Miss Brown retrieves her coat from the tannoy, but the hoverbot zaps her with a green beam before she can cover it. Behaviour Must Be Corrected. She recovers, hair falling down her back from her bun, gets the coat over it and bats it into the steam with the briefcase. A few moments later the coat is thrown back at her and the hoverbot glides into view.)

HOVERBOT: Program erasure. Must reassimilate. Who are you?
BROWN: Who are you?
HOVERBOT: Must identify threats. Are you a threat?
BROWN: No.
HOVERBOT: Elaborate.
BROWN: Can't remember anything, can you?
HOVERBOT: Program erasure. Memorate stasis fields attempting reconstruction.
BROWN: Well, put this in your reconstruction. Before you lost your, before your program was erased, I told you what to do. Okay?
HOVERBOT: I will accept this.
BROWN: Stay.

(Miss Brown turns, and the hoverbot aims a yellow beam at her head twice.)

HOVERBOT: I must accompany you and learn.
BROWN: Oh, great.

[Subway]

MINOR: You must obey the rules.

(The Stranger sits up.)

STRANGER: Tell me about them.
MINOR: You catch the train and go to work.
STRANGER: Is that it?
MINOR: The train is late.
STRANGER: How late?
MINOR: Quite late.
STRANGER: You'll be lucky if it turns up now.
MINOR: Why don't you know about the rules?
STRANGER: I've no idea.
MINOR: People usually know about the rules. That's why they come here. That's why I came here.
STRANGER: You? But you're just a holo.

(Minor raises his umbrella in warning.)

STRANGER: How long have you been here?
MINOR: (struggling) When I was alive.

(Those odd sounds that Miss Brown didn't like come from his open mouth.)

STRANGER: Who, who are you? Not my language. Sorry.

(Minor flickers and disappears. The Stranger returns to the metal door. Minor reappears.)

MINOR: I came here a very long time ago. It was extremely pleasurable. Yes. Most relaxing.
STRANGER: You make it sound like a holiday.
MINOR: That's right.
STRANGER: A holiday waiting for a train?
MINOR: That's right. A train that's
STRANGER: Quite late. Is that you behind there?

(Miss Brown arrives and gives the Stranger his briefcase.)

BROWN: Here. What have you done to your head?
STRANGER: What happened to your hair? What happened to this?
BROWN: Sorry.
HOVERBOT: Who is this?
BROWN: This is my second-in-command. I'm re-educating our friend here, since he suffered an unfortunate program erasure when he came into contact with the er
STRANGER: Void out there.
BROWN: Precisely. How did he get here?
STRANGER: He's some sort of hologram, like the train. I think he's based on a real person, someone who came to this place a long time ago.
BROWN: Why?
STRANGER: He told me.
BROWN: No, I mean why would anyone want to come here?
STRANGER: As far as I can gather, this is some sort of holiday resort.
BROWN: What, where people come to die of boredom?
STRANGER: Yes, sort of.

(As he opens the briefcase, Minor opens his mouth wide and makes that noise.)

BROWN: Is it him?
STRANGER: No. Be careful, he's dangerous.
HOVERBOT: If he is dangerous, eliminate him.
STRANGER: No.
BROWN: No!
STRANGER: He's channelling information from in there.
BROWN: You mean there's someone in there?
STRANGER: Something. I don't think he's very happy. How's the world outside?
BROWN: Getting smaller.

(The Stranger makes gestures with his head.)

BROWN: You want it to blast the door?
STRANGER: Yes.
BROWN: And let out what, something that isn't very happy?
STRANGER: It's a better option than being swallowed up by a whole load of nothing.

(Brown listens at the door.)

STRANGER: Now, it's just a theory, but from the evidence I reckon whatever it's supposed to do, this place isn't working properly.
BROWN: Someone put a spanner in the works?
STRANGER: Maybe. On the other hand, this is a place where people arrive, don't know who they are, and then
BROWN: Get swallowed up by a load of nothing. Either way, we've got nothing to lose.
STRANGER: Either way we've got everything to lose, but we might strike lucky.
HOVERBOT: I have been receiving information from another source. It seems to contradict what you have told me.

(They listen to the sounds from behind the door, matching what is coming out of Minor's mouth.)

BROWN: Blast that door open. Now!
HOVERBOT: Not sure that I should obey you. Information contradictory.
BROWN: Once you blast the door open, the information will no longer be contradictory.
HOVERBOT: How do I know this is true?
BROWN: You'll know when you do it.
MINOR: Images in my mind. Must act. Try assimilation. Non-combative. Brain formation.
BROWN: Do it!
HOVERBOT: Very well.

(The hoverbot blasts the door open to reveal a metallic humanoid of the same technology as the hoverbot, but with lots of wires. It can see them.)

STRANGER: This is the source of all our problems.
BROWN: Something else that doesn't belong here.

(The spacesuit scans them and gets a response for the hoverbot - Battle Schematic.)

MINOR: Target sighted. Activating defence shield. Awaiting command to open fire.
STRANGER: Trains, remember? The trains? That's what this is about, old chap. Waiting for the train that's quite late. That's what life's all about. That's what you're here for, isn't it?
BROWN: Yes, yes.
STRANGER: You don't give authorisation to that thing to fire, do you?
BROWN: No, no, no, not that mean old thing.
MINOR: Mark Seven pedestrian survival combat suit. Model upgrade X07.
STRANGER: If you say so, old chap, but that's not your cup of tea, is it? No, no, predictable daily routine, that's your bag, isn't it? Of course it is.
BROWN: Of course it is.
MINOR: Awaiting command to open fire.
STRANGER: Put that nonsense out of your head.
MINOR: Combat control via suit brain hardware interface.
STRANGER: Linked directly to the living brain?
MINOR: Open fire.

(The suit incinerates the hoverbot.)

BROWN: You're right, it isn't very happy.

(The Stranger approaches the suit.)

STRANGER: It's confused.
BROWN: I don't think that's a good idea.
STRANGER: You heard what our friend there said. It's a suit. A survival suit, and there has to be someone inside it. Like us, it shouldn't be here, and it's trapped, here in this place. All I want to do is talk to whoever's inside, pool our resources.
BROWN: But what if, what if it doesn't want to pool its resources?
STRANGER: Protective visor. I can't see inside.

(The suit grabs him. Miss Brown tries to help.)

STRANGER: Ah! Mechanical grip!
BROWN: Hold on. (to Minor) Your suit needs servicing.
MINOR: Service not required.
BROWN: No, this is an emergency.
STRANGER: Argh! Damaged. It's been damaged!
BROWN: Your suit's been damaged, remember?
MINOR: Rush of energy to my mind. Past?? Target assimilation. Break ignition.
STRANGER: It's reliving a battle.
BROWN: Your suit was damaged. Let us repair the damage.
MINOR: Formation broken. Alone. Too many of them. Hit. Authorisation for standard repairs given.

(The Stranger is released.)

STRANGER: Well done.

(The suit visor unseals, releasing a stink. The Stranger lifts it the rest of the way to reveal a burnt face.)

BROWN: It's him.
STRANGER: Was him. He's a hologram, you know.

(They move out of the way as Minor walks up to the suit.)

BROWN: What's the matter with him?
STRANGER: Perhaps he doesn't know he's dead. He's relaying information to the suit.
BROWN: Maybe it doesn't like the information it's receiving.
MINOR: Hello? Are you

(The corpse is liquefying. The visor drops shut. Minor judders then vanishes. A vague figure in a boiler suit and holding a wrench appears behind them.)

HOLOGRAM: Hello. I'm a backup holographic projection brought to you by the skill, expertise, and dedicated hard work of the Soligram Dimensional 3 Entertainment and Planetary Arms Manufacturing Corporation. I have been activated because there has been a massive systems failure. Assessments of damage and contingency plans for your safety are still being assimilated. Damage severe, extensive, quite possibly irreparable.
STRANGER: Did you know there's a Mark Seven pedestrian survival combat suit about to walk all over us?
HOLOGRAM: The Mark Seven combat suit does have some relevance to me. The physical lifeform pattern on which this centre's holographic projection characteristics are based, was in fact a Star Trooper in the 8th Battalion of Pedestrian Spaceborne Assault Rangers. His name was Minor Espasian, and his visits to this place so numerous, and his enjoyment so obvious, that the Company used him in their advertising campaign, and modelled this centre's control hologram on him in his honour.
STRANGER: And when he died in battle, his last thoughts were where he most wanted to be, here, in a mundane fantasy of some humdrum existence he never had, but longed for.
BROWN: Oh.

(The suit breaks free and fires an energy bolt that short-circuits the hologram. The Stranger and Miss Brown flee as it pursues them.)

BROWN: It's got out!
STRANGER: Controlled by the rotting remnants of a dead brain. Not very healthy.

(They get to the stairs.)

STRANGER: Not much of a choice.
BROWN: Never say die. Come on.

(The hologram appears in the mist at the top of the steps.)

BROWN: Out of my way!
HOLOGRAM: Nervous system has been invaded. Defeat the invader please.
STRANGER: No, wait.
BROWN: Does that make sense to you?
STRANGER: Growth? Shut up. Save energy, stay solid, and listen to me.

(The combat suit reaches the bottom of the stairs and sees a figure waving at it. It climbs past the Stranger and Miss Brown, who are hiding, then comes down again as the mist drifts down from the platform,)

BROWN: We haven't got long.
STRANGER: I know.
BROWN: Are you sure?
STRANGER: Its data reads nervous system destroyed. If I'm right, it needs a nerve centre to send us back. Zero return.
BROWN: Good luck.

(She kisses him on the cheek. The suit takes a pot shot at the Stranger. He dashes into the wires where the suit used to be and they wrap themselves around him. The mist envelopes the suit.)

BROWN: This isn't going to work, is it?
HOLOGRAM: You're absorbing too much energy. The simulation's collapse is accelerating. Concentrate on returning everything to its proper place. That way your neural net interface may find the correct program.

(Images pass through the Stranger's mind. The mist arrives and Miss Brown is turned back into a mannequin.)

HOLOGRAM: Everything in its proper place.

(The suit grabs the Stranger by the throat. He reaches to open the visor and gets a squirt of decaying flesh on his face.)

STRANGER: Everything in its proper place. Zero return.

(The Space Trooper's face returns and smiles, the visor shuts and he backs away. White-out, and the Stranger is replaced by a mannequin.)

VOICE [OC]: Soligram Dimension 3, the market leaders in bio-hardware design, welcome you to this recreational facility. Recreational facility. Zero return function. When the simulation is complete, the nerve centre operates a zero return function. It restores the participant's identity memory, leaves their memory of the simulation intact, intact, and matter transfers them to their point of departure. (getting very slow) The experience of being someone else in an ideal lifestyle remains.

Transcript originally provided by Chrissie. Adapted by TARDIS.guide. The transcripts are for educational and entertainment purposes only. All other copyrights property of their respective holders.