[Outside Gryffen’s house, night]

(Two men in black, the younger carrying a briefcase, walk through a gate and walk up the steps the front door of Gryffen’s mansion. The older man rings the doorbell twice.)

GRYFFEN: (OC) Yes, yes! Where’s the fire?

(Gryffen opens the front door. He is wearing a helmet with a torch on it.)

DEPARTMENT FIELD AGENT 1: Professor Alistair Gryffen?
GRYFFEN: Perhaps.
DEPARTMENT FIELD AGENT 1: Special delivery from the Department.

(The younger man holds out the briefcase to Gryffen.)

GRYFFEN: It’s from the fallen angel, isn’t it? (He opens the briefcase and looks inside.) Oh, yes. That’s very fine. (He takes the briefcase.)
DEPARTMENT FIELD AGENT 1: The Department wants a full report in twenty-four hours.

(Gryffen closes the door.)

[Above London]

(A giant square hologram floats across London. It shows images and brief clips of CCPCs and a smiling woman who repeats messages about how the Department are protecting the people from aliens.)

[Beside the Thames]

(Crouching by a fence on the edge of the Thames, Starkey opens a small panel attached to the barricade, revealing a keypad and some wires. He types in a code he reads off a phone-like device and then connects something to the device. The hologram, floating above the water, changes to read “NOBODY THINKS AND NOBODY GETS HURT – A MESSAGE FROM STARK REALITY”. Unnoticed by Starkey, Jorjie has been approaching from behind him.)

JORJIE: Nice one.

(Starkey turns around.)

STARKEY: You again? Jorjie, isn’t it? What do you want?

(Jorjie crouches down.)

JORJIE: Same as you. To make a difference.
STARKEY: I’ve told you before. Stark Reality works alone.
JORJIE: Fine. What about plain old Starkey, then? He’s not a lone wolf, is he?
STARKEY: How did you get my real name?
JORJIE: Hacked your criminal activity file. I admire your work. I want to help,

(A siren sounds and three CCPCs march towards the pair.)

CCPC: Halt! Cybernetic Civil Pacification Corps. Stay where you are and prepare for a kiboshing.

(Starkey and Jorjie stand up.)

STARKEY: Too slow, robo-fuzz. (Grabs Jorjie’s arm.) Come on.
JORJIE: Get an upgrade.

(Starkey and Jorjie run.)

CCPC: Do not attempt to escape.

[London streets]

(Starkey and Jorjie run around a corner and are blocked by the CCPCs. They turn and run the other way. They stop by a post box when they hear a siren and see a light, then head through a gate and wait for the CCPCs to walk past. Once they have, they walk up the steps to the doors of Gryffen’s mansion. Starkey pulls out an electronic lockpick.)

STARKEY: Easy when you know how.

(Starkey puts the pick in the lock. It breaks. Jorjie uses the doorhandle.)

JORJIE: Yeah, when you know how.

[The main hall, ground floor]

(Starkey and Jorjie enter the main hall. On the first floor balcony, Gryffen is operating the controls of the Space-Time Manipulator overhead. Unseen, Starkey and Jorjie climb the stairs.)

[The main hall, first floor]

(Gryffen takes a clear tube from the briefcase and examines it. Behind his back, Starkey and Jorjie hide in a doorway and watch slide the tube amongst similar looking ones. The Space-Time Manipulator powers up and sparks with electricity and shoots light down to the floor.)

GRYFFEN: Chrono-spatial coordinates calibrated and holding. Control of space and time. (The vortex grows bigger and brighter.) Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. (The faint image a woman, a boy and a girl appear in the light.) My family. I did it. I’ve got you back!
STARKEY: Freaky. I’m out of here.

(Goes to head back down the stairs, but trips on and disconnects a plug.)

GRYFFEN: What? (Turns and sees Starkey and Jorjie.) What’s going on? (The image of his family fades.) No! No, no, no, no, no, no!
STARKEY: (Reconnects the plug.) I’m sorry.
GRYFFEN: (Takes off his helmet.) Who are you? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?

(Four Jixen materialise from the Space-Time Manipulator.)

JORJIE: What are they?
GRYFFEN: Aliens.
JORJIE: Duh! What kind of aliens?
STARKEY: The unfriendly kind.
GRYFFEN: I have to get you out of here. (Leads Starkey and Jorjie down the stairs.)

[The main hall, ground floor]

(A Jixen passes the bottom of the stairs, facing the other direction. Gryffen turns to the children.)

GRYFFEN: Shh! Shh! Come on, come on. (He starts sneaking behind the Jixen, but it turns and spots them. Gryffen pushes Starkey and Jorjie the other way.) Go! Go!
STARKEY: Where should we go?
GRYFFEN: This way!

[The laboratory]

(Starkey, Jorjie and Gryffen enter the laboratory. Another Jixen is in there.)

STARKEY: They’re everywhere!

(Starkey, Jorjie and Gryffen run.)

[The main hall, ground floor]

STARKEY: What are they doing? (Runs into a pillar and falls. The Jixen walk towards him.) Help!
JORJIE: (At the front door with Gryffen.) Starkey!
STARKEY: Whoever you are, whatever you are, I’m sure we can work this out like reasonable human be- Aliens.

(The Jixen spray him from their mouths.)

JORJIE: What are they doing!? (The Space-Time Manipulator powers up again and K9 appears.) Now what?
GRYFFEN: A mechanical dog?
K9: (Looks at his surroundings and sees Starkey surrounded by the Jixen.) Alien threat detected! Jixen Warriors! Humans in danger! Course of action: attack. (Starts spinning and firing at the Jixen, apparently causing little damage.) Powered down to 8%. Victory improbable. Humans, evacuate! Humans, evacuate! Leave the building!
JORJIE: He’s trying to save him!
GRYFFEN: Stay here. (Goes towards Starkey.) Come on! (Starkey gets up, runs around the distracted Jixen and joins Gryffen.) Run. Run!
STARKEY: We can’t just leave him!
GRYFFEN: We have to!
STARKEY: No!

(Gryffen pushes him and Jorjie outside.)

[Outside Gryffen’s mansion]

(Gryffen steps outside the mansion but starts hyperventilating and collapses backwards against the door.)

JORJIE: What are you doing? Come on!
GRYFFEN: I can’t.
STARKEY: What?
GRYFFEN: I can’t go out there. I have a condition.
K9: (OC) Humans! I am self-destructing. Protect yourselves!
STARKEY: He just saved us. We have to help him!

(Runs back into the mansion.)

[The main hall, ground floor]

JORJIE: (OC) Starkey, no!

(Gryffen goes in after Starkey.)

K9: Self-destruct commenced! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!

(Gryffen grabs Starkey by the shoulders and pulls him to the ground with him. There is an explosion. The lights flicker and Starkey, Jorjie and Gryffen slowly walk into the middle of the hall. The Jixen have been reduced to piles of ash and K9 is in pieces.)

JORJIE: He was being our friend, Starkey. He destroyed the creatures.
STARKEY: (Kneels down by K9.) And himself. For us. He protected us. (Reaches in amongst the debris and pulls out a dusty bit of technology. He blows on it.) This is all that’s left of him.

(Unseen by everybody, one of the Jixen has survived and goes downstairs. Darius runs in, carrying shopping.)

DARIUS: (Laughs, then sees the mess.) Right, what’s going on here?
STARKEY: What business is it of yours?
DARIUS: It’s totally my business. Anything happens to the prof and I’m out of a job.
JORJIE: What a humanitarian.
DARIUS: (Notices her.) Well, hello. Introductions are in order. Darius Pike, personal assistant and supplier of ordered goods.
JORJIE: A delivery boy, no less. Jorjie, Stark–
STARKEY: Don’t use real names!
JORJIE: (Scoffs.) Okay then, “Stark Reality”.
DARIUS: (Notices Gryffen sat on a chair looking at a photograph and goes over to him.) Hey. You okay, prof?
GRYFFEN: (The photograph is of him with his wife and children.) I almost had them back.
DARIUS: Hey, I’m sorry, prof.
STARKEY: Umm… How can I make this up to you?
GRYFFEN: Make this up to me? You have no idea what you’ve cost me.
DARIUS: (Using his phone.) Here.
STARKEY: Who are you calling?
DARIUS: What business is it of yours?
STARKEY: I mean it. Who did you call?
DARIUS: Wouldn’t you like to know!
JORJIE: Boys. Boys!

(Starkey and Darius realise that the device in Starkey’s hand is making sounds and glowing. It starts floating and hovers above the remains of K9. It sends out electricity, forms an image of a new K9 and then burst with light, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. The broken K9 regenerates into a new, more advanced form capable of flight.)

K9: (Hovers and looks at the four humans.) G’day mates. Bonjour. (Speaks in other languages.)
GRYFFEN: That’s extraordinary.
K9: (K9 activates his K9 Mark 2 operational system, runs a diagnostic and remembers Starkey. He keeps speaking in different languages.) Hello.
JORJIE: He’s going to fire again.
STARKEY: No, he’s not. Good dog. Heel, boy! Heel!
K9: This unit does not appreciate the term “dog”, “boy” or “heel”. Regeneration unity log indicates you saved it from damage.
STARKEY: What are you?
K9: What am I? My name is… K9. I do not know when or where I am. Commencing orientation protocols. Flying! (Flies higher and around the main hall.) Left, right, up and away we go!

(Flies outside the mansion and above London, past one of the flying holograms.)

CCPC: (Enters the main hall with other CCPCs.) Right, here we are, then. Fugitive human Starkey, AKA Stark Reality.
JORJIE: Starkey?
CCPC: You are hereby under arrest. (Grabs Starkey’s arms.)
STARKEY: Hey!
CCPC: You’ll be spending the next six months in a virtual reality detention facility.
STARKEY: What? No, it wasn’t me!
DARIUS: Take him.
STARKEY: It was the giant slime-puking alien lizards. Ask the flying robot dog.
CCPC: That’s what they all say. Come along. (Starts leading Starkey out.)
STARKEY: Ask him!
DARIUS: Look, all I know is you turned up and things exploded.
STARKEY: You rat! You called them! I saw you!
CCPC: Come along.
STARKEY: I’m innocent! Innocent!

[Outside Gryffen’s mansion]

(The CCPCs escort Starkey off of the property.)

CCPC: Fugitive apprehended. Proceeding to detention facility.
JORJIE: (Runs to the front door and stops.) Starkey! That’s unnecessary force!
CCPC: Make it easy on yourself, son. Stop resisting.

(In the shadows, the Jixen watches. K9 flies down to Jorjie.)

K9: Orientation protocol complete. This unit is in the City of London.

[Above London]

(Holograms fly over the city.)

HOLOGRAM WOMAN: For your own good.

[The laboratory, day]

GRYFFEN: What? You don’t know where you came from?
K9: I’m afraid my memdrive seems to have been scrambled. I have no memory of myself.
GRYFFEN: (Looks at a screen.) Well, your memdrive may have been scrambled but your general reference capacity is unharmed and absolutely stupendous.
K9: Affirmative. It is most impressive.
GRYFFEN: With your vast repertoire of knowledge, I don’t suppose you could tell me how to get this portal working?
K9: Negative. However, it is of alien origin.
GRYFFEN: Yes, I know. It was transported here piece by piece from a crashed alien spacecraft. We call these craft “fallen angels”.
K9: My memdrive has crashed. Does that make me a fallen angel?
GRYFFEN: I’m not completely sure what you are.
K9: Me neither, but I can tell you what those were that came through the portal with me. A warrior race called the Jixen.

(The screen shows images of the Jixen.)

GRYFFEN: What was the purpose of that mucus it spewed?
K9: The Jixen use it to mark their enemies. I’m not marked. Therefore, I should not be their enemy.
GRYFFEN: So, the mucus acts as a kind of beacon?
K9: Affirmative. For as long as the smell lasts they will hunt the wearer until they have destroyed them.
GRYFFEN: They marked that poor boy, Starkey.
K9: Unfortunately for him.

[Prison cell]

(Starkey’s physical body is sat unmoving in a shadowy room with VR goggles on.)

[Virtual reality prison]

(Starkey stands around, bored, in a white void.)

[School]

(Jorjie walks down a hallway.)

JORJIE: (To passing girls.) Hi.

(Turns around a corner, takes a pair of VR goggles out and puts them on.)

[Virtual reality prison]

STARKEY: What’s happening?
JORJIE: I am.
STARKEY: (Turns and sees her.) What are you doing here?

JORJIE: I’m not. Not really. I’m here in virtual reality. You’re seeing me through your VR goggles. I hacked into your scenario.
STARKEY: I just landed a six-month virtual detention sentence. You hacking in here could see it all doubled. Why don’t you do yourself and me a real big favour and find someone else to drop in on?
JORJIE: I’m not just “dropping in”. You and I are going to do something about this when you get out.

(Clicks her fingers, summoning a hologram which she splits into three. One shows a corridor, one a captured alien and another a man stood over an alien strapped to a bed.)

STARKEY: What’s up?
JORJIE: Dauntless Prison. Do you know what goes on in there? They track down aliens, lock them up and none of them ever come out.
STARKEY: Well, some of them probably deserve it.
JORJIE: They’re not all like Jixen. Most of them are completely peaceful. They just happen to have wound up on this planet. They’re being locked up just for being alien.
STARKEY: Right now, it’s not my problem, is it?
JORJIE: Look at that face! (Waves her hand, moving the image of the captured alien between her and Starkey.) I’ve heard horrible things!
STARKEY: In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in VR detention.
JORJIE: (Returns the hologram to the others.) So much for fighting the system.
STARKEY: (Sighs.) How do you know about all this stuff, anyway?
JORJIE: I hacked into the Department’s secret operations file. Stark Reality isn’t the only cyberspace guerilla fighter. I know what it’s like. (Phone rings.)
STARKEY: Are you going to answer that?

[School]

(Jorjie takes her phone out of her bag and answers it.)

JUNE: (On the phone.) Jorjie?
JORJIE: What is it, Mum?
JUNE: Are you at ballet class?
JORJIE: Yes, I’m at ballet.
JUNE: The dress?
JORJIE: Yes, I’m wearing it.

[Prison cell]

(Starkey scoffs.)

[School]

JUNE: The tutu?
JORJIE: Yeah, the pink frilly tutu.

[Prison cell]

STARKEY: Yeah, you know exactly what it’s like. Fighting the system, the guerilla in the pink frilly tutu.

[School]

(Jorjie takes off the VR goggles and sighs. She puts them in her bag and walks off.)

[The laboratory]

(Gryffen is wearing goggles and doing work on K9 with a screwdriver.)

K9: Music? (First three notes of the Doctor Who theme play.)
GRYFFEN: Ah, good, definitely in your memory section. Can you identify the tune?
K9: Negative. Damage to memdrive during arrival through space-time machine too great. This unit retains memory fragments only. Question. (Gryffen removes his goggles.) Why is the space-time travel device located here?
GRYFFEN: The Department wants me to get it operating properly.
K9: Why?
GRYFFEN: The ability to travel through space and time is enormously valuable.
K9: I should imagine so.
GRYFFEN: There’s no limit to where you could go or who you could bring here.
K9: Jixen, for example.
GRYFFEN: Uh, yes, yes, quite.
K9: If you do fix it, will you be able to return me to where I came from?
GRYFFEN: Hopefully. (He puts the screwdriver back into K9’s head. K9 beeps and his ears move. He takes the screwdriver out.) What was that?
K9: You were in my remote identification system.
GRYFFEN: And how does that work?
K9: Once a sound is imprinted, I can hear it across dimensions.
GRYFFEN: (Picks up a bouncy ball.) You mean like this?

(Bounces the ball once on the floor.)

K9: The sound has to be repetitive.
GRYFFEN: Like this?

(Bounces the ball twice more.)

K9: Affirmative.

[Outside prison]

(The CCPC stand guard. A siren sounds.)

CCPC: Security breach, Level 5.

[Prison hallway]

(The Jixen is searching the prison.)

TANNOY: Security breach. Security breach. Intruder alert, Level 5. Intruder alert, Level 5.

[Prison cell]

(Starkey wakes up and removes the VR goggles. The Jixen bursts in and corners him.)

STARKEY: Come on, shell-head! Come get me! (The Jixen sprays him.) Not again!
CCPC: (Enters the cell.) Oi, what’s going on in here?

(The Jixen punches him and he falls over. Starkey escapes.)

[Above London]

(K9 flies over the Palace of Westminster.)

[The garage]

(Darius is repairing a black cab, Mariah, and listening to the news.) NEWSREADER: Tonight on Channel 8 News, the Department will neither confirm nor deny allegations that the rebel known as Stark Reality escaped from the Department’s…

(Gryffen enters the garage from behind Darius.)

MARIAH: I’m sorry, Darius. My brake cable still requires some work.
DARIUS: Yeah, yeah, yeah, hold your horsepower. I’ll get to that.
GRYFFEN: Have you seen K9?
DARIUS: No, he just comes and goes as he pleases. I think you should seriously reconsider letting him stay here.
GRYFFEN: He’s a piece of technology I could learn a lot from.
DARIUS: Ah, well, he wouldn’t help me tune up Mariah.

[The laboratory]

(Starkey enters.)

STARKEY: Hello? (He looks around.) Where is everybody?

[The garage]

(K9 flies in.)

GRYFFEN: Ah, there you are.
K9: Affirmative. Here I am. I have picked up the biological trail of the Jixen.
GRYFFEN: Where? Where is it?
K9: Position triangulated. The lab.

[The laboratory]

(K9 flies in and scans Starkey. His systems identify him as a non-human.)

STARKEY: K9. Am I glad to see you? That Jixen came looking for me.
K9: Jixen Warrior targeted.
STARKEY: Hey, don’t you remember me? Don’t shoot.

(Gryffen and Darius enter, both carrying tools as weapons. They relax upon seeing Starkey.)

DARIUS: Well, if it isn’t Dork Reality! How did you get out?
STARKEY: Help me. He thinks I’m a Jixen. He’s going to zap me.
K9: Jixen DNA confirmed.
GRYFFEN: K9!
K9: Response – neutralise with extreme prejudice.
GRYFFEN: K9! K9, no!
STARKEY: It’s me!
GRYFFEN: (Goes to K9’s side.) That’s a human boy!
DARIUS: I don’t know. He looks pretty Jixeny to me.
K9: Powering up!
GRYFFEN: K9, no!
STARKEY: No! No! Good dog! Heel, boy. Heel.
K9: Short-term memory overriding attack mode.
DARIUS: What just happened?
GRYFFEN: He’s remembering something. Of course! When he first regenerated. He’s remembering Starkey as the one who saved his regeneration unit. That’s what he said to him at the time. Starkey, he’s remembering you. Say it again.
STARKEY: No. Good dog. Heel, boy.

(K9’s systems recognise Starkey and identify him as “YOUNG MASTER”.)

K9: Disarm. (Starkey strokes K9’s chin.) Yes, young master. I still do not appreciate “dog”, “boy” or “heel”.

(A nearby screen comes to life. June is stood at the front door with her Departmental ID.)

JUNE: Gryffen? Open up.
GRYFFEN: June. Oh, fig. Stay here. Don’t say a word. Don’t make a sound.

[The main hall, ground floor]

M#

(Gryffen opens the door, but stands in the way when June tries to enter.)

GRYFFEN: June! What a pleasant surprise!
JUNE: I need you to see you a couple of things and it’s best on a monitor.

(She walks around him and towards the laboratory.)

GRYFFEN: No! Well, it’s a tad messy in there.

(Gryffen steps in her way.)

JUNE: Considering the Department owns this facility, I would suggest you become a little more accommodating. Or perhaps we could do it in my vehicle. It’s outside.

(Gryffen lets her pass.)

[The laboratory]

(Darius is playing about with tools.)

JUNE: Doesn’t look that messy.
GRYFFEN: Oh, well, eye of the beholder and all that.
JUNE: Hm. (Picks up a small round device and tosses it at Gryffen. He catches it.) Don’t you have time for fun and games, then?
GRYFFEN: Yeah. A spot of tennis, you know.

(Gryffen mimes playing tennis.)

DARIUS: The prof’s got a killer serve.
JUNE: I need to speak to Professor Gryffen. Alone.
DARIUS: He’s all yours.

(Darius leaves.)

GRYFFEN: So, what did you want to see me about?

(Behind a desk, K9 and Starkey are hiding. Starkey hushes K9.)

JUNE: A number of things and they all lead back to the night of the explosion in this house. (She operates a handheld device and makes an image of Starkey appear on a screen.) The boy that was arrested here. Starkey. He’s wanted by the Department for questioning.
GRYFFEN: Well, then, why don’t you drop by the Department Detention Centre? That’s where he would be held, isn’t it?
JUNE: You haven’t seen him?
GRYFFEN: No.
JUNE: How about this, then? (She uses her device again. The screen shows K9.) Caught on surveillance the next day after the explosion. We think it’s a weapon of some kind, but not one of ours. Not yet. Kind of looks like a dog, don’t you think?
GRYFFEN: Hmm.
JUNE: Ugly, ungainly thing. Terrible design.

(Behind them, K9 starts hovering above the desk.)

GRYFFEN: Oh, no, no, no. No, on the contrary, quite noble and handsome, I should think, whatever it is.

(Starkey pulls K9 back behind the desk.)

JUNE: Well, whatever it is, the Department wants it tracked down, captured and handed over.
GRYFFEN: And if I can’t? Or won’t?
JUNE: Then your funding for the time-space project terminated. The portal will be dismantled and passed on to a more cooperative researcher.
GRYFFEN: There’s no need for that.
JUNE: I hope not, Alistair. (K9 growls. Starkey shushes him.) I’d hate to take this off you, but I will if I have to.

(June leaves and K9 and Starkey emerge from behind the desk.)

STARKEY: Thanks, professor.
GRYFFEN: Hm.

[Outside Gryffen’s mansion]

(CCPCs march down the street, passing the mansion.)

[The main hall]

(Starkey and Darius are stood on the ground floor whilst Gryffen makes adjustments to the Space-Time Manipulator upstairs.)

STARKEY: He covered for me. He wouldn’t give me up. Nobody’s ever done anything like that for me before.
DARIUS: Yeah. Yeah, the prof’s a great guy. He’s really been good to me.
STARKEY: You didn’t give me up either. That can’t have been easy.
DARIUS: Yeah, well, it wasn’t. There’ll be other chances.
STARKEY: What is your problem?

(K9 flies in.)

DARIUS: You’re a troublemaker and the prof doesn’t need that. That’s my problem.
STARKEY: You don’t know the first thing about me.

(Jorjie enters.)

JORJIE: Hi, guys. Have I missed anything?
DARIUS: I know what I’ve seen and what I’ve seen is a troublemaker.
JORJIE: (To herself.) Obviously not.
K9: You missed this unit mistaking the young master for a Jixen Warrior and preparing to neutralise him. I hope you will accept this as an apology.

(A dog whistle floats out of a slot in K9’s front and falls into Starkey’s hand.)

STARKEY: For me?
K9: And wherever you are, it will call you to my side.
STARKEY: Thanks, K9.
JORJIE: Wait, I still don’t understand how you could have thought Starkey was a Jixen.
K9: I was reacting to a reading registered by my sense of smell. He’s been marked by a Jixen’s pheromonal mucus.
STARKEY: The puke thing.

(Starkey puts the dog whistle around his neck.)

K9: Consequently, he would be hunted relentlessly until the end of Jixen lifespan, which is 800 years, give or take.
JORJIE: You’re joking.
K9: Then why is no one laughing? Did I tell it wrongly?
STARKEY: No. She means it’s hard to believe.
K9: Then why didn’t she say that? Human communication functions are seriously flawed.
DARIUS: Yeah, says the dog who mistook His Nibs here for a Jixen.
K9: That was an honest mistake. And this unit is not a dog. This unit is a cybernetic construction containing quantum consciousness. I am capable of logical deduction to within 1.47593 gigaflops. This unit is also capable of complex data retrieval and quantum analysis of said data with the benefit not only of [unclear] but also of intergalactic space networks including Network 10, Network 25, Network 32, Network 37, Network 41…

(Starkey, Jorjie and Darius laugh.)

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.