Part One

(We see a shot of Earth in space. A meteor flies towards it.)

[Island]

(There is a volcano in the distance on this rocky island. Dawson, a man in a suit, picks up his radio, which emits static.)

DAWSON: Mount Ruapehu Field Camp to Tracking Aircraft, over. Tracking aircraft, can you hear me?

(Dave, a man in a Hawaiian shirt, is holding a clipboard. There is more static)

DAVE: Weird. What's going to be interfering with it up here?
DAWSON: Probably a new radio station. Volcano FM.
DAVE: Volcano FM, cool! Rock by day, radio by night!
DAWSON: Is that the aircraft?
DAVE: No, it's a, it's a meteor!

(The meteor streaks across the sky.)

DAVE: Sweet! It's going to land just over the ridge.
DAWSON: I've got to see this. Come on!

(The meteor hits the ground with fiery results. Both men approach the crater.)

DAWSON: Look at it! I never thought I'd get to see one of these close up!

(We see the meteor in the crater.)

DAVE: Do you see something moving down there?
DAWSON: It's just the smoke. No, I see it too.

(Another shot of the meteor. Another shot of the thing moving.)

DAVE: What is it?
DAWSON: Some kind of worm,

(He steps closer to the crater. We get a close up of a blue eye with a slit pupil.)

DAWSON [OC]: Cute little guy,

(Dawson reaches for the worm.)

DAWSON: There's a home waiting for you in Turangi. Come here,

(The Worm snarls at them then jumps into suddenly molten rock.)

DAVE: What was that? Where is it?
DAWSON: It burrowed into the rock. I think it made it molten!

(Green ominous smoke starts rising from the crater. Dave starts coughing.)

DAVE: The gases, from the meteorite, got to get some air!

(Dave walks away from the crater, still coughing.)

DAWSON: Dave, this is huge. We've got to get a crew down here. Fence this off.
DAVE: Give me a second.

(Dave takes a deep breath.)

DAWSON [OC]: You all right? Why have you stopped?
DAVE: I was gonna ask you that.
DAWSON: I can't, I can't move. My body's not,

(Another shot of the crater. The ground starts shaking.)

DAVE [OC]: There's something,

(Back to Dave.)

DAVE: Can you feel it? Underneath the ground.
DAWSON: What's going on? Stop! Grab something!
DAVE: I can't!

(The gas is getting stronger.)

DAWSON: Stop! Don't go in there!

(We get another close up on the alien eye as it shrieks.)

[Street]

(We see the underneath of a bridge. It's dark, a bit dingy and otherwise un-noteworthy. A leaflet and a couple of leaves float past on the wind. Then we hear the familiar wheezing noise. With this materialisation, however, there is the odd flash of energy, like lightning, from the beacon on top. It flickers in and out until the final groan and then flicks into substance with a final flash. The TARDIS has arrived. The doors unlock and a tall man in silhouette steps out. As the camera pans up, we get a proper look at him. He's dressed almost completely in black, save for an inverness cloak similar to the one worn by the Third Doctor and a white shirt. He has a bowtie worn in the style of the First Doctor. A pocket watch hangs from a pocket on the cape. His hair is long, hangs around his eyes and brown, save for a patch of silver. He is very pale. Pale blue eyes look around. Ladies and Gentlemen, meet the Shalka Doctor.)

DOCTOR: No! It's not where we're supposed to be. I'm going to take a look around.

(The door closes and with a beep and flash of the beacon, the door locks.)

DOCTOR: I don't want to be here! I won't do it!

(We see a pub.)

DOCTOR [OC]: Whatever it is.

(The Doctor sniffs the air.)

DOCTOR: From the smell of the air, England. 2003. Ugh. But something's odd about it.

(The pub is in view again.)

DOCTOR [OC]: And where is everybody?

(The Doctor is clearly annoyed by now.)

DOCTOR: Oh, for goodness sake!

(He opens a panel on the TARDIS and takes out a phone - which is TARDIS blue - before he sets off towards the pub.)

[Pub]

(The interior of the pub is reasonably well lit, but it's all but deserted. Apart from Alison and her boss, Max, there is one man there. Alison pulls a beer and puts it down in front of him.)

ALISON: There you go. On the house. I've got a sore throat. I'm too ill to use a till.
BARFLY: I love you. Marry me, Alison.
ALISON: You going to take me away from all this?
MAX: Alison, don't give away the beer.
ALISON: Why not? We're never gonna get any more. We might as well empty the cellar.
MAX: It might just stop.

(Alison holds up a piece of paper, probably a payslip.)

ALISON: And you're not paying me enough for this, by the way. Nobody else will come in.
MAX: It'll stop. It has to.
ALISON: Everyone's been saying it's gonna stop since it started. Everyone's waiting for it to change but nobody is doing anything about it. Everyone's too scared to leave their houses.
MAX: I don't agree with her. This is all her. I told her to shut up.

(The door opens and the Doctor walks in. He gets a few odd looks off Max and the Barfly. Being the Doctor, he ignores them and focuses on Alison.)

DOCTOR: Single glass of Marceau '96, if you please. I've heard so much about it.
ALISON: Sorry, we only do dry or sweet.
DOCTOR: And I don't do sweet.

(He looks at her payslip.)

DOCTOR: Miss Cheney? Any relation to Lon? Wonderful chap. Hairy hands.
ALISON: What are you on about?
MAX: Haven't seen you around here.
DOCTOR: No, in a bustling town centre on a Saturday night, I suppose you don't get many strangers.

(Alison hands him his wine. Max glares at him as the Doctor drinks. Apparently he does not approve as he groans after draining the glass. The Doctor stares intently at Alison.)

DOCTOR: You're scared. Less than these two are though.
ALISON: That's why they're both looking at me like that.

(Max and the Barfly are giving her worried looks.)

ALISON [OC]: They're scared of anyone who isn't. Scared somebody might talk.

(Alison glares back at them.)

MAX [OC]: Do you want to do this, Alison? Do you really?

(Max and the Barfly watch the Doctor intently as he walks over to the other side of the room, to a jukebox.)

DOCTOR: So, none of you are going to tell me anything?

(He rustles through some change.)

DOCTOR: You haven't even thought to charge me for the drink. And there's no Pachelbel on this jukebox. I'd have thought he'd get a look in on “Smooth Classics Two”. But no.

(The Doctor leaves. Alison walks to the door and looks outside after him.)

[Street]

(Alison is highlighted in the doorway. The Shalka Prime, hidden by shadows, slithers across the streets.)

ALISON: It's all right, whatever you are. We're all being good.

(The Shalka Prime slithers closer. Alison closes the door. She takes a couple of deep breaths. We get a close up of its eye, which is the same as the worm, before it lets out a similar shriek.)

(The Doctor is sniffing a grate. The shriek can be heard in the distance.)

DOCTOR: Either something very odd is going on down there, or the rats have discovered the delights of the D'Oyly Carte.

(He walks away from the grate, which starts emitting ominous green smoke and some red glow.)

(The ground beneath the TARDIS starts shaking, as glowing orange cracks spread out beneath it. Alison walks by and sees it being swallowed by the earth, leaving a smoking hole in the ground. She immediately backs off.)

(A street light flickers above a statue of a human. The Doctor walks up to it and studies it for a moment or two.)

DOCTOR: Solidified lava,
VOICE: Never knew what he'd think.

(The Doctor looks around and sees a homeless woman sat in some rubbish.)

DOCTOR [OC]: Who? That?
WOMAN: No. My Oswald. He was run over in 1987. He was such a lovely kitten. Grew up to be an awkward cat.
DOCTOR: He must've used up his nine lives. Rather like me. I'm terribly pleased to meet you. What's your name?
MATHILDA: Miss Mathilda Pierce.

(The Doctor kisses her hand.)

DOCTOR: Charmed.
MATHILDA: What are you doing here?
DOCTOR: I don't know. They keep putting me in places where terrible things are going to happen.
MATHILDA: Oh! Right. Spare change?

(The Doctor pulls out an assortment of currency, most not from Earth, from his pocket.)

DOCTOR: Oh! Let's see. Uh, I got here, Attraxian Seemble seed.
MATHILDA: Oh.
DOCTOR: You'll need to grow those into a tree before they'd be worth anything. Zornic Groats. No, you don't want currency that talks back. Uh, do you lot use Euros yet?
MATHILDA: You're being cruel to me.
DOCTOR: Oh, never, Mathilda. I'm a homeless person myself. It's the first thing I am. Here.

(He hands over the lot, including the alien currency.)

MATHILDA: Oh.

(She chuckles.)

DOCTOR: What do you know about that lump of rock?

(She stammers and looks around, scared.)

DOCTOR: Only, you're the first human being I've seen on the streets tonight and I was hoping for some assistance.
MATHILDA: Nowhere else to go. I've left my house. The floor wasn't solid.
DOCTOR: Not solid?
MATHILDA: I used to have 28 cats, but they all ran away. All the cats and dogs and birds have left this town. All the animals.
DOCTOR: Why?
MATHILDA: Well, cats get scared of things they can hear. You know, it's how a tiger marks its territory.
DOCTOR: By low-frequency sounds?
MATHILDA: Mmm.
DOCTOR: A booming in the throats keeps all the other top predators away. But what about the people? Why aren't they out and about?
MATHILDA: You seem a nice, young man, you should stay off the grass.

(A low rumbling starts.)

DOCTOR: Why?
MATHILDA: It's down there.
DOCTOR: What?

(The ground starts shaking.)

MATHILDA: Oh no! No. Oh! Stop it!
DOCTOR: It's all right. It's all right.
MATHILDA: Stop it!
DOCTOR: It's just some kind of earth tremor.
MATHILDA: Oh, oh, oh,
DOCTOR: Just hang onto something.

(Mathilda screams for a long time and then, just as suddenly, she stops. The tremor stops as well.)

DOCTOR: Are you all right? Mathilda? Mathilda?

(He reaches out to touch her.)

DOCTOR: Oh!

(He recoils from her body before staring up to the sky.)

DOCTOR: All right. All right.

[Flat]

(Joe is sat on the sofa as the door closes and Alison walks in.)

ALISON: Hiya.
JOE: Hey.

(She kisses his head before sitting down next to him.)

JOE: How was work?
ALISON: This weird guy came in, asking questions.
JOE: You always get the nutters. They can tell you're gonna listen to them. It won't last now though, there aren't many left.

(Alison holds up the TV remote. Joe, just as quickly, puts his hand over it.)

ALISON: I was only gonna see what was on.
JOE: It's just,
ALISON: I know. Don'
t raise the volume so we can actually hear anything.
JOE: Next door hasn't got theirs turned up and the street is quiet. I like it like this.
ALISON: Don't say that, Joe. Don't say you like it.

(Alison crosses her arms and turns away from him.)

JOE: Sorry. I went into my surgery today. There were even a few patients, all throat complaints.
ALISON: Yeah, I've been getting hoarse and it's not like I've had anyone to yell at. Must be a bug going around. It'll be the death of me.
JOE: Don't,
ALISON: I don't care anymore, Joe. This has to change.
JOE: We have to keep on living, Ali. We have to keep on going in case,
ALISON: In case there's a chance to fight?
JOE: That's not what I meant.

(Someone knocks on the door.)

ALISON: No.

(The person knocks again. Alison stands up.)

ALISON: Don't worry. I'll get it.

(She opens the door.)

ALISON: What are you doing here?
DOCTOR: Around the corner, a lovely old lady has just died. < br> (He barges in.)
DOCTOR: Does anyone here care?
JOE: Who are you?
ALISON: It's the weird guy from the pub.

(She closes the door.)

DOCTOR: You care, don't you? You were going to tell me. What's going on? Why is everyone staying off the streets?
ALISON: How'd you find me?
DOCTOR: Your pay slip had your address on it.

(He picks up the phone then puts it down.)

DOCTOR: The phones don't work, there are no current newspapers or magazines, nobody on the streets. So this town has been cut off for what? Three weeks? And somehow, nobody in Britain has noticed. What have you allowed to happen? As you humans allow so many things.
ALISON: We humans?
JOE: How can you come in here and start,

(Somehow, a cup is knocked over and shattered on the floor. Joe's expression changes from angry to terrified.)

DOCTOR: The floor! You're afraid of something coming up out of the ground. You're all pussyfooting around, walking on eggshells.

(The Doctor pushes some dishes onto the floor. They shatter.)

DOCTOR: If you don't tell me what you're afraid of, I'll keep making noise until I find out for myself
ALISON: You,

(Alison tries to smack him. The Doctor grabs her hand in mid-air.)

DOCTOR: So, one of you is willing to fight?
ALISON: You give me a way to fight and I'll fight.
JOE: She doesn't know what she's saying.

(The Doctor ignores him.)

DOCTOR: Tell me!
ALISON: Three weeks ago, like you said, some kind of sound deep underground, a vibration, It was there when you listened to the pipes. It was there when you slept, right at the edge of hearing.
JOE: Alison, don't.
ALISON: Joe, I have to do this, somebody has to.
DOCTOR: I've heard this noise myself. So it seems you're living above an angry landlord with a long broom handle who wants you all to stay very, very quiet.
ALISON: I see one of them in the street sometimes, keeping an eye on me. I saw it tonight.
JOE: I don't know what she's talking about. I've never seen anything. Everything here is normal. Please, leave us alone.
DOCTOR: Tell me about the solidified lava. That was a person, wasn't it?
ALISON: That was Kim, my mate from work. Max didn't like her because she talked too much. More than me even. She wanted to get a message out. Wanted to do something. Then, one night, on the way home, the ground opened up and, She started covering herself with lava. Just kept smearing it onto her body. She was screaming out all the time, calling out to us to stop her.
JOE: But we couldn't
ALISON: We couldn't move. In the end, she didn't even have hands anymore. And then she, She put her face in, And just solidified. There.
DOCTOR: I'm so sorry. I give you my word, this ends tonight.
JOE: Well, thanks for that. Because we might see some of those punishments now. The lava is for the ones who really push it. If you're lucky, you'll just get your brain fried by the sounds. Do you know what it's like to be a doctor and stand by and watch these things and not be able to do anything?

(The Doctor sighs.)

DOCTOR: So many answers to that. But, no. No interest in giving them. No wonder you're all afraid.
ALISON [OC]: The sound makes you afraid.

(The ground starts shaking.)

JOE- Oh, no.
DOCTOR: Get behind me!
JOE: They say they're down there, in the rocks. They say they're monsters.
DOCTOR: That's why I've been sent here.
ALISON: Who are you?
DOCTOR: I know about monsters. I'm the Doctor.

(The floor bursts up and two giant rock-snake creatures burst through. They immediately begin shrieking at the Doctor, Alison and Joe. Everyone, meet the villains of this serial - the Shalka!)

Part Two

[Flat]

(The Shalka serpents continue shrieking at the Doctor, Alison and Joe. The Doctor looks unimpressed.)

DOCTOR: Ah, you must be the aliens. I've heard so much about you. It's been a long time since anyone screamed at me and then I only think they were waiting for Elvis to come on. But my poetry went down tremendously.

(He grabs hold of a lamp and swings it around, knocking the head off of one of the Shalka. The other one snarls at him. The Doctor holds up a tray, which reflects the tray back at it. Its head explodes.)

DOCTOR: Run!

[Street]

ALISON: You killed them!
DOCTOR: I do not kill. They're obviously bioplasmic creatures.
JOE: Obviously?
DOCTOR: Masses of goo. The bodies are just crusts. The scabs.

(They reach a shop. Since its night, it's locked. The Doctor begins picking the lock.)

DOCTOR: They'll knit themselves back together. Their eyes don't look much use, so they probably live underground. Navigate by sound and the hoods focus a sonic weapon to stun their prey. Right now, that's you.

(The door swings open.)

DOCTOR: In!

[Flat]

(The hole in the floor is now smoking. The two Shalka, seemingly reformed, begin shrieking before they jump back in and disappear into the depth.)

[Shop]

(The Doctor, Joe and Alison are looking around the shop for supplies. The Doctor is seemingly assembling something in a bin.)

ALISON: What are we doing here?
DOCTOR: Fertiliser bags, empty them into the container. Quickly! And, uh, uh,

(He snaps his fingers, trying to remember.)

DOCTOR: Newspaper. Alison, over there.
JOE: You're insane. What do you think you can do?
DOCTOR: Resist them, surprise them. Oh, and possibly perform a few show tunes, so hush. Don't just stand there.

(The ground starts rumbling.)

DOCTOR: Oh,
ALISON: I want to move, Doctor, but it's like this, This terrible fear, the vibrations,
DOCTOR: You fought back before, you can do it again. Or are you just the same as all the other sheep?
ALISON: Shut up! You show me.

(An orange crack heads down the road towards the shop. A Shalka scream can be heard.)

JOE: It's not that I'm a coward. You show me an army and I'll join it. But this is just us. How can this work?
DOCTOR: Oh, you do go on, don't you? If I can find a little something to add to this, then Johnny alien is going to get a good seeing too, from just us.

(He holds up a strange object.)

JOE: Why aren't you scared of the sound?
DOCTOR: I believe I may have let that slip before.
JOE: You're not human.

(He holds up a bag of something.)

DOCTOR: Decent of you to say.
ALISON: What are you?

(He begins pouring some powder from the bag.)

DOCTOR: Mildly annoyed.

(He lights a match.)

DOCTOR: There.

(He uses the match to light the fuse.)

[Street]

(The glowing crack, along with the Shalka shrieking, rounds the corner and approaches the shop.)

[Shop]

DOCTOR: Out! Now!

(The fuse approaches the bin. The two Shalka burst through the ground and shriek. They both immediately shut up when they see the fuse.)

[Street]

(The Doctor, Alison and Joe run away from the shop.)

ALISON: How big is this thing going to be? Only it's right next to,

(Explosion)

(The shop and a couple of the buildings next to it are now rubble.)

ALISON [OC]: ,our house.

(Two Shalka shriek as they descend into the Earth. The Doctor, Alison and Joe are stood in front of the smouldering remains of the building. The Doctor is shaking his hand in victory.)

DOCTOR: Got you! Got you!
JOE: What have you done?
DOCTOR: Everything. The sonic pulse from that will stun those creatures underground for hours, if I read their looks right. The ones in the shop will take days to reform. There's no thumping from downstairs now, so,

(People around them start shouting excitedly.)

DOCTOR: Listen.

(Alison and Joe listen to the crowd.)

DOCTOR [OC]: That's the sound of you being free.

(The shouting gets louder as lights are turned on.)

DOCTOR: I told you this would be over tonight, Alison, and I kept my word. So,This is goodbye.

(He walks away.)

ALISON: Goodbye.

(The Doctor pauses.)

DOCTOR: Oh. Sorry about the house.

(He continues walking. The Shalka Prime stares angrily before it lets out a shriek and disappears underground.

[Bridge]

(The Doctor returns to the bridge where he left his TARDIS and finds the smoking hole.)

DOCTOR: Rumpty. Haven't I done enough here? They're going to be fine.

(He dials the phone.)

DOCTOR: Secretary General? It's me. Yes, a spot of bother in Lancashire. I was wondering if you could send in a whole team of speleologists, yes. No, immediately.

[Shalka Lair]

(There are a lot of Shalka here, and they are all shrieking. Molten rock drips down occasionally. The Shalka Prime slithers between them. They have the TARDIS on a raised platform. She approaches it. She stops just short of it and lets out a slightly different shriek. The TARDIS seems unaffected by it for a second or two until the doors open.)

[TARDIS console room]

(The console room is a lot darker than it has been before. There's a massive spiral staircase running around the console, which is on a smaller raised platform. The roundels are still gone and in their place are tiny lights. The console itself resembles the one used by the 8th Doctor, but it's smaller and has more dials. A figure is stood by the console. The Prime approaches.)

FIGURE: Yes?

(The Shalka Prime approaches further and we get a glimpse at the figure's face. Like the Doctor, he's pale. However, he has a goatee. Brown eyes stare at the Shalka creature as she approaches with amusement. Yes, it's the Master.)

MASTER: My dear sir and/or madam say something. Do I take it you wish to board the TARDIS by force?
PRIME: Stand aside, lower creature.
MASTER: I pride myself that I'm the dearest companion to the owner of this craft, so I'm very much afraid that I shall not. As to the nature of our respective intelligences, might I suggest that, as the common saying goes, “Empty vessels make the most noise.”
PRIME: I think not.

(She shrieks at him. The Master presses a button on the console. A field appears that immediately knocks her out of the TARDIS.)

MASTER: As you just found out for yourself.

(The other Shalka begin shrieking.)

MASTER: I can continue to reflect all your screams, but, dear me, how tiresome.

[Street]

(A helicopter descends towards a crowd of civilians. Armed military personal have surrounded them.)

PA: Convey departing for the North of England and Scotland departing in five minutes. Surnames Adams to Matthews only. I repeat, Adams to Matthews only. Nelson to Zuma continue queuing in the clock tower. You will not be permitted on this transport. Continue queuing in the clock tower.

[Army HQ]

(Kennet, a bald army officer in a jumper, is sat behind a desk. The Doctor, clearly annoyed, is stood by the door.)

KENNET: Ah, you must be the famous Doctor. Major Thomas Kennet, 1st Royal Green Jackets, commander of this operation.
DOCTOR: I specifically asked for a team of speleologists, so I can retrieve my TARDIS, then I can be away from here.
KENNET: The evacuation phase should be complete by 2000, after that I need your help.
DOCTOR: I put everything I know about these creatures on record and listed a dozen academics and linguists who'll help you communicate with them.
KENNET: We can talk to them when they're no longer a threat.
DOCTOR: You do that. I won't be there.

(Kennet puts the Doctor's file onto his desk.)

KENNET: I've read your file. Exciting stuff. Help us and we'll get your TARDIS back.
DOCTOR: How ridiculous. I seem to attract the military. They're either arresting me, making strong sweet tea, or killing my friends. Go and find someone else to play your filthy games with.
KENNET: Doctor, we estimate the civilian death toll at 637. Now our job is to put ourselves in the way of that. While you get to get to be superior and eccentric.
DOCTOR [OC]: Were the control people doing anything in particular?
KENNET: Sitting at home. They were allowed to go to their jobs but most were so scared they leave their houses.

(The Doctor is scribbling on a chalkboard.)

DOCTOR: And nobody entered the town?
KENNET: Well, it seemed not to have occurred to them. Delivery lorries would dump their loads on the edge of town and then report back as normal.
DOCTOR: Such amazing control.
KENNET: Only one person reports seeing a creature before you brought them out of hiding.
DOCTOR: Alison Cheney. Yes I've met her.
KENNET: The big question is, why here? Why just this town?

(The Doctor stands beside the chalkboard, having finished his drawing. It's a geographical drawing of a hill top.)

DOCTOR: Because it's on top of a plug of ancient volcanic rock. I think these creatures evolved on their home planet to take advantage of rock like that to manipulate it with their sonic cries. The volcanic rock meets metamorphic rock at the hills here. These caves offer access to very near that point. My team of speleologists,
KENNET: My men and I will be going down there with you and then I'll get to see what a TARDIS looks like. Won't I?
DOCTOR: Hurrah.

[Shalka lair]

(The Shalka are still shrieking.)

[Truck]

(Alison is driving. Joe is sulking.)

JOE: So, you're finally getting out of small town, eh? Back to the big city.
ALISON: We are.
JOE: Except I don't want to go. That's my town back there.
ALISON: But maybe this is a chance for both of us to start again.

(A rumbling starts. Both Joe and Alison notice it.)

ALISON: Tell me that's the truck shaking.

(She narrowly misses something on the road and drives them into a ditch. The back of the truck begins glowing as a familiar shrieking starts.)

JOE [OC]: Get back, you freak!

(A Shalka burst up and shrieks.)

ALISON [OC]: Leave us alone!

(Alison faints.)

JOE: Alison!

(His hand reaches out as the Shalka and Alison disappear into the Earth.)

Part Three

[Cave]

(The Doctor, Kennet and a group of troops are by the cave entrance. The soldiers are in combat gear. The Doctor, naturally, hasn't changed. Kennet is speaking into a radio.)

KENNET: Copy that. Engage with high explosives. Kennet out. Just heard from the helicopter units. An evacuation truck is under attack.
DOCTOR: Blast. I thought the explosion would hold them off. They're surprising me, which is worrying and it's odd. Why continue the punishments after the town's been evacuated?
GREAVES: I don't know. Maybe they're alien monsters who don't give a flying...
KENNET: Greaves.
GREAVES: Sorry, sir.
KENNET: This is a recon mission. We find the enemy, fix their position, then either retreat for or call in reinforcements.
DOCTOR: How nice for you. I'm just after my TARDIS.

(Kennet cocks a gun and holds it up to the Doctor.)

KENNET: Here you are, Doctor.
DOCTOR: I'm here under duress, remember that, Major. Don't you ever offer me a gun again!

[Shalka Lair]

(Alison is chained between two pillars. She looks around as the Shalka continue shrieking. The Prime approaches her.)

ALISON: I am not going to let you control me. Whatever you are. I'm not your zombie.

(The Prime screeches at Alison, knocking her unconscious. It presses one of its fingers against her forehead, drawing a trickle of blood.)

(The soldiers and Doctor walk through the caves.)

DOCTOR: Ground floor, caves, aliens, weapons of mass destruction. You lot be careful you don't miss those.
KENNET: Which way, Greaves?
DOCTOR: This way.
GREAVES: Oh, now he's driving.
DOCTOR: I can sense where the TARDIS is. If we encounter the creatures, you are not to open fire. Understand?
KENNET: You don't give my men orders, Doctor! Understand?

(A low roar fills the cave. The Doctor and Kennet look to its source. It's a slug-like monster with tendrils coming off the side. It's not a Shalka creature we've seen before but possibly related.)

KENNET: What is it?

(The creature approaches.)

GREAVES: A dirty great alien monster, sir! Just a guess.

(It roars at the soldiers. They all point their guns at it but maybe the Doctor's words got through to them, since they don't open fire.)

DOCTOR: Or rather dozens of them, joined together as a colony creature. On my mark, you men. Snap out of it and scatter. Mark!
KENNET: Grenades!
DOCTOR: Throw them into the corner, the sound will hurt it.
KENNET: You heard him.

(Grenades are thrown.)

DOCTOR: I'm afraid I just did give them orders and it felt so good.

(The Doctor runs at the creature just as the grenades go off. The cave collapses in, blocking him and the creature off from Kennet, Greaves and the soldiers. He's left face to face with the creature.)

KENNET: He did that deliberately.

(The creature roars at the Doctor.)

DOCTOR: The teeth are deliberate, aren't they? What a wonderful species. To have such control over what you're like. Excuse me, I hope I don't taste of boot polish.

(He climbs into the creature's mouth. It roars loudly.)

DOCTOR: That's it! Take me home, big boy!
(The Creature retreats further into the cave.
DOCTOR: Yee-haw!

[TARDIS]

(Two Shalka are in front of the open TARDIS, shrieking at it. The Master is stood in front of the console.)

MASTER: Every day presents a new challenge to one's dignity.

(An old style phone built into the console rings. The answer machine picks up. The Doctor sounds rather cheerful and actually chuckles at several points throughout the message.)

DOCTOR [VO]: You've reached the good ship TARDIS. We're rather busy at the moment. Leave a message after the beep and we'll try and get back to you before you called. Stop that!

(Beep)

MASTER: You really should change that message.
DOCTOR [VO]: Are you there?
MASTER: I'm trying to get there, you fool.
DOCTOR [VO]: Well, if you can hear me, have you considered setting up a secondary configuration suite? Nothing can generally get in, I know, but I've not encountered this lot before. There's something worryingly confident about them. Cheerio.

(Beep)

(The Master sighs before he pulls down a lever. The doors close.)

MASTER: Why did I choose continuing existence? Listening to him being right all the time, when I had the option of a slow, painful death.

[Shalka Lair]

(The creature enters the lair. roaring as it does.)

DOCTOR: Hello.

(Several Shalka look at him, confused.)

DOCTOR [OC]: Hello! This is so unexpected.

(He's stood in the creature's mouth.)

DOCTOR: Is there someone more famous further back in the monster?

(The TARDIS is behind the Shalka)

DOCTOR [OC]: Ha-ha, there the old girl is.

(The Doctor jumps out of the creature's mouth.)

DOCTOR: It's been lovely but I must be going.

(The Prime moves to block his path.)

PRIME: What are you?
DOCTOR: No, it's, “how are you?” And how are you?
PRIME: I am Prime, War Chief of the Shalka Confederacy.
DOCTOR: And that's, “Who are you?” I'm the Doctor. I'm from a highly-advanced alien species, entirely different league to you. I only come to this planet for the wine and the total eclipses. And I do love a nice, old fashioned invasion. I think this lot could certainly do with a spot of regime change.

(The Prime is suddenly surrounded by dozens of Shalka.)

DOCTOR [OC]: What a turnout! There must be,

(The Doctor's eyes dance across the screen.)

DOCTOR: Oh!
PRIME: A bridgehead force of 2000 Shalka. That's the information you wanted, isn't it?
DOCTOR: Shalka, eh? Never heard of you, so forgive me but you can't be all that. Aha. I like your wormhole.

(Behind the Shalka, there is a swirly glowing vortex.)

DOCTOR: Oh dear, do you call it that?
SHALKA: Instead of pretending to be a fool, just ask your questions.
DOCTOR: Well, I am slightly curious. Why did you only invade a tiny bit of Lancashire?
SHALKA: Our ambition is greater than that.
DOCTOR: Oh, you mean, Nottinghamshire. Like the humanoid form by the way, differentiates you you're your henchworm. You speak and breathe air, they don't.
PRIME: I value understanding my enemy.
DOCTOR: Do you?
PRIME: I've experienced so called human culture. The random noise of individual minds. Lower creatures such as humans aren't united like the Shalka.
DOCTOR: Your technology's based on sound built around your natural attack mechanism. Advanced enough to control a black hole and hollow out spaces like this. All within a few weeks. I'm impressed. You know, not that I care either way, and I hate to say it, but if it's a dying home world job, you don't need an invasion. The humans don't use the inside of their world. Rather than be their conquerors you could be their lodgers. Much more fun. Though you'd probably have to take a turn cleaning out Wookey Hole.
PRIME: Our home world is not dying. It is the centre of our empire of a billion worlds.
DOCTOR: Well, as the actress said to the bishop, “I'm not human and I don't care.” I'll just get out of your way.
PRIME: I think not, Doctor.

(The Prime screeches in his face.)

PRIME: I think you are a lower creature
too. (Alison is brought near a smoking crater. She has a X-shaped cut across her forehead.)
ALISON: Get off me! Get off me! Doctor!
PRIME: I think you have a lower creature's weaknesses, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Does this mean you're offering to cook?

(Alison is pushed closer to the pit)

ALISON: Please!

(She screams and the Prime laughs.)

DOCTOR: Stop it! I'll do whatever you want. Just don't hurt her!
PRIME: And being a lower creature, you will do as we say.

(A creature roars.)

[TARDIS]

(The doors open, revealing the Doctor.)

MASTER [OC]: Ah, my dear Doctor.

(The Doctor walks into the TARDIS.)

MASTER: Where have you been? Tell me that you haven't done something foolish. Again.

(The Doctor pulls a remote out of his pocket and presses it.)

MASTER [OC]: Well, I'm afraid that I won't,

(The Master leans forward and his face opens, revealing robotic insides. The Prime appears at the Doctor's side.)

PRIME: Is this all? A simple toy? It was hardly worth your humiliation.

[Cave]

(The soldiers run around a corner, chased by Shalka.)

GREAVES: More alien monsters, sir. I make it three, at least.
KENNET: We're not going to make it that way either.

(The Shalka approach, shrieking.)

KENNET [OC]: Retreat! Retreat!

[Prison cell]

(Alison and the Doctor are stood in a Shalka made cell.)

ALISON: I didn't,I didn't do anything.
DOCTOR: Shush,
ALISON: I wasn't,
DOCTOR: Shush! What are you doing down here?
ALISON: They grabbed me. That sound they make. Protect me from the lava.
DOCTOR: I should have let you die.
ALISON: Oh, cheers!
DOCTOR: They have thought that was who I was then. The detached alien observer, but no, as always only the monsters know me. Only they know how weak I really am.
ALISON: You gave in because they threatened me. Anyone would have done that.
DOCTOR: Well, I did try to do something else last time this happened. Which is why I told myself that I would never get into a situation like this again.
ALISON: What happened?

(The Doctor sighs.)

DOCTOR: Doesn't matter.
ALISON: Talk to me. This is not my fault. How do we get out of this?
DOCTOR: If it was just me I'd improvise something. These days when I have someone else to worry about, Why couldn't you have offered to sacrifice yourself? It was all down to me!
ALISON: I'm not going to sacrifice myself for Lannet. It's the dullest place in the Universe.
DOCTOR: Oh, I think not. You should see my home planet.
ALISON: I was thinking about leaving when all this happened.
DOCTOR: What, you were about to leave Joe?
ALISON: I don't know. Maybe I was hoping he'd come with me.
DOCTOR: Did he know how you felt?
ALISON: I was just starting to tell him how unhappy I was, only when the place got invaded by aliens and, hey, priorities. And now I'm just hoping he doesn't get, you know, killed, because that would be so bad now with things up in the air between us and everything. Oh, that's really selfish of me, right?
DOCTOR: No, I understand exactly and completely, believe me.

(Alison lets out a cry of pain and puts her hand on her head.)

ALISON: My head!
DOCTOR: Where did you get that wound?
ALISON: I don't know. Maybe when the,When the house exploded. I've been getting headaches ever since they brought me down here.
DOCTOR: It'll be the atmosphere. Prime keeps air circulating down here rather than slipping in and out of its lungs. But there's a lot of volcanic gas around.

(He holds up an inhaler and presses it.)

DOCTOR: Do you fancy a puff of my huffer?
ALISON: Ooh!

(The door to the cell opens. The Prime opens.)

PRIME: We now understand the principles of your craft.
DOCTOR: Do you? Could you explain it to me?
PRIME: A simple cause and effect device. The usual lower creature conceits. Its operation will prove well within our abilities. So, now you die.

[Shalka lair]

(Surrounded by Shalka, the Doctor and Alison are placed in front of the Shalka Wormhole.)

DOCTOR: Your plaintive cries didn't help.
ALISON: Shush.
PRIME: The space time tunnel to our home world is created by sonic control of a singularity. Set like this, it can transport our armies instantly across thousands of light years. Set like this,

(She presses a button. The orange-yellow wormhole turns into a blue spinning tunnel of lighting energy and death.)

PRIME: It's a black hole again. It crushes whatever is thrown into it down to a mathematical point. We use it to dispose of our waste.
DOCTOR: What about her? You can't,

(A Shalka grabs the Doctor and holds him closer towards the black hole.)

ALISON: Leave him alone!
PRIME [OC]: Lower creatures always assume their cries will have some effect on us. It's very strange.

(The Prime start shrieking.)

DOCTOR: Alison!

(The Doctor is flung into the black hole.)

DOCTOR: Alison!

Part Four

[Shalka Lair]

(Shalka shriek around Alison who, once again, is tied up. They take her above ground.)

[TARDIS]

(The Master and two Shalka are in the TARDIS. One of the Shalka pulls two levers down and the Master reactivates.)

MASTER: You hurt yourself again.

(He closes his face plate.)

MASTER: Ah! Thank you. My plan worked perfectly.

(A Shalka hisses menacingly at him.)

MASTER: But of course, it was a plan. I knew he would deactivate me because otherwise I would prevent him from hiding all the secrets of this craft. And I see he's done just that. So,now you need me to tell you how the real systems work. In return for safe passage off this suburban nightmare of a planet, naturally. Now, where shall we begin?

[Roadside]

(Joe is stood, looking worried. Behind him, a worker drills the road by a tractor.)

GREAVES: It's still not safe here, sir. Possibility of lava becoming dry later.
JOE: I can't believe she's gone.
GREAVES: Sir, the next evacuation truck comes through here in 10 minutes and you're going to be on it. Or you may force me to stop calling you “sir”.

(The ground starts shaking.)

JOE: I'm not going anywhere without,

(The Shalka shrieking fills the air. Suddenly, Alison is there.)

JOE: Alison!
GREAVES: Stretcher party.
JOE: Alison, are you okay?
ALISON: What are you doing here? Where am I?
JOE: You're back in Lannet. Where have you been?
ALISON: They let me go.

(The ground is mostly sealed. There are a few orange cracks, barely smoking.)

ALISON [OC]: Why would they do that?

(She gasps.)

ALISON: The Doctor. They killed the Doctor.
JOE: Shush. It's okay now. You're with me. I'm getting you out of here.

[Black hole]

(The Doctor is still falling into the black hole. He pulls out his phone and dials a number.)

KENNET [VO]: Major Thomas Kennet, first Royal Green Jackets, not available at the moment. Please leave your communication.

(Beep)

DOCTOR: This is the Doctor. I'm terribly sorry, but, I'm afraid that I'm about to die. The aliens are called the Shalka. They have a warp gate to their home world. Knock that out and they may do a deal. I know you don't know much about me, Kennet. And this is,this is hardly the time to start a friendship. But just know this. I was finished anyway. Hopeless! I can't do this anymore. I got her killed. Again. It's not the first time. So it's apt I don't continue. And,Well, I'm happy with that. I do, however, have some last words for the Universe. They are,

(The phone beeps at him. He looks at it.)

DOCTOR: Battery low?

(He pulls out his sonic screwdriver - a classic model - and zaps it.)

DOCTOR: I will have my last words. Blast you! This is not how I want to spend my last few remaining, Seconds! Time! Time machine! TARDIS!

(He holds up the phone again.)

DOCTOR: You're part of the TARDIS.

(He zaps the phone again.)

DOCTOR: If I can get you to remember that,

(The phone snaps out of his hand and begins assembling itself into the TARDIS door.)

DOCTOR: I just need a door handle. Don't worry about the sign!

(The door handle appears. He opens the door and practically leaps inside.)

[TARDIS]

(The Doctor walks in.)

DOCTOR: Aha! You look busy. Many hands and all that.
MASTER: Doctor, you're alive.

(A Shalka hisses at him.)

MASTER: I mean, how dare you profane a craft of the glorious Shalka Confederacy with your presence?

(The Doctor walks to the console, completely unfazed by the Shalka.)

DOCTOR: I'm the Doctor. Hello. Hello, hello, hello. And that's the Master, who I see isn't holding onto anything.

(The Master grabs hold of a support beam.)

DOCTOR: And this,

(The Doctor presses a button, opening the doors. The Shalka scream as they are blown out into the black hole. He closes the door.)

DOCTOR: Is a black hole. Bye.
MASTER: I can explain.
DOCTOR: You don't have to.
MASTER: Oh, good. Have you saved the day?
DOCTOR: No. Help me. There's just a chance she may still be alive. If we can do a biological search of the cavern.
MASTER: Who are we searching for?
DOCTOR: Alison.
MASTER: A young woman, again?
DOCTOR: Yes, again.

(The Master starts to pilot the TARDIS away.)

DOCTOR: No, stop! We can't take off anyway. The Shalka force field,
MASTER: Have now been set to hold the TARDIS in the secondary configuration mode. Once we change it,
DOCTOR: No, I have to be sure.
MASTER: On this point, your programming of my electronic brain was quite specific. We leave the girl behind.

(The Doctor sighs.)

DOCTOR: I can't do this anymore.
MASTER: And yet, you just did. As always, you are at least two things at once. Perhaps your most infuriatingly human trait.

[Shalka lair]

(As the TARDIS disappears, Shalka shriek at it.)

[Kennet's office]

(The TARDIS materialises. The Doctor steps out. Kennet is sat behind his desk.)

KENNET: Well, I am surprised to see you back here.
DOCTOR: Major Kennet, you must forgive me. I've insulted your profession, taken command of your men, been inexcusably rude and hopeless in the face of,
KENNET: I meant that Miss Cheney said you'd been thrown into a black hole.
DOCTOR: Alison's alive? Why did the Shalka let her go?
KENNET: She doesn't know. We can get her in for the whole story.
DOCTOR: Yes, shortly. But, for the moment, I'd prefer it if she weren't too close at hand. She and her boyfriend really need to talk.
KENNET: So, this is the TARDIS. Fascinating! I haven't seen one of these since I was a young boy. So, now you have it. Why are you still here?
DOCTOR: Indeed, indeed. I rather came back because of a message I left for you.

(Kennet presses play on his answer machine.)

DOCTOR (VO): This is the Doctor. I'm terribly sorry, but,I'm afraid I'm about to die,

(The Doctor presses delete.)

DOCTOR: Nothing you needed to hear. So you can manage on your own.
KENNET: Absolutely!
DOCTOR: Only I seem to have found some form. I might not be quite so useless now.
KENNET: Well, it's a pity we won't get a chance to find out.

(The office door opens.)

GREAVES: Excuse me, sir! But we caught one! Oh, no. I was hoping you'd got crushed under an avalanche.
KENNET: Greaves,
GREAVES: Sorry, sir. Permission to speak freely, retroactively, sir?
KENNET: Granted.
DOCTOR: You captured a Shalka? Could I just,
KENNET: As you wish.

[Street]

(Max is stood outside a house, holding two suitcases. He, along with a crowd, walk into a truck. Their eyes suddenly flash blue, like a Shalka.)

[Roadside]

(Alison puts her phone down.)

ALISON: I don't believe it. He's still alive, after being thrown into a black hole.
JOE: I don't think your mum's home.
ALISON: No. My old stomping ground. I used to play Knock Down Ginger on this street. And now, here I am, talking about outer space. Blimey!
JOE: I don't wanna be here.
ALISON: Joe, can we talk about this later?
JOE: No, I mean, I don't wanna to be here, Alison. I can feel it.
MAN: That's the lot. I'll be off now.

(Joe suddenly punches him.)

MAN: Ow.
ALISON: What are you doing?
JOE: I don't know.

(The man's been knocked unconscious.)

JOE: I didn't mean to do that.
ALISON: Is he okay?
JOE: He's still breathing.

(The ground starts shaking.)

ALISON: Oh, no. Not now. Not here.
JOE: Something's making me get back in the truck, Ali.

(Both he and Alison climb back into the truck.)

ALISON: Joe, what's happening?

(Joe starts the truck. Alison picks up her phone.)

ALISON: I have to call the Doctor.

(She can't press any of the buttons.)

ALISON: But I can't do it,

(She drops the phone.)

[Roadside]

(An unconscious Shalka is lying next to a leaking cylinder. A soldier and the Doctor are stood by it.)

SOLDIER: It was crossing the road, sir. I was already to break because of the oxygen cylinders.
DOCTOR: Oxygen? It got a jolt of the pure stuff and it knocked it out.
KENNET: We can hardly advance on them with pure oxygen.
DOCTOR: No, but if you can set up something like an oxygen tent.
KENNET: We can get one from the hospital.
DOCTOR: Get this Shalka wrapped up in one. Keep feeding it oxygen and get it over to the chemistry lab at the school.
GREAVES: Whatever he's planning to do to you, fella, I wouldn't be in your, whatever you do for shoes.
DOCTOR: Don't bully it.
KENNET: You heard the man, Greaves, don't bully the monster.

[Truck]

ALISON: Ow,my head. How long have I been asleep?
JOE: A couple of hours. No idea where I'm driving. My throat's not feeling so good now, Ali. Oh, that poor guy.
ALISON: You couldn't stop yourself, Joe. Neither of us could.

(She sighs.)

ALISON: Phew. Listen, wherever we end up, I need to get my head looked at.
JOE: It's okay. We will.
ALISON: Because it feels like there's something inside.

[Lab]

(The unconscious Shalka is inside an oxygen tent. The Doctor is studying it.)

DOCTOR: Sorry. Can't have you communicating with your fellows.

(He adjusts the amount of oxygen.)

DOCTOR: You're going to get just enough volcanic gas to stay alive and talk to me.

(A computer monitor screeches.)

DOCTOR: Hear that? We humanoids could be part of your sonic network. We're not the primitives that you think we are.

(Greaves walks in, holding a cup of tea.)

GREAVES: Here you are, Doctor. Strong and sweet.
DOCTOR: Put it some distance from me, Greaves. I'll get to it eventually.
GREAVES: I look at that ugly thing lying there and I think,I'm glad I took the ring back to the jewellers.

(The Shalka, barely conscious, hisses.)

GREAVES: I mean, it's so much more powerful than we are. if the rest of them knew we had it here, it would be terrible. They'd come for us.
DOCTOR: You fought them in the caves. Are you telling me you were afraid?
GREAVES: As if! Of course not.
DOCTOR: How's your throat?
GREAVES: Could be better. I think I'm getting laryngitis.
DOCTOR: Keep an eye on it for a moment, eh? I'm just popping out to do something eccentric.

(He leaves. The Shalka wakes up and shrieks loudly at Greaves. Greaves backs away, scared.)

GREAVES: Doc,

(The Shalka shrieks at Greaves. He falls to the floor, coughing. The Doctor re-enters, carrying a canister of oxygen. He sprays it at the Shalka until it falls to the floor.)

GREAVES: What,What happened? You wanted that thing to do that to me.
DOCTOR: The Shalka scream doesn't just scare people into obeying. It softens them up for long-term control.
GREAVES: What are you going on about?
DOCTOR: If you live over a nasty landlord for a long time, you get to the point where he doesn't have to keep bashing on the ceiling.
GREAVES: So, what about this gas? Where did that come from?
DOCTOR: Out of your mouth, in a manner of speaking. Get it back in the tent. I need to talk to your boss.

(The Doctor leaves. Greaves picks up the cup of tea.)

GREAVES: I could sue him for that. If I could get a lawyer to believe it.

[Kennet's office]

(The Doctor rushes in.)

DOCTOR: Major!
KENNET: Doctor, I was just coming to see you.
DOCTOR: Because something's happened to the evacuees.
KENNET: Exactly. We've had calls from relatives who've been asked to provide places for them. As far as we can tell, none of them have arrived.

[Woods]

(The truck stops. Joe and Alison get out.)

ALISON: They want us to stop here. Why? What's here?

(People emerge from the spooky mist.)

JOE: Everyone we know.
ALISON: The sound is still telling everyone what to do, even when we can't hear it.
JOE: Isn't that your boss?
MAX: Alison.
BARFLY: Alison. Time is short.
MAX: Everyone's here, Alison. The soldiers evacuated us. But instead of going where we were supposed to, we came here.
ALISON: Has,Has everyone got something in their heads?
BARFLY: Head?
ALISON: Shush.
MAX: No.
ALISON: Oh,
JOE: Let's have a look.

(Joe examines her head.)

JOE: Oh, dear.

[Office]

DOCTOR: So, where are they?

(Kennet throws some photos down.)

KENNET: In the Pennines. Middle of nowhere.
DOCTOR: Oh,
KENNET: A place called Edale Wood. Thousands of them. The local police thought it was an illegal rave and had to call for reinforcements.
DOCTOR: That's not on volcanic rock. They must be using some form of direct control. Blast!

[Woods]

(Joe is examining Alison's head.)

JOE: It must be something from the explosion in the shop. Let me see. Tell me if I'm hurting you.
ALISON: I don't care, just get it out.
JOE: What? Something's just, What is this?

(The wound is now a bulge, like a spot but bigger.)

ALISON: Joe?
JOE: No, just,just wait. It's okay. I think I've nearly got it. Hold on.

(A small worm-like creature bursts through the bulge.)

JOE [OC]: Oh, no!

(It shrieks, just like a Shalka.)

Part Five

[Woods]

(The crowd has gathered around Alison's forehead Shalka. It screams and they all moan with pain.)

JOE: Whatever happens, Ali, remember I,
ALISON: I know.

(The crowd starts moving, except Max.)

MAX: Looks like we're moving.
PERSON: Alison!
ALISON: I can't do anything to stop it. But we can still shout, right? Everyone, shout for help. Help!
JOE: Help! Help us!
ALISON: Help us, please!
JOE: Help!

(Everyone there starts shouting for help.)

[Warehouse]

(A lot of shipping containers are piled on top of each other. A small port-a-cabin in the middle of them, flanked by a couple of men. The crowd approaches the fence.)

CROWD: Help!
MAN: Is it one of those rave things? What do they want to get in here for?
CARETAKER: We're locked up for the weekend. Go away. There's nothing here.
MAX: Please, just run. They're making us do this.
MAN: Get back. Get back. Call the police.
CARETAKER: Get off the fence. Get off the fence. Get away.
MAX: Stop me. Somebody stop me.
CARETAKER: Get off the fence! No,

(Max strangles the Caretaker.)

WOMAN: Help!

(Around the world, similar scenes occur. Russia is probably the creepiest as, for some reason, all the Russians look like zombies.)

[Woods]

(The crowd stops as the TARDIS materialises.)

[TARDIS]

(The TARDIS is filled with soldiers. Once again, they're all in tactical gear.)

GREAVES: Bigger on the inside, did you see?
KENNET: I did indeed, Greaves.

(The doors open, revealing the crowd outside. The soldiers charge outside, firing their guns into the air.)

[Woods]

KENNET: Don't fire unless you have to!
DOCTOR: Alison! Alison!

(He spots her and her worm.)

DOCTOR: Alison!

(Joe appears at her side.)

JOE: Doctor, I'm sorry, I can't help myself.
DOCTOR: I know, Joe, I know.

(He punches Joe, and then shakes his fist.)

DOCTOR: Oh! Alison, what have they done to you?

(Soldiers continue shooting into the air.)

GREAVES: We'll shoot if we have to.
MAX: It's not us doing this. Please!

(The crowd approach a lone soldier shooting into the sky.)

KENNET: Hold your fire! Hold your fire! Doctor! Doctor!

(The worm screeches.)

DOCTOR: This is the conduit. They're using it to control these people. It's living off Alison's body.

(He grabs her forehead.)

DOCTOR: This I will not allow.

(It screeches louder as he presses down on her forehead, trying to pop it out. Finally after a brief struggle, he pulls it out. The crowd falls silent. The Doctor faints.)

KENNET: Doctor?

(He wakes up and sees Kennet and Alison looking down at him.)

ALISON: I can't find a pulse.
DOCTOR: And with so many to choose from.

(The worm is now in a jar.)

DOCTOR: That's two-one to me in the game of, "I thought you were dead, Doctor!" Didn't shoot anyone then? Jolly good! Well done!
KENNET: About time we had some luck.
DOCTOR: About time we made our own. Why are the Shalka still controlling these people? What's so special about some dull, old warehouse?
GREAVES: Sir, it's just come over the RT. It's not just this place.

[Army HQ]

(There was computer screen showing the World. The Doctor is stood in front of one. Kennet is looking at a smaller one.)

KENNET: 26 communities have been mobilised worldwide. There may be others we're eve not aware of.
DOCTOR: They're arranging themselves precisely around the planet. Do you have a map of them all, a global projection?
GREAVES: Give us a second.
DOCTOR: If you get a satellite photo of that part of Siberia, you'll find control people there too.

(Sure enough, a photo of Shalka controlled people appears on the screen. More zombie Russians.)

GREAVES: Something coming in, sir. China, live from an American satellite.

(Chinese controlled Shalka people.)

KENNET: They're just standing still.
DOCTOR: We have to stop the populations reaching their destinations. We have to try and coordinate the armed forces in these places.
GREAVES: The Chinese have started shooting.
KENNET: Doctor, eventually this will be the story everywhere.
DOCTOR: The Shalka will protect them. But they can afford to lose a lot of slaves. I doubt the loss of Alison's whole community will make any difference to their plan.

(Turns out, Alison and Joe are also there.)

ALISON: Which is?
DOCTOR: You both still have sore throats, haven't you?
GREAVES: And so have I, in case you've forgotten.
JOE: So did a lot of people. Loads of patients with it for weeks now.
DOCTOR: They're using humans to transmit the screams. They've been sub-sonically training you up while you've been under the influence.
ALISON: But what for?
DOCTOR: Your vocal cords have evolved in this atmosphere. Theirs haven't.

(He releases some gas into the room. Everyone starts coughing.)

DOCTOR: The Shalka's preferred atmosphere, kinda thing you get deep inside a planet rather than on the surface. That's what our captured Shalka got Greaves to make. A chemical reaction caused by severe agitation at the molecular level. The scream forms the nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere into the more complex compounds the Shalka like.
ALISON: Why can't the Shalka do that themselves?
DOCTOR: This is the fast-track invasion plan. Get you to do it for them. They've been waiting these three weeks until they could activate all their slaves at once. Each led by someone like Alison with a Shalka in their head.
KENNET: This new atmosphere,
DOCTOR: You won't be able to breathe it. And I doubt it will absorb solar radiation either. The weather's about to become our biggest enemy. The Shalka will be able to move freely on the surface in the chaos, finishing off the survivors.
KENNET: How long have we got?
DOCTOR: the atmosphere's a sensitive system. Given this many release sites, Once the slaves start screaming, perhaps an hour.

(Around the world, the slaves are screaming.)

KENNET: Regret to say it, Doctor, but we have to bomb these people. Or at least eliminate the people with the Shalka in their heads.
DOCTOR: Could all the governments in the world be persuaded to do that within the hour?
KENNET: Doubtful. No time. What else can we do?
DOCTOR: Oh, I can think of so many things, Major. But, for the moment, you'll have to trust me. And her.
JOE: What?
DOCTOR: Homo sapiens has minutes to live. I have to engage the Shalka and I can't do it without you. So, no pressure.
ALISON: Just show me what I have to do.
KENNET: Doctor, I don't think,
DOCTOR: No time, Major.
JOE: Alison, please.
ALISON: Go on, Joe. Ask me to stay with you. In the circumstances, are you really gonna do that? Are you?

(Joe backs off.)

JOE: No.
ALISON: We can talk when I get back.
JOE: Go. Go on. Save the world.
DOCTOR: One hour. Alison, come on.
GREAVES: I'll go and see to the troops, sir.

(He looks at Joe.)

You, come with me.
KENNET: Good luck, Doctor. And Godspeed.

(The TARDIS dematerialises.)

(Russian Shalka slaves are screaming. Shalka emerge from beneath the ground. Two planes fly towards them and are quickly destroyed by the Shalka.)

[TARDIS]

(The Master is stood in front of the console. Alison is near it. The Doctor is nowhere in sight.)

MASTER: Ah, you remind me of all the others. Horrifyingly.
ALISON: What's that supposed to mean? Who are you anyway?
MASTER: I am the Master.

(A lift bell dings and the Doctor enters the console room.)

MASTER: And you will,

(The Doctor suddenly appears.)

DOCTOR: Evening.
MASTER: Come to like me, when you get to know me, my dear Miss Cheney.
DOCTOR: Peace to you all, I've just been in a state of extreme meditation in readiness for what I must do. Hard to clear your mind of all its baggage in five minutes, but, there.

(He vocalises, badly.)

DOCTOR: What do you think?
ALISON: Um,
MASTER: Just a touch flat.
DOCTOR: I learnt to do that under Dame Neville.
MASTER: Oh, don't worry. One would never guess.
ALISON: What are you two going on about? I thought this was serious.
DOCTOR: Serious? Alison, this is me being deadly serious.

[Shalka Lair]

(The TARDIS materialises near to the Prime. The Doctor and Alison leave the TARDIS.)

ALISON: Isn't the Master coming with us?
DOCTOR: No. He can't leave the TARDIS. You know, without so many Shalka around, you can really see the architecture. You see that spiral on the roof?
ALISON: Oh yeah. Very Gaudi.
DOCTOR: Now there was a man who knew a thing or two about string. Lucky I was there when he ran out. You're a very informed barmaid.
ALISON: I gave up a degree in history to live with Joe.

(The Prime finally approaches.)

PRIME: Doctor, see the technology you command. And yet you distract, you de-emphasis, you talk. I think that's all you can do.
DOCTOR: My, you sound happy.
PRIME: In a few moments, we will add this world to the Shalka Confederacy.
DOCTOR: Ah, yes. Your empire of a billion worlds. I have a horrible idea that now I know where that is.
PRIME: I think not, Doctor.
DOCTOR: I used the TARDIS to search for recent meteor debris. Plus traces of radiation that would suggest a miniature wormhole. You seek out worlds that are in ecological trouble, and then you pounce on them with one of these things.
PRIME: We take the weakest of the herd. Soltox, Duprest, Valtanus.
DOCTOR: Dead worlds, lost civilisations, History says they destroy themselves.
PRIME: They did most of the damage, then we finished them off. Billions of Shalka live there now. Underground. Not getting into ridiculous wars, like lesser creatures. We inhabit 80% of the worlds of the universe. Those you regard as dead.
DOCTOR: So you're it. The great limiting factor of the cosmos. The death principle. If cultures wander down an ecological cul-de-sac, you grab them by the throat and throttle them.
PRIME: And when the Earth's original atmosphere has been stripped away and raw radiation has cleansed the surface, millions of our kind will arrive through the warp gate and live off pure volcanic energy.

[Office]

(Kennet is on the phone.)

KENNET: Yes, I know its chaos out there! Its chaos out here.

(A window shatters.)

KENNET: What the,Just get me through to someone in the Cabinet Office! I don't care. Anyone!

(Another window shatters.)

KENNET: Ah!

[Shalka Lair]

DOCTOR: This is why I was sent here. In all my travels as a Time Lord, I never saw it. You're not Predators, you're Death Incarnate.

[Office]

(Kennet is still on the phone.)

KENNET: Hello?

(Thunder strike)

KENNET: Hello? Blast!

(Greaves walks into his office.)

GREAVES: Sir,Get away from the windows, sir. The Sun, its hard radiation.

(The sun comes out, brightening up the office.)

KENNET: Oh, the, the ozone layer's been stripped away. We need to organise the men. Get some kind of protection.
GREAVES: Protection? I think it's a bit late for that, sir. This is the end of the world.

(Various scenes of disaster and Shalka slaves screaming.)

[Shalka Lair]

(The Prime sheds her "earth-skin", revealing a giant slug-like form.)

PRIME: Call us death if you wish, Time Lord, for we bring extinction to the entire human race.

Part Six

[Shalka Lair]

(The Doctor and Alison are chained to a pillar. Shalka are shrieking in the distance.)

ALISON: Why is it keeping that going?
DOCTOR: The Shalka share the scream like whale song. A way to transmit a lot of messages between each other at high speed.
ALISON: Their sonic internet.
DOCTOR: Mm-hmm. And that machine adds automatic coordination. It keeps all their slaves doing what they're supposed to be doing without the Shalka having to think about every little command. It must be able to record, play back, relay and boost the screams.
ALISON: Their sonic service provider.
DOCTOR: Stop that.
ALISON: What are you going to do?
DOCTOR: Same hairpin I used to open the hardware store.

(His chains fall to the floor.)

DOCTOR: There. Now, hold still.

(Scenes of destruction and bad weather.)

(The Doctor picks at Alison's chains.)

DOCTOR: A friend of mine, Andy Warhol was his name, said "They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." Wonderful man. He wanted to paint all nine of me.
ALISON: What are you talking about?
DOCTOR: Just getting my courage together.

(Her chains fall off.)

ALISON: Thank you.
DOCTOR: In time I hope you'll allow me my eccentricities, Alison. Sometimes they're all I or the world has got.
ALISON: Is that why you brought me down here? So you could do this in front of me and save my life?
DOCTOR: Of course not. That would be sheer vanity. I need you in a very practical way.

(He opens the jar containing the Shalka worm and swallows it. We see it going down his throat. It gets lodged and forms connections. Alison slaps him. His eyes glow like a Shalka.)

ALISON: Doctor!
DOCTOR: Oh! What it must be like to escape the reliance of all life on other life! To take substance directly from worlds! They take good care of their planets, Alison, after they've transformed them.

(Alison slaps him repeatedly.)

ALISON: Don't let it take over you!

(The Doctor grabs her hand.)

DOCTOR: Stop slapping me! I wasn't. My neurons were linked to it. I was learning from it and reprogramming it.
ALISON: Oh.
DOCTOR: I can understand the scream now. All that beautiful information. That was the pleasurable part. Now, here comes the dangerous bit. Don't move until I tell you.

(He walks up to a piece of machinery that looks a bit like a microphone hanging from the ceiling.)

DOCTOR: ♫ what good is sitting along in your room? Come hear the music play ♫

(A Shalka hisses at him.)

DOCTOR: I must say I'm getting tired of all your ooh, "nil points" says the Time Lord jury.

(More hissing)

DOCTOR: Tell me honestly,Am I irritating you yet?

(All the Shalka scream at him. The Doctor groans in pain, covers his ears and falls to the floor.)

DOCTOR: You'll have to do better than that. Look how strong the Time Lord is! Look how he stands up to you! A billion worlds? Top predator of the cosmos? You're just a bunch of one-penny jelly snakes!

(The Shalka scream louder at him. A little blood comes out of his nose. He wipes it away.)

DOCTOR: Oh. Hit me again, George.

(The Shalka scream at him. He starts vocalising again into the Shalka microphone. As he does, the Shalka around him start exploding. The Doctor looks around at the now empty room.)

DOCTOR: Perfect pitch, finally.

(All the Shalka slaves on the surface are still screaming.)

(The Prime has survived and is in front of the warp gate, currently in wormhole mode.)

DOCTOR: I think, therefore, I win.
PRIME: You haven't won.
DOCTOR: You kept your human vocal cords.
PRIME: Which doesn't prevent me from doing this!

(She screeches at him. The Doctor screams and is thrown backwards.)

PRIME: Amateur! You could only destroy an unprepared or inexperienced Shalka. We have a tradition of sonic combat.
DOCTOR: And I have a tradition of getting in the way.
PRIME: You are not preventing the destruction of this world by delaying me. The scream continues to operate without my personal direction.
DOCTOR: But with the knowledge of your whole system in my head, I'm eventually going to get the hang of this.

(He screams. The Prime screeches back at him. The Doctor is thrown further backwards.)

DOCTOR: Or perhaps I'll just,

(The Doctor takes a deep breath. The Prime screeches loudly at him. He's thrown further back.)

DOCTOR: Get you to fire me in the right direction.

(He pulls a lever. The warp gate goes into black hole mode. The Prime screams in terror and grabs the gate with her tentacles. The Doctor is pulled backwards and grabs hold of the gate's edge. Alison is clinging to a console.)

ALISON: Doctor!

(The Prime wraps some tentacles around his neck, strangling him. Alison screams.)

DOCTOR: Alison!
PRIME: Die, Doctor! Die!
DOCTOR: That's just it, Prime. Life won't,

(He kicks her. She loses her grip on him and the gate and falls into the black hole, screaming in terror.)

DOCTOR: That nodule, the big one! Hit it!

(Alison does just that. The warp gate goes back into wormhole mode. The Doctor stands in front of it.)

DOCTOR: Oh, yes! Yes!

[Black hole]

(The Prime continues screaming as she falls into the black hole.)

[Shalka lair]

(The Doctor rushes to Alison's side.)

DOCTOR: Quickly. Hundreds of Shalka have taken up positions just under the surface to protect the slaves and direct operations. They're starting to ask why they haven't had any central commands for the last couple of minutes. But they're more than capable of getting the slaves to finish the job.
ALISON: How long have we got?
DOCTOR: The atmosphere could react and change any second. Do you trust me?
ALISON: Oh, how needy are you? Yes!
DOCTOR: Then this is why I brought you.

(He regurgitates the Shalka worm into his hand and holds it out to her.)

DOCTOR: I want you to take your passenger back on board.

(The plaster is now gone.)

ALISON: Right.
DOCTOR: I've put it into a deep sleep. Being a Shalka, it can communicate with all the others via the scream. It grew into your head, already connected to a human brain. So it was easy for me to mentally reprogram it. Now, it'll plug your brain into the Shalka network.

(He puts the worm back into her head.)

ALISON: I am going to be okay, aren't I?
DOCTOR: I wouldn't risk losing you. You know I wouldn't.
ALISON: It just feels so,Oh.

(She gasps and her eyes glow blue.)

DOCTOR: You're in charge now. You're the centre of Shalka Operations. Tell the slaves to shut up. The Shalka will try and stop you. You mustn't let them!
ALISON: Ah!

(Shalka slaves screaming. Alison flashes in and out.)

ALISON [VO]: Listen to me. Everybody, I'm one of you! A human being. You're free! Free! Stop the scream! Stop the scream!

(Shalka rise up, screaming.)

ALISON: They're trying to drown me out. Trying to take control back.
DOCTOR: You had the willpower to fight them on your own. Now you've got all those people on your side. You can do it.

(The Shalka colony creature bursts into the lair.)

DOCTOR: Change of plan.

(He taps the Shalka microphone.)

DOCTOR: Am I speaking to the Shalka now?
ALISON: Yes.
DOCTOR: Are you all on the surface, all trying to control every single one of those humans on your own? Spinning all those plates at once?
ALISON: Yes.
DOCTOR: Well then, this is how it feels to drop them.

(He vocalises. The Shalka colony creature explodes. All across the world, Shalka explode. Even the worm in Alison's head pops.)

DOCTOR: Come to the cabaret.

(Alison gasps.)

ALISON: They're gone.
DOCTOR: Vaporised, all of them. Including the little ones. Amateur, indeed!
ALISON: We could've used a scream to fix the atmosphere. Not just to stop the Shalka but, to get rid of all the pollution. All I needed was another couple of seconds!
DOCTOR: I wouldn't have allowed you that. Humans can sort out the problems they make themselves.
ALISON: Everytime I think I understand you,
DOCTOR: I feel the same way! I don't like the military, but I have so many friends in it. I say I do not kill, but then I exterminate thousands.
ALISON: Look, you do your best to keep all the plates from smashing. You don't have to be perfect, okay.
DOCTOR: Okay.

(He kisses her forehead.)

DOCTOR: So,Tea?

(She laughs.)

(Army HQ. It's raining.)

[Office]

(Kennet is treating some nasty burns on Greaves, who doesn't look happy about it. Greaves winces.)

KENNET: It's only antiseptic, sergeant. Hold still.
GREAVES: Permission to howl, sir?
KENNET: Permission denied.

(Greaves groans as Kennet presses the cloth to his head.)

KENNET: There.

(Kennet walks over to the window and smiles. It's raining.)

KENNET: Ah, smell the air, Greaves! Ah! Fresh. I think we're going to be all right.
GREAVES: Who's we, sir?
KENNET: Greaves.

[TARDIS]

(Alison is stirring a spoon in a plain white cup. The Master is stood by the console, watching her.)

ALISON: This place is so huge.
MASTER: You have seen but a small part of it, my dear Miss Cheney. Tell me, do you plan to stay long enough to explore?
ALISON: Stay?
MASTER: With us.
ALISON: Uh,I don't think I'd been invited.
MASTER: He would never invite you. And neither would I, because I am by no means fond of you.
ALISON: So why do you call me, "My dear"?
MASTER: I call everyone that.
ALISON: Oh.
MASTER: However, loathe as I am to admit it, you offer him a companionship that I do not. One he has not allowed himself for a long time.
ALISON: What happened to make him such an emotional island?
MASTER: It is for him to tell you the whole story. But I think he sees an echo of it in you.
ALISON: Have you always travelled with him?
MASTER: By no means. I was of aid to the Doctor after he had lost,During the events that so damaged him. In return, he offered me a last chance for salvation. An offer I was foolish enough to accept, as those who punish us are always sending us into danger. And I doubt we will ever, as the Doctor promised me, reach the place he calls Bognor Regis. Of one thing, however, I am certain. He wants you to stay and share his exile. Trust me.
ALISON: Exile? Exile from what?

(Before the Master can answer, the Doctor returns to the console room, umbrella in hand.)

DOCTOR: You left the umbrella stand in the Zeppelin hanger, again.
ALISON: Zeppelin hanger?

[Wood]

(The Doctor and Alison step out of the TARDIS underneath the umbrella.)

ALISON: Couldn't you have landed back at the school?
DOCTOR: My control over the old girl's a bit erratic. Shame that worm never told how it works.
ALISON: Couldn't you have got us back after it stopped raining, at least?
DOCTOR: It won't, not for ages. The Earth needs to sort itself out. The English will love it. Probably try to conquer the world all over again, which would be bad.
ALISON: If I stay with you, could we go back to see the pyramids, find out who really built them?
DOCTOR: The TARDIS can travel to any time or place.

(A truck pulls up.)

DOCTOR: Ah. Here comes your boyfriend. So, all's well that ends well, eh?

(Joe gets out.)

JOE: Alison!
KENNET: Doctor, the Prime Minister and the US President want to thank you. The UN has already been in touch about a closed session and I believe there's even talk about a parade!
DOCTOR: Oh, let's not get all mushy, Major. Leave that to the Shalka, eh?
KENNET: You saved the World, Doctor. Good on ya!
DOCTOR: So this really is goodbye.

(Alison looks down.)

JOE: Alison?
DOCTOR: Goodbye.

(He moves off.)

ALISON: Doctor? Wait.
DOCTOR: What on Earth for?
ALISON: I,I have to say goodbye to Joe.
DOCTOR: What?
JOE: Alison?
ALISON: The Doctor can drop me off at Mum's place. I'll be okay.
KENNET: Doctor,
DOCTOR: Greaves, how fabulous! You've got a tan!
GREAVES: Permission to thump him, sir?
KENNET: It suits you, Sergeant. Good for you to get outside.
ALISON: Because I'm bored, Joe. I want to do something. This is my chance to travel in a time machine.
JOE: Doctor, how do you know that you'll be able to get her back?
DOCTOR: Time machine, Joe. She's probably back there already.

(He hands Joe the TARDIS mobile.)

DOCTOR: Go on, phone up her Mum and see.

(Joe dials.)

JOE: Hello, Mrs Cheney? Is Alison there? Oh, I see.

(He hangs up.)

JOE: You're not.
ALISON: Well, I guess now we know. Don't we?

(Joe kisses her on the cheek.)

ALISON: Doctor?
KENNET: You can't just saunter off again, Doctor. Not on your own.

(Alison steps beside the Doctor.)

DOCTOR: You're right, Major, not on my own.
KENNET: Doctor,
DOCTOR: Yes, Major?
KENNET: Fancy an extra hand?
DOCTOR: Not enough room, Major. She's smaller than she looks.

(The TARDIS dematerialisation noise starts.)

DOCTOR: Aha. The Master wants to go.
ALISON: Does it always have to make that awful racket?
DOCTOR: I'm afraid you'll have to get used to that.
ALISON: Is there anything else I'll have to get used to?
DOCTOR: Ship rules. No running, no jumping, no pushing and no slapping.

(He opens the door.)

ALISON: Aw.

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.