[Virtual reality]

(Taphony looks around a white void. Gryffen appears. As they talk, copies of themselves appear and disappear, speaking in unison.)

GRYFFEN: Do you know your name?
TAPHONY: No, I don’t.
GRYFFEN: Do you know where you are?
TAPHONY: I don’t know.
GRYFFEN: Don’t be scared. I’m here to help. You name is Taphony. You’re in a virtual reality prison.
TAPHONY: Why don’t I know this?
GRYFFEN: Because your memory has been blocked.
TAPHONY: Who put me here?
GRYFFEN: Never mind. I’m getting you out of here. In 30 seconds, I will disrupt the prison security circuit. You’ll be able to escape. You will need to step out of your cell. There will be a portal.
TAPHONY: Who are you?
GRYFFEN: A friend. 30 seconds. Be brave.

(Gryffen disappears.)

[Block 19]

(Taphony is sat with virtual reality goggles on.)

VOICE: Emergency. Security system breached. System override. System override.

(Taphony removes the goggles. The cell door opens and an alarm sounds. She gets up and exits her cell. Two CCPCs block her way.)

CCPC: Halt, halt. Stop where you are. You are a prisoner. Return to your cell. You are a prisoner. Return to your cell.

(The CCPCs reach out to grab her. She looks at them and they collapse and disappear.)

[The main hall]

(Gryffen is at the Space-Time Manipulator controls with K9.)

GRYFFEN: It’s taking way too long. She should be safely away by now.
K9: As I warned you, you have no control. She is an unstable time entity.
GRYFFEN: That’s no reason to lock her up. I’m releasing her into time to allow her to find a place where she belongs.
K9: I wish to state again for the record, I do not think this is a good idea.
GRYFFEN: Comment recorded.

[Camo]

THORNE: Seal the perimeter! Nobody enters or leaves the prison.
JUNE: A breakout? That’s an internal security matter.
THORNE: It was clearly engineered from outside the prison. The locking system was tampered with, to one cell.
JUNE: So, only the one prisoner escaped?
THORNE: I don’t know. The video link to the prison is down. I’ll have the CCTV footage as soon as the link’s reestablished.
JUNE: So, who was this prisoner?
THORNE: A maximum security inmate associated with something called Project Taphony.

[The main hall]

GRYFFEN: I can’t keep the portal open much longer. She’s entered it from the prison. Why hasn’t she gone through? It makes no sense!
K9: Because she does not obey the normal rules of time. She is a Time Blank. She has physical presence but her essence exists outside normal time.
GRYFFEN: Ha! That’s it, she’s gone through! I’ve done it!

(The Space-Time Manipulator creates a vortex and Taphony appears.)

K9: You’ve done something.
GRYFFEN: What is it, K9? (He sees Taphony downstairs.) Oh, goodness.

(Darius enters, carrying a cake.)

DARIUS: Oh, he’s a jolly good fellow! For he’s a jolly good fellow! For he’s a jolly good fe–! (He sees Taphony.) Hello. Who are you?
TAPHONY: My name is Taphony.
DARIUS: It certainly is. Are you a friend of Jorjie’s?
TAPHONY: What is that?
DARIUS: It’s a birthday cake. Do you want some? (Darius holds the cake out. Taphony touches it. It vanishes.) I guess that means you’re on a diet. (Gryffen arrives downstairs with K9.) Hey, prof, this is…
GRYFFEN: Taphony, I know.

(Starkey and Jorjie enter.)

DARIUS: Guys, this is Taphony.
STARKEY: Hey, Taphony.
JORJIE: Nice to meet you.
DARIUS: She wasn’t in the mood for birthday cakes, prof.
GRYFFEN: My birthday’s not until tomorrow.
DARIUS: Are you sure?
GRYFFEN: After 38 years, yes, reasonably sure.

(K9 scans Taphony. He identifies that she has a partial memory block and strange energy.)

DARIUS: Uh, prof?
GRYFFEN: Yes, I’m so sorry. I’m Professor Gryffen. To the lab, please.
DARIUS: Oh, yeah, this way.

(Darius escorts Taphony to the laboratory.)

K9: Professor? This unit has done a thorough analysis of her. She is a complete Time Blank. She’ll only be able to sustain her existence here by absorbing the lifeforce of another.
GRYFFEN: Which is exactly why we need to get her back into her portal as soon as possible, but I owe her an explanation.

[The laboratory]

(Gryffen is removing small devices from Taphony’s temples.)

GRYFFEN: Well, the good news is there doesn’t seem to be any physical damage as a result of your incarceration or escape.
DARIUS: That’s for sure.
TAPHONY: I still don’t understand why I’m here.
DARIUS: Nor do we. What’s the lowdown, prof?
TAPHONY: I’d like to know too. I remember I was in prison…
JORJIE: Prison?
STARKEY: What did you do?
GRYFFEN: She didn’t do anything. Something was done to her. When the Department first started acquiring alien technology, they began experimenting to see if they could create a being capable of time travel. I was brought in briefly because of my… experience in the subject.
JORJIE: Taphony was being developed as a time traveller?
K9: Not quite.
GRYFFEN: The Department considered the experiment a failure. I recently learned that, to keep it a secret, they simply locked the poor girl up. I couldn’t rest until I freed her.
TAPHONY: For that, I am very grateful.
DARIUS: Why don’t we show Taphony around?
GRYFFEN: A very nice idea, Darius.
DARIUS: Taphony?

(Darius, Starkey, Jorjie and Taphony leave.)

K9: According to my memory banks, your exact words were, “We’ve got to get her into the STM as quickly as possible.”
GRYFFEN: Yes, I’m aware of that, K9, but she’s a young girl who’s been locked away. Let her have some fun.
K9: 94.78%. That’s the potential for her to cause major time disruption. Once she’s absorbed another’s lifeforce…
GRYFFEN: Yes, I get the message, K9, but you must understand. I was involved in what happened to her. It’s my birthday tomorrow and, as I get older, I find it harder to look away from some of the things I’ve done in my life. I have to make amends.
K9: Professor, I ask you to remember why the Department had her imprisoned.
GRYFFEN: Because they are inhumane and unscrupulous.
K9: And because she is very, very dangerous.

[The main hall]

(Starkey, Darius, Jorjie and Taphony leave the chess room.)

STARKEY: We don’t just play chess, but we still call it the chess room.
DARIUS: So, that’s the grand tour. What do you think of the place?
TAPHONY: Grand.

(Gryffen and K9 watch from the laboratory’s doorway.)

K9: My visual sensors indicate Jorjie is considerably paler than usual whilst our visitor seems to be blooming. Coincidence?
GRYFFEN: Very well.
TAPHONY: Perhaps I can stay here with you all.
DARIUS: Can’t see why not.

(Gryffen and K9 join the group.)

K9: It is not advisable for Taphony to remain her any longer. She does not belong to our time-space continuum.
GRYFFEN: I’m afraid K9’s right. My plan was to set Taphony free in time, not to bring her here. Her being here is too dangerous to us all.
DARIUS: You can’t be serious.
GRYFFEN: I’m deadly serious.
TAPHONY: But I want to be here. This feels like home.
GRYFFEN: I’m sorry, Taphony. You must leave now.
TAPHONY: But this is where I should be.
GRYFFEN: It’s too dangerous.
TAPHONY: You’re too dangerous!

(Taphony touches Gryffen. He experiences pain.)

JORJIE: Please! Taphony!

(Taphony lets go. Gryffen falls to the ground.)

DARIUS: Hey!

(Darius and Starkey help Gryffen up. He has aged and now has white hair.)

[The chess room]

(Starkey and Darius help Gryffen sit down.)

GRYFFEN: Why have you done this to me?
DARIUS: Yeah, how have you done this?
STARKEY: K9, what’s going on?
K9: Scanning DNA ageing rate. DNA degradation has been accelerated by a factor of 100.
JORJIE: Why have you done this?
TAPHONY: Fair’s fair. He helped make me the way I am. Now he can feel what it’s like to be a freak in time.

(Taphony leaves. Jorjie follows.)

[The main hall]

(Jorjie looks around. Taphony has disappeared. She suddenly zooms in from the laboratory.)

TAPHONY: You are all angry I’ve done this thing to Gryffen.
JORJIE: Of course. He’s our friend.
TAPHONY: But you’re sick yourself. Shouldn’t you be more concerned about that?
JORJIE: I’ll bounce back. Gryffen’s in worse shape than I am.
TAPHONY: And that is important to you?
JORJIE: Yes. This is all new to you, isn’t it?
TAPHONY: I feel lost. (Jorjie reaches out to touch her.) Possibly best you don’t.
JORJIE: I don’t really understand what’s going on, but I can tell you’ve had a bad time. I’m happy to be here for you.
TAPHONY: I’ve been alive for a long time, but you’re the only friend I’ve ever had.
JORJIE: I just need to lie down. We can talk more later.

(Jorjie pushes her hair back and leaves. Taphony pushes her hair back the same way.)

[The laboratory]

STARKEY: I’d like to help you, but…
GRYFFEN: What!?
STARKEY: I’d like to help you but I don’t know how.
GRYFFEN: Well, of course you don’t, you young whippersnapper. The only thing that can help me is getting rid of Taphony.
K9: Correct. As long as she is here, the disruption to your timeline will continue.
GRYFFEN: K9, you were right all along. There’s no fool like an artificially old fool.
K9: And I’m afraid I have more unwelcome news. According to my data processors, if you have a natal anniversary in your present state, the state will become permanent.
DARIUS: A natal what?
GRYFFEN: A birthday!
STARKEY: You mean, if he has a birthday, he’s going to stay like this?
K9: That’s my assessment.
DARIUS: What, and his birthday’s tomorrow? Apparently.
K9: You’ve already nominated the solution to your problem, professor. Taphony must be removed from the space-time continuum.
STARKEY: Yeah, well, in case you haven’t realised, it’s kind of dangerous trying to get her to do stuff she doesn’t want to do.
DARIUS: Yeah, you don’t want to end up a dried-up pile of old…
GRYFFEN: I’m far from dried-up!
DARIUS: I was talking about the cake.
GRYFFEN: Soggy, unpleasant thing!
DARIUS: You are talking about the cake, right?
K9: May I suggest discussions of baked confectioneries be postponed until a later date for the professor’s sake and Jorjie’s.
STARKEY: Jorjie’s?

[The chess room]

DARIUS: She’s dangerous, yeah?
JORJIE: I don’t think so. I think she just doesn’t understand. She’s never had the chance to mix with people before.
DARIUS: She’s trying to steal you.
STARKEY: She wants your future for herself.
JORJIE: And I think it’s possible she doesn’t understand the harm she’s causing.
DARIUS: Look at you! How can she not know?
JORJIE: Seriously, I really think she wants to be friends. (Taphony zooms in.) How did you do that?
TAPHONY: I don’t know. I just can.
JORJIE: So cool. Isn’t it, boys?
DARIUS: Yeah. Almost as cool as turning the prof into his own grandfather.
TAPHONY: I heard what you said before and I do want to be friends.
STARKEY: And what about the professor?
TAPHONY: I’m just teaching him a lesson.
DARIUS: And Jorjie?
TAPHONY: She’ll be fine. Let’s have some fun.

(Taphony zooms away.)

[The main hall]

(Taphony hands Darius a frisbee. The four teenagers space out across the room.)

TAPHONY: All right. Now throw it.

(Darius throws the frisbee to Jorjie. It slows down and Jorjie takes it from the air.)

JORJIE: So cool.

(Taphony imitates her.)

TAPHONY: So cool. That’s nothing. Throw it to Starkey. (Jorjie does so. Taphony zooms towards the frisbee and catches it before Starkey can. She then zooms back.) How about we speed things up a bit?
STARKEY: To me!

(Taphony throws the frisbee to Starkey and they all throw it to one another at high speed. Taphony catches it.)

TAPHONY: Darius, high!

(Taphony throws the frisbee high above Darius’s head. He jumps to catch it, but it slows down and he reaches for it too soon.)

JORJIE: That’s amazing.

(The frisbee continues at normal speed. Everyone laughs and Taphony again imitates how Jorjie brushes back her hair. K9 enters.)

K9: What are you doing to my friends?
TAPHONY: They’re my friends too. We’re having fun.
K9: My sensors indicate that that type of fun is over.
DARIUS: Come on, K9. Lighten up.
STARKEY: Hey, Taphony said she’s going to make everything right.
K9: She has precisely 2.33 hours to do so before the professor’s birthday. Jorjie would appear to have even less time.

(Jorjie stumbles. Starkey and Darius help her stand.)

STARKEY: Maybe K9’s right. Taphony, it’s time you…

(Taphony disappears.)

DARIUS: Right, let’s go.

(Starkey and Darius help Jorjie leave.)

[The chess room]

(Jorjie is lying down. K9 scans her.)

K9: My analysis confirms Taphony’s life essence is increasing as Jorjie’s diminishes. This is consistent with what this unit predicted.
DARIUS: Taphony’s sucking up Jorjie’s lifeforce like a vampire.
JORJIE: I still say she doesn’t understand. She wants to be friends.
DARIUS: Yeah, some friend.
GRYFFEN: Darius is right. We need to treat Taphony as a threat. Correct, K9?
K9: It would seem so, professor.
STARKEY: Then how exactly do we deal with the threat?
DARIUS: How do we even find her?

[Gryffen’s street]

(June passes three CCPCs and walks up to the mansion’s open door. Taphony appears.)

JUNE: Oh. You must be Taphony.
TAPHONY: And who are you?
JUNE: My name’s Inspector Turner of the Department.
TAPHONY: You’re the ones who locked me away.
JUNE: Not me personally but the Department, yes, I’m rather afraid we did. It was a terrible thing that was done to you. I know what you’re capable of but I need to know my daughter’s all right.
TAPHONY: Your daughter?
JUNE: Jorjie.
TAPHONY: You’re Jorjie’s mother?
JUNE: That’s right.
TAPHONY: So cool.
JUNE: Do you…? Do you know where she is?
TAPHONY: I like her. She’s my friend.
JUNE: I’m glad.
TAPHONY: She’s in there.
JUNE: Thank you.

(June enters. Taphony brushes back her hair.)

[The chess room]

(Jorjie is lying down. June enters.)

JUNE: Jorjie? Gryffen? You look awful. What’s going on?
GRYFFEN: It’s Taphony. She’s a Time Blank. She’s caused a major disruption in my timeline.
JUNE: Is that possible?
DARIUS: Hello. Geriatric.
STARKEY: She’s also absorbing Jorjie’s lifeforce.
K9: All of which this unit warned about from the beginning.
GRYFFEN: Yes, thank you, K9!
JUNE: And you can explain later on exactly why you released her this way. But for now, what do we do?
K9: She must be returned to the portal and transported before she does any more damage.
STARKEY: And all before the professor’s birthday.
K9: In precisely 1.57 hours.
DARIUS: And how exactly do we get her in there?
K9: That appears to be the question.

(Taphony appears.)

TAPHONY: Well, why don’t you just ask me?
GRYFFEN: Do you have any idea how dangerous your being here is to the rest of us?
TAPHONY: So, I should just jump into that thing and disappear?
K9: Not disappear. Transport to a time and place consistent with your metaphysical composition.
TAPHONY: A composition they gave me. This place I’m going. Will I have friends there?
K9: It is conceivable there could be other entities like yourself.
TAPHONY: And they’ll play catch with me?
K9: The likely existence of pointless plastic entertainments would seem minimal.
TAPHONY: And what about a mother? Will I have a mother there?
K9: No. Such a likelihood is zero.
TAPHONY: But if I stay here, I can have all of these things.
JUNE: Taphony, absorbing Jorjie won’t make me your mother.
DARIUS: Yeah, and it won’t make us your friends.
TAPHONY: But you are my friends.
DARIUS: Not anymore, we won’t be.
STARKEY: You hurt Jorjie then we want nothing more to do with you.
TAPHONY: She’s the only way I can stay with you. She understands.
STARKEY: No, she doesn’t.

(Taphony disappears.)

DARIUS: Hey, no!
STARKEY: Wait, no, don’t just… vanish.

[The main hall]

(Starkey, Darius and K9 exit the chess room.)

STARKEY: So, what do we do?
K9: With 1.13 hours until the professor’s birthday, I can think of only one option.
STARKEY: Taphony!
DARIUS: Taphony!
K9: Taphony!

(They split up to look around.)

[The laboratory]

(Starkey enters. Taphony appears.)

STARKEY: There you are. (Taphony disappears and reappears behind him.) I’m not playing with you. Look… (She disappears and reappears again.) I mean it. Either you help Jorjie or I want nothing more to do with you.
TAPHONY: Bet you can’t catch me.

(Taphony disappears. Starkey leaves. She reappears and pouts.)

[The main hall]

DARIUS: Taphony! (The frisbee flies past. Taphony appears and catches it.) You need to come and help Jorjie.
TAPHONY: But I want to play.
DARIUS: Not with me, you don’t.
TAPHONY: I’ll let you catch it.

(Taphony throws the frisbee. Darius does not move.)

DARIUS: I said I’m not playing. Now, come and help Jorjie.

(Taphony disappears. Darius leaves. The frisbee flies past him, but he ignores it. Behind him, Taphony pouts.)

[The chess room]

(Jorjie wakes up.) JORJIE: Sorry. I’m just not feeling myself.
STARKEY: Well, at least she hasn’t taken your sense of humour.
JUNE: Yet.
JORJIE: If everything goes pear-shaped, I want to say thank you all for looking out for me.
STARKEY: Everything’s going to be okay. Trust me. K9, is there any reason why she has to take Jorjie specifically?
K9: Negative. She is a female of similar age so most likely she seemed the logical choice to Taphony.
STARKEY: So, she could take me instead?
JUNE: Or me.
DARIUS: Yeah, or me.
GRYFFEN: If we’re offering up bodies, I’m the one with the least time left on his clock.
DARIUS: Take it easy, old-timer. You’ve got enough problems as it is.
GRYFFEN: That’s enough with the ageist quips!
JUNE: Well, I’m her mother. If anyone’s going to make this offer, it should be me.
STARKEY: She’s not going to want to lose you.
JUNE: And she’s going to want to lose you?
DARIUS: Hey, why don’t we draw straws?
GRYFFEN: Oh, very scientific.
DARIUS: Either that or we all offer.
JUNE: It’s agreed. We all offer to take Jorjie’s place.

(Time stops and Taphony appears.)

TAPHONY: You’d all sacrifice yourselves?

(K9 flies in.)

K9: Without doubt.
TAPHONY: You’re not time-frozen?
K9: Like you, I do not conform to all the rules of this time continuum.
TAPHONY: Can you understand what I’m doing? I just want to stay.
K9: I understand but I do not agree.
TAPHONY: Jorjie understands. She’s my friend.
K9: Then why are you doing this to her? You do not hurt friends. You’d rather hurt yourself.
TAPHONY: Like they’re doing for Jorjie?
K9: Affirmative. That is what makes them friends.

(Taphony nods and the room unfreezes. Starkey, Darius and June jump to their feet.)

STARKEY: Taphony. There’s no reason why you can’t take me instead of Jorjie.
DARIUS: Yeah, or me.
TAPHONY: Yes, there is. You’re my friends. How long until your birthday, professor?
GRYFFEN: Ten minutes.
TAPHONY: Then we’d better hurry.

[The main hall]

(Darius and Taphony enter the main hall from the chess room, followed by Starkey.)

DARIUS: I was wondering, is there any way I can get in touch with you?
TAPHONY: You won’t remember me.
DARIUS: I doubt that a lot.
TAPHONY: Me? I’ll never forget you.

(Gryffen and K9 are at the Space-Time Manipulator’s controls upstairs.)

GRYFFEN: Darius! Get a wiggle on! We’ve only got two minutes!
STARKEY: I’ll tell her what you did. It’ll be fine.
GRYFFEN: STM powering up! Stand by!

(Taphony steps beneath the STM. June enters, helping Jorjie walk.)

JUNE: Thank you.
TAPHONY: That’s what friends are for.
DARIUS: Hey! Catch!

(Darius throws Taphony the frisbee. Taphony catches it and is then transported away by the Space-Time Manipulator. Time rewinds to when Gryffen was operating the Space-Time Manipulator to save Taphony from her prison.)

GRYFFEN: I can’t keep the portal open much longer. She’s entered it from the prison. Why hasn’t she gone through? It makes no sense! That’s it! She’s gone through! I’ve done it!
K9: So it would seem.

(Darius enters downstairs, carrying the birthday cake. Starkey and Jorjie follow.)

DARIUS: For he’s a jolly good fellow! For he’s a jolly good fellow! Happy birthday!
GRYFFEN: That’s a lovely thought but it’s not until tomorrow.
DARIUS: Are you sure?
GRYFFEN: I tell you what, let’s celebrate anyway. I’ll be right down. And you thought transporting Taphony would be dangerous. I think I rather proved you wrong for once.
K9: So it would seem, professor. Yes, so it would seem. Goodbye, young miss.

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.