THE ROBOTS OF DEATH
by: CHRIS BOUCHER
PART TWO
Running time: 24:15
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1. INT. hopper
(Having opened a hopper door, the DOCTOR steps inside. It is dark. He shines a torch around the hopper interior and lights on a dead body curled in the corner. He steps across to investigate, crouching by the body and turning it over - the body has eye makeup like the sandmine crew, but it is not a person we have met. Suddenly, the door and the hatch close behind the DOCTOR, and ore begins to rain down on his head from a chute in the ceiling. The ore buries the dead body. It looks like it will soon bury the DOCTOR too ... )
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2. INT. corridor
(V9 and D64 walk along the corridor to the forward storage locker.)
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3. INT. forward storage locker
(Inside, V9 and D64 go to the gurney on which CHUB's body lies. LEELA looks on, hiding crouched behind a shelf. The robots wheel the gurney out of the room ... )
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4. INT. corridor
(... and into the corridor.)
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5. INT. forward storage locker
(LEELA watches them go and gets up to follow.)
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6. INT. hopper
(Ore continues to rain down on the head of the DOCTOR. It completely buries him. As the torrent subsides, a metal pipe emerges from the ore pile, forging upwards. Once the ore stream stops, grains of ore are blown out of the pipe - the DOCTOR can breathe!)
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7. INT. corridor
(V9 and D64 wheel the gurney down another corridor. LEELA emerges from the forward storage locker, wielding her knife. She watches where the robots go, and then heads in another direction.)
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8. INT. crew room
(UVANOV toys with a pale marble chess piece as the rest of the human crew fidget impatiently. CASS gets out of his seat and moves towards the door.)
UVANOV: Where do you think you are going?
CASS: To search. We've got to find those killers.
UVANOV: The robots can handle it.
CASS: So can I.
(CASS leaves. BORG gets up to follow him.)
UVANOV: (Angrily.) And where do you think you're going?
BORG: He's right, Commander.
UVANOV: You stay where you are!
(BORG leaves. TOOS gets out of her seat.)
TOOS: Maybe it would be quicker if we all went to look.
(UVANOV rises to confront her. As he does, POUL discreetly slips out the door.)
UVANOV: We are not armed. There are two killers loose aboard this ship, maybe more.
DASK: The robots can handle the situation more efficiently than we can.
TOOS: Alright! I just thought you were in a hurry to get back to work.
UVANOV: I am not in any hurry to get myself killed, Toos.
(UVANOV gestures for TOOS to sit down.)
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9. INT. corridor in hopper area
(SV7 punches a button on the console for controlling hopper functions.)
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10. INT. hopper
(The ore drains away from the Doctor's pipe and from the DOCTOR himself. His hair is flat, but he grins broadly and stands up.)
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11. INT. corridor in hopper area
(SV7 unlocks and opens the hopper door and hatch. The DOCTOR climbs out, shakes ore grains from his hair, and stands up.)
DOCTOR: Thank you. Thank you very much.
SV7: What were you doing in the hopper?
DOCTOR: Oh, don't ask me such silly questions. How did you know I was in there?
SV7: When I got here, the gauge showed a high percentage of impurity in the ore. I therefore checked.
DOCTOR: Well I'm not surprised. There's a dead man in there. Murdered. Strangled - look.
(SV7 looks inside the hopper, and then looks back to the DOCTOR.)
SV7: That is Kerril.
DOCTOR: Oh?
(SV7's communicator sounds a tone to initiate communication.)
SV7: (Into wrist communicator.) Nearest Voc. Subpriority red four. Section five two. V17. (Addresses DOCTOR.) Commander Uvanov has ordered that you be restrained for questioning. Please do not try to escape again.
DOCTOR: Is the robot command circuit rooted only through you?
SV7: I am the coordinator. Restrain this person.
(V17 has appeared behind the DOCTOR. It grabs him by the arm and leads him away.)
DOCTOR: Easy now, easy. Don't get excited.
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12. INT. corridor
(LEELA runs at speed down the sandmine corridor toward Uvanov's quarters, and enters the room.)
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13. INT. UVANOV's quarters
LEELA: Doctor!
(Still wielding her knife, LEELA turns to her left and sees something moving behind the black curtain that provides privacy to a bed alcove in the wall of the room. She slowly moves towards the alcove.)
LEELA: Doctor, you were right. There was a body. Two of the robots - they took it to a special place -
(LEELA throws back the curtain and points her knife at whoever is inside. In the alcove sits CASS - dead. LEELA feels his forehead, and at her touch, CASS falls forward onto his face. LEELA turns around to face the room, with her knife at the ready. Standing by the padded couch is a robot - D84! D84 moves silently towards LEELA. She raises a hand to keep him at bay.)
LEELA: (Chokes back sounds of fear.)
(LEELA steps back as D84 approaches. She lunges at him with her knife, but misses, and D84 restrains her knife hand. He then puts a hand over LEELA's mouth, silencing her. LEELA tries to cry out, but cannot break free of D84's hold.)
D84: Please do not cry out. It is important that I am not found here.
LEELA: (Voice muffled by D84's hand.) Obviously.
D84: If I had killed him, would I not have killed you too?
(LEELA realises the truth of D84's words. She turns to look at him as he releases his hold on her.)
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14. EXT. storm mine 4
(The forward vent pipes spray out their waste as the sandmine grinds its way through the desert, sending boulders flying down cliff sides in its wake.)
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15. INT. uvanov's quarters
(LEELA, having regained her confidence, spins around in a revolving desk chair to question D84.)
LEELA: You still haven't explained what you're doing here.
D84: You have not explained what you were doing here.
LEELA: Oh well I was looking for the Do -
(LEELA stands up, defensive.)
LEELA: I don't have to explain anything to you. You're just a mechanical man. You're not real.
(D84 picks up CASS's hand and shows it to LEELA. It has a corpse marker on it.)
D84: Do you know what this is?
LEELA: No.
D84: I must ask ... I must ask that you tell no one about me.
LEELA: Is there anyone left alive to tell?
(D84 suddenly grabs LEELA from behind by the arms.)
LEELA: What?
(UVANOV enters and sees them.)
UVANOV: Oh, so we've caught one.
(UVANOV sees CASS, goes to him, then steps down towards LEELA.)
UVANOV: Not soon enough, though.
(UVANOV slaps LEELA's face. She cries out. She kicks him hard in the delicates. UVANOV cries out and falls back onto the padded couch.)
LEELA: I didn't kill him! Ask this thing.
UVANOV: You'll have to do better than that. Who are you?
LEELA: Leela. Who are you?
UVANOV: Why did you kill him?
LEELA: You try that again and I'll cripple you.
UVANOV: Why did you kill him?
LEELA: I didn't! (To D84.) Tell him!
UVANOV: That is a single function labour robot. D class. D for dumb. It can't speak.
LEELA: Has anyone told him that?
(D84 gives LEELA a warning shake. UVANOV appears not to notice.)
UVANOV: You have cost me and the company a great deal of money, and you have killed three people. Can you think of any good reason why I should not have you executed on the spot?
LEELA: No. But you can, otherwise you'd have done it.
UVANOV: Now don't get clever with me!
(Enter POUL.)
POUL: We've caught the man too. Seems he killed Kerril.
(POUL sees CASS and goes to him.)
POUL: Poor Cass. (To LEELA.) You must be stronger than you look.
LEELA: (Scoffs.) You must be stupider than you look if you think I did that.
UVANOV: Where is this man?
POUL: They're taking him to the crew room now.
UVANOV: Well come on, then.
(UVANOV goes to leave. POUL holds up CASS's hand with its corpse marker.)
POUL: Why do you use these? Robot deactivation discs. There was one on Kerril too.
UVANOV: You fool! What did you have to tell her that for?
POUL: I assumed she knew.
UVANOV: If we could have got her to tell us what those corpse markers were, we'd be halfway to a confession.
POUL: Halfway to two confessions. Dask knew what they were.
UVANOV: Which rather rules him out. He would hardly have admitted it if he was responsible.
POUL: Have you never heard of the double bluff?
UVANOV: You seem very keen to spread suspicion, Poul. Could it be that you have got something to hide?
POUL: We've all got something to hide. Don't you think so, Commander?
(UVANOV glares at POUL, looking offended and perhaps guilty. He turns to D84.)
UVANOV: Bring that.
(UVANOV storms out. D84 follows, pushing LEELA before him.)
LEELA: (To POUL.) I didn't kill him. I didn't kill him!
(Exit D84 and LEELA.)
POUL: No. Pity. But no.
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16. INT. crew room
(The DOCTOR takes a paper bag of jelly babies from his pocket. He takes a bite of a yellow one. SV7, BORG, TOOS and DASK look on curiously. The DOCTOR notices them looking. He offers the bag to SV7 and BORG, who are nearest.)
DOCTOR: Would you like a jelly baby?
BORG: Shut up!!
(BORG hits the DOCTOR's hand and the jelly babies fly out of it onto the floor. The DOCTOR makes a face.)
DOCTOR: A simple no thank you would have been sufficient.
(He eats the other half of the yellow one. Enter POUL, LEELA, D84 and UVANOV. POUL pats D84's arm.)
POUL: Return to your normal duties.
(D84 leaves. LEELA goes to the DOCTOR's side, rubbing her arms.)
LEELA: Are you alright?
DOCTOR: I'm fine.
UVANOV: Well Cass is dead.
LEELA: (Pointing at UVANOV.) That one's ready to kill. I had to restrain him.
DOCTOR: Sh-sh-sh-sh. It's because they're frightened, that's why they're dangerous.
BORG: She murdered him, didn't she?
POUL: How do you know he was murdered?
BORG: It's obvious.
ZILDA: Well, you marked Cass for death.
BORG: What are you talking about?
POUL: You did put a corpse marker on him.
BORG: Well, yes. But I didn't mean anything by it.
DASK: Was Cass the same as the others?
UVANOV: Yes. Exactly the same. (To DOCTOR.) And, ah, who are you?
DOCTOR: I'm the Doctor. I assume you're in command here.
UVANOV: Yes. What are you doing here?
DOCTOR: Just standing here talking to you.
UVANOV: I should be very careful if I were you.
DOCTOR: No doubt you would.
UVANOV: What are you doing on this mine?
DOCTOR: Well we're travellers. We came here by accident.
UVANOV: Oh, I see. A hundred million square miles of uncharted desert and you just stumbled across us?
DOCTOR: (Grins.) Mm. Well. It's a small world.
UVANOV: Yeah. I s'pose it's also a coincidence that as soon as you two arrive, three of our people are killed? Well?
DOCTOR: Oh, sorry, I thought it was a rhetorical - well, yes, it's just a coincidence.
BORG: Why are we wasting time on them? We know they're guilty.
ZILDA: We don't know anything of the sort.
POUL: We just hope they're guilty.
BORG: He was hiding Kerril's body in that hopper and got trapped when it was turned on. Now that's a fact.
DOCTOR: No. That's an inference. I wasn't hiding that body, I was finding it. And I'd say it was put there for precisely that reason. Someone wanted to kill me too.
ZILDA: The murderer.
POUL: No. The others were strangled. Why should he be any different?
DOCTOR: To put suspicion onto me.
POUL: But why bother? You're a stowaway. What could be more suspicious than a stowaway?
DOCTOR: A dead stowaway?
ZILDA: It's possible, you know. He could be telling the truth.
TOOS: As a lie it's pretty feeble.
UVANOV: Ever hear of the double bluff?
(In the background, POUL smiles at this.)
DOCTOR: Well, yes, now you come to mention it I do remember one time when -
UVANOV: Lock them up in the storage bank. Put a guard on them.
BORG: I agree with the Commander.
ZILDA: Well it gets you out of an awkward situation, doesn't it?
BORG: Why don't you shut your mouth.
TOOS: Why don't you shut yours.
BORG: What? She's as good as accusing me of murdering my friends.
ZILDA: You never had any friends.
UVANOV: Have you quite finished? Look, either one of us murdered them or they did. Which do you think is the more likely?
DOCTOR: Ah. (Clears throat.) There is one other possibility you seem to have overlooked.
BORG: We've heard quite enough out of you.
DOCTOR: (Grins.) You know. You're a classic example of the inverse ratio between the size of the mouth and the size of the brain.
(BORG turns around to face the DOCTOR. He makes a sarcastic smile, then puts his hands around the DOCTOR's neck, strangling him.)
BORG: (Mutters.) Dirty stinking murderer!
(LEELA attacks BORG. He doubles over, and the DOCTOR escapes his grip.)
POUL: Stop her!
(DASK grabs BORG. LEELA grunts as SV7 restrains her.)
DASK: Down, Borg. It doesn't matter.
UVANOV: V8. Lock up these two strangers.
(The DOCTOR and LEELA are taken away, unseen.)
POUL: I still don't like it.
UVANOV: Nobody is asking you to like it. Just do it.
TOOS: (Resigned.) Alright, Commander.
(TOOS leaves. BORG, DASK and POUL follow as UVANOV speaks. Only ZILDA remains behind, still sitting on her couch.)
UVANOV: There are fewer of us now, so you'll each get a larger share if that's any consolation.
ZILDA: No, Commander. That isn't any consolation.
(UVANOV crouches at the back of ZILDA's chair and speaks closely to her.)
UVANOV: Tell me, Zilda. Why do you hate me?
ZILDA: You flatter yourself.
UVANOV: Well let me tell you something. By the time this trip is over, I'll have more money than you or your fancy family ever dreamed of.
ZILDA: May I go now, Commander?
(UVANOV nods and gives a nasty grin. ZILDA leaves. UVANOV drops his guard once she is gone and seems ... frustrated?)
[SCENE_BREAK]
17. INT. corridor in hopper area
(The feet of an unknown HUMAN wearing grey and black puffy trousers approach the feet of a VOC ROBOT (clearly V45, the same robot that killed Chub, though its identity plaque is not visible here). The HUMAN's hand places a corpse marker into V45's hand.)
HUMAN: (Whispers.) Zilda.
V45: I will kill Zilda.
[SCENE_BREAK]
18. INT. storage bank
(SV7 enters the storage bank - the place where broken robots are stored in individual bays with neck and chest straps of a sparkly silver material. A DUMB is locking the DOCTOR into such a bay, sealing the straps with an electronic signal.)
DOCTOR: Thank you.
(Beside them, a VOC locks LEELA into another bay. LEELA sighs. The ROBOTS leave.)
LEELA: Nice of them to leave our arms free.
DOCTOR: (Scratching under his arm.) Yes. In case we want to scratch.
(LEELA tries to force the straps apart, panting with the effort.)
LEELA: These metal straps. They won't budge.
DOCTOR: Of course not.
LEELA: The robots bent them as though they were leather.
DOCTOR: Yes. And locked the molecular structure. Results - bands as solid as cast iron.
LEELA: Oh, it's hopeless.
DOCTOR: (Eyes closed in concentration.) I wouldn't say that.
(Still with eyes shut, the DOCTOR points both his forefingers towards his head.)
LEELA: What are you doing?
DOCTOR: Concentrating. Whatever's locked can always be unlocked. It's just a matter of thinking out the right combination.
LEELA: How long will that take?
DOCTOR: No more than two or three weeks.
LEELA: Three weeks!
DOCTOR: Well, there are several million combinations to think through.
LEELA: You don't seem to be taking this very seriously, Doctor.
DOCTOR: I'm taking it very, very seriously. I have an uncomfortable feeling. If the murderer doesn't kill us, the Commander will. That is, assuming they're not one and the same person.
[SCENE_BREAK]
19. EXT. storM MINE 4
(Storm Mine 4 drives on through the night. Through the control deck windscreen, both HUMANS and ROBOTS can be seen at work.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
20. INT. CONTROL DECK
(Inside, DASK and ZILDA stand at the console on the raised platform, with D33 and a VOC down below. TOOS descends the staircase to take her place at her workstation on the lower level.)
DASK: V21, project those figures.
TOOS: We're nearly fifty percent under target.
DASK: The first third of the operation.
ZILDA: Well, you should tell the Commander.
(UVANOV enters and strides across to the forward instrument panel, beside V16 and V9.)
UVANOV: Tell the Commander what?
TOOS: Well unless we find a rich vein we'll take the miner back half empty. Barely cover the operating costs.
UVANOV: Oh, don't worry, Toos. I've never gone back to base with an empty tank yet.
(UVANOV goes to the green domed instrument.)
TOOS: This trip could be different.
ZILDA: (Descending the staircase.) It's certainly been different so far. I'm taking my rest period.
UVANOV: Oh are you?
ZILDA: If you don't mind, Commander.
(Exit ZILDA.)
UVANOV: I think I'm gonna change the duty schedule. She's been on deck one hour and she needs a rest.
DASK: Rest time is an entitlement, Commander.
UVANOV: Yes, but this mine is already under manned. I don't know how we're ever gonna make our quota.
V16: Lucanol stream bearing two four.
UVANOV: Yeah, I see it, 16.
TOOS: Stream veering left.
UVANOV: It's alright, relax, Toos, relax.
V16: Ground centre veering seven two zero.
TOOS: We're losing it!
UVANOV: Right centre four degrees, V16. And for your information, Toos, I've never lost an ore stream yet. Right centre two degrees.
[SCENE_BREAK]
21. EXT. FORWARD VENT PIPES
(The sandmine's forward vent pipes spray out waste as the vehicle drives on. The wind of a storm howls around it.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
22. INT. storage bank
(LEELA, slumped in her storage bay, perks up.)
LEELA: Someone's coming.
(The DOCTOR, still concentrating, opens his eyes and drops his fingers. The electronic sound of a door opening is heard. Enter POUL, looking behind him as if to ensure no one followed him.)
POUL: I'd like to help you.
DOCTOR: You could undo these clamps.
POUL: You said there was a possibility that we had overlooked.
DOCTOR: Mm.
POUL: What is it?
LEELA: Be careful of him, Doctor. He's not what he seems.
POUL: Why do you say that?
LEELA: Well you move like a hunter. Watch all the time.
DOCTOR: Are you a hunter, Poul?
POUL: Well never mind about me. What matters to you is Commander Uvanov. Now, I know him. And I know it's only a matter of time before he decides that it's a waste of food, water and labour keeping you alive.
DOCTOR: That concerns you?
POUL: Well I don't think you did it. I know she couldn't have strangled Cass. Not without knocking him out first, and there was no sign of that. So tell me what you know and I'll try to help you.
DOCTOR: Well, ah ...
(The DOCTOR coughs pertinently. POUL aims his chest communicator at the DOCTOR's straps, activates an electronic signal, and opens the straps.)
DOCTOR: Thank you. One of your robots could have done it.
(POUL laughs, raising his hands to his face.)
POUL: And that's your great theory, is it?
DOCTOR: Mm.
POUL: Well, my friend, robots cannot kill. Their prime directive -
DOCTOR: I know, I know, I know. It's the first program that's laid into any robot's brain from the simplest Dumb to the most complex Super Voc. (Whispers significantly.) But suppose. Suppose someone's found a way of bypassing it?
POUL: (Anxiously.) It's impossible. It's just impossible!
DOCTOR: Bumble bees.
POUL: What?
DOCTOR: Terran insects. Aerodynamically impossible for them to fly, but they do it. I'm rather fond of bumble bees. Come on. There's something I want to look at.
(The DOCTOR steps out of his bay and walks towards the exit. POUL follows. LEELA clears her throat. POUL turns, activates his chest communicator signal and helps her open her straps.)
LEELA: (Sarcastic.) Thank you.
[SCENE_BREAK]
23. INT. CORRIDOR
(ZILDA walks purposefully along a corridor to Uvanov's quarters, and lets herself in by entering a code on the electronic lock panel.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
24. INT. UVanov's quarters
(ZILDA goes quickly down the stairs to Uvanov's desk.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
25. INT. corridor
(POUL leads the DOCTOR and LEELA along a corridor to the Forward Storage Locker.)
POUL: The first murder happened here.
(He points inside and goes through the door.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
26. INT. forward storage locker
(POUL walks towards the place where Chub's body was found, followed by LEELA and the DOCTOR.)
DOCTOR: Tell us about it. What was his name?
POUL: His name was Chub. A government meteorologist. I don't know much about him, he wasn't part of the team. Just along to study the storms.
DOCTOR: Who found him?
POUL: I did. I heard him scream and I came looking. It was odd, that, because he was strangled like the others.
DOCTOR: So whoever killed him was strong. Too strong for him to resist.
LEELA: He could have been taken by surprise.
POUL: He had time to scream.
DOCTOR: What do you think he was doing here?
POUL: Well we were on the run up to a storm. He came to get an instrument package to send up in one of his weather balloons.
DOCTOR: Where was he found?
POUL: He was lying there.
DOCTOR: (Points to shelf.) Is that one of his packages?
POUL: I think so. (Checks.) Yes. Yes it is.
DOCTOR: Good. Imagine you're Chub. There's a storm coming up. Pass me one of those packages.
(POUL tries to pull out one of the packages. But it is stuck.)
POUL: Seems to be stuck. Must be jammed at the back.
DOCTOR: Come on, come on. In those circumstances, you're in a hurry. What would you do?
POUL: Well, I'd call ... I'd call for a robot!
[SCENE_BREAK]
27. INT. corridor
(A ROBOT's feet walks silently along a corridor.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
28. INT. uvanov's quarters
(ZILDA enters a code on the touchpad of a lock above Uvanov's alcove bed. A panel in the wall opens. Inside are some documents in white and black plastic folders. ZILDA finds the one she is after and reads what it says.)
ZILDA: No.
[SCENE_BREAK]
29. INT. corridor
(Outside in the corridor, V45 turns towards the door, holding a corpse marker.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
30. INT. uvanov's quarters
(ZILDA tosses the documents onto Uvanov's desk. She opens a black folder with trepidation, and after a moment's reading starts to cry, holding her head in her hand.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
31. INT. corridor
(V45 enters a code into the door lock of Uvanov's quarters.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
32. INT. uvanov's quarters
(ZILDA sobs against her hand. She picks up a bulky metal communicator to speak into it.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
33. INT. control deck
(UVANOV, TOOS and DASK are on the control deck - UVANOV at the green dome, and TOOS and DASK at the rear workstations on the lower level - when ZILDA's voice comes over the command speaker, echoing across the room.)
ZILDA: (Over command speaker.) You did it, Uvanov!
(UVANOV looks up from the green dome.)
UVANOV: Zilda, is that you?
ZILDA: (On command speaker.) You thought you'd get away with it, didn't you?
(UVANOV consults his wrist communicator.)
UVANOV: What are you doing in my quarters?
ZILDA: (On command speaker.) You filthy murderer!
UVANOV: Toos! Take over.
(TOOS rushes from her workstation to the green dome as UVANOV leaves.)
ZILDA: (On command speaker.) You filthy disgusting murdering animal!
TOOS: (Into communicator.) Uvanov's on his way down - what's wrong, Zilda?
(ZILDA's voice makes a sudden sharp intake of breath and then goes silent. DASK comes to TOOS's side.)
TOOS: Zilda!
DASK: The killings. They've affected her mind.
TOOS: No, she's found something out.
[SCENE_BREAK]
34. INT. crew room
(The door opens with a hum and POUL shows the DOCTOR and LEELA inside.)
POUL: Wait here. I'm gonna get the others. If you're right about this you can't imagine what it'll mean.
DOCTOR: What do you mean I can't imagine what it'll mean? This isn't the only robot-dependent civilisation in the galaxy, you know.
(A tone signals someone calling POUL's communicator. He speaks into it.)
POUL: Poul here.
TOOS: (On communicator.) Go to Uvanov's quarters as fast as you can. Zilda came on the command speaker and accused him of being the killer. He's left control like a scale twenty blow.
POUL: I'm on my way.
(LEELA bounds up to the door to join him.)
POUL: No, you wait here.
(POUL leaves.)
DOCTOR: Sit down, sit down. What did you call those robots?
LEELA: Creepy mechanical men.
DOCTOR: Yes. You know people never really lose that feeling of unease with robots. The more of them there are, the greater the unease, and of course the greater the dependence. It's a vicious circle. People can neither live with them nor exist without them.
LEELA: So what happens if the strangler is a robot?
DOCTOR: Oh, I should think it's the end of this civilisation.
[SCENE_BREAK]
35. INT. corridor
(POUL races along the corridor to Uvanov's open door, and goes through it.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
36. INT. uvanov's quarters
(Inside, he grips the banister in surprise.)
POUL: Uvanov!
(UVANOV is standing over ZILDA, his hand at her throat. He looks up at POUL.)
UVANOV: Just like the others.
(He lets ZILDA's limp head and torso slump to the desk. POUL steps down to see, suspicious.)
POUL: Yes. Just like the others. (Into communicator.) SV7 to the Commander's quarters.
UVANOV: She really hated me, you know. Though I did think maybe when this trip was over and I was really rich ... (Scoffs.) I must be getting soft. Now look there's more than those two aboard. Get the tin-brains to make another search. And this time, do it thoroughly.
POUL: No, Uvanov.
UVANOV: Get out of my way, Poul.
POUL: I'm confining you to quarters and relieving you of command.
UVANOV: You're what? She was dead when I got here!
POUL: What were you doing then? Making doubly sure?
UVANOV: Oh, don't be a fool. Get out of my way.
(He tries to get past, but POUL knocks him out with a blow to the back of his neck. UVANOV crumples to the ground.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
37. INT. crew room
(LEELA appears to be deep in concentration, listening to some internal sensor.)
LEELA: Doctor.
DOCTOR: Yes?
LEELA: Something's wrong.
DOCTOR: That's true.
LEELA: No, something different. Something that could destroy us all.
(LEELA crosses the room to the DOCTOR, who rests with his head in his hands and does not look up.)
DOCTOR: You're letting your imagination run away with you.
LEELA: Can't you feel it?
DOCTOR: No I can't. By the pricking of my thumbs something wicked this way comes. No I can't, and neither can you.
[SCENE_BREAK]
38. EXT. desert
(Storm Mine 4 drives up a slope and becomes unbalanced. The massive vehicle lurches over, almost tipping onto its side.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
39. INT. crew room
(The DOCTOR and LEELA along with loose furniture and fittings are thrown across the crew room. The DOCTOR cries out.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
40. INT. uvanov's quarters
(POUL is thrown across Uvanov's quarters.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
41. INT. control deck
(TOOS and the ROBOTS lurch across the control deck.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
42. EXT. storm mine 4
(The port side screw pumps turn pointlessly in the air, before Storm Mine 4 rights itself and lands back upright, sending sand flying into the air with its impact.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
43. INT. crew room
(The DOCTOR and LEELA sit up from their prone positions on the floor, surrounded by loose debris.)
DOCTOR: Please don't say 'I told you so'.
LEELA: What happened?
DOCTOR: Come on.
(They get up to go. LEELA reaches for her knife.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
44. INT. uvanov's quarters
(POUL sits up and activates his communicator.)
POUL: Toos! What's going on?
TOOS: (On communicator, catching her breath.) Something's ... jammed the motives.
POUL: Well what does Borg say?
[SCENE_BREAK]
45. INT. control deck
(TOOS tries to keep control, stationed at the green dome with V9 behind her.)
TOOS: (To robots.) Trim auxiliary vents. (To POUL.) Nothing, he isn't there. Dask's gone down.
V16: (In background.) All motive units are now on overload.
TOOS: (To robots.) Reverse thrusters.
[SCENE_BREAK]
46. INT. uvanov's quarters
POUL: Well I'm going down too. Just try and hold her steady.
TOOS: (On communicator, sarcastic.) Oh, thanks. I'd never have thought of that.
(POUL goes up the stairs to exit. Enter SV7.)
POUL: Restrain the Commander.
SV7: The Commander is hurt?
POUL: He'll be alright. Now just keep him here.
(POUL leaves.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
47. EXT. desert
(The sandmine drives through a huge pile of sand and boulders almost as big as itself.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
48. INT. control deck
(TOOS remains at the green dome while robots staff the lower level workstations and walk calmly about the control deck. V16 walks towards the forward console.)
V16: All motive units are now on overload. All readings are ten percent above safety.
TOOS: Port sixty, starboard three hundred.
(The DOCTOR rushes in and jogs to the green dome, followed by LEELA.)
DOCTOR: What happened?
TOOS: How did you get out?
DOCTOR: Never mind about that. What's happening?
TOOS: We're out of control. It's all I can do to keep her upright.
DOCTOR: You'll have to cut the power.
TOOS: If we do that we'll sink.
DOCTOR: If you don't, she'll blow herself to pieces.
LEELA: And us!
DASK: (On communicator.) Hello, Toos!
TOOS: Dask, what's happening down there?
DASK: (On communicator.) I found Borg. He's dead. Strangled.
V16: (In background.) All readings are thirty percent ...
(TOOS crosses to the forward console.)
TOOS: Well what's happening to the motive units?
DASK: (On communicator.) The drive links appear to have been sabotaged.
(TOOS casts a significant glance at the DOCTOR.)
DASK: (On communicator.) I'll need a delta repair pick.
TOOS: No, Dask, come back to control deck. I need you here.
DOCTOR: (Shouting to be heard over sound of overheated engines.) I know what you're thinking, but we had nothing to do with it.
TOOS: It's strange how you're always around -
DOCTOR: It's a gift! May I remind you we'll all blow together when she blows if you don't cut the power!
TOOS: V14, stop all motive units.
(V14, at the console on the raised platform with V3, punches some controls with an electronic sound.)
V14: Motive units will not stop. Control failure indicated.
TOOS: Someone's sabotaged the controls!
DOCTOR: What's the limit before the motive units explode?
TOOS: I don't know ... ninety percent.
DOCTOR: (Thinks for a moment.) Severance kit!
TOOS: Severance kit, V3!
(The DOCTOR races to the rear of the control deck.)
LEELA: Doctor, what are you doing?
DOCTOR: Fighting sabotage with sabotage.
(The DOCTOR rips the hatch from a control panel. Inside are thick cables. DASK enters the control deck and runs towards the DOCTOR.)
DASK: Get out of there!
(DASK grabs the DOCTOR and wrestles him away from the panel.)
DOCTOR: What?
V16: All readings are eighty five percent above safety.
TOOS: (Cries out.) She's going!
(LEELA blocks her ears. The DOCTOR and DASK pause mid-struggle and to witness the impending disaster ... )
Plan: A: the humans; Q: Who isn't sure who to blame for the strangulations? A: Leela; Q: Who meets up with an anomaly among the robot crew? A: independent reasoning; Q: What is the robot capable of? A: the Doctor; Q: Who starts looking into the possibility that the murderer is a robot? A: another crew member; Q: Who is targeted for death? Summary: As the strangulations continue and the humans aren't sure who to blame, Leela meets up with an anomaly among the robot crew - an inquisitive, supposedly mute single-function labor robot capable of independent reasoning. Meanwhile the Doctor starts looking into the possibility that the murderer is a robot, and another crew member is targeted for death.