THE ICE WARRIORS
by Brian Hayles first broadcast - 25th November 1967
[SCENE_BREAK]
1. GLACIER FACE
(VARGA and hostage VICTORIA are watching the millennia-old ice melting around the WARRIOR. The ice around its torso has dissipated, leaving the warrior in ice from its stomach down. Attached to it is one of the power packs from the base.)
VARGA: See. It is working. Zondal is coming to life. Zondal... Zondal... Zondal...
(VARGA watches ZONDAL gradually becoming free. The sound of the ice cracking as it melts can be heard. From a safe distance, PENLEY watches the proceedings.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
2. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
(THE DOCTOR and JAMIE are waiting at the side of the room for the mission to find the spaceship and VICTORIA to commence.)
JAMIE: Wish me luck, Doctor.
DOCTOR: You, take care of yourself Jamie, and keep an eye on Arden. I don't think he quite realises how dangerous this creature is.
JAMIE: After what's happened here - he must be blind.
DOCTOR: Well, he's a scientist and a bit inclined to have his head in the air. You know what they're like.
JAMIE: Aye, I certainly do.
(ARDEN and CLENT make their way over to the duo.)
ARDEN: Are you all ready lad?
JAMIE: Aye. Let's away.
DOCTOR: Good luck.
ARDEN: Now we don't know how many of them there are, so we'll have to tread carefully.
CLENT: You will not expose yourself to any unnecessary violence, Arden?
ARDEN: Now listen Clent, we both know that I'm responsible for what has happened. If I hadn't brought that creature back here in the first place, none of this would have occurred. I also caused the death of Davis, I can't forget that either.
CLENT: Well you just remember your mission, that's all. And no wild sorties after the girl. It's vital that you get your information back to us immediately.
JAMIE: Look, we'll not leave Victoria to the warriors, if that's what you mean. If there's half a chance of...
CLENT: (Interrupting.) You will take your orders from Scientist Arden! Act according to your priorities, Arden.
ARDEN: Come along, boy.
CLENT: Arden.
ARDEN: Yes?
CLENT: (Sounding uncomfortable.) Er... don't be too hard on yourself. Scientists must question, you know. Um... I mean if, er... if I'd been in your shoes... I think I'd have done the same. I'd have... I'd have brought it back. So, anyway, good luck.
(They begin to leave the room.)
DOCTOR: Good luck Jamie!
JAMIE: And you, Doctor.
(ARDEN and JAMIE leave the control room.)
CLENT: Well Doctor, let's see you go into action. I'll just get Miss Garrett to take you over the set-up here.
DOCTOR: Er... Miss Garrett? Oh no, no. There's no need to go into formalities.
CLENT: Miss Garrett? I like things done properly. Where is she?
DOCTOR: Er, Clent, just remember - I am not a member of your staff. I'm just a working guest as you might say.
CLENT: Yes, of course. But this is a formal establishment, and our regulations...
DOCTOR: (Interrupting.) Your regulations do not apply to me. I work in my own way, freely.
CLENT: I see, like Penley. Regulations seemed to bother him, too. Probably caused his eventual breakdown, in fact.
DOCTOR: Breakdown? I thought you said he defected?
CLENT: Did I? Well, one thing lead to another, naturally. He was under a great deal of pressure. Just er, too much for him, that's all.
DOCTOR: Oh, I see.
[SCENE_BREAK]
3. PLANT MUSEUM
STORR: A creature growing out of the ice! Bahhh!
PENLEY: I assure you that what I saw was very real - and terrifying.
STORR: You've been out in the mountain too long. It takes some people that way - especially the brainy ones.
PENLEY: Hmmm. Very well, don't believe me, but I still intend to find out.
STORR: Ah well, you can leave me out of your fun and games. I've got enough troubles of my own.
PENLEY: You're fit enough now - to do the cooking, at least - thanks to science.
STORR: Science! Ach, it wasn't science, it was just good plain doctoring.
(PENLEY suppresses a laugh.)
STORR: And if you smirk again like that, I'll crack your head open with this!
(He brandishes a knife.)
PENLEY: Yes, you're definitely back to your normal witty self.
STORR: Ach.
(STORR gives PENLEY a look of alert.)
PENLEY: What's the matter?
STORR: (Whispering.) Someone's outside!
PENLEY: They must have tracked me here from the base. Hide yourself - we don't want you carted off to Africa yet.
(Looking around, PENLEY finds GARRETT.)
PENLEY: You!
GARRETT: I followed you. It's alright, I'm alone.
PENLEY: What do you want?
GARRETT: We're in desperate trouble at the base. You're the only one who can help us.
PENLEY: Clent doesn't need me. All he wants is a mirror - preferably rose-tinted.
GARRETT: He does need you - to make the ioniser work again.
PENLEY: Is that all?
GARRETT: No. He's faced with having to report the full situation to World Control.
(PENLEY Laughs.)
PENLEY: Now we're coming to it, aren't we? The great Clent would have to admit failure. That's it, isn't it? Poor old Clent. He never could face the music. Here, ah, what, ah, what about this creature at the glacier?
GARRETT: It's only part of our trouble. The real problem is the ioniser. Will you come?
PENLEY: It's typical of him to send you, instead of armed guards.
GARRETT: He doesn't know I'm here. I'm asking you.
PENLEY: I won't come.
GARRETT: But you can't just step aside. A man like you - living like a scavenger. It's utterly wrong! Civilisation needs you.
PENLEY: Jane, I chose this existence. I chose it because I refuse to be sucked into that computerised ant-heap you call a civilisation. I'm a man, not a machine. I will not return.
GARRETT: Not even to save the world?
(He laughs again.)
PENLEY: Save the world? Well that has a fine Clentian ring to it. No thanks no. It'll take more than me to do that. But don't you worry. You don't get rid of my sort all that easily. Machines corrode and rust, but mankind goes on. You'll, you'll find Clent one of these days in a museum, like that ancient stove,...
(He indicates the display in the museum.)
PENLEY: ...with an inscription 'round him: "ROBOTISED HUMAN - MARK TWO: NOW EXTINCT". But you'll find others like me still alive.
GARRETT: Surely Elric that's all the more reason to come back - to change things!
PENLEY: Don't you understand Jane? Clent's just a talker. He's a glib political animal. Even if I did change things, the Clents of this world would still come out on top. Running things according to their own whims and indulgences. And the pity of it is, they believe they're right.
GARRETT: Then you leave me no alternative.
(She reveals a small gun.)
GARRETT: You will come - and now!
PENLEY: You must be desperate! But tranquillising me isn't going to make it any easier - you'd never be able to carry me all that way!
STORR: No you don't!
(STORR surprises GARRETT by attacking her with a knife. He knocks away her gun. PENLEY grabs it and turns it on her.)
GARRETT: Who's this?
PENLEY: Just a friend. Now what are you gonna do?
GARRETT: Return to base, and wait for the inevitable disaster.
STORR: Oh no you don't. I'm not having you set the dogs on me! I'll soon put an end to her game - give me that!
(STORR tries to grab the gun off PENLEY.)
PENLEY: Storr, no! She won't put us away.
GARRETT: No, I won't.
STORR: I don't trust any of 'em.
GARRETT: Please trust me enough to come with me to safety. Apart from the danger of the glacier these creatures.
PENLEY: Oh yes, your "ice warriors". Well, we shall just have to take our chance. No, I won't return. And now you must go. But, if the genius does have trouble with the ioniser, look up my notes on the omega factor.
GARRETT: Thank you for that at least.
(She leaves.)
STORR: This ice warrior - it's real then.
PENLEY: Oh yes. And I'm going up there again.
STORR: But why, man?
PENLEY: Because I must know. Now, put this knife to more sensible use.
[SCENE_BREAK]
4. GLACIER FACE
(VARGA has succeeded in resuscitating his fellow warriors. The crew members are ZONDAL, TUROC, RINTAN and ISBUR. VARGA addresses VICTORIA.)
VARGA: If you value life, obey, and do not anger us.
VICTORIA: (Terrified.) I... I want to go back to my friends.
VARGA: Perhaps later. For the moment, you are useful to us. Zondal.
ZONDAL: Commander.
VARGA: You will locate our buried spaceship without delay.
ZONDAL: That will not be difficult.
VARGA: You will excavate sufficient space to form a cave.
ZONDAL: A cave.
VARGA: To act as a trap.
VICTORIA: A, a trap? Who for?
VARGA: Do not interfere. Your friends may attack us.
VICTORIA: But, but they don't want to attack you. They could help you.
VARGA: We do not need help.
VICTORIA: You'd still be frozen and dead if it wasn't for us.
VARGA: You are a child.
VICTORIA: Oh, why won't you listen?
VARGA: (To ZONDAL.) Commence.
VICTORIA: What are you going to do with me?
VARGA: (He laughs, a rasping sound.) Bait. Bait for the trap. (Again he laughs.)
ZONDAL: Activate direction sensors.
(The beeping noise VARGA uses to find his crew sounds again.)
ZONDAL: Steady.
(The beeping stops.)
ZONDAL: Sonic gun ready. Set to wide impact. Take aim. Continuous... fire!
(The distinctive shrill of the weapons firing again fills the air. The area explodes in a blast of broken ice, creating the desired cave. Again, PENLEY watches from a distance.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
5. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
(In the control room, THE DOCTOR is muttering to himself as he tries to solve the ionisers problems.)
DOCTOR: If I was to reverse the sequence... to give a density ratio... where did I?...
(He searches the piles of paper he has amassed.)
DOCTOR: ...yes, here we are... if I reverse the sequence... to give a density ratio... excuse me... Excuse me! Yes...
(CLENT comes over to reply to THE DOCTOR's cry.)
CLENT: Genius at work, I see.
(THE DOCTOR does not notice him.)
CLENT: Good morning Doctor.
DOCTOR: Mmm? (To himself.) Yes...
CLENT: Well this is all very impressive, Doctor, but don't you think it'd be simpler to use a computer?
DOCTOR: What computer?
CLENT: The base computer.
DOCTOR: Yes, er, they're useful for digital analysis, but I very rarely use them, except when I have to.
(Suddenly THE DOCTOR is extremely urgent.)
DOCTOR: There is one thing you could do to me - for me which would be very important!
CLENT: Yes, yes, anything. What is it?
DOCTOR: Lend me a pencil.
(CLENT gives him a packet of pencils.)
DOCTOR: Oh, that would be even better.
CLENT: Doctor, would you mind explaining just what it is that you are...
DOCTOR: (Talking over the top of CLENT.) Now, this is wrong... this is wrong. It's not right, there's something missing. Er...
CLENT: Would these figures help?
DOCTOR: Supposing I - what are they?
CLENT: Data readings from the other bases.
DOCTOR: Oh, computer checked, I hope?
CLENT: (Proudly.) Of course.
DOCTOR: Oh, thank heavens for that.
(GARRETT enters the room.)
GARRETT: Doctor, I found something here that I think you might...
CLENT: (Interrupting.) Where have you been, Miss Garrett? Your instructions were to help the Doctor, were they not?
GARRETT: Yes, Leader Clent. I have been looking up Scientist Penley's notes - these. Could these help?
(She hands THE DOCTOR the notes.)
DOCTOR: What are they? Omega... well what does he mean? Omega... what does he... wait a minute. Wait a minute! Yes! Yes of course the... the Omega Factor! There... and here... and, and there! Yes! Ha ha! Your friend Penley is very clever!
CLENT: Is that it?
DOCTOR: Yes! That's it!
CLENT: (Sounding very relieved.) That's fantastic.
DOCTOR: Oh, when you've been at it as long as I have it's nothing.
GARRETT: Do you think it could possibly work?
CLENT: It's very possible.
DOCTOR: Possible? It's perfect! Well, it's nearly perfect.
CLENT: We shall see.
DOCTOR: Oh, it'll work, alright.
CLENT: The computer will confirm that, I'm sure.
DOCTOR: Computer?
GARRETT: Well, everything's checked.
DOCTOR: (Exploding.) I resent that!
CLENT: Just normal practice, Doctor.
DOCTOR: It should be the other way 'round!
CLENT: We have to be quite sure. It'll only take a matter of seconds. Um, copy all this down, Miss Garrett, and then we can feed it through the computer and do a simulator run. I'll just go and set it up.
(He leaves the discussion.)
DOCTOR: I shall demand an apology, you know.
GARRETT: We may not have time for that.
DOCTOR: Well, I'm glad you had time to look up Penley's notes.
GARRETT: Well I thought it might be useful.
DOCTOR: Pity that he turned traitor.
GARRETT: Clent might call him that, but he's still the most brilliant scientist we have.
DOCTOR: Oh. Oh, it's nice to see he still has some friends in the base.
[SCENE_BREAK]
6. GLACIER CAVE
(ARDEN speaks into his wrist communicator in a hushed voice. The communicator makes a beeping sound.)
ARDEN: Glacier task unit. Leader Clent, please. Leader Clent, please.
[SCENE_BREAK]
7. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
(CLENT and THE DOCTOR make their way over to the base's communicator - a large television screen.)
CLENT: Clent here. Report.
(The beeping stops.)
ARDEN: (On the television screen in the base.) We've arrived at the glacier site. There's something strange.
CLENT: What is?
ARDEN: The ice face. It's been excavated, into a cave.
DOCTOR: How?
ARDEN: By some kind of tool, I think.
CLENT: Is there any sign of a spacecraft?
ARDEN: Yes.
DOCTOR: There is? Where?
ARDEN: Well at the back of the cave there's what looks like a metal door in the ice.
[SCENE_BREAK]
8. THE SPACECRAFT
(Inside the warriors spacecraft, they watch the conversation on a monitor.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
9. GLACIER CAVE
ARDEN: The place is apparently deserted.
DOCTOR: Well make sure you don't go too near.
CLENT: (To THE DOCTOR.) Excuse me. Take the necessary readings, and leave quickly, Arden.
ARDEN: I'll take care.
(ARDEN moves over to JAMIE.)
JAMIE: What readings?
ARDEN: Radiation, magnetic field and ion density. Won't take long.
JAMIE: I don't fancy this place.
(One of the warriors appears through the door. ARDEN and JAMIE do not notice it.)
ARDEN: There's never been such a discovery as this! All my life...
(The warrior shoots down ARDEN and JAMIE. VICTORIA appears through the door and is horrified by what she sees.)
VICTORIA: (Emotionally, almost crying.) Argghh! No! Oh Jamie, no! What have you done to him?! You killed them!
VARGA: It was necessary.
VICTORIA: Oh, you're monsters!
VARGA: Remove her - inside.
(The warriors take her back inside the spacecraft.)
VICTORIA: Oh, leave me alone! Oh, please! You've done enough! Please, leave me alone! I want to go back! Please!
(There is a beeping sound. VARGA and ZONDAL remain outside.)
ZONDAL: There may be more of them.
VARGA: If more of them come, we will destroy them. If no more of them come, we will know there are not enough of them to resist us.
ZONDAL: Let us destroy the girl now.
VARGA: They came after her. She is obviously of some value to them.
ZONDAL: Then they will try again.
VARGA: We shall be ready for them. But first, Zondal, you have a task to complete. The propulsion unit. It must be made to function. Time is vital. You must succeed.
ZONDAL: Yes, Commander.
VARGA: Come.
(Once VARGA and ZONDAL have left, PENLEY emerges from hiding. He examines PENLEY and JAMIE, and decides to carry JAMIE away with him.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
10. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
(CLENT walks into the room.)
CLENT: We've just finished programming the computer. We shall have the result very quickly.
DOCTOR: Isn't it about time that Arden and Jamie reported again?
CLENT: Yes, that's true. But you know what Arden is, with his scientific curiosity.
DOCTOR: Yes, very human. I'm worried about them too...
(THE DOCTOR moves over to use the communicator. CLENT stops him.)
CLENT: Yes, I'll do it if you don't mind. Leader Clent calling Scientist Arden. Arden? Do you receive me?
DOCTOR: He's not answering. Yes, something has happened to them.
CLENT: It looks as if he's... Arden. For heaven's sake man, come in!
[SCENE_BREAK]
11. GLACIER CAVE
(THE DOCTOR's face can be seen on the wrist communicator, which is lying in the snow.)
DOCTOR: Jamie. Answer me! Jamie! What's happened? Jamie! Jamie!
[SCENE_BREAK]
12. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
DOCTOR: I will never forgive myself if anything's happened to Jamie.
CLENT: What about this project with Arden missing?
DOCTOR: Oh, your ioniser will work alright.
CLENT: I hope so. I'm not sure that I trust your judgement yet, Doctor.
DOCTOR: What do you mean - I'm only human? Well as a matter of fact...
(GARRETT rushes into the room.)
GARETT: (Interrupting the DOCTOR.) It works!
DOCTOR: I told you it would.
GARRETT: The equation works!
DOCTOR: I told you it would.
CLENT: Good. Good! Jolly good, success is at last possible. Inform all ioniser bases, Miss Garrett. Thank you Doctor, it's a triumph.
(GARRETT exits the room.)
DOCTOR: Very likely. But somewhere, out on that ice face, are two young people for whom I have considerable affection! That is no triumph!
CLENT: I appreciate your feelings. I too, have lost a colleague.
DOCTOR: They're not colleagues - they're friends!
CLENT: But we cannot be sentimental in this situation, Doctor. Our mission continues, we must all play our part.
DOCTOR: I've played mine, it's finished.
CLENT: What a triumph. Europe saved, science the victor over nature, and it happened in my sector. Well, it's not the first time.
(GARRETT re-enters the room, having completed notifying the other bases.)
GARRETT: Now we can go ahead! It only needs programming.
DOCTOR: Aren't you forgetting something?
CLENT: I'm sorry, some lives are bound to be lost.
DOCTOR: No no, I don't mean that. Arden - he's not yet completed his mission!
GARRETT: Yes, of course. The spaceship reactor. We daren't proceed until we've heard from Arden!
CLENT: Where is he, where is he, where is he?
[SCENE_BREAK]
13. PLANT MUSEUM
(PENLEY and STORR are nursing the injured JAMIE.)
STORR: Did you have to bring him back here? Another mouth to feed!
PENLEY: You may hate scientists, Storr, but there's no need to hate all human beings.
STORR: I don't trust anyone from Clent's base.
JAMIE: (Recovering consciousness.) Who are you? Where's Arden, what happened?! Oh, my head.
PENLEY: Now you must rest, you're suffering from severe shock. Now just lie still.
JAMIE: Well, where am I?
STORR: Ah, never you mind. Somewhere safe.
JAMIE: Well what happened to me? A... a... and Arden?
PENLEY: Arden's dead. You were both shot down by the warriors.
JAMIE: Arden dead?
PENLEY: They used some sort of ray gun.
JAMIE: So we failed.
STORR: You came to rescue the girl? Is that it?
JAMIE: You've seen Victoria!? Is she still alive!?
PENLEY: Yes, she is alive.
JAMIE: Then we can still save her! You will help me, please!
PENLEY: Now you're not yet well enough. We'll discuss it later.
JAMIE: No it'll be to late then. They might...
(He groans with pain.)
JAMIE: My head. No, you, you must help me save Vic... Victor... it'll be too... too late...
(He drifts into unconsciousness.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
14. GLACIER CAVE
(VICTORIA wanders outside the spaceship, and finds the wrist communicator. She tries to contact the base.)
VICTORIA: Doctor. If only I could make this thing work! Th - this is Victoria, calling the Doctor, or, or Leader Clent. This is Victoria, please answer me.
[SCENE_BREAK]
15. THE SPACECRAFT
(The WARRIORS watch VICTORIA on their screen.)
ZONDAL: The girl, Commander, she will betray us.
VARGA: She has courage. But she is also very stupid, to think that we would not watch her every move.
ZONDAL: She must be stopped.
[SCENE_BREAK]
16. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
(THE DOCTOR sees VICTORIA on the bases communicator.)
DOCTOR: It's Victoria! Victoria! Where are you?
VICTORIA: I...
[SCENE_BREAK]
17. GLACIER CAVE
VICTORIA: ...I don't know...
[SCENE_BREAK]
18. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
VICTORIA: ...some sort of cave.
DOCTOR: Are you alright?
VICTORIA: Yes, but, oh Doctor, something terrible's happened!
DOCTOR: What?
VICTORIA: They, they've shot Jamie and Arden!
DOCTOR: What? Well, well is he dead? Is, is he wounded? Is he badly wounded?
VICTORIA: I, I, I don't know.
DOCTOR: What do you mean?
VICTORIA: Well he, he, he's gone.
[SCENE_BREAK]
19. GLACIER CAVE
VICTORIA: Arden's body's still here, and he's dead, but the warriors are from Mars, and oh Doctor it's horrible!
(She erupts into tears.)
CLENT: Keep calm girl. We want facts. Tell us about the spacecraft first.
VICTORIA: No, please just, please listen to me. Arden's dead, and, and Jamie's disappeared.
[SCENE_BREAK]
20. IONISER CONTROL ROOM
VICTORIA: Don't you understand? They're ruthless killers and they'll stop at nothing. Now please, listen to me. There's no time to lose.
[SCENE_BREAK]
21. THE SPACECRAFT
(THE WARRIORS prepare to fire their ships gun at VICTORIA.)
VARGA: Ready to fire...
[SCENE_BREAK]
22. GLACIER CAVE
(The gun moves into position to kill VICTORIA.)
Plan: A: Arden; Q: Who accompanied Jamie to rescue Victoria? A: the Ice Warriors; Q: What group is now active? Summary: Jamie and Arden venture out to rescue Victoria only to find the rest of the Ice Warriors are now active.