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Doctor Who:
Balance of Time

by
tswheaton

FIRST DRAFT, 2016
© TRAVIS S WHEATON, 2017
Australian Writers Guild
Geelong, AU


INT. FACTORY

Out of the pitch blackness a flashing light suddenly appears, and with it the outline of a 1960's Police Telephone Box. The light ceases to flash, offering shadowy illumination to its immediate surrounds — some kind of complex workshop.

Slowly one of the box's double doors opens inwards, and a grey headed figure emerges, followed closely by a shorter, much more attitudinal figure.

Struggling to see much beyond the cone of light offered by the box's beacon, the DOCTOR pauses, and is promptly run into by BILL.

The Doctor's jaw clenches as he takes an extra step forward to gain some space, however Bill again follows, and again bumps into him in the darkness, causing the Doctor's jaw to hurt. Carefully turning around, he sniffs at the air.

THE DOCTOR
Titanium, silicone, and… refined
petrochemicals. Either we've landed
in some kind of secret underground
military weapons base, or —

The Doctor flicks his sonic in the air, and a row of lights flick on in sequence, illuminating several work stations, and behind them, row up on row of shiny metal men. Bill gasps in shock at the sight.

THE DOCTOR (con't)
Never mind — it was the first one.

Bill returns to the Doctor's shadow, as she stares at the scene before her.

BILL
Cybermen!

THE DOCTOR
No.

Bill frowns, stepping out from behind the Doctor, moving closer to examine the metallic humanoid form closest to her. It looks like a medieval suit of armour.

BILL
But you told me, they are made of
metal, and -

Quickly sidestepping around Bill, the Doctor puts out a cautious hand to quell her curiosity.

THE DOCTOR
Yes, but these are not Cybermen.
They are far worse. A Cyberman
may want to convert you, to chop
you up and meld your body with
metal and plastic to make you be
just like it. But this is an army
of Gundan robots, and all they do
is kill.

Bill pulls a face.

BILL
I think I'd rather take my chances with
them, then. So you've encountered
them before, the Gundan?

THE DOCTOR
Probably after. Or during. I'd say this
is before.

The Doctor examines one of the Gundan closely.

THE DOCTOR (con't)
They'd seen better days, though
still deadly with an axe. I managed
to repair one, very chatty chappy…

Bill's face drops as she looks back toward the TARDIS and sees an elderly lady quietly appear through a nearby doorway, gun drawn.

JARNI
Choose yours words carefully stranger,
or your story has reached its end.
What do you know of my Guardians.
You can't be here by coincidence,
not when the time is so close.

The Doctor spins around with a beaming smile on his face, arms out wide.

THE DOCTOR
Time? What is Time to a Time Lord?
You don't need to kill us. We're just
a couple of tourists. That's a mighty
army of deadly robot killing machines
you have here.

As the Doctor talks, he slowly walks to place himself between Jarni and Bill. Jarni aims the gun right at the Doctor's head.

JARNI
You said you fixed a Guardian.

THE DOCTOR
Guardian? Guar... Gun... dan… Ah.

JARNI
You will fix mine, or die.

The Doctor's smile has vanished. He looks over his shoulder.

THE DOCTOR
Since you put it so politely, I guess
we could help. What do you think,
Romana?

Behind him, Bill has simply vanished, replaced with Romana II, who grimaces.

ROMANA
What have you got us into now,
Doctor?

.

OPENING TITLES

.

That is the end of this "story" - it is just the pre-title sequence to a "companion-lite" story, with Bill replaced by classic series companion, Romana. The story revolves around the Gundan robots, deadly machines built to kill the cruel Tharils. The robots are built and ready to carry out their job - except their software is faulty. The Doctor is tasked with their repair, with Romana helping him. With the outcome potentially altering the events of "Warriors Gate", Romana has entered a state of flux, whereby she now stayed with the Doctor throughout his last 8 lives... Ultimately both become aware of this anomaly, and attempt to correct history, despite knowing this will rob them of a past that they both know to be false, and yet very, very comforting...