EXT. CHAPEL BELL TOWER – NIGHT
Rose and the Doctor fall from the top of the bell tower over the top of the van. They're just about to go SPLAT when...
INT. TARDIS
The Doctor and Rose materialize inside the belly of the Tardis, on their backs, safe on the ground. He laughs. She takes a moment to realize where she is before she stops screaming.
DOCTOR
Yes! I forgot how much fun that was!
He stands and offers her a hand.
DOCTOR
Come on, that's enough with the screaming.
ROSE
How did? It's magic.
DOCTOR
It's better. It's science! Now, hold on.
The Doctor walks over to the Tardis controls and throws a lever.
EXT. ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY – NIGHT
With no one in the driver's seat, and the police fast approaching, the Tardis van makes a break for it.
INT. FBI CAR – NIGHT
Agent Cano, in the passenger's seat, notices the Tardis van.
CANO
There! Go after it!
The driver, Special Agent Rebecca WEBB (32), executes a hard turn in pursuit of the driverless van. Cano pulls out a walkie-talkie.
CANO
(into walkie talkie)
All units, I have visual on a white Chevy proceeding south-southwest from the chapel. We are in pursuit, requesting backup, over.
He points.
CANO
Gun it, Webb!
She floors it.
EXT. VARIOUS LOCATIONS – ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY – NIGHT
Cano's car and a handful of police vehicles pursue the van around the campus. The van hops a curb and drives straight towards a line of trees near a stream. An odd sound emanates from the van, like the turning and grinding of ethereal gears. The van makes a hard turn down an embankment and disappears from sight for a half-second.
Cano's car makes the same turn, but by the time they clear the embankment, the van has disappeared.
INT. FBI CAR
Cano and Webb look out the window and in all directions.
WEBB
What the hell? Where did it go?
CANO
I... dammit!
Cano slams the dashboard in defeat.
CANO
(into walkie talkie)
Does anybody see them?
RADIO VOICE 1 (V.O.)
Negative, over.
RADIO VOICE 2 (V.O.)
Negative. We have lost visual contact, over.
Cano sits back.
REGISTER (V.O.)
Agent Register to Special Agent Cano, please respond, over.
CANO
(into walkie talkie)
This is Cano.
REGISTER (V.O.)
Sir, I'm back at the chapel. I've secured the location. There's some things here you've got to see. I'd rather not explain over the comm. Over.
Cano and Webb share a confused glance.
EXT. PARKING LOT - TENNANT APARTMENT BUILDING – NIGHT
In a dimly lit parking lot behind the building, we hear the same ethereal gear turning we heard just before the Tardis van disappeared. This time, though, the van fades INTO existence comfortably in one of the empty parking spots.
Before long, the rear doors open and Rose and the Doctor emerge. She marvels at where they are.
ROSE
Unbelievable.
DOCTOR
That's an odd thing to say. You were there. Now, you're here. You can see that, breath the air. What makes it hard to believe?
He climbs into the driver's seat and turns the engine over.
ROSE
Wait. You're just going to leave me? Just like that?
DOCTOR
Yep.
He drives a few yards, slams on the brakes, then backs up.
DOCTOR
Unless, of course, you wanted to come with me.
ROSE
Come with you?
DOCTOR
Yeah. Daga may have been a greedy, egomaniacal, sociopath hellbent on world domination, but he was right about one thing; I am alone. And you sorta kinda proved somewhat useful a couple times back there.
ROSE
Somewhat useful?
DOCTOR
(smiles)
A couple times. And you have a good heart.
She melts a little.
ROSE
I don't know...
DOCTOR
Yeah. You know, I understand. You just put yourself through school. You've got history teaching to do. That's your passion. And that's great. I mean, it's not as if I have a timeship or anything, capable of going anywhere, anytime, in all of history. That probably wouldn't interest someone like you.
ROSE
You're trying to tempt me. What about my family?
DOCTOR
Sorry, the offer's just for one. But, it's a timeship. We can go on as many adventures as you'd like, and I can put you right back here. It'd be like you never left. Think about it. Go graduate. I'll come back for you.
He drives off. She considers her options.
EXT. PARKING LOT – ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY – DAY
The chapel bell rings. We're back where we started as Rose, Jackie, and Mark load Jackie's mini-van with the contents of Rose's dorm room. Rose loads her suitcase into the back when she becomes distracted by the radio. She runs around to the front seat and turns the volume up.
REPORTER (V.O.)
...with the latest on the St. Joseph's University bombing. Reports from local officials indicate that they are not currently pursuing criminal charges against the twenty-five students involved in the Order of Vox Cult, and that the students will instead receive psychological rehabilitation. Charges, including one count of murder for the death of Professor Jillian Lowenstein, will be brought against cult leader Nial Little who was apparently employed by the school just last year. State officials are calling into question the school's background checks of Mr. Little, but no further indictments have been made. To sports we go as the Phillies lost again last night...
Rose smiles.
JACKIE (O.S.)
Hey, lady, did you want a sandwich with your break? Maybe a cup of soup?
Rose rolls her eyes and steps out of the mini-van, but stops in her tracks as she sees something in the distance. Jackie, spotting her daughter's odd expression, looks in the direction of Rose's glance. There, across the road, is the Doctor, leaning against the Tardis white van. He smiles in Rose's direction.
ROSE
He came back for me. Just like he said he would.
JACKIE
Oh, no. No, not with that man. Not again.
ROSE
Mom.
JACKIE
No, it's not right. He's dangerous. You can't.
Rose gently touches both of Jackie's arms.
ROSE
Mom.
Jackie recognizes the futility in arguing with her and the two share an embrace. Rose tries to pull away several times, but Jackie refuses to let go. Finally, Mark comes over and Jackie lets go and walks away.
MARK
What's going on? Why's she crying?
ROSE
It's nothing to worry about.
She kisses him. It takes him by surprise, but he likes it.
MARK
Wow, what was that for?
ROSE
I'm going to miss you.
MARK
Miss me? I'm coming over tonight. I'm going to see you in four hours.
ROSE
Right. It's just going to seem longer. How's the head?
MARK
Should be good. You're sure your mother doesn't want me to pay for that vase? I feel bad. Oh god, that's not why she's crying is it? Was it, like, an heirloom or something?
ROSE
Don't worry about it.
MARK
All right. I'll see you later.
ROSE
Great. Bye.
MARK
Bye, love.
Mark walks away. Rose turns and looks at the Doctor, who still stands next to the Tardis van across the street. She remains unaware of the fact that, not too far away, Future Rose and the Doctor debate her fate.
FUTURE ROSE
I asked you a question.
The Doctor watches Rose's younger self skip happily towards the other version of himself. They both look happy, excited for the adventures that await them. But in front of him, he sees what those adventures have done to Rose, how weary she's become. There's guilt in his eyes.
FUTURE ROSE
Will you remember me? Will you miss me?
DOCTOR
Of course, I'll remember you, and I'll miss you.
She melts a little.
DOCTOR
… Just like I remember and miss all the wonderful people I've met throughout history and throughout the universe.
She sulks, deeply hurt. She turns away from him.
DOCTOR
I'm sorry if I ever hurt you, Rose.
FUTURE ROSE
Forget it.
DOCTOR
There's not a lot of time. Your younger self is about to go with me, him. This is your last chance to erase our time together. If you don't want to remember us, save yourself, now.
Back across the street, the Doctor and young Rose get in the van.
ROSE
(smiling)
Anywhere I want to go?
DOCTOR
Anywhere and anywhen.
He turns the key in the ignition and puts the van in drive.
VOICE (O.S.)
Wait! Waaaaait!
He hits the brake.
ROSE
Who was that?
They both look, but don't see anyone. Suddenly, Jackie's head appears at young Rose's window. She jumps, startled, then rolls down the window.
JACKIE
Just one more hug.
Rose smiles and hugs her mother through the window. Jackie points at the Doctor.
JACKIE
I swear to you, if anything happens to her.
DOCTOR
Yeah, yeah, you'll rip me apart. Got it.
JACKIE
Love you, Rose.
ROSE
Love you.
The white Tardis van drives off and turns down a deserted back road. We hear the signature ethereal gears sound.
Meanwhile, Future Rose turns back to face her own Doctor. She looks practically stoic.
FUTURE ROSE
Goodbye, Doctor.
She turns and runs right for Jackie. The Doctor watches her go, sad.
FUTURE ROSE
Mom! Mooom!
JACKIE
Rose?
Future Rose cries when she reaches her mother. The two hug.
The Doctor turns away from the reunion. He walks slowly around the corner and approaches a second white Tardis van. He enters through the back.
INT. TARDIS
Forlorn and alone, the Doctor steps up to the Tardis command console. It hums like a heartbeat and is the only sound in the room. He puts his hands over the console, preparing to enter in a new time and destination, but stops. He doesn't know where, or when, to go.
Or does he?
EXT. GOVERNMENT BUILDING – NIGHT
A barbed wire fence and well-armed security patrols guard a secret government facility in parts unknown. There's a helipad on the roof of the six-story office building and enough security to guard the President of the Unites States.
INT. ELEVATOR – GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Special Agent Cano and Agent Webb ride the elevator down to level "LL10", a number five full levels below the last button available to push on the elevator controls.
INT. LL10 – GOVERNMENT BUILDING
Elevator doors open on the basement floor, an enormous open area, like an underground warehouse, but with a network of honeycomb-like sterile holding and laboratory cells. There are lab stations setup where various scientists inspect and try to reverse-engineer some of Daga's equipment from the chapel bell tower.
Cano and Webb walk through the center aisle, then turn toward a small cluster of the honeycomb-shaped cells. A scientist, Dr. AMELIA FROST (50s), meets them.
CANO
Report.
FROST
We've kept the new arrivals under heavy sedation. There was some concern about which dosage levels to administer to the, uh, woman, considering she's just a head. She ended up taking about one hundred cc's.
WEBB
That's enough to put down a bull elephant.
FROST
She's definitely a feisty one. We can't make heads or tails of her physiology. She doesn't appear to have any internal organs, which makes sense, but that doesn't explain how she's alive.
They arrive at two cells isolated from each other by a four-foot thick white wall. Each cell is sealed by a see-through pane of impenetrable plastic. Inside the cells are Daga and Lowenstein, both asleep and restrained with medical equipment hooked up to them.
CANO
What about our "Mr. Little"?
FROST
Very similar to the woman, actually, at least at the cellular level, and except for the body, of course. We'll know more when we've had a chance to run more tests.
WEBB
Incredible. Real life aliens.
Cano sighs.
CANO
And what about the third one?
Frost turns and escorts the agents to a third cell.
FROST
His condition remains unchanged. I performed an MRI on his brain, but I'll be damned if I understand it. His vitals are strong, both of his hearts are pumping good, and there's plenty of brain activity. I can't find any reason why he shouldn't be awake and talking to us.
CANO
And no one has any theories as to why he's still unconscious?
FROST
It could be some sort of voluntary coma to avoid interrogation, but, honestly, hell if I know.
Cano peers through the third cell's viewing wall at the patient/inmate within.
CANO
Holding onto your secrets, are you?
Just like Daga and Lowenstein, this third subject is also asleep, restrained, and hooked up to various medical equipment. Of greater interest, though, is the identity of the third subject...
… The Doctor!
END CREDITS ROLL
- End Pilot – Serial, To be Continued -
