The Sea of Death
(As the ship finishes its materialisation, the time travellers all gather around the console.)
IAN: Any radiation, Doctor?
DOCTOR: No, nothing to speak of. The counter's hardly reading anything. Shall we take a look?
BARBARA: Pity you don't have colour television.
DOCTOR: Oh, but I have.
BARBARA: Where is it, then?
DOCTOR: Well…
PRINCESS: He hasn't been able to get it to work.
DOCTOR: Oh, really, my dear, must you be so crude. I mean really…
(While everyone else chuckles, the Doctor activates the scanner. They all look up, seeing the beach and beautiful sea.)
BARBARA: Oh, look. That's the sea, isn't it?
SUSAN: Yes, and sand.
PRINCESS: It looks very pretty.
SUSAN: Grandfather, I wonder where we are?
IAN: One thing's sure. We're not at Southend.
(They all laugh.)
SUSAN: Grandfather, can we go and have a look? Can we?
DOCTOR: Yes, I don't see why not. There's no danger about. Come on. Let's go and have a look.
(The Doctor actives the door controls and the wall open's up, revealing the beach outside. They are about to walk outside when Ian speaks.)
IAN: No.
(Everyone stops and looks at Ian in confusion.)
DOCTOR: What?
IAN: Well…I thought when you switched the scanner on, I thought I saw something move up there… Oh, probably just a shadow.
PRINCESS: Well, we'll be careful in any case. And any sign of trouble and we'll come straight back to the ship.
DOCTOR: Yes, I quite agree. Now, let's go outside and have a look.
(They walk out of the ship and onto the beach of an island.)
SUSAN: It is the sea. Oh, it's beautiful, isn't it, Princess?
PRINCESS: Oh, yes, definitely. Look at it. It's so serene. Completely calm.
IAN: Not even a ripple.
BARBARA: It isn't frozen, is it?
DOCTOR: No, impossible in this temperature. Besides, it's too warm.
SUSAN: Grandfather, do you think it's safe to go for a swim?
DOCTOR: Oh, no, no. Not at the moment, child. However inviting that water looks, we don't know what sort of creatures might be lurking beneath its surface.
PRINCESS: If your grandfather deems it safe, we can go for a swim later, Susan.
(Susan smiles as they begin to walk along the coast, moving in between tall jagged rocks. They continue along the coast for a bit. As they do, Ian and Barbara stop to look around. When Susan continues on the Princess follows her, while the Doctor has found something interesting on the ground.)
BARBARA: (To Ian) It's so quiet.
IAN: Yes, it is. No birds or anything.
BARBARA: And there's nothing growing.
(The Doctor returns to Ian and Barbara. The Doctor is now holding what he's picked up off the ground, a sharp piece of glass.)
DOCTOR: I say, what do you make of this, Chesterton? Fascinating.
IAN: It's glass.
DOCTOR: (Chuckling) Yes, it is, isn't it? Yes. Glass instead of sand, eh? Intriguing, intriguing, my boy.
IAN: Do you think the sand turned into glass?
DOCTOR: Or was the glass put here deliberately, and if so, why, hmm?
(Meanwhile, Susan finds a rock pool with the Princess.)
SUSAN: (Calling) There's a lovely pool over here. (To Princess) Do you think it'd be all right to go for a paddle?
PRINCESS: I don't see why not. It's hardly deep enough to harbour anything more threatening than a tadpole after all. I'll join you.
(Susan begins quickly removing her shoes and socks. The Princess is a little slower at doing the same. Barbara then comes over to join them, but trips and stumbles into Susan, making her drop her shoe in the pool.)
BARBARA: Oh, sorry, Susan.
SUSAN: Never mind. I'll get it. Are you going to come in too?
BARBARA: No.
(Susan is about to put her foot in as Ian arrives.)
IAN: No, Susan, don't!
(Barbara and the Princess quickly grab Susan and pull her back from the pool. Inside the pool, the shoe Susan dropped is being dissolved into nothing.)
BARBARA: (Frightened) Ian, what is it?
IAN: Must be some sort of acid.
BARBARA: But it was so fast. It just seemed to dissolve.
SUSAN: (Crying) And I was going to paddle in it.
(The Princess holds Susan close.)
PRINCESS: The important thing is that you didn't, thanks to Ian. I'm sorry, Susan, I never should have let you go in without being sure it was safe first.
SUSAN: No…No, I should have known better.
(The Princess lifts Susan's chin so that they can look each other in the eye.)
PRINCESS: We both should have. Now, come on, I'll take you back to the ship so you can get another pair of shoes.
IAN: (Begins taking off his boots) Here, you'd better take mine for now, Susan.
SUSAN: I can't put those on. They're much too big for me.
BARBARA: Now, come on. It's better than cutting your feet open on this glass.
PRINCESS: Yes. Ian can wait here until we bring his boots back.
SUSAN: All right.
(Susan puts on the boots.)
PRINCESS: Right, now, take my arm, Susan. (To Ian & Barbara) We'll be as quickly as we can.
BARBARA: We'll wait here for you.
(The Princess and Susan walk back along the beach towards the ship. Slowly because of the oversized boots Susan is wearing.)
(Later, the Princess and Susan exit the ship and back onto the beach. Susan has a new pair of shoes on and is carrying Ian's boots. Susan then puts Ian's boots down on the ground as she locks the ship's door.)
PRINCESS: (To Susan) There, does that feel better now?
SUSAN: Yes. These feel much better than Ian's.
PRINCESS: They look much better too.
(The Princess and Susan giggle.)
PRINCESS: Now, let's get those back to…
(The Princess notices something on the beach. Susan follows her gaze and sees it too. A series of webbed footprints leading away from the ship and along the beach in the opposite direction to the way the travellers originally went.)
SUSAN: I wonder what made those?
PRINCESS: (Grinning) Shall we find out?
SUSAN: (Uncertainly) But shouldn't we get Grandfather?
PRINCESS: Yes, but why let him make all the discoveries?
(Susan grins along with the Princess.)
PRINCESS: Come on, let's see where they lead.
(The Princess and Susan begin to follow the trail of odd footprints along the beach.)
(After following the trail of footprints away from the beach, the Princess and Susan find themselves beneath a large looming pyramid shaped building. As they arrive, they both look up at its impressive height.)
SUSAN: (To Princess) How high do you think it is?
PRINCESS: I'm not sure, Susan. It could be above…thirty stories. Maybe more.
(Susan looks back down. They are at the end of the trail.)
SUSAN: It's stops here.
(The Princess and Susan look around, but don't see anything that could have made the trail.)
PRINCESS: Whatever it was, it must have gone inside this building.
SUSAN: Maybe there's a door around this way.
(Susan starts walking towards the corner of the building. She is about to go around…)
PRINCESS: Hold on, Susan.
(Susan stops by the corner. The Princess approaches her.)
PRINCESS: While I do enjoy a little adventure, I think it's time we go back to the others. I imagine your grandfather is worried sick by now.
SUSAN: Yes, I suppose you're right… Although, couldn't we just look around the outside, see if we can find a door?
(Susan looks hopefully at the Princess.)
PRINCESS: Oh, all right. We'll walk around and then head back down to the beach to find your grandfather.
SUSAN: What if we find a door?
PRINCESS: Then we'll still go back and get your grandfather. No doubt he'll want to see inside this place too.
(The Princess and Susan go around the corner and begin walking around the outside of the large building. After eventually getting to the next corner of the building, they head around it and continue along the wall. But by this point, the Princess is getting a little tired. The Princess stops and leans against a wall.)
PRINCESS: Sorry, Susan… I'm going to need to…need to stop. (Deep breaths) I'm afraid I'm not quite as fast as you.
(Susan comes back to the Princess.)
SUSAN: That's all right, Princess.
PRINCESS: You're just like your grandfather in that regard, you know? Always rushing from one thing to another.
(Susan smiles and comes to rest against the wall next to the Princess. Then suddenly the wall gives way. It turns and the two shriek as they fall into the building. The wall then closes over sealing them inside.)
(A little while later, the Princess and Susan enter one of the building's corridors. They walk slowly and cautiously, looking around as they do.)
SUSAN: (Frightened) What's that, Princess?
(Susan points to a strange figure down the corridor, that's stood against the wall. Humanoid in shape, but with webbed hands and feet and a strange shaped head that looks almost demonic. It has large hollowed out eye sockets, with two horn like points at the back of its head. The Princess and Susan stop, Susan holding the Princess in fright as the Princess stares at the figure.)
PRINCESS: It's all right, Susan. I think it's just a statue.
(Susan nods nervously and they take a few steps forward. Then another set of footsteps come from behind them. The Princess and Susan turn around, finding a man in white robes stood at the other end of the corridor staring back at them. Frightened again, Susan grabs a hold of the Princess' arm.)
PRINCESS: (To the white robbed man) Oh, hello. Sorry if we're intruding. We ended up in here by accident.
(The man in the robes continues to stare, saying nothing.)
PRINCESS: (Cautiously) Would you mind helping us find the way out?
(The man in the robes then turns and exits around the corner.)
SUSAN: (Quietly) Who was he?
PRINCESS: I have no idea.
SUSAN: I want to leave now.
PRINCESS: Yes, I think that would be a good–
(The Princess is grabbed from behind by the thing she thought was a statue, now showing itself to be a living creature! Susan screams. The Princess struggles but can't escape. Susan tries to jump on the thing, but it shoves her off and into the wall.)
PRINCESS: Susan!
(The Princess continued to struggle, turning around with the thing still holding her from behind. Then, it suddenly let's go. It goes ridged, arms in the air, and then collapses on the floor in front of the Princess and Susan. A knife is in its back…and the white robed man has returned. Susan hurries over to the Princess' side, taking shelter in her embrace.)
PRINCESS: (Nervously) Who are you?
(As the white robed man advances towards them, the Princess and Susan step backwards.)
(Later, the Princess and Susan are sat down in a sealed room. With them are the Doctor and Barbara, who are also trapped.)
SUSAN: (Frightened) It was dreadful. The wall just seemed to swallow us up.
(Susan whimpers and the Princess hugs her with one arm.)
PRINCESS: Then we wondered around for a bit and this man in white robes appeared.
BARBARA: Who was he?
PRINCESS: He never said. Never spoke in fact. Then some statue like thing attacked us.
DOCTOR: Describe it.
PRINCESS: All black. Webbed hands and feet. And a strangely shaped head, with horns at the back.
DOCTOR: Hmmm. Sounds very similar to the suit we found on the beach, wouldn't you say, Miss Wright?
BARBARA: Yes.
PRINCESS: You found what on the beach?
BARBARA: A suit, similar to what you described. Only whatever was inside it was gone. There was a hole in the suit and the glass submarine it used to get here. The acid sea must have gotten in and…
DOCTOR: (Gravely) Yes, whoever it was didn't stand a chance.
BARBARA: Doctor, you don't suppose these things are the ones that live here?
DOCTOR: No, no. The man wearing the monk's habit lives in this building. Wouldn't you say so, Princess?
PRINCESS: That would be my guess, yes. And he did save me and Susan when, whatever it was, attacked us.
BARBARA: So, the men from the glass submarines are intruders, like us.
DOCTOR: Yes, with one difference, which is puzzling, but revealing. They died, and we're only prisoners.
BARBARA: Well maybe we're to be killed, too.
DOCTOR: I shouldn't worry too much about that. That young schoolmaster friend of yours is very resourceful. Whilst he's free, our chance of rescue is still good.
BARBARA: Well, that's just it, Doctor. He isn't free. He was captured before I was.
PRINCESS: So, where is he then?
(They all look nervously around the sealed room. Then suddenly part of the wall pulls away and slides open, creating a door.)
IAN: My ears are burning.
(Ian steps in with a grin.)
PRINCESS & SUSAN & BARBARA: Ian!
DOCTOR: Chesterton! Oh, a very well done my boy.
IAN: Well done for what?
DOCTOR: Oh, don't be so modest.
IAN: But, Doctor, I didn't do anything.
SUSAN: Yes, you did, you freed us!
IAN: No, Susan. It was him that did that.
(From behind Ian, the man in the white robes enters as Ian points to him. His hood now pulled down, we see an old man, Arbitan.)
PRINCESS: (To Arbitan) Are you ready to talk to us now?
ARBITAN: I apologise for earlier. There wasn't time for proper introductions. The Voord were attacking and I had to hide you away while I had the chance.
BARBARA: The Voord?
DOCTOR: The name of whatever's inside those suits I imagine.
IAN: You're right, Doctor.
SUSAN: (To Arbitan) Is the attack over?
ARBITAN: For now, yes.
PRINCESS: Then we can have those proper introductions now. Hello, I'm the Princess.
(Arbitan shakes her hand with a friendly smile.)
ARBITAN: A pleasure to meet you, my dear. I am known as Arbitan, and this is my home.
SUSAN: Hello, I'm Susan.
BARBARA: And I'm Barbara.
PRINCESS: You've already met Ian and this man here is the Doctor.
DOCTOR: Well, now that introductions are out of the way, perhaps we might leave this dreary room.
ARBITAN: Yes, follow me. So that I might explain.
(Arbitan leads the travellers out of the room and into a larger one. This one has a strange machine in the centre of it. A large transparent twelve-sided dodecagon is suspended in the air, held up by metallic polls that form a wide spread supporting cage like structure around it. Ian, Barbara and Susan inspect the strange machine, while the Doctor and Princess remain close to Arbitan.)
DOCTOR: (To Arbitan) Yes, yes. I want to know more about this planet. Your technology, you say, reached its peak over two thousand years ago?
ARBITAN: Yes, and all our knowledge culminated in the manufacture of this. (Points to the dodecagon) At the time, it was called, 'The Conscience of Marinus'. Marinus, that is the name of our planet. At first, this machine was simply a judge and jury that was never wrong, and unfair. And then we added to it, improved on it, made it more and more sophisticated so that finally it became possible to radiate its power and influence the minds of men throughout the planet. They no longer had to decide what was wrong or right. The machine decided for them.
(The Doctor and Princess share a look. The Princess uncomfortable, the Doctor critical, as if they know something of this power themselves.)
DOCTOR: I see. And in that case, it was possible to eliminate evil from the minds of men, was it?
ARBITAN: That is exactly what happened. Marinus was unique in the universe. Robbery, fear, hate, violence, were unknown among us. Yes, yes, for seven centuries we prospered.
PRINCESS: But then something went wrong?
ARBITAN: Yes. A man named Yartek, he found a means of overcoming the power of the machine. He and his followers, the Voords, were able to rob, exploit, kill, cheat.
DOCTOR: (Whispers to Princess) I hope you are taking note of this, my dear.
(The Princess glares at the Doctor.)
ARBITAN: (Continuing) Our people could not resist because violence is alien to them.
IAN: But surely by this time this machine had become a great danger to you? If it had fallen into the hands of the Voords, they could have controlled Marinus. Why didn't you destroy it?
DOCTOR: Yes, why didn't you?!
ARBITAN: We always hoped to find a way of modifying it and making it again irresistible.
DOCTOR: A foolish idea, sir! A foolish idea.
PRINCESS: Doctor…
DOCTOR: Power corrupts, especially power like that!
PRINCESS: (Insistent) Doctor.
(The Princess touches the Doctor's arm. They glare at one another and the Doctor falls silent.)
ARBITAN: You are right, of course, the machine is dangerous in the wrong hands. But there were no wrong hands until Yartek arrived. So instead of destroying it, we removed the five key microcircuits, so that even if Yartek got a hold of it, the machine would be useless.
IAN: What did you do with the keys?
ARBITAN: One of them, I kept. There it is.
(Arbitan points up to the dodecagon again. They all now see the key inside of it.)
ARBITAN: The other four were taken and put in places of safety all over Marinus. Only I know where they are, and now the time has come when they must be recovered.
BARBARA: Well why don't you simply make new keys?
ARBITAN: The keys are very simple, but the microcircuits inside are very complicated. A permutation of numbers and signals that would take a thousand years to unravel. And besides, since the keys were hidden, I have worked on this machine and modified it, so that when they're replaced the Voords will no longer be able to resist it.
PRINCESS: And it will bring peace back to Marinus.
ARBITAN: Yes, exactly.
PRINCESS: (To Doctor) See, it's not all bad.
(The Doctor snorts and shakes his head.)
IAN: (To Arbitan) Surely there must be someone you can send for these keys?
ARBITAN: Through the years all my friends, all my followers, have gone. They have never returned… Last year I sent my daughter... She has not come back. All I have now to comfort me is the distant echo of her voice, the imagined sound of her footsteps. But now your coming's brought new hope. Oh yes, yes, you must find the keys for me.
(The Doctor and Princess are walking along the beach. Ahead of them, Ian, Barbara and Susan walk towards the ship. As they walk the Princess glances towards the Doctor.)
PRINCESS: (To Doctor) You didn't have to be so rude to him. He was only asking for help.
DOCTOR: No. He was asking us to help him enslave this planet.
PRINCESS: Oh, don't be so dramatic. He was trying to bring peace to it.
DOCTOR: Yes, but he was forcing it upon them, giving them no choice. But why am I not surprised that you agree with his methods.
(The Doctor storms off ahead, but the Princess catches up to him.)
PRINCESS: This is different–
DOCTOR: Is it, how so?
PRINCESS: He's only doing it on a planetary scale. And with that kind of technology, it's not a leap to assume that they have space travel. If they do, then anyone would be free to leave Marinus and the effects of that machine whenever they chose.
DOCTOR: And you think that's a bad thing?
PRINCESS: No, I think it's a choice.
DOCTOR: Ah, I see, so if you were to do it there would be no choice!
PRINCESS: You're just twisting my words!
DOCTOR: Like I told that man back there, power corrupts, my dear princess.
PRINCESS: And as you well know, I don't have the kind of power we're talking about.
(The Princess begins to walk away.)
DOCTOR: (Muttering) Yet.
(The Princess stops for a moment, her face hidden by her long red hair.)
PRINCESS: (Coldly) I thought we were leaving.
(The Princess continues on after the others. The Doctor stares after her a moment before then following. Up ahead, Ian, Barbara and Susan are waiting near the ship.)
SUSAN: (Calling) Come on, Grandfather, Princess.
DOCTOR: We're coming, child. Don't rush us, we're coming.
(The Doctor and Princess join their fellow travellers, before the Doctor makes his way past the group.)
DOCTOR: (To everyone) Well, don't just stand there, come along, come along. Don't keeping me waiting.
(Barring the Princess who remains silent, the others scoff in amusement before following the Doctor. The Doctor, now near the ship, reaches to put the key in the lock. But as he tries, an invisible wall prevents him from getting close enough to do so.)
DOCTOR: (Confused) What?
BARBARA: What is it?
(Ian puts his hands up and presses against the invisible wall around the ship.)
IAN: Well, it's some sort of invisible barrier. What do you make of it, Doctor?
(They all begin pressing against the invisible wall around the ship.)
DOCTOR: I don't know. I don't know. There's no substance here. Have a look round the side, child. Go along.
(Susan makes her way along the invisible wall and around to the other side of the ship.)
BARBARA: It's like an invisible wall.
DOCTOR: Is it a circular barrier?
(Susan returns having gone the whole way around.)
SUSAN: Goes all the way round. There aren't any corners to it.
DOCTOR: No, of course, there wouldn't be. No. The molecules would be at their weakest. (He laughs) It's fascinating, Chesterton. Yes, I've got it, I've got it. You know, I think a force barrier has been put up around the ship.
ARBITAN: (Voice echoing around them) I am sorry you forced me to keep you from your ship, but your refusal to help me left me no alternative.
(The five travellers all look up at the sky, trying to find where the voice is coming from.)
IAN: Arbitan, where are you?
ARBITAN: That is not important. If you help me find the keys of Marinus, I will let you have access to your machine when you have delivered all the keys to me. If not, you will stay on the island without food or water. The choice is yours.
IAN: Choice? What choice?
(Later, back in room containing the Conscience of Marinus, Arbitan and the time travellers are all stood around a table with a map of Marinus on it. On the map are four dots, marking the locations of the keys.)
IAN: Well, at least we know the rough location of the keys. Now all we have to do is get them.
ARBITAN: As soon as you have started your voyage, I will release the forcefield. Your ship will be available to you when you return.
BARBARA: If we return.
DOCTOR: (Angrily) I know we have no choice, but this whole affair is outrageous. Blackmail, pure and simply blackmail.
PRINCESS: (Sighing) Yes, we've been over all that.
IAN: The Princess is right, Doctor. Let's just get on with the job.
ARBITAN: Perhaps you will bring me news of my daughter. I miss her. Yes, I miss her.
PRINCESS: We'll try to find out what happened to her if we can.
IAN: Yes, but we can't let it take up too much time. As it is, it'll take us days to get around all of these. (He waves at the dots on the map)
DOCTOR: (To Arbitan) And another thing. If you think I'm going to travel across that acid sea in one of these primitive submersibles, you're very much mistaken.
ARBITAN: I wouldn't think of asking you to travel in such an absurd way. No, I'm going to give you a device which will enable you to move from place to place.
(Arbitan picks up five watch like devices from the table and begins handing them out to the travellers.)
DOCTOR: Oh, really.
ARBITAN: The principle is much the same as that of your ship. (To Barbara) Place that around your wrist, please. (Back to the Doctor) You told me about, except this will enable you to cross space, not time.
IAN: (Looking at the watch like device) What, this little thing?
DOCTOR: Oh, don't be ridiculous, my boy. This is a perfectly acceptable method of travel. Very compact and very neat, sir, if I may say. Yes.
(They've all put on their watch like devices.)
ARBITAN: They're all programmed to the same destination. You have only to twist the dial once.
BARBARA: Like this?
(Barbara vanishes as she turns the dial on the device.)
SUSAN: Barbara!
IAN: What…? (To Arbitan) What have you done to Barbara?
ARBITAN: You must not waste time. You must follow, quickly. One final word. If when you return, you find the Voord have taken this building, do not let them get the keys. You understand? Destroy them!
PRINCESS: We understand, Arbitan.
ARBITAN: Then go, go now. Twist the dials and get after your friend.
(The remaining travellers look to one another. Then, each of them turns their dials, and together they vanish.)
(The Doctor, Princess, Ian and Susan materialise before a large metal door. The Doctor chuckles happily.)
DOCTOR: Oh, how exhilarating.
PRINCESS: I must say, I feel a little queasy myself.
(The Princess holds her stomach and leans on Susan.)
DOCTOR: Oh, nonsense, my dear. I feel perfectly fine.
SUSAN: (Looking around) Where's Barbara? She should be here now.
(They all look around, but there's no sign of Barbara before the large metal door.)
PRINCESS: Barbara?
SUSAN: Barbara!
(Ian looks down and picks something up off the floor.)
IAN: It's Barbara's travel dial.
(Ian examines the travel dial as the others gather around him.)
IAN: (Alarmed) Look, there's blood on it.
Next Episode – The Velvet Web