The Ordeal

(A few days later. At the edge of the forest, near the Dalek city, Susan is using the Doctor's binocular glasses to look at the city. After a moment she runs back to a nearby rock surrounded by the Doctor, Princess, Alydon and Dyoni. On the rock is a map they are all looking at. As Susan joins them, she hands Alydon the glasses.)

SUSAN: (Pointing to the map) There are four roads that lead off from the main square, going north, south, east and west.

(Dyoni marks what Susan points to on the map, while Alydon looks to the city through the glasses.)

ALYDON: (Pointing to the map) The main ventilators seem to be over in this section.

(Dyoni marks this also.)

DOCTOR: (To Alydon) Can you see any way in at all?

ALYDON: No.

SUSAN: But I thought we just came here to make a map, Grandfather?

DOCTOR: Yes, my child, but we should also be looking for effective ways to distract the Daleks too.

PRINCESS: But surely it will be easier and safer for us to distract them from out here?

DOCTOR: Yes, but not as effective, my dear. If we are to keep them busy, we must sneak in and sabotage some of their systems. That will give the others the best chance possible to succeed on their end.

PRINCESS: I see your point.

DOCTOR: Well, I'm glad. (To Alydon) Oh, allow me, will you, young man?

(The Doctor takes the glasses from Alydon and stands up, to everyone's shock.)

SUSAN: Grandfather, get down!

(Susan and the Princess quickly grab the Doctor and pull him back down behind the cover of the rock.)

PRINCESS: Are you mad, they could have seen you!

DOCTOR: Oh, the pair of you, such worriers. (Looking through the glasses to the city) Now, the things we have to put out of action is the radio and television waves. They've obviously got complete coverage in and around the city.

ALYDON: They don't leave much to chance.

DOCTOR: We must presume they don't leave anything to chance.

DYONI: If they have pictures of the entrance to the city, how can we do anything?

DOCTOR: Then we must stop the pictures. Remember, the Daleks aren't very mobile.

SUSAN: Yes, we do have speed on our side.

DOCTOR: And there's always value in surprise. I know it looks difficult, but we must try it, my friends. Yes, we must.

ALYDON: Yes. I wish I knew what they were planning for us.

DOCTOR: Oh, no sense worrying about that, we must– Ah! That's it, light!

PRINCESS: What are you talking about?

DOCTOR: Light, my dear! A natural resource, ripe for us to use against the Daleks.

SUSAN: I don't understand, Grandfather.

PRINCESS: Nor do I, I must say.

DOCTOR: If we reflect the light from the sun back at the main mast, a strong enough intensity should be enough to scramble their television waves. After all, they only have the one mast to cover the entire city.

ALYDON: Yes, you're right. There is only one structure as you describe.

DYONI: We have reflective surfaces. We can use them when the others sneak in in a few hours' time.

DOCTOR: No, no, no, I think we should use them now. It would give us a chance to sneak into the city and do some more permanent damage ourselves.

PRINCESS: That sounds more than a little risky.

DOCTOR: But think of the reward. If we can get to the base of that mast, I'm sure I can do more than momentarily stun their systems.

ALYDON: You mean you could permanently stop?

DOCTOR: I can't guarantee anything but I'm sure I can do some damage.

PRINCESS: It still sounds too dangerous to me.

DOCTOR: I assure you, it'll benefit the others more than my other trick.

ALYDON: Very well, we shall try and entire the city. We have the map now after all, we might as well put it to use. Dyoni, go back to the camp and get some of the others to help you.

DOCTOR: And remember, it's the tallest building you want to reflect the light at.

(Dyoni leaves quickly, while the other remain.)

(A little while later. The Doctor, Princess, Susan and Alydon are sneaking alongside the city walls. On the hills, they can see Dyoni and some other Thals reflecting the sunlight at the tallest tower in the city.)

DOCTOR: It looks as if my plan has worked.

ALYDON: We can't keep up this light reflection for long.

PRINCESS: Yes, and I imagine the Daleks will increase their patrols as a result.

DOCTOR: Never mind. It gives us a better chance to get into the city unnoticed.

SUSAN: We can't be sure of that, Grandfather.

PRINCESS: She's right.

DOCTOR: Oh, I know it's risky, but, well, we mustn't diddle about here. Now, I want to get to the east side of that antennae.

ALYDON: Doctor, look. (Shows Doctor the map) According to the map, we should be moving further to our left, in that direction.

DOCTOR: Yes, yes, I see. Well you go ahead, will you? Go along, child.

(Alydon leads Susan away.)

DOCTOR: (To Princess) Yes, we'll show them a thing or two.

(He smiles mischievously at the Princess. The Princess gives the Doctor a stern look, but he ignores it. The old couple then proceed to follow Alydon and Susan.)

(Inside the Dalek city, the Doctor, Princess, Susan and Alydon have reached the base of the building with the antennae. They are wondering around it when Susan finds a panel on the wall.)

SUSAN: Hey, Grandfather, look.

DOCTOR: Yes?

SUSAN: Is this what you want?

(The Doctor examines the panel and the cable running up the side of the building.)

DOCTOR: Ah, yes, a single cable. The whole city is powered by static electricity.

ALYDON: Well, how do you know that?

DOCTOR: The single wire, you see. (Pointing) Round here, there, see? And there. That must be the answer.

SUSAN: Well it leads up to the antennae.

ALYDON: Well, it certainly goes in that direction, but I can't see it all.

SUSAN: I wonder if I can open this box. There aren't any hinges on it. Oh, that's it. Look, look, it slides up.

(Susan slides up the panel up revealing the various circuit boards and wires behind a glass panel.)

PRINCESS: Well done, Susan.

DOCTOR: Yes, good girl. Now, stand back.

(Susan moves aside. The Doctor then uses a stick to breaks the glass panel.)

PRINCESS: A tad brutish.

DOCTOR: It gets the job done, my dear. Besides, we don't have time for anything cleverer.

PRINCESS: Well, how are you going to cut the wire without getting shocked then?

DOCTOR: Yes… That will require some more thought…

ALYDON: (Worried) Look, we can't wait around here too long you know.

DOCTOR: No, just a minute. (To Alydon) Now, you go and tell your friends to stop flashing the light on the antennae. Because for all we know, the Daleks might have a beam to throw on them, paralyse them, kill them.

ALYDON: But I can't leave you three here.

PRINCESS: We'll be all right. Go and look after your own people.

DOCTOR: Yes, yes, run along, and tell them to move their position from time to time.

ALYDON: Very well, then. But don't waste time here. I'll come back for you if I can.

DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes, yes. We shall be back before then. Now go.

(Ayldon runs off.)

DOCTOR: Dear, dear, dear, that young man gets so agitated.

PRINCESS: He's just worried. And I think it's very kind of him to show such concern when we've only just met.

DOCTOR: Yes, well, enough about that. We must turn our focus to this problem of ours.

(They all look at the panel on the wall with the exposed wires.)

SUSAN: Any ideas, Grandfather?

DOCTOR: Yes… Now, I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll short-circuit it to another conductor. Let me have the key of the ship, Susan, will you? The key of the ship, dear.

SUSAN: Oh, what a good idea. Yes.

(Susan removes the ship's key from around her neck.)

DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes. I can always make another one if necessary.

SUSAN: Yes, of course.

PRINCESS: Be careful.

DOCTOR: Yes, yes, I know what I'm doing.

(The Doctor carefully puts the key's chain on his stick. Then, using the stick, the Doctor drops the key into the wires and circuit boards.)

DOCTOR: Now, the power's running away! That'll teach the Daleks to meddle in our affairs.

(Susan and he laugh while the Princess smiles. Susan then notices another smaller panel above the first.)

SUSAN: (Pointing) What about this one?

DOCTOR: Ah, yes. I can use that to finish off my little bit of sabotage.

(He breaks the glass on the second smaller panel. Then, using his stick once more, he takes the dangling chain from the key and connects it to the second exposed panel. Immediately there's some sparks followed by a tiny explosion. The Princess and Susan jump, but the Doctor stands smiling.)

DOCTOR: Now, we've shorted it, you see. So something must have gone somewhere else. The extent of the damage, of course, we don't know yet.

SUSAN: Look, Grandfather, this is marvellous, but they must have a fault locator somewhere. We must get away from here.

PRINCESS: And their television waves could still be working in some parts of the city, so we must leave before Alydon tells the others to stop.

DOCTOR: But, don't you two realise what I've done? A few simple tools–

SUSAN: (Interrupting) Yes, but we mustn't waste time.

DOCTOR: A superior brain–

PRINCESS: (Interrupting) We have go, now!

DOCTOR: But–

(They are suddenly surrounded by Daleks before they can escape.)

(In the Dalek's control room, the Doctor, Princess and Susan are sitting cross-legged on the floor. There are Daleks all around them. Some are working, and some are watching them.)

DALEK: You have destroyed our videoscope and one of our lifts.

DOCTOR: And you in turn held us prisoner and took something of ours.

PRINCESS: You also killed the Thal leader, who only wanted peace. Please, stop this and help the Thals before anyone else dies.

DALEK: The only interest we have in the Thals is their total extermination.

SUSAN: What do you mean?

DALEK: Tomorrow the atmosphere will be bombarded by the radiation from our nuclear reactors.

(The Doctor, Princess and Susan are shocked.)

PRINCESS: You can't…

DOCTOR: That's sheer murder.

DALEK: No, extermination.

DOCTOR: But you must listen to reason. Please, you must.

DALEK: Without radiation, the Dalek race is ended. We need it as you and the Thals need air.

ALL DALEKS: Tomorrow, we will be the masters of the planet Skaro!

Next Episode – The Rescue