Flight Through Eternity
(A short while later, in the ship's console room, the Doctor is relaxing in his chair. Off to the side, Barbara is attending to Ian, cleaning the blood from his face and applying antiseptic to his cut. Meanwhile, the Princess is stood at the console with a large open book balanced on it. Vicki wonders over, watching the Princess as she looks to the book, then presses a button. The Princess then stares at the book for another moment, reading, before pushing a lever. She continues to repeat this process, using different buttons and levers each time until finally…)
VICKI: What are you doing, Princess?
PRINCESS: (Looking up) I'm sorry?
VICKI: I said, 'What are you doing?'
PRINCESS: (Looking back at the book) Oh, just checking something.
VICKI: What is this thing anyway? It's massive.
PRINCESS: It's the ship's instruction manual.
DOCTOR: Manual? What on Earth do you want that for, my dear?
PRINCESS: Just making sure I'm doing everything right, Doctor. Since you're too busy to assist.
DOCTOR: My dear, after everything we've just been through, I think a rest is in order, don't you?
BARBARA: Oh, yes, a rest would be lovely.
DOCTOR: Well, we'll see where we end up first. After that, I'll find us some place safe and relaxing.
IAN: And free of Daleks.
DOCTOR: Oh, I shouldn't think we'll be running into them again.
IAN: Ah, you've said that before, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Yes, but after so many run ins, the chances are slim. Especially with all of time and space before us. Sheer coincidence, that's all. No. I won't be surprised if we never see them again.
BARBARA: We can only hope.
(The console starts to beep.)
VICKI: (To Princess) What have you done?
(The Doctor gets up and strides over to the console.)
DOCTOR: Out of the way, out of the way! Let me see what you've… (Sees the read out on the console) Oh.
IAN: What is it, Doctor? What's that beeping.
(Ian and Barbara move over to join the others by the console.)
DOCTOR: It's the ship's Time Path Indicator, the Princess' activated it.
VICKI: And what does that do?
DOCTOR: It detects other time machines near us in the vortex.
PRINCESS: And that beeping means there's one following us, correct?
DOCTOR: In this case, yes.
IAN: Who's following us?
PRINCESS: The Daleks.
DOCTOR: Yes, I suspect so.
IAN: But how?
PRINCESS: The Daleks have their own time machine, that's how they found us on Aridius.
BARBARA: We saw it before on the Time and Space Visualiser.
PRINCESS: But how can they be following us through the vortex?
DOCTOR: I'm not sure. But it's a good thing you checked, my dear, very good in deed.
IAN: Well, what do we do now?
DOCTOR: We'll try to lose them. All of you step back, Princess, I shall need your help.
PRINCESS: Yes, of course.
DOCTOR: Oh, here, child…
(The Doctor closes the manual and struggles to lift it up, handing it over to Vicki who slouches from the weight.)
DOCTOR: Put that somewhere out of the way. Useless thing, only good for taking up space.
(Vicki rolls her eyes, exiting the console room with Barbara and Ian, while the Doctor and Princess work the ship's console.)
(Later on, in the console room. The Doctor and Princess are stood at opposite ends of the console, working away, flicking switches and levers while the glass column continues to rise and fall.)
PRINCESS: Are they still behind us?
DOCTOR: (Looking at the readout) Yes, I'm afraid so. Oh, it's useless, useless, my dear.
PRINCESS: Don't say that, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Well, I've tried everything I can think to do, my dear, but alas the Daleks are still on our tail.
PRINCESS: There's got to be something else.
DOCTOR: No, I'm afraid we'll have to land. The ship can't keep going endlessly through the vortex, it's not safe, for us or the Daleks.
PRINCESS: What if we keep going, try and scare the Daleks into breaking off?
DOCTOR: My dear, do you really think that would work against the Daleks?
PRINCESS: No… No, I suppose not.
(Ian, Barbara and Vicki return to the console room, having changed into more appropriate clothing.)
VICKI: Any change, Doctor?
(Vicki, Ian and Barbara join the Doctor and Princess around the console.)
DOCTOR: I'm afraid not, my child, we're quite unable to elude them.
IAN: What are we going to do then, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Our plan is to land, Chesterton.
IAN: And then what? Wait for the Daleks to catch us?
DOCTOR No, of course not!
PRINCESS: We'll materialise for a short while, then try escaping again. Hopefully we'll lose them this time.
BARBARA: How long will it be before we can take-off again?
DOCTOR: Twelve minutes.
VICKI: Why so long?
DOCTOR: Well, it's to give the ship time to recover. Let things cool down, re-orientate, gather power, that sort of thing.
BARBARA: Like taking a breath of air before going back under the water?
DOCTOR: Yes, I suppose that analogy works for now. But that twelve-minute lead is vital to us. We must hold onto it. Give us time to strategise.
IAN: Why don't we just go faster, Doctor?
PRINCESS: It doesn't work quite work like that, Ian.
DOCTOR: Oh, hush now, hush. We're about to materialise any minute now. Princess you stay alert to help me, we haven't a moment to lose.
BARBARA: But where, Doctor, where?
DOCTOR: I'm afraid I'm not sure, my dear. We left in rather a hurry I didn't have time to coordinate our landing as much as I would have liked.
BARBARA: You mean we could be anywhere?
IAN: What's new?
PRINCESS: We're coming out of the vortex.
DOCTOR: Materialising…now!
(The Doctor pulls the final lever and the ship's engines give one last powerful wheeze before the glass column comes to a stop along with the noise.)
DOCTOR: Princess?
PRINCESS: Already started, Doctor.
DOCTOR: What's the reading?
PRINCESS: Twelve minutes, just like you said.
DOCTOR: Good. Nevertheless, let's not doddle.
BARBARA: But where are we, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Oh, what does it matter?! We're not stopping for a chat and some tea.
VICKI: We can at least have a look.
(The Princess activates the scanner, but they can only see the clear sky.)
IAN: Could you lower it a little, Princess?
PRINCESS: Controls are stuck, again. And there's no sound either.
BARBARA: How much longer before we can go?
PRINCESS: Still over ten minutes?
BARBARA: Well, I'm going out for a look.
IAN: Now, Barbara–
DOCTOR: Ms. Wright, I really must insist–!
BARBARA: Only for a quick look around, I won't leave sight of the ship, promise.
PRINCESS: All right, Barbara, but just a quick look then come back inside.
BARBARA: Thank you.
(The Princess activates the door controls and the wall opens up, allowing Barbara to step outside.)
DOCTOR: And just what do you think you're doing?! There could be anything out there.
PRINCESS: It's an Earth reading, Doctor.
IAN: Still, that's never stopped us from finding trouble before. Hold on, where's Vicki gone?
DOCTOR: Outside after Ms. Wright I should imagine. Oh, come on, let's get after them before they wind up in trouble again.
(The Doctor leads the way out of the ship with Ian and the Princess following him. They step out of the police box and onto an observation platform, high in the sky. From beyond the fenced off edge, they can see a city stretching out with many more skyscrapers. The city of New York. Waiting for the time travellers, as they step form the police box, is a man in a cowboy hat – Morton. Morton is shocked and confused by the amount of people coming out of such a tiny police box.)
MORTON: Wait…how many more of you are there in that thing?
DOCTOR: Oh, just the five of us, young man.
(The Doctor pushes past Morton and continues over to the edge of the platform where Barbara and Vicki are looking out over the city.)
MORTON: Must be a kind of tight squeeze.
PRINCESS: (Smiling) Surprisingly spacious actually.
(The Princess and Ian pass Morton too, joining their friends, while Morton approaches the police box, still no clearer on what is happening.)
MORTON: (To himself) They can't all have come out of there…
(Morton starts to walk around the police box.)
DOCTOR: (To Barbara) Well, are you satisfied?
BARBARA: Yes. It's 1966.
VICKI: That man told us.
IAN: Not too far off from our own time. Only three years.
BARBARA: And a few thousand miles.
PRINCESS: Even so, with the Daleks on our tail, it wouldn't be safe to leave, even if we did arrive back in your own time and place.
DOCTOR: Yes, now, come along, it's time for us to re-embark. The ship will be ready to go any moment now.
VICKI: Oh, are you sure we can't stay?
DOCOTR: Yes, I'm sure! The Daleks will be arriving here any moment.
IAN: And if we stay a lot of innocent people could get hurt.
DOCTOR: My point exactly, now come along, all of you.
(They start walking back to the ship.)
VICKI: It's a shame we couldn't stay.
PRINCESS: Maybe we'll visit another time, Vicki.
(As the time travellers start approaching the police box, Morton comes around from the side and intercepts them.)
MORTON: (Pointing to the police box) Hey, you going back in?
BARBARA: Yes, that's right.
MORTON: Oh now, come on, wait a minute! I just bet you folks are from Hollywood. You're making some kind of motion picture. Now that's it, ain't it?
DOCTOR: No, it ain't! (Recomposes himself) I mean, it isn't.
MORTON: Come on, you can tell me. (Nudges the Doctor) Your secret will be safe. Yes, sir, real safe.
DOCTOR: Secret?
MORTON: Sure, I've seen this trick before. Great long police cars coming out of tiny little wooden sheds. I saw you come out of there with ma own eyes! You just ain't gonna make it back in again.
PRINCESS: (Teasing) Won't we?
(The Princess leads the way, opening the door to the police box as she steps inside. Ian then follows her, along with Vicki and then Barbara. The Doctor brings up the rear but before he can enter, Morton cheers and slaps the Doctor on the back.)
MORTON: Hot diggity, I knew I was right! You should be wearing Police uniforms, of course. You all is in a chase.
DOCTOR: Chase? Yes, as a matter of fact, young man, that's exactly what this is. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting along. It's the chase, you know?
(The Doctor steps inside the console room and the Princess activates the door controls, closing the wall behind him before Morton can see inside.)
DOCTOR: (Muttering) A chase indeed. Princess, are we ready?
PRINCESS: Just need the final checks.
(The Doctor joins the other time travellers by the console, glancing over the readouts.)
DOCTOR: Yes, yes, that'll do, that'll do. The sooner we're away the better.
PRINCESS: But if we leave now, we won't have much control over where we end up.
DOCTOR: We shall just have to take that chance and guide it as best we can. Wait any longer and the Daleks could materialise right on top of us. And the sooner we leave, the harder it will hopefully be for them to follow.
(The Doctor starts fiddling with the controls of the console, and then the glass column starts to move up and down, as the ship's engines wheeze from all around them.)
(A little while later, in the console room – with the ship still in flight – the Doctor is sat in his chair, while the Princess and Vicki stand at the console. A familiar beeping is coming from the console.)
VICKI: Is that them again?
PRINCESS: (Nodding) Hmm…
DOCTOR: Are they catching up, my dear?
PRINCESS: The gap between us isn't as far as before. They must have departed immediately after landing.
VICKI: If they even landed.
PRINCESS: They would have had to to follow our exact path through the vortex like that.
DOCTOR: So, their ship doesn't require recharging like ours…interesting.
PRINCESS: I know this ship is old, Doctor, but surely it should be leaps and bounds ahead of whatever the Daleks have.
DOCTOR: Apparently not, my dear.
PRINCESS: But how could they get technology like that without out our… I mean, without us knowing?
DOCTOR: I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that question, my dear. Maybe if I did, we'd be in a better position to elude them.
VICKI: Well, we've got to do something.
DOCTOR: I fully intend to, child, that's why I sent Ian and Barbara to fetch something form my laboratory.
(Ian and Barbara enter the console room, carrying box like piece of equipment with various parts sticking in and out of it. It is clearly heavy as the pair carry it over and place it down in front of the Doctor.)
DOCTOR: Ah, thank you, thank you.
BARBARA: (Stretching her back) I can see why you sent the both of us.
(The Doctor begins inspecting the piece of equipment with his monocle.)
IAN: Is this thing going to work, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Maybe, I'm not sure. But if they're going to catch us up, we've got to find something to fight back with.
BARBARA: But why don't we just stay where we are?
PRINCESS: Because we're not really anywhere, Barbara. We're moving through the space-time vortex, but we can't stay here forever.
DOCTOR: To do so would eventually kill us all. We have no choice but to land eventually. But if we can stall for long enough, then we might just be able to come up with a plan.
(The Doctor reaches into the equipment with his hand and begins to tinker and adjust things. But then from the console…)
PRINCESS: Doctor, we're about to land!
DOCTOR: But I'm not ready! I'm not ready! We can't meet them now!
PRINCESS: I've started the materialisation.
DOCTOR: All right, that's good, that's good. Er…right… As soon as we land, get us ready for the next dematerialisation, Princess.
PRINCESS: What are you going to do?
DOCTOR: (Waves to the equipment in front of him) Work on this of course! And don't waste time, the second we land you need to get us ready to move, just like I showed you before.
PRINCESS: Yes, but Doctor–
DOCTOR: Don't distract me! Silence, I must have silence if I'm to work.
(The Doctor bends down, looking into his equipment as he continues to work. From the console, the other time travellers gather around, as the Princess nervously pulls levers, until the glass column in the centre comes to a stop, and the engines let out their final wheeze before landing with a thud that shakes the room.)
DOCTOR: Careful!
IAN: What was that?!
PRINCESS: I don't know.
(The Princess begins checking the readouts.)
PRINCESS: We landed on something uneven.
IAN: That's all we need.
PRINCESS: No, hold on a minute. It's not uneven… It's moving. Rocking back and forth.
BARBARA: Like a ship on the sea!
PRINCESS: As it happens, yes, that's exactly it, Barbara.
BARBARA: Oh, can I go out for another quick look? I do love sailing ships.
PRINCESS: Barbara, I know I said yes last time, but we really should–
DOCTOR: I asked for silence! Goodness gracious! How am I supposed to get any work done like this!
(The Princess then activates the door the control, letting the walls open up.)
PRINCESS: Just a quick look.
(Barbara smiles before running out of the ship.)
IAN: Do you think that was wise, Princess?
PRINCESS: Ian, you're welcome to go and keep an eye on her, but I've got to get us ready for another dematerialisation, and to tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing. So, if you'd like to switch, by all means.
(The Princes then begins frantically, and nervously, pressing buttons and pulling levers on the console, occasionally pausing to make sure she's done it right. Ian silently goes out of the ship, but then swiftly returns, with wobbly legs.)
VICKI: What's the matter, Ian?
IAN: It's a little rockery than I anticipated.
(Vicki goes over and helps carry Ian over to the Princess' chair, where she sits him down.)
IAN: Oh, thank you. Barbara's still out there, Vicki, go and bring her back inside would you. Last thing we need is to be spotted and having to answer awkward questions.
VICKI: All right.
(Vicki then exits the ship, leaving Ian to wipe his face with his hands, while the Doctor tinkers with his equipment and the Princess readies the ship.)
IAN: Oh, we haven't done very well so far, have we?
DOCTOR: Whatever are you talking about, my boy?
IAN: I'm talking about our recent stops, Doctor. First of all, we land on top of a skyscraper, now we land on a crummy old ship. What we need is space.
DOCTOR: Ship? I don't remember a ship.
PRINCESS: That's where we are now… (Tenderly touching the controls) And we're just about ready to leave.
DOCTOR: Excellent, well done, my dear. Chesterton, would you fetch the ladies? I presume they're outside if not in here.
IAN: (Getting up) Yes, all right. Barbara's got a case of call of the sea.
(Ian steps out of the ship.)
DOCTOR: Well, my dear, are we ready?
PRINCESS: I believe so… How are you getting on with your equipment there?
DOCTOR: Oh, not much luck so far, I'm afraid. It was a bit of gamble anyway, to tell you truth.
PRINCESS: There must be something in here that we can use against the Daleks?
DOCTOR: Undoubtably, but it's the time to find it that we're lacking. Yes… Oh, what is keeping them! Don't they realise every second wasted is one the Daleks gain–!
(Barbara and Vicki come staggering into the console room, carrying Ian between them.)
BARBARA: Close the doors!
PRINCESS: What's happened?!
DOCTOR: What's going on?!
BARBARA & VICKI: Close the doors!
(The Princess obliges and activates the door controls, making the open wall close over once more.)
PRINCESS: What's wrong with Ian?
(Barbara and Vicki put Ian into the Princess' chair, where he then reaches up to rub his head.)
BARBARA: Vicki hit him on the head.
PRINCESS: She what?!
VICKI: Never mind that now, someone's bound to have heard all that, they'll be at the doors any moment now.
DOCTOR: The child has a point, time we were off. Princess?
(The Princess starts using the controls at the console, and then the glass column in the centre of the console begins to move up and down, as the ship's heavy wheezing engines fill the room. Ian groans, closing his eyes as he holds his head.)
BARBARA: He needs first aid.
VICKI: I'll get the kit.
(Vicki runs from the room, heading deeper into the ship.)
DOCTOR: Ms. Wright, just what happened out there?
BARBARA: Well, it all happened so fast… I was just at the railing when one of the sailors grabbed me. Then Vicki knocked him out, but we heard someone else coming and hid. It turned out it was Ian, but before Vicki realised it, she'd knocked him on the head too.
DOCTOR: What type of ship was it?
BARBARA: An old-fashioned sailing ship, but I didn't catch the name.
(Vicki returns with the first aid kit, handing it to Barbara.)
VICKI: Here you are.
BARBARA: Thank you.
(Barbara opens up the first aid kit and starts attending to Ian's head. Then, at the console, the familiar beeping starts again.)
PRINCESS: Oh dear…
VICKI: What is it, Princess? The Daleks?
PRINCESS: Yes… They're–
DOCTOR: They're closing in on us, aren't they?
PRINCESS: Yes.
VICKI: But what about our twelve-minute lead?
PRINCESS: After our last materialisation, it's down to eight.
DOCTOR: And it's only bound to decrease with each sequential materialisation. We must face the facts. The Daleks are closing in on us.
PRINCESS: And it's only a matter of time until they catch up…
Next Episode – Journey into Terror
