Doctor Who - American Version - Serial

by RevolutionMan

Doctor Who - Presented as a re-imagining of the show Doctor Who for American audiences. It presumes NO connection to the continuity established by the long running British television series, but absolutely WILL borrow heavily from that awesome/amazing show. Some characters will be re-named. Some "laws" will be broken. A serial adaptation, in script form.

2. Chapter 2 - Rose Gets A Head

EXT. ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY – MORNING

The sun rises on another morning over the Philadelphia campus. Students make their way from the dormitory to the academic buildings. Some gather for a first of the day smoke before heading inside. About half carry with them a coffee from the on-campus shop. The logo reads "The Bird's Nest" with a picture of the school mascot; a red hawk.

INT. SHOP - THE BIRD'S NEST – MORNING

The young version of Rose Taylor skips inside the small shop, a backpack slung over one shoulder. She waves to SAMANTHA (20), the girl behind the counter selling graduation gown packets to the first in a long line of eager SENIORS.

SAMANTHA
Don't be late or anything.

ROSE
(laughs)
Don't complain or anything.

SAMANTHA
My box is low already. Grab a case and get back out here, will ya?

ROSE
Sure.

Rose slides behind the counter and then into…

INT. STORAGE ROOM – THE BIRD'S NEST

Boxes are piled high in front of shelves and shelves of new and used textbooks and overpriced clothes imprinted with "school spirit". Rose tosses her backpack into a corner, then grabs a razor and slices open one of the boxes. Inside are graduation gown packets. Each plastic wrapped packet contains a gown, hat, tassel, a pamphlet, a hawks pin, and a Bluetooth headset with the hawk logo.

Noticing the headset, Rose chooses one of the packets and then carries the box back out.

INT. SHOP - THE BIRD'S NEST

Rose drops the box at Samantha's feet. The line of seniors has grown even longer, but Rose seems more interested in the Bluetooth headset.

ROSE
Is this Bluetooth?

SAMANTHA
Remember the gift they said they were giving everybody with the packets?

ROSE
Yeah, but I thought it would be something shoddy, like a pen or something. Or even this stupid pin in here.

SAMANTHA
Just open up your register, please. The line's out the door already.

ROSE
Sorry for being late.

SAMANTHA
No you're not. Can't wait until next year, when I've got my case of senioritis.

ROSE
I can help the next customer.

A JUNIOR steps up to the counter.

JUNIOR
Hi, how much for just the Bluetooth?

ROSE
They actually come in the senior packet, so…

From behind her, Rose's manager, DON LITTLE (50's), sneaks up with a Bluetooth device individually wrapped. He's the opposite of his name, a huge human being in all the ugly ways. He looks like he probably smells.

LITTLE
We actually do sell them separately. That'll be twenty-two dollars.

ROSE
Sorry, Mr. Little.

LITTLE
(to Rose)
If you had been here for the meeting, you'd know that.

SAMANTHA
Give her a break, Don. She's got a wicked case of senioritis.

Little rolls his eyes and drops a small box of just Bluetooth headpieces on the counter next to Rose's register. When he turns to go back to the storage room, Rose makes a face at him behind his back.

SAMANTHA
Won't miss the sweaty fog, will ya?

They share a laugh.

EXT. THE BIRD'S NEST

Morning turns to late afternoon, with a steady stream of customers throughout. Eventually, Rose, carrying her backpack and a pair of graduation packets, exits and makes her way toward the academic buildings.

INT. HALLWAY – MOFFAT BUILDING

From one end of the hall, Rose waves. At the other end, we see Mark, the boy from the parking lot. They meet in the middle, kiss, and then Rose hands him one of the packets.

MARK
Thanks for grabbing me one. How much do I owe you?

ROSE
Fifty.

MARK
It isn't enough they make forty-five thousand a year on us in tuition, and thousands more on textbooks, they have to ream us one more time just before we graduate? Money-gouging, capitalist, bastards. Oo, Bluetooth? Neat.

They walk together into one of the classrooms.

INT. CLASSROOM – MOFFAT BUILDING

PROFESSOR LOWENSTEIN, a petite woman with a scholarly air about her, writes on the SMART Board at the front of the classroom as she lectures. Already displayed on the board is a map of Ancient Israel and some dates.

LOWENSTEIN
So Finkelstein argues that there never was this golden age as described in the Hebrew Bible. Certainly, if it were as large as the Bible claims, there would be much greater archaeological evidence to support it.

At the back of the classroom, Rose watches the clock, bored out of her face. Mark fiddles with his new Bluetooth piece under his desk. He pretends like it's a gun and mocks shooting himself with it for Rose's amusement.

LOWENSTEIN
His chief argument asserts that we have no extra-Biblical evidence to suggest that there ever was a King David.

Someone laughs… loud.

Lowenstein, and everyone in the class, turn their attention on the front row, all the way in the corner, where there sits a few retirees, AUDITORS, and someone we instantly recognize as the Doctor.

LOWENSTEIN
(to the Doctor)
You find something amusing, sir?

DOCTOR
Doctor, actually.

LOWENSTEIN
Doctor of what?

DOCTOR
See, usually people ask, "Doctor Who?"

LOWENSTEIN
I appreciate that you've come to audit my class, Doctor, but I must insist you extend me courtesy and stop interrupting me.

DOCTOR
Terribly sorry. Won't happen again. I just found it funny, is all. I always find it funny when someone insists one of my friends never existed.

LOWENSTEIN
Your friends?

DOCTOR
Yes.

LOWENSTEIN
You were friends with King David?

DOCTOR
Of course. He had a wonderful singing voice. Bit of a toe fungus issue plagued him in his later years, though. Got difficult to be around.

The class laughs.

LOWENSTEIN
All right, out of my class. Out, right now.

The Doctor shrugs and marches for the door. Before he exits, he stops and turns to face the class.

DOCTOR
Oh, just one thing before I go, have any of you noticed that your professor has been replaced by a, um... a robot?

The class laughs again.

MARK
(to Rose)
What's this guy's deal?
ROSE
I have no idea.

LOWENSTEIN
Get out of my class, right now, sir!

DOCTOR
(to the class)
No? Nobody's noticed? You in the back? No? Thought I saw a hand. Oh well. Later.

The Doctor leaves and Professor Lowenstein slams the door behind him. Clearly enraged, the Professor takes a moment to sit at her desk.

LOWENSTEIN
Just, one moment, please. A moment.

The Professor reaches into her bag, pulls out a Bluetooth headset, and affixes it to her ear.

ROSE
(to Mark)
What's she, making a phone call?

Mark shrugs.

Lowenstein again reaches into her bag and pulls out a box of cigarettes and a lighter. She lights up right at the desk. The class looks confused. Rose raises her hand.

ROSE
Um, excuse me. I don't think we're allowed to smoke in-

LOWENSTEIN
Get out.

ROSE
What?

LOWENSTEIN
All of you. I don't want to see any of you anymore. I'm done with you. Just get out.

Slowly, everyone in the class stands and walks out. Rose is one of the last ones out. In all the confusion, she doesn't realize she's forgotten her graduation packet on the floor by her desk.

EXT. ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY – NIGHT

It's night now, and as the last classes for the day are dismissed, students return to their dorms and prepare for an evening of fun. Mark, still playing with his Bluetooth headset, walks Rose back to her dorm.

ROSE
Who was that man?

MARK
Hell if I know. Not that I care. I didn't want to sit there for another twenty minutes anyway.

ROSE
I mean, he really got to her, calling her a robot. I've never seen a professor get so upset before.

MARK
I remember in high school, I took shop class to avoid having to take a language. One day, there was a sub, and everyone was all running around with saws and stuff. She ran crying to the Principal and refused to ever sub for our school again.

ROSE
He wasn't one of the regular auditors.

Mark tries attached the Bluetooth headset to his ear. He can't get it.

MARK
Hey, how do you do this? I can't-

Rose helps him attach it properly. He pulls out his phone and tries making a call.

MARK
Hello? Hello?

ROSE
You have to go into your phone's settings.

She stops walking.

ROSE
Oh my god…

MARK
What?

ROSE
I forgot my packet at my desk. I have to go back and get it.

She turns and goes back.

MARK
I'll come with you.

ROSE
No, it's okay. I'll meet you at the Dive at eight.

MARK
You're sure?

ROSE
I'm sure.

She runs back towards the academic buildings.

INT. HALLWAY – MOFFAT BUILDING

The halls are empty and quiet. Some, but not all, of the lights have been turned off. Rose walks alone. There's some commotion, but she can't quite tell where it's coming from. She approaches her classroom. The noise gets louder.

INT. CLASSROOM – MOFFAT BUILDING

Rose opens the door and steps inside. A chair smashes into the wall not far from her. She screams and falls. From the ground, she is shocked to see…

The Doctor struggles with Professor Lowenstein. He has her in a headlock. He pulls, and pulls, and pulls her head right off her body. Inside her neck hole, we see lights and robotic parts.

The Doctor sees Rose and tosses her the head.

DOCTOR
Be a dear and hold this, will you? Whatever you do, don't let it go.

Rose catches the Professor's head, which is still very much "alive".

LOWENSTEIN
Didn't I tell you to get out?

Rose screams!

-To be Continued-