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.

5. Chapter 5 - Making It Up As I Go

INT. WHITE VAN – NIGHT

Rose opens the glove box, looks under the seat, and all over.

DOCTOR
What are you doing?

ROSE
Looking for a weapon.

DOCTOR
I don't have any weapons.

The Doctor's door opens. Samantha stands on the other side, flanked by a pair of FOOTBALL PLAYERS. She points a ray gun at the Doctor's head.

SAMANTHA
Fortunately, I do. Get out of the van.

EXT. MALL PARKING LOT – NIGHT

Slowly, the Doctor, Rose, and Jackie climb out of the van.

SAMANTHA
On your knees.

The football players "assist" the three of them to their knees.

JACKIE
I don't want to die.

DOCTOR
You're not going to die.

JACKIE
I'm too young to die.

ROSE
No, I'm too young to die.

DOCTOR
No one's going to die.

SAMANTHA
You seem awfully sure of that for someone with a Rellian Disintegrator pointed at their head.

DOCTOR
Actually, it's a Turoksa Annihilator. Common mistake. You can tell by the plate on the handle.

SAMANTHA
No, it's not. It's a Rellian Disintegrator. I bought it from my cousin.

DOCTOR
Then, your cousin fleeced you.

ROSE
Must you antagonize the person holding the ray gun?

DOCTOR
He's gonna kill us anyway.

JACKIE
(cries)
I don't want to die.

SAMANTHA
Shut up! Everyone, just shut up. Now, Doctor, how many more of you are there?

DOCTOR
None.

Rose elbows him.

DOCTOR
Ow.

ROSE
Don't tell him that. If you tell him that, he can kill us and not worry about it.

DOCTOR
But I am the only one. I'm the last Time Lord.

SAMANTHA
Time Lord?

DOCTOR
Yeah.

SAMANTHA
You're a Time Lord?

DOCTOR
Guilty.

SAMANTHA
But they're a myth.

DOCTOR
You're standing on a planet with four billion people who don't believe in aliens.

SAMANTHA
All right, fair point. Does that mean you have a timeship?

DOCTOR
I do. The Tardis.

The Doctor points to the van.

SAMANTHA
It looks like a Chevy.

ROSE
Also a common mistake.

DOCTOR
That's just the cockpit. It projects an image and functionality so it won't be noticed in this time.

Samantha walks around, looks inside the front.

SAMANTHA
No, it's definitely a Chevy.

DOCTOR
You have to go in the back if you want to see the rest.

SAMANTHA
(skeptical)
It's a trick. You're stalling again.

DOCTOR
Maybe. Or maybe I'm telling the truth and this is a timeship. Surely a keen business mind like yours, one with such entrepreneurial verve, would have use for such a vessel; rig a few stock markets, jump on a few opportunities before anyone else. Think of all the selfish money you could make.

SAMANTHA
If you're lying...

The Doctor hops to his feet.

DOCTOR
Yeah, yeah, you're gonna kill me. Whatever. Don't be so glum, chum.

He walks around the van and opens up the back.

DOCTOR
Come have a look-see.

Everyone, even Rose and Jackie, walk around the van to look in the back. Inside, we see the Tardis Command Center. It's an enormous round room, with a centralized computer station in a loop around a cylindrical core that extends from floor to ceiling. The walls are flesh-colored, with bone-like support beams, giving the impression of the chest cavity of a living creature. The core hums with energy, like a heartbeat.

JACKIE
My goodness. What the hell is that?

DOCTOR
The Tardis.

ROSE
It's bigger on the inside.

DOCTOR
Yes.

ROSE
It's alien.

DOCTOR
Yes.

ROSE
And you're an alien?

DOCTOR
Had we not established that already?

SAMANTHA
It's real. It's really real. A real timeship. You will take me inside.

DOCTOR
Of course.

She points the gun at his head.

SAMANTHA
But no funny business.

DOCTOR
That's okay. I'm not very funny. Come in. I'll make cookies.

He walks inside, followed closely behind by Rose, Jackie, the two football players, and Samantha.

INT. TARDIS – CONTINUOUS

Everyone steps inside. Almost immediately, Samantha and the football players stop in their tracks. Their eyes shut and heads fall forward.

DOCTOR
Oh, who am I kidding? I'm hilarious.

The Doctor takes out his sonic screwdriver and uses it to remove the Bluetooth pieces from each of the mind controlled students. As he does, each one collapses and he catches them to help them fall gracefully.

ROSE
What happened to them?

DOCTOR
The Tardis exists partially outside the timestream. Whatever signal Daga was using to control your friends can't penetrate the time barrier. As soon as they stepped through, the signal dropped.

ROSE
Are they okay?

DOCTOR
Fine, yes. They'll wake up with a hell of a headache, like your David fellow, but that's about it.

ROSE
His name is Mark.

DOCTOR
Really? He looks like a Stephen. Jackie, please don't touch that.

Jackie pulls her hand away from one of the consoles, like a child caught with her hand in a cookie jar.

JACKIE
I was just looking.

DOCTOR
Look with your eyes, darling.

The Doctor takes one of the Bluetooth pieces and carries it over to the command center console. He plugs it in somehow and punches in some information.

DOCTOR
Now, all I have to do is isolate the signal frequency and hopefully we can find from where Daga is broadcasting and shut him down.

JACKIE
What do you mean "we"? I know you don't think you're dragging us into this, because "we", my daughter and I, what "we" are going to do is go back out there and call the cops.

DOCTOR
Right, and what are you going to tell them? That an alien Donald Trump with a spider for a sister has brainwashed all of the students to help him take over the world? They're just as likely to lock you up if you told them that.

ROSE
Mom, you can't.

JACKIE
What? So, you're taking his side?

ROSE
I'm not taking anyone's side.

JACKIE
What do we even know about this guy? How do we know he's any better than that Daga person, or alien, or whatever?

ROSE
He saved our lives.

JACKIE
That doesn't prove anything. He could be just as dangerous as any of them. And now what? You want to take my daughter back there and do what? Take on Daga?

DOCTOR
Someone's gotta stop him.

JACKIE
Well, it doesn't have to be my Rose. Come on, Rose.

Jackie grabs Rose's hand and pulls, but Rose stays where she is. Jackie looks back in shock.

JACKIE
I said, come on.

ROSE
Mom, that's my friend laying over there on the ground. And Mark in our apartment.

JACKIE
But Daga could kill you.

ROSE
The Doctor will protect me.

Rose looks back at the Doctor.

ROSE
You will protect me, won't you?

DOCTOR
I'll do the best I can. I can't guarantee your safety. But I may need your help.

ROSE
Not exactly helping me win the argument.

DOCTOR
I'm not trying to win an argument. I'm trying to win a fight for the planet.

Rose turns back to her mother. She squeezes Jackie's hand.

ROSE
You should go to Carol's house.

JACKIE
Rose...

ROSE
It's not safe back at the apartment. Get Mark and go to Carol's.

Rose hugs Jackie.

ROSE
I'll find you when it's over.

Jackie squeezes Rose tight, then points her finger at the Doctor.

JACKIE
If you let anything happen to my girl, I will-

DOCTOR
Yes, yes, all manner of hellfire will spew forth from my various bodily orifices - we've wasted enough time on this already, lady.

The Doctor walks over and grabs one of the football player's arms.

DOCTOR
Someone gonna help me, here, or what?

EXT. MALL PARKING LOT – NIGHT

The Doctor and Rose set Samantha's unconscious body down on the pavement. They then climb into the van.

INT. WHITE VAN – NIGHT

Jackie steps up to the window and hugs Rose again.

JACKIE
You be careful.

ROSE
I'll be fine. I promise.

They drive off. After a few seconds of silence, Rose turns to the Doctor.

ROSE
You do have a plan, right?

DOCTOR
Oh yeah, a good one. Find the source of the signal, and take it out.

ROSE
And how do we do that?

DOCTOR
I don't know. I'm sort of making this up as I go.

ROSE
Of course you are.

- To be Continued -