INT. GRAND OBSERVATORY

Panicked aristocrats scream at each other in an attempt to make deals for their lives and fortunes, but the Doctor keeps to himself, off to the side. He eyes Rex and Helga from afar, as the two of them converse over final preparations for the auction from hell. He doesn't even notice Jabe sidle up on his right.

JABE
Shouldn't you be leveraging your assets in order to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement?

DOCTOR
What? Oh. Shouldn't you?

JABE
Not much of a point, is there? Haven't got enough. Simple mathematics. I'm, by far, the least wealthy of anyone here. They can shut me out if they want. I only showed up to this thing in the first place to keep up appearances. I can't outbid anyone, which means I'll be last on the block. They can take what I have without a second thought.

DOCTOR
Except toward their conscience.

JABE
You think anyone in this room has one of those? You think they got to where they are by being nice to each other?

DOCTOR
You don't strike me as so wicked. So, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this? Hanging around with this lot?

JABE
Respect for life. I don't enjoy seeing it go to waste. The Earth is a magnificent boiling pot of organic chemistry, from the tiniest microbe to the most substantial mammal, all feeding off each other, all contributing something special to each others' existence.

FLOWER
Symbiosis.

GRASS
One.

JABE
Beautiful. And there are people here who would irradiate the atmosphere to turn it into a data repository, or sell off its populace like cattle, drain it of all its light, and then leave it a used up husk in the darkness, not serving anything or anyone... just... alone... forgotten by time, hurtling through the stars without voice, without hope, without purpose. How sad that would be, don't you think?

The Doctor takes Jabe's words to heart. A single tear drips down his cheek. She notices it and touches his face, absorbing the tear into her hand root. She savors it before taking her hand away.

JABE
Forgive me. I did not mean to be too intimate.

They're both too distracted to notice Cassandra swoop in.

CASSANDRA
Vultures. Every last one of them. Miscreants masquerading as civilized individuals, nothing more. Now, Doctor, let's talk deal. I'm second on that psychopath's list up there and you're third. That means we have all the power in this auction. So, when my head goes up on the block, you put in the top bid. When you set me free, no one will be able to outbid me for you.

Jabe rolls her eyes.

DOCTOR
Except Mobbles and The Head.

CASSANDRA
What?

DOCTOR
Mobbles and The Head have more money than you. He'll be able to outbid me for you if he wants. He can also outbid you for me.

CASSANDRA
Well, I mean... if he's still around.

She grins, coyly. The Doctor steps closer.

DOCTOR
Madam, if you think I'm going to stand here and watch you kill that man, and take his money, and then put my life in your hands, then you really must give me the name of whichever surgeon performed your lobotomy, because they did a superlative job. Now, shut your lipless face and let me think.

CASSANDRA
Well, I have never been treated with such disrespect.

JABE
I find that hard to believe.

The Doctor turns away from Cassandra and returns to his observation of Rex.

DOCTOR
Something's not right. Jabe, when you realized what was happening, you said "not another insurrection". What did you mean by that?

JABE
Just that it's happened before.

DOCTOR
It has?

CASSANDRA
Do you think humans have a monopoly on the desire to stay independent?

DOCTOR
When? Where? How many times? I need details. How were those other insurrections resolved?

CASSANDRA
Elegantly and effectively.

JABE
The Tonades were sent in to wipe out the resistance and restore order.

DOCTOR
The Tonades? The mercenary police. They're coming here?

CASSANDRA
Of course, I just hope we're all still alive when that happens.

Rex signals to two of his men. They nod and wade through the crowd until they reach Mobbles and The Head. They grab him and drag him onto the stage at gunpoint.

REX
All right, everyone. All right. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.

The Doctor pushes his way as close to Rex as he can. He only stops when one of Rex's men sticks a gun in his face.

DOCTOR
You don't have to do this.

REX
Oh, I think I do.

DOCTOR
If you go forward with this travesty, you're no better than any of these people.

REX
I never claimed to be better. Just defiant as hell.

Rex walks away to address the crowd.

REX
Our first item up for bid is Mobbles and The Head. Fortune valued at over eighty-five trillion lezares. Owner of the Plethora Nebula Cluster, from which his Ziva Corporation collects iroaneutrinos for use in his super-fusion nine series reactors, the most common starship engine in the galaxy. Shall we start the bidding at, say, five hundred billion?

Cassandra raises her hand.

REX
I have five hundred billion, our first bid, from the Lady of Olefew herself. Thank you, and may I say you're looking simply sleek today, madam?

She makes a derogatory gesture.

REX
Do I hear six hundred billion?

Next to Jabe, the Doctor fumes.

DOCTOR
We have to stop this.

On stage, Mobbles and The Head quake with fear.

INT. DOCKING RING

Rose follows Filipa around a curved hall leading to the various docking ports. Dillzens we know are really humans in disguise push heavy equipment on anti-grav loaders through each of the docking bay doors.

FILIPA
Let's move it, people. We don't have a lot of time.

ROSE
I don't get it. You're stealing the ships?

FILIPA
Not exactly.

Filipa leads Rose through one of the docking bay doors.

INT. DOCKING PORT 215 – CASSANDRA'S SHIP

VIRGIL, a human, uses a laser torch to cut a hole through the door leading to Cassandra's ship. Sparks fly and metal melts around the cutting points. Filipa avoids the anti-grav loader as she steps inside with Rose.

FILIPA
You have got to be kidding me. We're still not in yet?

Virgil stops the torch to stand and speak to Filipa.

VIRGIL
Almost, mum. This thing's really thick. Made of deutrinium or somethin', I dunno.

FILIPA
The best money can buy, I'm sure.

VIRGIL
Who's this?

He points to Rose.

FILIPA
This is Rose, a human slave we liberated from upstairs. We have got to get in there. Cora's already in Mobbles and The Head's ship, tearing it apart, but she hasn't found it yet.

ROSE
What are you looking for?

VIRGIL
It's...

FILIPA
Keep working, Virgil. We don't have a lot of time. I'm going to go check to see if Jethro needs help.

Rose follows Filipa as Virgil gets back to work.

INT. DOCKING RING

Rose picks up the pace to keep up with Filipa.

ROSE
Don't avoid the question. What are you looking for?

FILIPA
We have reason to believe that one of the delegates brought a world ender with them.

ROSE
Please tell me that's not as bad as it sounds.

FILIPA
It's every bit as bad. Unfortunately, our intelligence officer couldn't identify which delegate brought the bomb. All we know is that, in the event they lost the auction and the rights to declare the Earth, they planned to sabotage the winner by destroying the planet. That's why we're searching every ship, but we don't have a lot of time before the Tonades arrive and try to take back the station. If that happens before we find the world ender, there's no telling what could happen.

ROSE
Oh my god. I want to help.

FILIPA
I was hoping you would say that.

Filipa turns and walks through another one of the bay doors.

INT. DOCKING PORT 212 – THE DOCTOR'S "SHIP"

Rose follows Filipa inside and only now realizes that she's been led back to where the Tardis is docked. JETHRO, another human, throws his blowtorch on the ground in frustration when it fails to make even a scratch on the surface of the Tardis door.

JETHRO
Bloody hell! Nothing. Just nothing.

FILIPA
Report.

JETHRO
See for yourself. I've never seen anything like it. Can't even make a dent.

FILIPA
Rose, we need your help.

JETHRO
Who the hell's she?

FILIPA
This is Rose. She came on that ship. We liberated her and now she's going to help us get onboard. Isn't that right, Rose?

Rose hesitates.

ROSE
I, um...

FILIPA
You said you wanted to help.

ROSE
But, you don't understand, the Doctor would never try and destroy the planet. Heck, when I met him, he was trying to save it.

FILIPA
That's fine. Then, when you let us in, we won't find any bombs. But we still need to do our search.

ROSE
No.

FILIPA
Excuse me?

ROSE
I said no. The Doctor would never, so you're just wasting your time here, anyway, when you could be looking on one of the other ships.

JETHRO
She's hiding something.

ROSE
You can't just break in wherever you want.

Filipa points her rifle at Rose.

ROSE
You can't.

FILIPA
Do you think I won't do everything in my power to save the Earth?

ROSE
But you're not saving it pointing guns at innocent people.

FILIPA
Innocent, guilty, good, bad, they're just words. They mean nothing compared to the lives of seven billion people and everything else on Earth.

She grabs Rose and slams her face first into the observation window, forcing Rose to look at the planet.

FILIPA
This blind faith you're putting in your precious Doctor is putting everyone down there at risk and, quite frankly, I don't have time for it. Now, you will open that door for us, and let us onboard, or I am going to start hurting you.

Rose struggles against Filipa's grasp.

INT. GRAND OBSERVATORY

The auction for Mobbles and The Head continues with Rex orchestrating it all like a great conductor.

The Cybermen Leader raises a digit.

REX
Nine trillion from the Cybermen.

Cassandra's slave Bix raises his hand.

REX
Ten trillion.

CYBERMEN LEADER
Twenty. Trillion.

CASSANDRA
Twenty-five!

The Head weeps in its jar. Mobbles squirms and cries.

MOBBLES AND THE HEAD
Please don't do this. I'll pay anything.

Elsewhere in the crowd, the Doctor thinks.

DOCTOR
This is a waste of time. He's wasting time!

JABE
What do you mean, Doctor?

DOCTOR
Rex isn't some psychotic. He's not up there to play games. Everything about his plan was executed with the precision of a soldier, from impersonating the dillzens to hacking the monetary depository. He's on a mission. But he must know that the Tonades are on their way. So, why is he putting on this sham? He can take your money. He can kill you if he wants. He's put off the declaration. Unless he doesn't yet have everything he wants. But what's more important than any of those things that would make him risk hanging around a second longer than he had to?

CASSANDRA
Fifty-seven trillion, six hundred thirty-seven billion, eighty million, two-hundred seventeen thousand, and ninety-three.

Everyone freezes. Rex beams.

REX
The Lady of Olefew bids her entire fortune! And because she is the second most wealthy of all of you, there is no bid that can match hers. Cassandra is the winner! Come on up here.

Cassandra glows from within, rather pleased with herself, until a pair of Rex's men forcibly drag her up on stage.

Helga types away at her computer and transfers all of Cassandra's fortune into the house account. On the screens, Cassandra is now listed as having a net worth of zero.

Rex steps close to Cassandra, too close for her comfort. She recoils from him. In the crowd, her slaves make a move for the stage. One of Rex's guards shoots Sax, and his body disintegrates to ash. The remaining three slaves huddle together in fear and step back.

REX
Shame about your slave, Cassie. But one life lost, another could be saved. Now's your chance to balance the scales. So, what'll it be?

Rex points a rifle at Mobbles and The Head.

REX
Claim his fortune and end his life... or set him and yourself free.

Cassandra eyes Mobbles and The Head.

MOBBLES AND THE HEAD
Please, Cassandra. I beg you. Let me go. I'll make sure you're taken care of. I promise you! Just let me live!

Everyone waits for Cassandra's decision with bated breath.

CASSANDRA
I'll take care of myself, thank you.

She turns to Rex.

CASSANDRA
I'll take his money.

DOCTOR
Cassandra, you vile swine!

MOBBLES AND THE HEAD
Nooooo!

Rex shoots Mobbles and The Head. They're vaporized.

Jabe turns away. The Doctor shuts his eyes at the sight of such horror.

Helga taps away at her controls and Cassandra's net worth shoots up to a little more than eighty-five trillion.

Cassandra smiles.

CASSANDRA
I'm serving notice, twenty trillion to whoever wins the bid on me and sets me free. Now, let's get this over with. If I'm going to die, it'll be as the richest individual in the known universe. Not a terrible way to go, after all.

She holds her chin up high, prepared for her fate. The Doctor stares at her, absolutely furious.

REX
Well, then, shall we start the bidding at, say, one trillion?

The Doctor raises his hand. Jabe's mouth hangs open at the sight.

JABE
Doctor, what are you doing?

DOCTOR
I'm bidding one trillion... for the bitch.

Cassandra turns to look at him. She smirks. He just stares back, his eyes burning a hole through her.

Rex smiles.

REX
We have an opening bid of one trillion... from the Doctor.

-To be Continued...-