INT. ESCAPE VAN
Rose peers out the window and notices the van is moving away from the clinic.
ROSE
(to Golden Monkey)
Hey, our ship is on forty-two. If you just fly us up there, we can-
GOLDEN MONKEY
Not to interrupt, dear, but I doubt those four Tonades arc wings are going to be particularly agreeable to letting us drop you off.
EXT. SOLUDEN CITY – DAY
Four vulture-like single passenger planes swoop down from above in pursuit of the van. These are the arc wings. Designed with intimidation in mind, they each have a series of twelve magnetic grapnels running along the inward slope of their razor sharp wings, used for latching on to anyone foolish enough to run from the Tonades. Blaring sirens and flickering red lights warn away civilian traffic.
Over a loudspeaker...
ARC WING PILOT (V.O.)
Attention lawbreakers, you are under arrest. Come to a complete stop and prepare to be boarded.
Golden Monkey makes a break for it, at which point the lead arc wing fires a pair of grapnels at the back of the van. One misses right, but the other adheres to the van's shock strip (bumper around the circumference of the van). It pulls the van off course.
INT. ESCAPE VAN
The van shakes against the pull of the grapnel.
BRONZE CYBERMAN
Not good.
GOLDEN MONKEY
It's just one.
The van's engine revs loudly as Golden Monkey pushes it harder and harder.
EXT. SOLUDEN CITY – DAY
The van dives through perpendicular traffic, dragging the lead arc wing along like an anchor. They fly through a pair of buildings, where the arc wing bounces off a wall and narrowly avoids smashing into one of the other three planes off the ricochet. A second arc wing fires grapnels that miss the van, but the third fires two that both connect to the top.
In response, Golden Monkey increases their angle of descent, dragging the two arc wings even further down to an area of the city deep in the shadows of four skyscrapers and a bridge. Street urchins run for cover at the site of the Tonades arc wings pecking away at the van with grapnel after grapnel. Each arc wing fires again and again until the van is webbed in tethers.
INT. ESCAPE VAN
Bronze Cyberman ducks instinctively when two magnetic grapnel clamps slam against the window by his head.
ROSE
Can't you shoot them down or something?
GOLDEN MONKEY
Our weapons are no match for their hulls.
SILVER HUMANOID
They've got us. I can't believe I'm going to die trying to save a bloody human.
While everyone else loses their composure, Doctor Two's attention turns on the rifle across Silver Humanoid's lap.
DOCTOR TWO
Give me your weapon.
Doctor Two holds his hand out.
Silver Humanoid holds his rifle tighter.
Golden Monkey looks over her shoulder.
GOLDEN MONKEY
What are you waiting for? Give the man your weapon!
SILVER HUMANOID
Why? So he can shoot me, too?
Doctor Two punches Silver Humanoid in the side of the head, disorienting him long enough to steal the man's rifle.
SILVER HUMANOID
Ow!
Doctor Two slides open the van door.
EXT. SOLUDEN CITY – DAY
In the shadows of the skyscrapers, Doctor Two grabs one of the magnetic grapnel clamps and shoots the wire line connecting it to the corresponding arc wing. He then uses the clamp as a handle to pull himself up onto the roof of the van. With expert marksmanship he targets each grapnel line and fires, severing one after another until the van is free.
He kicks the top of the van with his heel.
DOCTOR TWO
Go!
Golden Monkey flies off, keeping low to the ground. Meanwhile, the Doctor rides the top of the van like a surfboard, being sure to keep a good grip on the grapnel clamp so as not to fall off.
INT. ESCAPE VAN
Bronze Cyberman stares up at the roof of the van in amazement.
BRONZE CYBERMAN
He's absolutely out of his mind.
Rose smiles.
ROSE
Little bit.
EXT. SOLUDEN CITY – DAY
Doctor Two fires at the four arc wings in pursuit. The blasts connect with all the stopping power of spitballs. Plan B; he turns his attention on the grapnel clamp in his hand, where a release mechanism is clearly visible.
ARC WING PILOT (V.O.)
You, on top of the vehicle. You have fired on a Tonades vehicle. You are instructed to drop your weapon, immediately, or we will return fire.
Doctor Two wraps the rifle's strap around his neck to free his other hand, then reaches out and grabs a second clamp. He pivots his body and aims himself towards the closest arc wing. Simultaneously, he presses the release on each clamp and launches himself towards the arc wing. In mid-air, he re-magnetizes each clamp and punches them onto the arc wing's hull, where they lock on. He maintains his grip and now rides the top of the arc wing.
Inside the arc wing cockpit, the ARC WING PILOT sees Doctor Two and is astonished. Before the man can react, Doctor Two gets to his knees and fires the rifle at the canopy release lock. The glass dome swings open and Doctor Two jumps inside. A struggle ensues, during which Doctor Two manages to unlock the man's safety harness. He pulls the pilot out of the cockpit by his collar and hurls him overboard, sending him barreling through a window of one of the neighboring buildings as they fly by.
INT. OFFICE - BUILDING
The pilot smashes through the glass window of an office and comes to a crashing stop against the wall.
EXT. SOLUDEN CITY – DAY
Doctor Two sits in the cockpit and veers right just before his commandeered arc wing crashes into a building. He decelerates long enough to get behind the other three Tonades ships, then fires grapnels at all three. Reaching down, he pulls the emergency eject lever, which blasts the cockpit into the air with him inside. Once clear, a parachute explodes from the top of the falling cockpit.
Meanwhile, the three arc wings become entangled by their tethers to the fourth. The pilots struggle to maintain control, but a collision is inevitable. All three remaining pilots eject just before their ships crash together and explode!
A few moments later, Doctor Two waits patiently in the descending cockpit as Golden Monkey pulls the van up alongside and matches his descent. Bronze Cyberman opens the van door. All inside are stunned.
BRONZE CYBERMAN
That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen.
DOCTOR TWO
More will be coming.
Doctor Two jumps from the descending cockpit back into the van.
INT. ESCAPE VAN
Rose moves over in her seat to make room for Doctor Two. She stares at him wide-eyed.
ROSE
So, I guess you're over your dizziness?
DOCTOR TWO
(to Golden Monkey)
We need somewhere to lay low for a while.
GOLDEN MONKEY
I know just the place.
Golden Monkey flies them away.
EXT. RUNDOWN FACTORY – PRESERVER HEADQUARTERS
In a dilapidated section of the city stands old factories and warehouses long ago abandoned to time. A roof retracts on top of one of the larger ones and the escape van flies inside.
INT. PRESERVER HEADQUARTERS
Golden Monkey, Silver Humanoid, Bronze Cyberman, Rose, and Doctor Two exit the van onto a raised platform. Inside, the factory has been re-purposed into a military base befitting a small band of rebels. A handful of Preservers emerge from around the abandoned assembly line of neglected equipment. Doctor Two immediately notices that each Preserver is from a different species and wears a mask around their belt.
Rose's rescuers remove their masks and attach them to their belts. Underneath, Golden Monkey is a bald woman with a diaphanous skull, oversized opal eyes, and neon green brain. Silver Humanoid is a Svelnan, with blue skin and three-fingered hands. Bronze Cyberman is a Phrynian, with one inch thick gold bands woven directly into his skin.
GOLDEN MONKEY
We should be safe here a while. The Tonades don't come to this side of the city. No money in it.
ROSE
The Doctor could use some warmer clothes.
SILVER HUMANOID
Over this way.
GOLDEN MONKEY
I'm going to report in.
Bronze Cyberman collects weapons and detachable pieces of armor. Rose sticks close to Doctor Two, mindful of all the stares she gets from the other Preservers. Doctor Two gives her a look as he follows Silver Humanoid to a series of open lockers.
SILVER HUMANOID
Feel free to take whatever fits. Not quite retail, but it'll keep you warm. Oh, and whatever you find in the pockets is yours.
Silver Humanoid shows them the lockers, then backs away and draws a curtain for their privacy. They keep their voices low.
ROSE
I don't like it here. I think we should make a run for it.
DOCTOR TWO
I thought you were with them.
As Doctor Two rummages through the lockers for some clothes, Rose sneaks a peak from behind the curtain. She watches Golden Monkey ascend a metal staircase and walk into an office overseeing the factory floor. The blinds are closed, but someone inside squeals loudly and their voice carries.
ROSE
They rescued me from the Tonades. At the time, I was being strangled, so it seemed like a pretty okay trade off. Now, I'm not so sure.
Doctor Two pulls on a pair of overalls and a dark brown overcoat.
ROSE
Did you know it's illegal to be a human?
DOCTOR TWO
Lousy to be you.
ROSE
You were right, about everything.
DOCTOR TWO
That's usually the case.
ROSE
The Tonades officer who was interrogating me told me the human race had this big huge empire and they-they wiped out entire planets of people. There was some kind of interstellar war, and they freakin' Jonestown-ed themselves. Earth is gone.
DOCTOR TWO
That's impossible. This should be the middle of an enlightenment for the human race.
ROSE
That's what I'm saying. You were right. We screwed things up big time. Remember the Independence from Declaration?
Doctor Two hesitates, as if he doesn't remember what she's talking about.
ROSE
… when Rex stole the world ender from the Cybermen?
DOCTOR TWO
Yes. Of course.
ROSE
Are you still fuzzy? How are you feeling? Did they cure you?
She puts her hand across his forehead.
DOCTOR TWO
I'm fine. Just a residual effect of the poison.
ROSE
Poison? What poison?
The curtain flies open, cutting him off before he can answer. It's Golden Monkey.
GOLDEN MONKEY
(to Rose)
He will see you, now.
ROSE
Who "he"?
GOLDEN MONKEY
The Honcho.
Rose eyes the office.
INT. HONCHO'S OFFICE – PRESERVER HEADQUARTERS
A knock on the door.
THE HONCHO (O.S.)
One minute.
GOLDEN MONKEY (V.O.)
Honcho, I have Rose Taylor and the Doctor.
THE HONCHO (O.S.)
Just a second.
We pull back to see the Honcho; an overweight, sweaty, mess of a human being. He fidgets inside of a designer tuxedo with a cape and top hat. In a mirror on the wall, he observes a wisp of his thinning hair that's slipped out from under the hat. He spits in his hand and uses the loogy as hair gel to slick it back under.
Satisfied with his appearance, the Honcho withdraws to the center of the classroom-sized manager's office and stands at attention. He cycles through practice facial expressions until settling on his own version of debonaire.
THE HONCHO
You may enter.
The door opens. Golden Monkey leads Rose and Doctor Two inside. The Honcho gasps at the sight of Rose, overwhelmed by her beauty, despite her disheveled appearance from the eventful day.
THE HONCHO
Oh my goodness. Oh my. You're even more beautiful than I imagined.
Rose steps even closer to Doctor Two. He looks uncomfortable.
DOCTOR TWO
(surprised)
You're human?
THE HONCHO
(to Golden Monkey)
Who's this clown?
GOLDEN MONKEY
He calls himself "the Doctor". He's a Time Lord. The last of the Time Lords.
THE HONCHO
Sounds very impressive.
DOCTOR TWO
That's because it is, and I am.
THE HONCHO
Get out.
Confused, Doctor Two looks over at Golden Monkey. Without hesitation, she opens the door for him. When he takes a step to leave, though, Rose leans into his path.
ROSE
(whispers)
Where are you going? Don't leave me alone in here with him. I'm scared.
Doctor Two sizes up the Honcho, then moves a bit closer to Rose. He leans in, a serious expression on his face.
DOCTOR TWO
(whispers)
I'm gonna see if I can get us some sandwiches.
Rose's jaw drops. She looks up at him, dumbfounded. He gives her a firm nod back, then leaves. Golden Monkey closes the door behind him.
THE HONCHO
Rose Taylor, it's most extraordinary to meet you.
ROSE
Um... thank you? I guess.
THE HONCHO
I've been waiting for this moment a very long time. So long, actually, I didn't think it was ever going to come. Forgive me if I seem a bit nervous. It's only because I am.
He laughs awkwardly.
ROSE
You're acting like you were expecting me.
THE HONCHO
You? No. Actually, I was expecting a fat ugly cow. You'll do nicely, though.
The Honcho swallows and reaches into his tuxedo pocket. He pulls out a small black ring box and gets down on one knee.
THE HONCHO
Rose Taylor, will you make the last human man in the universe the happiest man in the universe, by doing me the honor of marrying me?
He opens the ring box and shows her a HUGE diamond engagement ring. She stares at it, slack-jawed.
ROSE
Uhhhmmmmm...
He smiles, awaits her answer.
-To be Continued...-