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.

45. Chapter 45 - Trial of the Doctor

EXT. BLUE BOX SUPERMAX – FULTON – DAY

A towering blue cube with crystal walls sits embedded in an island mountain beneath yellow overcast skies. It is the supermax prison on the planet Fulton. Bubbles, like soda-fizz, crackle and pop from a thick layer of green algae atop the surrounding ocean. Security flyers run aerial patrols.

We follow a transport flyer down to a landing pad near the main entrance. It lands.

INT. TRANSPORT FLYER - BLUE BOX SUPERMAX - DAY

Rat the Mic, the Doctor's defense lawyer, clutches a briefcase to his chest as he looks through a window at the prison outside. Next to him is TRIGETTE, his co-council, a female lawyer with avian features. She fans one of her own feathers as a kind of nervous tic.

TRIGETTE
You're sure you don't want me to come with you?

He fidgets. His voice cracks.

RAT THE MIC
No. No. It's, um, I'm good. It's going to be fine, Trigette.

She smiles and hugs him. Upon, release, he tries to kiss her, but she withdraws her face before he can land it. He turns away, embarrassed.

TRIGETTE
Just don't say anything to piss anyone off, okay?

RAT THE MIC
You do know I'm a lawyer?

They share a laugh. He exits the flyer from the side door. She waves to him.

INT. SECURITY ENTRANCE - BLUE BOX SUPERMAX

Rat the Mic enters through the first gate and walks up to a second. Behind a bulletproof glass window sits HEWFATHA, a hefty security woman. He slides her his identification through a slot in the window.

HEWFATHA
First time in the Blue Box, puppy?

Taken aback, Rat the Mic squints at her.

RAT THE MIC
Um, no. I've actually been here lots of times.

She shakes her head and hands him back his identification, along with a clearance pass to get him through security.

HEWFATHA
No, I never forget a face, puppy. You had been here before, I'd remember.

RAT THE MIC
Ok. How did Jothee's sixteenth birthday party go? Did he enjoy the dream watcher you got him?

HEWFATHA
Oh, yeah, he loooved it. Everyone had a good time.

RAT THE MIC
Great.

He walks through the second gate. After a second, she looks up from what she's doing.

HEWFATHA
Wait a minute. How did you-?

He's already gone.

INT. MONITOR'S OFFICE - BLUE BOX SUPERMAX

Outside the consultation area, where lawyers come to meet with their clients, stands an office. Inside, three GUARDS pretend to monitor the security feeds of various inmate cells while they're actually busy watching sports on the holoscreen (tv). Rat the Mic steps up to one of the windows and waits for one of the guards to notice him. After several seconds of waiting, he knocks on the window to get their attention. Finally, one of the guards, RENQU, hears him and walks over.

RAT THE MIC
Hi, I'm here for consultation.

He hands Renqu his pass. Renqu hands him back a sign-in sheet.

RENQU
Sign in.

RAT THE MIC
That's for inmate 61887.

Renqu monitors the sports.

RENQU
Just put it on the sheet.

RAT THE MIC
That's the, uh, human lover. I'm defending him. I'm his lawyer, Rat the Mic.

That gets their attention. All three guards suddenly watch him with intense interest.

RENQU
So, you're the guy from the holoscreen?

He points out his own name on the sign in sheet.

RAT THE MIC
Rat the Mic, defense attorney. Yup.

BURLY GUARD
You looked bigger on screen.

All three guards step outside the office to hover over the much shorter and scrawnier lawyer. Rat the Mic chuckles to try and diffuse the tension.

RAT THE MIC
Yeah, it's, uh, an optical illusion. Things look bigger on the screen than they are in real life. Just don't tell my girlfriend, okay?

RENQU
That some kind of joke?

ENORMOUS GUARD
Yes. I don't have a girlfriend.

He laughs. They don't. He clears his throat.

RAT THE MIC
Anyway, I'd like to see my client, now, the "human lover" as you so eloquently put it.

RENQU
Actually, I'm pretty sure that's what you called him.

BURLY GUARD
We've got a different word for him all together.

RAT THE MIC
But why waste it on anything but high poetry?

Rat the Mic shrugs.

RENQU
You can follow me.

Renqu grabs some pass keys and leads Rat the Mic deeper into the prison.

INT. CONSULTATION ROOM – BLUE BOX SUPERMAX

The Doctor waits inside a square room about the size of a small office. There's a table and chairs in the middle. He's wearing skin-tight red clothes with a bulbous girdle around his midsection. It jiggles like jell-o when he pokes at it, which only make him poke at it even more.

RAT THE MIC (O.S.)
I wouldn't do that.

The Doctor looks up. He sees Rat the Mic, his attorney, carrying the briefcase while standing outside the forcefield. Renqu lowers the forcefield so he can enter, then raises it back up once he's inside.

RENQU
Hit the button on the wall when you want out. I'll probably come get you.

Renqu leaves.

Rat the Mic waves 'hello', then points at the Doctor's girdle, continuing his thought.

RAT THE MIC
That's actually a sec-ballooner. If you go missing, or attempt a break, or even just get too far from the base beacon, it blows up to about a hundred times the size. Makes it difficult to move or get through doors.

DOCTOR
Ah.

The Doctor continues to poke at it anyway.

Rat the Mic sets the briefcase down on the table and opens it to retrieve his notes.

RAT THE MIC
I'm Rat the Mic. Most people just call me Rat, for short.

DOCTOR
I think I would have gone with "Mike", or even "the Mic", but okay.

RAT THE MIC
Anyway, I'm your attorney. I'll be defending you during your trial. I'm sorry we couldn't meet before the trial started, but you know how it goes.

DOCTOR
Actually, I don't. Why don't you explain it to me?

RAT THE MIC
Oh, um, okay. Well, seeing as how this is a capital case, I'm legally barred from talking to you before the trial starts. You've been officially classified as an HRD1, which stands for "High Risk Danger Level One", so it's assumed you'll lie and be generally uncooperative. I have to develop your defense based on the evidence and it's thought that any interaction with you beforehand could adversely affect my legal strategy.

DOCTOR
Yes, that makes perfect sense.

He rolls his eyes.

Rat the Mic sets aside a digital writing pad and removes a stylus from his briefcase. He readies himself to make notes.

RAT THE MIC
Let's see, okay, yes, so, please state your full name for the record.

DOCTOR
The Doctor.

RAT THE MIC
I actually need your whole name.

DOCTOR
You mean, like, "Bill Poe" or something?

RAT THE MIC
That depends.

DOCTOR
On?

RAT THE MIC
Is your name "Bill Poe"?

DOCTOR
No.

RAT THE MIC
You're not going to give me your full name, are you?

DOCTOR
I already did, Mr. "the Mic".

RAT THE MIC
Right, maybe if I explained why it's important. As an HRD1, you're not just on trial for one specific crime, or, in your case, the...

He reads from his notes.

RAT THE MIC
...wow, yeah, the sixteen you've been charged with. Since this is a capital case, your entire life is on trial.

DOCTOR
My entire life? And how long do these trials usually take? Because that's sort of a lot of ground to cover.

RAT THE MIC
Why? How old are you?

DOCTOR
Sixteen thousand and a half.

RAT THE MIC
(chokes)
Six-sixteen thousand?!

DOCTOR
And a half.

RAT THE MIC
Ok, well, the prosecutor - that would be K'Renn, he's very good - he has his team of investigators digging through your history right now looking for anything they can use to make you look as vile and despicable as possible. Really, sixteen thousand? I mean, no fooling?

The Doctor nods.

RAT THE MIC
Ok, wow. Moving on, what I need from you is anything in your history that could potentially make you seem a little more... what's the word?... cuddly; charity work, major monetary contributions to reputable organizations, character references, that sort of thing. It would also be helpful to know about the bad stuff K'Renn might bring up, so I can prepare my rebuttal. It's always good to know what they know, but also a tremendous advantage to know what they don't know.

DOCTOR
You want me to tell you how I'm... cuddly?

RAT THE MIC
It would help.

DOCTOR
One question first.

RAT THE MIC
Anything.

DOCTOR
Don't you want to know if I'm guilty?

A beat.

Rat the Mic bursts out laughing.

RAT THE MIC
Of course, you're guilty. Everyone knows your guilty. They have it on camera, for heaps of gob. I'm just trying to keep you alive. So, if you don't mind, maybe I could get that name.

DOCTOR
Right. I am...

Rat the Mic prepares to write it down.

DOCTOR
...the Doctor.

RAT THE MIC
You're being very difficult.

DOCTOR
That's okay. You're being very helpful.

RAT THE MIC
I am?

DOCTOR
Indubitably, and as your reward, Mr. "the Mic", I'm going to lead you through the maze a bit and let you in on a secret. It's not my name you want.

RAT THE MIC
It isn't?

The Doctor shakes his head.

RAT THE MIC
Who, then?

The Doctor leans closer and lowers his voice, as if to tell a secret.

DOCTOR
You have access to Earth's history?

RAT THE MIC
This is a capital case. I have access to pretty much anything I want.

DOCTOR
Fantastic. Then, the name you really want to look up is...

Rat the Mic prepares to write the name down.

DOCTOR
Rose Taylor, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Rat the Mic shuffles through his notes, looking for something.

RAT THE MIC
Rose Taylor, Rose Taylor, where do I know that name? Ah, that's the name of the human you were with at the hospital. She's the one that got away.

DOCTOR
"The one that got away." That's an elegant way to put it. Anyway, look throughout history. Get creative. Go back thousands of years. Tens of thousands, even.

RAT THE MIC
(confused)
Tens of thousands? But I thought humans only live for a hundred years.

DOCTOR
Go back hundreds of thousands, even.

Rat the Mic's shoulders sink.

RAT THE MIC
Doctor, this isn't a game. Your life is on the line.

DOCTOR
Rule number one when dealing with the Doctor: keep an open mind. Comb throughout history, specifically Earth's history, for the name Rose Taylor. Pull every mention of that name. Find pictures. She's quite fetching. Then, look for all instances of "the Doctor and Rose".

Rat the Mic stands and starts packing up his things. He drops his pads into the briefcase with a loud thud. He slams the briefcase shut.

DOCTOR
What are you doing?

RAT THE MIC
They warned me back at the free state office. They told me I'd get some crazies. Nobody wanted this case. "It's a sure loser," Uvum told me. Should have listened. But I figured I'd get my name out there. Everybody's going to be watching. I could make a name for myself. Serves me right.

The Doctor grabs Rat the Mic's wrist and holds it firmly.

DOCTOR
Son, the only reason you're looking to make a name for yourself is because you don't have one. You're a complete nobody and you're going to live your entire life in the shadows of a system. When you die, no one will remember you as anything more than a cog in a much greater machine. But "Rose Taylor", that's a name. That's the kind of name that gets people like you noticed without a flashlight. But if you need more convincing, I guarantee that if you do this you'll know something very important that K'Renn doesn't know.

Rat the Mic pulls his hand away. He stares into the Doctor's eyes for a hint of truth.

RAT THE MIC
Rose Taylor?

The Doctor nods.

DOCTOR
Rose. Taylor.

Rat the Mic takes his briefcase and leaves.

INT. COURTROOM – FULTON

Back in the courtroom, prosecutor K'Renn questions various witnesses, one at a time. The relevant pieces of their testimonies are inter-cut so that we always see whoever is speaking. Rat the Mic, Trigette, and the defense team observes.

K'Renn stands to address the first witness; Agatha, the receptionist who checked the Doctor into the Zira Clinic.

K'RENN
Please state your name and occupation for the record.

AGATHA
Agatha Forginoss Harouu. I'm a receptionist at the Zira Clinic. I check people into the facility.

K'RENN
Your honors, I submit "Free State Holo-7" for your approval.

K'Renn waves into the air a holographic, three-dimensional, still image of Rose checking the Doctor into the Zira Clinic. The image floats in the air over to Agatha so she can take a look. Once she's seen it, the image floats up for all the judges to observe it.

K'RENN
Can you do me a favor, love? Can you identify the people in this image?

AGATHA
The gentleman, I believe, is the Doctor. At least, that's the name she used to check him in.

Agatha points to the Doctor, who is again seated in the white throne, wearing all black.

K'RENN
Let the record show that digital analysis of the image confirms a 99.998% positive match for the defendant, confirming witness testimony.

GRAND JUDGE
The court hereby accepts "Free State Holo-7".

K'RENN
(to Agatha)
And can you identify the woman in the image? The one with the defendant?

AGATHA
She said her name was Rose Taylor.

K'RENN
Now, there came a time when you felt the need to alert security concerning Rose Taylor, is that correct?

Nurse Bormi appears on the witness platform in place of Agatha. She's wearing all red, with a bulbous girdle, much like the one the Doctor was wearing at the supermax.

BORMI
That's correct, yes.

K'RENN
And what prompted you to do so?

Rat the Mic stands.

RAT THE MIC
Objection, your honors. The defense seeks to invalidate all testimony from this witness on the grounds that she herself is currently under investigation by the free state for severe crimes and therefore cannot be considered reliable.

K'RENN
The witness agreed to testify of her own volition and was offered no special dispensation. Furthermore, this specific line of questioning is unrelated to her own criminal activity.

RAT THE MIC
The witness is charged with, among other things, kidnapping my client and locking him in a freezer against his will. Her testimony is clearly prejudicial.

GRAND JUDGE
The court deems testimony of this witness valid, but subject to corroboration.

Rat the Mic sits.

K'RENN
(to Bormi)
Go ahead, sweetheart.

BORMI
She said she was a human. I didn't know what else to do. I was scared.

K'Renn reaches into his notes and pulls out a holo-report. He sends it over to Sergeant Kale, who has replaced Nurse Bormi on the witness platform.

K'RENN
Your honors, I submit the following official report from the Tonades Crime Lab that performed a blood test on Miss Taylor when she was taken into custody confirming that she is a human. Sergeant Kale, darling, can you confirm the authenticity of the report?

Sergeant Kale surveys the report, then sends it up to the judges.

KALE
This is the report, and that is my stamp of authenticity.

GRAND JUDGE
The court accepts Sergeant Kale's account.

K'RENN
Your honors, this report corroborates Nurse Bormi's testimony.

GRAND JUDGE
Corroboration accepted.

As K'Renn sits, Rat the Mic stands. He holds in his hands a digital pad and reads it over several times, forcing everyone else to wait for him. Hesitant, he looks over at the Doctor and gives him a look as if to say "are you sure?". The Doctor nods.

GRAND JUDGE
Does defense wish to query this witness?

Rat the Mic takes a deep breath.

RAT THE MIC
Sergeant Kale, were you able confirm Rose Taylor's identity?

KALE
(confused)
We confirmed that she was a human.

RAT THE MIC
But were you able to confirm that she was, in fact, who she said she was? I mean, how do you know her name wasn't Mary Smith? Or Jingchu Kudo? Or Billie Piper?

KALE
What difference does it make? She's a human.

Again, Rat the Mic looks to the Doctor. Again, the Doctor nods, encouraging him.

RAT THE MIC
So, then, you weren't able to positively identify the woman you took into custody as Rose Taylor?

KALE
She's obviously not registered. I'm sure she's been in hiding. She wouldn't register her name, or she'd have been arrested long ago.

Rat the Mic stands at his station and readies a series of twenty holo-images. He hesitates one more second, then throws them into the air. Each one is another still image with Rose appearing in all of them. The Doctor also appears in many of them. They are from all different times, mostly from Earth. One is recognizable as a security camera still from St. Joseph's University the day she and the Doctor first met. Another image is from the tabloid news article about her father.

RAT THE MIC
Tell me, Sergeant, do you recognize the woman from these photographs?!

The eye-screens vibrate and emit a thunderous noise. They blink in rapid succession. The judges chatter amongst themselves, shocked by the images. K'Renn leaps up from his chair.

K'RENN
Objection!

RAT THE MIC
Your honors, I submit "Defense Holos-9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14..."

K'RENN
From where did defense obtain these images?

KALE
(confused)
What the-?

The Doctor studies each meticulously.

DOCTOR
One, two, another... My, you have been busy.

Grand Judge slams a gavel.

GRAND JUDGE
Order! Cut the feed! Cut the feed!

The eye-screens blink off.

K'RENN
Your honors, this is outrageous. Where are these images even from?

RAT THE MIC
I'm not surprised you'd ask that question, K'Renn, considering I had to personally pull them from the military masters. Strange that when I tried to search for the information in the free state archive, I was denied access, even though this is a capital case. And even when I managed to get through those restrictions, the files were empty!

K'RENN
Are you accusing me of something?

GRAND JUDGE
The attorneys will address the court, not each other!

RAT THE MIC
Your honors, these images have been scanned and the woman in them has been positively identified to within .08% as Rose Taylor, the same Rose Taylor supposedly taken into custody by this man...

He points to Kale.

RAT THE MIC
...just a few weeks ago. But the earliest of these images is dated to over eighty-thousand years ago, while a typical human's lifespan is only one hundred years. Explain to me how that works, Sergeant Kale. Explain to me how you arrested and interrogated an eighty-thousand year old human.

Worried and at a loss for words, Kale looks over at the Doctor.

The Doctor sticks his tongue out.

Sensing Kale's plight, K'Renn steps forward.

K'RENN
Your honors, I renew my objection and await your ruling.

KALE
She said... they had a... time machine.

Everyone freezes. The room falls silent.

DOCTOR
Now, this is good television. Why'd you cut the feed?

The Grand Judge's box detaches from its row and floats her down to the main floor. She steps down and walks over to Rat the Mic, looking furious.

GRAND JUDGE
And how is it you were able to obtain access to military masters without a warrant signed by me?

RAT THE MIC
I'm not legally bound to disclose my source

K'RENN
He can't verify their authenticity unless his source testifies.

RAT THE MIC
I can call anyone from the military to verify their authenticity.

GRAND JUDGE
Good luck finding someone who will testify, counselor.

Rat the Mic doesn't understand. He looks over at the Doctor.

DOCTOR
The fix is in.

Grand Judge turns to K'Renn.

GRAND JUDGE
Your people should have secured the military masters.

K'RENN
They told me they had.

GRAND JUDGE
We're all just fortunate the transmission was on a delay.

Grand Judge steps over to the Doctor.

GRAND JUDGE
I suppose you're enjoying this.

DOCTOR
Well, if the second act is as good as the first, I'd say we're well on our way.

GRAND JUDGE
I was content to simply execute you for high treason and as an enemy of the free state for consorting with humans. But you want to bring legacy into it.

DOCTOR
I really do.

GRAND JUDGE
Then, that's what we're going to do. You want a fair and open trial? Then, that's what you're going to get. These courts have been waiting a very long time for this day, the day we finally get to put on trial the greatest villain in the history of the known universe.

Everyone looks to the Doctor.

GRAND JUDGE
Let the trial of the Doctor begin.

Grand Judge steps back into her box and sits. It slowly rises back into place as she bangs her gavel. It makes a CRACK noise.

CRACK.

CRACK.

CRACK!

-To be Continued...-