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.

71. Chapter 71 - Corralled

INT. MEETING ROOM - MARLOWE-1

Tarin Farhad awakens underneath rubble from the collapsed wall and ceiling. He tries to move, but his leg is caught. Between the emergency lighting and debris dust, it's hard to see, but we can hear someone digging for him.

TARIN
Heeeeelp!

A piece of sheet rock moves out of the way to reveal the Doctor, digging furiously for Tarin.

DOCTOR
Calm your face. I'm coming.

The Doctor reaches Tarin and checks his neck for trauma.

DOCTOR
What hurts? Can you wiggle your fingers? Toes? Ears? I can.

The Doctor shows Tarin how he can wiggle his ears.

Tarin pushes the Doctor's hand away.

TARIN
I'm fine. It's my leg.

DOCTOR
All right.

The Doctor grabs a metal leg from the broken table and uses it to pry Tarin's leg free. He and Tarin climb out of the room.

INT. COMMAND CENTER - MARLOWE-1

Inside the command center, we see Desmond step around fallen debris wearing thick clothes for walking outside, including a heavy scarf. He moves towards the sound of groaning, to where he finds Newt on the ground. He helps her up off the floor. Debris from the ceiling has smashed several of the workstations, but not Newt's.

DESMOND
Are you all right?

NEWT
I hit my head.

Desmond helps her into a chair. Blood drips down one side of her face.

DESMOND
I need a medic over here!

NEWT
(scared)
Is it bad?

She tries to touch it, but it hurts. He looks closer. It's bad, but he puts on a brave face to keep her calm.

DESMOND
No, not at all. We just need to stop the bleeding.

He pulls off his scarf and uses it as a makeshift bandage to wrap her head. He takes her hand and helps her press the wrap tight.

Nearby, Dr. Maddy WAINWRIGHT walks over carrying a bag of medical supplies.

WAINWRIGHT
I'll take it from here.

DESMOND
Right.

WAINWRIGHT
Newt, honey, can you follow my finger? Can you tell me the date?

Desmond looks around and sees the Doctor and Tarin enter. He walks over. When Tarin sees him, he shoots Desmond a dirty look.

TARIN
What the hell are you doing here? I thought you and Caldwell went to check on the plant.

DESMOND
We got about halfway over there and the ground shook us right off the hopper. It was all we could do just to get back here. I lived in Los Angeles for six years. That was the biggest earthquake I've ever experienced.

DOCTOR
It wasn't an earthquake.

DESMOND
The ground literally quaked. What would you call it?

The Doctor turns to Tarin.

DOCTOR
When your equipment connected with the ship's hull, it activated their defense grid. The ship has been in hibernation mode, but when there's an active threat, it wakes up.

DESMOND
What is he talking about? What ship?

TARIN
I don't believe any of this. I don't believe any of this crazy story of yours, Doctor. None of it. You're insane. It makes no sense... but if I did believe you, what happens next?

The Doctor's expression turns very grim.

DOCTOR
You don't want to be here for that.

DESMOND
For what? Tarin, if you know what's going on here, you have to tell us.

Everyone in the command center turns and looks to Tarin. They wait for his response.

TARIN
I'm ordering the immediate evacuation of the station. Pack up everything you can, sound the alarm, and everyone get the hell out of here.

When no one moves, apparently from shock...

DOCTOR
Now would be good.

TARIN
Move!

Desmond bursts into action.

DESMOND
All right, everyone, you heard him. We're evacuating. You know the procedures; clothes, supplies, rally point, head count.

Dr. Wainwright sneaks over to Tarin.

WAINWRIGHT
Are you okay?

She touches his arm gently, intimately, not like a doctor... The Doctor notices.

TARIN
(nods)
I'm okay. It's just my ankle.

DOCTOR
It's a sprain.

She moves on to checking his leg.

WAINWRIGHT
We have a problem with Newt. Keep your voice down.

TARIN
What do you mean?

Tarin looks over at Newt, who is holding Desmond's scarf to her head.

WAINWRIGHT
A piece of the ceiling fell on her head. I can't be sure of the severity, but she's definitely got brain trauma. Her speech is slurred and she told me her tongue tastes funny.

DOCTOR
That's not good.

TARIN
Her tongue tastes funny? What does that even mean?

WAINWRIGHT
It's dangerous to move her.

TARIN
It's dangerous to stay here.

WAINWRIGHT
She could die. I have to get her into surgery, immediately.

TARIN
Dammit. All right, do what you can as quickly as you can. It'll take a while to get everything together, anyway. We'll put her on the last hopper.

WAINWRIGHT
Right.

Wainwright looks at the Doctor.

WAINWRIGHT
Did I hear him call you Doctor?

DOCTOR
That's right.

WAINWRIGHT
Medical doctor, by any chance?

The Doctor takes off his coat and rolls up his sleeves.

DOCTOR
Just tell me what you need.

WAINWRIGHT
Come with me.

He does.

Tarin leaves to delegate.

EXT. MARLOWE-1 - DAY

Outside, workers are in a panic. Too many men crowd onto a hopper as an alarm sounds. Downed equipment burns in oil fires. Nearby, Hoffa drags a man, RICO, off one of the hoppers and throws him violently to the ground.

HOFFA
There's work to be done, Rico!

RICO
We've gotta get out of here. There's no time! There's no time!

Rico runs off. Hoffa waves a derogatory gesture in the man's direction.

Nearby, a supplies truck pulls out of a plowed parking space onto the ice road. Tarin hobbles his way in front of it, causing the truck driver, YURI, to slam on the brakes.

TARIN
Where do you think you're going, Yuri?

Yuri rolls down the window and pokes his head out.

YURI
You feel 'dat? Almost shook my bones out my feet.

TARIN
You're not loaded yet.

YURI
Got to get out of here, before whole place go boom like my babooshka when her lypo surgery went bad.

TARIN
We need your hold for food, water-

YURI
Water freeze in hold!

TARIN
-people.

YURI
People freeze, too. Not passenger vehicle. Get out of way or I run you flat.

Yuri inches his truck forward.

TARIN
Yuri, dammit, we need you!

YURI
I meet you at rendezvous point. Yuri not abandon you, Tarin! You see! I be there for you!

TARIN
Yuri!

Tarin has to jump out of the way, into a snow pile, to avoid being run over.

Hoffa runs over and helps Tarin back to his feet.

HOFFA
Damn, Ruski fool idiot. I always hated his mustache.

They watch Yuri's truck drive away... away...

BOOOOOOOOOM! Tarin, Hoffa, and the frightened crewmen duck for cover.

A missile from above torpedoes Yuri's truck and blows it to high heaven. The destruction is so violent, there's barely even any debris, just a fireball where Yuri's truck used to be.

On the ground, Hoffa and Tarin look out in the distance at Yuri's funeral pyre.

HOFFA
Mother-pus-bucket. God is pissed. We are all going to die today, I think.

TARIN
Get everyone inside.

HOFFA
But you said-

TARIN
I know what I said. That was then. This is now. Now, I'm saying this!

Tarin gets up and runs inside. Hoffa follows orders.

INT. COMMAND CENTER - MARLOWE-1

Tarin re-enters. Desmond approaches.

DESMOND
Was there an explosion outside? Are the rigs on fire?

TARIN
Yes, but that's not what exploded.

Tarin looks over to where the Doctor and Wainwright are securing Newt to a stretcher. He walks over.

TARIN
We have a problem.

WAINWRIGHT
Just one?

DOCTOR
I believe you.

TARIN
I need our systems back online. We're blind and we can't leave.

Desmond walks over. Carolyn enters and walks over as well.

DESMOND
What do you mean we can't leave?

TARIN
Yuri just took off on his own.

DESMOND
That coward.

TARIN
And a cruise missile took out his truck.

CAROLYN
A cruise missile?

DESMOND
Holy s-

DOCTOR
Is the facility under attack?

TARIN
No. Yes. I mean, I don't know. That was the only one. I think they're just trying to keep us corralled.

CAROLYN
Like a bunch of sheep.

DOCTOR
Or pigs. Pigs get corralled.

DESMOND
It's those people. Whoever's coming. They warned us about trying to leave.

TARIN
And now we know they've got drones overhead with missiles locked and loaded and ready to fire. They're keeping us here until they can get here.

NEWT
(groggy)
We can't leave?

TARIN
No, Newt, we can't leave. Our only chance is if we can get a message out, call for help, and you're the only one who can do that. We need you to get our systems back online.

Tarin turns to the Doctor.

TARIN
Unless you've got any tricks up your sleeve?

DOCTOR
Are you asking for my help?

Tarin hesitates as his team eagerly awaits his response.

TARIN
Yes.

The Doctor smiles.

DOCTOR
Oh, I've got tricks, but I keep them in my sock.

The Doctor reaches down and pulls an older model sonic screwdriver from his sock. Desmond looks at it with confusion.

DESMOND
We frisked him, though. That wasn't in your sock when-

TARIN
Nevermind that. What does it do?

DOCTOR
It's a screwdriver.

Tarin looks unimpressed.

DOCTOR
Okay, it's a little older model, but I lost my new one. If you can get your systems up and running, I can help you get a distress call out.

TARIN
That still leaves us with the problem of Newt being the only one who can handle that.

NEWT
I can. I can do it.

Newt tries to sit up, but Wainwright holds her down.

WAINWRIGHT
I need to get her into surgery right now. She's in no condition to work.

DOCTOR
She's right. It was irresponsible of me to ask.

CAROLYN
I might be able to do something. I'm good with our computers in the lab. Plus, Newt and I spend a lot of time together talking.

TARIN
(stammering)
Uh, you-you, do? I didn't know that. You do?

CAROLYN
(nods)
Yeah. I've learned a lot from her, watching her.

TARIN
You-you watch her? Really?

CAROLYN
Just when we're working. Why? Is that weird? I don't want to be weird.

DOCTOR
Can you do it, or not?

CAROLYN
I can try.

DOCTOR
I'll assist Dr. Wainwright with stabilizing Newt while you do that. Let me know when you're ready.

NEWT
Stabilizing me? Am I gonna die?

WAINWRIGHT
We're going to take good care of you.

DOCTOR
Absolutely, we are. But probably.

NEWT
I don't want to die.

The Doctor and Wainwright carry Newt out on the stretcher.

Desmond moves closer to Tarin and lowers his voice.

DESMOND
And if we do manage to get a signal out, who exactly are we calling for help? The army guys?

TARIN
I think the army guys are the ones who blew up Yuri.

DESMOND
Are you kidding?

TARIN
That was absolutely a military drone that fired that missile.

DESMOND
Then, I repeat my last question. Who exactly are we supposed to call for help?

Tarin has no answer.

INT. TARDIS

Doctor Two stands at the controls with Rose by his side.

ROSE
Where are we going?

DOCTOR TWO
I've been putting this off for too long. I don't have any choice, anymore.

Doctor Two turns to face Theelia the Brygosan, who is awake, but still chained to the railing.

DOCTOR TWO
You want to be with your people? I'm going to bring you to them. I know you hate me, but I'm going to give you everything you want.

Doctor Two turns back to the console and enters in time and space coordinates.

DOCTOR TWO
Or at least as close to it as I can get.

We hear the ethereal gears turn.

-To be Continued...-