10. Salvation
Do you remember The Doctor? Ten-part drama starring Charlie Craggs, with Jodie Whittaker.
Cleo鈥檚 been redacted. She finds herself in a weird, empty London full of 9 million ghosts. There鈥檚 no Abby to make plans, no Shawna to kick ass. Just Cleo and half an AS level in drama. Oh, and also this weird blue box, with a woman stepping out of it.
Credits:
Cleo Proctor - Charlie Craggs
Abby McPhail - Lois Chimimba
Shawna Thompson - Holly Quin-Ankrah
The Doctor - Jodie Whittaker
Monica Proctor - Sarah Thom
Jordan Proctor - Jacob Hawley
The Floater - Alasdair Beckett-King
Written by Juno Dawson
Produced and Directed by Ella Watts
Executive Producer: James Robinson
Sound Engineer: Paul Clark
Studio Assistant: Jacob Tombling
Sound Design: David Thomas
Additional Sound Design: Arlie Adlington
Original Composition: David Devereux
Production Co-ordinators: Sarah Sharpe and Sarah Nicholls
Recorded at Sonica Studios, Clapham.
A 麻豆社 Studios Production for 麻豆社 Sounds.
10. SALVATION
麻豆社 SOUNDS STING
1 PODCAST FLASHBACK
CLEO, ABBY and SHAWNA are cracking up. Happier times.
SHAWNA
So basically I heard that all the chemtrails that are in the sky, they have to keep the record on the blue box!
听
CLEO & ABBY
Oh what!
听
SHAWNA
There鈥檚 something to do with the colour! Otherwise they can鈥檛 track em, that鈥檚 it! Because -
听
ABBY
Shawna, you are deranged! Don鈥檛 ever change, I love you, but you鈥檙e massive weirdo!
听
SHAWNA
Aw, thanks!
听
ABBY
What about you Cleo?
听
CLEO
What about me?
听
ABBY
Who do you think鈥檚 in the Blue Box?
听
Cleo thinks a moment.
听
CLEO
Don鈥檛 make fun of me, OK? I like the idea that there鈥檚 someone out there, up in the sky, looking after us. It makes me feel safe, I dunno.
听
FX 鈥 Slow, happy music reflecting friendship plays.
听
CREDITS: DR WHO REDACTED - EPISODE TEN, BY JUNO DAWSON.
听
2 INT. VASTRA鈥橲 DEN.
We pick-up from Ep 9.
听
FX 鈥 Dripping water from the sewer.
听
CLEO
I鈥檓 gone. Am I dead?
听
FX 鈥 THE FLOATER breathes raspily.
听
FLOATER
You live, Earthling.
听
CLEO
Oh my god, I鈥檝e never been so glad to hear a talking alien baby in my life. I don鈥檛 get it, everyone鈥檚 gone.
听
FLOATER
They have gone to the Other Place.
听
FX 鈥 Ghostly voices whisper in the background.
听
CLEO
What does that mean?
听
FLOATER
You are the last one left.
The horror of that sinks in.
听
CLEO
What? Even Vastra? No.
听
FX - quiet redacted effect.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
I see them. Is that my friends?
(Beat)
No! They can鈥檛 be gone...
(Beat)
They鈥檙e ghosts...
听
FLOATER
Beware their touch. They are drawn
to you. You reek of home.
听
FX - the spectre FX.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Don鈥檛 touch me!
听
FX 鈥 spectre FX continues.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Abby, Shawna, please...
听
FLOATER
You are your people鈥檚 final hope, earthling.
听
CLEO
What?
听
FLOATER
Run, child, run.
听
FX - Cleo footsteps pounding through the wet sewers and her panting breath. Pounding electronic music suddenly erupts as
CLEO runs away.
听
CLEO
Oh god, I have got to join a gym.
听
FX - she gasps for breath as she reaches the ladders. We hear the metallic clang of her climbing.
听
EXT. LONDON STREET.
FX - London is now a ghost town. We hear the quiet redacted sound.
听
CLEO
Hello? Where is everyone?
听
FX - more footsteps. We gradually hear the siren that the UNIT vehicles were sounding to attract the ghosts.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
(Calls)
Soldier people?
(To self) What the hell? Where鈥檝e they gone? I can鈥檛 be the only one left, that鈥檚 insane. I don鈥檛 get it.
听
FX 鈥 the siren stops.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
I don鈥檛 think I want to attract any more ghosts, thanks. (Beat)
Keys in the ignition, rookie mistake. Thanks fellas.
听
FX - engine starts and Cleo moves the van out.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Now let鈥檚 get the hell out of...hell.
EXT. LONDON.
FX - car driving.
听
CLEO
(To self)
Man, this is so weird. 28 Days Later much.
听
VASTRA (FLASHBACK)
The Doctor is attracted to catastrophe like a moth to the flame.
听
Soft piano music plays as CLEO thinks of her friends.
听
CLEO
Alright. What would Abby do? She鈥檇 think of something heroic and selfless and Buffy. Shawna would do the thing the rest of us were scared to do. What would I do? I鈥檇 get the first train out of town like a normal person. But what if it鈥檚 not just London? What if it鈥檚 north of Watford too?
听
FX 鈥 car stops. 听
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
I鈥檓 gonna be so bored. Nah as if. I鈥檒l go mad. Right. OK then. Do the right thing.
听
FX 鈥 engine starts again. CLEO drives off.
听
EXT. POWELL ESTATE. DAY
CLEO brings the UNIT truck to a halt.
听
CLEO
God, I hope this works...
听
FX - the siren starts again.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Come get your ghost ice-cream!
听
Cleo slams the door shut and runs.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
That better buy me some time.
听
Distantly, we hear the TARDIS materialize.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Oh god what now..?
EXT. POWELL ESTATE.
FX - The TARDIS materializes - more loudly this time. The door
creaks open.
听
DOCTOR
Powell Estate, we meet again. It鈥檚 been a while. She takes in this eerie new ghost-town.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
Oh dear. Well that鈥檚 unfortunate. It鈥檚 worse than I thought...
FX - we hear a bat being struck against a metal post.
听
CLEO
Oi! You the Doctor?
听
DOCTOR
Here we go. Welcoming committee...
听
CLEO
(At a distance)
Um, put your hands up.
(Beat)
You mug.
FX - Cleo鈥檚 footsteps coming closer.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
I mean it. Don鈥檛 move.
听
DOCTOR
Well that鈥檚 even more unfortunate isn鈥檛 it? The last person left in London wants to kill me. Figures. Where on earth did you get that bat? This is Peckham, not Pittsburgh!
听
CLEO
My mum keeps it under her bed for burglars. And I think we had a rounders match with it once. But that鈥檚 not the point.
听
DOCTOR
Come on, put the bat down please. I鈥檓 here to help, not fight.
听
FX 鈥 spectre sound effect.
听
Pause.
听
CLEO
Help? Sure, Jan. Do you see them terrifying ghost people? That was you. This is all your fault. I know all about you...
听
DOCTOR
Yeah, I鈥檝e heard your podcast...
听
CLEO
Babe maybe you think you help. But it seems to me that when you rock up somewhere you leave behind a bunch of bodies. No offense, but you have very chaotic energy.
听
DOCTOR
Er I didn鈥檛 plan this, I swear!
(Beat)
Cleo, you have to believe me. I want to help. That鈥檚 what I do.
听
CLEO
I met Rani Chandra. She said you
were contagious. What did you do?
听
DOCTOR
I made a terrible mistake.
听
CLEO
You think?
(Beat)
Look. All I know is the weird alien baby said if you died, this all goes away.
听
DOCTOR
We don鈥檛 know that...
听
Soft piano music plays as CLEO and the DOCTOR try to understand one another.
听
CLEO
It鈥檚 the best chance we got.
听
DOCTOR
Go on then. Take you best shot.
听
CLEO
What?
DOCTOR
I thought you of all people might
be different, but no. Reach for a
weapon; end everything in bloodshed. Such a let down. Never meet your heroes. The two face off.
听
A pause.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
At least let me explain. Just FYI, if you did clobber me, I鈥檇 only get back up again. Possibly several times, who can say?
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
Come on. I鈥檝e faced off against
many an armed lunatic and I鈥檓 not
getting that vibe from you.
(beat)
Please, put down the bat.
听
Another pause.
听
CLEO sighs as she changes her mind about the DOCTOR.
听
CLEO
Ugh! I want chocolate.
听
DOCTOR
What?
听
CLEO
This way come on. I鈥檓 keeping the bat though. I dunno if I can bop a ghost but I鈥檒l give it go.
听
FX 鈥 they walk to the caf茅.
听
INT. CAFE. DAY
FX - the siren continues as the Doctor and Cleo enter the
cafe.
听
DOCTOR
That鈥檚 a transdimensional beacon. Did you do that?
听
CLEO
Nope. That UNIT lot.
听
DOCTOR
Ah. I see.
听
CLEO
The oat milk hasn鈥檛 gone off.
听
FX 鈥 chairs scraping as Cleo joins the Doctor table.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Alright then, question 1 - where is everyone?
听
DOCTOR
It鈥檚 hard to explain.
听
CLEO
It鈥檚 hard to experience babes, so you
better try.
听
The Doctor sighs deeply.
听
DOCTOR
I鈥檒l start at the beginning: My
friends and I took a little trip to the Unmarked Purlieus.
听
CLEO
The what now?
听
DOCTOR
An uncharted star system at the very edge of reality. I鈥檇 heard rumours of life there, of the most extraordinary singing sunsets...well anyway it was lovely, little bit overrated maybe, you know it鈥檚 never as good as the hype is it? But something seems to have followed me back...
听
CLEO
The virus?
听
DOCTOR
A psychic virus. There was life out there, and it infected me, got into my psyche. It doesn鈥檛 spread through touch or air...it spreads through thought. Anyone I鈥檝e ever known...gone.
(Beat)
And I couldn鈥檛 do a thing to stop it.
听
Mournful piano tune plays into the background as the DOCTOR tells CLEO her story.
听
DOCTOR (CONT'D)
It鈥檚 funny, you know. I鈥檝e faced monsters and madmen and tyrants and robots, but then along comes this teeny-tiny little thing...and I can鈥檛 fight it; I can鈥檛 reason with it; I can鈥檛 talk my way out of it. It just carries on. It grows and spreads because that鈥檚 all it does.
(Beat)
I鈥檓 powerless. But you have to know, Cleo. I won鈥檛 stop until I put this right. There has to be a way to fix this.
听
听
CLEO
A psychic virus.
(She sighs and laughs)
For real?
听
DOCTOR
Look at this.
听
She rummages in her pocket.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
What does that say?
听
CLEO
It says 鈥淭his paper is psychic鈥.
(Beat)
What does that even prove?
听
DOCTOR
I鈥檓 not a hundred percent certain, myself. Psychic paper though! Are you not impressed?
听
CLEO
But where is everyone though? And why is here so bad? Why the Powell estate?
听
DOCTOR
I had a friend here once. I鈥檝e spent a lot of time on your planet. It makes sense that here would be affected first and worst.
CLEO
You go to other planets?
听
DOCTOR
Cleo. I think you know I do. I鈥檝e heard your transmissions. I went to Scotland and left Abby a note...but she forgot I sent it.
听
CLEO
Wait. Abby was right? About everything?
听
DOCTOR
Oh yes. I鈥檓 here to save you! I don鈥檛 know why I adore humans so much, but you鈥檙e my absolute faves, you really are.
(Beat)
Cleo Proctor: Last of the Londoners.
听
CLEO
What鈥檚 that about? Out of everyone there was only me and Rani who remembered you. Why?
听
DOCTOR
Rani鈥檚 gone too. They all have.
听
CLEO
What? So why me?
听
DOCTOR
I don鈥檛 know. I can understand why
the virus would affect me differently, but not you.
(Beat)
You grew up on the Powell Estate?
听
CLEO
Yeah.
听
DOCTOR
Do you mind? Can I get a little look inside.
听
CLEO
Get your fingers off my face man, nasty!
听
DOCTOR
I need to look through your memories to see if there鈥檚 some reason why you haven鈥檛 been affected.
听
CLEO
Babe you do not want to go looking
through my mind, trust me.
听
DOCTOR
Very well. How about this? You look
through my mind. I haven鈥檛 always looked like this...
听
CLEO
Girl, same.
听
DOCTOR
You might recognize a familiar face...
听
CLEO
OK....
听
FX - we hear a mash-up of Doctor鈥檚 past, soundbites of all of them, all layered over each other in a chaotic jumble.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
They鈥檙e all you?
听
DOCTOR
And then some.
听
FX - a snippet of the Tenth Doctor.
听
CLEO
You!
听
TENTH DOCTOR
Nice to meet you.
听
DOCTOR
There!
听
TENTH DOCTOR
I think I just invented the banana daiquiri a couple of centuries early.
听
CLEO
You were a man!
听
DOCTOR
Well, technically...actually we really don鈥檛 have time to get into all that now.
听
CLEO
Well I鈥檓 not really one to talk am I babe?
DOCTOR
Did we meet?
听
CLEO
I don鈥檛 know...
听
DOCTOR
Let me see...go deeper...
(Beat)
You grew up here?
听
CLEO
My whole life.
听
FX - music suggests falling backwards through time, like Cleo鈥檚 in a trance state, regressing.
听
FX 鈥 children playing on the estate.
听
DOCTOR
Rose.
CLEO
Rose Tyler?
听
DOCTOR
Yes. How do you know Rose?
听
CLEO
She was our babysitter. When we was
little, before she done a runner.
听
DOCTOR
听
Ah right.
(Pause)
Yes, I knew Rose.
(Beat) Go on.
(Beat)
What happened here, Cleo?
听
CLEO
I don鈥檛 remember.
(Beat)
Nah I can鈥檛.
听
DOCTOR
Let me look inside...
听
A pause. She decides to trust her.
听
CLEO
OK...
听
DOCTOR
There鈥檚...a psychic barrier in your
mind. Why?
(Beat)
Cleo. There鈥檚 something in your past you鈥檝e blocked out. I need you to see. We need to understand.
听
FX - distant, childlike laughter. Footsteps crunching through the undergrowth.
听
CLEO
听
No...
听
DOCTOR
You鈥檙e safe, Cleo. I鈥檝e got you.
听
FX - the footsteps get louder.
听
CLEO
OK. We had a den. On the common. We used to play there in the holidays. We had a rope swing and an old settee. It was sick.
(Beat)
It was so good. One day...one day I took my dad. I wanted to show him the den. And that鈥檚 when we found it...
听
DOCTOR
Found what?
听
CLEO
We found an egg. This huge, red egg. We thought...we thought it was the best thing ever...
(Beat)
Only then...
(Beat)
Only then it started to hatch and...
(beat)
Oh my god...oh my god it was so big...its teeth...
听
DOCTOR
The Red Hatching. The migration.
听
CLEO
It was so fast...and the noise.
听
SFX - distantly, a terrible bird call. Bloodthirsty. A man screaming.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Oh my...Dad. Dad tried to protect me, but...but...
听
DOCTOR
Cleo...
听
CLEO
And then you were there...
听
FX 鈥 Sounds of arrows flying from the TENTH DOCTOR鈥檚 bow as they save CLEO. The Red Hatching screams then falls.
听
DOCTOR
You. You were the child I saved.
听
CLEO
You saved my life.
听
8 INT. CAFE. DAY
Back to the DOCTOR and CLEO in the present. The time tunnel
music stops.
听
DOCTOR
(Tender)
I鈥檓 so sorry, Cleo. Your father; I was too late. I鈥檓 so, so sorry. I tried. I did everything I could, but sometimes...sometimes it鈥檚 not enough.
(And then, sadly)
It鈥檚 never enough.
听
Cleo takes a second.
听
CLEO
It鈥檚 OK. It鈥檚 not your fault. And
without you, I鈥檇...
(Beat)
Why don鈥檛 I remember that?
听
DOCTOR
(Kindly)
You were only, what? Six? Seven?
听
CLEO
I remember everything now. That
day...that thing. My dad. Aliens are real.
(Beat)
How the hell did I forget that? My own dad!
听
DOCTOR
Cleo, the human mind is a powerful
and complex thing. What you experienced that day would traumatize anyone, never mind a little girl.
听
Comforting piano music plays.
听
DOCTOR
Here鈥檚 my hypothesis: Your mind protected itself from the grief, the loss. It built up walls. You blocked me out so effectively you were psychically immune to the virus.
听
CLEO
That鈥檚 what Vastra said. That our mind could make a shield.
听
DOCTOR
Exactly. You were trying to protect yourself. And it worked.
听
CLEO
OK. At least now I know the truth. That鈥檚 something.
(Beat)
What are we gonna do about everyone else?
听
DOCTOR
I鈥檓 brewing a plan. A plan is like a teabag, sometimes you need to be in hot water before the magic happens.
听
CLEO
Could you brew faster please?
听
DOCTOR
Yes. Let鈥檚 get them home. There must be a way.
(Beat)
Come with me!
听
Piano gets louder and more purposeful then fades into the next scene:
听
9 EXT. POWELL ESTATE.
FX - spectre sound effect.
听
DOCTOR
Stay behind me.
(Beat)
听
FX - Sonic screwdriver.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
I can only deter them for so long.
听
FX - Cleo runs to match the Doctor鈥檚 stride.
听
CLEO
Where are we going?
听
DOCTOR
It鈥檚 transmitting to the ghost dimension, right? I think I can use that. I think my chums at UNIT were almost onto something.
听
CLEO
Stop! You know what? I鈥檓 gonna lay
on the floor and scream unless you tell me what鈥檚 going on.
听
DOCTOR
(Sigh)
I need something from my TARDIS, I鈥檝e no time for explanations.
听
CLEO
Er excuse me?
听
DOCTOR
Wait here a sec.
听
FX - TARDIS door creaks open and the Doctor ducks in. Cleo surveys the TARDIS.
听
CLEO
(To self)
Wow. Blue Box. We finally meet.
(Beat)
Cannot lie; this is pretty cool.
听
FX - The Doctor crashes out of the TARDIS.
听
DOCTOR
Got it!
听
CLEO
You have got to be kidding. What is that?
听
FX 鈥 low tech alien beeping noises
听
DOCTOR
Part of a Delta Wave Augmenter: a psychic interface. I鈥檓 going to talk to the nice ghosts. I can鈥檛 reason with a
virus, but I can chat to them. Come on!
听
Purposeful music as CLEO and the DOCTOR head towards the ghosts.
听
FX - the spectre noise
听
CLEO
Watch out. Don鈥檛 let them touch you.
听
The Doctor and Cleo reach the UNIT van. The doors open and the Doctor climbs in.
听
DOCTOR
OK. This frequency transmits to the alternate dimension. Our patients can hear it.
听
CLEO
I guess...
听
DOCTOR
And the patients all forgot me?
听
CLEO
Yeah.
听
DOCTOR
So let鈥檚 remind them! Maybe I can reach them, I鈥檒l be like a giant, walking, talking vaccine: override the virus in their minds.
CLEO
And that鈥檒l bring them back?
听
DOCTOR
I don鈥檛 know. But a little bit of faith goes a long way I鈥檝e found.
听
FX - spectre noise grows louder.
听
CLEO
Doctor, they鈥檙e coming. There鈥檚 hundreds of them.
听
DOCTOR
If I do this...
听
FX - sonic screwdriver.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
I can transit on the same frequency. Hospital radio!
听
CLEO
Quickly!
听
The siren stops. Instead, the Doctor鈥檚 voice is now amplified, like she鈥檚 speaking through a loudspeaker.
听
DOCTOR
My name is the Doctor. I mean you no harm. Come to me. I want to help you back over the wall...
听
The Doctor gets out of the UNIT truck.
听
Inspiring music starts as the DOCTOR talks directly to the ghosts.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
I need you to remember me. Some of you knew me, some of you know my legend. This place...is a home from home to me. Now come home too.
听
The Doctor cries out in pain. The spectre noise intensifies.
听
CLEO
What鈥檚 happening?
听
DOCTOR
听
(In pain)
I don鈥檛 know. They鈥檙e attacking me.
听
Music intensifies as the DOCTOR cries out in pain.
听
CLEO
Why aren鈥檛 you vanishing?
听
DOCTOR
It鈥檚 like they鈥檙e trying to use me as a portal back to this reality...
She howls in pain. We hear ghostly whispers from the other dimension.
CLEO
Oh my god! What do I do?
听
DOCTOR
Not sure there鈥檚 anything you can...they鈥檙e pulling me apart...
听
CLEO
(Frantic)
Tell me what to do!
听
CLEO (CONT'D)
(Beat)
Doctor?
听
DOCTOR
No good...I can鈥檛...you have to...
(Beat)
Make them remember.
听
The Doctor collapses.
听
CLEO
Doctor...Doctor! What do I do?
听
Cleo grabs the Delta Wave Augmenter from the Doctor. She runs back to the UNIT truck. The door slams.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Oh god, oh my god. Oh my days.
听
Cleo fumbles with the tech.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Oh god, how does this thing even work?
(Beat)
Make them remember. Shawna? Abby? Can you hear me? OK, OK, OK. This better work. Take this.
听
We now hear an old version of the Blue Box Files podcast, echoing out through the loudspeaker -
听
ABBY (podcast)
Hello there and welcome to this week鈥檚 Blue Box Files.
听
CLEO (podcast)
As regular listeners know, if a random public police box rocks up in your town, you are in for a whole lot of trouble.
听
ABBY (podcast)
No-one really believes the Royal
Hope landed on the surface of the moon but...
We get a megamix of highlights...
听
CLEO (to self)
(Quiet)
What are they doing? Can they hear this? What are they doing?
听
SHAWNA (podcast)
And this was all, of course,
connected to Harriet Jones 鈥 I mean who else are we expecting?
听
ABBY (podcast)
I think the Doctor figure is symbolic of timeless heroism, a cultural need we have for -
听
CLEO (To self)
It鈥檚 not working...they鈥檙e coming for me.
(To ghosts)
No! Stop! Please!
(Beat)
NO!
听
The redaction FX reaches fever pitch and then everything goes very quiet.
听
听
10 EXT. THE OTHER PLACE. NIGHT
听
FX - A cold wind howls.
听
CLEO
Where on earth..?
(Beat)
Hello?
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
It鈥檚 so cold...what the hell is this place?
(Beat)
I guess it finally got me too.
(Beat)
Doctor? Doctor, where are you? Doctor?
听
Through the wind, we hear a voice calling her.
听
MONICA
Cleo!
They run to meet in the middle.
听
Pause.
听
CLEO
Oh my god, Mum! Are you OK?
听
MONICA
I鈥檝e been better.
听
CLEO
Where are we?
听
MONICA
It鈥檚 the Powell Estate but it鈥檚...dead. Everything鈥檚 dead. Nothing can live here, not for long...
听
MONICA (CONT鈥橠)
Quick. Come inside the flat. It鈥檚
yer brother.
听
CLEO
Jordan? You found him.
听
MONICA
I did, but he ain鈥檛 doin鈥 so good.
Love, I need your help.
听
CLEO
Mum wait! I gotta find the Doctor.
听
MONICA
We can鈥檛 wait for no doctor! It鈥檚
like he鈥檚 freezing to death.
(Beat)
I can鈥檛 lose him. I can鈥檛 lose my baby.
(Beat)
I already lost you.
听
MONICA (CONT'D)
(Beat)
Look, love, I鈥檝e been meaning to say -
听
Long piano notes intercut Monica鈥檚 speech as she tries to apologise to CLEO.
听
CLEO
Now isn鈥檛 the time.
(Beat)
Please take me to Jordan.
听
MONICA
Cleo, this might be all the time we
got. Let me say my piece.
听
CLEO
Mum we do not have (time) -
听
MONICA
I鈥檓 sorry. You know what Proctor women are like because you is one. We鈥檙e stubborn as mules, but I shoulda known better. I鈥檓 meant to be the grown-up.
(Beat)
I was a bad mum. But I wanna do better now.
听
CLEO
Jordan needs us.
听
MONICA
Cleo please! I wanna make things right.
听
Pause.
听
CLEO
You threw me out. I was 16 Mum. 听
听
MONICA
I was wrong! I was a mess! Your dad
had gone and I...
(Beat)
I didn鈥檛 cope.
听
Another pause.
听
CLEO
I blamed you for him. I shouldn鈥檛 have done that. I should have believed you.
(Beat)
So I guess I鈥檓 sorry too.
听
MONICA
No. You ain鈥檛 got nothing to be
sorry for. I made a mess. If I could do it all again, I鈥檇 do a lot different.
(Beat)
Look at you now. You done amazing.
听
FX - footsteps running towards them.
听
ABBY/SHAWNA
Cleo?!
听
CLEO
Thank god, you鈥檙e OK!
听
SHAWNA
Yeah we鈥檙e fine. For now.
听
ABBY
Where did you go?
听
CLEO
I didn鈥檛 go anywhere. I鈥檓 immune or at least I was.
听
ABBY
What do you mean?
听
CLEO
(Ignoring her)
It鈥檚 a virus. It鈥檚 in our heads. A psychic virus.
She pauses.
Oh my god! I鈥檓 so stupid!
听
SHAWNA
What?
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
This! It鈥檚 all in our heads. It鈥檚 a PSYCHIC VIRUS girls. None of this is real. It鈥檚 making us see things and think things that don鈥檛 really exist. Like the Doctor鈥檚 paper! You didn鈥檛 go anywhere. You鈥檝e been here the whole time, we just couldn鈥檛 see you.
听
ABBY
Cleo, it鈥檚 freezing. People are going to freeze to death.
听
CLEO
No! No you鈥檙e not. You just think you are. It鈥檚 psychosomatic...like the episode we did on mass hysteria. You think you鈥檙e freezing, so you are!
听
SHAWNA
Babe. That鈥檚 a lot to take in.
听
CLEO
Trust me please. The Doctor can help us.
Abby. Shawna. The Doctor is real and she鈥檚 right here...
(Beat)
Somewhere. We just can鈥檛 see her.
听
MONICA
Cleo, I鈥檝e got to get back to Jordan...
听
CLEO
Wait. I can figure this out.
听
FX - The podcast continues to play from before - 听
听
SHAWNA (voiceover)
I just don鈥檛 believe in aliens
because they鈥檇 have made contact by now...
听
ABBY
Is that us?
听
CLEO
Focus on that. Listen. Follow it
home. None of this is real girls. What if that鈥檚 how we beat this thing? Mind over matter? None of this is real.
听
MONICA
Babes, you鈥檙e fading away.
Don鈥檛...don鈥檛 go. Not again. I don鈥檛 want to lose you again.
听
CLEO
I can鈥檛 help it...
(beat)
Just keep listening. Follow the sound...
听
MONICA
You what love? You鈥檙e not making
sense.
听
CLEO
(Fading away)
Listen...none of this is real...
听
FX - Her words echo on the breeze.
听
11 EXT. POWELL ESTATE. DAY
听
FX - the distortion sound once more. We can still hear the podcast in the background.
听
CLEO
Doctor! Are you OK?
听
The Doctor groans.
听
DOCTOR
They left me alone. Another minute or two and...But why did they leave me alone?
听
CLEO
I figured it out. The virus was psychic right? They didn鈥檛 go anywhere. They just thought they did.
听
DOCTOR
What?! Cleo, you鈥檙e a genius!
听
CLEO
Thanks babes.
听
DOCTOR
Of course! They鈥檙e in a psychic coma.
(She jumps up)
I think it鈥檚 time they woke up.
听
They run back to the van and open the door.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
Is this signal breaking through?
听
CLEO
Yep. They can hear everything.
听
DOCTOR
In that case, let鈥檚 TURN IT UP.
听
FX - sonic screwdriver. The podcast dialogue BOOMS across the Powell Estate for a moment and then goes silent.
听
DOCTOR (CONT鈥橠)
It鈥檚 only transmitting to them now.
(Beat)
If the virus is creating a psychic manifestation, reality should cut through the illusion.
(Beat)
The truth is always more powerful than a lie.
听
FX 鈥 birds tweeting on the estate.
听
CLEO
What now?
听
DOCTOR
We wait. Cross your fingers, toes, tentacles...
FX - the distortion effect.
听
CLEO
Doctor? Can you see them?
听
DOCTOR
I can...it鈥檚 working!
听
FX - distortion effect.
听
MONICA
Cleo? Cleo love? Is that you?
听
CLEO
Mum! It worked!
(Pause) Come here!
听
The pair embrace. We hear the distortion again.
听
CLEO
听
Abs! Oh my god!
听
ABBY
Cleo no-one likes hearing their voice
played back, please.
听
We hear Cleo and Abby hug.
听
CLEO
It worked though, didn鈥檛 it!
听
ABBY
Oh it did! You can hear it for miles.
(Beat)
Who鈥檚 this?
听
CLEO
(Proudly)
Abby MacPhail, meet the Doctor, owner of one blue box.
听
ABBY
(Gasps)
No. Way.
听
DOCTOR
Always nice to meet the fans.
听
FX - the distortion noise and Shawna appears.
听
SHAWNA
Oh wow. My head! That was mad, like...
听
The three girls embrace.
听
DOCTOR
And I take it this is Shawna?
听
ABBY
What, you listen to our podcast?
听
DOCTOR
Oh yes. And right now, we need a special episode. I can use the TARDIS to transmit it all over the world. All over all the worlds.
听
ABBY
What?
听
DOCTOR
A very simple message: wake up. The
biggest alarm clock ever.
听
The Redaction FX again.
听
CLEO
Jordan!
听
JORDAN
(groggily)
Morning, bum face.
听
MONICA
My boy!
听
CLEO
Oh come here! I missed you so much, smelly.
听
CLEO hugs JORDAN tightly. 听
听
JORDAN
I鈥檓 fine, I鈥檓 fine. Get off.
听
MONICA
My babies. I鈥檒l never let you out
of my sight ever again. Come 鈥榚re!
听
Monica laughs which fades into the next scene:
听
12 INT. TARDIS. LATER
听
We hear the familiar console room backing track of the TARDIS.
听
DOCTOR
And there we go! Message sent, and on loop. Every device in that dimension is guiding them back. The virus seems to be in remission. The spell is broken, the bubble is burst.
(Beat)
Girls? What鈥檚 up?
听
SHAWNA
OK. I was wrong. About everything.
There I said it.
听
Cleo and Abby laugh.
听
CLEO
See how easy that was? Three little words Shawna.
听
SHAWNA
I won鈥檛 be making it a habit.
听
CLEO
Weird looking spaceship though. I
want the future to be silver. Silver everything.
听
ABBY
Cleo! It鈥檚 literally bigger on the inside!
听
DOCTOR
Thank goodness someone said it.
听
ABBY
Can we talk about this on the podcast?
听
DOCTOR
No! Fame is highly overrated. You need big sunglasses, you can鈥檛 get the bus. Nightmare.
听
ABBY
Please?
听
CLEO
Oh come on, you heard her. She鈥檚 keeping it on the DL. She鈥檚
living stealth. We gotta respect that.
听
DOCTOR
Thank you. To be honest, I don鈥檛 know how much of this any of you will remember in the long run鈥ou might still forget certain aspects.
听
ABBY
(Sadly)
OK.
听
DOCTOR
Keep it up though, all of you. Your world, more so than ever, is full of powerful liars. You have work to do. Speak truth to power. Always.
听
SHAWNA
听
We will. I promise.
听
SFX - TARDIS alert.
听
DOCTOR
(To self)
Uh. Ravulox freighter spotted on edge of Andromeda galaxy. I鈥檇 better go have a word.
听
Comforting music starts as CLEO asks the DOCTOR a question.
听
CLEO
Can, can I come with you?
(Beat)
I鈥檝e only got to give the theatre two week鈥檚 notice and Jordan gets his sofa back.
听
SHAWNA
Cleo?
听
There鈥檚 a poignant silence.
听
DOCTOR
Cleo. I have work to do. First I need to make sure my friends are OK, and I can鈥檛 put you in danger. A lot of very bad people - and things - took advantage of the situation.
听
CLEO
Like that Ravioli thing that attacked Rani? That was not cute.
听
DOCTOR
It鈥檚 not just them. My friends have been protecting your planet for decades, and they all vanished. Earth was vulnerable.
(Beat)
Moreover, that virus exists everywhere I鈥檝e ever been so...
听
CLEO
I won鈥檛 get in the way. I can help.
听
ABBY
But what about the podcast?
听
DOCTOR
Cleo, I think there鈥檚 some people here who are looking for you. You can鈥檛 outrun your past. Take it from someone who knows...
听
Thoughtful music builds as the DOCTOR鈥檚 words sink in. Then it fades into:
听
13 INT. PUB. NIGHT
听
FX - Ambient pub noise - glasses, chatter etc.
听
MONICA
Well I told her, didn鈥檛 I? If you don鈥檛 know where you鈥檝e been for two days, Val, how am I supposed to know? What am I, your keeper?
听
JORDAN
I think there鈥檚 something going round, like flu or something? I feel like I鈥檝e been hallucinating, it鈥檚 mad. Like I鈥檝e been on one for a few days or something like that.
听
MONICA
You know what I think it is? 5G. Messin鈥 with our brains and that. Eh, that can be one for your podcast Cleo.
听
CLEO
Yeah alright, Mum.
听
MONICA
Ain鈥檛 this nice? Been time since we had a family dinner all together.
听
CLEO
Well whose fault鈥檚 that?
听
There鈥檚 an awkward silence.
听
JORDAN
Oh my god, the two of you, you always make it so awkward.
听
MONICA
She鈥檚 right, Jordan. She鈥檚 right.
(Beat)
You gotta understand, Cleo. You didn鈥檛 come with a manual. There weren鈥檛 nothing about trans kids on the telly when you was little. I just didn鈥檛 know what to do love.
(Beat)
And when your dad vanished, I weren鈥檛 in a good place. I鈥檓 sorry.
听
CLEO
I just wish we鈥檇 been able to have this conversation back then Mum.
听
MONICA
I don鈥檛 want to lose you again. You鈥檙e my girl. Simple as that. Sod what anyone else says. Just sod 鈥榚m.
听
Poignant pause.
CLEO
Mum. That鈥檚 all I ever needed to hear.
听
Music builds into the next scene:
听
14 EXT. TRAIN STATION. DAY
听
We hear a distant train announcement and a train pulling out.
听
ABBY
It鈥檚 starting to go. What it was like in the cold world. It was so real, but now it feels like a nightmare...they鈥檙e forgotten by mid-morning.
听
SHAWNA
Me too. It鈥檚 like we were drunk or
something...
(Beat)
Is this your train?
听
FX 鈥 Train pulls into the station.
听
ABBY
Aye. I鈥檇 better get on, go find my seat.
听
SHAWNA
Well. It鈥檚 been fun having you in Sheffield though. Will you come again?
听
ABBY
Maybe...
(Laughs)
Yeah of course I will! Come here 鈥
They hug warmly.
听
SHAWNA
Oh you鈥檙e not going back to UNIT are you?
听
ABBY
Oh god no. They want to keep everything secret. I want to do what the Doctor said. I want to reveal the secrets, not keep them.
听
SHAWNA
Can I kiss you?
听
ABBY
What?
听
Romantic music begins to play as they finally admit their more than friends.
听
SHAWNA
Like just to make sure we鈥檙e not still
in that crazy psychic nightmare world?
听
ABBY
Shawna. You don鈥檛 need to make up an excuse to kiss me. You never did.
听
SHAWNA
What about Craig?
听
ABBY
I am not the girl that goes out
with Craig anymore. She was somebody else.
It鈥檚 time for me to be a new woman and,
well, she鈥檚 presently single.
(Beat)
I spoke to him while you were in the shower last night. It was the right thing to do.
听
SHAWNA
听
For real?
听
ABBY
Yeah. So where鈥檚 this kiss then?
听
Romantic music builds then fades suddenly into -
听
15 PODCAST RECORDING 鈥 The Blue Box Files
Catchy and content music plays as the girls record the show.
听
ABBY
Hello, hello and welcome back to Blue Box
Files. Your one-stop-shop for all things relating to the global Blue Box conspiracy. I鈥檓 Abby MacPhail, author of the forthcoming Thinking Outside the Box the definitive text on the history of the theory.
听
SHAWNA
I鈥檓 Shawna Thompson, still cynical, still gay, still the only woman in the IT department.
听
CLEO
And I鈥檓 Cleo Proctor, trans activist and actress.
听
SHAWNA/ABBY
Actress!
听
SHAWNA
Yas! When do you start your course?
听
CLEO
Next Monday. She鈥檚 going back to
school! Stage school!
听
ABBY
Oh pal, I always said you belonged on the
stage! I鈥檓 so excited for you!
听
SHAWNA
Yeah!
听
CLEO
Aw, thanks guys. I hope I can finish school this time.
听
They all laugh.
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
Anyway, what are we all talking about today?
听
ABBY
As ever, we鈥檙e discussing the Guardian Rationale. The ideology of a covert global protector.
听
CLEO
Girl, speak English! If you鈥檙e a new listener, it鈥檚 the idea that there鈥檚 someone out there looking after us. Someone in a blue box.
听
SHAWNA
Told you! It鈥檚 bonkers...
听
ABBY
Shawna...
听
CLEO
Come on, doesn鈥檛 it ever feel like there鈥檚 someone watching over us? Someone looking out for us? Even when you鈥檙e all alone, it鈥檚 that feeling inside; like you got a friend out there somewhere.
听
SHAWNA
Er, no.
听
CLEO
Well, a little faith goes a long way.
听
The music reflects new beginnings, getting louder then fading into -
CREDITS听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Doctor Who Redacted: Episode Ten,听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 By Juno Dawson.听Starring: Charlie Craggs, Lois Chimimba, Holly Quin-Ankrah, Jodie Whittaker, Sarah Thom, Jacob Hawley and Alasdair听 Beckett-King.听听听听听听听听听听 Directed and produced by Ella Watts.Sound design by David Thomas and Arlie Adlington. Original composition by David Devereux.听
The music fades into -
听
16 INT. CLEO鈥橲 FLAT. DAY. POST CREDITS.
听
Cleo enters the living room. JORDAN is present.
听
CLEO
Er Jordan, why does this flat always smell of your feet?
听
JORDAN
That鈥檚 definitely your feet.
听
CLEO
Excuse me?
听
JORDAN
You gonna tell me what ordering then? I thought you were boycotting Amazon?
听
CLEO
I am. That鈥檚 not mine!
听
JORDAN
It鈥檚 literally got your name on it.
听
CLEO
Wait, what? It鈥檚 huge.
听
JORDAN
(laughs)
Oi oi!
听
CLEO
Ok shut up, you鈥檙e disgusting.
听听听听
JORDAN
(still laughing)
You gonna open it or what?
听
CLEO
OK...
听
We hear tape being pulled off.
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
There鈥檚 a card...
听
FX 鈥 Cleo opens the card -
听
CLEO (CONT鈥橠)
鈥淒earest Cleo, I suspect you fearless girls won鈥檛 stop looking for the truth, and won鈥檛 stop heading into trouble, so here鈥檚 something that鈥檒l help...look after him. Love, Madame Vastra.鈥
听
Joyful yet playful music begins to build -
听
JORDAN
Madame Who? What is that another drag queen or something?
听
CLEO
Pretty much. If you saw her makeup, you鈥檇 gag.
听
JORDAN
Go on then, open the box.
听
CLEO
OK.
听
More tape being pulled off, cardboard box being opened.
听
CLEO
Oh. My. God.
听
We hear a familiar rasping.
听
FLOATER
Greetings, Earthlings.
听
Jordan falls over the sofa.
听
JORDAN
Woah! You bloody what? What the hell is
that?
听
CLEO
Jordan. We鈥檝e got a new housemate babe...
听
END OF SERIES.
听
The joyful music rises -
听
CREDITS:
A 麻豆社 STUDIOS PRODUCTION.
听
-听听 then stops abruptly with a sharp glitch which ends with a beep.听
Podcast
-
Doctor Who: Redacted
The return of the audio drama series, set in the worlds of Doctor Who.