Castrovalva

by Christopher H. Bidmead

Part Two

Original Air Date: 5 January 1982
Running time: 24:13

1, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(An alarm is sounding. There is a screen which reads “APPROACHING HYDROGEN IN-RUSH, EVENT ONE”, flashing below that is “ENVIRONMENT BEYOND ENGINEERING TOLERANCES”. Nyssa looks very worried.)

2, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(Tegan has reached the place where the Doctor's unraveled scarf ran out. She grabs it and prepares to leave.)

3, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Nyssa is reading from the screen, steam is now billowing around her.)

NYSSA: Hydrogen. Abundant element. Highly expl*sive in the presence of oxygen. Believed to be the basic constituent out of which the galaxy was first ...

(She trails off and seems to realize something. Tegan runs in breathing hard.)

TEGAN: Oh, this heat! Has something gone wrong with the TARDIS air-conditioning?

NYSSA: Of course, that's it! It's not the TARDIS!

TEGAN: What else could it be?

NYSSA: Outside! You'd better read this.

4, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(The Doctor breaks out of the Zero Room again, half collapsing again in the heat.)

DOCTOR: I've got to do something.

5, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

TEGAN: Event One.

NYSSA: A trap, Adric said. This is a time machine.

TEGAN: And where traveling backwards in time! Back to first event!

NYSSA: The creation of the galaxy out of a huge in-rush of hydrogen. We're heading straight into the biggest expl*si*n in history!

(The warning screen is shown again. Then the console is shaken by a small expl*si*n, Nyssa and Tegan stumble.)

6, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(Outside the Zero Room, the Doctor struggles to keep his feet. He falls on his back.)

7, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Tegan and Nyssa regain their balance, and run to the console, Tegan burns herself. Suddenly the scanner opens, and the Master is on the screen, grinning.)

8, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

(The Master stands in front of his web, with Adric in it, and waves.)

MASTER: Farewell, my friends. Farewell, forever!

9, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Nyssa and Tegan stare at the screen.)

NYSSA: That face, I hate it!

TEGAN: We must do something.

NYSSA: There's only one thing we can do.

(She closes the scanner screen, as the Master laughs more and more.)

TEGAN:  ... and?

NYSSA: That's all.

TEGAN: All? Hogwash! We found the databank. Maybe we'll learn how to fly the machine.

(Another expl*si*n knocks Tegan and Nyssa off balance.)

10, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(A roundel opens. The Doctor has also been knocked to the ground. He rubs his head. Suddenly the roundel seems to explode with various tablets and vials. The Doctor examines some of them.)

DOCTOR: The tablets ... the mixture ... the ointment ...

11, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

(The Doctor's TARDIS is seen spiraling further away. The Master can be heard cackling.)

ADRIC: NOOOO!

MASTER: You must control these dangerous emotions Adric, they're only causing pain, besides interfering with the reception. Now ... CLOSER!!

(He points his device at the scanner and clicks a button and Adric flinches.)

12, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

DOCTOR:  ... the potion ... the solution. Oh my little friend, if only you were.

(He pours some of 'the solution' onto a bandage and puts it onto the back of his head. Just then, another expl*si*n shakes the TARDIS. The Doctor looks up and sees a wheelchair rolling towards him.)

DOCTOR: Transport of delight!

(He sits down in the wheelchair and jolts forward accidentally.)

13, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

(The Master's scanner is full of interference.)

MASTER: You have something to say? Well?

ADRIC: I'll fight you! I won't let you harm the Doctor, I WON'T!

(The Master disregards this and turns back to the scanner.)

MASTER: Closer, Adric! I must see them!

(The Doctor's TARDIS comes back into view on the scanner.)

14, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(The Doctor wheels into another room, and spotting some cloth on the ground, makes a circle around a column to pick it up.)

DOCTOR: GO SOFTLY ON!!!

(He keeps going.)

15, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

NYSSA: You don't understand the physics of the situation. We're already caught in the field of event one. It's pulling us in faster ... and faster.

TEGAN: A sort of gravity.

NYSSA: The time force. It's many orders of magnitude greater.

TEGAN: But people escape from gravity all the time! What we need is some kind of rocket thrust! All right - enormous thrust. But there must be some way the TARDIS can do that!

NYSSA: But nothing's happening. The temperature's defeating the a*t*matic controls.

(The Doctor wheels in.)

TEGAN: Doctor!

NYSSA: You must go back.

(The Doctor seems to be panicking, he drives his wheelchair around in a circle.)

DOCTOR: Smoke! Heat! And noise! Adrenaline! Neuropeptides!
The brain is working!

TEGAN: Neuropeptides, what's he talking about?

NYSSA: The excitement's changing his biochemistry. It's only temporary but perhaps he can help us.

TEGAN: We must take him back, it's not safe.

NYSSA: But the Doctor's our only chance, unless we can find some way of getting the temperature down.

DOCTOR: Manual override, Nyssa. I'll have to explain how to vent the thermobuffer. Listen very carefully, my concentration may go again at any moment.

(The Doctor wears half-moon glasses and writes in a notebook. He is very intense.)

16, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

(The Doctor is seen writing through the scanner.)

ADRIC: Doctor.

MASTER: I sympathize this is all too easy. A great pity. These facile victories only leave me hungry for more conquest.

(He laughs.)

17, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Nyssa is stooped near a wall in the TARDIS. She removes a roundel. There is a dial inside, she moves it around so it is facing downwards. The Doctor still writes in the notebook, with Tegan standing nearby.)

DOCTOR: This will be simpler of course if you go into hover mode first, always remembering of course not to reverse the polarity of the neutron ...  ... flow.

(He looks confused.)

DOCTOR: The whole system is on manual now, this is where it starts to get really dangerous.

TEGAN: Not till now?

DOCTOR: The temperature will start coming down fairly quickly, but without that stimulus my neuropeptide level will fall to normal.

TEGAN: Don't worry Doctor, we'll get you straight back to the zero room.

DOCTOR: Good, good. Now as soon as full console functions are restored, you can start to reprogram the architectural configuration. Er ...  I'd better show you.

(He gets out of his chair and goes to the console –
burning his hands on the hot surface. At the roundel, Nyssa watches as the colour changes from red to yellow to green and then blue. At this she replaces the roundel.)

TEGAN: But how will it help to change the TARDIS rooms around?

DOCTOR: The architectural configuration system can do more than that – it can actually 'delete' rooms.

TEGAN: Delete them? You mean ... zap?

DOCTOR:  ... yes! Exactly – zap! Enough
'zap' and you have your thrust. Now, follow this very carefully.

TEGAN: You bet your life.

(The Doctor presses some buttons – which Tegan notes down in the notebook.)

18, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

MASTER: Perhaps this little demonstration will give you some glimpse of my real power.

ADRIC: Power you're getting from me! From my computations!

(The Master presses a switch on his device and the platform he stands on slowly elevates to Adric's level.)

MASTER: In part, certainly – even as an enemy you're useful. But how much more useful ... as an ally?

19, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

DOCTOR: Now. Have you got that?

TEGAN: Yes. We're converting the mass of the deleted TARDIS rooms into momentum. But I still don't understand about momentum.

DOCTOR (frustrated): Mass in motion – thrust if you like, time for lessons later.

TEGAN: Does it mean burning up part of the TARDIS?

DOCTOR: Yes, well don't worry it works! Yes we had to do that once with Adric, to get away from ...

(He stops and notices that Adric is missing.)

DOCTOR: By the way – where is Adric?

TEGAN: Adric! He's um ...

DOCTOR: Well, where? We need him!

(Nyssa attempts to change the subject.)

NYSSA: It's cooler already. That's something.

DOCTOR: Well?!

NYSSA: Adric's not here Doctor. You see ...

TEGAN: We thought he was in the Zero Room!

DOCTOR: Well tell me later – there's not much time. Once a star field reaches critical mass we'll be shut into the inrush.

(The Doctor holds his head suddenly in pain, and forces himself to speak.)

DOCTOR: Where were we Jo?  ...  Deleting rooms.

NYSSA:  ... But Adric.

TEGAN: Are you okay, Doctor?

NYSSA: His adrenaline's normalizing. It was helping to bridge the synapses.

DOCTOR: Shh. Come on ... we've got to finish this. 17000 tons of thrust – say 25% of the architecture.

TEGAN: A whole quarter of the TARDIS?

NYSSA: Which 25% Doctor?

DOCTOR: Doesn't matter – same thrust.

NYSSA: No it isn't – we don't want to jettison the console room.

TEGAN: That's a thought. Doctor please! One last thing!

(The Doctor looks in great pain.)

DOCTOR: Yes?

NYSSA: How do we make sure we don't jettison the console room?

DOCTOR: Oh yes. That's the trouble with manual override ...

NYSSA: What's the problem?

DOCTOR: Get K-9 to explain it to you!
Good luck!

(That seems to be all the Doctor can say – his eyes are closed.)

TEGAN: Thanks Doc ... I think we might need it.

20, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

MASTER: Well Adric, this is my proposition. Life will immediately become more comfortable for you if you join forces with me ... Or do you prefer to remain in the web ... throughout eternity – a mere utility. You may speak.

ADRIC: What do you want me to do?

(The Master looks pleased at his progress.)

21, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Tegan and Nyssa watch the stars go by on the scanner.)

TEGAN: It seems so still now.

NYSSA: We've passed the boundary layer
– we're heading straight towards the inrush ... 38 seconds.

TEGAN: How can you be so calm? We're playing Russian roulette with the TARDIS.

NYSSA:  ... 31 seconds.

TEGAN (panicking): If I press that button it could be the console room we jettison!

NYSSA: IF! You taught me something. As a scientist – it's easy to be tyrannized by facts.

TEGAN: If can work. But I didn't know it'd be this chancy!

NYSSA: Because it is still an 'if'. You have to turn the 'if' into a fact ... 5 seconds ... 4 ... 3 ... .2 ... .1 ... .

(Tegan finally presses the red button. In space, the TARDIS disappears in a big flash of light – Event One.)

22, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

(The Master was watching – and he thinks that Doctor was destroyed.)

MASTER: So! This petty feud with the Doctor is over, Adric you were wise to join me.

ADRIC: You've got to keep your side of the bargain.

(He raises himself on the platform again.)

MASTER: But are you truly sincere – I sense a barrier behind your eyes, are you keeping something from me?

ADRIC: How could I?

MASTER: The universe is purged of the Doctor and his impossible dreams of goodness – you and I belong to the future!

ADRIC: The Doctor was doomed. I see that now.

MASTER: He might of escaped from the inrush. Yes. Even that was a possibility. But I had installed a trap behind that trap that would've been a joy to spring!

ADRIC: Yet another trap?

MASTER: A journey back in time – long awaited. Why are you so curious?

(There is a sound and Adric is in pain. The Master's scanner is showing only static.)

MASTER: Residual voltage? You're receiving an image! What are you concealing from me? Some distant event beyond the range of my own scanner? I'll burn through your barrier, boy! BRING IT TO ME!

ADRIC: No! NO!

(The image appears on the scanner – the Doctor's TARDIS appears in space.)

MASTER:  ... can't possibly be ...

23, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

TEGAN: All time-lords regenerate according to this data bank. You'd think there'd be something in here about what to do when it goes wrong.

NYSSA: We must get him straight back to the Zero Room.

TEGAN: Wait a minute. 'Ambient complexity is the cause of many of these failures of regeneration. Some real locations are known to have properties similar to Zero environments and, in some cases are eminently more effective.'

NYSSA: That's it. We need to take him somewhere uncomplicated. Somewhere away from technology.

TEGAN: 'Classic Plainness as exemplified by regions like Dwellings of Simplicity'.

NYSSA: 'Dwellings of Simplicity'. 'Castrovalva'. Where's that?

24, INT: MASTER'S TARDIS

MASTER: Closer boy ... I must see him, HEAR HIM!

ADRIC:  ... no. No!

(The image blurs over on the scanner.)

MASTER: So Doctor, you have survived. But at what cost I wonder.

25, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(Nyssa wheels the Doctor along a corridor in the TARDIS – going to the Zero Room.)

DOCTOR:  ... Castrovalva ...

NYSSA: The data bank is certain it's the best place to recuperate. It's in Andromeda. A small planet of the Phylox Series.

DOCTOR: How do we get there?

NYSSA: Don't worry Doctor. Tegan thinks she's learnt how to set the co-ordinates.

(The Doctor looks very worried.)

DOCTOR: Are you sure?

NYSSA: Well that's what she said.

DOCTOR: When the TARDIS is on manual, you can't be certain of anything.

NYSSA: What do you mean?

DOCTOR: It's harder to fly than you think. I mean, you don't just flick a switch.

26, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

TEGAN: Castrovalva, here we come ... Please?

(She flicks a switch and the whole console room tips over.

27, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(The Doctor and Nyssa also felt the change in direction.)

DOCTOR: So, this air hostess person's flying it eh? Well I wish her the best of luck.

NYSSA: Seems you were wrong about Tegan's ability to fly the TARDIS Doctor.

DOCTOR: I don't think so.

NYSSA: Then who's controlling the ship?

DOCTOR: What?...I don't know.

NYSSA: It must be Tegan!

DOCTOR: Can't be.

NYSSA: Don't you worry about it Doctor.

28, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Tegan gets up off the ground – happy that she got something working.)

TEGAN: Well. We are moving.

29, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

NYSSA: We'll soon have you safe – here's the Zero Room.

(Nyssa pulls open the doors and behind it are just more walls.)

DOCTOR: Jettisoned!

30, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Tegan reads off the data bank screen.)

TEGAN: 'On zeroing the co-ordinate differential a*t*matic systems reactivate the real world interface, see: Main Door, The Opening Of.' Not much here about landing procedure. Hope it's as simple as it seems.

31, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

DOCTOR: Handy little device, the Sonic Screwdriver – got me out of a lot of scrapes.

NYSSA: What do I do with this?

DOCTOR: Unscrew the hinges!  ... if you wouldn't mind.

32, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Tegan sees an approaching planet on the scanner.)

TEGAN: Castrovalva! Landing procedures. Here's hoping. (She crosses her fingers)

33, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(Nyssa is using the sonic screwdriver to remove the doors of the Zero Room.)

NYSSA: Unscrewing the doors won't get us into the Zero Room Doctor. It's gone! We burnt it up!

(The Doctor is barely conscious.)

NYSSA: Doctor please! What do I do next?

34, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Tegan prepares an attempt of landing.)

TEGAN: Well we can't hang about here all day.

35, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(Nyssa attempts to get through to the Doctor but he can't hear her.)

NYSSA: There's no way into the Zero Room Doctor, it's gone. What do we do?

(Suddenly the ship lurches and Nyssa falls over, one of the doors falls down – only missing the Doctor because a ledge above his head.)

36, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Tegan is on the ground as well.)

TEGAN: Touchdown! We've made it. We've made it!

(She crawls up the now sloped TARDIS floor.)

37, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(The Doctor wakes up and notices the door a few inches above his head.)

DOCTOR: Well done Nyssa, that's the idea. We make another Zero Room out of what's left.

38, EXT: FOREST

(The TARDIS has arrived in a forest – it has landed on a fairly steep angle. Tegan's head appears out the door, she takes a quick look around)

TEGAN: Not up to CAA standard, but a landing's a landing!

(She climbs out of the TARDIS)

TEGAN: Castrovalva can't be far ...

39, INT: TARDIS INTERIOR

(Nyssa is pushing the wheelchair along, but this time it's not the Doctor who's in it, but one of the zero room doors)

40, EXT: FOREST

(Tegan has climbed a tree and is looking around for any sign of Castrovalva. She spots something and starts to descend)

41, INT: TARDIS CONSOLE

(Nyssa has the door leaning on the console, and she uses some sort of cutting device on it –
it makes a high pitched sound and she removes a roundel. As she moves further around the console, it can be seen that she has constructed a box out of the doors and walls about the size of a person. It is the Zero Cabinet. She puts the last roundel in place, and the Doctor pokes his head out of the cabinet.)

NYSSA: Looks very small Doctor.

DOCTOR: And unlike the TARDIS, it is very small!

(Tegan stumbles into the room.)

TEGAN: Well it's not far to go anyway!

NYSSA: You've seen it?

TEGAN: It's an afternoon's walk away, more or less.

NYSSA: We'll be carrying the Doctor don't forget.

DOCTOR: Oh, just the Zero Cabinet ...

TEGAN: Eh?

DOCTOR: You won't feel my weight. I'll make it easy for you. I'll be levitating.

42, EXT: FOREST

(The girls have got the Zero Cabinet outside, as well as the wheelchair, and are preparing for the journey. Nyssa has changed clothes out of her skirt into pants.)

TEGAN: That's much better!

NYSSA: There's a whole room full of clothes if you want to change.

TEGAN: No, we should make a start. It's that way.

NYSSA: I still say we should get help from Castrovalva.

TEGAN: Why? He's no problem while he's levitating. We can roll him along in the chair.

(The first attempt at lifting the cabinet is unsuccessful. The girls drop the cabinet.)

NYSSA: Doctor? Doctor? What happened?

(The cabinet opens to reveal the Doctor's face.)

DOCTOR: So sorry, lost concentration for a moment. Very tired ...

NYSSA: I really think we should get help.

DOCTOR: Please. There's not much time. Thank you.

(His head falls back and the cabinet closes. Nyssa goes to wheel over the wheelchair. The girls then lift the cabinet onto the wheelchair, balancing it as best they can)

TEGAN: Well done, Doctor.

(They start their journey, pushing the Doctor in the Cabinet along in front of them. They move through the forest, passing trees and a stream. They pause at the top of a hill overlooking a stream.)

NYSSA: Maybe it's that way. (She points.)

TEGAN: I did see it and I'm sure it's that way. (She points in a totally different direction.)

NYSSA: I think he's got heavier.

TEGAN: I hope you're wrong. Come on Doctor! Help us to help you!

(They go to pick up the cabinet and as they do, the electric wheelchair underneath rolls down the slope and into the water. Nyssa goes down to get it, but she falls someway into the water as well.

43, EXT: FOREST

(Some time later, they have got the chair out but something has gone wrong with it and it is unusable. Nyssa is trying to fix it.)

TEGAN: Are you sure I can't give you a hand?

NYSSA: This is going to take a bit of molecular adjustment.

(She tries to use the same device as before, and when it doesn't work she realizes it's because it is full of dirty water from the stream.)

(Meanwhile, from the forest, someone or something behind the two girls pulls a branch back to get a better view of them.)

TEGAN: Oh no, what're we gonna do now?

(A short time later, Nyssa and Tegan discard the useless wheelchair, and set out again carrying the cabinet.)

44, EXT: FOREST

NYSSA: Are you sure this is the right way?

TEGAN: It'd better be! You know, this thing is still getting heavier.

(They keep going, through trees and ferns.)

TEGAN: The old Doc's levitation's wearing a bit thin.

NYSSA: He's lost his concentration again. If we don't find Castrovalva soon ... Doctor?

TEGAN: Shall we take a peek at him?

NYSSA: Nobody can open this cabinet unless the Doctor wants it open. The internal interfaces are fused by strong force interaction.

(Tegan has walked further on.)

TEGAN: Look!  ... Castrovalva!

(As the girls look up, they see a massive cliff and on the top, a very fine looking castle.)

45, EXT: FOREST

(Some time later, the girls have hidden the cabinet in some low ferns, and Nyssa is finding more to cover it with.)

TEGAN: Never mind that, we've got to get help!

NYSSA: Just in case.

TEGAN: It'll be night before we know it.

(Unbeknownst to Tegan and Nyssa, there is a figure hiding nearby in the ferns. It is some sort of warrior, with a red helmet and a spear. Nyssa and Tegan head off to find a way up, and the warrior sets off after them.

46, EXT: FOREST

(The girls are at the foot of the cliff, with no sign of a clear entrance or way up.)

NYSSA: Still no way in.

(Nearby, the red helmeted warrior is with another in a purple helmet with a feathered headdress, he is Ruther.)

RUTHER: And there is where you saw them. Mergrave must be told this.

(They leave.)

(We see the zero cabinet open and the Doctor is conscious.)

47, EXT: CLIFFS

(With no other option, Nyssa and Tegan are attempting to climb the cliffs.)

TEGAN: Castrovalva's harder to get into than the Doctor's cabinet.

NYSSA: Well perhaps we should get back there, we might be able to wake him.

TEGAN: How? We can't get into him.

NYSSA: Well, we'll have to think of something. It does seem the only way.

(They go back down the way they came.)

48, EXT: FOREST

(Back in the forest, they find the Zero Cabinet out from the ferns.)

NYSSA: Doctor?

(Tegan has found what looks like blood nearby.)

TEGAN: Blood ...

NYSSA:  ... He's gone! The Doctor's gone!

(The cabinet is empty.)
{"type": "series", "show": "Doctor Who", "episode": "19x02 - Castrovalva - part 2"}