MEGLOS

BY: JOHN FLANAGAN AND ANDREW MCCULLOCH

Part Three

Original Air Date: 11 October 1980
Running time: 21:19

GRUGGER: Ah ha. Who is she?

BROTADAC: I found her here.

GRUGGER: She's not a Tigellan. Where are you from?

ROMANA: If I told you, you wouldn't understand.

GRUGGER: Try.

ROMANA: Let go and I'll tell you. Thank you. My ship landed here by mistake.

BROTADAC: Let's k*ll her. Meglos won't like it.

GRUGGER: I'm handling this, not Meglos. What ship?

ROMANA: I'll show you if I can find it.

GRUGGER: All right. Move. Go on.

CARIS: And then we waited outside. We saw the Doctor leave, and when we came in here the Dodecahedron was gone.

DEEDRIX: But how long was he here?

CARIS: Moments. Hardly any time.

DEEDRIX: It's incomprehensible. There's no way that I know of, singlehandedly moving an object like that.

CARIS: An object like what?

DEEDRIX: The Dodecahedron, of course.

CARIS: What was it like? Oh yes, we can define its shape and size and colour, and from up there we could estimate its output, but what do we really know about it?

DEEDRIX: Over the years we've formed theories about how it works.

CARIS: The source of all our energy, the heart of our civilisation, a device we've become totally dependent upon, and all we know about its internal structure are a few vague theories.

DEEDRIX: Yes, and all because of these Deons. When the Doctor came in here, you're certain he was alone?

CARIS: Completely.

DEEDRIX: So how!

MAN (OOV.): Central Control to Deedrix. Central Control to Deedrix. Power drain is reaching critical.

CARIS: Critical! The whole city will collapse. How many times have I told the Chamber

DEEDRIX: We should be on the surface. yes, yes, I know. Come along, I'll need you too.

GRUGGER: That's our spacecraft! You've been leading us round in circles.

DEEDRIX: Essential services only. Close down all other sections. (to Caris) I'm reducing lighting and cutting thermostat temperature to minimum.

CARIS: Giving us?

DEEDRIX: About two hours, but hurry!

DOCTOR: What, you mean completely disappeared? Evaporated?

LEXA: What did you do?

DOCTOR: Well, as I recall the Dodecahedron, it was much too large to move.

ZASTOR: Can't you see you've paralysed our city?

DOCTOR: I'm so sorry.

LEXA: Answer me. What happened to the Dodecahedron?

DOCTOR: I keep telling you, I don't know. I've only just arrived.

LEXA: But I saw you.

DEEDRIX: Doctor.

DOCTOR: Yes.

DEEDRIX: Whatever reasons you had for doing this, the fact remains that without the Dodecahedron's energy, in two hours time this city will be d*ad.

DOCTOR: In two hour time. (to Lexa) You saw me? You saw me?

GRUGGER: Now, you tried to trick us. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't k*ll you now.

ROMANA: Anticlockwise rotation.

BROTADAC: What?

ROMANA: I forgot that the planet rotates in an anticlockwise direction.

BROTADAC: What's she talking about?

GRUGGER: Rotation, direction, revolving.

BROTADAC: Oh.

GRUGGER: Well, what difference does that make?

ROMANA: Don't you see? If we'd gone the other way, we wouldn't have come back to the same point.

GRUGGER: Ah. No. Well, I'll give you one last chance, and you'd better get it right. Move!

MEGLOS: I need you back in.

EARTHLING: Let go of me! You've no right!

MEGLOS: Quite right, but academic.

LEXA: Even if this girl exists, it will prove nothing.

ZASTOR: And he won't even admit to taking the Deon oath and entering the Power room.

DOCTOR: I think I see the problem.

DEEDRIX: I'm going to seal off the city. We'll search every area.

DOCTOR: No, no, no, no, wait. Wait! Wait. There are three possibilities.

ZASTOR: What do you mean?

DOCTOR: One, the chronic hysteresis. I've never been in one before but it just might have projected a time image of me. It's theoretically possible, isn't it?

LEXA: You'll have to do better than that, Doctor.

DOCTOR: Ah.

LEXA: I think you're a fraud and a liar.

DOCTOR: Well, that makes even less sense.

LEXA: Oh? Why?

DOCTOR: Well, you see, I just don't do that sort of thing.

ZASTOR: And the third possibility?

DOCTOR: I think what we've got here is a good old-fashioned doppelganger.

CARIS: I'll deal with this. Go to section four food bays and turn off the ray lamps.

DEEDRIX: Ice forming in the sub-corridors. I can't keep essential services running, Zastor. We'll have to evacuate.

ZASTOR: One moment. I want to trust you, Doctor, but how can I doubt my own eyes?

DOCTOR: Well, that's the problem with doppelgangers, you see. You never know who's who.

LEXA: Confine him. He must not be permitted down there again.

ZASTOR: No, Lexa. Very well, Doctor. This time we will go to the Power room together.

DOCTOR: Right, and let's hope that many hands will make the lights work.

LEXA: No, Zastor. There is another way.

CARIS: But why should I lead you out of the city, Doctor?

MEGLOS: Well, precisely because I'm not the Doctor.

CARIS: Then who are you?

MEGLOS: I am Meglos! The last Zolfa-Thuran.

CARIS: The d*ad planet?

MEGLOS: Yes!

CARIS: But why should that make me obey you?

MEGLOS: Because of this.

CARIS: But that's impossible!

MEGLOS: Yes, the ultimate impossibility.

LEXA: It is not in anger, believers. Although we have cause for anger, we will act in justice. Ezrith, come with me. The rest of you do nothing until I give the word.

BROTADAC: How much more of this, General?

GRUGGER: Shut up.

BROTADAC: Look at this jacket.

GRUGGER: Girl, how much longer is there of this?

ROMANA: I don't know. It is extremely hard to navigate on a planet that rotates anticlockwise. However, I'm pretty certain that it's this way. Or is it that way. No, no, no, no. It's definitely this way.

DEEDRIX: Deons. What are they up to?

LEXA: Follow us.

DOCTOR: It would have to be solid, assuming some process like baryon multiplication.

DEEDRIX: Well, yes, we always presumed it would be heavy.

DOCTOR: Huh, heavy? Assuming an atomic weight of two hundred, not even a dozen Tigellans could have carried it away.

DEEDRIX: So where is it?

LEXA: There's no question about where it is. It's been taken back by the god.

ZASTOR: What is this, Lexa?

LEXA: We are taking over. In order to pacify the god, all non-believers will be collected and exiled to the surface.

ZASTOR: But they won't survive out there, Lexa. You can't

LEXA: Take him away.

ZASTOR: No, Lexa, you need me as an advisor. I've been a believer all my life. You can't do this.

LEXA: Faith dwells in the deeds, Zastor, not in the words.

DEEDRIX (OOV.): He's an old man, Lexa. The plants will k*ll him!

DOCTOR: Just how dangerous are the plants?

LEXA: Ultimately? Lethal.

DOCTOR: Ah. In that case I must hurry. I've got a friend on the surface.

LEXA: No, Doctor.

DOCTOR: No?

LEXA: You are going to bring back the Dodecahedron.

DOCTOR: I am? Well, I'd be delighted to help in the ordinary way.

LEXA: No, Doctor, not in the ordinary way.

DOCTOR: Not in the ordinary way.

LEXA: No. Prepare him for sacrifice.

ROMANA: Wait.

BROTADAC: We said we'd wait for Meglos.

GRUGGER: He'll be back. Stop panicking.

BROTADAC: How do we know there is a ship?

GRUGGER: If she's lying, she dies.

ROMANA: Ow! Don't keep doing that. I know I landed very close to here!

WOMAN (OOV.): Closing the city exit. Closing the city exit.

ROMANA: K9? K9. Do something.

K9: Mistress.

ROMANA: Oh, come on. I can't just leave you there.

BROTADAC: What do we do now?

GRUGGER: We're going in.

CARIS: You can't get out now. They've sealed the exit.

MEGLOS: No, there's been a change of plan. There's a ventilation shaft on the second landing.

CARIS: That's no good to you now. We've closed them all down to preserve the heat.

MEGLOS: You're lying, of course.

CARIS: You're trapped. We're all trapped. Lexa's in control.

MEGLOS: No, we'll make for the main entrance. No one can stop me now.

EARTHLING (OOV.): Are you sure?

MEGLOS: What! Earthling? You again?

MEGLOS: It's no use struggling. You can't escape. No, Earthling, no. It will k*ll you.

EARTHLING: Nothing could be worse than this.

MEGLOS: What, a hero and a fool? You're a very dangerous combination, Earthling.

CARIS: Whoever or whatever you are, you're coming with me.

GUARD: Urgent, urgent. Come in, Central Control. (no reply) Into position. Ready to f*re.

GUARD: Out of the way! Pull her clear!

ROMANA: Stay there. I'll find someone to recharge you.

ROMANA: The Doctor?

GRUGGER: Bah, you're useless.

MEGLOS: Come on, let's go.

ROMANA: Doctor? What is he doing?

CARIS: That wasn't the Doctor.

MEGLOS: Well, General?

GRUGGER: Well? We waited one hour.

BROTADAC: Precisely.

GRUGGER: Shut up. And what's happened? Nothing. It's a catastrophe. You've failed.

GRUGGER: The Dodecahedron!

BROTADAC: I knew he could do that. How did you do that?

GRUGGER: We told him how to do it.

MEGLOS: Gentlemen, gentlemen. This is only the beginning.

LEXA: Faith, Deons. We can restore the Dodecahedron by offering the angry god an exchange for its return. His life for the great light that illuminates us all.

BROTADAC: We've done it! We've done it! A complete success!

GRUGGER: We're taking off, Brotadac. If you want to come with us, I suggest you close the doors.

BROTADAC: Oh, er.

MEGLOS: Well done, Brotadac. Destination Zolfa-Thura, I think, General.

GRUGGER: I hope it was all worth it, Meglos.

MEGLOS: Oh, I think you'll find this will replace the odd torn jacket, hmm?

MAN (OOV.): The Doctor has escaped. The doors are breached. All guards to the gate immediately.

ROMANA: But if that was Meglos, what about the Doctor?

CARIS: You're sure he's here?

ROMANA: Positive.

CARIS: Then where is he?

LEXA: Oh great gods of Ti, we offer you this sacrifice and beseech you to restore the Dodecahedron once more to shine in Tigella. Thanks be to Ti.

ALL: Thanks be to Ti.
{"type": "series", "show": "Doctor Who", "episode": "18x07 - Meglos - part 3"}