PART ONE

Written by Rona Munro

Original air date: 22 November, 1989
Run time: 24:14

We race through a spiral of stars -- a galaxy -- the familiar form of the TARDIS appears, wrapped in a sphere of energy... it speeds away from us... the galaxy forms a friendly, enigmatic face that winks at us... the logo forms: "Doctor Who"...

1: EXT. STREET -- PERIVALE, ENGLAND -- 1989 A.D.

A nice, sunny day in the English suburbs. The perfect day for washing your car, in fact. And that's just what a young blond-headed man is doing right now, scrubbing his car with care.

Far above him on a wall behind a tree, unnoticed, is a black cat.

An old woman's face appears at the open window of the house.

OLD WOMAN: Hey, your dinner's on the table!

YOUNG MAN: All right, Mum!

Still unnoticed, the cat hisses at the young man. We look at the young man through the cat's slit-irised eyes...

A low growl echoes through the street. THIS the young man notices. He looks up, as a stiff blast of wind tears past him...

YOUNG MAN: Oh my god...

He backs away, knocking over his bucket of soapy water. He starts running, but the whatever-it-is that's following him is keeping up (we're looking through it's POV). He trips back -- the thing rushes at him --

YOUNG MAN: No -- NO --

A flash of light -- and an instant later, the street is empty. On the hood of a nearby car, the cat slinks off.

At that moment, a long familiar wheezing and groaning sound appears... and the TARDIS materializes...

Dorothy "Ace" McShane is the first out, her leather jacket slung over her shoulder.

ACE: You had to pick a Sunday, didn't you?

The Doctor is next out, and he locks the door behind him.

ACE: (as they start down the road) You bring me back to the boredom capitol of the universe, you pick the one day of the week you can't even get a decent television program...

THE DOCTOR: (putting the TARDIS key in his pocket and hefting his umbrella) As I recall, Ace, we came here at your request.

ACE: I just said I wondered what the old g*ng was up to! That's all! You didn't have to bring us here... you could have dropped me out of town, I could have phoned... I just wanted to see what my old mates were up to...

The Doctor is walking by the half-washed car. He noticed the spilled bucket. The old woman is outside as well, looking worriedly around...

ACE: You didn't have to have the guided tour...

The Doctor stops, and picks the bucket back up. He tips his hat to the old woman.

ACE: Come on, Professor!

The Doctor resumes his walk with Ace.

THE DOCTOR: So what's so terrible about Perivale?

ACE: Nothing ever happens here.

2: EXT. HOUSE -- PERIVALE

Outside another house in the Perivale suburbs, a terrific racket is going on. Bushes are shaking, the yowl of a cat can be heard...

A window opens, and another old woman peeks out.

OLD WOMAN #2: Wretched cats! Get out of my garden!! Go on, out! OUT!! SHOO!! SHOO!!

The black cat leaps out of the bush, bolting across the green field, out of sight.

3: EXT. FIELD -- PERIVALE

You can see the whole city from here. Ace and the Doctor take a good look around as their walk continues.

ACE: How long since I was here?

THE DOCTOR: You've been away as long as you think you have.

ACE: I feel like I've been away forever.

The good Doctor looks bored.

THE DOCTOR: Any particular reason for coming here?

ACE: It's Sunday. Some of the g*ng always comes up here on a Sunday.

THE DOCTOR: What for?

ACE: Oh, I don't know. Light a f*re, muck about... you know.

The Doctor yawns.

ACE: (clasps his shoulder) Well, I told you it was dull. You don't have to hang around here. I'll meet you back at the TARDIS if you want.

The Doctor starts to walk off.

THE DOCTOR: Oh, I'm sure I'll find something to interest me...

ACE: (looks around) Maybe they don't come up here anymore.

The Doctor notes a couple pieces of litter on the ground. He picks a piece up. A bent-up can of cat food. He sniffs it.

ACE: There's no one around, is there? Nothing but tin cans and stray cats.

The Doctor sticks his umbrella into a piece of manure.

THE DOCTOR: And horses.

ACE: Horses? In Perivale? Don't be stupid.

The Doctor sniffs at the can again, uncertain...

4: ANOTHER FIELD -- PERIVALE

A bunch of kids are playing football. And from the reeds, watching, is the cat. A kid falls in front of the cat... the kid gets up... the cat's eyes narrow...

5: SOMEWHERE ELSE... 

A man's eyes suddenly turn glowing yellow.

MAN: Show me.

6: ANOTHER FIELD -- PERIVALE

The cat slowly turns his head to follow the boy. Its' eyes, we notice, is the same shade of green.

7: SOMEWHERE ELSE... 

MAN: (his voice strangely distorted) No... no sport for you here.

8: EXT. HORSENDEN HILL -- PERIVALE

The kids with the football run downhill past the Doctor, who is consulting a public map. He looks over at Ace, who's just hung up a pay phone in disgust.

ACE: No one home. Are you really fed up?

THE DOCTOR: Hmm.

ACE: Do you mind if I just trot down to the youth club?

THE DOCTOR: Hmm.

Ace and the Doctor walk off. The cat sh**t by a second later...

9: INT. YOUTH CLUB

The Doctor and Ace enter the hangout... but...

ACE: Where is everyone?!?

... it's deserted. And it apparently has been for some time.

Ace suddenly walks over to a bulletin board, filled with torn-up posters and messages of various stripes, gouged into the wood.

ACE: Look at this. We used to have the coffee bar here. What's happened to the coffee bar? (sigh) I mean, it always was a dump, but at least you could meet people...

The Doctor walks around the back. He cracks open a door with his umbrella, revealing a fully equipped gym. A pair of guys in tights are wrestling on the floor as a few others watch.

THE DOCTOR: Ace?

He points with his umbrella. She comes over and has a look. We notice a middle-aged, balding, mustachioed guy in army fatigues with the wrestlers and the audience.

ARMY GUY: Well go on! Go on lad, what are you waiting for?

WRESTLER: I've beaten him, Sarge!

ARMY GUY: Oh, you think we're playing games, do you? Let's Pretend, eh? Is that it? Is that what you're going to do to help some villain, some mugger? Help him up, dust him down, shake hands?!? Go on!

The wrestler (who can't be any older than Ace) slams his similarly-young opponent's face into the mat. We notice that all the tight-wearing audience are similiarly teenaged. The group applauds.

ARMY GUY: That's better. That's it. You all right, son?

WRESTLER #2: (rubbing his cheek) Yes, sir.

ARMY GUY: You sure? Let me see that. You okay?

The wrestlers get up, and the army guy has a look at the injured wrestler.

ARMY GUY: Right, you go get cleaned up.

The wrestler walks off, and the army guy spots the Doctor and Ace.

ARMY GUY: I'll be with you in a minute.

The Doctor tips his hat.

ARMY GUY: (to the wrestlers) Okay, lads. Shake hands, and ehh, we'll see you next week, okay?

The wrestlers shake hands and start out of the club... with the exception of the first wrestler, who looks like he's about to cry.

ARMY GUY: What?

WRESTLER: (starts off) I'd already b*at him, Sarge!

SARGE: (shoves him, continually poking a finger in the wrestler's chest) Oh, you think I'm too hard, do you? Pushing you too hard, am I? Have you ever heard of "survival of the fittest," son? Eh? Have you ever heard of that? Life's not a game, son. Here, I'm teaching you the art of survival. I'm teaching you to fight back. What happens when life starts pushing you around, son, eh? What're you gonna do then?

The young man's fist flashes across the air -- the Sarge effortlessly catches it.

SARGE: (laughs) That's better. You all right now, eh? You all right?

WRESTLER: All right, Sarge.

SARGE: Good. Off you go, then.

The Sarge lets him go, then picks up his jacket from a punching bag.

THE DOCTOR: "Survival of the fittest." Rather a glib generalization, don't you think? Survival of what, Mister, er... ?

SARGE: (puts his jacket on) Sergeant Paterson. You show me a better way of surviving, and I'll give it a go.

ACE: (as the Doctor walks off) Where's everyone else?

SARGE: Who you looking for, luv?

The Doctor steps out and walks back to the bulletin board.

ACE (O.C.): Everyone! Everyone used to hang around here on Sundays. This was the only place you could get out of the house and out of the weather...

Ironically, one of the posters on the bulletin board advertises "Cats." The Doctor seems more than a bit disturbed by it.

Meanwhile, Ace is still talking to the Sarge...

SARGE: Well, it's self-defense every Sunday afternoon now. I don't know what happened to the rest. (pauses, looks oddly at her) Don't I know you from somewhere?

ACE: (a bit too quickly) I don't think so.

SARGE: Oh, that's right. The police let you off with a warning, didn't they? You were lucky.

Back at the bulletin board, the Doctor notices something at the front door, looking back at him. The black cat.

ACE (O.C.): Listen, I'm just looking for my friends, okay?

SARGE (O.C.): I don't think you'll have much luck then.

The Doctor walks over to the outer door, kneels down, and stares at the cat. The cat matches his intense stare exactly.

10: SOMEWHERE ELSE... 

MAN: Ahhhh...

11: INT./EXT. YOUTH CLUB

The Doctor looks back at the other door. The Sarge and Ace are coming up to him now.

SARGE: I think you'll find most of your crowd have moved on.

ACE: Moved to where?

SARGE: Well, I think you'd have a better idea of that than me luv, eh? Where've you been hiding yourself?

ACE: Around.

SARGE: Your Mum had you listed as a missing person. You don't give a toss, do you? I dunno... four kids gone missing just this month... vanished into thin air.

The Doctor's ears prick up at this... Ace looks stung by Sarge's words...

SARGE: It's the parents I feel sorry for. Doesn't cost much to phone, luv. Tenpence, is all --

Ace has heard enough. She starts for the door, flinging her jacket on.

ACE: Come on, Doctor.

The cat bolts as Ace reaches the door. She runs out.

SARGE: I wouldn't be that age again if you paid me. Would you?

THE DOCTOR: I can't remember. It's too long ago.

The Sarge snorts and walks out. The Doctor follows.

SARGE: What a world to be young again in, eh? Only thing I can do is teach ‘em to fight. That way, they'll fight or go under.

The Doctor's eyes are riveted on where the cat went. The Sarge unchains his motorbike from a post.

SARGE: Half of them go under anyway around here. Can't save ‘em. Wasters.

THE DOCTOR: Tell me Sergeant, do you have a problem with strays?

SARGE: Stray what?

THE DOCTOR: Cats!!

SARGE: I wouldn't know. It's hardly a priority around here.

ACE: (nearby leaning against a tree, loudly and disgusted) Come on, Doctor!

SARGE: Doctor, eh? (pokes the Doctor's chest) You're not in the best of shape yourself though, are ya? You ought to build yourself up. You know, I teach a class around here Monday nights for the older men.

THE DOCTOR: (walking off, flustered) I'm going to see a man about a cat.

Ace smiles at the Doctor's discomfort. The two walk away from the club.

SARGE: (calling after them) Remember, keep fit! And self-defense! One finger can be a deadly w*apon!

As the two walk out of view, the cat hisses after them...

12: EXT. STREET -- PERIVALE

The two are now in a commercial district. Nearby, a news stand proclaims "LOCAL WOMAN STILL MISSING -- POLICE ABANDON HOPE!" And there's no one in sight...

ACE: It still looks the same. d*ad. We're the only life there ever was around here.

The Doctor notices the news stand headline. His eyes narrow.

Ace pauses at the door of a restaurant -- "Drayton Court."

ACE: I should have tried in here first, right? I wasn't thinking. Back in a sec!

She runs in, as the Doctor rereads the headline with a creased brow. He then turns and enters the convenience store the stand's in front of...

13: INT. CONVENIENCE STORE

The Doctor takes a hand basket -- then pauses, overhearing a conversation between the store owner (reading a tabloid) and a stock worker in the back.

STOCKER: Taking Sunday off? Do you think I wanna do it?

STORE OWNER: You think I wanna do it? You think I want to give up my one day of rest to come in here and stand behind a cash register?

STOCKER: Standing behind a till all day can do your back in. I saw something about it on the news last night...

The Doctor walks over to the cat food aisle, looking it over.

STORE OWNER: Yeah. It's a jungle, though, right?

STOCKER: Yeah. Survival of the fittest, mate.

STORE OWNER: I mean, all these other shops are open, aren't they? Where'd you think we'd be if we didn't join here?

STOCKER: (walks over to where the Doctor is) Down the plughole. Down the plughole without a paddle, mate. (to the Doctor) Can I help you?

THE DOCTOR: Yes. (points to the cans) Which do you think they'd prefer?

STORE OWNER: (joins them) What?

THE DOCTOR: Well, these brands. Which one do you think our feline friends will find particularly... irresistable?

STOCKER: (pulls out a couple of cans marked "Furry") Well, if you believe our advertisers, this is the one preferred by your cat connoisseur.

The Doctor takes the two cans of Furry.

STORE OWNER: (pulls out a couple cans of another brand, dumping it in the Doctor's arms) And that one has a taste all cat owners who really care put in a dish.

STOCKER: (pulls out yet another brand, dumping it on the Doctor) Whereas these ones have the smell that drives a tabby cat wild.

The Doctor's arms are filled to near bursting.

STORE OWNER: No, no, no. That's an aftershave ad.

STOCKER: Is it?

STORE OWNER: (to himself) Or is it for cats?

STOCKER: All I know is, my Tiger prefers cheese.

THE DOCTOR: (lights up) Cheese! Ahh yes...

The Doctor moves off toward the dairy section.

STOCKER: It's the law of the jungle, mate, isn't it now?

STORE OWNER: Hmm. There's these two blokes, right? In a tent, in the jungle...

STOCKER: You got another one for me, huh? Go on then, go on...

STORE OWNER: It's really dark, and they hear this terrible noise outside the tent. This terrible roaring noise. And one bloke turns to the other bloke and he says, "Did you hear that?"

STOCKER: (misunderstanding) What?

STORE OWNER: I said, "Did you hear that?"

STOCKER: Oh, right, right, yeah...

STORE OWNER: "That was a lion."

The Doctor, checking out a choice piece of cheese, snaps alert and cocks his head to the story.

STORE OWNER: And the other bloke, he doesn't say anything. He just starts putting on his running shoes. The other bloke turns to him and says, "What're you doing? You can't outrun a lion!" The bloke turns to him and he says, "I don't have to outrun the lion... "

STOCKER: Ha ha ha... don't get it.

THE DOCTOR: He doesn't have to outrun the lion. Only his friend. Then the lion catches up with his friend and eats him. The strong survive, the weak are k*lled. The law of the jungle.

STOCKER: Oh yeah. Very clever.

THE DOCTOR: Yes, very clever. If you don't mind losing your friend.

Strangely, we're suddenly seeing the Doctor, store owner, and stocker through the cat's POV -- but the cat would be behind the cans on the shelf...

... and even stranger, the Doctor seems to be looking right at the cat.

THE DOCTOR: But what happens when the next lion turns up?

STORE OWNER: What next lion?

The Doctor points directly at the cat -- who erupts out of the shelf, blasting past the startled store owner and sprinting out of the store in a blur.

THE DOCTOR: (taking the cat food and cheese out the door) I think you'd better get your running shoes on, gentlemen.

14: EXT. STREET

Ace is sitting at a table outside the restaurant, slumped head on arms, bored to tears. A can of diet soda sits on the table before her. The Doctor comes out of the convenience store with the food.

THE DOCTOR: Did you find your friends, then?

ACE: No one even remembers them.

The Doctor glances over at that news headline again.

THE DOCTOR: (uncertain) I'm sure I've forgotten something...

The store owner comes out.

STORE OWNER: Hey! Haven't you forgotten something?

THE DOCTOR: Yes...

STORE OWNER: (holds out his hand) Money.

The Doctor thinks about it.

THE DOCTOR: (shakes his head) No, it wasn't that...

He walks over to the table. He notices a pile of coins by the can of soda.

ACE: I got lucky on the fruit machine.

THE DOCTOR: Lucky?

ACE: Well, they're all fixed anyway, those machines.

15: INT. CONVENIENCE STORE -- BACK ROOM

Wielding a flashlight, the stocker walks into the storage area of the store.

STOCKER: Tiger? Psst psst? Here boy. Tiger? Psst psst psst...

He suddenly spots something on the floor. His face twists with revulsion.

STOCKER: God... LEN!!

Len (the store owner) runs in.

LEN: What is it?

The stocker directs his attention to the floor.

STOCKER: Something's eaten Tiger.

From what we see on the floor, that's an understatement...

16: EXT. STREET -- PERIVALE

At the door of another store, a skanky young woman shakes a collection cup marked "Hunt Saboteurs." Ace and the Doctor (now carrying his food in a bag) runs up. The woman lights up as she recognizes Ace.

ACE: Ange!!

ANGE: Oh... hi, Ace! I thought you were d*ad!

ACE: What?

ANGE: That's what they said. Either you were d*ad, or you'd gone to Birmingham. (looks at the Doctor, who's looking around nervously) Who's he?

ACE: Oh, a friend of mine.

ANGE: Oh. So you back to see your family?

ACE: No.

ANGE: So what you doin' here? You're well out of this dump.

ACE: I just wanted to see my friends, catch up a bit.

ANGE: Oh.

ACE: So where is everyone?

ANGE: Who?

ACE: Jay?

ANGE: Dunno. Moved over west someplace. Think he's doing window cleaning, that's what I think.

The Doctor hunts over a small table before the shop. He picks up a book about cats, then a scratching post...

ACE: Stevie?

ANGE: Oh, he's gone.

THE DOCTOR: (to himself) Where are they all coming from... ?

ACE: Flo?

ANGE: Married Darth.

ACE: Darth Vader, the brain-dead plumber? Flo??

ANGE: Yeah. Makes you think, eh?

Ace laughs.

ACE: What about Shreela?

ANGE: Oh, she's gone.

ACE: Midge?

ANGE: He's gone, too.

ACE: Gone? What'dya mean, gone?

ANGE: Well, I dunno! Gone! Vanished!

ACE: People don't just vanish.

ANGE: You did.

ACE: Yeah, well that's different.

ANGE: Is it?

ACE: Yeah. So when did they go?

ANGE: Dunno... last month?

ACE: What?!?

ANGE: Well, Midge and Stevie went last month. Shreela went last week, and they had to scrape her mom off the ceiling. Funny though, I always thought she got along with her family...

ACE: This doesn't make sense...

ANGE: That's what I said. Know what I reckon?

ACE: What?

ANGE: UFOs. They whisk ‘em off and do experiments on them like we do on animals. Fancy cutting Stevie up to see what's inside him...

Ace giggles.

ANGE: (nudges her with the cup) Well, come on, give us tenpence, then!

Ace obliges. Ange shakes the cup at the Doctor.

THE DOCTOR: (reads the name) Not a very efficient way to hunt, is it? All that noise and pantomime just to slaughter one little animal. No, if you're going to hunt, you stalk your prey. You observe it, so you can take it by surprise. And then you don't k*ll too many -- cover your tracks, so you don't leave a smell... can you smell that?

Both girls are looking at him like he's nuts.

ANGE: Can't. Hay fever.

ACE: What are you talking about, Professor? Something going on here?

THE DOCTOR: (walks off) Not sure...

ANGE: (to Ace) Is he... ?

ACE: Professor!!

THE DOCTOR: (to himself) When is a cat not a cat... ? When it builds its own catflap!

He yanks a can of cat food from his bag.

THE DOCTOR: Bait, Ace. Bait.

The Doctor walks off.

ACE: Hang on, Professor!

She waves goodbye to the young woman, who waves back. Then she follows the Doctor out of sight.

17: SOMEWHERE ELSE... 

MAN: (his eyes glowing yellow) Show me. Show me...

18: EXT. YET ANOTHER STREET -- PERIVALE

A beefy young jogger is running down the sidewalk. The cat sits on a nearby wall, watching him.

19: SOMEWHERE ELSE... 

MAN: Yes, he'll do very well...

20: EXT. STREET

A shadow passes over the jogger as he crosses the street. The wind, the roar -- he falls back -- flash of light --

And again, an empty street.

21: EXT. ANOTHER STREET -- PERIVALE

The Doctor and Ace continue on down the road...

ACE: I can't believe he said that, you know! That T.A. Twit. (sits up on a wall) I reckon that was well out of order. "Tenpence." I mean, even if I could've phoned, which I couldn't really --

The Doctor has knelt down on the ground, pulling a can out of cat food out of the bag.

ACE: (con't) -- dy'a think anyone would've listened to me?

THE DOCTOR: (to himself) Hello, cat...

ACE: It was just that time. Just the whole crowd... (grins) we had a really good laugh. I can't believe everyone just disappeared...

The Doctor works furiously at the ground, opening up a dish of Sheba cat food. Ace just now notices he hasn't been listening.

ACE: Professor?

THE DOCTOR: (holds out his hand) Tin opener?

Ace pulls out a can opener, and hands it to the Doctor. He starts to open the can of "Furry."

ACE: Professor?

THE DOCTOR: Hmm?

ACE: Are you listening to me?

THE DOCTOR: (effort as he tries to open the can) Quiet, Ace... I'm concentrating...

Ace rolls her eyes and walks off. He starts spooning large dollops of Furry onto the ground. She looks back, shakes her head, and walks on. The Doctor grabs his umbrella and hides behind a fence.

Eventually, a white-and-brown cat walks up and starts dining on the Sheba.

THE DOCTOR: (frustrated) No, you're not the one I'm after...

Behind him at a house, a woman taps on her window from inside.

WOMAN: What are you doing?

THE DOCTOR: (waves at her) Shhh... quiet! (to the cat) Shoo!

The cat runs off. The Doctor sighs.

22: EXT. PLAYGROUND

Ace is sitting forelorn on an old spinning chair. As she moves around, her eyes fall upon -- the black cat.

She gets up and walks over to it, holding her hand out. She picks the cat up, moving it over to a tire swing. The cat hisses... jumps out of her grip, running off... Ace sighs, sitting back on the swing...

The wind starts up... that loud growl is heard again... Ace turns, and sees what's been stalking the people.

A humanoid on a horse. Except that humanoid has the head, arms and growl of a cheetah.

Any other person would scream at this point. Ace says "Wow."

The cheetah person leans in close, snarling at her.

Ace gets the idea that this guy doesn't like being told "Wow." She starts running, leaping atop the spinning chair as the horse gallops at her. She leaps off the chair, bolts to a slide -- then to another -- the horse keeps up with her --

She puts herself in one of those dome-shaped swinging bar cages. Now the cheetah person can't get at her without jumping off the horse...

23: EXT. STREET

At the fence, the Doctor winces -- a brown dog is coming up to the cat food trap.

THE DOCTOR: Go on, go away! Go on! Shoo! Dog, go away!!

The dog doesn't listen.

ACE (O.C.): DOCTOR!!!!

The Doctor suddenly double-takes -- he runs in front of the fence, down the road --

24: EXT. PLAYGROUND

The cheetah person's still riding around Ace.

ACE: DOCTOR!!!!

This guy ain't going anywhere -- she'll have to risk it. She dives out of the dome, running across the field -- the jet black horse effortlessly keeps up, catches up -- a flash of light --

25: EXT. ?????

-- and Ace is suddenly somewhere else entirely.

She's at the top of a rocky slope. On pure instinct, she runs down the slope, diving for the ground.

26: EXT. PLAYGROUND

The Doctor arrives to find nothing but an empty playground. He's almost breathing f*re, he's so mad.

THE DOCTOR: So, they've taken you away... taken you off the planet... but I'll find you...

27: EXT. ?????

Rocky slopes are far as the eye can see. Purple, cloudy skies. And a smoke column, rising in the far distance...

Ace pulls herself up. She suddenly notices, half hidden behind a bush, two black cats and a d*ad man, holding a sponge. The car washer, his eyes open.

Ace forces back a wave of nausea. From behind her, several feet away, the cheetah person and horse appears. He lets out a howl -- Ace bolts again, as the horse starts down the slope towards her...

28: EXT. STREET

The Doctor races back to the site of his cat trap. And this time, the cat chowing down is pure black.

THE DOCTOR: (reaches an arm out for it) Gotcha...

Just as he's about to snatch it by the scruff, a beefy arm yanks him back-- it's the Sarge!

SARGE: Now what do you think you're up to?

THE DOCTOR: Sergeant--!!!

The cat bolts away. The Doctor looks ready to slug the Sergeant.

SARGE: I've heard complaints--

THE DOCTOR: What's that to do with you?!?

SARGE: Neighborhood Watch!

THE DOCTOR: I've got no time for that!! I've got to catch that cat!

The Sarge's steel arms keep the Doctor locked firmly in place.

SARGE: You're a public nuisance --

THE DOCTOR: Will you leave me go -- ?!?

SARGE: Now don't be stupid, and don't get yourself into real trouble!

Aw, the hell with this. The Doctor presses a thumb against the Sarge's forehead. The Sarge drops like a sack of rocks.

THE DOCTOR: (snide imitation of the Sarge) One finger can be a deadly w*apon.

He runs off. The Sarge gets back on his feet.

29: EXT. ?????

Ace is still in a losing chase with the cheetah person. Her breath's almost gone, and she finally slips and falls in a sand dune. The horse comes to a halt beside her. The cheetah man dismounts, slowly approaching...

VOICE: Go away! Get away from here! GET AWAY FROM HERE!!

Suddenly there's a young guy rushing out of a grove of trees. The cheetah person takes off after him. He's on him in two large strides, forces him down, sinks its fangs into him...

Ace grabs a rock...

The cheetah person turns, blurs past Ace, knocking her to the ground before she can use the rock, is back on his horse, riding over to the young man, picking him up, slinging him over the horse's back, riding off...

WOMAN'S VOICE: Ace...

A bedraggled young woman appears from the trees. Ace jumps up.

ACE: SHREELA!!

She runs over to the woman.

SHREELA: Ace, you shouldn't have run... they always go for you if you run...

She pulls Ace toward the trees.

30: EXT. STREET -- PERIVALE

The Doctor is on his hands and knees now, stalking that black cat. He approaches a pair of garbage cans...

THE DOCTOR: Why don't you come out and we'll talk about this sensibly, hmm?

The cat leaps out of the garbage. The Doctor jumps upright and starts running after it again. In the distance behind him, the Sarge becomes visible on his bike.

SARGE: HEY, COME BACK!! COME BACK HERE!!

31: EXT. FOREST -- ?????

Shreela leads Ace through the forest, to where a pair of leather-jacket wearing young men are sitting around a campfire.

ACE: Midge!!

MIDGE: Hi, Ace. Long time.

ACE: Is Stevie here too?

SHIRELLA: He was.

MIDGE: Stevie? He's cat food, isn't he?

SHREELA: (as the two guys chuckle) Stop it.

MIDGE: (indicates the other guy) This is Derek. He's doing very well. He's been here three weeks. Only got flesh wounds.

SHREELA: (moves over to the f*re) We'll have to move on soon. They hunt at night sometimes...

MIDGE: They can see in the dark. You can't see them... just their eyes.

Shreela and Derek share a haunted look. Midge... well, sullen doesn?t quite seem to describe it...

ACE: Just as well I'm here. You need some sorting out, you know?

32: EXT. STREET -- PERIVALE

The Doctor's huffing and puffing, but finally the cat's in sight -- sitting on another wall. The Doctor climbs atop it, crawling toward the cat, arm out.

The Sarge's arm clamps down like a vise on the Doctor's ankle!!!

SARGE: GOT YA!!

THE DOCTOR: GET OFF!!

The cat jumps off the wall -- a flash of light -- the Doctor gets yanked off the wall --

33: EXT. ?????

And suddenly the Doctor and the Sarge are lying in the sand, on that mystery planet.

THE DOCTOR: You stupid --

A growl interrupts him. A cheetah man, lying on the ground with them, chowing down on some bloody meat.

The two freeze.

SARGE: Where the hell are we?

THE DOCTOR: Shut up, and we may survive.

The Doctor and Sarge get up, walking -- not running -- away from the feeding cheetah man. They find themselves before a pair of tents. Another pair of cheetah men appear, approaching but not attacking. The two continue walking backwards, herded by the cheetah men towards one of the tents. Realizing this, the Doctor uses his umbrella and lifts the tent flap.

Behind it is the mystery man who's been controlling the cat. A goateed, familiar face.

The Master.

MASTER: Why, Doctor... what an unexpected pleasure.

And before the Doctor's own, the Master's eyes change from human... to the glowing yellow of the cheetah people...
{"type": "series", "show": "Doctor Who", "episode": "26x12 - Survival - part 1"}