The Impossible Planet Doctor Who

I wonder what's wrong with her. She's sort of queasy.

Indigestion. Like she didn't want to land.

If you think there's gonna be trouble, we could always get back inside and go somewhere else.

I think we've landed inside a cupboard. Here we go.

-SYNTHESISED VOICE:

-'Open door 15.'

-WIND HOWLS

Some sort of base. Moon base, sea base, space base.

-They build these things out of kits.

-Glad we're indoors.

Sounds like a storm out there.

'Open door 16.'

Human design - you've got a thing about kits.

It's put together like a flatpack wardrobe, only bigger. And easier.

'Open door 17.'

Oh, it's a sanctuary base!

-'Close door 17'

-Deep space exploration. We've gone way out. And listen to that.

-CONTINUOUS WHIRRING

-Underneath. Someone's drilling.

-"Welcome to hell".

-Oh, it's not that bad.

No, over there.

Hold on. What does that say?

That's weird. It won't translate.

I thought the Tardis translated everything, writing as well.

-I should see English.

-Exactly.

And if that's not working, then it means

this writing is OLD. Very old.

Impossibly old.

We should find out who's in charge.

We've gone beyond the reach of the Tardis' knowledge. Not a good move.

If someone's looking, we shouldn't... Oh!

Right. Hello. Sorry. I was just saying, nice base.

-We must feed.

-You've got to what?

-We must feed.

-Yeah - I think they mean us.

-We must feed.

We must feed. We must feed.

We must feed.

We must feed. We must feed.

-IN UNISON:

-We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed. We must feed.

We must feed. We must feed. We must feed...

-We must feed...

-GLOBE RATTLES

..you, if you are hungry.

-Sorry?

-We apologise.

Electromagnetics have interfered with speech systems.

Would you like some refreshment?

-Um...

-'Open door 18.'

What the hell?

How did...?

Captain, you're not gonna believe this. We've got people.

Out of nowhere. I mean real people.

I mean two living people, just standing here right in front of me.

'Don't be stupid. That's impossible.'

I suggest telling them that.

But you're a space base.

You must have visitors. It can't be that impossible.

-Are you telling me you don't know where you are?

-No idea. More fun, that way!

'Stand by, everyone. Buckle down. We have incoming.

'And it's a big one. Quake 0.5 on its way.'

Through here. Now.

Quickly! Come on. Move!

Keep moving! Keep moving! Come on! Move it!

Oh, my God, you meant it.

People. Look at that! Real people!

-That's us. Hooray!

-Yeah, definitely real.

My name's Rose, Rose Tyler, and this is the Doctor.

Come on, the oxygen must be offline.

We're hallucinating, they can't be... No, they're real!

Come on, we're in the middle of an alert.

Danny, strap up, the quake's coming in.

Impact in 30 seconds. ..Sorry, you two, whoever you are, just hold on.

-Tight!

-Hold on to what?

-Anything. I don't care, just hold on.

Ood, are we fixed?

Your kindness in this emergency is much appreciated.

-What's this planet called, anyway?

-Don't be stupid. It hasn't got a name. How could it have a name?

-You really don't know, do you?

-And...impact!

Oh, well. That wasn't so...

That's it. Everyone all right?

-Speak to me, Ida?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Danny?

-Fine.

-Toby?

-Fine.

-Scooti?

-No damage.

-Jefferson?

-Check!

We're fine, thanks. Don't worry about us.

Surface caved in. I deflected it onto Storage five through eight,

we've lost them completely.

Toby, go and check the rocket-link.

That's not my department.

Just do as I say, yeah?

METAL CREAKS AND GROANS

-Oxygen holding.

-METALLIC CREAKS

-Internal gravity at 56.6.

We should be OK.

Never mind the earthquake, that's...

That's one hell of a storm. What is that, a hurricane?

You need an atmosphere for a hurricane. There's no air out there. It's a complete vacuum.

-Then what's shaking the roof?

-You're not joking.

You really don't know. Well.

Introductions!

FYI, as they said in the olden days, I'm Ida Scott, Science Officer.

Zachary Cross Flane, Acting Captain, sir!

You've met Mr Jefferson, he's Head of Security. Danny Bartock, Ethics Committee.

Not as boring as it sounds.

And that man who just left, that's Toby Zed, Archaeology, and this...

Scooti Manista, Trainee Maintenance,

and this...

This is home.

Brace yourselves.

The sight of it sends some people mad.

That's a black hole.

That's impossible...

-I did warn you.

-We're standing under a black hole!

-In orbit.

-We can't be.

You can see for yourself. We're in orbit.

But we can't be.

"This lump of rock is suspended in perpetual geostationary orbit around that black hole

"without falling in -

"discuss"(!)

And that's bad, yeah?

Bad doesn't cover it. A black hole's a dead star, it collapses in on itself, in and in and in,

until the matter's so dense and tight it starts to pull everything else in too.

Nothing in the universe can escape it.

Light, gravity, time - everything gets pulled inside.

And crushed.

So there can't be an orbit?

We should be pulled right in?

-We should be dead.

-And yet

here we are,

-beyond the laws of physics.

-THUDS AND CREAKS

-Welcome on board.

-But if there's no atmosphere out there, what's that?

Stars breaking up.

Gas clouds.

We have whole solar systems being ripped apart above our heads,

before falling into that thing.

So a bit worse than a storm, then?

-Just a bit.

-Just a bit, yeah.

-WHISPERY ECHO:

-Toby-y-y-y...

ELECTRICS FIZZ AND POP

Who's that?

Danny?

-'Close Door one.'

-The rocket-link's fine.

That's the black hole, officially designated K-3-7 Gem 5.

In the scriptures of the Veltino,

this planet's called Krop Tor... The bitter pill.

And the black hole is supposed to be a mighty demon who was tricked into devouring the planet

only to spit it out

because it was poison.

"The Bitter Pill." I like that.

We're so far out.

Lost in the drifts of the universe. How did you even get here?

We flew in, d'you see?

This planet's generating a gravity field.

We don't know how, we've no idea.

But it's kept in constant balance against the black hole.

And the field extends out there,

as a funnel, a distinct...

gravity funnel, reaching out into clear space. That was our way in.

You flew down that thing?

Like a rollercoaster.

By rights, the ship should've been torn apart.

We lost the captain, which is what put me in charge.

-And you're doing a good job.

-Yeah, well. Needs must.

But if that gravity funnel closes, there's no way out.

Oh, we have fun speculating about that.

Yeah, that's the word, fun.

But that field would take phenomenal amounts of power.

Not just big, but off the scale!

Can I?

Sure, help yourself.

Your refreshment.

Oh, yeah, thanks. Thank you!

I'm sorry, what was your name?

We have no titles.

We are as one.

Um... What are they called?

Oh, come on! Where've you been living? Everyone's got one!

Well, not me. So what are they?

They're the Ood. The Ood?

The Ood. That's...Ood.

Very Ood. But handy!

They work the mineshaft, all the drilling and stuff, supervision and maintenance. They're born for it.

Basic slave race. You've got slaves?

Don't start! She's like one of that lot, the Friends of the Ood.

Well, maybe I am, yeah. Since when did humans need slaves?

But the Ood offer themselves.

If you don't give them orders, they just pine away and die.

Seriously? You like being ordered about?

-It is all we crave.

-Why's that, then?

We have nothing else in life.

Yeah, well. I used to think like that.

-Long time ago.

-There we go! D'you see?

To generate that gravity field and the funnel you need a power source

-with an inverted self-extrapolating reflex of six to the power of six every six seconds.

-All the sixes.

-And it's impossible.

-It took us two years to work that out.

I'm very good.

But that's why we're here.

This power source is ten miles below, through solid rock.

Point Zero. We're drilling down to try and find it.

-It's giving off readings of over 90 Statts on the Blazen Scale.

-It could revolutionise modern science.

We could use it to fuel the Empire.

Or start a war.

It's buried beneath us... In the darkness. Waiting.

What's your job?

Chief dramatist?

Whatever it is down there, it's not a natural phenomenon.

This planet once supported life,

aeons ago, before the human race had even learned to walk.

-I saw that lettering on the wall. Did you do that?

-I copied it from fragments we've found,

-unearthed by the drilling. I can't translate it.

-No, neither can I.

-And that's saying something.

-There was some form of civilisation.

They buried something. And now it's reaching out,

-calling us in.

-And you came.

How could we not?

So when it comes right down to it, why did you come here?

Why did you do that? Why?

I'll tell you why.

Because it was there! Brilliant!

Scuse me... Er, Zack, wasn't it?

-That's me.

-Just stand there, cos I'm gonna...HUG you. Is that all right?

-Suppose so.

-Here we go. Coming in.

Human beings. You are amazing!

Thank you.

-Not at all.

-You're also completely mad. You should pack your bags, get on that ship and fly for your lives!

You can talk. How the hell did YOU get here?

I've got this...

Um...this...ship. It's hard to explain, it just sort of appears.

We can show you. We parked down the corridor from uh... What's it called? Habitation Area...

-Three.

-Three.

D'you mean Storage Six?

It was a bit of a cupboard, yeah...

Storage Six? But you said...

You said...

You said Storage Five to Eight...

-What is it, what's wrong?

-'Open door 19...'

'Close Door 19.'

-Grr! Come ON!

-'Open door 17.'

'Open door 15.'

-'Door 16 out of commission.'

-It can't be!

What's wrong? What is it?

Doctor, the Tardis is in there - what's happened?

The Tardis has gone.

'Door 16, out of commission.'

The earthquake.

This section collapsed.

But it's got to be out there somewhere.

Look down.

..The ground gave way. My Tardis must've fallen right into the heart of the planet,

-but you've robot drills heading the same way.

-We can't divert the drilling.

But I need my ship! It's all I've got!

Literally, the only thing!

Doctor, WE'VE only got the resources to dig one, central shaft down to the power source, and that's it.

No diversions, no distractions, no exceptions.

Your machine is lost. All I can do is offer you a lift if we ever get to leave this place.

And that's the end of it.

I'll put you on the duty roster.

We need someone in the laundry.

'Open door one.'

'Close door one.'

-I've trapped you here.

-No, don't worry about me.

OK. We're on a planet that shouldn't exist,

underneath a black hole,

with no way out.

Yeah - changed my mind. Start worrying about me.

'Entering night shift.'

'Your chosen track for transition is Ravel's "Bolero".'

MUSIC PLAYS

All finished.

Heading back inside.

7 Gamma 10... MUSIC CONTINUES

7 Gamma 11...

7 Gamma 12...

MUSIC ON PA

PA CRACKLES MID-NOTE

PA SILENT

(Toby-y-y?)

-(I can see you.)

-Danny, is that you?!

It's not funny, all right?

Dan?

I'm trying to work, Daniel.

If that's you, then can you just stop it?

ELECTRICS FIZZ AND WHINE

Danny, check the temperature in Ood Habitation. It seems to be rising.

Help yourself, just don't have the green.

Or the blue.

Um... Bit of that, thanks.

Would you like sauce with that?

I'll have a go, yeah.

I did that job once. I was a dinner lady.

Not that I'm calling you a lady.

Although, I don't know, you might be.

D'you actually get paid, though, do they give you money?

"The Beast and his armies shall rise from the Pit to make war against God."

I'm sorry?

Apologies. I said, I hope you enjoy your meal.

Yeah.

'Drillhead now at Point 16.'

'Drillhead speed increasing.'

Keep pressure at 60.

'Close Door three.'

Close Door three.

'He is awake.'

What did you say?

'Close Door three.'

(Toby?)

-DEEP VOICE:

-Don't turn around.

Dan?

-That's not Dan.

-Don't look at me.

Who are you?

I have so many names.

If I could...

If you look at me, you will die.

But who are you?

I'm behind you, Toby.

I'm right behind you.

Don't look. Don't look at me.

One look and you will die.

I'm reaching out, Toby.

I'm so close.

Don't turn around.

Oh-h... I can touch you!

No...!

ELECTRICAL FIZZ

Zack, we got a problem?

-ZAK:

-No more than usual. We've just got the Scarlet System burning up. Might be worth a look.

You might want to see this. Moment in history.

There.

On the edge.

That red cloud.

That used to be the Scarlet System.

Home to the Pallushi,

a mighty civilisation spanning a billion years -

disappearing...forever,

their planets and suns, consumed.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we have witnessed its passing.

No, could you leave it open?

Just for a bit?

I won't go mad, I promise.

How would you know?

Scooti, check the lockdown. Jefferson, sign off the airlock seals for me.

-SYNTHETIC VOICE:

-'Open door 18.'

I've seen films and things, yeah. They say black holes are like gateways to another universe.

'Close Door 18.'

Not that one.

It just eats.

Long way from home.

Go that way.

Turn right. Keep going for, er...

about 500 years, then you'll reach the Earth.

No signal. That's the first time we've gone out of range.

Mind you, even if I could...

What would I tell her?

Can you build another Tardis?

They were grown, not built.

And with my home planet gone...

we're kind of stuck.

Well, could be worse. This lot said they'd give us a lift.

-And then what?

-I dunno.

Find a planet.

Get a job. Live a life.

Same as the rest of the universe.

I'd have to settle down.

Get a house or something. A proper house with...

Doors and things. Carpets.

Me! Living in a house! Now, THAT...

That... That is terrifying!

-You'd have to get a mortgage!

-No!

-Oh, yes!

-I'm dying. That's it, I'm dying, it's all over.

What about me? I'd have to get one, too!

I dunno, could be the same one, we could both...

I dunno, share.

Or not. Whatever. I dunno.

-All sorts of...

-Anyway!

-We'll see.

I promised Jackie I'd always take you back home.

Everyone leaves home in the end.

Not to end up stuck here.

-Yeah, but stuck with you, that's not so bad.

-..Yeah?

Yes.

MOBILE RINGS

-DEEP VOICE:

-He is awake.

Evening!

Only us. The mysterious couple.

-How are you, then, settling in?

-Yeah, sorry, straight to business. The Ood,

-how do they communicate? I mean, with each other.

-Oh, just empaths.

There's a low-level telepathic field connecting them.

-Not that that does THEM much good, they're basically a herd race. Like cattle.

-This telepathic field,

-can it pick up messages?

-Cos I was having dinner and one of the Ood said something...well, odd.

An odd Ood. And then I got something else on my er...

Communicator-thing. Well, be fair.

We've got whole star systems burning up around us.

There's all sorts of stray transmissions. Probably nothing.

Look, if there was something wrong, it would show.

We monitor the telepathic field. It's the only way to look after them.

They're so stupid, they don't even tell us when they're ill.

Monitor the field. That's this thing?

Yeah, but like I said, it's low-level telepathy.

They only register basic-5.

That's not basic-5. 10...

20...

They've gone up to basic-30.

- But they can't! - Doctor, the Ood.

What does basic-30 mean?

It means that they're shouting. Screaming inside their heads.

Or something's shouting at them.

But where's it coming from? What's it saying?

What did it say to you? Something about the "beast" and the "pit".

What about your communicator, what did that say?

"He is awake."

-ALL OOD:

-And you will worship him.

-What the hell?

-He is awake.

And you will worship him.

Worship who?

Who's talking to you? Who is it?

Toby, I've got your expenditure.

'Open door 41.'

-'Close Door 41.'

-DOOR MECHANISM HISSES

41?!

'Close Door 40.'

-Computer, did you open and close Door 41?

-'Confirmed.'

But...that's the airlock. Why would you open the airlock?

It's the night shift, we're not allowed outside.

-Has someone gone out?

-'Confirmed.'

-But who was it?

-'Cannot confirm.'

OK. Right, hold on, I know. Tell me whose space suit's been logged out.

-'No space suit has been logged out.'

-But... You're not making any sense. You can't go outside without...

Zack, I think we've got a breakdown on Door 41, it's saying somebody's gone out onto the planet's surface.

STATIC HISS Zack?

Zack?

-Computer, trace fault.

-'There is no fault.'

Tell me, who went through that door?

'He is awake.'

-What?

-'He is awake.'

-What's that supposed to mean?

-'He bathes in the black sun.'

Toby?

There's no air, there's no...

No! Stop it! You can't be.

Open door 40! Open door 40! Open door 40!

OPEN DOOR 40!

Open door 40! Open...

'Emergency, hull breach.'

'Emergency, hull breach. Emergency, hull breach.'

-Which section?

-Everyone, evacuate 11 to 13. We've got a breach.

The Base is open, repeat, the Base is open!

'Open door 19.'

'Close Door 19.'

-I can't contain the oxygen field, we're gonna lose it!

-COME ON!

KEEP MOVING!

And you, sunshine, get in!

-'Breach sealed. Breach sealed.'

-What happened? What was it?

Hull breach. We were open to the elements.

-Another minute, we'd be inspecting that black hole close up.

-That wasn't a quake. What caused it?

We've lost sections 11 to 13. Everyone all right?

We've got everyone except Scooti.

Scooti, report.

Scooti Manista, this is an order. Report!

She's all right, I've picked up her biochip, she's in habitation three.

Better go and check. If she's not responding, she might be unconscious.

But how about that, eh? We survived!

Habitation three, come on. I don't often say this, but I think we could all do with a drink.

Come on.

-What happened?

-I-I don't know. I was working, and then - I can't remember.

A-All that noise. The room was falling apart. There was no air...

Come on. Up you get, come and have some protein-1.

-Ooh! You've gone native.

-Oi, don't knock it, it's nice. Protein-1 with just a dash of '3.

-Check habitation four...

-There's no sign, but the biochip says she's in this area.

-Scooti, please respond. If you can hear this, please respond. Habitation six?

-Nowhere here...

Zack, we've got a problem, Scooti's still missing.

-ZACK:

-But it says habitation three.

Yeah, well that's where I am, and I'm telling you, she's not here.

I've found her.

Oh, my God.

Sorry. I'm so sorry.

Captain.

Report Officer Scootori Manista, PKD...

deceased.

43-K, 2.1.

She was 20.

20 years old.

"For how should man die better Than facing fearful odds

"For the ashes of his father And the temples...

"of his gods."

BACKGROUND WHIRR DIES AWAY

It's stopped.

FAINT, CLASHING ECHO What was that?

-What was it?

-The drill.

We've stopped drilling. We've made it. Point Zero.

-ZACK:

-All non-essential Oods to be confined.

Capsule established, all systems functioning!

The mineshaft is go!

Bring systems online now!

-Reporting as volunteer for the expeditionary force, sir!

-Doctor, this breaks every single protocol.

-We don't even know who you are.

-Yeah, but you trust me, don't you?

And you can't let Ida go down there on her own. Go on.

Look me in the eye. Yes, you do. I can see it. Trust.

-I should be going down.

-The captain doesn't lead the mission. He stays here, in charge.

Not much good at it, am I?

Positions! We're going down in two!

Everyone, positions!

Mr Jefferson, I want maximum systems...

Oxygen. Nitrobalance. Gravity. It's ages since I wore one of these.

-I want that spacesuit back in one piece, you got that?

-Yes, sir.

S'funny, cos, people back home think that space travel's gonna be all...

whizzing about and...

teleports, anti-gravity.

But it's not, is it? It's tough.

I'll see you later.

Not if I see you first.

You will remain here.

No command can override this.

Have you got that?

My instructions only.

Capsule active.

Counting down, in ten...nine...

eight, seven, six,

five, four, three

two, one. Release.

You've gone beyond the oxygen field. You're on your own.

Don't forget to breathe.

Breathing's good.

-Rose, stay off the comm.

-No chance.

KLAXON

Doctor?

Doctor, are you all right?

Ida. Report to me. ..Doctor?

It's all right. We've made it. We're getting out of the capsule now.

'What's it like down there?'

Hard to tell.

Some sort of...cave, cavern. It's massive.

This should help.

Gravity globe.

That's... That's...

Oh, my God. That's beautiful.

Rose...

You can tell Toby...

we've found his civilisation.

Oi, Toby, sounds like you've got plenty of work.

Good, good.... Good.

Concentrate now, people, keep on the mission. Ida, what about the power source?

We're close. Energy signature indicates north-north-west.

Are you getting pictures up there?

Too much interference.

We're in your hands.

Well, we've come this far. There's no turning back.

Oh, did you have to? "No turning back"?!

That's almost as bad as "nothing can possibly go wrong", or,

-"It's gonna be the best Christmas Walford's ever had".

-Have you finished(?)

Yeah. I've finished.

Captain, sir, there's something happening with the Ood.

What are they doing?

They're staring at me. I've told them to stop, but they won't.

Danny, you're a big boy, I think you can take being stared at.

But the telepathic field, sir, it's at basic-100. I've checked,

but there isn't any fault.

It's definitely 100.

-But that's impossible.

-What's basic-100 mean?

- They should be dead. - Basic 100 is brain-death.

But they're safe? They're not actually moving?

-No, sir.

-Keep watching them.

-And you, Jefferson, keep a guard on the Ood.

-Officer at arms.

You can't fire a gun in here. What if you hit a wall?

Firing-stock 15 - only impacts upon organics. Keep watch! Guard them! Yes, sir.

-Is everything all right up there?

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's fine(!)

Great!

We've found something.

It looks like metal, like some sort of seal

I've got a nasty feeling the word might be "trapdoor".

Not a good word, "trapdoor". Never met a trapdoor I liked.

-The edge is covered with those symbols.

-D'you think it opens?

-That's what trapdoors tend to do.

Trapdoor doesn't do it justice. It's massive, Zack.

About 30 feet in diameter.

-Any way of opening it?

-Don't know. I can't see any sort of mechanism.

I suppose that's the writing. It'll tell us what to do.

The letters that defy translation.

Toby, did you get anywhere decoding it?

Toby, they need to know - that lettering, does it make any sense?

I know what it says. Then tell them!

When did you work that out? Just tell them!

DEEP VOICE: These are the words of the Beast.

And he has woken. He is the heart that beats in the darkness, he is the blood that will never cease.

And now he will rise.

Officer, you will stand down. Stand down!

What is it? What's he done? What's happening?

Rose? What going on?

Jefferson, report...! Report!

Officer, you've compromised security. You will stand down and be confined - immediately!

Mr Jefferson, tell me, sir...

did your wife ever forgive you?

I don't know what you mean.

Let me tell you a secret. She never did.

Officer! You will stand down and be confined!

Or what?

Under Condition Red, I'm authorised to shoot you.

But how many can you kill?

-IN UNISON:

-We are the Legion of the Beast.

Rose? What is it, Rose?

-I'm going back up.

-ZACK:

-Report! Report!

Jefferson, report!

SOMEONE REPORT!

The Legion shall be many, and the Legion shall be few.

It's the Ood.

Sir, we have contamination of the livestock.

Doctor, I don't know what it is. It's like they're possessed.

They won't listen to us.

He has woven himself through the fabric of your life

since the dawn of time.

Some may call him Abbadon, some may call him Krop Tor.

Some may call him Satan or...

Captain, it's the Ood. They're out of control!

..King Of Despair,

the Deathless Prince, the Bringer of Night.

These are the words that shall set him free.

-Back up to the door!

-I am become manifest.

-I shall walk in the light.

-To the door!

-And my legions will swarm...

-Get out!

-..across the worlds.

Doctor!

It's opening!

We're moving!

The whole thing's moving, the planet's moving!

I am the sin and the temptation

and the desire.

-I am the pain and the loss and the death of hope.

-Get that door open!

The gravity field, it's going!

We're losing orbit!

We're gonna fall into the black hole!

DEEP VOICE: I have been imprisoned for eternity,

But no more.

'Door seal.'

-Move!

-'Door seal.'

The Pit is open.

And I am free.

EVIL LAUGH

It's the Ood - they've gone mad.

Doctor, can you hear me? Doctor, Ida, are you there?

-Danny, turn right.

-That thing is playing on very basic fears.

-The cable's snapped.

-Get out!

You will die. And I will live.