The Curse of the Black Spot Doctor Who

What's wrong?

Man wounded.

Wake him.

He slipped in the bilge water, Cap'n

and fell on to the rigger. His hand...

I Don't know if he'll survive.

You're a dead man, McGrath.

Same as all the others.

EERIE WOMAN'S VOICE SINGS

She's here.

Oh, save our souls.

-I've got to escape!

-Don't go out there! McGrath!

Don't listen for God's sake. The siren is a-calling.

EERIE SINGING THROUGHOUT

Aaaah!

Same as all the others. No sign of a struggle. No bones or blood.

We're shark bait, every single one of us. Stuck on the ocean. waiting.

Until the wind changes.

LOUD BANGING

-What's that?

-The creature, it's returned.

Yo ho ho!

Or does nobody actually say that?

We made no signal.

Our sensors picked you up. Ship in distress.

-Sensors?

-Yes.

OK. Problem word. Seventeenth century.

My ship automatically, er..noticed-ish...

-that your ship was having some bother.

-That big blue crate!?

Tis more magic, Captain Avery. They're spirits.

How else would they have found their way below decks?

Well. I want to say multidimensional engineering,

but since you had a problem with sensors I won't go there. Look.

I'm the Doctor, this is Amy, Rory.

We're sailors, same as you. Arghhhhh!

-Except for the gun thing. And the beardiness.

-You're stowaways!

Only explanation. Eight days, we've been stranded here. Becalmed.

-You must have stowed away before we sailed.

-What do we do with 'em?

Oh, I think they deserve our hospitality.

THEY CACKLE

I suppose that laughing like that is in the job description

"Can you do the laugh?" Check. Grab yourself a parrot. Welcome aboard.

Stocks are low. Only one barrel of water remains.

We don't need three more empty bellies to fill. Take the doxy below.

to the galley. Set her to work. She won't need much feeding.

-Rory, a little help?

-Hey, listen right. She's not a doxy.

I didn't mean just tell him off. Thanks anyway.

If you're lucky you'll drown before the sharks can take a bite.

If this is just because I'm a Captain too,

you shouldn't feel threatened.

Your ship is much bigger than mine.

-And I don't have the cool boots. Or a hat, even.

-Time to go.

A Bit more laughter, guys?

THEY CACKLE

Where are the rest of the crew? This is a Big ship. Big for five of you.

I s'pose the rest of them are hiding some place

and They're going to jump out and shout boo.

Boo!

Throw the gun down.

-The rest of you. On your knees.

-Amy? What are you doing?

Saving your life. OK with that, are you?

-Put down the sword. A sword could kill us all, girl.

-Yep, thanks.

That is actually why I'm pointing it at you.

Argh!

THEY ALL SHOUT

-You have killed me.

-No way.

It's just a cut.

-What kind of rubbish pirates are you?

-One drop.

That's all it takes.

-One drop of blood and she will rise out of the ocean.

-Come on.

I barely even scratched him. What are you all in such a huff about?

Ow! Ahhh!

-Doctor? What's happening to me?

-She can smell the blood on your skin.

-She's marked you for death.

-She?

-A demon, out there, in the ocean.

-OK.

Groovy. So not just pirates today.

We've managed to bagsy a ship where there's a demon popping in.

Very efficient. I mean if something's going to kill you.

it's nice that it drops you a note to remind you.

SIREN SINGS

Quickly now. Block out the sound.

-What?

-The creature.

She charms all her victims with that song.

Oh, great, so put my fingers in my ears. That's your plan?

Doctor, come on let's go lets get back to the...back to the...

HE GIGGLES

The music. It's working on him. Look.

You are so beautiful.

What?

I love your get up.

That's great. you should dress as a pirate more often.

-Cuddle me, shipmate.

-Rory, stop.

Everything is totally brilliant isn't it?

Look at these brilliant pirates.

Look at their brilliant beards.

I'd like a beard.

I'm going to grow a beard.

-You're not.

-The music turns them into fools.

Oh, my God.

SIREN SINGS THROUGHOUT

-I have to touch her. Let me touch her.

-Sorry, but he is spoken for.

Amy!

Everybody into the hold.

SHE SINGS

-What is that thing?

-The legend. The siren.

Many a merchant ship, laden with treasure has fallen prey to her.

She's been hunting us ever since we were becalmed.

-Picking off the injured.

-Like a shark. A shark can smell blood.

-OK.

Just like a shark. In a dress. And singing. And green.

A green singing shark in an evening gown.

-The ship is cursed.

-Yeah right.

'Cursed' is Big with humans.

Means bad things are happening

but you can't be bothered to find an explanation.

She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Actually I think you'll find she isn't. We have to leave. Right now.

That thing of yours really is a ship? Well, it's not propelled by the wind.

-Show me. Weigh anchor. Make it sail!

-And the gun's back.

You're big on the gun thing aren't you?

Freud would say you're compensating. Have you ever met Freud? No?

-Comfy sofa.

-Leave the cursed one, Captain. the creature can have him.

-Yes, please.

-We don't want the siren coming after us.

Argh! Argh!

It's a leech!

Everyone out of the water!

Ah! Ah!

It's bitten me, I'm bleeding.

She wants blood. Why does she want blood?

-What were you saying about leaving the cursed ones behind?

-It's OK. We're safe down here.

No 'curse' is getting through three solid inches of timber.

SHE SINGS

Ah. Hello again.

-No! No!

-No!

Ahhh!

-Safe?

-I have my good days and my bad days.

-How did she get in?

-The bilge water - she's using water like a portal,

a door. She can materialise through a single drop.

We need to go somewhere with no water.

Well, thank God we're not in the middle of the ocean.

-Did you see her eyes? Like crystal pools.

-You are in enough trouble.

-The magazine!

-What?

-He means the armoury where the powder's stored.

-It's dry as a bone.

-Good let's go, there.

-I give the orders.

-Ah.

Worried because I'm wearing a hat now?!

Nobody touch anything sharp!

Come on Rory.

-Quickly, man.

-The key. 'Tis gone, Cap'n.

How can it have gone?

Someone else had the same idea.

Barricade the door. Careful of that lantern!

-Every barrel is full of powder.

-Who's been sleeping in my gun room?

COUGHING

You fool. You fool, boy.

-What are you doing here?

-Who is he?

-What, he's not one of the crew?

-No.

He's my son.

What in God's name possessed you, boy?

Your mother will be searching for you.

When?

Last winter.

Fever.

She told me all about you. How you were a Captain in the Navy.

An honourable man, she said.

How I would be proud to know you.

HE COUGHS

-I've come to join your crew.

-I don't want you here.

You can't send me back. It's too late.

-We're a hundred miles from home.

-It's dangerous here.

There's a monster aboard.

She leaves a mark on men's skin.

The black spot?

-There's nothing wrong with the boy. He has no scars.

-Yep.

-Ignore my last theory.

-He has his good days and his bad days.

It's not just blood. she's coming for all the sick and wounded.

-Like a hunter chooses the weakest animal.

-OK look He's got a fever.

-The siren knows it.

-Humans. second-rate. Damage too easily.

It's only a matter of time before everyone gets bruised.

My ship. it can sail us all away from here.

You and me, we fetch it. Let's go.

You're not the Captain here, remember.

SHE SINGS

The water's dangerous.

That's how she gets through.

One touch of her hand and you're a dead man!

-We're all cursed if we stay aboard!

-It's not a curse.

Curse means game over. Curse means we're helpless.

We are not helpless.

Captain, what's our next move?

-Wait with the boy.

-Captain we're all in danger here.

I said wait, and barricade the door after we've gone.

-Sure you want to go?

-We have to get Rory and Toby away.

She's out there now, licking her lips, boiling a saucepan,

grating cheese.

OK, well remember. if you get an itch, don't scratch too hard.

We've all got to go some time.

There are worse ways than having your face snogged off

by a dodgy mermaid.

-D'you want to draw lots for who's in charge, then?

-Darkness. Demon.

You can have first go.

-Nearly.

-Phew!

-By all the...

-Let me stop you there.

Bigger on the inside. Don't mind, do you, if we just skip to the end of that moment?

Oh, and sorry I lied by the way. When I said yours was bigger.

Kitchen that way. Choice of bathrooms - there, there, there.

HE COUGHS

-What's wrong?

-The most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

Oh, tell me I didn't really say that.

What's going on?

We're not staying here to mollycoddle the boy.

The Captain's gone soft, it's time for us to leave.

What's this do?

That does very very complicated. That does sophisticated,

that does whoa, amazing,

-And that does whizz bang far too technical to explain!

-Wheel?

-Atom accelerator.

-It steers the thing.

-No...Sort of...Yes.

-Wheel.

-Telescope. Astrolabe. Compass. A ship's a ship.

-Oh...

He told you to wait, you dog. He's your Captain. a Naval Officer.

-You're honour-bound to do as he tells you.

-Honour-bound'.

Do you know what kind of ship this is?

-Do you know what your father does?

-Don't listen to him, Toby.

We sail under the black flag. The Jolly Roger.

Liar!

-He's no wicked pirate!

-Oh, you think so?

I've seen your father gun down a thousand innocent men.

This is how the professionals do it.

GRINDS TO A HALT

It's stuck.

Not responding.

Becalmed?

Mm-hm. Apparently. That's new.

You had to gloat, didn't you?

-I'm not gloating.

-I saw that look just now. Ha-ha his ship is rubbish.

True.

Get what treasure you can I'll meet you in the row boat.

You're going to remain at your post.

I am not playing games with you boy, you put that down.

One more step and I'll use this, you blaggard.

-You don't know how to fight with a cutlass, boy.

-Don't need to, do I?

Ah!

No...

-It can't get a lock on the plane.

-The what?

-The space we travel in.

The... ocean. Sort of ocean but not water. The TARDIS can't see.

It's sulking because it thinks the space doesn't exist.

-Without a plane to lock onto we're not going anywhere.

-I'm confused.

It's a big club. We should get T-shirts.

EXPLOSIONS AND RUMBLING

What's happening?

-You little swabber!

-Congratulations. Made it to the menu.

-Probably shouldn't go out there now.

-You scurvy ape.

-Don't shoot!

The powder will blow and kill us all.

Mulligan. What are you doing?

No honour among pirates.

OK. She's had her little sulk.

-Now she's heading for the full-on screaming tantrum.

-Can you fix it?

The parametric engines are jammed. Orthogonal vector's gone.

-I'm almost out of ideas.

-Almost?

Well, we could try stroking her and singing her a song.

-Will that help?

-Hard to say, never has before.

Argh! I've lost control of her,

she's about to dematerialise we could end up anywhere!

-That sounds bad.

-Yes, it is!

Out! Now!

Abandon ship! ABANDON SHIP!

OK, OK, OK. TARDIS runs off on its own. That's a bit of a new one.

Bang goes our only hope of getting them out of here.

Not much of a Captain without a ship, are you?

Mulligan?

What are you doing? This is mutiny.

She doesn't want me.

She only wants Toby and the scrawny looking fellow.

He's got the last of the supplies. We should go after him.

Never mind the damned supplies. What about my treasure?

Don't get injured.

Don't get injured.

Come out of there you mutinous dog!

Ow!

SIREN SINGS

-SINGING LOUDER

-She's inside.

She's come for Mulligan.

MULLIGAN SCREAMS

No water in here. How did she take him?

You said she uses water like a door. That's how she enters a room.

I was wrong.

-Please ignore all my theories up to this point.

-What. again!?

We're all in danger.

The water's not how she's getting in.

When we were down in the hold. think what happened.

-You, me, Amy, Rory, leeches.

-She sprang from the water.

-Yes, only when it grew still! Still water. Nature's mirror.

-So...

-You mean?

-Yes. Not water...

Reflection.

The siren legend. The curse.

-You said curses weren't real.

-Folklore springs from truth.

She attacks ships filled with treasure.

-Where else do you get a perfect reflection?

-Polished metal.

-Hmm.

-We must warn them.

-Amy! Open the door!

Toby open the door!

Toby!

-Open the door.

-Toby!

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

We've got to destroy every reflection.

Gold, Silver, Glass.

She could spring from any of them.

Oh, yes, yes, I know I know. Very bad luck to break it.

But look at it this way.

there's a stroppy homicidal mermaid trying to kill all.

-How much worse can things get?

-Yep. Help me lug this lot out.

-Where are we taking it?

-The ocean.

-No. No!

-This is the treasure of the Mogul of India.

-Oh, good.

For a moment there I thought it was yours.

Doctor, wait.

-Must we do this?

-Any reflection. Any mirror.

and the siren will attack.

We have to protect Rory and Toby.

Go and Get the crown from the storeroom.

SIREN SINGS

Just wait?

-Not my most dynamic plan, I realise.

-TARDIS?

-It's been towed.

-What?

Sorry. We might be stuck here for a while.

So you're saying that we should all just wait here below?

The sea is still calm. Like a mirror.

-If you go out on deck she'll rise up and attack you.

-It's OK.

The calm won't last forever.

When the wind picks up we'll all set sail.

Until it does, you have to hide down here.

I'm sorry About your Mother.

-You miss her a lot.

-Three years.

No word from you.

-Toby...

-You promised her.

You promised you'd come home.

And she believed you would.

right up until the day she died.

What made you do it?

What made you... turn pirate?

Get some sleep now.

'It's fine. You're doing fine. Just stay calm.'

It's not one star it's two.

The dog star.

Sirius. Binary system.

I use it to navigate the ocean.

I've travelled far, like you.

Space can be very lonely.

The greatest adventure is having someone share it with you.

If we get out of this I'll take him back to England.

He can't stay with me. I'm not the father he needs.

Who are you, Henry Avery?

Respected naval officer, wife and child at home.

How did you end up here?

Wandering the oceans with a band of rogues.

I've set my course now. Nothing I can do to alter it.

People stared at it for centuries and never knew.

Things can suddenly change,

when you're least expecting.

-Doctor?

-Sssh.

What can you see?

Feels like something's out there, staring straight at me.

THUNDER CRASHES

Man the sails!

To the rigging, you dogs! Let go the sails. Avast ye!

Put the bunt into the slack of the clews.

I swear he's making half this stuff up.

What we really need is some sort of phrase book.

Toby! Find my coat.

My compass is inside it, boy.

Heave ho you bilge rats.

Rats' was all I could hear.

SIREN SINGS

Don't let her take you!

SHE SINGS

No!

No!

Ah!

I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

You couldn't give up the gold could you?

That's why you turned pirate!

Your commission, your wife, your son.

Just how much is that treasure worth to you man?

-Argh!

-Rory! Rory!

I can't see him. Doctor, I'm going in!

He's drowning. You go in after him you'll drown too.

-There's only one thing that can save him now.

-What are you talking about?

-The siren. The siren, she wants him. We have to release her.

-Doctor, no.

He's drowning. Go find him!

What did you do?

-If he stays in there he'll die.

-She'll destroy him.

That thing isn't just some ravenous hunter! It's intelligent.

We can reason with it. And maybe. just maybe.

-they're still alive somewhere. We have to follow.

-Are you mad?

If we ever want to see them again. we have to let the siren take us.

We'll prick our fingers.

All agreed?

-Yeah?

-Aye.

-Aye.

-Aye!

SHE SINGS

Where are we?

We haven't moved.

We're in exactly the same place as before.

-We're on a ghost ship.

-No. It's real.

Space ship trapped in a temporal rift.

-How can two ships be in the same place?

-Not the same.

Two planes, two worlds,

two cars parked in the same space.

There are lots of different universes nested inside each other.

Now and again they collide. And you can step from one to the other.

OK, I think I understand.

-Good. Cos it's not like that at all. But if that helps.

-Thanks.

All the reflections have suddenly become gateways.

Ever look in a mirror and think you're seeing a whole other world?

Well, this time it's not an illusion.

LOW BEEPING

-The signal.

-Yes.

-The distress call.

Uh-huh.

There was a second ship here all the time.

SIREN SINGS

And the siren is on board.

Dead.

You were right, there was something staring at us the whole time.

How long has this ship been marooned here?

-Long enough for the Captain to have run out of grog.

-I don't understand.

-If this is the Captain then what's the siren?

-Same as us. A stowaway.

-She killed it?

-Human bacteria.

-What?

-A virus. From our planet. Airborn.

travelling through the portal.

That's what killed it. Didn't get its jabs.

-Urghhh! Look.

-What is it?

-Sneeze!

Alien bogies.

-McGrath! He's one of my men.

-He's still breathing.

My entire crew is here.

-Toby!

-Rory!

-The TARDIS!

-We have to get them out of here.

-Wait!

His fever's gone.

-He looks so well.

-She's keeping him alive.

His brain is still active but all its cellular activity is suspended.

It's not a curse. It's a tissue sample.

-Why get samples of people you are about to kill?

-Help me get him up.

ALARM SOUNDS AND SIREN SINGS

She's coming.

MACHINE BEEPS FASTER

SHE SINGS

-Anaesthetic.

-What?

The music. The song.

So she anaesthetises people and then puts their bodies in stasis.

Avery. No!

THE DOCTOR SNEEZES

Whoa. Fire! That's new.

What does fire do? Burn? Yes. Destroy? What else?

Sterilise! I sneezed. I've brought germs in. Amy stop.

Don't interfere. Don't touch him.

Anaesthetic, tissue sample, screen, sterile working conditions.

Ignore all my previous theories!

Yeah, well we stopped paying attention a while back.

She's not a killer at all. She's a doctor!

This is an automated sick bay. It's teleporting everyone on board.

The crew are dead and so the sick bay has had nothing to do.

It's been looking after humanity whilst it's been idle. Look at her.

A virtual doctor! Able to sterilise a whole room.

-Able to burn your face off.

-She's just an interface.

Seeped through the join between the planes. Broadcast in our world.

Protean circuitry means she can change her form

And become a human doctor for humans. Oh, sister you are good!

She won't let us take them.

She's keeping them alive but she doesn't know how to heal them.

-I'm his wife for God's sake! Why can't I touch him?

-Tell her Amy.

Show her your ring. She may be virtual but she's intelligent.

You can't do anything without her consent. Come on!

Sophisticated girl like you,

-that must be somewhere in your core program.

Look He's very ill! OK, I just want to look after him.

Why won't you let me near my husband!?

Consent form. Sign it.

Put your hand in the light. Rory's sick.

You have to take full responsibility.

Argh!

He can't breathe, turn it back on.

-What do we do? I can't just leave him here.

-He'll die if you take him out.

Rory? Wake up.

-Where am I?

-You're in a hospital.

If you leave you might die.

But if you don't you'll have to stay forever.

-You're saying that if I don't get up now.

-You can never leave.

-The siren will keep you safe.

-And if I come with you?

-Drowning.

on the point of death.

-I'm a nurse.

-What?

-I can teach you how to save me.

-Hold on.

-I was drowning.

-You just have to resuscitate me.

-Just?

you've seen them do it loads of times in films.

CPR. The kiss of life.

-Rory, this isn't a film ok. What if I do it wrong?

-You won't.

-OK, what if you don't come back to life? What if...?

-I trust you.

What about him? I mean why do I have to be the one?

Why do I have to save you?

Because I know you'll never give up.

We have to send this ship back into space.

Imagine if the siren got ashore.

-She would have to process every injured human.

-What about Toby?

I'm sorry. Typhoid fever. Once he returns it's only a matter of time.

What if I stay with him? Here. The siren will look after him.

I can't go back to England.

And what home does he have now, if not with me?

Do you think you can sail this thing?

Just point me to the atom accelerator.

I know you can do this.

Of course if you muck it up I am going to be really cross. And dead.

I'll see you in a minute.

Come on, come on Rory. Not here. Not this way. Not today.

-He trusted me he trusted me to save him.

-You still can.

You can still do this. He believes in you. Come on, Amy.

Come on!

Please, please, please wake up, wake up, wake up.

SHE SOBS

HE COUGHS AND SPLUTTERS

Amy.

Amy, you did it, you did it!

I thought I was an excellent pirate.

-I thought you were an excellent nurse.

-Easy tiger.

Goodnight, Doctor.

Goodnight, Amelia.

You only call me Amelia when you're worrying about me.

I always worry about you.

Mutual.

Go to bed, Pond.

You can't tell him.

It's his future.

I know.

Oh, Amelia.

I've got mail.

There's a living Time Lord still out there.

The house? What's the house?

-We walk on his back, breathe his air, eat his food...

-and do my will.

-The little boxes will make you angry.

-Argh!

I feel like a nine-year-old

trying to rebuild a motorbike in his bedroom.

-You are not my mother.

-Why shouldn't I just.. kill you now?

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