doctor who: the macra terror

8/14/2019 Doctor Who: The Macra Terror

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Episode One

There is the sound of a pounding heartbeat.A man stares ahead as the heartbeatfills the airhis eyes open widein terror.

Majorettes perform to the accompaniment of an abrasive synthesised tune whiletwo men look down on the happyscene. 'Splendid!' exclaims the first man. 'You've got a very good band thereBarney.' 'Thank you, Pilot,'replies his companion. Barney and the Pilot's conversation is interrupted when aman pushes through the crowd,pursued by guards. 'Medok!' cries Barney. 'It's for your own good,' says the Pilotin a condescending voice.Ola, the portly captain of the guards, explains that Medok resisted 'treatment'before trying to escape. 'Getafter him,' says the Pilot. 'He must not get away.'Medok clambers across the roughterrain outside and climbs arocky outcrop. As a pounding heartbeat fills the air, Ola's guards follow from adistance.

The heartbeat grows faster as Medok ducks down, waiting for the guards to bypasshim. He is surprised by awheezing, groaning sound behind him. A large blue box appears out of thin air. TheDoctor, Jamie, Ben and Pollyemerge. Jamie has seen a giant claw on the TARDIS's Time Scanner screen andprepares to defend himself with apiece of wood. 'Look out Jamie!' screams Polly as Medok jumps on Jamie. There is ascuffle, and Ben and Jamiesucceed in pinning down their assailant. Ola and a squad of guards soon arrive.'We are grateful,' Ola tells thestrangers. 'Medok is one of the last patients in the Colony. We've done our bestfor him but he gets worse day byday.' As the Doctor bends down to examine the soil, Ola invites the strangers backto the Colony so the Pilot canthank them in person. 'According to my calculation we are certainly in thefuture,' says the Doctor, 'and on aplanet very like the Earth.' Ola introduces himself as the chief of police, andproudly explains that he takes hisorders from the Control Centre. As they set off, the Doctor takes pity on Medokand tells the guards not to tiehim up too tightly. As the Doctor and his friends enter the Colony, female voicessing a jingle announcing the endof shift number one and the beginning of shift number two. The Pilot steps forwardand thanks the newcomers fortackling someone as 'disturbed' as Medok. He suggests they take advantage of theColony's Refreshing Department.

As the annoying music rings in their ears Jamie whispers to Polly, 'Keep your eyesskinned.' 'Why, what's thematter?' says Polly. 'They're a weird sort of folk,' replies Jamie. 'I don't knowthat I understand them.'

In the luxurious surroundings of the Refreshing Department a man lazily reclineson a couch and calls forattention. As Barney and female members of staff attend to his needs the Pilotenters and is informed by acolonist that Control wishes to welcome the guests. 'Switch on, my dear,' thePilot asks the colonist and a screen


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illuminates. 'He looks smashing,' says an impressed Polly, looking at the picture.'That's our Controller,' saysthe Pilot. There is a five-note sequence and a disembodied voice thanks thevisitors before urging the colonistsback to work. The Pilot leaves the visitors in the care of Barney, for whomnothing is too much trouble: 'Steambaths, beauty treatments, perhaps a massage Your sir,' he tells an indignant Doctor, 'of course would like yourclothes cleaned.' The Doctor declines his offer, but Polly asks for a shampoo. Benand Jamie are dragged off intocubicles for some grooming of their own as the Doctor laughs. A short while laterBarney compliments Polly on hernew look, and says she is sure to be voted the Colony's next Beauty President.'Thank you very much,' smiles Pollybashfully. Ben, meanwhile, receives a massage while basking in artificialsunlight. Jamie is rather lesscomfortable, and asks Barney to call the ladies off. 'Let me out of here!' asksthe Doctor. 'I'm done to a turn.'He steps from the machine looking immaculate. As Ben and Polly laugh at him heeagerly enters the 'rough andtumble' machine. He emerges looking like his old self. 'That's more like it!'

Elsewhere, Ola warns the watching colonists that Medok is violent and sufferingfrom delusions. 'I'm not the onesuffering from delusions,' says the prisoner. 'It's you! All of you! You don'tknow what's happening in thiscolony!' Questa, one of Medok's old friends, is dismayed and asks him, 'What's allthis about you seeing things?''I don't see things Questa, you fool,' snaps Medok. 'There are things! Creaturesinfesting this camp at night!''There will be fun for all!' promises a benevolent voice, announcing a receptionfor the strangers. Questa asksMedok to join them. 'Have fun while you can,' sneers Medok, 'before they crawl allover you!' In the RefreshingDepartment the Doctor tries to talk to Medok before Ola interrupts and locks Medokinto a cell. When he is leftalone, the Doctor picks the lock and slips into the cell. 'I'm going to set youfree,' promises the Doctor. Heasks Medok about the 'things' he has seen, but Medok is suspicious and escapes. Analarm rings out and Ola and thePilot arrive. Ola accuses the Doctor of allowing Medok to escape, but the Doctoris unrepentant. Polly proteststhat the Doctor is unaware of the laws of the Colony, and the Doctor adds that hereleased someone who he helpedcatch in the first place. The Pilot remains calm, and tells Ola to despatch apatrol. 'He can run, you know,' saysthe Doctor knowingly. 'He's got legs; he doesn't have to crawl over the ground.'

Ola is curiously agitated by thecomment, and asks the Doctor, 'Why do you say that?' The Doctor remains tight-lipped. 'Take the strangers to theLabour Centre,' the Pilot orders Ola. 'See they learn something about us.' Medokhides within one of the part-finished structures in a nearby building site. He hears the sound of the Doctor'sparty approaching, and retreatsinto the shadows. The Doctor spots him but says nothing.

In the Labour Centre, the reassuring voice of the Controller informs thecolonists that their 'unfortunate


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companion' Medok has been allowed to escape but that he is sure to be caughtbefore nightfall. The lyrics of atune announce a change in shifts, and another jingle claims the colonists are'Happy to work, happy to play...''It is a privilege to work for the Colony,' states official Alvis, who tells Jamiethat their duties involvetapping and refining gas. His faltering explanation comes to halt when an alarmsounds. There has been an accidentin the mine. Two men stagger in and Alvis orders an oxygen supply to be brought.'It can't be helped,' Alvis tellsa concerned Polly. During the confusion the Doctor slips away and heads for thebuilding site. He wins Medok'strust and asks him about the creatures he has seen. 'They move at night, in thedark,' he says. 'Horriblecreatures, like giant insects' The Doctor asks if anyone else has seen thecreatures, and Medok explains thatanyone who reports such a sighting is locked up in the correction hospital. Analarm sounds and Medok panics. Heurges the Doctor to make his way back. 'Is someone looking for me?' asks theDoctor nonchalantly as he wandersback into the Refreshing Department. He reassures his companions that he has justbeen looking around. 'It'sdangerous to go off on your own after dark,' warns Ola. 'Anyone who wanders roundthe Colony at night may bekilled.' As Control announces the curfew, Barney shows the Doctor and his friendstheir quarters in theRefreshing Department. Inside his cubicle, the Doctor listens as Barney'sfootsteps recede into the distance.Confident that he is alone, the Doctor carefully opens the door and heads backthrough the Refreshing Department.The Controller appears on a screen and a voice urges the colonists not to gooutside as a dangerous man is inhiding. 'Our patrols have orders to shoot on sight,' it continues. 'Happy sleeptime, everybody.' 'And the same toyou,' mutters the Doctor, no longer convinced by the superficially cheeryatmosphere in the Colony. He hides as anarmed patrol marches past. The Doctor heads for the construction site and searchesfor Medok. Eerie pulsatingnoises echo down the corridors. Mqedok listens as Ola instructs his patrols in thedarkness. 'If you see him,' heshouts, 'shoot to kill!' The Doctor finds Medok, but Ola hears the sound of theirvoices. 'Have a look in thosenew houses,' he points to the construction site. 'I heard something.' The Doctorfinds an opening and tells Medokto crawl through when he gives the word. Medok is about to go when he shrinks backin horror. 'No,' he says, 'lookout there.' The Doctor peers into the darkness. 'I don't see anything.' 'It that

patch of moonlight,' says Medok.'I told you I'd seen them.' A huge creature crawls towards them... As Ola and hisguards close in, the Doctor andAs the creature lumbers closer, a huge claw snaps at them through the mist...Medok are transfixed by the glowingeyes that illuminate the darkness. As the creature lumbers closer, a huge clawsnaps at them through the mist.

Episode Two

As the giant creature lumbers away, the Doctor urges Medok to keep quiet in case


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he alerts the guards. 'Itdoesn't matter,' says Medok. 'They can't lock me up again. Now I can prove it we know they're real.' Ola hearsthe sound of Medok's voice and calls out through the darkness. He orders Medok tocome out quickly. Medok tellshim to put his gun away. Medok and the Doctor give themselves up. Medok tries totell Ola what they have seen.'It's the Macra, Ola! Ask the Doctor he'll tell you.' The Doctor confirms the story. 'We don't want to know whatthe stranger thinks,' sneers the captain. The guards search the Doctor before thetwo men are marched to thePilot's headquarters. The Pilot is dictating a memo to his secretary. 'Remember,the life of the Colony isdependent on this gas. All industry and activity ' He is interrupted by an emergency message on his intercom. Olarequests an immediate audience, and the Pilot consents when he learns of what hashappened. 'Bring the stranger in.'The Pilot tells Ola to leave he will conduct the investigation himself. 'I imagine you can keep track of theentire Colony from here,' says the Doctor, inspecting the Pilot's surveillanceequipment. 'You don't seem torealise how serious this business is Doctor,' says the Pilot. 'You have committeda crime.' The Doctor denies thatMedok is either dangerous or suffering from hallucinations. Ola's voice on theintercom announces that Medok hasmade a statement that completely changes the situation. 'The Doctor wasn't helpingme,' says Medok. 'He was tryingto make me give myself up.' The Pilot offers the Doctor an apology and tells himhe is free to go. Medok,meanwhile, will return to the hospital for another course of treatment. 'He willco-operate and he will obeyorders,' says the Pilot. 'He'll be just like the rest of us.' The Doctor asks thePilot why he wants everyone tobe the same. The Pilot explains that the Colony was established many centuries agoby people from Earth. 'Ourancestors believed in the virtues of "healthy happiness" and we have tried to keeptheir ideals alive. Sometimes,alas, it is necessary to use force.' The Doctor leaves and the image of theController appears. 'The Doctor andhis friends are to begin the advantage of high-powered adaptation at once,' saysthe voice. 'They must begin tothink like members of the Colony. We cannot have criticisms from these strangers.'The Pilot initiates the process.'This is an emergency!' stresses the voice as it is broadcast to the Doctor andhis friends in their cubicles. 'Noone in the Colony believes in Macra. There is no such thing as Macra. Macra do notexist There are no Macra!'

'The sleeper must relax and believe,' intones a soothing voice as Jamie, Ben andPolly sleep. 'Everything in theColony is good and beautiful. You must accept it without question.' 'You must obeyorders. The leaders of theColony know what is best.' 'In the morning, when you wake up you will be givensome work. You will be glad to obey.You will question nothing in the Colony.' Jamie wakes up and tries to tell Benthat he has heard 'an evil voice'.Ben tells Jamie to go back to sleep. 'We've got a hard day's work ahead of us.''Why do you say that?' asks Jamie.


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'We've got to do something to help in the Colony,' Ben replies. 'We can't just eattheir nosh without helping out.''You sound just like that voice,' says a concerned Jamie. Ben reassures him thatthe Colony's all right and goesback to sleep. The Doctor opens the door of Polly's cubicle to check on hersafety. He hears the calming voiceintoning: 'You will not resist the sleeping gas. Breathe deeply. In the morning,when you wake, you will obey.'The Doctor finds a device embedded in the wall above head. Grabbing a protrudingwire he fuses the device and theensuing noise wakes Polly up. 'I think you've been listening to some very badadvice,' the Doctor tells her as thesweet smell of gas dissipates. 'I want you to forget everything you've beendreaming. It's just possible thatyou've been given a series of orders while you've been asleep.' The Doctor checksthe walls of Ben and Jamie'scubicle and finds a similar strand of wire.

Ben tells the Doctor that what he is doing is against the law of theColony. Polly rushes in as Ben angrily points at the Doctor. 'He thinks he knowbest all the time but this timehe's wrong.' The noise wakes Jamie up, and he tells the Doctor his sleep wasdisturbed by 'wee voices'. 'That's agood sign,' says the Doctor. 'That means they haven't been able to get very deeplyinto your brain.' Ben tellsthem they are all fools, and berates the Doctor for smashing the equipment.'Control knows what's best for us.They want us to co-operate. We should be helping The Doctor's causing trouble I'm going to turn him in.'Polly and Jamie try to stop Ben and there is a scuffle. 'Violence will get younowhere,' stresses the Doctor,trying to come between them. 'He's been given a series of instructions and hecan't help himself.' Benpurposefully marches out. He soon returns with Ola, and accuses the Doctor ofsabotage. 'This time we've got theevidence from one of your own friends,' smiles Ola. The Doctor is to be taken tothe hospital. 'He needscorrection more than Medok does!' shouts an indignant Ben. 'He's too far gone tohelp,' says the Pilot as hewatches Medok's indoctrination at the hospital. 'He'll never be happy like therest of us. All we can do is sendhim to the pits for life.' 'Can't hide the truth ' gasps Medok as he endures the treatment. The Pilot hears newsof the Doctor's arrest. 'Keep at it,' he urges the medics before leaving to joinOla. Polly is furious with Benfor turning on the Doctor and Jamie. She determines to find them, but Ben warnsher to stay where she is. 'Go on,report me!' she says before leaving the cubicle. Once outside, she sees Ben

following her. She heads for theconstruction site.

'Polly, where are you?' calls Ben as Polly hides in one of the unfinishedhouses. 'You'll be in trouble,' warns

Ben as eerie noises fill the night air. 'You must obey Control!' Pollyaccidentally dislodges some buildingmaterial and Ben is alerted to the noise. She freezes as she hears Benapproaching. Ben catches up with her andtries to drag her back. 'What's the matter with you Ben?' she asks him. 'Wake up!'Before Ben can drag Polly backto her cubicle a fearsome sight stops her in her tracks. She screams and points


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that,' replies the Doctor. Ola gives Officia the strangers' allocated pit number,and the Doctor asks Officia whatthey mine. Officia replies that the pit workers extract valuable gases from therock. Jamie is surprised to seethat Medok is their shift leader. Medok tells them he was thrown out of thehospital dismissed as 'a hopelesscase' to work in the danger gang. 'You don't survive long in this atmosphere,' he says. 'It's the gas. It creepsinto your lungs.' Officia allows the Doctor to supervise the shift from the pumproom on the surface, and Medokgives Ben and Polly masks before they go underground. 'Remarkable,' mutters theDoctor as he investigates themachinery. 'Most interesting...' Ben watches him silently from the other side ofthe room. The Doctor asks Ben tojoin him, and tries to elicit a response by reminding him that he betrayed hisfriends. 'The voices tell me whatto do,' intones Ben. 'The voices may not be right,' says the Doctor.

'They shouldn't make lassies do the work of men,' says Jamie as Polly chokes inthe cloying atmosphereunderground. 'I'd prefer Control poisoning my lungs than trying to poison mymind,' says Medok bitterly. Apiercing alarm signifies another gas strike there is so much gas escaping that it can't be channelled off. Jamie,Polly and Medok rush to insert a heavy cable into the rock face, while one oftheir fellow workers inhales so muchgas that he collapses. 'What's it all for?' asks an exhausted Polly. 'For apoisonous gas that we mine from thebowels of this planet,' says Medok. 'It kills us if we breathe it. No-one knowswhat it's used for.'

Alone in the pump room, the Doctor studies the various dials and chalks acomplex formula on the wall. With hiscalculations complete, he triumphantly chalks '10 of 10' next to the formula. ThePilot enters the room and gazesin astonishment at the Doctor's work. He tells the Doctor that the formula is asecret known only to him and twoother people in the Colony. The Pilot accuses the Doctor of having looked at theColony's secret files.'You're notasking me to believe that in a few moments you have been able to work out aformula which it has taken ourcombined computers years to perfect.' The Doctor infuriates him further byaltering his mark to '11 out of 10'.'Itwas simple really,' says the Doctor, explaining that he has been examining thedials. The agitated Pilot tells theDoctor to wipe the formula away before anyone else sees it. The Doctor throws abucket of water over the wall. 'Ifanyone follows that formula there'll be an almighty explosion,' laughs the Doctor.

'X to the power of Y hasdribbled into two threes are six.' The Pilot orders him to remove the formula onceand for all.

In one of the mine corridors, Medok forces another probe into the wall. 'You'renot looking for more gas?' asksan incredulous Polly. 'Oh yes,' replies Medok. 'We never stop.' Jamie and Pollybecome intrigued by a highlypolished door at the end of the corridor. Medok tells them he has no idea where itleads to, and says that as faras he's aware it has never been opened. Officia inspects Medok's work, and tells


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him that if there is a highpressure strike then he will need a stronger screw. Medok warns him not to touchthe mechanism, but Officiaignores his advice. The screw springs back, releasing a burst of gas thatovercomes Officia. He staggers back andcollapses on the floor. Ben appears, and watches closely as Medok tries to replacethe screw. Meanwhile, Jamiesteals the keys from the unconscious Officia. As Ben looks after Officia, Jamieand Polly wonder whether Ben sawJamie take the keys. Jamie resolves to use them as quickly as possible, and headsfor the highly polished door.Jamie struggles with lock, trying each key in turn as Polly nervously keeps watch.She responds to a call fromMedok just as Jamie finds the key that fits. The door opens to reveal a danktunnel. Jamie shuts the door behindhim. Edging his way through the darkness, Jamie starts to explore. An alarmsounds. 'It's an escape!,' exclaimsMedok. 'That bell means someone has escaped!' Polly tells him that Jamie hasescaped through the door, and Medokimmediately goes to join him. A nervous Polly is left on her own.

'Stand by, a prisoner has escaped,' a disbelieving Officia orders the pitguards. 'Shoot on sight.' 'Specialguards to cover all exits to the old shaft,' says Officia, realising his keys aremissing. 'With Pilot'spermission, they may have to go on forbidden ground.' Sweeping cobwebs aside,Jamie moves through the mineshaft.Medok calls after Jamie, but he is soon silenced by a huge claw that grips histhroat and drags him to the ground.'Who's there?' calls Jamie, retracing his steps in the darkness. Control ordersthat no-one is permitted in or nearthe old shaft. Officia knows he will be punished for a miner's disappearance, butconcludes, 'Control knows best.'The Doctor asks who has escaped, and Ben replies, 'It is Jamie I saw him take the keys.' The Doctor asks Ben whyhe didn't report it. 'I don't seem to be able to think straight,' falters Ben.'You're recovering,' smiles theDoctor. 'I always thought you were a tough customer well done!' Jamie finds Medok's dead body. He looks around,searching for Medok's killer. He backs away as the mist reveals a huge, crab-likeMacra. As the alarm continues tosound, Polly joins the Doctor in the pump room. The Doctor confirms that Jamie isin the old shaft, beforecontinuing to analyse the gas. 'They go to great efforts to get it,' says theDoctor. 'The question is, why?'Officia enters the room and the Doctor covers up his work. Ben decides he mustinform Control that it is Jamie thatescaped, but the Pilot is not in his office. Ben tells the Pilot's secretary that

he hears voices in his head. Shereassures him that the voices are their friends.'What about my friends?' he asks.Confronted by a motionless Macra,Jamie throws bits of stone and salt rock at the creature. Its eyes light up inresponse. In the pump room, thealarm stops. 'Does that mean he's been caught?' asks Polly. The Pilot arrives andBen reports to him. Pilotinforms Control that Jamie is in the old shaft, and Control repeats the order thatno-one is to go near the area.

At the gas centre, Officia is ordered to divert gas into the old shaft. 'Control


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are not pouring this gas intothe old shaft to kill Jamie,' realises the Doctor. 'They've quite another reason.''The Macra have come to thesurface of this planet and not found sufficient gas in the atmosphere,' says theDoctor, thinking out loud.'They've had to get somebody to pump it up for them from down below.' The Doctorconcludes that there is somethingtrapped in the shaft. Something the Macra want to keep alive... As the Macra movesforward, Jamie backs away. TheMacra's eyes follow Jamie as he slowly retreats.Officia reports that the pipelines are ready to start pumping gas. Polly urges the Doctor to think quickly tosave Jamie.Officia announces that the gas is to be channelled through systems seven andeight. As Officia starts pumping thegas at half-blast, the Doctor and Polly hurry to locate the relevant pipes. Gasstarts pouring into the shaft.Jamie clutches his throat, choking on the fumes. Revived by the gas, the Macraadvances through the mist. As Jamiegets progressively weaker, the Macra hungrily snaps its claws. The Doctor findsthe pipes, while on the other sideof the room Control instructs Officia to increase the pressure. Polly begins topanic. 'Turn on full pressure, now!'orders Control as the Macra greedily sucks on the clouds of gas that choke Jamie.The Macra gains on him and Jamietries to escape down the tunnel. There is nowhere to run Jamie's path is blocked by another of the sinister,lumbering creatures.

Episode Four

The old mine shaft fills with toxic gas as Jamie finds himself trapped betweentwo advancing Macra. Controlorders that full pressure is maintained. 'Full pressure is being maintained onmaster control,' reports Officia.'Reserves are standing by.' Polly tells the Doctor the pressure readings on thecontrol desk dials. 'Plus must bemade minus,' he says, 'and minus must be made plus.' He pauses. 'The question is,which is plus and which is minus?'Inside the tunnel, Jamie wedges himself behind a crevice of rock.

'What are you doing?' asks Officia as the Doctor taps the pipes. The Doctorconfuses Officia into inadvertentlyrevealing which are the inflow and outflow pipes. Officia is powerless to stop theDoctor making some swiftreadjustments. 'There,' the Doctor beams. 'I think you'll find I've revolutionisedthe entire gas flow of theColony ...there'll be a fine old gale of fresh air blowing along the old shaft anytime now.' Officia tries to

restore the gas flow and calls for a guard. The Doctor tries to buy Jamie moretime by telling Polly to lock thedoor with Officia's keys.

In the mineshaft one of the Macra finds Jamie in his hiding place and grabs himwith its claw. Jamie strugglesbravely but is dragged out into the open. Fresh air wafts into the mineshaft andthe Macra relinquishes its grip.Jamie turns around to see the other creature become similarly motionless. Scarcelyable to believe his luck, Jamieedges around the slumped Macra and moves along the mineshaft. In the pump room,


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Control berates the panickingOfficia. Outside, Ola and his guards beat on the locked door. The Doctor and Pollyfind another exit just as theguards crash into the room. They spot the Doctor and Polly, and try to preventthem closing the door behind them.'Go on,' the Doctor urges Polly as they try to close the door. 'Together!' Thedoor closes and the two relax for amoment. 'Looks rather like a cupboard with a load of pipes,' says the Doctorlooking around him.The Doctor decidesto follow the pipes carrying the poisonous gas, and Polly reluctantly tags along.

In the pump room, Officia restores the flow of gas to the old mineshaft. Insidethe mineshaft, Jamie finds anexit that has been blocked with a metal grille. As the familiar smell of toxic gasbegins to fill the air, Jamiegrabs a piece of wood and uses it to prise off the rusted grille. Jamie drops intosmall room on the other side,and is bemused to hear the sound of people singing. 'Whaddya know?' calls out acheerleading young man. 'We allknow Control is right and we must obey,' respond a group of beaming colonists.'Let them know they're happy!''Greet the morning with a shout!' sings the young man. 'Everyone up, the sun isout!' respond the group. 'Ra-ra-ra,ra-ra-ra, cheers for the Colony! We're the gang that works the hardest and we mustobey!' 'Obey Control, ring thatbell,' they chant enthusiastically. 'Ra-ra-ra, work well, ring the bell!' 'Ohthat's much better,' enthuses theyoung man, 'but we'll do it again, and this time with more feeling. And don'tforget, our job is to inspire theothers our brave workers who are doing such a dangerous job.' They repeat the chant. 'That's very good,' beamstheir leader. 'That's beginning to sound like something.' While he rallies thegroup further, Jamie gingerly makestowards the door. He is spotted by the cheerleader, and mistaken for a dancer.'Have you got your dance ready?'asks the man. Jamie says he has, but is mortified when the man asks to see itstraight away. 'And don't forget,'he says, 'you have to be very good to get into the Happy Colony Finals.' Jamielaunches into an impromptu HighlandFling...but his attempt to escape ends with him flinging himself into Ola and agroup of waiting guards. The youngman protests that Jamie is one of his dancers. 'Nonsense,' says Ola. 'He is theescaped stranger.' Ola calls Beninto the room and orders him to identify the prisoner. The strain shows on Ben'sface as he confirms the stranger'sidentity. Jamie is tied up and Ola orders Ben to report his capture to the Pilot.'Jamie, I'm...' falters Ben as

his friend is led away.

The Doctor follows the pipes, pausing when her hears the voice of Controlordering that 'the Doctor and the girl'must be taken dead or alive. Polly points to a large porthole, identifying thesource of the mysterious voice frombehind the screen. 'He must be there.' They scale a metal ladder. Looking throughthe porthole they see a Macraoperating the levers of a control panel that generates the disembodiedvoice.'They're like germs in the human body,'mutters the Doctor. 'They're living as parasites.' 'One system must provide them


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with the gas they need,' says theDoctor, 'and the other one must be an outflow.' Polly suggests they show the Pilotwhat they have seen and theDoctor agrees.

'I am going to report to Control that there is no discipline in the pits,' anangry Ola tells the Pilot. 'Eversince these strangers arrived here your authority in this Colony has gone topieces.' The Doctor and Polly appear.Ola tries to arrest them, but the Doctor defuses the situation by breezily askingthe Pilot to accompany him.Control orders everyone ,including the Pilot, back to work. 'Arrest the strangers!That is an order!' screams thehysterical voice. 'That doesn't sound like a man in control,' says Ben, clearlyback to his old self. The Pilotoverrules Ola, who leaves to report him to Control. 'What is it you wanted to tellme?' the Pilot asks the Doctor.The Pilot follows the Doctor. Polly tells Jamie that they must be ready to make arun for it. Both are relievedthat Ben seems to be back to normal, but then they notice he has gone.

Ben crouches in the gantry of the pump room, watching as the Doctor and thePilot approach. 'This is forbiddenterritory ...you're breaking the law,' wails the Pilot. 'Bad laws were made to bebroken,' says the Doctor.Ola andhis guards enter the pit head. Ola informs Control that the Pilot is a traitor.The image of the Controller appearsand the voice booms, 'The Pilot has no more authority. Ola is in command.' As theDoctor and the Pilot follow thepipes, the Pilot hears Control calling for his arrest. They arrive at the largeporthole.'They've used this Colonyfor their own ends, destroying you to live themselves,' says the Doctor, showingthe Pilot the Macra behind thescreen. 'No Doctor,' says the horrified Pilot. 'It is they who must be destroyed.'The Macra turns to see theDoctor and the Pilot at the porthole. 'They're here!' screams the voice. 'ThePilot and the stranger, they mustbe destroyed!' The Doctor convinces the Pilot that he must take control.

A guard signals that the Doctor and the Pilot are returning. 'Ola,' says thePilot, 'the Colony is in the handsof grotesque insects. They're in there , the Macra!' 'It is forbidden to saythat,' booms the voice of Control.'Don't let him say that he has seen Macra!' The Pilot is defiant, and points tothe screen. 'I saw you! You arethe Macra!' Control orders that the Pilot and the three strangers are to be lockedin the pipe room. 'Clear thebuilding,' Control orders Ola. 'Guards and workers are to return to the hall formusic. It will take precisely fourminutes and then it will be safe for everyone to return to work.' 'What can they

do in four minutes?' wonders Jamie.His question is answered when they hear a rush of gas. The Doctor franticallysearches for a hidden inlet. 'Youcannot stop it,' says the voice, before telling them they have only four minutesleft. Above the sound of hissinggas and uncontrollable coughing, the Doctor hears Ben hitting the other side ofthe door. 'We've got very littletime!' shouts the Doctor. 'It's all up to you!' The Doctor tells Ben to go to thecontrol panel and find the switchmarked outflow and the switch marked inflow. 'The other stranger has recovered,'warns the voice. 'He is now


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dangerous. He will no longer obey Control.' 'He is no longer one of us,' shoutsthe voice. 'He must be stopped atonce!' Once Ben has located the switches, the Doctor tells him to find a lever infront of them. 'You must not obeythe Doctor. He will kill us all!' says the voice. 'Oh shut up,' responds Ben.'Switch on both inflow and outflow!'shouts the Doctor. 'No!' cries Control. 'The pressure would be unbearable for all

for human beings as well!' TheDoctor tells Ben to throw the lever away from him. 'No, no!' begs the voice asthere is a searing flash of lightand a huge explosion. The screams of Control recede and the image of theController vanishes from the screen.In the hall, a group of majorettes perform as the colonists clap along with themusic.'My first duty is to thankthe strangers, for they have saved our colony,' announces the Pilot. 'A dancefestival will be held every year intheir memory, and the winners will be awarded the Strangers' Trophy.' Ben tellsthe Doctor he is to become the nextPilot. 'They can't do that to me,' says an indignant Doctor. 'Take a leaf out ofJamie's book give 'em the olddance routine!' The Doctor and his friends dance towards the door, and away fromthe celebrating colonists.

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doctor who: the macra terror

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