Doctor
Who:
The
Olympian Experiment
by
Robin
Gordon
Episode
3: Circe
- Auksford 2008 -
SCENE 32 (continued)
The
sounds of a Tardis
taking off are heard. Sarah swings round in wild alarm.
SARAH:
Doctor! The Tardis!
The
Doctor is
unconcerned.
DOCTOR:
It’s all right, Sarah.
He
indicates the Tardis,
still where they left it.
SARAH:
But … how did you know?
DOCTOR:
Do you think I don’t know the sound of my own
Tardis? Come on!
He
leads the way back to
the Tardis.
SARAH:
Another Tardis? But where?
DOCTOR:
Who would notice an extra rock among this lot?
They
re-enter the Tardis
and close the doors. The Tardis takes off.
*
* *
SCENE
33
A
hilly landscape on the
planet
Circe. A sprawling vine with spikes of white flowers and
sparse
bunches of fruit, covers the ground. The rock which was in
the
docking bay of the Olympos materialises with the typical sound of an
elderly Tardis. A door opens in its side, and Odysseus,
Eurylochos and Elpenor come out looking bewildered. They look around
then turn in surprise as they hear the sound of a Tardis taking
off. The rock disappears.
ODYSSEUS
[to
Elpenor]:
That’s another fine mess you’ve got us
into. Will you
never learn not to insult people before you know who they are?
ELPENOR:
He was a barbarian – wearing breeches like the wild men of
the north.
ODYSSEUS:
You must learn
not to judge by appearances. Breeches or not, his magic has
banished us to the fields of asphodel where the shades of the unhappy
dead walk amid the pale flowers.
ELPENOR:
There are fruits too, my lord.
EURYLOCHOS:
I don’t think we can be dead, my lord, unless the dead feel
hunger for mortal food.
Elpenor
picks one of the
fruits and sniffs it. He touches it with his tongue and is
about to put it into his mouth.
ODYSSEUS:
Wait! What do you think, Eurylochos? Is it safe?
EURYLOCHOS:
I’ve never seen a vine like this.
ODYSSEUS:
If this is not the land of the dead, the natives must eat
something. Better wait and see what it is they
eat.
ELPENOR:
And starve to
death in the mean time? No! Do you think the gods
would
save us from shipwreck just to poison us? I’ll take
the
risk.
Elpenor
eats the fruit.
ELPENOR
[chewing]:
Mmm! Good!
Eurylochos
looks
enquiringly at Odysseus.
ODYSSEUS:
Let’s see what effect it has on Elpenor.
ELPENOR:
I’m still perfectly all right.
Elpenor
staggers.
ELPENOR:
Ah! Odyssysseuss … sss …
Elpenor
falls.
The others try to raise him.
ELPENOR:
…’s not time to ge’ up ye’
… Mmmmm … Aaaargh!
Elpenor
clutches his
stomach in a
spasm of pain, then he relaxes humming nonsensically. Then
while
the others are speaking in the next part of the scene, he alternates
between relaxed sleep and bouts of pain in which he clutches his
stomach or threshes about wildly. Odysseus and Eurylochos
look at
him in helpless perplexity. The Doctor and Sarah come up
behind
them.
DOCTOR:
You really should be more careful what you eat.
Odysseus
and Eurylochos
rise to their
feet. Odysseus mutters something to Eurylochos as the Doctor
advances to look at Elpenor. Suddenly Odysseus and Eurylochos
attack and capture the Doctor. Sarah rushes forward but is
flung
aside and falls among the vines. She gets up shaking her head
dazedly and watches as Odysseus and Eurylochos force the Doctor to
kneel beside Elpenor with a knife at his throat.
ODYSSEUS:
Now, Magician, take us back to the world of living men, or you die!
DOCTOR
[half
strangled]: That's
exactly why I’ve
come. If you’d just loosen your grip a little
…
ODYSSEUS:
Oh no,
we’ve heard of you before, Proteus. Before we knew
it
you’d turn into a swallow or a fish and slip through our
grasp.
DOCTOR:
There’s not much water here for a fish, nor is there a crock
of gold at the end of my scarf.
Odysseus
snarls and
makes an angry threatening movement.
SARAH:
Doctor!
Odysseus
starts, looks
towards her, puzzled then remembers.
ODYSSEUS:
Artemis?
SARAH:
Let him go! He’s come to help you.
Odysseus
loosens his
grip and signs
to Eurylochos to do the same. The Doctor, Odysseus and
Eurylochos
rise. The Doctor straightens his coat and scarf.
DOCTOR:
That’s better. Now, if you’d just let me
look at your sleeping friend, perhaps we can be on, our way.
EURYLOCHOS
[suspiciously]:
Are you a surgeon?
DOCTOR:
No, but I’ve picked up quite a bit of useful knowledge in my
travels.
Odysseus
draws
Eurylochos aside to talk privately. The Doctor examines
Elpenor. Sarah kneels at his side.
SARAH:
What are we going to do?
DOCTOR:
What we were sent to do.
SARAH:
Even though it’s him.
DOCTOR:
It’s lucky
for me that it was him, and that he recognised you after all this time
– and don’t make that joke about its being only
today again.
SARAH:
Can you cure him?
DOCTOR:
No. His
mind is completely imprisoned by the drug. There’s
only one
thing that will cure it. We’ll just have to take
him back
with us as he is and hope Athene can help.
SARAH:
Doctor …
DOCTOR:
Not now, Sarah. [To
Odysseus]: Tie him
up with my scarf, then
we’ll carry him back to my … er … ship.
SARAH:
But, Doctor …
DOCTOR:
In a minute, Sarah. This is important. [To Odysseus]:
Be sure he can’t move his arms or legs.
“Weave
a circle round him thrice
and
close your eyes with holy dread,
for
he on honeydew hath fed
and
drunk the milk of paradise.”
While
they bind Elpenor,
Sarah quietly brings out the blue crystal.
SARAH:
Wouldn’t it be easier to use this?
DOCTOR:
Where did you get that?
SARAH:
You gave it to me. Of course you were much younger then.
She
hands it
over. The Doctor
holds it in front of Elpenor’s eyes as he begins to thresh
about. The blue crystal begins to glow, Elpenor quietens and
concentrates on it. The glow fades and he becomes
conscious
again.
ELPENOR:
Why am I tied up?
ODYSSEUS:
It’s all right, Elpenor. [To
Eurylochos]:
Untie him.
Eurylochos
unties
Elpenor. The Doctor gives the crystal back to Sarah.
ODYSSEUS:
Let me see that.
Odysseus
takes the
crystal.
SARAH:
Hey!
DOCTOR:
Be careful.
The crystal has power to liberate a mind enslaved, but it can also
overthrow a free mind’s reason.
ODYSSEUS:
In that case, I’d better keep it safe.
Odysseus
puts the
crystal back in its bag and hangs it from his belt.
SARAH:
But …
ODYSSEUS:
And now, perhaps you’ll tell me who you are.
DOCTOR:
I thought you
knew: Artemis and her barbarian friend. We met once before
– at Aulis when you were about to sacrifice Iphigeneia.
ODYSSEUS:
Even after ten years I never forget a face. But you're no barbarian,
even if your garb is outlandish – and she’s
no goddess.
SARAH:
I’m Sarah Jane Smith, and I’m a British subject.
DOCTOR:
And I’m nobody.
ODYSSEUS:
Well, Sarah Jane Smith and Nobody, I am Odysseus King of Ithaca.
SARAH:
And inventor of the wooden horse.
ODYSSEUS:
My name is not quite unknown, I see. Tell me, Nobody, is this
the world of the dead?
DOCTOR:
No. it's a world like many others.
"A
savage place! As holy and enchanted
as
e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
by
woman wailing …”
but
if there are any wailing women here, they’ll be alive just as
we are.
ODYSSEUS:
In that case, I invite you to join the Royal Ithacan expedition to
explore this world.
DOCTOR
[bowing
ironically]:
We humbly thank your royal Majesty.
The
Doctor and Odysseus
laugh.
ODYSSEUS:
Which way?
The
Doctor indicates
several ways in rapid succession and chooses the least expected.
DOCTOR:
That way.
They
set off.
*
* *
SCENE
34
On
Circe: They come to a
distinct,
well-used track, pause for a moment to choose their direction, then
follow the track. Elpenor strides out ahead.
*
* *
SCENE
35
They
hear a shout of
surprise from Elpenor and hurry forward.
*
* *
SCENE
36
The
track leads directly
into the
side of the hill. Where there should be the entrance to a
cave,
the way is blocked by a massive boulder overgrown by the vine, the
sparse-leaved stems of which, with their sad flowers and occasional
clusters of fruit, stretch out from one side and almost cover the rock.
ELPENOR:
The track’s blocked.
SARAH:
It must have led into a cave.
ELPENOR:
A fall of rock.
ODYSSEUS:
It’s been there a good while – look at the
thickness of the vine.
DOCTOR:
Yet the track is
still clearly marked, and there are other signs that it has been used
recently. Look at those marks where something has been
dragged
along, see, quite sharp and distinct. And there –
those
leaves have been broken off very recently.
ODYSSEUS:
It
doesn’t add up.
DOCTOR:
Unless that
massive boulder is a door. See how the vine grows only from
one
side, leaving the other free to swing open.
ELPENOR
[scornfully]:
Who could open a door that size?
EURYLOCHOS
[cautiously]:
Maybe giants?
DOCTOR:
Or people who have learned to harness the forces of nature.
ODYSSEUS:
No man can do that.
DOCTOR:
No man in your
time, Odysseus, yet you have harnessed horses. Perhaps your
grandsons will harness the power of a stream to turn a stone to grind
corn.
EURYLOCHOS
[aside]:
May the river gods forgive him!
ODYSSEUS:
It could be done … with paddles attached to a wheel
… then a shaft …
DOCTOR:
He who can harness a stream can harness the wind.
SARAH:
All right, we know it can be done, but how does that solve our problem?
DOCTOR:
The stone is
probably delicately balanced so that it can be moved with a minimum of
power. If we can find out how, we may be able to lever it
aside.
The
Doctor and the
Greeks begin to
examine the rock and to try to lever it out with their hands, their
knives, odd sticks or rock splinters.
SARAH:
Why don’t we all just go home?
DOCTOR:
Oh come on now, Sarah. You’re spoiling our fun.
SARAH:
I think the king should decide. He must be dying to see his
wife after all this time.
ODYSSEUS:
After ten years, what do a few more hours matter? Besides,
there may be gold in the cave.
SARAH:
Men!
Unseen
by them all a
crystalline
sphere floats over the ridge behind them, moves down towards the valley
and comes to rest among a convenient outcrop of rocks from which it can
observe them. It is a Cyclopic Eye.
ODYSSEUS:
It would be easier if we cleared away some of these vines.
ELPENOR:
I’ll do it.
Elpenor
draws his knife,
seizes a
branch of the vine and begins to hack at it. Immediately all
the
flowers snap shut, the leaves begin to rattle and a branch twines
around his leg and pulls him off balance. He falls.
Other
branches curl around his arms, body and neck. He threshes
around
in helpless agony as the vine chokes him. The others rush to
his
aid, and, after a brief struggle, succeed in pulling him
free.
Elpenor begins to recover, coughing and rubbing his throat.
ODYSSEUS:
We should destroy it.
DOCTOR:
Why?
ODYSSEUS:
It almost killed him.
DOCTOR:
He attacked it
first, it only defended itself. Wouldn’t you fight back if
someone came at you with a knife? Besides, I think
it’s the
key to the cave.
ODYSSEUS:
So if we destroy it we can get in.
ELPENOR
[with
hatred]:
Burn it!
Instantly
the vine
rattles its leaves and writhes towards Elpenor, who is beyond its reach.
DOCTOR:
That proves my
point. The vine can understand us. Either it can
pick up
sound or it’s sensitive to telepathy.
SARAH:
So?
DOCTOR:
So when the owner of the cave comes along, he just says "Open
Sesame” and the vine does the rest. Watch!
The
Doctor advances
towards the vine.
SARAH:
Be careful, Doctor!
DOCTOR
[to
the vine]:
I must apologise for this little misunderstanding. I am
afraid my
friends and I did not properly appreciate the situation. You
see,
we’re not from this planet, and we’ve never
encountered a
being quite like you before. Let me assure you that we mean
you
no further harm.
A
branch of the vine
writhes slightly towards Elpenor then returns.
DOCTOR:
Elpenor acted in ignorance when he suggested burning you …
The
vine rattles its
leaves.
DOCTOR:
… he was
frightened – after all, you did almost kill
him.
We’ve learned by experience. All we seek now is
your
friendship …
The
vine relaxes and
some of its flowers open.
DOCTOR:
…and your
help. You see we were following this track and we want to
carry
on inside the cave. It really
would be very
nice if you could open the door for us.
Nothing
happens.
DOCTOR:
Come on, you know the sort of thing: "Open Sesame” and all
that.
SARAH:
Perhaps it hasn’t read the Arabian
Nights.
ODYSSEUS:
Do you really mean you expect this plant to obey you?
DOCTOR:
Why not?
You have servants to guard the door of your palace and open it for you,
don’t you? It’s exactly the same
principle.
ODYSSEUS:
It all seems
rather far-fetched to me. But if you say is
true, perhaps
I’d
better try. I'm used to commanding men, I might as well
try my hand at giving orders to a plant.
DOCTOR:
Thank you, general.
ODYSSEUS:
Now
look here … er … plant, I am Odysseus, son of
Laertes,
King of Ithaca and member of the High Command of the Achaian
forces. I order you to open the entrance to the cave.
No
response.
ODYSSEUS:
Open the door, or we'll burn you!
The
vine snaps its
flowers shut, and rattles its leaves. Several branches rise menacingly.
DOCTOR:
Well, obviously it’s never been in the army.
ELPENOR:
Burn it, I say.
The
vine rattles and
writhes.
DOCTOR:
I don't like the idea of harming a sentient being without good reason.
SARAH:
Let me try.
ODYSSEUS:
You!?
SARAH:
A woman’s touch. It’s much more likely to
work.
She
advances towards the
vine.
SARAH:
I’ve never
seen such a beautiful vine as you. I’ve certainly
never met
any plant half as intelligent as you. We’re not
going to
hurt you. Why don’t you relax?
The
vine relaxes.
SARAH:
That’s better. Why don't you show us your lovely
white flowers?
The
vine snaps its
flowers open.
SARAH:
You must be the most intelligent plant in the whole Universe.
I bet you could even open the cave door for us.
The
vine tenses and
opens the door. The massive boulder swings easily on its
pivot. Sarah turns to the others.
SARAH:
See, nothing to it. Come on.
She
enters the
cave. They
follow. The Cyclopic Eye rises from the rocky outcrop and
moves
towards the cave entrance. It halts and hovers a short
distance
away. The cave door closes. The Cyclopic Eye moves
away.
*
* *
SCENE
37
Inside
the cave.
EURYLOCHOS:
The door’s closed.
SARAH:
That’s all right. When we want to go out
I’ll just ask the vine to open it.
DOCTOR:
I hate to be a wet blanket, Sarah, but I’m beginning to
wonder if that plant was obeying you or someone else.
SARAH:
Watch this. Um, Vine! Beautiful vine!
Could you open the door again, please?
Nothing
happens.
SARAH:
Oh well, I’ll just have to shout a bit louder.
DOCTOR:
It wouldn’t
do any good – and I don’t advise anyone to do any
shouting
until we know what’s at the end of this tunnel.
He
leads the way
cautiously along the tunnel.
*
* *
SCENE
38
The
end of the tunnel
opens into a
large lighted cavern around the walls of which are smaller openings,
which, though this cannot yet be seen, lead to shallow caves or
cells. The intruders stop in the shadow at the mouth of the
tunnel and look around cautiously.
DOCTOR
[to
Odysseus]:
It doesn’t look like the sort of place you’d be
likely to find a hoard of gold and jewels.
ODYSSEUS:
I don’t know … It’s a bit like an
undersea cavern.
DOCTOR:
Poseidon again.
Sarah
has gone to look
at one of the
lights on the rock wall of the cavern. Suddenly she
screams. The Doctor bounds to her side.
SARAH:
Doctor! It moved!
DOCTOR:
I’m not surprised. It is
alive, after all.
SARAH: What is it?
DOCTOR: A sort of
giant glow-worm.
Obviously the owner of the cave uses them for lights.
ODYSSEUS: We
harness horses, he harnesses vines
and glow-worms.
DOCTOR:
I’d like to see
what’s in those caves. Careful!
They move cautiously round the wall to the nearest cell, from which is
coming a high-pitched humming. Inside the
cell they see an Alpha-Centauran staring into space and humming an
Alpha-Centauran tune.
DOCTOR: How nice to
see a friendly face.
The Doctor enters the cell.
DOCTOR: How do you
do? I
don’t think we’ve met,
but one of your people was a particularly dear friend of nine: the
Ambassador to Peladon. I don’t suppose you know
him, do you?
The Alpha-Centauran continues humming.
*
* *
SCENE 39
The Alpha-Centauran’s view: a hazy pattern of lights forming
kaleidoscopic rhythm, and a comp1ex piece of Alpha-Centauran music with
the melody led by the Alpha-Centauran’s humming. A
darker, vaguely Doctor-shaped pattern appears and the
words “How do you do?” in the Doctor’s
voice are
heard. The rest of his speech is incorporated into the music.
*
* *
SCENE 40
The
Alpha-Centauran’s cell.
DOCTOR: Poor
fellow. He must be
drugged or hypnotised.
SARAH: Should we
use the crystal?
DOCTOR: It
would
probably kill him. You
can never tell what kind of effect it will have on
non-humanoids.
Let’s see what else is here.
As they move cautiously round the cavern peeping into the cells, all of
which contain non-humanoid creatures, a Cyclopic Eye, hovering near the
roof of the main cavern, follows them.
*
* *
SCENE 41
The chamber of the Forkiads. Calupso, Ogugia and Nausikaa are
seated at a globular crystal similar to the Cyclopic Eye.
Calupso
is concentrating on this Cyclopic Screen, in which appears the cavern
as seen by the Cyclopic Eye, with the Doctor and his Human companions
looking into the cells. When Calupso speaks, her
voice,
like that of every other Circean is thin, reedy, weak, sexless, and
weighed down by the immense weariness of near exhaustion that afflicts
the whole of that unhappy race.
CALUPSO: The
intruders are in the
stables. Let their presence be made known to the Polyfemos.
Nausikaa sighs heavily and concentrates.
*
* *
SCENE 42
The Council Chamber of the Polyfemos or High Council of
Circe. A
globular Cyclopic Screen is in a prominent position. The
Speaker
of the Polyfemos is Aiaia. He articulates their collective
thought while the other members moan in weary agreement or
concentration.
AIAIA: Our quest is
hopeless.
They moan sadly.
AIAIA: In all the
Seven Galaxies we Circeans are
unique.
Our search for living beings of similar bodily conformation to our own
is fruitless.
POLYFEMOS [moaning]:
Ai … ai …a …
AIAIA: The Forkiads
have discovered alien
intruders in the stables. Let us concentrate.
The Polyfemos moan and concentrate on the Cyclopic Screen. A
picture of the intruders in the cavern appears. The Polyfemos
gasp in astonishment, and the image wavers then steadies.
AIAIA: Circeoids!
*
* *
SCENE 43
The cavern or stables. The Doctor and his companions look
into
another cell. The Doctor holds the Greeks back from getting
too
close.
DOCTOR: Sh!
They peep cautiously into the cave, hiding from its occupants, five
Daleks, which are circling their cell muttering to themselves.
DALEKS:
Exterminate! Exterminate!
We must exterminate all living creatures!
The Daleks will rule the Universe!
We are the supreme beings!
Exterminate! Exterminate!
Exterminate! Exterminate!
DOCTOR: Even if
they are drugged, we
don’t want to get too close.
The intruders move on to the next cell. Sarah wanders ahead
to another cell. The Cyclopic Eye follows her.
*
* *
SCENE 44
The Council Chamber of the Polyfemos. Aiaia and the other
Councillors are looking at the Cyclopic Screen, which shows Sarah
entering the cell, at the mouth of which is perched a beautiful
creature like a bird of paradise. Sarah approaches it.
AIAIA: The
Circeoids do not recognise all
dangers.
The Polyfemos sigh.
AIAIA: Shall the
intruder hear the song of the
Siren? Let
us awaken the Siren. Let it wither this creature’s
life and
drink its blood.
The Polyfemos concentrate and moan. The Siren raises its head
revealing a beautiful face. It fixes its eyes on Sarah and
opens
its mouth in song. She is entranced and bends towards it.
AIAIA: The alien is
under the spell of the
Siren. Let the
Cyclopic Eye move closer. Let the Polyfemos see death strike.
The image on the Cyclopic Screen zooms in closer to Sarah.
She is
in a trance. As she bends closer to the Siren it unfurls its
wings, revealing cruel claws which it prepares to plunge into her
neck. At the same time its gently parted soft lips are drawn
back
to reveal sharp fangs eager for her throat. Sarah remains
blissfully entranced and moves closer.
Suddenly she is hurled aside by the Doctor who has seen her danger end
dived to her rescue. The Siren’s claws close on
empty air
and it screams in fury and beats its wings in rage.
The Polyfemos gasp in astonishment.
*
* *
SCENE 45
The cavern. The Siren is screeching with rage and beating its
wings. Gradually it subsides and goes back to sleep without
following the Doctor and Sarah or attacking the Greeks who have rushed
to defend their friends and are facing the Siren with drawn
knives. The Doctor and Sarah get to their feet.
SARAH: What
happened?
DOCTOR: You almost
become a Siren’s
dinner. It seems
to have gone back to sleep, so we might as well see what else there is
in this interplanetary zoo. Come on, and don’t get
too
close to anything.
The Doctor leads the way jauntily along the cavern.
ODYSSEUS: Ought we
not to keep to the shadows?
DOCTOR:
There’s no point.
They’ve had their eye on us for some time now.
Hadn’t you noticed?
The Doctor indicates the Cyclopic Eye, then leads the way
onward. Sarah stops, looking ill.
DOCTOR: Come on!
SARAH: Yes, I
… Oh, that’s
better – Aahh!
Sarah staggers. They leap to her side. She recovers.
SARAH:
It’s all right. I
just felt suddenly dizzy – almost as if a gust of wind
knocked me off my feet.
*
* *
SCENE 46
The Council Chamber of the Polyfemos. They are watching the
Cyclopic Screen on which they see the Doctor and the Greeks attending
to Sarah. The Greeks fetch a suitable piece of metal from a
nearby pile of spaceship debris so that she can sit on it.
AIAIA: That was a
force of 145 romins, but it
scarcely moved the
smallest of the aliens, yet the big circeoid moved it easily.
We
are amazed at their physical strength, but even so, their minds will
not stand against us. No mind can stand against us.
We are
the Polyfemos of Circe. Let us concentrate.
The Polyfemos moan and concentrate. On the Cyclopic Screen
they
see the intruders stagger, put their hands to their heads, reel and
drop. The Cyclopic Eye zooms in for a closer look at the
intruders. It comes to Sarah. Her inert form is
moved
slightly. A massive, pincer-like claw has grasped
her. The
image moves back to show that she is in the grip of a huge alien
creature shaped like a giant beetle.
