Part of a draft audio, that never gelled...

 

DOCTOR WHO: THE NIGHTSHAPES OF RA

 

by Simon Bucher-Jones

 

First Draft, May 2002

 

PART ONE

 

TITLE MUSIC

 

SCENE 1   THE FORTRESS OF RA: RECEPTION ROOM

 

[SFX: ARMOUR CLAD FEET MARCHING ON STONE FLOOR]

 

SERGEANT VAL:   TROOPS HALT. POSITIONS FOR THE CEREMONY ADOPT!

I WANT YOU STILL AS STATUES, I WANT THE IMPERATOR TO SEE HIS FACE IN THOSE BREAST-PLATES. [PAUSE] I WANT YOUR WEAPONS CHARGED AND READY.

 

[SFX: SF WEAPONRY CHARGES UP, SIX WEAPONS]

 

[SFX: TARDIS MATERIALISES, TARDIS DOOR OPENS]

 

DOCTOR: I SAY, YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO PUT ON ENTERTAINMENT. WHAT’S THIS SOLDIER? A CHARGED BLASTER RUNNING NEAR OVERLOAD. I THINK WE’LL JUST TURN THAT DOWN A TAD. [SFX SWITCH CLICK POWER RUN-DOWN]. [PAUSE, DOCTOR, PENSIVELY ASIDE] I DON’T KNOW. YOU’LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT.

 

ACE:   [COMING OUT OF THE TARDIS]  OI PROFESSOR, WHAT’S WITH THE

SPACE KNIGHTS?

 

SEARGEANT VAL:  HENTHRITH, JAVRON GET THESE INTRUDERS OUT OF HERE! AT ANY MOMENT THE IMPERATOR OF RA WILL BE TRANSDUCTED HERE TO BE ESCOURTED TO THE BRIDAL SUITE. HE’LL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE PRESS-EYES OF A DOZEN WORLDS. IF THEY FIND US SCUFFLING WITH SPACE RIFFRAFF AND THEIR UNLICENSED TRANSDUCTION BOOTH, WE’LL BE SCRUBBING LATRINES WITH DENTAL BRUSHES WITH THE NIGHTSHAPES AT OUR HEELS!

 

HENTHRITH: [HE IS SURPRISINGLY POLITE, THINK SERGEANT WILSON TO CAPTAIN VAL’S MAINWEARING] COME ALONG WITH ME SIR, MADAM. YOU CAN WATCH THE IMPERATOR’S ARRIVAL FROM THIS NICE SAFE OBSERVATION ROOM. JAVRON, GET A GRAV-BEAM ON THAT BOOTH, AND HOIST IT UP OUT OF SIGHT IF YOU WOULDN’T MIND – THANKS AWFULLY.

 

[SFX HUMMING, FADES INTO]

 

[SFX TRUMPET FANFARE. CRACKLE OF LOUDSPEAKERS]

 

ANNOUNCER: PEOPLE OF RA. THE IMPERATOR PETRAN IS RETURNING TO US, BEARING THE GOOD-WISHES OF THE COLONIES, AND THE MANY SYMBOLIC GIFTS HE WILL PRESENT TO HIS BRIDE. HE CARRIES THE STAFF OF WISDOM, THE CORNUCOPIA OF HAPPINESS, THE PROPHYLACTICS OF…

 

[SFX SOUND FROM OUTSIDE OBSERVATION ROOM SHOULD CONTINUE IN BACKGROUND BUT SLIGHTLY MUFFLED WITH SECOND FANFARE AS D & A SPEAK].

 

ACE: GOT HIS HANDS FULL HASN’T HE? THINK HE’LL BE ABLE TO GET TO GRIPS WITH HIS HONEYMOONING?

 

DOCTOR: SHUSH THIS IS A SOLOMN OCCASION, I KNOW WE MISSED THE WEDDING BUT AT LEAST WE’VE GOT A GOOD VIEW OF THE HOMECOMING.

 

ACE: NO THANKS TO YOUR NAVIGATING. IT’S LUCKY WE AREN’T IN THE MARRIAGE BED, THE WAY YOU FLY THAT THING.

 

[SFX BACKGROUND SOUND UP AGAIN TO SHOW WE ARE BACK OUTSIDE THE OBS-ROOM. SOUND LIKE BUT NOT IDENTICAL TO TARDIS MATERIALISATION. RECORDED APPLAUSE AND CHEERING STARTS UP AS THIS FADES ONLY TO BE SWAMPED BY HIDEOUS ALIEN HISSING.]

 

VAL: NIGHTSHAPE BREACH. READY WEAPONS. LET ‘EM HAVE IT MEN.

 

ACE: [REMEMBER TO MUFFLE OUTSIDE SOUND, WHICH IS NOW LASERS FIRING AND ROARING] DOC WE’VE GOT TO HELP THEM.

 

DOCTOR: NO ACE, IT’S TOO LATE. BY THE TIME WE GET TO THEM….

 

ACE: [STRUGGLING WITH DOOR] THOSE TOERAGS THEY’RE LOCKED US IN………