Doctor Who s10e05 Episode Script

Oxygen

Space The final frontier.
Final because it wants to kill us.
Sometimes we forget that.
Start taking it all for granted the suits, the ships, the little bubbles of safety .
.
as they protect us from the void But the void is always waiting.
This isn't the best timing.
I know that.
Well, typical me.
Maybe it's because 'Oxygen levels critical.
' .
.
everything's so messed up.
The trivial stuff just falls away.
You realise life can be so brief .
.
and so, I just want to tell you .
.
if we do get through this I want to have a baby! With you! And as soon as my radio's fixed - I'm going to tell you just that.
- 'Mag boots on.
' 'Mag boots on.
' Nearly there.
Can you hear me? Ivan? Still can't hear you, love.
You're wasting your breath.
ALARM BEEPS - The one thing we can't waste.
Need to bypass it.
Oh, no, no, no! No, no, no, no, no! No, no, no! Yeah! No! No-o-o-o! So, how does space kill you? I'm glad you asked.
The main problem is pressure.
There isn't any.
CHALK SCRAPES So, don't hold your breath or your lungs will explode.
Blood vessels rupture.
Exposed areas swell.
Fun fact! The boiling temperature of water is much lower in a vacuum.
Which means that your sweat and your saliva will boil as will the fluid around your eyes.
You won't notice any of this because 15 seconds in, you've passed out as oxygen bubbles formed in your blood.
And 90 seconds in .
.
you're dead.
Any questions? Yes.
What's this got to do with crop rotation? Er, I dunno.
But space is great, isn't it? 'You're missing it, aren't you?' - Crop rotation? - Space.
I'm worried you're thinking about taking another trip, sir.
I'm here, I'm guarding the vault, what do you want from me? - The truth.
- Don't be unreasonable.
'Space!' Going to space is exactly like camping.
- Is it? - Uh, well.
No.
Ok.
- In a way, yes.
- Great! Too much between you and the outside and you might as well stay home.
To really FEEL it, you need the space equivalent of a wafer-thin sleeping bag and a leaky two-man tent.
So, pick a campsite.
- Got any reviews? - What? You know, like for restaurants? "Waiter was a bit handsy, lasagne gave me the trots.
Two stars.
" Strangely, no.
Oh, I don't know! That one! Ah, yes, well, possibly, we could go there.
Pitch our tent next to the toilet block.
How about something a bit more exciting? BEACON BEEPS - What's that? That is my theme tune.
Otherwise known as a distress call.
You like distress calls? You only really see the true face of the universe when it's asking for your help.
I haven't seen MY true face in years.
Swapped it for this one on the run.
Oh, look, Bill, it's Nardole! What a lovely surprise! Thought I sent you to Birmingham for a packet of crisps.
Yeah, I saw through your cunning ruse! Yes, well, if you will go thinking for yourself What do you want? I was given strict instructions to keep you at the university.
- Who by? - You.
Well, you're not doing a very good job, are you? - I'll overlook it this once.
- Do you know what this is? If it's not crisps, you're sacked.
Fluid link K57.
Removed it from the TARDIS the other night after your lecture.
That is very untrusting.
You took an oath, sir! - The vault cannot be unguarded.
- Oh, listen to Mr Boring - I'm acting under your orders! - See how reliable I am! - What's a fluid link? - No idea.
But the TARDIS can't go anywhere without it.
- Who told you that? - You did! Exactly! Teach you to trust me.
No I'm docking your pay for this.
- I'm a bit cross with you, sir.
- Noted.
Scored out.
Forgotten.
Wait.
There's no oxygen.
What? Well, how come we're breathing? Air shell around the TARDIS.
Hang on.
Now there's a really big air shell around the TARDIS.
How big? Big enough for a stroll.
So cocky.
- Why aren't we floating? - Artificial gravity.
Doesn't feel like space.
Ah! NOW it feels like space! Look at this.
Classic design.
Pressure seals, hinges.
None of that "Shuk! Shuk!" nonsense.
Space doors are supposed to go "Shuk! Shuk!" not "Urrrrr" Are you going to be like this all day? Yeah.
Till you're back where you should be.
- Er, guys - Hm? Hello? SONIC SCREWDRIVER TRILLS He's dead.
How can he be dead? He's standing up.
No.
His suit's standing up.
He's just along for the ride.
Oh, God It's standing FOR him? Gyro stabiliser, magnetic boots, and gloves, onboard computer.
It could run, jump, and update his Facebook.
Death, where is thy sting? So Back to the TARDIS? Yeah, can you turn it off? - Turn what off? - The suit.
Just, please, just turn it off.
- Why? - He's just standing there! It's sick! It's disrespectful.
I tell you what's disrespectful Whatever killed him.
Well, there was no oxygen, right? Before we got here.
Didn't he just suffocate? Well, his tank's full.
And - .
.
his field's up.
- His what? Force field.
Keeps the air in.
Well, look, can we just, like, lie him down or something? - This isn't right.
- No, it isn't.
It isn't.
Mining Station Chasm Forge.
Crew of 40.
I've got 36 records of life signs terminated.
Last log entry: "Station declared non-profitable.
" Yeah.
Your workers all dying'll do that for you! Ok, then! Back to the TARDIS! - Lovely in there! Nice and cosy! - Yeah, yeah He's right.
- Doctor, are you listening? - 40 minus 36.
- Sorry, what? - Equals what? Oh, no, I'm just saying that Nardole was saying Four.
Four, Bill.
Four survivors, one distress call.
The universe shows its true face when it asks for help.
We show ours by how we respond.
Any questions? SHE TAKES A BREATH Good! Hello! - Has he got his tunes on? - Not exactly.
Calm down.
It's empty.
- And you couldn't just tell us? - Are you trying to scare us? I'm maxing out your adrenaline.
Fear keeps you fast! Fast is good! - Do people ever hit you? - Well, only when I'm talking.
So, it's basically a robot? Ah, well.
Sort of.
Fairly dumb.
Capable of simple tasks.
You better watch your step, you could be out of a job.
And Ah! Speech.
BEEPING Hello, suit.
'Good morning.
How may I assist?' Ooh, recognise that voice.
Yes! Nice girl, actress, bit orange, left me for an AI in a call centre.
What killed the crew of this station? 'I am unaware of any recent deaths.
' What about the oxygen.
Where did it all go? 'There has never been any oxygen in this station.
' Oh, listen to that.
Still saucy after all these years! Explain.
'Oxygen is available for personal use only, at competitive prices.
' It's only in the suits.
"Personal use", they only have oxygen in the suits themselves.
'Any unlicensed oxygen will be automatically expelled 'to protect market value.
' Charging for the air you breathe she hasn't changed.
What WAS her name? Hang on.
Didn't we just fill this place with air? Yes, I suppose we did! Because it said expelled KLAXON BLARES - What's that? It's decompressing! So! The TARDIS is on the other side of that.
Yes, I was really hoping someone would state the obvious! - Vacuum behind it, can't open it.
- Oh, you're on a roll.
And if we could, we'd be sucked out into space.
What's that? Uh, nothing to worry about.
- Really? - Not for several minutes.
Don't stress early, it's a waste of energy.
Stress about what? 'Occupants of repair station, please identify.
'Occupants of repair station, please identify.
' Hello there! You first.
- 'I'm sorry?' - Well, all your crewmates are dead.
So, either you're extremely lucky or you killed them.
Which is it? 'This is Drill Chief Tasker.
'And I haven't killed anyone.
Yet.
Now who is this?' SUIT RUSTLES QUIETLY Doctor, plus two.
You sent out a distress call, you should be expecting company.
Now tell me, what happened to the crew of this station.
'Hang on, you're in the repair bay, right? Get out of there! Now!' - Why? - 'There are suits in there! 'For God's sake, stay away from the suits!' Ohhhhh! - Doctor! - It's fried, should be safe.
You thought you were safe before.
Yes, well, I'm bound to be right eventually, aren't I? Get me some history.
You ok? Yeah just a little freaked, I think.
Try not to breathe so fast.
A single line of instruction was sent to all suits "Deactivate your organic component".
- Organic component as in PEOPLE? - Oooh Interesting.
They were killed by their own suits.
Can you fry those ones, too? Possibly, but we have another problem.
Opening the airlock was only the station's plan A.
Plan B: filtering out all the oxygen.
So, they can sell it back to us? Capitalism in space.
If we want to keep breathing, we have exactly one option.
Buy the merchandise.
'Oxygen levels are seriously depleted.
'Please step on board your Ganymede Systems Series 12 SmartSuit.
'Engage pressure pad to activate customised robing.
' You said those things were going to kill us! Well, on the bright side, we're dying already.
How does this help? We know they killed their occupants on specific orders.
I think these ones are off network, for repairs - so they can't receive commands.
- What if you're wrong? Well, we'll be horribly murdered! Let's say I'm right.
Doctor, if those suits have killed 36 people that means there's 36 corpses walking about this station.
You know, that REALLY doesn't matter right now.
Correction: yeah, it does.
Because I think there's something moving out there.
Suits, now! 'Welcome to the Ganymede Systems Series 12 SmartSuit.
'Oxygen field engaged.
'At current levels of exertion, 'you have 2,500 breaths available.
' "Breaths?" You couldn't just give it me in minutes? Doesn't work like that.
When you panic, you breathe quicker.
You die quicker.
Yeah, the scareder you are, the faster you suffocate.
So, relax or die.
Sorry, probably not the most helpful thought.
So, breathe in - Breathe out - Drill Chief Tasker.
Do you read me? 'Read you, Doctor.
'You need to take Corridor 12 to Processing.
Quickly.
' Come on.
We better go, come, on.
But keep breathing.
They're here.
Come on! This way! Move! 'You look like you're trying to run.
Would you like some help with that?' Can you shut your girlfriend up? Velma! That was her name! 'Confirmed.
My name is now Velma.
' We've hit a sealed door at the end of Corridor 12.
- No way through.
- My suit's really called Velma? 'Correct.
My name is Velma.
' Tasker? Come in.
Oh! They're through! Breathe in Breathe out Breathe in - Hello? - Breathe out - Anybody? - Tasker! - Breathe in - Hello?! - Tasker! - Breathe No! No! Quick! Deadlock the door! Cutting it a bit fine, weren't we? There was some debate over whether to open it at all.
Wah! Sorry! I wasn't expecting - Hello.
- Great! We rescued a racist.
- What.
Excuse me? - And you are? We got your distress call.
Sorry.
It's just I haven't seen many Well, ANY of your people.
It shows.
They're from the union.
- The union's a myth.
- Take a look.
Yeah.
We're from the mythical union.
Dahh-Ren? We're here to help.
Sorry, is your name Darren? Dahh-Ren.
Ahh Makes more sense.
SUIT WHIRS - Er, that's not me.
That's not me.
It's just glitching.
Ivan, take a look? For the record, I'm not prejudiced.
- I'm usually on the receiving end.
- Oh.
Why? What, you really don't know? 'Would you like to give feedback on your experience so far? 'Would you class your experience?' Right, where's your ship? We're parked just off your repair station.
Then you might as well be on the moon.
- They're swarming round there now.
- It's just maths now.
Oxygen divided by bodies.
And none of us have more than 3,000 breaths left.
Then stop wasting them.
I need a map of the base and a full rundown on what happened here.
Who the hell put you in charge? I'm here to save your lives.
But if you don't want me to, just raise your hand.
Abby, get the man a map.
All right? Some of my best friends are bluish.
- Why is Velma the only one that talks? - "Velma"? My suit.
The others do sometimes.
Mostly to say, "Here's the bill.
" Is there a mute button? Yours isn't working.
Suit's a mess.
Needs a complete overhaul.
Thanks, mate.
Don't mention it.
"Deactivate your organic component.
" All the suits got the same command.
- Best guess, someone hacked the network.
- And you survived how? We were off network.
You have to be to repair the conveyors.
It was just dumb luck.
The measurements, are these in metres? Average breaths.
The only unit worth a damn out here.
Of course they are.
40 breaths to the dorms.
120 to the core.
That's where we're headed.
It's the safest place.
Are there more suits inside the base or out? Outside is suicide.
Inside we can move faster than them.
Outside they have the edge.
Which means we're dead.
What are you mining? Is it worth stealing? You think this is a robbery? Well, killing you'd be a good start if it was.
It's how I'd do it If I was to do that sort of thing.
Which, actually, I probably wouldn't.
So, please, don't worry.
Well, they picked a fine day for it.
This is the least productive we've all been for months.
We're mining copper ore.
You'd need to steal a mountain to make it worth your while.
Your employers? Any help from them? They're too far away.
Not that it matters.
Whoever hacked the suits also cut the radio.
- So, your distress call? - Was a botch.
I boosted a suit radio through the dish.
Good job.
What about the brains of these suits? The AI? They're dumb as rocks.
But can they learn? Evolve? Grow? Maybe get tired of carrying pesky humans around? Know the feeling? HE They've got limited problem-solving and that's it.
I'm missing something.
What am I missing? Oxygen.
That's what we're missing.
Maybe find some of that and leave the big picture till later, yeah? - They're fixing the lock! - Well, then it's time to go.
Limited problem-solving, eh? West corridor is free.
40 breaths to the core, let's move.
Quick! They're through! 'Instruction received.
'Organic component will be deactivated.
'Please remain calm while your central nervous system is disabled.
'Your life is in our hands.
' Airlock! Airlock.
Helmets on.
- Where are we going? - Outside.
Didn't they say that was a bad idea? It is.
But I know a worse one.
Wait, why, why, why why do I need that? What about the air force-field thing? Not strong enough for a vacuum.
Trust me.
What happens if I throw up in my helmet? Colour and smells.
Don't throw up in helmet.
Check.
- 'Warning.
Helmet malfunction.
' - Uh, Doctor! 'Please advise local technician.
' - Somebody stop it! - Put it back on! - Doctor, that's not me doing that! - Put it back on! I'm trying! I can't move my arms! - Stop the cycle! - We can't stop it.
It's automated.
Now we know now why your suit was being repaired.
Bill Bill! You're about to be exposed to the vacuum of space.
Oh, God! So, don't hold your breath.
- Or my lungs will explode - You were listening.
Well done! What are we going to do?! Suit? Suit Velma? - 'Good morning.
How may I assist?' - Shhh, shh! - I can't move.
- 'This suit is currently offline 'for diagnostic purposes.
' Oh, Nardole! Ivan! Thank God! You're awake.
Told you.
- You ok? - Shh.
No! What happened? I can't move.
Your suit set to auto.
The Doctor hacked it and walked you out.
And you've got oxygen deprivation which is why you feel - like you feel.
- Have you looked down there? Oh, no, they're fine.
What? Are we safe? What's stopping them? This whole area's new.
It's not in their mapping system.
See! You know, like when your satnav doesn't know a new road? - So, they can't come here? - Not without a floor plan.
Good.
What happened to the Doctor? - I thought I saw him - Yeah, he The Doctor took you to safety.
He gave you his helmet.
- He died? - He should have done.
I don't know how he survived.
Listen, about the Doctor.
He walked in a vacuum, for far too long.
He's mostly ok, but he paid a price.
What do you mean? He's in Section 12.
Doctor? Bill! You're up! You're blind I am? Well, that explains the bruised shins.
Oh, don't get all gooey on me.
- It's temporary.
- Really? Yeah.
- Once we get back to the TARDIS.
- The TARDIS? I've got stuff in there that'll cure anything.
Failing that, I think I've got some spare eyes somewhere.
They're from a lizard, but I'm sure they'll fit.
So, until then Until then, what? You really think this is going to slow me down? I do most of my best work ordering other people around.
You do know we're still here, right? Didn't I send you out to get me a latte? So, what's the plan? Well, we've all been trying to get a radio working and the Doctor's been .
.
thinking.
Don't mean to hurry you, but in 700 breaths I'll be dead.
I need to think.
He really doesn't like help.
It's a transponder from a ship.
Doctor You ok? Bill, I've got no TARDIS, no sonic, about ten minutes of oxygen left and now I'm blind Can you imagine how unbearable I'm going to be when I pull this off? Don't do this - You always do this.
- Do what? Make jokes to distract me from whatever's about to kill us.
- What else are jokes for? - Doctor! There's a rescue ship on the way.
We've picked up a company transponder.
If there's a rescue ship on the way, then how can the rescue ship already be here? Too many rescue ships.
There's a first-world problem.
Who ARE you? I'm the Doctor.
I will do everything in my power to save all your lives.
And when I do, you will spend the rest of them wondering who I was and why I helped you.
If anyone's offering a better deal, be my guest.
You didn't save Tasker, did you? And he believed you.
Trusted you.
And now he's dead.
Can you give me one good reason why you shouldn't join him?! Whoa! Whoa! We're all getting a little punchy here.
It's the oxygen thinning.
It's making it harder to think.
- 'Instruction received.
' - Will you get out of my way! - Please, no! - 'Please remain calm 'while your central nervous system is disabled.
' BLASTER FIRE - 'Your life is in our hands.
' Head for the reactor core! Run! - What's happening? - Guess! - They knew we were there.
Somehow.
- Voice rec.
Had to be.
Doctor? Doctor! My suit! It's doing it again! I can't move! The sequencer's jammed.
Needs a reboot.
- How long will that take? - Too long.
Ok.
We can pick her up.
Come on.
'Warning.
This is an illegal manoeuvre.
' The suit won't let us.
Health and safety.
"Health and safety"? Doctor? Ok.
Get her out of her suit.
Give her mine.
The sequencer controls the release clamps.
We can't get her out.
We can't leave her here they'll kill her.
'Please do not interfere with the operation of this suit.
'Fines may be incurred.
' - Oh, great! I'll get fined for dying! - Fined for dying Doctor? What if there never was a hack? What if this is just business? Business as usual.
What do you mean? Bill.
Bill.
Do you trust me? Why are you saying that? - We're going to have to leave you here.
- What?! I'll die! You're not going to die, but I won't lie to you, this will not be good.
We have to go.
Now! You'll go through hell.
But you will come through it.
And I will be waiting on the other side.
- But what if I was going to die - You're not going to die! .
.
would you just say exactly the same? I will see you soon.
Just tell me a joke before you go.
Just tell me a joke! He didn't tell me a joke.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Mum! Answer me! 'Instruction received.
Complying.
' Mum! 'Please remain calm while your central nervous system is disabled.
'Your life is in our hands.
' Doctor, this isn't going to work.
Isn't it? Why, what do you think I'm doing? Electrolysis.
Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Oh, that's clever! I wish I could see me doing that! Doctor, that water is cooling the nuclear core.
We'd enjoy about five minutes of oxygen before the whole thing overheated and blew.
Yes, five whole minutes! We could boil the hell out of an egg! Stop being such a quitter! Doctor, it wasn't your fault.
You couldn't have saved her! You know what's wrong with this universe, believe me, I've looked into it Everyone says .
.
it's not their fault.
Well, yes, it is.
All of it.
It's ALL your fault.
- So, what are you going to do about it? - There's nothing we can do! She's dead.
She's no more dead than you are.
Than I am.
Than everyone on this station is.
- Get me to a keyboard.
- What? Why? Because I'm not trying to make oxygen.
Keyboard! Now, please! You think you have a plan.
We've got exactly one plan left.
- What plan? - The big one.
The one you've been waiting for all your life.
What's he doing? Coolant system again? Yes, I rejigged it a tiny little bit.
Either that, or I've really screwed up the plumbing - it's tough when you're blind.
- We need to know about this plan.
A-ha, the nice thing about life is however bad it gets, there's always one last option available.
Dying well.
No - No! - What is it? Our life signs.
He's wired them to the coolant system.
If we die, it vents.
When the suits kill us and they are going to kill us the core will blow and the whole station will be destroyed.
One very big boom.
Is that really the best you've got? Revenge? Not just revenge.
It's revenge as bright as the sun.
It's revenge you can see across galaxies! - Not bad for a blind man.
- He's locked us out of the subroutine.
Oh, I'm sorry, I just thought I was tweeting They're through the third lock.
- Open the doors.
- Are you of your mind?? Uh, yes, completely, but that's not a recent thing.
Listen, all we've got left is a good death this is the moment you've been waiting for since the day you were born.
Don't screw it up now.
- There's rescue ships on the way! - No, there isn't! No, there isn't.
There never was a rescue ship.
What are you talking about? There was no hacking.
No malfunction.
The suits are doing exactly what they were designed to do.
What your employers are telling them to do.
And what would that be? Save the oxygen that you are wasting.
You've become inefficient.
You even told me Your conveyors were down.
- So, everyone had to die? - Uh-huh! Well, you are just organic components, and you're no longer efficient, so you're being thrown away.
Don't believe me? Check on that rescue ship.
Access the log.
No, not true.
None of it.
You are just a lunatic! It is true, Abby.
The ship, it set off BEFORE the distress call.
They're not your rescuers.
They're your replacements.
The end point of capitalism.
A bottom line where human life has no value at all.
We're fighting an algorithm.
A spreadsheet.
Like every worker, everywhere we're fighting the suits.
ALARMS BLARE - They're nearly through! Open up.
Let's send them a message.
Let's teach them a lesson they will never forget.
They take our lives, we take their station and every penny they will ever make from it.
Die well! It's the finish line! It's winning! Open it.
Doctor! - Doctor - What? It's Bill Of course it's Bill.
Fate and me, we have a thing.
Hello, suits.
Our deaths will be brave and brilliant and unafraid.
But above all, suits, our deaths will be expensive! Check your readings.
ALL TRILL We die, your precious station dies! The whole thing will blow.
The company will make the biggest loss in its history.
A moment ago, we were too expensive to live.
Now, we're more expensive dead.
Welcome to the rest of your lives.
But you said that we were going to die Technically, I said you were as dead as Bill.
Probably should've mentioned.
Bill's not dead.
I saw earlier her suit battery was too low.
Not enough for a lethal dose.
SHE COUGHS I know what it takes to kill someone.
Ellie What are they doing? Relax.
They're giving us their oxygen.
It's good for business.
I'm not sure I'm very happy about it Thank you.
It worked! - Doctor - Yep? I think I'm alive.
Yep.
You do seem to be under that impression.
Cuddle.
Ok.
Keep your eyes open.
Keep them open up there, that's it.
You could have told us your actual plan in the first place.
I could have told Bill her battery was too weak to kill her, but the suits would have heard.
I try never to tell the enemy my secret plan.
Better? Hm Ah, we're back in the TARDIS.
When did that happen? Thank you, Doctor.
For all that you've done.
I'm sorry I didn't have more faith in your methods.
Ah, don't mention it.
Now I can set you down on a hub world outside of corporate control.
Or anywhere, really.
The universe is your crustacean.
Head Office.
We've got a complaint to make.
I think we can arrange that.
Promise me you'll be loud? Promise! Does it work? Does what work? Making a complaint to Head Office.
No idea.
Never had a head office.
But as far as I remember, there's a successful rebellion six months later.
Corporate dominance in space is history, - and that about wraps it for capitalism.
- Yay! Then the human race finds a whole new mistake But that's another story.
Can't wait.
But you will.
Laters! Laters Never again.
Stop talking.
Now.
I'm serious.
We were so close to not making it back.
Then what happens to the vault? You know what's at stake here.
Really, stop talking What if you got killed out there? What happens to your precious Earth then? You need to be here, and you need to be ready if that door ever opens.
- Look at me.
- I can't.
What if you came back injured or sick? You really think our friend down there won't know that? Won't sense it?! Look at me! Nardole, I can't.
I really can't! I can't look at anything ever again.
I'm still blind.

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