Doctor Who (1963) s02e19 Episode Script
Crater of Needles (The Web Planet, Part Four)
Are your wings healed? I shall never fly again? No.
Why do they make us do.
.
(BEEPING) Why do they make us heap this vegetation into the acid streams? It is the raw material for the Carsinome where the Zarbi live.
Fed into these pools, it is drawn to the centre through underground streams.
And as we pour it in, the Carsinome grows and reaches out across Vortis.
What lies at the centre? None of us have ever seen it and lived but we call it the Animus.
-Do you understand them? -No.
They are just cattle.
They do not have any speech nor motive of their own.
Just controlled sentries.
HROSTAR: We came here to liberate them.
It was disaster.
Vrestin, the others, we arrived in advance of the Spearhead.
Our weapons proved useless.
They were taken by the Zarbi, who were everywhere.
The three of us you met in the cave got away with a communicator, but we could not contact our Spearhead.
When is it due to arrive? Soon.
It has not been tested, but we have placed our faith in the Isop-tope.
Doctor, why don't we use the spider now as a weapon to get out of here? Because I think we might find it more valuable later on, child, when Ian and Barbara have returned.
-Do you think it'll be safe where we've put it? -Hundred percent! Oh, no! Use the spider, child.
(RAPID BUZZING) ANIMUS.
; You delay.
Now the child will die.
Thus you will learn total obedience.
If the child dies, there will be no reason left for me to obey.
I have located your enemy, my calculations are complete.
You lie.
The Menoptra are massing on the planet Pictos.
Pictos? It appears they are heading straight for Vortis.
If you waste time in idle vengeance, in face of such an invasion, you will all be annihilated.
Where will the Menoptra land? If I am given peace of mind for a while, I can find that out.
That is, if it's not too late.
Go.
Not before the child is released.
Go now.
First, the child.
Oh, Doctor, it makes you feel so dizzy.
-Yes, I know my dear.
-Peculiar.
I know.
Be all right in a minute.
Did.
Did you tell that thing where the Menoptra are going to land? Just about enough for our survival.
If I tell them everything, our usefulness will be ended.
Now, we've got to get out of here and I want to find a place to hide this recorder.
I don't propose to make them a present at the place of attack.
(ALARM BUZZING) There's another panic on by the looks of it.
There's no doubt they've alerted their invasion forces.
They've acted quickly on the little information that I gave them.
Now, while they're busy, I want you to nip back into the ship, find my walking stick and bring it straight back here.
Hurry.
(HIGH-PITCHED BUZZING) (BARBARA SCREAMING) PRAPILLUS: It's some kind of alarm.
HROSTAR: I hope they haven't found.
(GROANING) We were chased.
We fell.
They are too simple to understand, Heron.
Those in there.
(IAN YELLS IN PAIN) Primitives, what is it you want from us? Hetra.
We know that from the roof comes hate! The liquid death creeping destroyer of we Optera.
Yet, you stand upright.
We will consult the chasm of lights.
And if you come from above, you will die! Hrostar, is it the invasion? The Spearhead, yes, I think so.
Then tell us what we must do.
Nothing yet.
Do nothing? But we've waited for generations for this moment.
And it will come.
But a false move and all is lost.
Success depended on surprise.
If this is an alert, how did they know? Your Earth friends.
This man of science you tell me of, could he be helping them? No.
No, I'm sure he wouldn't.
How, then, do they know? Know what? Our Spearhead planned to land on Sayo Plateau Just above the crater here, to the north.
Well, that doesn't mean to say the Doctor told them.
The Zarbi must be alerted everywhere, not just here.
With the Zarbi weaponry, they will be massacred.
Are your forces armed? With useless weapons.
Our plan was for an attack on the Animus.
We would've landed in secret, overcome the Zarbi, and destroyed the force that rules them by sheer force of numbers.
A suicide army.
It would've been suicide to stay where we were.
The invasion had to come now.
We did not choose the time.
It is now.
Failure will mean failure for all time.
Hrostar, the Spearhead must be warned.
But how? We smashed the signalling equipment.
We must get to the top of the plateau, intercept them and warn them.
Yes, we must.
-There's a larvae gun pointed straight at this door.
-We know.
I saw 30 or more Zarbi leaving the crater by the Great Web.
I do not think there will be many more left to guard us.
Look, we must try.
It only needs one of us to get through.
If only we could destroy the larvae gun.
I may do that.
You? How? I know the Zarbi.
VICKI: Good, you've got it.
Now, the question is how to make it safe? -It's gold, isn't it? -Yes.
There's no mistaking it, my dear.
Gold and something more than gold.
Gold is the symbol of power of this planet.
Which brings me to an incident with Ian and his pen.
Ian and his pen? Yes, it flew out of his hand just as he was about to give it to me, a gold pen.
Now, we have got to find something to realign this power.
-What? -Yes, that is the question, isn't it? Any sign of him? It's left the larvae gun.
It's our chance to destroy it.
Destroy it? Can't we use it ourselves? Only the Zarbi can control and fire them.
Get ready.
Now! -Is the gun dead? -Yes.
-I can lead us to the plateau.
-Well, come on then, quickly.
-Have you finished now, Doctor? -Yes, I think so, my dear.
Well, now we know the Tardis is the opposing force, the question is which is the stronger? -What'll happen if you're wrong? -What will happen? Well, the astral map will be ruined of course, but I'm afraid we have no choice.
Now, just stand back a bit, my dear.
Doctor.
(CHUCKLING) It was nothing, just a fuse on one of our instruments.
The time to complete your findings.
Report.
It is still incomplete.
Excuses.
No doubt your creatures told you about the explosion.
This is what caused the delay.
You must wait.
What is it you hold? Nothing.
Merely a piece of damaged equipment that happened.
MENOPTRA.
; Course on bearing 2-6-5.
Speed .
01.
We jettison craft at altitude 5 above Crater of Needles.
Individual descent to Sayo Plateau north of the Crater.
ANIMUS: You were in possession of the information all the time.
You will be dealt with when the invasion has been repelled.
The plateau is just above us.
We will remain here until the Spearhead arrives.
Well, at least we got here in time.
You stay on guard here, Hlynia.
(BEEPING) The Zarbi are moving in, surrounding the plateau.
We must wait for the Spearhead.
Then this Doctor must have betrayed us.
Every creature who invades our domain comes only to prey on us.
You are guilty.
Throw them in the fire chasm! Will you kill your own kind? Listen, stranger you are both from that wilderness above ground, where the light blinds and the air chokes, where only destroyer races live.
And from where none of us who has gone forth has ever returned.
You come foraging into our world only for new victims.
Take them.
Listen.
This wilderness you speak of belongs to you.
We are coming in our legions to destroy the dark power and its Zarbi slaves.
The Zarbi? They seized this planet long ago.
Enslaved your forebears, and mine, who remained.
They are spreading the poisonous web of the Animus to every corner of Vortis.
As long as we kill intruders, we are safe.
Don't you understand? You are Menoptra, like this.
The Menoptra? You speak of our gods.
VRESTIN: Your gods? The Menoptra are your kinsmen.
Your wings withered on your bodies while you crawled blindly underground like slugs.
You were born to the greatest freedom of all creatures.
To peace, beauty and light.
It is death for us up there.
This is not your element.
If you throw us into the fire, you destroy your own future.
Prove what you say.
I am Vrestin, a leader of the Menoptra.
We come to destroy the dark power who rules this planet.
We need your help.
They're not here yet.
I think the Zarbi are watching.
Quietly.
Spearhead? -Codeword? -Electron.
Where is your pilot party? Destroyed.
Your force, get it off the plateau.
Why? Our weapons are useless.
The Zarbi have our rendezvous.
Disperse the Spearhead.
They will be massacred.
It is too late.
We are already committed to attack.
Look! (BEEPING) They're still following us.
-We try the crater's edge.
-Well, come on, hurry.
Spearhead, retreat.
-We are surrounded.
-No, follow me.
Why do they make us do.
.
(BEEPING) Why do they make us heap this vegetation into the acid streams? It is the raw material for the Carsinome where the Zarbi live.
Fed into these pools, it is drawn to the centre through underground streams.
And as we pour it in, the Carsinome grows and reaches out across Vortis.
What lies at the centre? None of us have ever seen it and lived but we call it the Animus.
-Do you understand them? -No.
They are just cattle.
They do not have any speech nor motive of their own.
Just controlled sentries.
HROSTAR: We came here to liberate them.
It was disaster.
Vrestin, the others, we arrived in advance of the Spearhead.
Our weapons proved useless.
They were taken by the Zarbi, who were everywhere.
The three of us you met in the cave got away with a communicator, but we could not contact our Spearhead.
When is it due to arrive? Soon.
It has not been tested, but we have placed our faith in the Isop-tope.
Doctor, why don't we use the spider now as a weapon to get out of here? Because I think we might find it more valuable later on, child, when Ian and Barbara have returned.
-Do you think it'll be safe where we've put it? -Hundred percent! Oh, no! Use the spider, child.
(RAPID BUZZING) ANIMUS.
; You delay.
Now the child will die.
Thus you will learn total obedience.
If the child dies, there will be no reason left for me to obey.
I have located your enemy, my calculations are complete.
You lie.
The Menoptra are massing on the planet Pictos.
Pictos? It appears they are heading straight for Vortis.
If you waste time in idle vengeance, in face of such an invasion, you will all be annihilated.
Where will the Menoptra land? If I am given peace of mind for a while, I can find that out.
That is, if it's not too late.
Go.
Not before the child is released.
Go now.
First, the child.
Oh, Doctor, it makes you feel so dizzy.
-Yes, I know my dear.
-Peculiar.
I know.
Be all right in a minute.
Did.
Did you tell that thing where the Menoptra are going to land? Just about enough for our survival.
If I tell them everything, our usefulness will be ended.
Now, we've got to get out of here and I want to find a place to hide this recorder.
I don't propose to make them a present at the place of attack.
(ALARM BUZZING) There's another panic on by the looks of it.
There's no doubt they've alerted their invasion forces.
They've acted quickly on the little information that I gave them.
Now, while they're busy, I want you to nip back into the ship, find my walking stick and bring it straight back here.
Hurry.
(HIGH-PITCHED BUZZING) (BARBARA SCREAMING) PRAPILLUS: It's some kind of alarm.
HROSTAR: I hope they haven't found.
(GROANING) We were chased.
We fell.
They are too simple to understand, Heron.
Those in there.
(IAN YELLS IN PAIN) Primitives, what is it you want from us? Hetra.
We know that from the roof comes hate! The liquid death creeping destroyer of we Optera.
Yet, you stand upright.
We will consult the chasm of lights.
And if you come from above, you will die! Hrostar, is it the invasion? The Spearhead, yes, I think so.
Then tell us what we must do.
Nothing yet.
Do nothing? But we've waited for generations for this moment.
And it will come.
But a false move and all is lost.
Success depended on surprise.
If this is an alert, how did they know? Your Earth friends.
This man of science you tell me of, could he be helping them? No.
No, I'm sure he wouldn't.
How, then, do they know? Know what? Our Spearhead planned to land on Sayo Plateau Just above the crater here, to the north.
Well, that doesn't mean to say the Doctor told them.
The Zarbi must be alerted everywhere, not just here.
With the Zarbi weaponry, they will be massacred.
Are your forces armed? With useless weapons.
Our plan was for an attack on the Animus.
We would've landed in secret, overcome the Zarbi, and destroyed the force that rules them by sheer force of numbers.
A suicide army.
It would've been suicide to stay where we were.
The invasion had to come now.
We did not choose the time.
It is now.
Failure will mean failure for all time.
Hrostar, the Spearhead must be warned.
But how? We smashed the signalling equipment.
We must get to the top of the plateau, intercept them and warn them.
Yes, we must.
-There's a larvae gun pointed straight at this door.
-We know.
I saw 30 or more Zarbi leaving the crater by the Great Web.
I do not think there will be many more left to guard us.
Look, we must try.
It only needs one of us to get through.
If only we could destroy the larvae gun.
I may do that.
You? How? I know the Zarbi.
VICKI: Good, you've got it.
Now, the question is how to make it safe? -It's gold, isn't it? -Yes.
There's no mistaking it, my dear.
Gold and something more than gold.
Gold is the symbol of power of this planet.
Which brings me to an incident with Ian and his pen.
Ian and his pen? Yes, it flew out of his hand just as he was about to give it to me, a gold pen.
Now, we have got to find something to realign this power.
-What? -Yes, that is the question, isn't it? Any sign of him? It's left the larvae gun.
It's our chance to destroy it.
Destroy it? Can't we use it ourselves? Only the Zarbi can control and fire them.
Get ready.
Now! -Is the gun dead? -Yes.
-I can lead us to the plateau.
-Well, come on then, quickly.
-Have you finished now, Doctor? -Yes, I think so, my dear.
Well, now we know the Tardis is the opposing force, the question is which is the stronger? -What'll happen if you're wrong? -What will happen? Well, the astral map will be ruined of course, but I'm afraid we have no choice.
Now, just stand back a bit, my dear.
Doctor.
(CHUCKLING) It was nothing, just a fuse on one of our instruments.
The time to complete your findings.
Report.
It is still incomplete.
Excuses.
No doubt your creatures told you about the explosion.
This is what caused the delay.
You must wait.
What is it you hold? Nothing.
Merely a piece of damaged equipment that happened.
MENOPTRA.
; Course on bearing 2-6-5.
Speed .
01.
We jettison craft at altitude 5 above Crater of Needles.
Individual descent to Sayo Plateau north of the Crater.
ANIMUS: You were in possession of the information all the time.
You will be dealt with when the invasion has been repelled.
The plateau is just above us.
We will remain here until the Spearhead arrives.
Well, at least we got here in time.
You stay on guard here, Hlynia.
(BEEPING) The Zarbi are moving in, surrounding the plateau.
We must wait for the Spearhead.
Then this Doctor must have betrayed us.
Every creature who invades our domain comes only to prey on us.
You are guilty.
Throw them in the fire chasm! Will you kill your own kind? Listen, stranger you are both from that wilderness above ground, where the light blinds and the air chokes, where only destroyer races live.
And from where none of us who has gone forth has ever returned.
You come foraging into our world only for new victims.
Take them.
Listen.
This wilderness you speak of belongs to you.
We are coming in our legions to destroy the dark power and its Zarbi slaves.
The Zarbi? They seized this planet long ago.
Enslaved your forebears, and mine, who remained.
They are spreading the poisonous web of the Animus to every corner of Vortis.
As long as we kill intruders, we are safe.
Don't you understand? You are Menoptra, like this.
The Menoptra? You speak of our gods.
VRESTIN: Your gods? The Menoptra are your kinsmen.
Your wings withered on your bodies while you crawled blindly underground like slugs.
You were born to the greatest freedom of all creatures.
To peace, beauty and light.
It is death for us up there.
This is not your element.
If you throw us into the fire, you destroy your own future.
Prove what you say.
I am Vrestin, a leader of the Menoptra.
We come to destroy the dark power who rules this planet.
We need your help.
They're not here yet.
I think the Zarbi are watching.
Quietly.
Spearhead? -Codeword? -Electron.
Where is your pilot party? Destroyed.
Your force, get it off the plateau.
Why? Our weapons are useless.
The Zarbi have our rendezvous.
Disperse the Spearhead.
They will be massacred.
It is too late.
We are already committed to attack.
Look! (BEEPING) They're still following us.
-We try the crater's edge.
-Well, come on, hurry.
Spearhead, retreat.
-We are surrounded.
-No, follow me.