4. The Convergence Begins
SCENE #29 – EXT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
At the entrance to the Roman Baths, Vernon and Tracy arrive as they make their way to reception.
VERNON
There they are, Miss Gibbons. There’s Mr. Salvador…and Dr. Moore.
TRACY
(puzzled) “I don’t see…” (Pause; realises) “Oh! So he is there!”
VERNON
“Who? Mr. Salvador?”
TRACY
“No Dr. Moore.”
They make their way towards Mr. Salvador and Dr. Moore who are waiting for them.
VERNON
(cheerfully) “Mr. Salvador; Dr. Moore. Here I’ve brought Miss Gibbons. Didn’t want her to be late. I hope we haven’t kept you both waiting.”
SALVADOR
(coldly) “We waited. I will not say anything else.”
TRACY
“Richard, what’s going on?”
VERNON
(apprehensively) “Dr. Moore, if you please Miss Gibbons.”
DR. MOORE
“Yes Miss Gibbons? What can I do for you?”
TRACY
“Miss Gibbons? We’ve been friends for years, Dr. Moore. You call me Tracy, don’t you?!”
DR. MOORE
“Not on this occasion. Not when you are my assistant!”
VERNON
(approvingly) “Very rum if I may so, sir.”
TRACY
(to Dr. Moore) “What’s happened to you? And why have you now agreed to do what Mr. Salvador and Mr. Vernon have told you to do. Half an hour ago you were objecting to it.”
DR. MOORE
“I’ve changed my mind. Men usually do in such matters, Miss Gibbons.”
VERNON
“They certainly do, Dr. Moore.” (to Salvador) “Shall we go to our…posts?”
SALVADOR
“I’m waiting for you to stop talking so that we can get on with this!”
TRACY
“Hang on, wait a minute. Where are the students?”
SALVADOR
“They will be here shortly.”
TRACY
“But Mr. Vernon! You said they were here with Mr. Salvador and Dr. Moore.”
VERNON
(awkwardly) “Err…did I say that?”
SALVADOR
(angrily) “You fool!”
Tension in the air, as Tracy is by Vernon and Salvador’s behaviour. Salvador snaps out of his anger to address Tracy.
SALVADOR
(calmly) “The students are being brought by Mr. Winsted. They will be here shortly!” (Pause) “Your and Dr. Moore’s equipment is in place over the temple courtyard!”
TRACY
“Is it?”
VERNON
“Excellent! So let’s go down there, shall we?”
SALVADOR
“Not yet, Mr. Vernon. We have to wait until the members of staff have cleared out all the visitors in the Pump Room.”
Whilst Vernon and Salvador talk, Tracy speaks to Dr. Moore.
TRACY
“Richard, what is this? Why are you behaving so strangely…?”
DR. MOORE
(abruptly) “Please Miss Gibbons. I’d very much appreciate it if you address me as Dr. Moore…or sir. I’d hate to be better acquainted with you.”
Disturbed by what Dr. Moore has said to her, Tracy remains silent.
SCENE #30 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
Down at the lower level of the Roman Baths, Nyssa and Billy walk in the temple courtyard. They pass many exhibits and passages as they walk on.
NYSSA
“It’s so dark here. All of this seems to have been abandoned.”
BILLY
“Not abandoned, Nyssa. Preserved. Most of it is now ruins. You saw from those models earlier that this wasn’t the complete design as it was then.”
NYSSA
“What place is this?”
BILLY
“This must be the temple. Where Romans come to worship.”
NYSSA
“Worship? Were they superstitious the Romans?”
BILLY
“Apparently. People in those days believed that gods were real. Of course when I say gods, they made idols for themselves and believed that whatever happened in life was the work of the gods.”
NYSSA
“And the Romans would come to worship their gods in places like this! It’s rather a foreboding place to do it.” (Pause) “What’s that over there?
BILLY
“What?”
NYSSA
“There’s some sort of…sculpture of a head standing over there in the corner.”
Nyssa and Billy make their way over to the sculpture to inspect it more closely. Once they’re right up close to it, they see it in full detail.
NYSSA
“It’s the head of a woman. She looks beautiful. Yet she’s sad.”
BILLY
“Sulis Minerva.”
NYSSA
“Pardon?”
BILLY
“That’s who she is. Sulis Minerva. Goddess of the waters.” (Pause) “This is who the Romans worshipped in times whilst they occupied Britain.” (Pause) “Hang on. Let me look in this handbook.”
Billy searches through the pages of the handbook to look up on Sulis Minerva. He then stops at a page.
BILLY
“Ah here we are!” (reads) “The Goddess Sulis Minerva. Inscriptions reveal that the native and Roman deities were considered one and the same.”
Billy turns over a few more pages in the handbook.
BILLY
“Err…ah! Here’s something about the sculptured head.” (reads) “It says the glided bronze head…”
NYSSA
“Bronze?! The head’s made out of bronze?!”
BILLY
(continues reading) “The bronze head from the cult statue of Sulis Minerva that once stood inside the Temple where only the priests would attend to her.” (to Nyssa) “So the Romans were very dedicated to serving the goddess. And according to one of the exhibits we saw earlier they threw coins or tablets to make requests to Sulis.”
NYSSA
“Yes I read that. Something about the Romans making requests to get rid of someone when they did an ill deed to him or her. That’s barbaric!”
BILLY
“The Romans were considered brutal as well as intelligent.”
Just then, Geoff the security man calls out.
GEOFF
(calls; to everyone) “Attention ladies and gentlemen! Will you all please leave this area and make your way to the Pump Room. This place has been reserved for special purposes. If you would like try the sulphuric water in the Pump Room then please do so. Otherwise, the restaurant is at your disposal. Thank you.”
Geoff leaves, whilst the visitors grumble and moan as they move out of the temple.
BILLY
(grumbles) “Well that’s marvellous isn’t it?! We’ve been enjoying the wonders of these Baths and now we’re being asked to leave!”
NYSSA
“At least we’ll be able to try the water in the Pump Room.”
BILLY
(realises) “Oh yes I forgot about that. Right, let’s head for the Pump Room.”
NYSSA
“Certainly.”
BILLY
“Err…Nyssa. May I…take your hand?”
Moment of silence.
NYSSA
“You may.”
Pleased, Billy takes Nyssa’s hand as he escorts her off to the Pump Room.
SCENE #31 – INT – BATH ABBEY – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
Back in Bath Abbey, the Doctor with Mrs. Bates contemplates the situation with the altar.
DOCTOR
“Bath is at stake! Great stake! Worse than great! Far, far, far…far than worse. Terrible! It’s been speaking to me through that nightmare I had.”
MRS. BATES
“Sir, are you feeling well?”
DOCTOR
(to Mrs. Bates) “Don’t you see? No, you don’t see!” (to himself) “The images I saw. Miss Austen; Bath Abbey; the Roman Baths. They’re all connected! Something terrible is about to happen and Bath is at the centre of it!”
MRS. BATES
“You’re making no sense, Doctor.”
DOCTOR
“I’m making perfect sense! The whole bubble of reality has been tampered with. And those time disturbances I felt confirm it! Three time zones are colliding with each other and it would mean the annihilation of the whole world! Even the galaxy! The whole universe!”
MRS. BATES
“You’re a mad man, sir! And mad men should be reported to the police!”
DOCTOR
“I must contact Nyssa and Billy find out what’s happened to them.”
The Doctor fumbles in his coat pocket and takes out his Kraston communicator.
MRS. BATES
“That’s a mobile phone.” (angrily) “Sir, you are not allowed to have mobile phones on in the abbey!”
DOCTOR
“Please. Don’t interrupt me! This is important!”
The Doctor presses a button on the communicator and raises it to his mouth.
DOCTOR
(through communicator) “Hello? Nyssa; Billy? Are you there?”
The Doctor receives no response. Crackling interference occurs.
DOCTOR
(through communicator) “Nyssa; Billy? Hello? Nyssa?!”
Crackling interference still occurs. The Doctor smacks his hand on the communicator to make it work. But it doesn’t and the crackling continues.
DOCTOR
(realises) “Interference!”
MRS. BATES
(insistent) “Hand me that phone or I shall call security!”
DOCTOR
(worriedly) “It’s already started! The temporal convergence! It must have! Otherwise why wouldn’t I receive this interference?!”
Mrs. Bates approaches the Doctor and takes the communicator from him.
DOCTOR
“Mrs. Bates!”
MRS. BATES
(agitated) “I asked you kindly sir and I’m afraid it pains me to do this! But I’ll have to ask you to leave this instant!”
DOCTOR
“Mrs. Bates, you don’t realise…”
JANE
(calls) “Doctor?”
DOCTOR
“…the seriousness of the situation!”
JANE
(calls) “Doctor?!”
DOCTOR
“The temporal convergence!”
JANE
(calls) “Sir Doctor?!”
DOCTOR
(irritated) “Please don’t interrupt me, Mrs. Bates!”
MRS. BATES
(agitated) “I didn’t say anything, Doctor!”
JANE
(calls) “Doctor, sir?!”
The Doctor and Mrs. Bates turn round to see Jane Austen standing before them.
MRS. BATES
(shocked; amazed) “Goodness gracious me! It can’t be! It…she…it’s almost like her portrait but…”
DOCTOR
“Miss Austen! Are you real?”
JANE
(anxious) “Doctor sir, please! Release me from these chains.”
Surprised, the Doctor sees Miss Austen shaking her arms that are in chains, tied to the altar.
SCENE #32 – INT – CORRIDOR TO PUMP ROOM – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
Meanwhile, Nyssa and Billy are about to enter the Pump Room.
NYSSA
“Billy? Did I give you that communicator the Doctor gave us?”
BILLY
“Yes I think you did.”
NYSSA
“Was it going off just a minute ago?”
BILLY
“I don’t think so. I didn’t hear it.”
NYSSA
“Well can you just check if the Doctor’s tried to call us?”
Billy fumbles through his pockets as he takes out the communicator.
BILLY
“Here it is! How am I supposed to know whether the Doctor had called?”
NYSSA
“Let me have a look.”
Billy hands the communicator to Nyssa. She takes it and assesses for herself whether the Doctor has called in.
SCENE #33 – INT – PUMP ROOM – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
Nyssa and Billy enter the Pump Room. Nyssa finishes assessing the communicator.
NYSSA
“It doesn’t seem to have been activated. I’ll check the messaging system.”
BILLY
“Perhaps the Doctor was letting us know he’s on his way to meet us in…”
But before Billy finishes what he says, terrified screams echo in the room.
NYSSA
(anxious) “What’s happened? Somebody’s screaming!”
Nyssa and Billy budge their way through the terrified crowd to see what’s going on. Horrific gurgling, rasping and growling occurs, as people scream at the sight of strange creatures in the room. Nyssa and Billy see the creatures for themselves.
BILLY
(shocked) “Cripes! What are they?! They look terrible!”
NYSSA
(shocked) “There’s so many of them! Why the colour of their skin is so pale! I doubt there’s any humanity left in them!”
BILLY
“It’s like one of those horror movies I sometimes watch at the cinema with some of my mates! But this is far worse!”
The creatures roar as they approach the crowd of terrified visitors to the Pump Room.
NYSSA
“They’re moving us out of the Pump Room!”
BILLY
“Shame. They don’t want to share the room with us!”
NYSSA
“We need the Doctor! Billy, I’m going to use the communicator! Tell these people to stay well clear from these creatures. I don’t know how many of them there are, but they could be contaminated!”
Billy does as Nyssa says, as he turns to face the crowd.
BILLY
(calls) “Everyone, listen! Don’t touch them! Whatever you do, don’t touch them! Just keep as far from them as possible! Understand! Far away from them!”
The terrified crowd does as Billy says, as they move back out of the Pump Room away from the creatures. Meanwhile, Nyssa uses the communicator and attempts to contact the Doctor. She presses a button on the communicator and raises it to her mouth.
NYSSA
(through communicator) “Doctor?! Doctor, can you hear me? It’s Nyssa! We’re under attack by some…kind of parasitic creatures. We’re in the Pump Room! Doctor, can you hear me?! Doctor?! Doctor?!”
Nyssa receives no response, as crackling interference occurs. She press more buttons on the communicator, but it has no effect.
BILLY
(anxious) “What’s the matter?! Why isn’t he answering?!”
NYSSA
(apprehensive) “I don’t know, Billy! Just keep everyone back please!”
Billy turns back to the crowd and addresses them again.
BILLY
(calls) “Come on everyone! Keep back! Keep back! Whatever you do, don’t touch them! Keep back!”
The panicked crowd does as Billy says, whilst the rasping creatures approach them. Eventually, Geoff budges his way through the crowd irritated.
GEOFF
(shouts; irritated) “What’s all this fuss?! What’s everyone screaming about?!”
Nyssa and Billy see Geoff budging his way through.
NYSSA
(gasps) “Billy! If that guard gets here, he’ll soon be infected! We can’t let that happen!”
BILLY
(calls, to Geoff) “Oi! You mate! Go away! Don’t come any closer!”
NYSSA
(calls, to Geoff) “The creatures are infectious! We’ve told everyone here! So keep back!”
Geoff ignores them, as he comes to front of the crowd.
GEOFF
(irritably) “Infectious my foot! This is all play-acting! Those aren’t monsters! They’re just people in silly masks! I’ll show you!”
Geoff steps forward and addresses the monsters.
GEOFF
(calls) “Oi! You guys take those masks off!”
NYSSA
“No! Don’t”
But Geoff ignores Nyssa, as he faces one of the creatures.
GEOFF
“I said…take that mask off!”
Just then, one of the creatures onto him and Geoff screams as he bites his neck. Geoff cries out in pain and coughs. Everyone screams once they see this. Geoff falls to the ground and starts to have a fit.
NYSSA
(calls) “Everyone! Keep away!”
Everyone, while still terrified, does as Nyssa says. But they watch in terror at the horrific transformation of Geoff.
BILLY
“Nyssa! His skin’s gone pale! He’s become one of them!”
NYSSA
“Get these people out of the Pump Room! There’s nothing we can do for that man!”
BILLY
(agitated) “But why are they forcing us out of the Pump Room?!”
NYSSA
“I don’t know! But I expect it’s something not pleasant!”
All the visitors including Nyssa and Billy leave the Pump Room, as the monstrous creatures force them out.
SCENE #34 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
In the temple of Sulis Minerva, Tracy enters with Vernon, Salvador and ‘Dr. Moore’ to find every piece of equipment fully set up in the temple courtyard . The place is empty except for Tracy and the others, as they are about to conduct the experiment.
TRACY
“I don’t believe it! It’s all set up! The HDS; the three pumps filled with water…”
VERNON
“Bath water, Miss Gibbons. We were fortunate in having water supplied from the Sacred Spring.”
TRACY
“And the chamber containing the hydrogen crystal and the temporal inverters are all in place.” (Pause) “You can’t have set all this up in one day!”
VERNON
“Mr. Salvador happens to be a very persuasive man, Miss Gibbons. I feel you should already know that.”
TRACY
“But it takes hours of preparation to set this up. And in the Roman Baths. And with all this Roman architecture ready to crumble you didn’t assess how feasible it would be.”
SALVADOR
“You needn’t bother yourself with these things, Miss Gibbons. Just have faith in what Mr. Vernon is capable of and for you to do your work. Just like Dr. Moore.”
TRACY
“What about the students? The promised audience you said you’d arranged. Where are they now?”
SALVADOR
“I told you! They’re on their way. Now will you attend to your posts, you two?”
TRACY
(to Dr. Moore) “Dr. Moore, what’s going on?”
DR. MOORE
“Come on, Miss Gibbons. We must do as Mr. Salvador says.”
TRACY
“But it doesn’t make sense…”
DR. MOORE
(abruptly) “Just do as Mr. Salvador says. You wouldn’t want to anger our client now, would you?”
A moment of awkward silence ensures.
TRACY
(unhappily) “Very well. Let’s do it!”
Both Tracy and Dr. Moore attend to their posts. They are about to initiate the experiment.
TRACY
“Hydrogen particles are being generated by HDS drive…now, Dr. Moore.”
DR. MOORE
“The heat radiators within the HDS are starting to rise. We shall have enough generated heat for the springs to increase heat level.”
TRACY
“Hang on! I thought this was supposed to be a mechanical spring.”
DR. MOORE
“It is. That is why we are trying to stop the use of the natural flow of water through limestone rock that creates a heat level of forty-six degrees Celsius, so that we can raise the heat to higher levels with the use of machines.”
Tracy reluctantly continues.
TRACY
“Hydrogen particles increasing to forty-five percent. Forty-six…forty-seven…forty-eight…forty-nine…fifty…Now churning particles into water.”
DR. MOORE
“Heat level increasing to forty degrees. Forty-one…forty-two…forty-three…forty-four…forty-five…”
TRACY
“Shall I initialise the temporal inverters?”
VERNON
“No, Miss Gibbons. Mr. Salvador will see to that.”
TRACY
“Mr. Salvador? But he’s not…”
VERNON
“Mr. Salvador wishes to have the honour in activating the stasis field and temporal inverters. Would you deny him that honour?”
Tracy, unable to object, reluctantly continues with increasing hydrogen levels to produce water flow whilst Dr. Moore does his job.
SCENE #35 – INT – BATH ABBEY – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
Back in Bath Abbey, the Doctor approaches Jane Austen who is chained to the altar.
DOCTOR
(astonished) “Miss Austen, you’re here! You’re really here! Now! At present!”
JANE
(restless) “Doctor, I beseech you! Please release me from these horrid chains!”
DOCTOR
(astonished) “How can you be here? Present! At this time in two thousand and eleven! Jane Austen in two thousand and eleven! It’s impossible! You lived through the late eighteenth to early nineteenth century! You shouldn’t even be here!”
JANE
“I find it hard to understand your behavior, Doctor! I understood you could comprehend what is happening when we were acquainted! Now you don’t seem to comprehend at all as you stand there!”
DOCTOR
“How do you know who I am, Miss Austen? You haven’t even met me yet!”
JANE
(bewildered) “Pray what do you say, sir? I’ve told you we’ve met before…many times.”
MRS. BATES
(awed; excited) “Is it really her?! Jane Austen?”
The Doctor turns to see Mrs. Bates staring at Jane Austen.
DOCTOR
(realises; awkwardly) “Ah! Yes. Err…Miss Austen, this is Mrs. Bates, one of the curators at Bath Abbey. Mrs. Bates, this is…Jane Austen, the author of…’Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Persuasion’ and…well you know the rest…” (to Jane) “Miss Austen, how can you be here? What’s going on?”
JANE
“I’d ask you the same thing, Doctor sir. For I believed you knew.”
DOCTOR
(puzzled) “And…why are you chained to this altar anyway?”
They’re both interrupted, when Mrs. Bates cries out excitedly.
MRS. BATES
(excited) “It really is Jane Austen!” (to Jane) “Miss Austen I’m so pleased to meet you! I have read all your books.”
DOCTOR
“Mrs. Bates!”
MRS. BATES
(excited) “I have read them all! ‘Sense and Sensibility’, ‘Pride and Prejudice’. My favourite one is ‘Emma’!”
Mrs. Bates giggles excitably.
DOCTOR
(frustrated) “Mrs. Bates, please! Don’t interrupt me! This is serious!”
JANE
(intrigued) “Doctor? Have I really written novels of my own in the future?!”
DOCTOR
(realises) “Ah! Of course!” (to Mrs. Bates) “Probably shouldn’t have mentioned Miss Austen’s work at this time, Mrs. Bates.” (to Jane) “Apologies Miss Austen. Mrs. Bates can exaggerate!”
MRS. BATES
“I do not exaggerate! I think you Miss Austen are the best author in the English language!”
DOCTOR
(frustrated) “Mrs. Bates, please!”
JANE
“But I haven’t published any novels yet!”
DOCTOR
“Exactly! So therefore…” (stops; realises) “What did you say?”
Just then, the abbey shimmers and shudders again as before. Another temporal displacement takes place. The abbey phases in and out and the church choir music is out of tune and becomes hazy.
JANE
“Doctor! This shimmering! It happens here too?”
DOCTOR
“Oh no! This again!” (realises) “Sorry Miss Austen, did you say…this happens here too? When has it happened before?”
JANE
“From where I come from. In Bath.”
DOCTOR
“And what year would that be?”
JANE
“Pray sir it would be in seventeen hundred and ninety-seven as you must surely know!”
DOCTOR
“I see.”
JANE
“And in that other Bath…with the Romans!”
DOCTOR
“Really?”
The shuddering continues, as the Doctor and Jane Austen find themselves caught in the temporal displacement.
SCENE #36 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
The temporal disturbance occurs in the Roman Baths too, as the experiment conducted by Dr. Moore and Tracy occurs.
TRACY
(nervous; shocked) “What’s this?! This can’t be part of the experiment! I’m seeing strange people before me. People in robes and wearing sandals?!”
SALVADOR
(coldly) “Do not concern yourself with that, Miss Gibbons. Carry on with this experiment.”
TRACY
“I can’t carry on like this, sir! There’s enough distraction to cause this experiment to go wrong! We must abort!”
SALVADOR
(sharply) “KEEP WORKING!”
Shocked by Salvador’s outburst of anger, Tracy then sees Vernon troubled.
VERNON
(cries; troubled) “No! No it can’t be!”
SALVADOR
“What’s the matter, Vernon?!”
VERNON
(troubled) “She’s in there! Nyssa! She’s with the crowd at the Great Bath! She’s going to get sacrificed like they are! You mustn’t let her!”
SALVADOR
“Shut up, Vernon!”
TRACY
(shocked) “What…there are people at the Great Bath. I thought the Baths were evacuated for our audience.”
SALVADOR
“They are our audience, Miss Gibbons! And they shall step into the Great Bath and receive their sanctification!”
TRACY
“Sanctification?” (to Dr. Moore) “Richard, what does he mean?”
Moore doesn’t answer as he has a blank expression on his face.
TRACY
(calls) Richard?!
SALVADOR
(mockingly) Dr. Moore as you should call him, Miss Gibbons.
Tracy becomes terrified, as she presses a few switches on the control panel.
TRACY
I’m stopping the experiment. This has gone on long enough.
SALVADOR
(to Dr. Moore) Seize her!
Tracy is about to shut everything down before she gets caught in the arms of Dr. Moore. She struggles to break free.
TRACY
(cries) Richard! Let me go! Let me go at once! Can’t you see what they’re doing?! Let me go!
SALVADOR
(mockingly) Your Dr. Moore is gone, Miss Gibbons! He was killed after he disobeyed me! We don’t need him as we don’t need you.
Tracy is horrified at what happens. She continues struggling to break free from Dr. Moore.
TRACY
(cries) Let me go! Richard, please!
Dr. Moore says nothing, as he keeps hold of her.
SALVADOR
(to Dr. Moore) Keep hold of her and do not let her escape. (to Vernon) Mr. Vernon. Kindly raise the temperate of the waters of Bath to one hundred degrees Celsius at once!
VERNON
(protests) But Nyssa’s in there! You promised me you would…
SALVADOR
Your desire for that puny girl is of no concern to me! I intend to draw power from your equipment to call upon the one to complete my work! And you shall obey my commandments! Now…get over to those controls! AT ONCE I SAY!
Vernon, trembling at Salvador’s voice, reluctantly makes his way over to the control panel, generating the energy from the HDS.
SALVADOR
Increase the heat levels from the HDS and procure the water levels. I shall do the rest with the temporal inverters.
Vernon breathes deeply, afraid of what he is doing. He approaches the console for the HDS and begins entering the codes.
TRACY
(cries) “No don’t!”
Ignoring Tracy, Vernon generates the heat level up from the radiators. Water surges from the Sacred Spring and bubbles furiously from above.
SCENE #37 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
At the Great Bath, the visitors including Nyssa and Billy are forced into the bath by the creatures. People jump into the water as they attempt to escape from the creatures. The temporal shuddering still occurs in this place.
BILLY
(troubled) “Nyssa! That shuddering is happening again!”
NYSSA
(troubled) “Billy, these creatures! They’re forcing us into the Great Bath!”
BILLY
Well, why would they want to do that? (Pause) Nyssa! Some of those visitors have already jumped into the Bath.
NYSSA
(shocked) Something’s happening to them.
This is confirmed when the people who have jumped into the Bath begin to shudder and tremble.
BILLY
They must be cold the way they’re shivering! Unless they’re hot.
NYSSA
(horrified) No. It’s worse than that.
BILLY
How do you mean worse?
NYSSA
(horrified) The water’s infected from the spring. Some kind of transmittable virus. They’re becoming… (gasps) They are. They’re mutating!
The Bath victims tremble, shudder and cough violently before they loose their normal sense of breathing. Then they start to gurgle, rasp and growl as they become evil horrific beings ready to make an attack.
BILLY
(shocked) “Horrible! This is horrible! Why?!”
They then turn to see the creatures behind them about to advance.
NYSSA
(terrified) “Billy! Those creatures are coming towards us! They’re trying to push us into this Bath!”
BILLY
“They’re trying to get us infected!”
Billy stands by Nyssa, as they await for their inevitable fate.
SCENE #38 – INT – BATH ABBEY – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
A storm approaches, as the temporal shuddering grows worse inside Bath Abbey, surrounding the Doctor and Miss Austen.
JANE
(terrified) “Doctor, I don’t pretend to understand what is happening. It terrifies me greatly! I beg you, stop this madness!”
DOCTOR
“Miss Austen. You’re chained to the altar. Lie down for me, will you?”
JANE
(puzzled) “Why should I…?”
DOCTOR
“Just…lie down!”
Without any further questions, Miss Austen lies back on the altar surface. The Doctor looks over her.
DOCTOR
“A knife. I see a knife next to you.” (Pause) “I must pick it up!”
The Doctor picks up the knife that’s apparently present from the altar surface. He holds it in his hand and then raises it up, towering over Miss Austen.
JANE
“Pray what are you doing, sir?”
DOCTOR
“Please forgive me, Miss Austen. But I must do this!”
With Jane Austen puzzled, the Doctor holds the knife in mid air.
SCENE #39 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
Back in the temple at the Roman Baths, the experiment goes on whilst the temporal shuddering causes everything to be blurry. Electric sparks make the whole place unstable, as if an earthquake is about to occur. This doesn’t bother Salvador, whilst Vernon carries on reading from the control panels.
VERNON
Temperature’s rising! Up to Eighty-nine…ninety…ninety-one…ninety-two…
SALVADOR
(coldly) Power must be increased to full! Switching temporal inverters now.
The temporal inverters are switched on, causing the temporal shuddering to grow even worse.
VERNON
The temporal inverters are causing an overload. The spring won’t hold, Mr. Salvador. It won’t hold.
SALVADOR
(savagely) Keep going Mr. Vernon! KEEP GOING!
VERNON
(raises voice) Ninety-four…ninety-five…ninety-six…
Whilst Vernon continues reading the temperature readings from the monitors, Tracy continues to struggle to break free from Dr. Moore but with no success.
TRACY
(cries) Stop this, I beg you! Mr. Salvador, stop! STOP!!!
VERNON
(raises voice, panics) Ninety-eight…ninety-nine…one hundred per cent and rising!
SCENE #40 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
The Sacred Spring’s stonework cracks and crumbles, as the terrific amount of heat being generated and the water level grows worse beyond limits.
SCENE #41 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
The temporal shuddering goes to the extreme. Alarms blare out loudly from the control panels as the equipment begins to explode.
VERNON
(terrified) Water level and temperature levels have exceeded beyond normal parameters and tolerance! This whole place is going to explode! (to Salvador) Mr. Salvador, we must stop!
Salvador doesn’t listen.
TRACY
(pleads) Please stop! You’re going to destroy everything here!
VERNON
(cries) Stop, Mr. Salvador! Switch off the temporal inverters!
Salvador doesn’t respond.
VERNON
(astonished) He’s not listening! Heavens above, he’s not listening!
Suddenly Salvador steps forward triumphantly in a far off direction.
TRACY
(bewildered) What’s he doing?
VERNON
He’s standing before that bronze head. His arms are outstretched! Look!
They watch, as Salvador holds out his hands in a glorifying gesture.
TRACY
“He’s mad!” (shouts) “Stop, Mr. Salvador! Stop!”
VERNON
(shouts) “Salvador, stop this at once!”
TRACY
(yells) “Salvador!”
But Salvador ignores them.
SALVADOR
(shouts; passionately; excitedly) “COME, SULIS MINERVA! I, SALVADOR CALL YOU! COME!”
With that, the head of Sulis Minerva glows furiously. Thunderclouds rumble and lightening strikes from above.
SCENE #42 – INT – ROMAN BATHS – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
This causes the water within the Great Bath to swirl round and round. Then…it shoots up into the sky! Nyssa and Billy watch where they are, as they stand on the bank edging towards the waters in the Great Bath.
NYSSA
“The waters, Billy! The waters are shooting upwards!”
BILLY
“Yes! It’s like a bolt of lightning shooting up into the sky!”
NYSSA
“Is it over?! Are we too late?!”
Horrified and fascinated, whilst everyone else slowly turns into monsters, Nyssa and Billy watch the bolt of water shooting up into the sky. It causes the thunderstorm to grow worse with more rain, thunder and lightening.
SCENE #43 – INT – BATH ABBEY – DAY, AFTERNOON – SEPTEMBER 2011
In Bath Abbey, the rain plummets heavily onto the roof from above. Meanwhile, the Doctor is about to strike Jane Austen with his knife.
JANE
(cries) “Doctor, please no! Doctor, please!”
DOCTOR
“It’s alright, Miss Austen. It’s alright.”
JANE
(cries) “No Doctor, please no!”
Lightning strikes and cracks the roof of the tower. Rainwater pours in, just as the Doctor strikes his knife down on Jane Austen. A clanging noise echoes. Mocking laughter echoes as rain water plummets through the broken roof of the tower. The rain grows worse as it pours into the abbey.
SCENE #44 – EXT – AQUAE SULIS, 79 AD/BATH, 1797/BATH, 2011 – N/A
A loud whirring noise echoes as the temporal shuddering becomes absolutely terrible. All over Bath, the temporal convergence takes place. Like a volcano, water erupts from the Roman Baths, shooting up into the sky. Rain and storm clouds cover Bath, as the whole city floods and gets covered in a surging and tumultuous tidal wave or tsunami. Triumphant evil laughter echoes from a certain lord of darkness.
Sting music. Roll original 1982 Peter Davison end credits.
© Tim Bradley, 2017
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