Watching doctor who

Chapter 9 army of ghosts

[The Tyler's flat]

(The Ghostwatch programme is on the television, presented by that bloke from Cash in the Attic.)
ALISTAIR APPLETON [on TV]: On today's Ghostwatch, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk, and there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster Bridge. It's almost like a military display.
DOCTOR: What the hell's going on?
(The Doctor changes the channel.)
WEATHERMAN [on TV]: And tonight we're expecting very strong ghosts from London, through the North and up into Scotland.
(Trisha Goddard's show - I married a dead man.)
TRISHA [on TV]: So basically, Eileen, what you're telling me is, that you are in love with a ghost.
EILEEN [on TV]: He's my ghost, and I love him twenty four seven.
(Change channel to an interview with a ghost hunter.)
DEREK ACORAH [on TV]: Well, no one needs me anymore!
(If only. Change channel to an advert.)
HOUSEWIFE [on TV]: My ghost was pale and grey until I discovered Ectoshine!
FRENCH NEWSREADER [on TV]: Et le President d'aujourd'hui, quelle est
(An Indian newsreader follows, then a Japanese lady.)
JACKIE: Oh, yes.
DOCTOR: It's all over the world.
(Eastenders.)
PEGGY [on TV]: Listen to me, Den Watts. I don't care if you have come back from the grave. Get out of my pub! The only spirits I'm serving in this place are gin, whisky and vodka. So, you heard me. Get out!
(The Doctor turns the TV off.)
DOCTOR: When did it start?
JACKIE: Well, first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down
DOCTOR: No, I mean worldwide.
JACKIE: Oh. That was about two months ago. Just happened. Woke up one morning, and there they all were. Ghosts, everywhere. We all ran round screaming and that. Whole planet was panicking. No sign of you, thank you very much. Then it sort of sank in. It took us time to realise that we're lucky.
ROSE: What makes you think it's granddad?
JACKIE: It just feels like him. There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?
ROSE: I wish I could, mum, but I can't.
JACKIE: You've got to make an effort. You've got to want it, sweetheart.
DOCTOR: The more you want it, the stronger it gets.
JACKIE: Sort of, yeah.
DOCTOR: Like a psychic link. Of course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in.
JACKIE: You're spoiling it.
DOCTOR: I'm sorry, Jackie, but there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory.
ROSE: But if they're not ghosts, what are they then?
JACKIE: Yeah, but they're human! You can see them. They look human.
ROSE: She's got a point. I mean, they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people.
DOCTOR: Maybe not. They're pressing themselves into the surface of the world. But a footprint doesn't look like a boot.
Wait so the ghosts just appeared Donna said looking shocked yeah I seen them Martha said where were you then I said facing Donna in Spain she said looking freaked out they had the ghosts in Spain as well I said confused the tv then resumed

Lever room]

(Yvonne makes the rounds of the bright young things at their computer terminals. Everyone is wearing a bluetooth earpiece.)
YVONNE: So, what've we got? Any sign of that power loss?
ADEOLA: There's no problems. Must've been a glitch.
YVONNE: Rajesh?

[Sphere laboratory]

YVONNE [OC]: You got anything?
RAJESH: It's so busy down here, I'm on Sudoku book 509.

[Lever room]

YVONNE: Well, we just had a great Ghost Shift.
RAJESH [OC]: I know.

[Sphere laboratory]

RAJESH: But we had nothing. Did they tell you? RND came up with a new spectrometer yesterday. Barged in here, all full of themselves. Said they could detect the heat off a single protozoa through half a mile of steel.
YVONNE [OC]: And what did they find?
RAJESH: Nothing. It gave them nothing. Same as ever. The machines keep saying the sphere can't exist. But there it is.
(A big blank sphere hanging in midair at the end of the laboratory. There is a ladder just below it.)
YVONNE [OC]: Anything we can do?
RAJESH: No, I'm all right. It's just, it gets into your head, this thing. Like it's staring at you.
YVONNE [OC]: All right, we'll catch up later. Thanks, Raj.
RAJESH: Yeah.
(Rajesh goes up the ladder and tries to touch the sphere, but he can't.)

[Lever room]

YVONNE: Matt, get on to hospitality, will you? Send Rajesh something. He's going mad down there. Not alcohol.
(A technician gives Adeola a printout, which she files, then she looks across at a male co-worker. She sends him an internal message.)
ADEOLA [text]: god im bored.
GARETH []text]: me too yawn
ADEOLA [text]: fancy a coffee?
GARETH [text]: though u never ask :)
MAN [OC]: Kept it stable at fifty six point one.
YVONNE [OC]: So, if you just check the statistics.
GARETH: Yvonne? I'm going to double check the stacks, just in case.
YVONNE: Sure.
(Gareth leaves.)
ADEOLA: Yvonne, I'm going to go and cross reference the levels with the sphere.
YVONNE: Okay, fine.
(Adeola leaves.)
YVONNE: And they think we haven't noticed.

[Unoccupied floor]

(Plastic sheeting, painter's ladder and pots, and a No Entry sign.)
GARETH: Come on. It'll be all right down here. Just two minutes.
ADEOLA: This is out of bounds.
GARETH: Yeah, and that's the point. It's completely safe. They're just building new offices.
ADEOLA: What about the workmen?
GARETH: They must be allocated somewhere else.
ADEOLA: It's not worth it for a snog.
GARETH: It is. Come on. (Gareth goes through the plastic sheeting. The workmen return for their ladder and paints, then leave.)
ADEOLA: Gareth? Now, don't be daft, where've you gone? Gareth! Look, I'm going to head back. I'm seeing you tonight anyway. Gareth? I'm going to go back to work.
(She steps through the plastic sheeting.)
ADEOLA: This is it. I'm going. See you. Now stop it, Gareth. I'm not kidding, just stop it!
(There are more curtains of plastic. One has the shadow of a figure behind it.)
ADEOLA: Sorry, I'm just looking for my friend. Did anyone come down here?
(The curtain is pulled back to reveal a Cyberman. Adeola screams.)

[Tardis]

ROSE: According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds. Now don't tell me you're going to sit back and do nothing.
(The Doctor pops up from below the console floor wearing a backpack and holding a hosepipe like device.)
DOCTOR: Who you going to call?
ROSE: Ghostbusters!
DOCTOR: I ain't afraid of no ghosts.
I heard Donna and Martha laughing loudly what I said confused it's just your so cute Donna said what I said horrified but as I turned to face everyone they were agreeing with Donna making me pout and rose giggle

Playground]

DOCTOR: When's the next shift?
(The Doctor puts three metal cones linked by wires on the grass.)
JACKIE: Quarter to. But don't go causing trouble. What's that lot do?
DOCTOR: Triangulates their point of origin.
ROSE: I don't suppose it's the Gelth?
DOCTOR: Nah. They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper.
JACKIE: You're always doing this. Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real? Just think of it, though. All the people we've lost. Our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?
DOCTOR: I think it's horrific. Rose, give us a hand.
Doctor I heard Clara say before hitting me on the arm oi I yelled facing her poor Jackie you didn't have to be so mean she said talking over me did the que cards not teach you anything I learnt plenty I said crossing my arms it's ok doctor mum loves you to bits rose whispered in my ear making me smile widely

Tardis]

(They plug the power cable into the Tardis console. Jackie follows them in and closes the door. Neat trick with such a thick cable running through it.)
DOCTOR: As soon as the cones activate, if that line goes into the red, press that button there. If it doesn't stop
(He hands her the sonic screwdriver.)
DOCTOR: Setting fifteen B. Hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop.
ROSE: Fifteen B, eight seconds.
DOCTOR: If it goes into the blue, activate the deep scan on the left.
ROSE: Hang on a minute, I know. Push that one.
DOCTOR: Close.
ROSE: That one?
DOCTOR: Now you've just killed us.
ROSE: Er, that one.
DOCTOR: Yeah! Now, what've we got. Two minutes to go?
Oi spaceman why didn't you let me ever fly the tardis Donna said making me panic erm she doesn't really like anyone else piloting her I said I heard river cough and glare at me